Just like a person can distinguish a person from a group of spirit beasts at a glance, they use their eyes to feel the difference between their own group and other groups. Fairy beasts distinguish their own kind more by smell, and even if they are disguised as human beings, they cannot hide from their own kind.
Gu Fuyou thought that she hadn't been able to tell the difference before because she wasn't a Qingluan, so she didn't understand the strange feeling in her heart. It turned out that it was because the girl was a mixed-blood of the Qingluan clan.
Suddenly, I changed my mind and my heart trembled.
Zhong Michu could see that she was a mixed-race, so that girl could also see through Zhong Michu's identity. If she could only see that Zhong Michu was a mixed-race of fairy beast and human, that would be fine. But if she could directly see that she was a mixed-race of dragon, that would be very bad.
Gu Fuyou went to see Zhong Michu. When their eyes met, they both understood each other's thoughts. The door of the reception hall was already open, and Zuo Yuanrong made a gesture to invite them in. Gu Fuyou said to Zhong Michu and Mr. Zhai, "You go wait outside."
The two men replied, "Yes." They took the spirit beast Yuanshan and took the opportunity to go out.
When Zhong Michu left, Ersan did not leave. She sat under the shadow of the stone lions and turned back to look at the reception hall. When she saw Zhong Michu and Mr. Zhai coming out, she immediately stood up and half-knelt on the ground to salute: "Sir."
Mr. Zhai blocked the sun with his folding fan and said with a smile: "I can't bear it, I can't bear it. Why are you bowing to me? We are all slaves, not masters." As the Dragon King, Zhong Michu could bear it, so Mr. Zhai didn't include her in his words.
Zhong Michu walked slowly up to her and asked, "Are you waiting for me?" Although it was a question, his tone was certain.
"No, it's not..." Ersan looked up at her, then timidly lowered his head and said, "Yes."
She spoke in a weak voice, as if she didn't dare to speak loudly. Zhong Michu discovered that it was not only because she was timid, but also because she stuttered.
Zhong Michu took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to her. Ersan looked at the snow-white handkerchief with a blank look in his eyes. Mr. Zhai pointed at his nose and said, "Go on."
Twenty-three took it with both hands and said, "Thank you, sir." He held the handkerchief in his hand and wiped his face with his sleeve again.
"Get up. Which branch of the Blue Luan are you from?"
Twenty-three stood up, his body straight, his eyes still dodging: "Young, young..." She hesitated for a while before she dared to ask: "What about you?" She had heard that the half-bloods of the Dragon Clan had a high status and would not become slaves of others. This person might be a half-blood of the Qingluan Clan. She couldn't help but be surprised when she thought of this.
Zhong Michu stared at her for a while without saying anything. Mr. Zhai answered for her: "Big eagle, she is a big eagle." Mr. Zhai was relieved. At present, it seems that this girl did not directly see Zhong Michu's identity as a dragon. She thought that Zhong Michu was good friends with Jiuyao, so she should know a lot about the big eagle branch. Saying that she was a big eagle would make it easier for her to disguise herself in the future.
Twenty-three didn't dare to look people in the eye, but after hearing what Mr. Zhai said, his gaze that was looking elsewhere became sharp.
"You waited for me just to ask this?"
Twenty-three held the handkerchief tightly, his eyes gradually turned red. After a long moment, he whispered, "I, I thought... I was the only one in the world. I was the only half-blood from the Qingluan clan." His voice gradually choked with sobs.
Mr. Zhai could not understand the severity of these words, but seeing the girl's reaction, he felt a little embarrassed for lying to her.
Zhong Michu could understand. Over the years, there were very few mixed-bloods in the Qingluan Clan, and they could be counted on one hand, and could not be compared with the mixed-bloods of the Dragon Clan. Perhaps it was true as Ersan said, that she was the only mixed-blood of the Qingluan Clan in the world. She did not belong to the Qingluan Clan, nor did she belong to the human race. She was an alien, a minority, and there was no place for her in the vast world.
