The moment they stepped onto the Jade Chamber, the Adepti were struck with pure, unadulterated shock. No one had expected Su Han to return with that person—especially in such an unfamiliar form.
"What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll beat you up!"
The blue-haired little girl snapped, her voice "milky-fierce" and full of attitude. The three Adepti—Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, and Moon Carver—recoiled instinctively. Even though the elemental signature was unmistakable, they couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that this pouting child was the same terrifying Dragon King who had followed the Emperor for eons.
This "Dragon King" was currently holding hands with Qiqi and cradling a bucket of fried chicken legs. It was a complete mismatch of their memories. However, one glare from those golden pupils was enough to send the three of them scurrying away to find Su Han.
[The Explanation]
Outside the main pavilion, Cloud Retainer whispered urgently to Su Han, "That... child... what exactly is the situation?"
"Don't worry," Su Han explained. "It's her. But only her consciousness has escaped the seal for now. It's a good sign; the erosion of her soul is slowly being repaired. Because her power is currently limited, she can only maintain this form. As for her hostility... imagine being locked in a basement for a thousand years. You'd have some resentment too."
The Adepti exchanged looks of awe. The Dragon King's recovery was an event on par with the Stove God's return.
Cloud Retainer peeked back toward the door, but the little girl immediately caught her and bared her teeth in a fierce scowl. The Adeptus jerked her head back in a panic.
"Fine, fine," Moon Carver sighed. "If she resents us, we should simply stay out of her sight. We can cultivate on the World Tree until her mood stabilizes. Time heals all wounds."
Su Han grinned. "Good idea, Masters. I'll handle her."
[The Candy Thief]
Returning to the courtyard, Su Han found Klee looking absolutely devastated. "Big Brother... my candy is all gone. Help me, please!"
Klee gripped his pant leg, tears welling in her eyes. Su Han glanced at the "Dragon King"—now smugly munching on something—and knelt to comfort the Little Spark. "What happened, sweetie?"
"Keqing-sister gave me a big bag of candy to share," Klee sobbed. "But as soon as I walked over, that girl snatched them all! Waaaah! If she wanted some, I would have shared! Why did she take all of them? They were for Klee!"
"Don't cry," Su Han soothed her. "I have more."
He reached into his storage space to pull out some festival desserts, but before he could even hand them to Klee, a blur of motion passed his hand. The sweets vanished.
Klee's hopeful smile froze. They both looked toward the Dragon King, whose hands were now overflowing with fresh chocolate-flavored treats.
Munch, munch. "I like these dark ones better," the girl remarked. "Better than those fruit ones."
Klee looked at Su Han, then whispered, "Big Brother, don't be mad. Klee knows... we can't beat her. We'll just train hard and get revenge later, okay?"
Su Han was touched by Klee's maturity, even if it came from a place of fear. "Actually, while we might not want to fight her, we can still talk. Watch this."
[The Taming of 'Ruo-Ruo']
Su Han walked up to the Dragon King. He didn't use force or scolding; instead, he looked into her golden eyes and spoke gently.
"I know you feel insecure after being alone so long. But you don't need to snatch. If you want something, just ask. You can share with the others... or you can always come to me."
The girl huffed. "Don't call me by that name. Ruo Tuo was given to me by that man. I don't want it. Call me something else."
"How about... Ajiu?"
"Ugly."
"Ruo-Ruo?"
The girl thought for a moment. "Hmph... fine. That'll do."
Before she could say anything else, Su Han's palm settled gently on her head, stroking her hair. "If you ever feel mistreated, tell me. But don't bully the others, alright?"
The girl's cold demeanor shattered. She wasn't naturally a bully; she was just a small, traumatized spirit afraid of being replaced or ignored. Su Han's gentle touch gave her a sense of security she hadn't felt in centuries.
[The Natural Enemy]
Just as the mood was warming up, a tall figure appeared.
"My, what a powerful little thing. Where did you find her, Su Han?"
With her long purple hair and imposing presence, it was the Raiden Shogun.
"She's a dragon from Liyue," Su Han smiled.
"Oh?" The Shogun realized the truth and chuckled. "So it's that 'chubby little fellow' from back then."
"I AM NOT CHUBBY!" Ruo-Ruo shouted, her cheeks puffing out in rage. Seeing the intimacy between Su Han and this newcomer, she launched herself forward like a tiny cannonball, intent on a headbutt.
The Shogun didn't even move. She extended a single finger, pressing it against the girl's forehead and stopping her cold.
"Children shouldn't be so impulsive," the Shogun said, her deep violet eyes flashing with a playful, yet dangerous glint. "If you don't behave, I'll drop you in a deep forest far away. Su Han is my husband; do you really think he'll save you if you attack me?"
Ruo-Ruo froze. She realized instantly that she couldn't "play" with this woman. She huffed, grabbed her bucket of chicken, and ran to a far corner of the yard.
Raiden Ei (now taking over the consciousness) looked at the girl and laughed. "I haven't seen her in ages. She was always so cold and terrifying on the battlefield—shaking the heavens and earth. It's strange to see her as a child."
"You remember her?" Su Han asked.
"Yes. During the Archon War, she often appeared when I was acting as my sister's shadow. She was a force of nature then. I wish I had had Morax's talent for sealing... perhaps then, Torachiyo could have been saved instead of falling to the darkness."
Ei's eyes clouded with a brief moment of grief, remembering her lost friend whose beauty had once rivaled the Fox Saiguu. But then she looked at Su Han and felt his arm wrap around her waist.
"Don't worry, Ei," Su Han whispered. "Everything the history books have lost, I will find for you. I'll tear through the barriers of time itself to bring your treasures back to your side."
"I believe you," Ei replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.
In the corner, Ruo-Ruo bared her teeth and gnashed on a chicken bone, pretending to be angry, but even she couldn't help but feel a little warmer watching them.
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