Chapter 9: Even Dragons Have Desires

“What is it?”

Ding Ren knew Xi Yu wasn’t truly asking for an answer, as he genuinely didn’t know himself.

He was indeed curious, so he cooperated and asked.

“Dragons are inherently lustful by nature, you know.”

Ding Ren’s expression froze.

Living beings with higher levels of mutation often tended to indulge their primal natures.

This wasn’t actually anything strange; lifeforms high on the Food Sequence often possessed terrifying strength.

Naturally, they had enough power to support their willful and unrestrained behavior.

Morality and reason often existed only at their whim.

The A-class criminal giants who rose in the later stages of the Middle Continent’s history were exactly these kinds of thugs, because by then, even the state could do nothing against them.

Since no one could punish them, they could naturally expose their true natures without reservation, doing whatever they pleased.

And those Food Sequence Lords who stood at the peak of the food chain were likely even more so.

At their level, they naturally didn’t need to have any scruples.

Whatever they wanted to do, it was estimated that no one could stop them, so they could let themselves be driven entirely by their primal instincts.

Furthermore, these primal natures might not only fail to hinder them but could even be the direct reason they were able to continuously grow stronger.

The same applied to the white dragon.

The white dragon’s level was extremely high—at least at the Sequence 2 level—so its primal instincts were naturally powerful to the extreme.

Consequently, dragon lust was one of the most basic and primal instincts of a white dragon.

This was something completely beyond Xi Yu’s control and something he could not avoid.

The only thing he could do was prevent the dragon’s nature from controlling him, stopping himself from turning into a beast ruled entirely by desire.

Xi Yu didn’t dwell on it after telling Ding Ren about this draconic trait.

He truly wanted to be friends with Ding Ren, so he told him about this issue quite candidly, which also served to explain why his behavior had been so strange today.

He couldn’t control the eruption of his dragon lust, nor could he control himself to the point of showing no abnormalities when it happened.

Just like today, Ding Ren and the others had been affected.

If Ding Ren was still willing to be a friend by his side, he would undoubtedly be affected to some degree.

Xi Yu didn’t want to hide it, nor did he want the man to misunderstand, so he handed the choice to Ding Ren himself.

If the man didn’t mind this issue of his, then perhaps they could truly become friends.

Ding Ren was genuinely stunned.

He was even somewhat at a loss; Xi Yu’s words made him realize that the things the dragon had said to him during the day were indeed true, not a joke.

Then, he didn’t know how to react.

Would it be better to act surprised, or should he just nod and say he understood?

No matter what he said, it didn’t feel right; he truly didn’t understand why Xi Yu would tell him this.

Was he trying to say he found him attractive, or was he trying to say he was just a scumbag dragon who liked whoever he saw, even if he was a human?

Yet, at the same time, a sense of genuine joy rose in his heart because Xi Yu was willing to share a bit of his secret with him.

Just as his heart began to grow anxious, he saw the person who had created the problem resting his chin in his hand and looking at him, seemingly curious about his reaction.

For some reason, Ding Ren felt his teeth itch.

This fellow had tossed him a problem and was now acting as if it had nothing to do with him.

He even felt like the white dragon was just playing with him.

But Ding Ren suddenly paused.

Xi Yu might indeed be playing with him, but he could perceive that Xi Yu didn’t harbor any malicious humor toward him; there was even a faint hint of anticipation.

‘What is he anticipating?’

Ding Ren couldn’t help but think seriously.

He recalled everything that had happened today.

Suddenly, Ding Ren felt his heart soften.

He remembered; Xi Yu had actually been avoiding them all day.

Even though he was speaking of feelings that could be misunderstood, he had consistently maintained his distance.

Ding Ren hadn’t understood before, but now he finally realized.

It turned out Xi Yu wasn’t actually repelled by them; he was maintaining a form of self-restraint.

‘Dragons are inherently lustful’—perhaps that was true.

But Xi Yu was controlling this instinct, never intending to actually do anything.

He had misunderstood Xi Yu.

But what was Xi Yu anticipating? Ding Ren felt he still didn’t quite understand.