Many years ago, she was like this too. She thought she was the only one who suffered this pain, but later she realized that this was not the case, and that everyone in this world has their own pain.
Zhong Michu said gently, "May I trouble you with something?" Twenty-three looked up at her.
"Don't mention my identity to others. I... the master doesn't like it."
Ersan wanted to agree to her, but was a little embarrassed. He was afraid that if he didn't agree, she would be unhappy, and he was also afraid that if he agreed, he would not be able to keep his promise and offend her. All people in this world can go in groups, but she is the only one who walks alone. Now that she finally met someone of the same kind, who was older than her, her heart was swollen and she felt indescribably satisfied, as if she could feel at ease just by looking at this stranger. She also wanted to talk to her a lot, but didn't want to annoy her. So she stood there uncomfortably, her face flushed a little, and she didn't know how to tell Zhong Michu.
Zhong Michu said: "Before your master uses the power of the contract, please try not to mention it."
Ersan nodded quickly. What she cared about was that Zuo Yuanrong asked questions with the power of the contract. She couldn't resist: "I, my master doesn't need a contract, I won't say..."
"Thank you."
After a while, Twenty-three mustered up the courage to ask, "Is that person good to you? Will she..." She thought about the adjective and could only come up with one: "Hit you?"
"No." Zhong Michu was silent for a while, then said, "She is a very good person and won't hit anyone. She just has a bad temper sometimes."
Ersan seemed to be looking forward to something. Zhong Michu saw it and knew that it was a longing for Qingluan. The relationship between the Qingluan tribe and the mixed-blood Qingluan tribe was a bit like her and her mother, one side hated, the other side feared and yearned. When she thought of Yunran, she always felt sad, as if there was a piece missing forever.
Mr. Zhai used the ape mountain as a pillar and leaned against it to look at Ersan. Zuo Yuanrong said that many slaves entered Bailu City when they were young, and such places naturally did not teach these slaves to read and write. She always felt something was wrong when she heard Ersan speak. Now she thought that it was because Ersan's language was too poor, and sometimes she couldn't even express her thoughts in words. She thought that Ersan's stuttering might be related to this. She clicked her tongue in her heart, feeling sorry for such a delicate little girl.
Mr. Zhai made two gestures to Zhong Michu. Zhong Michu glanced at him. Just then, the guard who had supported Ersan came over and said, "Ersan, the training officer asked you to go back to the big house." The big house was where the slaves lived. Men and women were separated. Slaves with high numbers often lived in a room with more than ten people, while those with low numbers had better conditions, with one or two people living in one room.
Ersan didn't want to leave so quickly, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to see her next time, or she would never see her again from now on. Zhong Michu seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "We have to stay here for a while. The master needs people from Bailu City to serve him, are you willing? If you come by then, you can ask me if you want to know about the Shaoyu or Dayu clan." If so, they can both benefit from it, they can also monitor her and reduce the chances of her revealing her identity.
"But, can I?" Twenty-three was excited, but the excitement did not cause much waves, and it was gone in a flash. She whispered: "She is Qingluan, she doesn't like mixed blood, I, she will hate..."
Zhong Michu said, "She is a little different from other Qingluans." Mr. Zhai nodded on the side, saying that he was telling the truth.
Zhong Michu said again: "I am also mixed-blood." Mr. Zhai nodded again, it was indeed true.
Zhong Michu said: "She doesn't hate it. She is just guarding and guiding you. You don't need to be afraid. I will ask her when the time comes. If you are willing..."
Twenty-three nodded: "Yes." For them, there was never a question of willingness or not, only whether the master asked or not. But at this moment, she felt something different. It turned out that being asked for opinions was such a satisfying thing, even if she was willing to do it.
Someone called out again: "Twenty-three!"
Ersan returned the handkerchief to Zhong Michu, said goodbye to the two, took a few quick steps, looked back, and saw that the two were still looking at her. Her face turned red and she ran away quickly.
