"Leave this to me! Even if it costs my life, as long as it gets you what you want, I'll do it!"
The Elder spoke solemnly, her eyes almost overflowing with devotion.
The Patriarch curled her lips in satisfaction and let her hand follow hers, stroking it gently. If this woman was going to risk her life, she had to make sure she was fully loyal. Still, her gaze betrayed a trace of disgust, so she smiled and looked away, careful not to let it show.
The two of them waited, and finally, in the dead of night, Song Wanníng was brought back. When they saw her, they were stunned.
Even bound hand and foot, Song Wanníng stood tall, her presence ethereal. Paired with her flawless face, the surrounding buildings seemed to fade in comparison.
The Patriarch narrowed her eyes and smiled as she stepped forward to examine Song Wanníng.
The Elder, however, felt a flicker of familiarity. She had the strange sense that she'd seen her somewhere before.
At the same time, Song Wanníng was scrutinizing them.
As they had said, members of the Yao Clan all looked similar, after all, they were close kin by blood. Just thinking about the Yao family's tangled relationships made her feel sick.
But the Yao Clan felt no shame. They even prided themselves on producing offspring. So when she saw the two of them, Song Wanníng's first thought was whether they shared that kind of relationship.
"Hehehe, so you're the dragon? I heard you're pretty arrogant?"
The Patriarch had already heard about the two dragons from her disciples and smiled coldly.
Song Wanníng raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Hmph, I'm of the dragon clan. If you know what's good for you, you'd better release me now before you bring disaster upon yourself!"
She deliberately put on a haughty, naive act to avoid raising suspicion.
The Patriarch's smile deepened, and she reached out to touch Song Wanníng's face. "Tsk, such a beautiful face, but the brain can't keep up."
She shook her head in mock regret before turning to the Elder. "Check the concentration of her bloodline."
Then she settled into a nearby chair, lazily staring at Song Wanníng.
The Elder obediently stepped forward, placing a small pearl on Song Wanníng's head. The otherwise unremarkable pearl suddenly blazed with light, instantly illuminating the room like daylight.
The brilliant light shot through the roof and pierced the sky.
The Patriarch was startled and quickly cast a spell to intercept the beam, her expression changing instantly.
"The bloodline concentration is this high?"
She stared at Song Wanníng in shock.
Even the dragons of the later generations, though capable of transformation, had only partially awakened their dragon bloodline. But Song Wanníng's presence… she could believe it—this was a true dragon.
A flicker of doubt appeared in the Patriarch's heart as she scrutinized Song Wanníng.
Song Wanníng stiffened slightly, yet let her inspect her. She hummed coldly, "So, scared now? I've awakened the Golden Dragon Clan's bloodline! If you let me go now, I might even spare you!"
Her threat was fierce in words but trembling in her eyes, betraying fear.
The Patriarch, who had been worried before, now relaxed, seeing this display. She gazed meaningfully at Song Wanníng, her smile deepening with a hint of greed.
"The Golden Dragon Clan's bloodline? Wonderful."
She shot the Elder a meaningful glance.
The Elder understood and grabbed Song Wanníng, disappearing from the room in a flash.
The Patriarch followed the same direction, a cold gleam in her eyes. She quickly sent a message to a man before vanishing herself.
Meanwhile, the Yao Clan disciples were still celebrating their capture of a dragon.
"This is a proud moment for us. We even caught a dragon!"
"Yeah, but I wonder how the Patriarch will handle it?"
"Our clan has a deadly grudge with the dragons. They'll probably execute it publicly, right?"
"Exactly. Skinning and dismemberment wouldn't even be too much. Those dragons almost wiped us out!"
"That's right, all of them deserve to die!"
Excitement spread as they anticipated the gruesome punishment. Word traveled fast, and soon the entire Yao Clan knew the dragon would face public execution.
But by this time, the Patriarch had already quietly left with her men.
The Elder, holding Song Wanníng, boarded a flying artifact with the Patriarch, heading toward a secret location.
Song Wanníng cursed, threatened, and begged, but the Patriarch and the Elder just watched her coldly, giving no chance to escape.
One day, someone sent a communication talisman asking about the dragon. Song Wanníng tried to attract their attention but got beaten by the Elder, forcing her to stay put. These actions completely eliminated their doubts.
Time passed quickly. Eight days later, the flying artifact finally stopped.
Song Wanníng looked up and saw nothing but a vast expanse of yellow earth. No sandstorms, no vegetation, just countless small stones scattered randomly.
The Patriarch's expression shifted slightly, her aura becoming inscrutable. "Finally here. This time, we can't return empty-handed!"
She sent down a treasure with a kick, throwing Song Wanníng to the ground.
Song Wanníng dared not protest and glared at them, then reluctantly followed to stand aside. She had already suspected the Yao Clan came for a different reason. Now, she was one hundred percent certain.
All the supposed grudges were lies. The real goal was here. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes before vanishing, replaced with a meek yet resentful look.
"Patriarch, do we really have to…"
The Elder hesitated, worry etched all over her face, showing none of the Patriarch's confidence.
The Patriarch shot her a look, hurt and incredulous. "At this point, and you still want to back down? Third, I don't want you to be looked down on anymore!
I also don't want anyone to say you're not worthy of me. You understand? To be with you properly, I'd rather risk my life and come here…"
Tears rolled down the Patriarch's cheeks, genuinely moving.
The Elder, overwhelmed by love, grabbed her hand. "I don't regret this! I just fear for your safety! With you protecting me, how could I be in danger?"
The Patriarch cried and laughed at once, her eyes full of trust. The Elder felt her heart leap, longing to be with her immediately.
Song Wanníng watched from the side, feeling nauseated.
This beauty trap was too low-level, and the Elder fell for it completely.
However…
The Elder didn't seem fully committed. Maybe she was the weak spot.
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New cover alert!
I changed my old cover to the one the author uses, but with my own English title on it. Did you see it? I'm doing it the same way as my new project where I try to use the same background as the original cover. I'll put it in the comments too.