Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 376 Pseudo-Dragon Body

Long Qinghuang went to court, and Xiao Kui brought over the food. Anuo rode over on a pig to eat with them.

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh: "You're stuck to this pig now, aren't you?"

Ah Nuo was happy all day and was still happy: "It's so cute!"

Lu Xingzhou felt that A Nuo had indeed lacked playmates over the years, and children... no wonder she liked this little pig so much. He then asked, "Have you named it yet?"

Ah Nuo said, "How about we call it Zhou Zhou? Look at how white it is, like white porridge."

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

Ah Nuo carefully shooed the pig back: "That fish, fish."

Lu Xingzhou lowered his head and drank his porridge: "If you're not afraid of being hung up and beaten by Yuan Muyu in the future, then go ahead."

Observing Lu Xingzhou's expression, and seeing that he was truly casual, Anuo said, "Okay, Yuyu, let's go."

Then, in high spirits, he rode off to inspect the territory in his pig, even skipping his favorite meal.

Ah Nuo thinks that Sister Yu, who has made the position of the only teacher's wife into what it is now, is just like this pig. They are very suitable.

Yuan Muyu found out? It's been so long since we've even seen each other. When will she find out...? Even if she does find out, we can just tell her her name is Zhouzhou and that's it.

Lu Xingzhou was drinking porridge, while Xiao Kui was preparing a medicinal bath.

Lu Xingzhou glanced at it. He knew that body-strengthening baths were a common practice among humans, and quite popular. However, he wasn't one of those practitioners, so he hadn't had much experience with it. But he was quite knowledgeable about it medically; absorbing medicinal nutrients into muscles and bones was indeed effective. He wondered what kind of medicinal herbs Long Qinghuang had used for the bath.

Logically speaking, traditional human medicinal baths could never achieve the physical attributes of beings like Anuo or dragons... That's why humans covet the physiques of demon cultivators and switch to demonic cultivation. But these things are incomparable; why should humans try to compete with dragons in physique? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

But when one can even dream of supernatural powers that can manifest the heavens and the earth, it seems that this is not so far out of reach.

Lu Xingzhou strolled over, plucked some powder from the medicine, and sniffed it lightly, his expression somewhat strange.

This isn't your average medicine...

This clearly contains parts of a dragon's body, including dragon scales, dragon bones, and dragon meat. You could only get this by slaying a dragon. Even if Ji Wenchuan found a bone dragon, he could only scrape off a few bone fragments and then worry about the bone dragon rebelling. This place has everything...

Lu Xingzhou hadn't even dared to dream of such a good thing; theoretically, it was an absolute taboo for the dragon race. Did he have to dig up the graves of the dead? Or would a living dragon be willing to pluck its scales, scrape its bones, and cut its flesh for him? Anyone who dared to bring this up with the dragon race would probably be turned into a meat pie.

"Xiao Kui, where did this medicine come from?"

"I don't know. His Majesty instructed me to do it before he left."

Could it be from Long Qinghuang herself...? Otherwise, she would have left from here without going to any storeroom...

But what about the scales on her own body? It was one thing to have shed them, and one could imagine cutting off a little bit of flesh and blood, but where did the bones come from? Lu Xingzhou found it beyond his comprehension, and his mind became several times more solemn and serious when he looked at the medicinal bath.

The medicinal bath was ready, and Xiao Kui stood to one side.

Lu Xingzhou looked at Xiao Kui, and Xiao Kui looked at Lu Xingzhou.

After a long pause, Lu Xingzhou said helplessly, "How can you be so clueless, young lady? I'm going to take a medicinal bath, what are you doing standing here?"

"His Majesty ordered me to serve you."

"Go away, I'm not comfortable with young girls watching me while I'm taking a bath."

"...I am a sunflower."

"Shall we show Fifty Sunshine our strength?"

Xiao Kui was completely bewildered when Lu Xingzhou threw her out.

Long Qinghuang, who was attending court, smiled.

