“You’re Not Allowed to Touch Me!” (3)
Shi An used his claws to pluck away the straw on the ground, revealing a smooth rocky ground, then piled up a firewood heap in the center.
He opened his mouth and a cluster of golden-red flames spat out of his mouth.
A crackling sound was heard as the firewood blazed up, the cave was illuminated, and the stone walls were imprinted with jumping lights.
Shi An kindly said, “You can use it to roast something.”
He flapped his wings and flew toward the outside of the cave.
But before he could fly far, Shi An seemed to think of something, stopped, turned his head toward Mu Heng, and said, “Although dragon flame is difficult to extinguish, you must remember to add firewood repeatedly.”
Mu Heng: “…”
An even stronger sense of bizarreness came over him.
He no longer knew what to make of it.
***
Shi An flew out of the cave.
The three demonic creatures were waiting for him in the mountainous area.
Seeing Shi An flying in, the demon insect asked with some concern. “How is it? How is it?”
Shi An was able to flap his wings elegantly. “Don’t worry. Mu Heng didn’t suspect anything. The plan is carried out perfectly.”
He looked at Black Smoke and asked, “What about the job I asked you to do? How is progress on that?”
Black Smoke said, “Don’t worry, my lord. I have already made a plan to leak your hideout to the Bureau. It’s only a matter of time before they arrive here.”
Shi An asked, “How long?”
Black Smoke pondered for a few seconds and calculated. “Two to three days.”
Shi An showed a thoughtful look.
According to the speed of today, only about one-third of the magic power could be absorbed in two to three days, but it was enough. He should not be too greedy.
He nodded his head. “Pretty good!”
Black Smoke hesitated for a moment and asked vaguely, “By the way, my lord, how does your body feel today?”
Shi An didn’t quite understand why Black Smoke was suddenly asking this question but still answered, “Quite good. Why?”
“Do you feel anything strange or uncomfortable?”
Shi An tilted his head. “No.”
The heat that he felt before…
It was probably an illusion.
***
There was almost no difference between the next two days and the first.
For most of the day, Shi An made himself smaller, nestled in Mu Heng’s arms, and slept. Then he left at night and returned with more food in the early hours of the next day.
The two barely communicated much more in the process as if they were conducting a simple and uneventful transaction.
Another day early in the morning.
Shi An took advantage of the night to loot a watermelon field and grabbed a bunch of watermelons before flying back.
Feeding Mu Heng was only the second most important thing.
The most important thing was…
That he also wanted to eat.
When Shi An was happily flying in the direction of the cave, a sudden, strange vertigo struck him like a blazing fire rolling deep in his body, spreading stealthily along the course of his blood and veins.
“Boom–”
Shi An dizzily crashed into a mountain peak.
He shook his head somberly and it took him a long time to stabilize.
Strange…
What’s going on?
Shi An opened his eyes but found his paws loosened when he was caught off guard and the round watermelon plummeted toward the bottom of the abyss.
His watermelon!
Shi An fiercely stared with wide eyes, threw the strange phenomenon earlier into the back of his mind, and dived straight down.
Inside the cave.
Mu Heng looked up from time to time toward the cave entrance overhead.
In the previous days, the dragon was back at this time, but this time, for some reason, it was much later than before.
Inexplicably, Mu Heng felt somewhat anxious.
It should be because of the fear of the dragon breaking the contract, he concluded in his heart.
After another ten minutes or so, the familiar sound of rolling wind and billows came, and the vast and majestic figure of the dragon appeared overhead. It flew down and placed a solitary watermelon in its claws in front of Mu Heng.
Not sure if it was Mu Heng’s illusion, he always felt that the dragon before him looked as if… it was a little upset?
Then the dragon spoke, its low and resounding familiar voice echoed in the cave, instantly eliminating the strange speculation in Mu Heng’s heart. “Okay. Human, today is the last day.”
Mu Heng said, “Is your injury healed?”
Shi An answered, “Yes.”
He lied.
It would be long before the magic was absorbed and he wanted to end it today because Black Smoke and the demon insect had sent him the message that the people from the Bureau would probably find the place this evening.
Mu Heng looked indifferent and the expression in his eyes was devoid of joy or anger. “Is that so?”
Shi An said, “I will let you go tonight.”
As he spoke, he shrunk himself again and familiarly nestled into Mu Heng’s arms.
Mu Heng lowered his head and looked toward the dragon in his arms.
The little silver dragon tilted its head, its red-gold eyes slithering round and clear as if they could reflect his face.
It said, “Don’t worry. This dragon is a noble and graceful being. I won’t lie to you.”
Mu Heng gazed at him for a long time and then laughed lightly.
“Since it’s like that, let’s not waste any time.”
Shi An nodded earnestly, pressed himself in Mu Heng’s arms, found a suitable position, and skillfully curled himself into a small ball. Then he closed his eyes and began to continue absorbing the magical power.
This time, Mu Heng did not close his eyes to rest but gazed thoughtfully at the dragon in his arms.
There was always a strange sense of dissonance recently.
It always felt like… it wasn’t supposed to be this way.
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