Since he didn’t want to be controlled by his desires, what did he want to gain?

And why did he hurt himself today—could it be that this was related as well?

He had no answer, and Xi Yu didn’t continue speaking.

Ding Ren suddenly really wanted to know, but in the end, he didn’t speak up.

He actually wanted to tell Xi Yu that he didn’t need to avoid him anymore.

But it seemed he couldn’t say it like that; after all, he didn’t know what Xi Yu’s exact situation was.

Perhaps Xi Yu was worried he would be repulsed by him?

But he truly had no such thoughts; although he had indeed been angry today, it definitely wasn’t because of that—it was just that he couldn’t say what he was angry about right now.

If Xi Yu was worried about that, he felt the dragon really didn’t need to overthink it.

However, because he was uncertain, he didn’t say it directly.

“I understand. It’s still early, you should try to sleep a bit more.”

Ding Ren’s mood had improved somewhat uncontrollably, likely because Xi Yu was willing to share his secret with him.

Ultimately, he didn’t plan to say anything or ask about his doubts; perhaps for Xi Yu, it was enough for him to just maintain the status quo.

“I can’t sleep. Can you talk with me for a bit?” Xi Yu asked expectantly.

Ding Ren found himself completely unable to refuse; he noticed that Xi Yu indeed looked a bit happier, which in turn improved his own mood even more.

So, the two of them whispered quietly to each other, with Ding Ren doing most of the talking.

Xi Yu wanted to know everything about the Middle Continent, so Ding Ren told him whatever he was permitted to say.

Ding Ren himself really didn’t like to talk; usually, he wanted nothing more than to hide away completely.

But seeing Xi Yu’s large, dark eyes staring at him intently, he couldn’t help but speak eloquently, seemingly having forgotten everything Xi Yu had just said.

Ding Ren racked his brains, feeling as if he had used up a lifetime’s worth of words.

The night passed without incident, and all the emergencies had been resolved.

When dawn arrived, Ding Ren himself was startled—had he really spoken for an entire night?

Seeing Zhang Qingyuan and the others looking at him in shock as they woke up, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed.

But he was also quite surprised; it turned out he could be quite talkative.

With Xi Yu watching him so intently and focused, he had suddenly found his stride.

Of course, the night hadn’t been entirely peaceful.

For a period in the middle, Xi Yu’s condition had indeed been a bit off.

His body shivered, his brow was tightly furrowed, the veins on his face bulged, and large drops of sweat fell from him.

Ding Ren was filled with doubt—what was wrong with Xi Yu now?

This physical manifestation didn’t match the thing he had just been talking about at all.

But he couldn’t ask; he could only speak as much as possible, hoping to distract Xi Yu and make him feel a bit better.

Xi Yu had gained a lot over the night; he now finally had a more systematic understanding of the Middle Continent.

For instance, he learned that there were currently three supernatural organizations within the Middle Continent: the Realm Guards, the Military Guards, and the City Suppression Office.

The main responsibility of these three major departments was to protect the nation and its citizens.

The Realm Guards guarded the borders, while the Military Guards and the City Suppression Office together protected the domestic territory.

Additionally, there was a civilian organization called the Civilian Guards.

During the night, there had been one backlash from the draconic instinct; Xi Yu hadn’t felt much, but Ding Ren had appeared quite nervous.

This made Xi Yu very happy; he felt that Ding Ren truly didn’t dislike him and seemed to be able to accept the issue of the dragon’s nature, which made him feel that they might truly have a chance to become friends.

After dawn, the group continued their journey.

After the catastrophe, the environment of the Kun Star world had not turned into a living hell.

Aside from the weather being a bit colder, the green mountains and blue waters were even more abundant than before, though they were filled with a grim killing intent.

If one ignored the ferocious beasts and ghosts, the wilderness now was definitely more beautiful than it once was.

Since their rations were gone, everyone continued their journey on an empty stomach.

If they didn’t find a human settlement today, they would be forced to find food in the wild.

Fortunately, their luck was good, and they finally regained a signal on their communicators before noon.

