The Amnesiac, Sickly Beauty Is Pregnant With My Dragon Cub - Chapter 58.2

Subsequently, two soft lips pressed against the back of Yu Xuanji’s hand. Cang Lan bit and kissed it simultaneously, mumbling, “If I can’t kiss your mouth, I’ll kiss your hand.”

The Iron-Eating Beast stayed to guard the Dragon Pool. Cang Lan and Yu Xuanji left with Huang Liu and the Gray Wolf Demon, heading toward the mountains in the northwest.

Reluctant to let Yu Xuanji walk too much, Cang Lan drew a teleportation array and moved the four of them inside.

The Demon Market never closed and had no business hours; it was brightly lit from morning till night. It felt like another world—vivid and eerie to the eye, with unknown killing intent lurking in the darkness.

At this moment, Yu Xuanji realized that Cang Lan had never truly been a “gentle” creature. Indeed, in the Barren Lands, she was a Demon Dragon and a decisive King of Ten Thousand Demons. The territory was her trophy from conquest.

For a moment, a complicated thought rose in Yu Xuanji’s heart. If Cang Lan were truly just the silly dragon who only knew how to act cute in front of her, how could she command the respect and submission of all demons?

Standing on the most prosperous street of the Demon Market, Yu Xuanji saw crowds of masked demons and ghosts, as well as humans and monsters. There were even demons not yet in human form, with non-human limbs and tails, crawling on the ground.

Seeing this, Yu Xuanji couldn’t help but tighten her grip on Cang Lan’s hand, interlacing their fingers.

Sensing Yu Xuanji’s tension, Cang Lan scratched her palm reassuringly and whispered in her ear with a laugh, “Don’t be afraid, Wife. Though these demons look grotesque, they aren’t all aggressive. You have dragon qi protecting you; ordinary demons can’t get near you.”

Yu Xuanji nodded and smiled. “Mm, with you here, I’m not afraid. Let’s eat first; I’m a bit hungry.”

Cang Lan handed the shopping list and the Space-Time Pouch to Huang Liu. “Check this list carefully and buy all the brewing supplies. If you find good wine, don’t forget it—buy plenty. If you two drink or eat, you must pay; no using my name to cheat others, understood?”

Huang Liu and the Gray Wolf nodded and were immediately swallowed by the passing crowd. At a nearby wine shop, they ordered some good wine and sat across from each other. Huang Liu wondered, “Why is the Great King so different today? Usually, when she returns to the market, everyone has to kneel and submit. It’s a huge spectacle. Why so low-key today? It doesn’t seem like her style.”

The Gray Wolf Demon thought for a moment. “It’s likely because the Madam is here. Didn’t she always say all demons are equal? She told the King to love her subjects like children and not be too flamboyant. The King listened, so she’s acting low-key.”

Huang Liu took a gulp of wine and sighed. “The King truly loves the Madam.”

As they drank and recounted Cang Lan’s past exploits, a white-clad woman wearing a mask sat behind them. She took a sip of wine, her gaze falling on Huang Liu as her finger tapped twice on the table.

The streets of the Demon Market branched out in all directions. Cang Lan led Yu Xuanji to her favorite food street. It was crowded with all sorts of beings.

Cang Lan warned Yu Xuanji not to remove her mask and held her hand tight. “Don’t let go, Wife. Though this is a food street, there are many scammers. They love ‘tender’ humans like you. Be careful.”

Cang Lan was smiling as she said this, her bell-like laughter reaching Yu Xuanji’s ears. Yu Xuanji gripped her hand, knowing the “bad dragon” was just trying to scare her again.

Yu Xuanji’s eyes landed on a stall nearby. She pulled Cang Lan over to look, only to see the owner was a giant frog wearing a chef’s hat, stirring a pot with a large ladle.

“Croak, croak, croak—”

A chorus of rapid croaks filled her ears. Yu Xuanji watched as the frog chef dumped a basket of fresh frogs into the pot. The brightly colored frogs fell into the soup like rain, croaking loudly and splashing for a bit before sinking.

Seeing this, Yu Xuanji thought she was hallucinating from poisonous mushrooms. She pinched her thigh and blinked, confirming she wasn’t mistaken.

At that moment, the frog chef noticed the two “two-legged people” and called out warmly, “Customers! My shop’s frog soup is famous in the market! Made with the freshest, plumpest wild frogs. It’s fragrant, delicious, and clean! Care for a bowl?”

Yu Xuanji shook her head violently, took a step back, and ran off pulling Cang Lan. Behind her, she heard someone say, “Boss, your frog soup tastes amazing. I come here every day; I can’t miss a meal.”

It felt like a shill.

Yu Xuanji looked back and saw it was a peacock demon with a sharp beak. It picked up a bowl of bubbling frog soup and drained it in one gulp.

Well, birds do like that sort of thing.

Cang Lan, seeing Yu Xuanji looked uncomfortable, asked, “Wife, did you think the frog soup wouldn’t be good? Let’s try another place.”

