"How am I going to see your face if you keep on bowing like that?"

Yu XueQin lazily propped his head, one elbow on his knees as he sat in a lotus position. Another figure is with him on the bed. Lang Yuan is still doing the dogeza, praying to all the gods that he offended wanting to preserve his life.

"This s-servant-t wishes t-to have at-t least have h-his body intact and h-have a proper bur-burial after his death," Lang Yuan gloomily muttered. Yu XueQin only heaved a sigh.

"Didn't I say earlier that killing you is not part of my plan?" The emperor said.

"I-i made a m-mistake. I-i t-treated H-his majesty b-a-badly..."

The emperor arched his brows. "So, you are not really pretending that you didn't know me?"

Eek! How would he know? Aside from the minister and the disciples, Lang Yuan stayed on the forest for days and weeks. He only has JiDan as his company. And if ever he will know the existence of an emperor, he had never seen any picture of him. How will he able to recognize somebody's face just by knowing his name?

And even though he is JiDan's father...

"Huh? Does it mean that JiDan is a prince?" This thought made Lang Yuan raise his head to look at the emperor. The crimson eyes met the golden one. Lang Yuan quickly evaded his eyes and returned to bowing again.

The emperor can't take his bowing anymore so he moved forward to pull Lang Yuan to his grasp. Lang Yuan was surprised as he landed to those broad chests. He looks up, two pairs of eyes meeting again, but this time he melted from the stare. There's something in those eyes that made Lang Yuan soft.

"This is more I like it," the emperor hummed. He lowered his head, his hair falling down like a waterfall, tickling Lang Yuan's neck as it grazes softly to his skin. Locked inside the small space, the warm air circulated closely in between them.

Yu XueQin lips genuinely smiled. "See? It's better to see each other more closely."

He moved his hands to the youth's face and brushed his cheeks gently.

"Don't you ever dare to not look into my eyes again. I want you to only look at me. Those eyes are my own, and nobody else. They belong to me. Do you understand?"

The magnetic voice of the emperor is almost hypnotizing that Lang Yuan could only do nothing than to nod softly. Another smile crept out from his lips as he leaned closer giving a small peck on those soft lips. Lang Yuan came back to his senses as his eyes widened from shock. The emperor rose up to let the youth gain air again.

"Then, you have to listen well, okay?"

The emperor shifted his position and let Lang Yuan sit properly in front of him. The superior aura of the emperor is gone. Instead, it was the feeling of peace. Lang Yuan felt so comfortable that his heart started to calm down. It was the same.

It was the same feeling when he had JiDan.

The comfort and warmth of a family.

Everything is familiar.

Where... where did he feel it before?

"I am Yu XueQin, the Emperor of the World Realm. I, Us, We, the dragons live so long in this world that you can already call Us a legend. We have met the ancestors of your ancestors, and learned the change of time. We rule over the realms as leaders. We are the so-called gods from the Higher Realm."

Lang Yuan listened as the emperor told him these words. How magical... he thought. The world where dragons and exists are only on stories. He has read a lot of them and most are interesting mythological tales. If this emperor before him is a dragon, then JiDan is also a dragon. So he is right when he thought the egg is someone so powerful.

Though, Lang Yuan felt that something is different in this world. He learned that emperor's carry the most power of all. One mistake and the emperor would command death. It was something trivial and normal that people would often tremble when serving the emperor. That is why Lang Yuan is pretty much scared when he was with the emperor.

But this emperor has a peaceful aura around him... and he seems to be not scary?

"You don't have to be guarded when you're with me," the emperor said. "I am not ruthless. I prefer taking things properly than to use my strength illogically. However, it doesn't mean that I can't hurt you. Give me the proper treatment and I'll care for you. Betray me, and you will never receive redemption. Am I transparent?"

Lang Yuan nodded.

"Now that I told you a bit about myself, tell me who you are. I already know your name, that's a given. I want to know more than that."

Lang Yuan gulped. Aside from his name, he has no information that will never give him trouble. From the start, he is not from this world. He knows no places, not even the other towns aside from Qian. He can't just casually say that he is from the other world right? And if he will start muttering some lie, the emperor will sense it and probably will kill him on the spot.

So, what should he say? That he is an orphan, didn't know who are his parents, and just found his way inside the sect when somebody recruited him. Well, he thought of this cliché background story common for cannon fodders and such. Lang Yuan look up and saw the emperor waiting.

What should he do? What should he say?

"And?" The Emperor encouraged him to talk.

"I-I am Lang Yuan. E-eighteen?" That sounded like a question than an answer. The emperor arched his brows.

"Not sure?"

"I... I'm sorry. A-aside from m-my name and a-ge... I don't k-know anything a-at all..." Lang Yuan's voice minimized as the hot glare of the emperor intensified.

I-it is true! I don't know anything at all! I didn't lie ba!

Yu XueQin studied Lang Yuan's expression. He can see that the boy is not lying, but he is not saying everything at all. Lang Yuan still has secrets yet to be revealed. The emperor smiled. Okay, he doesn't have to tell everything to him right now. He will slowly make the youth say it slowly, like how he will be undressing a beautiful flower later on.

