Dragon, Truly Shameless (Yuri Futa, Farming) - Chapter 16
Why was she crying? She hadn’t cried at all during her long time in the mountains, not even at her most desperate, but now that she’d started, she couldn’t stop. Shen Qingming tried to wipe away her tears with her sleeve, attempting to make herself look less pathetic, but the tears seemed to defy her, increasing with every wipe until her face was covered in grime.
Long Qing hadn’t expected it to really be the Bean Sprout. She was about to ask something when she heard faint sobbing from ahead.
Her sobs were very low, not hysterical, but rather forcefully suppressed yet erupting from her chest, intermittent, very soft in sound but immense in power. The restrained crying revealed countless grievances, and just listening to it made Long Qing’s heart ache.
A moment ago, she heard the clamor of wild beast roars in the mountains and followed the sound to find a brown bear chasing a human girl. Seeing that the girl was about to perish in the bear’s jaws, Long Qing instinctively told Ah Hu to drive the bear away. Unexpectedly, upon getting closer, she discovered the girl was the Bean Sprout.
Long Qing hurried over.
The little girl was covered in dirt, her hair disheveled and full of fallen leaves and soil. She sat with her back against a tree trunk, hugging her knees to her body, sobbing sorrowfully. There were several long tears in her tattered clothes, seemingly scratched open by branches, and beneath the tears, the fabric was faintly stained with fresh red. She looked utterly wretched.
After two months, the little girl had become even thinner. She could no longer be called a Bean Sprout; a Bean Sprout is at least fresh and tender. “Dried daylily” might be a more fitting description for the sight before her. It was now mid-October, and a few autumn rains had recently fallen. The night temperature was already very low, yet the little girl was only wearing a single layer of clothing, shivering in the cool breeze.
A piercing pain shot through Long Qing’s chest, and her back became drenched with sweat. She couldn’t imagine that if she hadn’t come out of curiosity, this poor little girl might have disappeared from this world tonight. She quickly took off her outer garment and wrapped it around the shivering girl. Seeing that her crying wouldn’t stop, Long Qing gently said, “Why are you still here? Can’t you find your way down the mountain?”
Although it was only seven o’clock at night, the sky had completely darkened. This part of the forest was close to the deep mountains, and the terrain was complex, so she assumed the girl was lost. The little girl didn’t respond. Long Qing walked a few steps away and said, “Follow me, it’ll be quicker to get out this way.” She then said to Ah Hu, “Ah Hu, lead the way.”
Ah Hu responded by jumping ahead to clear the path. However, after Long Qing had walked a few steps, she realized that the little tail hadn’t followed. She looked back and saw the little girl was still in her original spot, not moving at all.
Long Qing’s brows furrowed slightly. “Walk?”
After a long time, until Long Qing was getting a bit impatient, the small, huddled form finally moved, and then a soft, delicate call came out.
“Ms. Long.”
“What is it?”
Long Qing stopped again, the words on the tip of her tongue seemingly impossible to utter. Long Qing walked back impatiently. The little girl was still sitting in front of the tree trunk, but her small head was lifted slightly, revealing a pair of moist, clear eyes. Her gaze was slightly upward, her pale, chapped lips moved, but she didn’t utter a single word.
“What exactly is wrong? Are you hurt?”
Shen Qingming shook her head, twisting her fingers without speaking. She had imagined finding Long Qing and then living off her, but when she actually saw Long Qing, she hesitated. Even her own relatives, uncles, aunts, and sisters-in-law, were unwilling to take her in. Long Qing was no relation to her, and she had already saved her life multiple times without expectation of repayment. How could she be so shameless as to impose herself on Long Qing?
Her chapped lips trembled more intensely. Every time the words were on the tip of her tongue, about to burst out, they were harshly swallowed back. She silently thought that if Long Qing lost her patience and left her here, it would be for the best. Isn’t this what she wanted?
However… “Do you have nowhere to go?” The voice that reached her ears was very calm, so calm that no emotional fluctuations could be discerned, yet Shen Qingming’s hair stood on end.
Long Qing understood. At this moment, Ah Hu suddenly jumped out, bit her sleeve, and whisked her away.
