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

Would you like another drink?

This time, the little guy didn't take it.

"This is for you, sir. How could I possibly drink more?"

He wiped the sweat from his face, then happily ran off to practice his calligraphy. As he wrote, he promised her he would catch up on what he had missed.

"..."

When she picked up the bottle again, she realized that she had drunk all the juice without even realizing it.

“...A-Xi”.

"I'm here, sir."

She rarely called out the little one's name, and the little one immediately responded.

"Bring another bottle tomorrow."

"Ah."

As expected, after wasting two hours, the day's practice ended with his disappointed farewell.

And then...

A few years later, the little one grew up and his handwriting improved. Feeling that she had taught him everything she could and that he was no longer of much use, she left the Dragon Palace and went on a journey to the four corners of the world.

Although she was free from the constraints of rules and gained her freedom, she would occasionally miss the taste of the juice, the little guy's silly smile, and the endless calls of "Sir".

until……

Suddenly seized by a sudden burst of enthusiasm for storytelling, she spotted that familiar green figure, and that…

"Sir, this is my teacher who taught me to read, Mr. Magic Pen."

"Mr. Magic Pen..."

She looked at her younger sister, and the baby dragon clinging to her sister, calling her "sir" affectionately.

Are you also his husband, Eleven?

And... why add a title to her name?

Why... not use it on her?

So that's how it is...

Having heard how the two met and watched them leave, beneath the outward joy lay a heart that trembled slightly.

The clash between the twelve lands and the sea

"Do we really have to do this? You know, if we continue like this..."

"There was already... no turning back..."

It held the object in front of it with its two paws, and opened its mouth wide as if it could swallow the whole world.

It devoured everything like a hurricane, leaving nothing behind.

"You're eating so fast!"

"Wow! They ate so much in one go!"

Wow! Could this be the champion of the eating contest?!

Countless praises came from the sidelines, making Him even more proud and raising His head.

Foolish mortals, I have only used less than one ten-thousandth of my power and you are already worshipping me. If I were to restore my former glory, wouldn't you faint from excitement just by looking at me from afar?

Hmph, the quality of this generation of mortals is nothing special. Little dragon, you've done your best.

Praise me even more!

Wow! Look at its scales, they're so beautiful!

"And those corners! They look like a pair of spears pointing skyward, so cool!"

"I really want to touch its tail... It must be so smooth and soft... Hehehe..."

"?"

Although He still praised him, He felt as if the wind had shifted.

"Who is its owner? They must really like it to dress it up so nicely."

"It's that white-haired guy over there... Waaah, no, no, it's my husband."

"What do you mean 'your husband'? At such a young age, where are your morals, your sense of shame, and your bottom line? That's clearly my man!"

Hey, hey, hey! You mortals, open your eyes! Shouldn't I be the one you worship and marvel at? Why is your attention going back to that little dragon?

Enraged, He opened His blood-red maw and swallowed the bowl and noodles whole in one gulp. The astonished contestants nearby choked and coughed.

Even so, He found himself powerless to reverse the situation.

The audience's opinions have already shifted and can no longer be changed... They no longer care who is working hard on the field.

“Damn mortals… they only care about useless appearances and outward appearances…”

"A beautiful painting of flesh can bewitch them... yet they remain blind to the beauty of the soul..."

The gilded cub hugged the medal, which was the size of a steamed bun, and sighed softly.

His eyes were filled with regret for the fact that mortals could not awaken and give back.

"You did a great job, you're the champion again this time."

Two hands reached out from behind and lifted Him up, followed by words of praise.

"Hmph, a mere gluttony is nothing more than a speck of dust to me, something I can easily obtain with a wave of my hand."

He used his tail to lift the medal from his paw, then twisted his body and, in the blink of an eye, climbed to the top of his head like a cat scaling a wall.

"Take it, Little Dragon."

He tossed the medal to him, and shrank back, his size changing from that of an adult cat to the size of a palm.

This physical body, constructed from so-called "ultra-energy," can change size at will. While not as omnipotent as before, it is quite convenient. Moreover, it can use this detestable true dragon as a climbing frame, allowing one to enjoy the pleasure of driving it ahead of time.

"Is there anywhere else you'd like to go? If not, then we'll set off to participate in the chess tournament."

During the day, he put the medal into the small bag at his waist and raised his hand to scoop the cat into his palm.

"I am tired, so please do not call me for anything."

Even though He was somewhat unwilling, He was now living under someone else's roof and wanted to continue to act in the real world with his flesh, so He had to be patient with what He did during the day.

"That's true. After all, it's just a game among the younger generation. Although they each have their own talents, at their age, they can only be considered mediocre to us."

As he spoke in accordance with His words, Bai Zhou began to pet the cat.

If Sui hadn't insisted on choosing the color scheme himself, he would have molded him into the former Xiaofei Lian.

However, its gilded appearance now exudes a noble air, and the ratio of scales to fur is excellent. It's just a pity that it's still too proud and doesn't easily let others rub its belly.

"..."

The 12-year-old cat raised its paw to cover its mouth, gave an elegant yawn, then put its two paws back on Bai Zhou's arm, squinted its eyes, and went to snore.

Seeing this, Bai Zhou moved even more gently, holding Him in his arms, and in a few steps, he had already traveled a thousand miles.

……

"No need to rush. As long as you maintain your composure like you did in the last game, none of the players here will be your match."

The old man gently instructed the young girl, then waved his hand, and Fu Xun, who was standing nearby, brought her some snacks and juice.

"If we beat them, we can go see the God. Little Yan, good luck!"

Fu Xun also offered his encouragement.

"Yes..."

The little girl looked up, glanced at the worried-looking teenagers, and pouted her little mouth in agreement.

"The third position of Qian (乾) is the first to speak."

The summons sounded, and under the watchful eyes of the two, the young girl rose, dragging her newly changed Shu brocade robe, and stepped into the competition room.

Subsequently, screens throughout the venue displayed the status of the participants and the chessboard.

Fifteen minutes later, amidst the stunned expression of her opponent who seemed to be questioning the meaning of life, the victorious young girl slowly got up and left the arena.

"Great job, Xiao Yan. Winning this game means you're already in the top four. One more game and you'll be facing the finals."

Back at the inn, Fu Xun held the little girl in his arms, nuzzling her chubby little face as he talked about the upcoming matches.

"The next opponent... if nothing unexpected happens, will be this prodigy born in the capital."

The old man looked at the information of several contestants, and then showed the information of the contestant he favored to the two of them.

"I've met this child once before. He was only eight years old then, but he already had his own insights into chess. Now he's fourteen and has played against many masters in the capital, so he's very experienced."

"If Xiao Yan were to face him, it certainly wouldn't be as easy as it was today..."

The old man then told them about the man's preferred chess style and moves, and only ended the private lesson when he felt he was fully prepared.

only……

"Huh? How could this be... that Qilin'er was eliminated?"

After receiving today's match roster from the event staff, the old man stared in astonishment at the contestant opposite the young girl's portrait.

"Although it was a bit unexpected... it's actually easier this way."

While it's a bit of a shame we can't see a match between these two young prodigies, it certainly increases the chances of our own child winning.

And indeed, the young girl easily defeated her opponent with her own talent (herd mentality), while tormenting the young man.

"This is a huge problem..."

The young girl, who had returned to rest, looked up at the old man who kept sighing, seemingly puzzled. But the old man was lost in his sorrow and had no time to answer her questions. And where was Fu Xun...?

"Teacher, teacher! I've found out who Xiao Yan's opponent is this time..."

"The second position of Kun (坤) is to speak first!"