Mr. Zhai said, "What a pity for such a pretty girl." Mr. Zhai shuddered as he recalled how he was almost going to such a hellish place.
Zhong Michu did not answer, but turned back to look at the hall. Seeing this, Mr. Zhai smiled and said, "Are you worried about the 'master'? Don't worry, she can handle it."
Gu Fuyou and Zuo Yuanrong entered the hall. Gu Fuyou said to Zuo Shaode and the other monks, "Stand guard outside the door."
The four monks were stunned. Zuo Shaode had instructed them to stay by Qingluan's side, especially when she was talking to Zuo Yuanrong, but Qingluan just refused to cooperate at the beginning.
Zuo Yuanrong was delighted. He wished there were fewer people getting in the way, so he ordered Zuo Yi and the others, "You guys stay outside too." They were all his trusted people, so they naturally understood what he meant. Without waiting for the four cultivators to react, they closed the door as soon as Zuo Yuanrong and Gu Fuyou entered.
The hall was very spacious, built like a palace. Apart from the thirty-six pillars, there was only a city lord's throne in the center, and there was not even a chair for a guest.
Gu Fuyou smiled and said, "There's not even a chair. It looks like I'll have to stand and talk to the city lord."
Zuo Yuanrong said "eh" in disapproval, and led Gu Fuyou straight to the throne. He walked behind the throne and held the back of the chair: "How can we let the senior stand and talk?"
Gu Fuyou said with a smile: "This is the city lord's throne. It's not appropriate for me to sit on it."
Zuo Yuanrong's cheeks were rosy, and he said ambiguously: "As long as you are willing, you can sit anywhere in my Bailu City."
Gu Fuyou pretended not to understand, smiled, took two steps up the stairs, turned around and sat on the city lord's throne: "I don't like to be polite with others. Since the city lord said it's okay, then I will sit down. But I have to trouble the city lord to stand and talk with me."
Zuo Shaode overestimated his brother. He couldn't even make it through three days. On the first day, he came to chat with him so blatantly. This was really his true character.
Zuo Yuanrong said, “It’s not tiring.” Zuo Yuanrong’s chubby hands slid down the back of the chair to the armrests, and he said with a smile, “I should have asked you to go to the guest room to rest first, and then hosted a welcome party for you in the evening. But I thought that you would come to select slaves, and I didn’t know your preferences, so I wanted to ask in advance so that I could arrange something for you…” Zuo Yuanrong walked to the side and saw Gu Fuyou’s bare feet, with white insteps, cute toes, and a pair of silver chains tied at his ankles. He took a look at them, as if his lustful heart was tied up and dragged out.
He stared at the feet, unable to take his eyes away.
Gu Fuyou said: "It just so happens that I also have something to say to the city lord."
Zuo Yuanrong's three souls and seven spirits flew away, and he could only respond with a "Hmm?"
Gu Fuyou smiled and said, "The city lord's nephew is under house arrest in Wantong City and is asking me for help."
Zuo Yuanrong was in a trance for a moment, frowned and asked, "Who?"
Gu Fuyou said: "Zuo Yue's Zuo Sect Master Zuo's biological son - Zuo Tianlang."
"Who put him under house arrest?"
"Who else in Wantong City can put him under house arrest?"
Zuo Yuanrong laughed and said, "Senior, you must be joking. Why would my second brother put Tianlang under house arrest for no reason?"
Gu Fuyou said: "Yes. Why put him under house arrest for no reason?"
Zuo Yuanrong's smile faded slightly. Gu Fuyou said, "This time I came out, the mayor of Wantong City gave me a mission, asking me to persuade the mayor alliance to join him in the cause and achieve great things. If I don't respond, I won't be able to leave his Wantong City. Look, the people he sent to monitor me are standing outside."
Zuo Yuanrong looked towards the door and asked in confusion, "Senior, are you from Tianlang, here to ask for help, or are you from my second brother, here to lobby?"
Gu Fuyou smiled sweetly: "I am nobody's man. I am only here to take the slave that Sect Master Zuo gave to me."