I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Reviewing the List in the Dragon King Temple — The Court Meeting in the Crystal Hall…

The morning court session in the Crystal Hall of the Dragon Palace had just adjourned when Feng Xiuyan rose from his seat. The hem of his ink-colored dragon robes swept across the jade steps, creating faint ripples in the water. He moved with such haste that he didn’t even acknowledge the bowing aquatic ministers behind him.

Low whispers broke out in the hall as the ministers clutched their memorials and traded looks.

“Why is His Majesty in such a hurry today? Could there be another disturbance in the deep sea?”

“But during the discussion just now, the undercurrent issues were clearly settled…”

Only Gu Li, standing at the side of the hall, watched Feng Xiuyan’s retreating back with a darkening expression. He knew exactly where the King was going. His Majesty wasn’t off to handle state affairs; he was going to look after those few animals he brought back from the mortal world—creatures he seemed to care for more than the governance of the Dragon Palace itself.

…

Deep within the Dragon Palace, in the Warm Hall.

This place lacked the surging blue waves found outside; instead, it radiated a sense of mortal warmth. Feng Xiuyan had already changed out of his complex, magnificent dragon robes into a dark-patterned robe identical to the one he wore at the mountain manor. He looked less like a majestic Dragon King and more like a gentle commoner.

He held a jade tray filled with fresh spiritual herbs and shimmering spiritual food, clearly prepared for someone special. In the center of the vast hall, a freshwater pond had been specially sectioned off. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the pearl-light from the coral lamps—a stark contrast to the usual saltwater environment of the Dragon Palace.

On the pond’s edge, a duck—its yellow fuzz mostly gone, replaced by fluffy white feathers—was flapping its wings and swimming. It looked much sturdier than it had at the manor. This was the “Little Ducky” Shen Youqing spoke of every day.

As Feng Xiuyan approached, the duck on the bank was the first to notice. It paddled to the shore, flapping its wings excitedly upon seeing him. Its beak opened and closed, remarkably uttering human speech: “Father! Father!”

Feng Xiuyan leaned down, his fingers gently brushing the soft feathers on the duck’s back, his voice turning soft. “Did you absorb your spiritual herbs properly today?”

The duckling lowered its head dejectedly, pouting. “I still can’t transform… even though I’ve eaten so many spiritual herbs.”

Feng Xiuyan didn’t rush it. He placed the herbs on a stone platform by the shore. “You stayed in the mortal world for a long time and were exposed to spiritual energy late. Transformation takes time; there is no need to hurry.”

“Mm-hmm!” The duckling looked up, eyes sparkling. “Then I’ll eat more herbs and transform soon! When I see Daddy, I have to give him a surprise!”

At the mention of Shen Youqing, the coldness in Feng Xiuyan’s eyes instantly thawed, and his brow softened.

Just as the words left the duck’s mouth, the calm surface of the pond suddenly exploded with a splash as a naked little boy popped out of the water. The little fellow’s skin was a healthy dark tan, and his body was round like a freshly peeled glutinous rice ball—this was the transformed Little Black.

He froze the moment he met Feng Xiuyan’s gaze, his tiny hands still clutching a clump of waterweed. He had obviously been eavesdropping underwater and couldn’t help popping up when he heard “Daddy.” Seeing Feng Xiuyan’s slight frown, he was terrified.

“Fa… Father…” Little Black stammered, his childish voice trembling.

Feng Xiuyan looked at the naked, cowering boy and sighed helplessly, his tone more teasing than angry. “How reckless. Where are your manners?”

“Little Black was wrong! I won’t do it again!” The little guy lowered his head, his shoulders shaking slightly.

“Forget it.” Feng Xiuyan took a set of cotton shorts and a shirt from a nearby rack and tossed them to him. “Come out and put these on. In the future, when you swim in human form, you are not allowed to be naked. At the very least, wear undergarments.”

“Yes!” Little Black scrambled onto the bank to dress, but the sleeves were too long and the pants too baggy. He tripped the moment he pulled them up, nearly falling flat on his face.

“Hahaha!” The duckling nearby shook its wings with laughter.

Feng Xiuyan stood by, watching Little Black clumsily tie his waist-strings, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together.

In truth, Little Black’s rapid transformation was entirely thanks to Shen Youqing. For a month at the manor, Little Black had eaten the spiritual food Shen Youqing provided and soaked in the spiritual energy Feng Xiuyan had left in the water. Not long after arriving at the Dragon Palace, he successfully transformed.