Long Qing was caught off guard and, before she could react, was “carried” away by Ah Hu.
Long Qing’s appearance was like a fleeting night-blooming cereus, exquisite and astonishing when it emerged, but leaving behind only a surging, prolonged melancholy when it disappeared. Shen Qingming buried her head between her knees again. As she lowered her head, something sparkled translucently in the moonlight, flashing by in an instant.
See? The dragon that stood by and did nothing.
Why give hope, only to take it back?
Shen Qingming plunged herself into darkness, falling into an abyss, never wanting to wake up again.
What the despairing Shen Qingming didn’t know was that Long Qing hadn’t left.
After carrying Long Qing far away, ensuring no one was around, Ah Hu finally spoke: “Master, don’t you want to keep her?”
“If I don’t keep her, she’ll…” die.
“Master, you are a dragon,” Ah Hu said seriously, looking directly into Long Qing’s eyes.
Long Qing’s gaze deepened upon hearing this. She naturally understood Ah Hu’s meaning. But… thinking of their brief time together two months ago, the little girl’s shy and endearing nature, like a resilient and interesting mimosa, was still vivid in her mind. Just thinking about it brought a surge of joy.
“Master?” Ah Hu saw her secretly smiling to herself, and had a bad premonition.
Long Qing feigned a light cough, cleared her throat, and said, “What does it matter if I’m a dragon? Since humans don’t want her, I’ll pick her up and raise her.” As a dragon, she disdained such forceful snatching. Picking her up should be fine, right?
“How can Master live with a lowly creature?” Ah Hu asked, confused.
“Ah Hu!” Long Qing was angered by the word “lowly.” “You, I, and she are all creatures nurtured by heaven and earth. What distinction is there between noble and lowly? Don’t use such words as ‘lowly’ again, or you won’t be allowed to see me for a month.”
“Master!”
“Enough, I’ve made my decision.” Long Qing directly interrupted him. She walked back a few steps, then turned around and said, “You and I have lived in the dragon’s cave for years, blinking through several seasons. How is that different from wasting time?”
After saying this, Long Qing quickly walked back towards the forest, leaving Ah Hu slightly stunned.
Wasting time? This was something all beings in the world yearned for. It was said that human monarchs had also been seeking methods for eternal life, yet Master called it wasting time. But Long Qing’s figure had already disappeared into the distance, and even if he didn’t understand, he could only follow.
Long Qing’s steps were swift, her somewhat hurried pace revealing her eagerness. In fact, this decision wasn’t made on a whim, but had been a long-held thought.
For many years, slumbering for anything from a few years to several decades, the accompanying beast herds had come and gone in batches. When she fell asleep, spring was vibrant, but upon waking, heavy snow was falling. Even the companions she had once roamed the mountains with had turned into yellow earth before their graves. Over time, the world became both familiar and strange in her eyes. She feared this strangeness, becoming afraid to make friends, afraid to leave Black Dragon Mountain, and even afraid to leave the dragon’s cave. The little girl was an accident, unexpectedly entering her life and giving her many unprecedented experiences. That feeling of wistful emptiness was new. Although she didn’t know how long she could be with the little girl, having her gave her motivation, an impulse to enjoy life.
Long Qing rushed back and found the person gone. She hastily searched everywhere, looking around, and finally found the dying little girl at the bottom of a slope.
She immediately jumped down and picked up the little girl. The little girl was as light as a goose feather, easily carried in her arms. From the flattened weeds on the slope, it was clear the girl had actively jumped down.
“Oh, little girl, why did you seek death?” Long Qing muttered to herself. Just as she was wondering how to get back up, Ah Hu, from nowhere, leaped down and landed in front of her.
Long Qing stroked its head and placed the little girl on Ah Hu’s back.
“Let’s go.”
Ah Hu grumbled reluctantly, then carried the two of them, quickly disappearing into the night.
It was late when they returned to the dragon’s cave. Shen Qingming had already fainted. Long Qing told Ah Hu to guard outside the cave, then quickly stripped the little girl bare.
As the outer clothes were removed, the soft white undergarments hidden beneath were revealed. Seeing this strange “garment” again, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, but she quickly composed herself. Following her memory, she felt for the knot tied at the back of the small garment, and with a gentle tug, the tightly bound fabric loosened, lightly covering her chest and abdomen. With a slight pull on the fabric, the girl’s delicate and tender curves came into view.