Lang Yuan felt the chills and shivered. Why... why do the emperors eyes looks like undressing him naked on his mind? Lang Yuan's face flushed. The idea that he will be doing it with the emperor has still not left his mind.

The emperor chuckled. "Okay, we will talk about these later. But first, I have to warn you."

The atmosphere suddenly changed like a Low Pressure Area brewing a new storm. The eyes of the emperor showed a dangerous glint, giving off a foreboding warning. Lang Yuan straightened his back and watched the emperor carefully. The chills on his back still make him shiver.

"I want to confirm something. Are you the one who created a bond with my offspring?" The emperor asked.

"What... what is it m-mean to form a bond?" Lang Yuan is not aware of everything at all. Utterly ignorant.

"You didn't know how?" The emperor was surprised. Then how did this boy bonded with his son?

"Well... the egg suddenly followed me. I didn't do anything other than that time when I was pushed inside that glass barrier or something. Then I was wounded then touched the egg. It started glowing and..."

Lang Yuan is not stupid. He touched the egg with a wounded hand. What else could have happened? The emperor nodded to confirm his thoughts. So he did really bonded with the egg accidentally.

"Then, do you know what it means to be able to form a bond with a dragon's egg?"

Lang Yuan shook his head. Other than it giving him a troublesome life, he could not think of another answer.

"It means that your cultivation is of a higher being, at least a celestial level. However, an off spring from an emperor dragon takes a higher level than that. Are you aware of your cultivation level?"

Lang Yuan shook his head again. He is becoming a head shaker for this story.

"No wonder. You are so clueless about everything. You didn't even know that your life is in danger."

The emperor reminded himself to give this youth a dragon talisman, just in case. If not getting killed by an enemy, Lang Yuan will surely die by himself by just tripping over a rock. He will plan his routine to give this kid training ba!

"You are a strong cultivator yet you are not aware of it. It must be a dormant strength. The news about your outstanding ability spread all over the nine realms. Everyone wanted to get you. Anyone will do everything to have you."

"This servant wanted to know why?" Lang Yuan timidly asked.

"You think about it. Our kind is always strong compared to strength and intelligence. Fortunately, there are only a few of us. An emperor could get an heir by having a human hatch his off spring. What do you think will happen if humans like you are common in this world?"

Lang Yuan slowly nodded. However, copulation can give a dragon a child, Emperor Dragons preferred on laying eggs. The reason would be that the blood of the Emperor is more than half of the human. And a dragon born from the egg can form a greater connection not allowing any betrayal to happen.

And humans are basically weak. If the Emperor dragon wanted to claim the child, the dragon can easily kill the human.

Due to the high requirement of the egg to hatch, not all emperor dragons can't get a child. For Lang Yuan to appear and be able to hatch the egg on the smallest time...

"Then... Then what will happen to me?" Lang Yuan is now clearly showing concern. He doesn't know the hell about his powers. But he knows he will die if left out alone.

"That's why I am giving you a proposition. You will marry me and become my Empress."

Eh? How is that related to their topic before? The confusion Lang Yuan showed made the emperor chuckle.

"I know what you are thinking. I am an Emperor Dragon and very greedy. But think of it. Where else could be a safer place than to be with an Emperor Dragon? If you are with me, the emperor dragons from the other realms will hesitate to snatch you away from me. We know the prowess of our kind. Nobody will offend each other for such a trifling matter."

But...

"Don't worry. I am a capable man. I will not do anything that you did not want. I have reasons. You become my Empress and earn my protection. You will live comfortably and secured every day. You will also come to stay with my son. Isn't that ideal?"

Very much Ideal, Lang Yuan thought. If an emperor is promising him this then why should he worry. But still...

"T-there m-must be an equivalent e-exchange, right?"

The emperor gives no answer. This kid is really smart. He might not know a lot about this world but he is capable.

"Of course, I have. But we will discuss about that later. What I wanted to know is if you are accepting the offer."

What could Lang Yuan do? If he can prolong his life, then why not? Also, he is sure that the equivalent exchange is not about killing him. If the emperor wanted to kill him, then why is he speaking of these matters right now? The emperor needed him of something, and he needed the emperor. It's both a win-win solution.

This must be the reason why the emperor announced their marriage. The news is a bit surprising but it seems that Yu XueQin already planned it beforehand.

The news about the Empress arriving at the sect spread out like a wildfire. The talk about the wedding heightened up. However, the YanLing Sect announced the next day that the Emperor and the Empress would be returning to the Higher Realms. Speculation has it that the Empress will be undergoing trials before the two can lock their matrimony.

Lang Yuan, wearing a matching robe with the emperor, walked gracefully out from his room. The people watched in awe as the youth made his way towards the royal carriage where the emperor is already waiting. On the arms of Lang Yuan, he was carrying a handsome creature waving his hand here and there.

But obviously, JiDan is only waving to that one minister to get his attention.

The Emperor received his Empress, offering his hand as he helped Lang Yuan climb up. The door of the carriage closed. Everyone cheered up. The parade started moving and left the Capital of Qian to travel back to the Higher Realms - the home of the gods.

---

UPDATES: Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays