Chapter 12: A Flock of Sisters

“Stop!”
A sharp, feminine voice echoed through the Golden Dragon Hall. From the far end of the platform, a group hurried forward—among them Princess Fire Phoenix and Du Cainie, with the fiery-tempered Cainie leading the charge and shouting in anger.

“Du Wei! It's bad enough you bully Du Long at home, but now you embarrass yourself in front of everyone on such an occasion? Has your brain gone moldy?” As she strode to the scene, Cainie’s fury was palpable.

“That's right! From now on, Du Long is under my protection. You’re not allowed to bully him again, or you’ll answer to me!” Princess Fire Phoenix followed close behind, waving her delicate fists and feigning menace.

Du Wei’s lips twitched; he never expected even the princess to side with Du Long. It was a truly unlucky day—no profit, only injury.

“Hmph! Let’s go!” With both arms broken, Du Wei had no face to claim he was the victim. Enduring the pain, he grunted angrily and left first. In truth, Fire Phoenix and her companions had given him a way out—staying with broken arms would only invite further humiliation.

Du Wei never understood how his arms were shattered in the collision. He didn’t know Du Long’s physique had mutated; the body transformed by the Golden Serpent was like an iron rod, while the ordinary practitioner’s body was mere wood. Under similar force, it is always the wood that breaks first.

“Ah! He just left? How boring!” Watching Du Wei’s angry departure, Princess Fire Phoenix muttered in disappointment, always eager for more drama.

“Kid, are you all right? Why do you keep getting tangled up with that guy?” Cainie finally turned to Du Long, concern in her eyes. The platform had blocked her view, so she hadn’t seen Du Long’s display of power.

“We were quietly drinking and chatting, but that annoying fellow came looking for trouble. Thanks to Xiaoshan, I avoided a disaster!” Du Long affectionately slung his arm around Yue Xiaoshan’s shoulder, giving a rough account.

“You didn’t mention my name?” Princess Fire Phoenix blinked her beautiful eyes in feigned annoyance at Du Long’s omission.

Du Long could only chuckle awkwardly. “Heh, your name is certainly mighty, Princess, but who would believe me? From now on, though, no one will doubt that I’m truly under your protection!”

“Mm, mm! That’s more like it! Heehee!” Princess Fire Phoenix nodded rapidly, her pride written all over her face.

The group settled at the table. Where once only Du Long and Yue Xiaoshan sat, now Princess Fire Phoenix and five or six beauties joined, instantly enlivening the scene. Yue Xiaoshan usually seemed rough and uncouth—no one cared to sit with him—but with the princess leading, no one minded him or Du Long’s questionable reputations.

Surrounded by beauties, the usually brash Yue Xiaoshan became visibly uneasy. His stubbled, prematurely mature face flushed red, a sight that made Du Long nearly burst out laughing.

Alas, while the falling flower is keen, the flowing water is indifferent. None of the beauties noticed his awkwardness; their attention was wholly drawn to the little golden serpent devouring food on the table.

“Wow! This little golden snake is adorable! Whose is it? Look at how cute it eats!”

“Heavens! Look, it’s sipping wine while eating—such a greedy little snake...”

...

It’s said three women make a drama, but five or six beauties gathered with a shared topic sent the scene spiraling out of control. Their chatter made Du Long’s head spin.

“Hey! Kid, is this snake yours? No way—such a cute creature must be fed by me. Keeping it with you is a waste! Since I’m protecting you now, the condition is you must give it to me!” Princess Fire Phoenix grabbed Du Long’s arm, excited and eager to claim the golden serpent.

Du Long rolled his eyes quietly. He would never let the little golden serpent go, so he found an excuse: “Princess, it’s not that I don’t want you to have the golden serpent, but it’s wild and hard to tame—it just bit me! Look, the bite marks and blood are still visible!”

While explaining, Du Long showed the wound from the blood oath, all the while secretly instructing the golden serpent, “Little Gold Crystal! Scare these women, or you’ll be caught and caged!”

Hiss... hiss...

The little golden serpent cooperated, raising its head and hissing a warning at the beauties, flicking its tongue and occasionally snapping as if to bite. Two of the closest women paled in fright, shrieking and dodging away.

Princess Fire Phoenix was no exception—startled by the serpent’s sudden ferocity, she dared not approach the snake that had seemed so docile moments before.

“Little Gold, don’t hurt anyone!” Du Long pretended to intervene, only to have the serpent bite him fiercely, blood gushing from his hand. The bloody scene drove the women to flee from the table in horror.