Long Qing felt her gaze waver. She had noticed this sleeveless “garment” when she had changed the little girl’s clothes before. This garment perfectly covered the chest and abdomen, not only protecting the heart but also preventing clothes from rubbing against the body. It looked strange, but upon closer inspection, it had its own unique beauty.
She also wanted a small garment like this, but unfortunately, she didn’t know how to sew, and no clothing store seemed to sell such clothes. Looking at the soft white fabric, still warm from body heat, a faint girlish fragrance wafted over. As if possessed, she held the small fabric against her own chest. The narrow size ultimately made her abandon the idea.
It didn’t fit, what a pity. She regretfully folded the small garment and placed it on the table, then turned to the girl.
Compared to last time, the little girl was visibly much thinner again. There were several new scars on her body, purplish-blue bruises all over, looking even more emaciated than two months ago. Her large head sat on a body that looked like skin stretched over bones, truly resembling a Bean Sprout.
Long Qing felt heartbroken. Last time, she had tried to get the girl to eat some meat, and she had gained some weight when she returned to the village, her belly round. Now, not only was that little bit of flesh gone, but her belly was sunken and completely caved in, with clearly visible ribs on her chest. In addition, there were several purplish bruises, probably from a few days ago, which indicated that the girl had likely been living in the mountains for several days.
This body was extremely thin, without an ounce of flesh. When pinched, it was just a layer of skin, even the small ‘buns’ of a woman were too small to be noticeable. Bl00d vessels crawled all over her body like parasites, harshly dividing her pale skin into many areas, which was terrifying. When she looked at the limbs, her pupils inevitably constricted.
The girl’s body might still resemble a young woman’s, but her limbs appeared withered with age. Her hands were very rough and weathered, something Long Qing had noticed last time. The little girl often did farm work, and her hands inevitably became rough, with the marks of time carving deep lines into her palms. Her hands were like this, and so were her feet; some parts of her soles had developed sores, festering and oozing pus.
Tsk.
Why did she look like she had been tortured, despite returning to village life? Long Qing was a little angry. She fetched clean water to wash the girl’s dirty limbs and then dried her body. Seeing the girl’s brows tightly furrowed and her tightly closed lips occasionally muttering in her sleep, Long Qing thought for a moment, then leaned over and once again took the small mouth into her own.
Just like last time, as soon as she smelled the dragon’s breath, the little girl clung to her like a koala, using both hands and feet to hook onto her, eagerly and actively sucking the dragon saliva. Thinking that she shouldn’t let a little girl take advantage of her every time, Long Qing also actively held those two pale lips, and began to lick them, showing no weakness.
Compared to her shriveled body, the little girl’s taste was indescribably good. Her two lips were soft, tender, and slightly cool, with a faint grassy scent. Holding them in her mouth was like a soft, cool rice cake, sweet but not cloying.
Long Qing became a little lost in the moment, her movements deepening involuntarily. When the girl opened her mouth, Long Qing, as if by instinct, extended her tongue inside! The heat instantly surged, hot breath exhaling onto her face, pervading everywhere with the girl’s fragrance. Her eyes also became glazed.
She licked every white tooth, swept over the sensitive area of the upper palate, then hooked the greedy little tongue and sucked hard, transferring her dragon saliva and taking the sweetness from the other side.
Her tongue tip tingled from the sucking, and a hissing watery sound came from the stirring. Long Qing’s eyes were deep, intoxicated by the girl’s sweetness and unable to extricate herself. Perhaps because they were too close, she couldn’t see clearly or hear clearly, only felt the increasingly rapid vibrations in her chest making her dizzy.
After a long time, the little girl, holding her breath, let out a whimper, and Long Qing awoke as if from a dream. She quickly released the small mouth, finding that she had sucked too hard; the once pale lips were now tinged with bl00d, and she… was even worse. She wiped the corner of her mouth and looked down. The dragon’s root, which had been dormant for two months, had reacted again, swelling into a bulge.