He certainly stood the test. They even said he got along well with the little palace maid. He really knows how to keep his composure in the face of important matters!
Her fingers had some minor cuts, the flesh and blood she had cut herself. The dragon scales were also her own shed scales, witnessing her journey from a young dragon to an adult... well, an adult's memento, which she had now given to him.

As for the skeleton, it wasn't hers.

The young man had a piece of ancient dragon bone hidden in his ring. Although it had lost its vitality, scraping off a portion was still more than enough to make medicine. The protection of his ring was practically nonexistent to the Dragon Emperor; he wouldn't even know if bone fragments were scraped off. He was probably in a complete daze right now, wondering where those fragments came from.

Just thinking about his bewildered expression makes me want to laugh.

But when she remembered that there were other things in the ring, Long Qinghuang's expression turned very unpleasant.

Whose bellyband is that? It's so provocative... And what's with the veil...?

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?" the ministers cried out helplessly.

Your Majesty hasn't been distracted by the bewitching concubine to the point of skipping morning court, but you've been distracted several times in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. What can be done about this? You might as well not hold morning court at all.

Lu Xingzhou was soaking in the medicinal bath, feeling the medicinal power transforming his muscles. It was numb, itchy, and a little burning, which was quite uncomfortable. But he was, after all, a third-grade cultivator who had achieved some success in his cultivation, so dealing with this was not difficult for him.

The real challenge is using dragon's blood to arouse passion.

Unlike the faint fragrance emanating from Long Qinghuang, this is soaked in blood. The medicinal power in the blood seeps into the skin and penetrates directly into the internal organs.

Heat surged from his dantian, and the oars splashed as they paddled.

If there were a mirror, one could probably see the bloodshot eyes of lust.

If we don't get rid of that big-faced sunflower, something bad will happen.

In other words, did Long Qinghuang originally intend for the palace maid to solve this problem?

No need... You might as well do it yourself.

Lu Xingzhou silently circulated the Yin-Yang Extreme Intent Technique, allowing the Yin and Yang energies to rotate and digest on their own, resisting the restlessness in his heart.

Then I discovered something else... This aphrodisiac effect is different from Zhong Pei Chuyun's seductive skills.

Pei Chuyun's seductive skills are more focused on the mind. Although they also arouse physical desire, they are triggered on a mental level and ultimately aim at mental control.

The effects of dragon blood, including those from the aphrodisiac valley in the sacred mountain, are even more brutal, pointing to the primal lust and wildness of life.

In this state, the rationality of intelligent life is suppressed by primal savagery, turning them into beasts devoid of humanity.

Or, one could say that this is the most typical difference between humans and demons. The essence of a demon's life contains a large part of its wild nature. Once this part is activated, suppressing the spirituality born from cultivation, that's what we saw recently—the pig demons.

They are also high-ranking members of the pig clan, people of status, who should normally be well-dressed, civilized, and concerned with appearances. But in that state, they could be found rooting around in a filthy and chaotic pigpen, showing no signs of any intelligent life whatsoever.

The effects of dragon blood are not as outrageous as some of the other two, but it is clearly also very effective in stimulating the wildness of life.

Wildness is not just lust... it includes much more: appetite, violence, killing, and all sorts of impulses surge into the heart.

During her court session, Long Qinghuang kept a close eye on Lu Xingzhou's expression, feeling somewhat worried.

These negative effects are inevitable and must be endured. If one cannot endure them, one must leave the medicinal bath, which would mean that Lu Xingzhou is no longer suited for this body-tempering method.

But if he can pull through, and Lu Xingzhou can eventually possess a pseudo-dragon body, then...

At least in terms of defense penetration...

Moreover, he would be more wild at that time, unlike the refined gentleman he is now; he would be more like a wolf...

During the court session, His Majesty's face began to turn red again, and his eyes darted around.

The courtiers: "..."

When will the Great Qian invade? Hasn't the Demon Realm been destroyed yet?

Lu Xingzhou rose from the bathtub.

Water droplets streamed down his bulging, hard muscles, making him look incredibly alluring.

Long Qinghuang's eyes lit up.

