I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

Even if the heavens and earth collapse, it is nothing more than a thought from Him.

"Dust is just dust. No matter how much time passes, it will always be the same..."

"Why are you dawdling like this?"

Unable to contain himself any longer, he stared directly at the seemingly intangible god before him, his fingertips pressing against his collar before gently flicking it aside.

"Outrageous... Immoral... You brat... How dare you!"

A dazzling light filled the entire dream.

The dragon pounced on the god, its claws pinning down His limbs, and thunder roared from its mouth, pouring down His face.

"Despicable...humans...only know how to ambush."

He never imagined that a sun was hidden beneath that tiny speck of dust.

The light blinded His eyes and clouded His heart, and the wretched dragon took advantage of His inattention to deceive and ambush Him, the old man who had just woken from his dream.

"How else can I give you a good beating!"

Before the god could react, Bai Zhou increased his output. After all, what was consumed in the dream was mental energy, and He, who possessed the soul of the Holy Dragon, had nothing else but strong mental energy, which He could squander at will in the dream.

"Damn it... damn it..."

The god's weak whispers were extinguished by thunder.

He was on high and mighty for only a few minutes before being humiliated and trampled into the ground again. This humiliation angered Him.

This is His territory; the scene should be reversed, and the one being pressed to the ground should be this wretched dragon.

"Ha, as the oldest being, you only know such weak and meaningless words to scold."

By daytime, it was generally known from whom the Twelve Immortals' somewhat clumsy cursing skills had been passed down.

The thunder subsided, and the true dragon pressed its claw down on His head, uttering foul language with practiced ease.

"Damn it...despicable..."

He growled, but to the vacuum of space, he appeared as nothing more than a fish out of water, struggling in its death throes.

"Let's resolve this quickly..."

The dragon stopped cursing and began chanting incantations.

This was a spell his elder brother taught him before he entered the dream, a spell used to make the god sink into the dream.

However, the incantation is lengthy and complex, and during the day one must recite it continuously without pausing for a second or being distracted.

Otherwise, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

The incantation is as long and complex as a lullaby, yet it has already shown its effects.

He struggled, but his strength grew weaker and weaker.

“Ah Xi…”

A familiar voice rang out.

The appearance of the god under his claws had quietly changed at some point.

Its color is blue, with two heads, as black as ink and as smoky as smoke.

"..."

The dragon loosened its grip slightly.

...dust...is just dust; a few slanderous words can easily cloud one's judgment.

He seized the opportunity, broke free, and bit the neck of the true dragon.

He couldn't wait to see the true dragon's pained and regretful expression.

Goodnight, God of the Year.

Whispers echoed in my ears.

The white mist recombine.

This grand dream will continue for another thousand years.

Would you be willing to forget each other in the world of martial arts if you returned to the age of eighty-two?

"Good day, Your Highness."

My elder brother was the first immortal to visit the daytime.

Compared to his usual颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, apathy, and lack of motivation) appearance, he now exudes a radiant and ethereal aura.

"You don't seem to have slept well?"

When the elder brother saw him in broad daylight, he was sitting cross-legged on a futon, rubbing his neck and lost in thought, which made the elder brother somewhat worried.

They could not share the same vision as Bai Zhou, so they did not know how Bai Zhou fought against the ancient gods, nor could they know whether Bai Zhou was injured in the battle.

"I was just bitten, it's nothing serious."

Regardless of whether the bite wound in the dream counts as an injury, Bai Zhou is more concerned about whether the Twelve Immortals can be put at ease as a result.

"You have done very well, Your Highness."

“We are all unharmed, and all twelve of our brothers and sisters survived.”

The elder brother's expression softened slightly, and he congratulated Bai Zhou with a hint of joy in his words.

That's good.

Bai Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

Everyone is safe and sound, which means her husband will be back soon.

"Then...sir, she..."

Knowing what Bai Zhou wanted to ask, the elder brother smiled and gently shook his head.

"I don't know when Eleven will return. But it should be soon. Your Highness just needs to wait patiently for a few days, and Eleven will probably be back."

"I see... I was the one who was anxious."

Even the daytime shook its head and sighed softly.

Why couldn't he hold back?

"Since Your Highness is safe and sound, I shall take my leave. I still need to go and find those troublesome younger siblings one by one."

"Yes, you may go now."

He bowed to Bai Zhou, and then his elder brother rose and left.

"Please come back soon, sir."

Thinking that one day I can give up this position, leave the headache-inducing officialdom, and travel the world with the painter, becoming a perfect couple... Ah, how wonderful.

Thinking about the wonderful life that was about to begin, Bai Zhou didn't even care about the slight pain in her neck when she woke up.

■

"I was unaware of Your Highness's presence today. I apologize for failing to greet you properly."

"It's alright... I just came to ask... has she... sent any news, sir?"

He gazed longingly at his brother during the day. He had been waiting for a week, but not only had he not seen his teacher, he hadn't even received a letter.

In his anxiety, he came to ask his elder brother.

"Your Highness... Eleventh will not be coming back for the time being."

The elder brother wore a long purple robe, and a lingering sorrow hung between his brows and eyes.

"What happened? Are you injured, sir? Where are you now? I can go and lend you a hand."

Bai Zhou was in a hurry.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, that's not what I meant. Eleven is not injured."

The elder brother repeatedly reassured the anxious Bai Zhou.

"Then why do you say that the master will not be coming back?"

I feel a bit uneasy during the day, and I'm afraid I won't be able to calm down until I get specific information.

"Eleven...she's still not awake. Not only her, there are five others who haven't replied to my messages, they're probably all still asleep."

"Your Highness, please do not worry. Just wait patiently. Once Eleven replies, I will inform Your Highness immediately."

Only after his elder brother assured him of his safety during the day could he be somewhat reassured.

"Then, please."

Bai Zhou chatted with his brother for a while longer, then went back in low spirits.

"..."

Watching the dragon's departing figure, the elder brother picked up his tea and slowly took a sip.

"Romantic feelings... are not the time for that, Your Majesty."

###

The New Year is here.

Whether it was the Divine Capital Dragon Palace or the entire Great Yan Dynasty, from the highest officials to the common people, everyone was immersed in the joy of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

At a glance, the streets were filled with laughter and joy, and the sky was ablaze with fireworks.

"Elder brother! It's time for the New Year's feast!"

Upon hearing the call, Bai Zhou, who had been standing with his hands behind his back gazing into the distance, turned his head away.

"It's already this late."

"Yes, elder brother. It's cold outside, come back inside with me."

"Ugh……"

A faint sigh disappeared into the falling snow.