Long Qing rubbed her forehead. Did her dragon’s root like this girl so much? Seeing the little girl’s brows had relaxed and her breathing was deep and even, Long Qing exhaled a long, turbid breath, lay down on the bed, and, with a slightly unnatural arch in her back, gathered the little girl into her arms.
“You’re truly one of a kind,” she murmured, lightly stroking the girl’s upturned nose, as if in contemplation.
Ah Hu constantly clamored for dragon saliva, but she was unwilling to give it. Yet, this little girl could easily make her willingly give it, and not just dragon saliva, but even… her dragon’s root was still excited, with a faint impulse rising in her heart. This girl, she feared, would make her pour out her heart and soul in the future.
Shen Qingming didn’t know that the longed-for Ms. Long had returned to look for her. At this very moment, scenes from her past were flashing through her mind.
Was she dying? It was said that only those on the verge of death would recall their entire lives.
Shen Qingming watched the flashing fragments: her relatives’ disregard, malicious people’s sneers, sympathetic people’s insincere gestures, tormenting her heart from all directions. Looking at the whole picture, she couldn’t find a single thing worth cherishing. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, until the scene shifted, and the elegant, ethereal woman sitting in the cave appeared before her.
Dressed in a dark robe, standing in the light, smiling gently at her, Shen Qingming’s bewildered eyes were slightly dull, then the dullness dispersed, revealing a long-lost radiance. She reached out to try and touch the woman, who vanished in an instant. The scene suddenly spun, sinking into a bottomless lake.
The lake surface was vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, with the water and sky merging into one color in the distance. The center of the lake was pitch black, bottomless, with a faint light deep within. As she gazed at the center of the lake, a pair of eyes seemed to gaze back at her from the bottom.
The calm lake surface suddenly rippled, then surging currents churned up stormy waves. A black dragon leaped out of the water, with silvery-white mane, dark dragon horns, and scales shimmering with iridescent colors under the light. The dragon soared in the air, winding with the wind, its posture graceful and supple. She had never realized a dragon could be so beautiful, sacred, and inviolable.
The black dragon circled overhead once, then hovered in mid-air, its head facing her. Its dragon eyes glowed with an eerie orange-red light, staring intently at her. Its vertical pupils reflected thousands of miles of mountains and rivers.
“Did you hear my wish?”
The black dragon did not answer, still staring at her, seemingly listening to her wish.
Shen Qingming knelt before the black dragon, bowing down.
“Dragon, my offering is not precious. Only when the persimmons ripen each year do I pick one and offer it to the river. Have you ever seen it?”
The black dragon nodded as if in affirmation.
“Then can you tell me why… you don’t grant my wish?”
The dragon had never responded to people.
No matter how good the offerings people made, suffering continued, and accidents and natural disasters still occurred. The dragon always stood by and did nothing.
Upon hearing this, the black dragon merely stared at her with its orange-red pupils. The depths of its pupils were pitch black, without the slightest ripple, appearing cold and cruel.
Shen Qingming thought of the wishes she had made over the years and gave a self-deprecating smile. She should have known all along that the dragon would not respond to humans. So why, even at the point of death, did she still want to make a wish to the dragon?
Oh, Shen Qingming, you are too foolish.
“Dragon, if you have indeed heard my wish, please protect Long Qing throughout her life. She has helped me so much, yet I have nothing to repay her with. This regret alone remains.”
Shen Qingming closed her eyes, waiting for the end of her life. However, she did not wait for the judgment of death. The black dragon circling overhead suddenly let out a dragon’s roar. The roar was deep and possessed the power to penetrate everything. It broke through the air, penetrated bone and flesh, and also cleaved her soul. Her head buzzed, and Shen Qingming shivered violently, covering her head, then suddenly woke up.
Her consciousness quickly returned. She looked around blankly. This was not the wilderness, nor crumbling dirt walls, but the familiar cave.
Warm breaths melted into her ear, some even creeping under the blanket along her neck, causing a sudden itch. She slowly turned her head, and Long Qing’s sleeping face gradually came into view. Upon seeing it clearly, Shen Qingming’s eyes welled up, and the copper walls and iron barriers she had built since childhood seemed to collapse at that moment.
The dragon had responded to humans for the first time.