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

Talulah, or rather all the children of Yan Kingdom, know that the God-King will select some lucky people every day to personally help them solve their difficulties.

Now that Bai Zhou is by her side, how should we deal with the situation in Yan Kingdom?

"About this matter."

A smile appeared on Bai Zhou's face.

"The Yan Kingdom is so vast, with so many people, yet there is only one Divine Lord."

"In my spare time from the hectic and complicated work, I quite enjoy strolling through the streets and alleys, having morning tea and listening to music."

"..."

Young Draco blinked, then gave him a knowing smirk.

Oh dear, it seems even the old man has his lazy moments.

"..."

He tore off a fragrant roasted rabbit leg and handed it to the girl. Watching her eat it with gusto, her mouth greasy with oil, Bai Zhou's smile softened even more.

You're just like me, Ah Jin.

"Waaah (swallows), old man, let's head north first. If you ask where the hardest place in Ursus is, it must be the northern ice plains."

The girl left behind the bones she had gnawed clean and told Bai Zhou about her plans.

"Of course, I won't let you help me, old man. That would just make me look like an incompetent person who can't do anything."

She has to earn her own living, not rely on the care of her ancestors.

"Very ambitious."

Bai Zhou then handed her a rabbit leg, and after the girl happily accepted it, he encouraged her:

"Go for it, little tower. Trust your courage and your fire. What that permafrost fears most is a young and passionate fire like yours."

"Yes. Watch me, old man!"

After eating and drinking his fill, young Draco nestled close to the dragon, enjoying a brief moment of warmth and comfort.

Several days later, as the two were traveling through the mountains, a loud shriek pierced the sky, followed by a golden light falling from the heavens like a shooting star.

"Old man!"

Talulah, who was acting as a scout, watched helplessly as the light fell towards Baiyue, who was slacking off behind her.

"It's alright, it's alright, it's my messenger."

During the day, he threw the captured river scale into the snow and let it frolic, then comforted the frightened young dragon.

"Phew, old man, the commotion your messenger made was a bit too exaggerated, it almost scared me to death."

Talulah picked up a harpoon she had simply made from a wooden stick and strung the river scales together, then looked curiously at the golden-feathered eagle hovering in Bai Zhou's arms.

"What's wrong, sir? Is it something urgent?"

Bai Zhou's expression seemed very serious, which made her worry.

"...It's just an old friend I haven't seen in a long time who wants to meet me. It's nothing serious."

As Bai Zhou's thoughts shifted, the eagle transformed into wisps of shimmering gold particles that seeped into his clothes.

"Then you should go quickly, sir. You can't keep your friend waiting."

The girl patted her chest, her little face proudly held high.

"Don't worry about me, I'm quite confident in my ability to survive in the mountains."

"The mountains and fields are fraught with danger; we must not let our guard down. Do you still have your longevity lock with you?"

"I brought it with me, I brought it with me."

Talulah removed the chain from her neck, and handed the still-warm chain to Daylight.

"But sir, could you change its shape? This lock is a bit too heavy to wear."

"What would you like to change it to?"

"Hmm... How about changing it to Grandpa's dragon design? I think it looks super cool. And wearing it makes me feel like a great god is with me, which makes me feel really at ease!"

The girl's smile grew increasingly naive, and her exaggerated words made even the dragon chuckle.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'll protect you even without it."

Bai Zhou handed the girl the now-reshaped arcane dragon ornament and then said:

"My old friend's matter is not urgent for now. I will teach you how to master the power of the universe first."

"Don't refuse. I have high hopes for your plans for the future, but it won't be easy to stir up an event that can change the vast empire of Ursus."

"If you want to melt the frozen ground that has suffered decades of oppression and set it ablaze, you must do countless amazing things to awaken the ignorant and make the clear-headed think you are worthy of cooperation. Among these things are things that could endanger your life. Aon can help you do many things better and help you get out of many predicaments."

"There's no need to worry about the source of the arcane energy. Once you have mastered it, it becomes your own ability. And since it's your own ability, you should use it to its fullest potential."