Then I realized that he finished so quickly, could it be that he couldn't handle it?
But Lu Xingzhou's eyes were clear, as if nothing was wrong... So he had passed the test of the first medicinal bath?

Upon closer inspection, a faint golden light flashed across Lu Xingzhou's skin, then disappeared into his skin, resembling the faint appearance of dragon patterns. Such a powerful effect from just one treatment? Long Qinghuang was somewhat surprised.

Naturally, this was because Lu Xingzhou possessed immortal bones, meaning he was no longer a mortal, and his absorption of these substances was indeed much better than that of ordinary people. Long Qinghuang, seeing this, felt it was as if it were a natural aptitude for the dragon race, and she was overjoyed: "Court adjourned!"

The courtiers: "...No, Your Majesty, we've only discussed half of the topic; you haven't said anything yet."

"Huh? Oh." Long Qinghuang coughed lightly, then sat back down, lazily asking, "What were we talking about again?"

"...Regarding the earthquake in the Western Frontier, the leopard clan there believes the epicenter was not in their area and suspects it was in Frozen Moon Cold River."

"Hmm..." When it came to Dongyue Hanchuan, Long Qinghuang's first thought was of Lu Xingzhou, and she blurted out, "Then I'll ask Lu later..."

Seeing the blank stares of the assembled officials, Long Qinghuang swallowed the rest of her sentence and said calmly, "Since the epicenter is not in the Leopard Clan's territory, then those who need disaster relief should provide it. Have the Eagle Clan send capable people to keep a close eye on Frozen Moon River and report any changes promptly."

“Yes. There’s one more thing…” Long Yan finally said, “His Majesty yesterday…”

"Hmm?" Long Qinghuang's absent-minded look vanished instantly, her dragon eyes turning cold and sharp, and the atmosphere in the Demon Court immediately became tense.

Many ministers, who were secretly complaining, broke out in a cold sweat and lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

"I was just about to discuss this matter with you all," Long Qinghuang said coldly. "Pudu is morally deficient and unworthy of his position. I need not elaborate on the importance of the position of High Priest to the entire Demon Realm. Pudu is unfit for this post. I intend to replace the High Priest. Please discuss this with me."

“This…” Long Yan wiped his sweat and said, “The abbot of the Holy Mountain has always been elected by the temple, and the Demon Court does not interfere…”

"So?" Long Qinghuang sneered, "When did the Holy Mountain become independent?"

Long Yan immediately fell silent.

Long Qinghuang's accumulated prestige was simply too great; her "blindness indulging in male beauty" these past two days had not diminished her long-established image and prestige in the slightest.

Long Qinghuang stood up and said coldly, "My past leniency in not interfering with their temple elections was due to my leniency, not their pretext! The Sacred Mountain Sacrifice is a matter of national importance; do I not even have the right to appoint priests?"

A group of officials knelt down in a flurry, saying, "Your Majesty, we had no such intention."

After a pause, Long Ao whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty must replace the High Priest, but try not to make too much of a fuss. Proceed slowly and methodically. After all, the High Priest is a top-tier expert; if pushed to the brink..."

Long Qinghuang glanced at Long Ao and thought to herself that the reminder was actually correct.

But she brought it up deliberately during the court meeting, wanting to see how the Holy Mountain would react.

And...who is in contact with the Holy Mountain?

Before Lu Xingzhou came along, Long Qinghuang was an emperor who dominated the demon realm, not someone who would just wait for a little man to give her advice.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have my own plans. In short, you all go back and think about this matter. I want to see the details tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Court adjourned." Long Qinghuang flicked her robes and turned to enter the back of the hall.

The group of demon officials in the court looked at each other with different expressions.

Lu Xingzhou had just finished his medicinal bath and sat cross-legged for a short while when a dragon couple arrived.

It was exactly what Long Qinghuang had requested before he left: to find a dragon couple to come and treat him.

The couple were both young dragons, and they even had dragon horns on their heads that had not yet been hidden, which stirred something in Lu Xingzhou's heart.