Yu Xuanji moved her lips. “It’s not a matter of whether it’s good… sigh, I don’t know how to put it. Is that meant for humans to eat?”

Cang Lan thought about it. “Actually, it really isn’t.”

They turned to the next stall. Yu Xuanji saw a clean table and chairs and was about to lead Cang Lan over when she saw the owner suddenly extend a long, bright red tongue and lick the table and chairs perfectly clean.

Yu Xuanji’s eyes met the owner’s. A second before the owner could warmly invite her in, she turned and ran, dragging Cang Lan along.

Cang Lan, not knowing what was happening, just ran behind her. Suddenly, they bumped into someone.

“Ouch!” A masked woman was knocked to the ground, her mask flying off. Yu Xuanji helped her up while Cang Lan picked up the mask. “Sorry, we ran into you.”

The woman was a cat demon. The moment her fingers touched the mask, she felt a surge of powerful spiritual energy. She looked up, glanced at the tall woman’s face, and “collapsed” toward her.

Cang Lan dodged to the side. The woman fell onto the empty air and wailed from the ground, “Oh, no! I’ve been hit! My tailbone! My elbow! My skull! It hurts so much!”

Yu Xuanji could tell at a glance she was a “scammer” looking for a payout. She looked at Cang Lan, who whispered, “Don’t worry.”

The shouting attracted a crowd of onlookers. They formed a circle, watching the drama. “Zhe Gu is at it again.”

“Yeah, last time she scammed a demon lord out of hundreds of taels of gold.”

“These two are in trouble. They look penniless; she’ll take them for everything they’ve got.”

As Cang Lan approached, Zhe Gu grabbed her calf with both arms and shouted to the crowd, “You hit me and want to run? You have to pay me to leave!”

Yu Xuanji frowned and tried to help her up, but Zhe Gu grabbed her too. “You can’t leave either! You’re an accomplice!”

Cang Lan laughed. “Fine, fine, we won’t leave. Get up first.”

Zhe Gu stood up warily, holding out a hand. “Money. Not a copper less than a hundred taels, or I won’t let you go!”

Cang Lan’s lips curled. She held out her hands helplessly. “We left in a hurry today and didn’t bring much gold or silver. How about this? I’ll give you this mask as collateral?”

Zhe Gu stared at the golden dragon-patterned mask. “Is it real gold?”

Cang Lan smiled. “Guaranteed.”

Zhe Gu reached out and slowly removed the mask. The woman’s face was revealed—a snow-white, gender-neutral countenance.

Zhe Gu’s lips trembled. The hand holding the mask shook as if it weighed a thousand pounds. “G-Great… Great King.”

Cang Lan took the mask back and put it on. She smiled slightly. “Get up.”

Zhe Gu sat trembling on the ground, her speech slurred with fear. “I… I don’t dare.”

Yu Xuanji helped her up, smiling as she took a jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Zhe Gu. “It was my fault for not looking where I was going. This bracelet is for you. Fine jade for a beautiful lady—it suits you.”

Zhe Gu stood up, her legs still shaking. She kept her head down, not daring to look at Cang Lan. “I… I don’t dare take it. P-Please take it back.”

Cang Lan laughed. “If she gives it to you, take it. It’s my wife’s gesture of goodwill.”

“Wife?” Zhe Gu looked up in shock at the woman wearing the same golden mask as Cang Lan. “You are the King’s wife?”

Suddenly, Cang Lan said coldly, “Don’t call her ‘Wife’ so casually.”

Zhe Gu lowered her head quickly. “I was wrong.”

In the chaos, only Zhe Gu had seen Cang Lan’s face; the other demons had not.

Zhe Gu immediately returned to her “rascal” persona, waving the jade bracelet at the crowd. “Fine, fine! Since you’re so sincere, I won’t hold it against you! Go on, leave!”

The watching demons muttered, “Huh? Is Zhe Gu’s brain broken today? Usually, she makes people pay every cent. Why is she suddenly being a ‘good demon’?”

Another demon said, “Probably just a whim. Ignore her. Let’s go eat.”

Cang Lan led Yu Xuanji through an alley toward another street to find food. Zhe Gu followed cautiously behind them. “Great King, I apologize for earlier. Please forgive me.”

Yu Xuanji turned and smiled. “It’s fine. It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t mention it again.”

After Zhe Gu left, Yu Xuanji turned to find Cang Lan watching her with scrutinizing eyes. She laughed. “What is it? Are you jealous because I gave her the bracelet?”

Cang Lan huffed coldly, grabbed Yu Xuanji’s hand, and turned away. “I’ve found that bracelet an eyesore for a long time. It was close to your skin every day; I hated it.”

Yu Xuanji couldn’t help but laugh. “You… it’s just a bracelet. It’s not even a living thing. Are you jealous of everything I touch? That’s quite unreasonable.”

Cang Lan huffed again. “I am just such an unreasonable dragon. What are you going to do about it?”