“Fantastic!”

Fang Jianbo and the others couldn’t help but cheer.

At the thought of successfully bringing Xi Yu home soon, the heavy stone in their hearts could finally be set down.

Xi Yu was also very excited; he could finally throw himself into the embrace of his motherland.

Once their location was pinpointed, Ding Ren immediately made a call to the First Realm Guard.

He held a special status and had the authority to contact him directly.

Of course, the matter had to be of significant weight, and now was clearly the time.

Xi Yu watched him expectantly from a distance, making no attempt to eavesdrop on their conversation.

He just hoped to meet the First Realm Guard immediately and join the Middle Continent as soon as possible.

He thought the conversation between Ding Ren and the First Realm Guard would end quickly, but after a long time, he still hadn’t hung up, and it looked like the communicator’s battery was nearly dead.

“Xi Yu, I’ve made an arrangement with the First Realm Guard. He will personally come to Xichuan Province to meet you,” Ding Ren said, informing Xi Yu of the good news immediately after hanging up.

“Is that okay? The First Realm Guard is occupied with a myriad of state affairs. We should just go find him ourselves; there’s really no need to cause such a commotion for me,” Xi Yu said quickly.

If the First Realm Guard had to drop major affairs to rush over just for him, he would truly feel bad.

In his previous life, he had already been quite a burden to the Middle Continent; now, he only wanted to repay them as soon as possible.

He didn’t want the nation to place too much importance on him, nor did he want them to overprotect him.

“Don’t worry about it. It just so happens that something major has happened in Xichuan Province that requires the First Realm Guard’s personal attention,” Ding Ren comforted him.

The real situation, of course, was not like that.

Something major had indeed occurred in Xichuan, but another B-class expert was originally supposed to be sent.

However, the First Realm Guard—who had received a proactive call from Ding Ren for the first time in his life—immediately decided to head to Xichuan himself after hearing about Xi Yu.

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved.”

Ultimately, he chose to believe Ding Ren; regardless, the First Realm Guard had made his decision, so he wouldn’t cause any more trouble.

Now that Xi Yu was back in the Middle Continent, he considered himself a part of it.

Aside from the anti-gravity technology that needed to be handed over immediately, he hoped to do something for the nation right away.

Now that Xichuan Province was in trouble, he felt he should step up directly.

“What’s happened in Xichuan Province? Let’s go help out.”

Xi Yu looked at Ding Ren longingly.

“No need to rush; we were heading there anyway.”

Ding Ren didn’t understand why Xi Yu was so concerned about the Middle Continent’s affairs, and Zhang Qingyuan and the others were equally puzzled, though he didn’t probe further.

Since Xi Yu had shared a bit about himself the previous night, he felt a deeper sense of kinship with him and didn’t want to disappoint him.

“But before that, we need to head to the nearest Shilu County to buy some supplies and see if we can borrow a vehicle to get to Xincheng City. That’s the first line of defense on the western border of Xichuan Province; it’s currently facing an invasion by powerful ghosts. That’s what the First Realm Guard is coming to handle, and we’ll meet him there,” Ding Ren explained patiently.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others were a bit dumbfounded nearby; when had their boss ever been so patient in his speech?

What exactly had they talked about last night?

Why did it feel like the relationship between their boss Ding Ren and Xi Yu had changed?

“Then let’s hurry up and go,” Xi Yu didn’t want to waste time.

“Let’s rest for a bit first. Shilu County is only three hours away; we’ll get there quickly,” Ding Ren said.

“Alright.” Xi Yu nodded, knowing Ding Ren wanted him to rest more.

The more Zhang Qingyuan and the others watched, the more things seemed off; they suddenly felt that not only had Ding Ren and Xi Yu developed a great rapport, but they had also become quite close.

‘What on earth is going on? Can someone tell us what happened between those two last night?’

After a brief rest, the group immediately set out.

Along the way, Ding Ren began to introduce the difficulties Xincheng City was facing. Everyone pricked up their ears; what kind of crisis could it be to actually alarm the First Realm Guard?