Long Qinghuang's dragon horns have always been hidden, and she doesn't seem like a dragon girl at all when you're with her. When she went to Tianshuang Kingdom, people didn't even recognize her as the Dragon Emperor... I wonder if she would be willing to deliberately show her dragon horns? That would be so cute.

"We've met Danxia County Magistrate." The dragon couple were very polite; at least they wouldn't address that nameless dragon son as "Shenglongzi."

Lu Xingzhou was even more impressed and nodded, saying, "Please sit down. Um, extend your wrists."

The couple extended their wrists at the same time, and Lu Xingzhou also extended both hands to take their pulses.

The couple exchanged a surprised glance after this display of skill.

Human clinics exist, even in demon capitals, but I've never seen anyone dare to take pulses at the same time like this... Could this dragon prince be a fraud...?

But then Lu Xingzhou said, "You asked for it four times last night, three times the day before yesterday, and five times the day before that..."

Couple: "..."

Is this how it is every day?

The female dragon turned her head shyly, while the male dragon strutted proudly and said, "You know all about this."

Lu Xingzhou said, "This is an illness of yours, and it needs treatment."

Gonglong: "?"

Lu Xingzhou quickly wrote down a list and then asked, "When you have sex, is it in your true form or in human form?"

"Originally, they were mostly humanoid, but later they couldn't reproduce, so they tried all sorts of methods, and even used their original form frequently."

"Or not?"

"No."

"Is it okay to cooperate with foreign tribes?"

"can."

Lu Xingzhou glanced at the mother dragon, but she didn't show the slightest displeasure, because she was also playing outside.

Lu Xingzhou was truly impressed. You guys do this so many times a day and still manage to go out and have fun... Doesn't Long Sheng have anything else to do?

Why were humanoid figures chosen more often in the past?

"You're really good at playing with human form," the male dragon said with great enthusiasm. "What can your true form do? That's why we agree that you humans are indeed the most intelligent of all beings."

“From this perspective, it is indeed true…” Lu Xingzhou was a little embarrassed, but he finally finished writing the list and gave it to him: “That kind of thing shouldn’t be done too often, it might affect the survival rate, that’s enough.”

Gonglong took the order, somewhat distrustful: "Is it because you're impotent that you're jealous...? You and our Emperor are the undisputed number one beauty of the dragon race. If you didn't do it at least three times last night, don't say I look down on you."

Damn it. Lu Xingzhou, who had been as saintly as Buddha last night after only one time, gritted his teeth: "That was restraint. If I want it, I can do it seven times anytime."

"You said it." Long Qinghuang's voice came from outside the hall, and Lu Xingzhou shut his mouth.

Long Qinghuang entered the hall with a half-smile, her eyes still filled with unspeakable longing, and gave Lu Xingzhou a quick glance.

The young dragon couple had clearly never seen their emperor with this expression before. They wiped their sweat and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."

Long Qinghuang nodded: "What were the results of the diagnosis?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "It needs to be done in moderation. It's best to do it only once every two or three days, and for the time being, stop having sex with other concubines and mistresses."

The couple said in unison, "How can that be?"

Lu Xingzhou said calmly, "This is an order. Come back and tell me the results in ten days. Remember, execute it strictly."

Under Long Qinghuang's cold gaze, the young couple dared not disobey and could only leave with bitter faces.

Long Qinghuang strolled up behind Lu Xingzhou and squeezed his shoulder: "So, what did you find?"

“Yes.” Lu Xingzhou said with a very serious expression: “I deliberately told them to exercise restraint so that the news would reach those who are interested. The real problem is not here.”

"where?"

"In the transfer of qi and the effect of witchcraft..." Lu Xingzhou said, "If I'm not mistaken, there is a dragon hidden inside the Holy Mountain. I don't know if it's dead or alive. It has been used as a kind of witchcraft ritual for a long time... The aphrodisiac chaos in the mountain valley is not seduction, but the effect of dragon blood guided by witchcraft."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

PS: I'm still serving up 4K4, but when I say "pigeon," there's no pigeon. Does that mean it's also called a pigeon?

(End of this chapter)