When he first transformed, Little Black had timidly called him “Father.” Feng Xiuyan had intended to stop him, but then he thought: This silly fish is the godson that kid claimed. Since he’s the kid’s godson, then mathematically, he should be my godson too… With that logic, he had accepted the title.

The Warm Hall was filled with the sweet scent of spiritual herbs. As the sounds of the duck pecking and the fish-boy rustling reached his ears, Feng Xiuyan’s mind drifted.

He was going to see that kid tomorrow. If Shen Youqing knew that Feng Xiuyan had carved out a freshwater pond in the middle of the saltwater Dragon Palace just for these two, and spent time every day feeding them and teaching them to transform—how would the boy react?

An image flashed in his mind: the boy standing on his tiptoes, arms wrapped around his waist, cheek pressed against the warmth of his robes, saying in a soft voice, “How are you so good to me?”

Feng Xiuyan’s ear tips turned red. The heat climbed up his ears, and his breathing hitched. He quickly raised a hand, pretending to adjust his collar to hide his blushing ears behind his dark hair. He shifted his gaze to Little Black’s mismatched waist-strings and barked sternly, “Your pants are falling off. Tie them properly.”

Little Black jumped and fumbled with the strings. The duckling tilted its head. “Father, your face is so red. Are you hot?”

Feng Xiuyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He replied stiffly, “The water temperature in the Dragon Palace is constant; there is no heat. It’s just the glare from the lamps.”

He turned and left the hall, his pace faster than when he arrived. He didn’t even notice the faint curl at the corner of his lips, unable to hide the anticipation in his heart.

…

The next day, just as dawn broke, the Dragon King Temple on the east side of the capital’s central axis was unusually quiet. Normally, this place would be packed with people praying, the incense burners overflowing with smoke. But today, though the doors were open, not a soul was in sight—except for three tall incense sticks burning slowly.

In the eyes of the people of the Gulan Dynasty, the Dragon King Temple was more effective than even the Temple of Wealth. Two years ago, during a severe drought, farmers knelt here until their foreheads bled, and by the next evening, rain had fallen for three days straight. Since then, faith in the Dragon King had only grown.

Today, the mountain path leading to the temple was blocked by soldiers in gleaming armor.

“Hey! What’s going on?” an old farmer grumbled. “I told my wife I’d come to pray for the seedlings this morning!”

“You don’t know?” a man selling tofu whispered excitedly. “My nephew at the yamen says today is the day the Dragon King chooses his consort! It was on the imperial bulletins! The Dragon King is entering a marriage alliance with us humans!”

“Really?!” The old farmer’s eyes lit up. “Does that mean we might see the Dragon King’s true form today?”

The crowd at the foot of the mountain erupted. Everyone forgot their prayers and craned their necks to see. Soon, ebony carriages arrived. Minister Li of the Rites stepped out first, followed by Li Beicheng, Wen Shubai, and Yuan Yajun. The crowd cheered: “Look at those young people! They must be the candidates!”

…

Inside the temple, the noise was filtered into a dull hum. The air felt as cool as the deep sea.

Gu Li stood to the left of the main hall, his gaze drifting toward the high seat several times. Feng Xiuyan sat there, casually fiddling with a single yellow duck feather in his hand. Gu Li’s brow twitched. When His Majesty first brought the duck and the fish back, Gu Li thought it was a whim. He never expected the King to adopt them as foster sons in front of all the ministers and spend every day caring for them.

Ever since His Majesty spent that month in the mortal world, he had changed in ways words couldn’t describe.

Minister Li of the Rites held a gold-embossed register of candidates and bowed deeply before the jade table. “Great Dragon King, this is the list of candidates for the human alliance. These are the talented youths selected after the assessment at the mountain manor and finalized by the Emperor. Please review it.”

Feng Xiuyan finally looked up. He hadn’t seen that troublesome kid when the group walked in—was he delayed by something?

He reached out and took the register from Gu Li. His movements were casual, almost indifferent, as if he were certain he would find that familiar name inside.

But when he flipped to the very last page, Shen Youqing’s name was nowhere to be found.

Feng Xiuyan’s movements froze.

He blinked, looking stunned. He flipped through the entire register from the beginning once more. Three times, four times… the names of the others were all there, but the one name he wanted was missing.