He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 839 Investigating this matter

The fourth brother was filled with doubt—the sect leader had never been particularly concerned with the affairs of the demon race. In the past, he had never bothered to mention the conflicts between the dragon clan or other demon races, as if the lives and deaths of those beings were none of his concern. But today, he had taken the initiative to inquire about Long Si's whereabouts, and the seriousness in his tone was impossible to hide, which was truly illogical. However, seeing He Yuzhu's solemn expression, his brows furrowed as if carved by a knife, and the undeniable authority surging in his eyes, he knew that this was not the time to ask questions. He simply replied respectfully, "Yes," bowed, took two steps back, and hurriedly left. In his view, the sect leader held a high position and naturally had considerations beyond the reach of ordinary people. He only needed to follow orders; making wild guesses would only lead to mistakes and unnecessary trouble.

The moment the fourth brother's footsteps faded outside the courtyard, He Yuzhu's aura abruptly changed. His previous calm and casual demeanor shattered like a thin layer of ice; the sharp edge of his dragon-slaying power could no longer be contained. The surging dragon might around him awakened like a dormant volcano, golden scales faintly emerging beneath his skin, almost bursting through its confines. He desperately wanted to contact Long Si—his father, the pillar of the dragon race that had stood for millennia, the being he most revered deep within his bloodline. How could he allow him to be in danger?

Long Shishen closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and mobilized the primal power of the dragon race within his body. In an instant, golden spiritual energy surged through his meridians like a river, carrying a dragon's roar, attempting to penetrate the barriers of space and transmit his divine sense in every possible direction where Long Si might exist. That divine sense spread out like a spider web, sweeping across mountains, lakes, and seas, across secluded valleys and deep forests, every inch filled with anxious searching.

No matter how intently he called out, the end of his divine sense remained silent, as if it had fallen into a bottomless abyss, without even the slightest response. Long Shishen's heart sank, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He could vaguely sense Long Si's aura, but it was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, intermittent, more like someone trapped in a deep coma, isolated by an invisible barrier, unable to receive any information at all.

Anxiety grew wildly like vines, coiling around his heart, tightening its grip until he could barely breathe. Long Shishen desperately wanted to break free from the shackles of He Yuzhu's human identity, transform into a hundred-foot-tall dragon, soar through the clouds, tearing through the sky, and personally search for Long Si's whereabouts. Even if it meant searching the entire world, he would rescue his father from this peril.

But he quickly suppressed the thought. He calmed down—currently, he was still He Yuzhu, the sect leader of the human race, and his every word and action affected the balance between the two races. If he rashly acted in his dragon identity, it would definitely cause a huge uproar, not only exposing his hidden whereabouts but also potentially bringing the dragon race's millennia-old hidden power to the surface, making them the target of everyone's hatred—that would truly be a loss. It was safer to leave this matter to Elder Qingyi and the others; it would both keep things under wraps and allow them to use the power of the human race to investigate.

His mind raced, his gaze fixed on his own body, now belonging to "He Yuzhu." A sinister thought quietly surfaced: even if things were exposed and he was implicated, he could easily shift the blame onto Xiao Li. Xiao Li was a fox spirit, and had long-standing ties with the demon race. Moreover, he knew that Xiao Li had a close relationship with several elders of the dragon clan. To claim that she had secretly contacted the demon race and inadvertently gotten caught up in the dragon clan's internal strife, unintentionally implicating Long Si, would be perfectly plausible and without a trace of fault.

In this way, he could completely absolve himself of responsibility, preserving his position among humans, while also protecting the reputation of the dragon race and preventing outsiders from knowing about the internal crisis. His calculations were shrewd and efficient, achieving two goals at once. A cold glint flashed in Long Shishen's eyes as he suppressed the fleeting hesitation in his heart, once again concealing his dragon might. The golden scales disappeared, and he reverted to the seemingly ordinary He Yuzhu. However, deep within his eyes, all warmth had vanished.

Having made up his mind, Long Shishen took a deep breath, his chest heaving as he forcefully suppressed the surging anxiety and the dragon's might that was about to burst forth from his body. He reverted to He Yuzhu's usual calm demeanor, a faint smile even playing on his lips, humming a tuneless little melody, its tune as light as a spring stream, as if he had truly just dealt with a trivial matter. As he turned and walked deeper into the courtyard, his steps were nonchalant, his heels tapping lightly on the bluestone slabs. However, beneath his seemingly calm eyes, an unseen storm was brewing, the anxiety and calculation hidden deep within like an undercurrent at the bottom of the water, swirling and eddying, impossible for others to fathom.

Just as she reached the moon gate, she saw Xiao Li approaching with a bamboo basket. The basket was filled with herbs she had just gathered from the back mountain: perilla, mint, dandelion… the leaves still glistening with dew, exuding a crisp, herbal fragrance. She glanced up and saw "He Yuzhu," a flicker of surprise in her eyes—at this hour, he should be in the workshop overseeing the new furnace. Then her expression relaxed, and she asked with a smile, "Yuzhu, what are you doing back at this hour? Didn't you say you were going to the workshop today to oversee the testing of the new furnace? I heard you talking to your apprentice this morning, saying that if the fire wasn't quite right, you'd have to start all over again."

He Yuzhu (Long Shishen)'s heart skipped a beat, secretly relieved that he had reacted quickly. He remained outwardly calm and replied naturally, "It's nothing, I just remembered I forgot the booklet with the kiln temperature parameters on my desk when I got to the door, so I came back to get it. That booklet contains my experiences from the previous firing tests; I don't feel at ease without it." His words were half-truth and half-lie, but they were perfectly plausible.

Xiao Li didn't think much of it, but habitually raised her hand and gently tapped behind her ear with her fingertips. The gesture was very light, like brushing away a stray hair, but it was a secret code they had established three years after they met. That year, Xiao Li encountered danger while gathering herbs in the mountains, and He Yuzhu found her by following the marks she left behind. The two of them stayed in the cave all night and agreed at dawn that if they did this gesture when they met, it would mean "everything is fine, no need to worry."

Seeing this, He Yuzhu raised his hand and made the same gesture. When his fingertips brushed behind his ear, he deliberately slowed down, trying to make sure it was exactly the same as He Yuzhu's usual habit, with a touch of natural familiarity.

Xiao Li finally relaxed completely and smiled, her eyes crinkling like two crescent moons: "You've been too busy lately, so busy that you're a little confused. Why don't you listen to me and take a couple of days off? Let Lao Zhao and the others keep an eye on the workshop. They're all experienced, they won't cause any problems. Look at the dark circles under your eyes, they're almost like a soot-stained earthenware pot."