Yu Xuanji knew she had these “fits” occasionally and had grown used to it. She smiled. “I know I was wrong. I’ll let you handle me however you want tonight. But I’m hungry; I really want to eat something.”

Hearing Yu Xuanji’s stomach growl, Cang Lan led her to a clean-looking stall.

This stall seemed to specialize in chicken soup. As Yu Xuanji approached, she smelled a rich aroma. Just as she thought she might finally get a decent meal, she saw the chicken in the pot pouring boiling water over itself and scrubbing its skin with a loofah.

Yu Xuanji blinked rapidly and pinched her pressure point to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She squeezed Cang Lan’s hand. “A-Lan, the chicken in that pot is taking a bath. Am I so hungry I’m hallucinating?”

Cang Lan thought for a moment. “Wife, that’s their specialty. The one bathing in the pot is the boss.”

Yu Xuanji couldn’t take it anymore. She bit her lip and shook her head. “We’re not eating. A-Lan, let’s go. No more, no more.”

After a round of this, Yu Xuanji suddenly felt that Cang Lan’s cooking was actually quite good. At least it was clean, and even if it was a bit “rough” on the tongue, it wasn’t as suffocating as what these demons were making.

Previously, Cang Lan had mentioned hiring some “great demon chefs” for the Dragon Pool. Fortunately, Yu Xuanji hadn’t agreed, otherwise, she might be facing “frog soup” or “bathwater” daily.

Zhe Gu, who had just received the jade bracelet, came over. “Great King, Madam, are you looking for food? I know this street best! Let me take you to my favorite place. It’s guaranteed to be delicious!”

Yu Xuanji thought this might be more reliable. They followed Zhe Gu to a shop selling porridge. The sign simply said “Porridge.” The shop was spacious and clean, with many people eating inside. It looked promising.

A rich aroma of rice porridge wafted out. Cang Lan sat Yu Xuanji down. “Wife, you’ve had a long night. Have some porridge here; it’s good for the stomach.”

Zhe Gu laughed. “My treat!”

Nearby diners laughed at Zhe Gu. “Oh? Is the sun rising in the west? Are roosters laying eggs? Zhe Gu is actually paying for someone? Incredible!”

Zhe Gu snapped back, “Shut up! Do you even know who these two are?”

A diner laughed. “Who are they? The Great King and the Madam? Like you’d ever meet them. Stop dreaming.”

Zhe Gu slammed the table in anger. Cang Lan coughed once. Zhe Gu went quiet, put her hands on her hips, and said, “What’s it to you? Eat your porridge and shut your mouth!”

The shop owner was also a cat demon with a snow-white tail. She brought two bowls of porridge to the table with a smile.

Yu Xuanji saw the porridge was white and fragrant. She asked with a smile, “These smells wonderful. What is it made of? Ordinary rice porridge doesn’t smell like this.”

The owner smiled. “You’re an expert! These are the freshest field mice caught today. They’re skinned, deboned, and boiled until tender, then mixed with the best rice in the Barren Lands to create this essence.”

Cang Lan was about to eat her porridge when she noticed Yu Xuanji’s face had turned pale.

Yu Xuanji suddenly stood up, covered her mouth, and ran toward the alleyway.

Cang Lan dropped her bowl and followed her. “Wife, what’s wrong?”

The shop owner watched the retching Yu Xuanji and the chasing Cang Lan and gossiped, “What’s up with your friends? That one looks like she’s pregnant. Morning sickness?”

Zhe Gu shook her head, confused. “I don’t know. It looks like morning sickness. It couldn’t be our porridge making her sick, right?”

The owner nodded. “Her belly doesn’t look like much yet; she must have just conceived. When they come back, prepare some nourishing herbs to put in the porridge.”

Zhe Gu nodded. “Okay. I can’t believe the Madam is pregnant. Is the Barren Lands going to have a dragon baby?”

The owner patted Zhe Gu’s shoulder. “Stop mumbling and go prepare.”

Yu Xuanji stopped at a corner, leaning against the wall.

Seeing her clutching her chest and looking ready to gag, her eyes watering, Cang Lan asked, “Wife, what is it?”

Yu Xuanji waved her off. Having not eaten all day, her stomach was empty; she couldn’t throw anything up. She choked out, “That porridge… they said it was made of mice.”

Cang Lan was stunned. She hadn’t realized Yu Xuanji was so resistant to field mice. She comforted her, “They’re field mice, not house mice.”

“That’s still mice.” Yu Xuanji patted her chest to steady her breath. “Let’s go back. I’m never coming here again.”

Cang Lan nodded, supporting her waist. She added helpfully, “I thought it smelled quite good though. I used to eat here all the time. It looks ugly, but it tastes great.”

Hearing this, Yu Xuanji froze in place. She breathed heavily, staring at Cang Lan’s mouth, swallowing hard as another wave of nausea hit her.

As Cang Lan gently patted her back, she heard Yu Xuanji say something that felt like a bolt from the blue.

“You aren’t allowed to kiss my mouth today or tomorrow!”