He taught the girl all the uses of arcane energy and personally let her experience the wonders of arcane energy. It was already getting dark the day after tomorrow.

"Grandpa, is Oripathy eliminated by Arcane Energy?"

The girl was practicing manipulating arcane energy, and the once beautiful arcane ornaments had now turned into a lump of mud that was unrecognizable.

"Originium contains a large amount of arcane energy. By consuming excess Originium particles in the human body using arcane energy, one can eliminate Oripathy."

He grilled fish during the day while answering her questions.

"I've heard that Oripathy, which means infected individuals can cast spells without a medium, is that true?"

"The Infected simply skip the step of channeling spells to their staffs. However, they can indeed cast spells faster and more easily than ordinary casters. The Originium has also effectively enhanced the Originium Arts awakened by the Infected."

"Hmm, Arcane Power can replace a staff and also suppress Oripathy. Originium can enhance spells..."

The girl seemed to have thought of something interesting.

"Hey, grandpa, I want to become an infected person!"

"Ok?"

Bai Zhou glanced at her in surprise.

Although it was expected that the girl might voluntarily become an infected person at some point in the future due to certain events, this is still too fast.

"The most common people on the frozen ground are the oppressed infected. If I can gain their support, it will be the cornerstone of my grand plan."

Young Draco didn't seem to know the specific differences between the infected and ordinary people, but she knew that only by becoming one of them could she join them.

"Yes, there are examples of infected people using arcane energy, or rather, decades ago, Ah Jin... that is, your great-aunt, did such an experiment. There are also many Dragon Venerables in Yan Kingdom who have both of these conditions at the same time."

"As long as the energy is not removed from your body, the infection level will not increase."

That means!

Bai Zhou looked at the excited girl and chuckled.

"Becoming infected isn't something you can just do casually. If you intentionally become infected and want to avoid affecting your abilities and daily life, you have to carefully choose the site of infection."

"I'm ready, old man!"

The girl rolled up one sleeve, revealing her fair arm.

"I'll choose this arm."

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go find a source stone."

Bai Zhou handed the grilled fish to the girl, then got up and leaped into the sky to search for Originium.

"..."

After it was all over, the young dragon, with a miserable little face, clung to the real dragon's side.

"Ouch, it hurts so much, sir. Is the infection process always this painful?"

She only stabbed her arm; how much pain must those injured in other, more serious areas be in?

"It doesn't feel good for a sapling to grow out of a human body."

During the day, he held the baby dragon in his arms and gently rubbed her little head to comfort her.

"My whole arm feels hot...like it's on fire."

This isn't just a feeling; it's a real fire.

Bai Zhou waved his hand and fanned out the fire that had started on the girl's arm.

"Bear with it a little longer, Xiaota. Think about nice things, like when you were playing with Huijie."

"Ugh... Huijie is such an idiot, she always has to watch that guy's every move, even though that bastard doesn't care about her at all."

She said she wanted to think about nice things, but she kept thinking about her silly little sister being scolded by that man.

"He was also a man with a tragic fate. And, he was so devoted to Huijie..."

As soon as Bai Zhou opened his mouth, he was met with a pitiful whimper from the girl.

"Grandpa, I'm still in pain, you're not allowed to speak up for him."

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about him, let's not talk about him."

Since his granddaughter had spoken, Bai Zhou had no choice but to obey her and stop complaining about poor Father Chen.

"Hehehe, the old man is the best."

The young dragon wore a silly grin, seemingly because it had indeed lessened its pain.

"Hey, Grandpa. When you get back, you have to tell Huijie that I've never blamed her."

The baby dragon rested its head on the real dragon's leg, its bright golden eyes gazing at the bright campfire, as if it saw its silly, clumsy little sister at home reflected in it.

"After all, I'm the older sister. Of course, an older sister has to protect her younger sister."

"Grandpa, I'm really looking forward to seeing what it looks like when the fire starts to burn."

The firewood in the campfire was dwindling, but the fire was burning ever brighter.

Young Draco contracted the disease and became one of the countless infected.

But the disease could not defeat her; it only became the fuel for the fire, helping her to illuminate the dark night in the north.

"Go, Talulah."