Chapter Forty-Two: The Dragon in the Southeast

As dusk settled, Ye Ran and his companions returned to Torrent City. Exhausted and still shaken, Freya fell into a deep sleep behind Ye Ran. Lin Yuan and Wang Li gently conveyed Lu Yanhe’s wishes to Ye Ran, then looked at him expectantly, hoping he would come around.

But Ye Ran understood clearly and declined their proposal, not very tactfully. Whether it was pride or something else, he simply didn’t want to get entangled with Red Leaf Academy any further.

The two could only leave disappointed. Before departing, Lin Yuan handed him a brocade pouch, saying it contained an eleven-character prophecy from Gao Taiqing.

After they left, curiosity got the better of Ye Ran, and he opened the pouch to find a brocade letter inside.

“**, the dragon is in the southeast,”

A line of small characters caught his eye. Ye Ran pondered it deeply but couldn’t decipher its meaning. He understood the beginning, but what did “southeast” signify? A direction? If so, did it mean the southeast of Ramhorn Continent or the southeast of Torrent City?

There was another note at the bottom of the page.

“The path of kings: Young Master Luo, Marquis Jade—if you gain one, you gain the world.”

Ye Ran rubbed his forehead. Young Master Luo and Marquis Jade must be two people. “If you gain one, you gain the world”—such high praise, yet Roger had never heard of these two.

“So remarkable, they can’t be nobodies...”

“Even if they’re extraordinary, what do they have to do with me...”

Ye Ran murmured, pondering as he carried Freya back to Mudbrick Street.

The tea room of Red Leaf Academy was peaceful and fragrant with tea. Lu Yanhe sat gloomily to the side, quietly drinking. Wang Li and Lin Yuan entered, and seeing his expectant gaze, shook their heads helplessly.

Lin Yuan said, “Grandpa Lu, we did our best, and Ye Ran was very moved.”

“But he still refused,” Wang Li added.

“Let it be. The old lady foresaw this long ago. Didn’t you two sneak a peek at that brocade letter? You little rascals,”

Lin Yuan looked down and stuck out her tongue, while Wang Li scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.

“Sit,” Lu Yanhe waved his hand, then turned to ask, “Old lady, is that boy really destined for such dominance? He doesn’t seem like it.”

Gao Taiqing glanced at him and replied, “He didn’t achieve his wish in this martial exam, but Zhao Ziyang refuses to enroll now—doesn’t that hint at something?”

Lu Yanhe clicked his tongue meaningfully and fell silent.

Lin Yuan couldn’t hold back and asked, “Granny, who are Young Master Luo and Marquis Jade? Why have we never heard of them?”

Gao Taiqing’s appraisals had never overlooked any notable figure: Torrent City’s top master Hidden Dragon, the Black Demon Sword’s Burial God, the Demon Slayer Shi Fan, Spirit Demon Child Luo Yu...

But as for Young Master Luo and Marquis Jade, no one had ever heard of them.

Marquis Jade was understandable; in Ramhorn Continent, anyone called “Marquis” was at least of distinguished birth.

Young Master Luo, though, sounded much less impressive.

Wang Li and Lu Yanhe listened with interest.

But Gao Taiqing merely shook her head. “It’s perfectly normal that you haven’t heard of them. One stands out from the crowd and holds himself in high regard; the other conceals his talents and keeps his claws hidden. Neither has reached the point of renown yet. Just wait—when their destinies intertwine, the whole continent will be astonished.”

...

Ye Ran and Freya slept soundly through the night, only waking at noon the next day.

Freya sat on the bed, looking melancholy and sorrowful. Ye Ran, as usual, got up, cooked, circulated his energy, and called Freya to eat.

Though Freya was downcast, her stomach betrayed her. She lifted the covers, scampered to the table, and pulled out a chair to sit.

As he served her rice, Ye Ran said, “Freya, I’ve found a job at a cloth shoe shop. Starting tomorrow, I won’t be home at noon. The money is in the cabinet—use it as you need. If you’re bored, go play at Yunmeng’s place. Remember to come home early in the evening.”

Freya nodded obediently, but her heart was heavy.

After a few bites, she wrote on her drawing board: “Ah Ran, Freya must help you enter the Temple.”

“Don’t, please, little lady,” Ye Ran jumped in alarm. He’d deliberately avoided mentioning her outings so she wouldn’t fixate on the matter, but now it was clear he needed to explain.

He put down his chopsticks and said, “Freya, I’ve thought it through. I don’t want to enter the Temple, nor attend any academy. There are many paths in life; academy and temple are just the smoothest ones. Even if those paths are blocked, there are still countless ways forward.”

Ye Ran continued, “From the very start, I prepared for the worst with Red Leaf Academy. Though I’m a bit unwilling, haven’t I had my share of disappointments? It’s nothing—one sleep and it all passes.”

“I’ve decided: before I just took odd jobs and earned slowly. Now I’ll work steadily at the shoe shop, and when I’ve saved enough, I can start my own business. Isn’t that great? I’ll be the boss, you’ll be a little rich lady—wealthy and happy. Why look for discomfort in school?”

Freya thought about it and found it reasonable, though something felt subtly off.

In the end, she’d still be working for others.

Ye Ran reached out and wiped the grain of rice from the corner of her mouth, gently saying, “Let’s treat it as a second-best option. At least we’re much better off now—and things won’t get worse.”

“Freya, never beg others, especially those high above.”

Freya glanced at him, then lowered her head.

“They’ve grown used to others’ pleas. Besides a bit of meaningless pity, they have nothing to offer you.”

“Since I was old enough to understand, I’ve never begged anyone, because nothing I own was ever gained by begging.”

When he was young, hadn’t he pleaded desperately with others? Yet all he got were cold looks and pity.

Only when he stopped begging did he truly distinguish himself, in character, from the beggars of the slums.

And so, ten years later, the beggars remained, while Ye Ran had already created a world for himself with his own hands.

Freya nodded, half understanding.

Ye Ran finally relaxed, but suddenly thought of something. Pointing to the tricycle parked in the corner, he asked, “By the way, Freya, what is that? You seem to treasure it.”

When Ye Ran mentioned her beloved tricycle, a spark of excitement lit up in Freya’s lively eyes. She wrote on her drawing board: “It’s Freya’s divine artifact.”

Ye Ran’s throat caught, and he muttered, “...Your artifact is truly...unbelievable...”

Seeing Freya glare at him, he quickly corrected himself: “I misspoke—mysterious, very mysterious...”

...