None of them knew this was a ruse—Du Long could command the serpent silently, and had instructed it to bite him before reaching out!

“You ungrateful beast, I’ll starve you for days!” Ignoring his bleeding hand, Du Long grabbed the serpent and stuffed it into a special bag, tying it shut and tucking it into his chest before the women.

“All right, it’s fine. I’ll keep it locked up for a few days—its wild nature needs to be curbed. Don’t be afraid, please sit down.” Du Long gestured for the women to return.

Seeing the serpent bagged, the women settled down. Cainie asked with concern, “Du Long, is your hand all right? The snake isn’t poisonous, is it?”

“It’s fine! I’ve already taken antidote, so it’s harmless to me. But you must be careful—if bitten, it could be fatal!” Du Long feigned alarm, finally looking at Princess Fire Phoenix and warning, “Princess, you see how dangerous it is. I dare not give it to you—if it bit you or any royal, my family would be ruined!”

“N-no problem! I don’t want a biting snake!” Princess Fire Phoenix replied, still shaken, making Du Long secretly amused.

While this played out, Yue Xiaoshan stifled laughter. He saw through the act—the obedient serpent suddenly turned fierce because his friend orchestrated it, clearly unwilling to hand it over.

Once everyone had settled, Du Long rose to pour wine for the beauties, then respectfully raised his own cup: “I am Du Long. My reputation in the capital isn’t great, but most rumors are exaggerated. I may seem mischievous, but I’m not as bad as they say—Sister Cainie can vouch for me! After this New Year, I’ll be grown and won’t act out in the capital anymore. Sisters, let me offer you a toast—first, to apologize for the earlier fright; second, to wish you a New Year of youth and beauty, and may you soon find your ideal husband, bear children, and...”

The words flowed so smoothly he went too far, earning several playful knocks on the head from the women. Those who had sat only out of respect for the princess now burst into laughter, their disdain for Du Long easing and the mood warming.

Yue Xiaoshan, never adept at bantering with women, quietly gave a thumbs up. His friend could charm the ladies—he’d get the meat, and Xiaoshan would at least get the broth by sticking close.

The beauties graciously clinked glasses and drained their first cup. With Princess Fire Phoenix and Cainie present, none were overly pretentious.

After one round, the atmosphere grew even livelier. Though Du Long’s reputation was bad, he was young, and as he said, youthful mistakes are forgivable.

Even the princess treated him as a little brother, so the others did the same, lowering their guard.

“Come, beauties and sisters! I know Cainie and the princess, but I’m unsure of the other four sisters’ names. It’s rude to ask outright, so how about this: I’ll toast each of you, and whoever I toast will announce her name and family—how about it?” With everyone’s cups filled for a second round, Du Long proposed.

“So, for every name you learn, you drink a cup? Four sisters, four cups?” A green-robed beauty asked coyly.

“Yes! It’s my respect to you all,” Du Long affirmed.

“No, no! You respect them all, but leave out the princess and your sister? That’s unfair!” Princess Fire Phoenix objected, waving her hands.

“Heehee, exactly! If you respect one, respect all...” The others chimed in.

Before Du Long could reply, the princess added, “And is this Yue Xiaoshan a man? If so, he should drink with Du Long, and the two of you should honor us together!”

“Fine! My brother and I will risk our lives to accompany you beauties! Come, Brother Xiaoshan, we can’t let so many beauties look down on us!” Du Long, easily goaded when drinking, rose energetically.

“No problem! I’m a true man of the capital—better to drink myself to death than be a coward!” Yue Xiaoshan, caught up in the mood, stood up as well.

“All here are brothers and sisters—let’s not fuss over order. Starting from my left, we’ll toast in sequence. Xiaoshan and I will toast together; after drinking, announce your family name, and if you lie or make a mistake, you’ll be punished with another drink...” Du Long, glowing with excitement, set the new rule. He kept Princess Fire Phoenix as the first to be toasted, despite his words.

First, they toasted the princess; then the green-robed beauty, who drank heartily and introduced herself: “My name is Xu Luyin, daughter of Xu Qirui, Grand Governor of the Capital, second rank!”

“My name is Liu Zixin, daughter of the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, third rank!”

“My name is Zeng Wan’er, daughter of Zeng Kaiye, Minister of Personnel, second rank!”

“My name is Lin Shi, daughter of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, third rank!”

Laughter and merriment spilled from Du Long’s table. In the distance, Zhao Lin’er was drawn by the joyous sounds, her gaze complex—uncertain whether it was resentment, jealousy, or regret.