The Fertile Spider Demoness Was Abused and Miscarried by Her Daughter-in-Law, Leading the Black Dragon Lord to Go Berserk - Chapter 1

I am a fertile spider demoness. The Black Dragon lineage struggled with producing offspring, so they forcefully married me to ensure their descendants. If I even got a scratch, he would fly into a rage and execute his servants. Before long, I didn’t disappoint, making it impossible for the Black Dragon lineage to ever become extinct again. He was overjoyed and doted on me immensely, but I didn’t want others to suffer because of me, so I lived deep within my cave dwelling from then on.

Five hundred years later, the Black Dragon encountered a stunningly beautiful merperson. He said the merperson was refined and well-mannered, a perfect match for our son, Xuan Xin. Coincidentally, the merperson came to the estate to pay respects to me. Curious, since I lived deep within my immortal abode, I went to secretly observe her. But the merperson seemed like a different person, completely lacking the gentleness the Black Dragon had described.

“No wonder Xuan Xin ignored me, turns out he was hiding a vixen!”

She raised her hand, tugged my hair, and pressed me underwater, her sharp nails tearing my face. As I wailed, she choked my neck and gouged out my eyes. She broke my limbs and threw me into the well at the entrance of the cave dwelling, leaving me to soak alive for three hours. Just then, the Lord and my hundred children returned home.

The merperson looked smug. “Your daughter came to the estate today to look for your son, but she unexpectedly encountered a rogue and punished her privately.”

Upon hearing that the merperson had arrived, I immediately got up, planning to see my future daughter-in-law. When I had previously mentioned the merperson to Xuan Xin, he was always evasive and never brought her to see me. This made me unable to give her the Mysterious Sky Jade Bracelet I had specially chosen for her earlier. Thinking about it, I took the box containing the jade bracelet and hid in a corner to secretly watch my future daughter-in-law.

Unexpectedly, I accidentally stepped on a branch, and the merperson glared over instantly. At that moment, I was a bit stunned. I had only heard that she was gentle and well-mannered, but I never knew she could be so vicious.

“You…”

Before I could finish speaking, she rushed over, grabbed my hair, and looked malicious. “Are you the vixen he hid in the estate? No wonder he’s hot and cold with me, you b****! How dare you steal him from me!”

“Heh! What if you have some looks? As long as I’m around, you won’t even think about entering this family. It wouldn’t even matter if I killed you!”

She squeezed my face, spitting saliva on me. I shrieked and quickly turned my face away. For the past few hundred years, I had been living in seclusion in my cave dwelling, always in plain clothes. I wondered if she misunderstood me because of my attire, so I immediately explained. “No, I’m not a fox spirit, nor am I a maid. I am…”

I only heard Luo Bingyu sneer, then a slap landed on my face, making my ears ring. It hurt so much that my tears rolled to the ground, and I even forgot how to speak.

“You dare to talk back?! The merperson of the South Sea is not someone you can offend. Today I will set a rule for you, lest you dare to act presumptuously in front of me again!”

“Even if I beat you half to death, it will extinguish your desire to climb into bed!”

Before she arrived, I had specially asked the maid Ah Qiao to prepare some pastries in the kitchen. I had intended to politely invite her in, but Luo Bingyu was vicious and wanted to kill me based on her own conjecture. Even an ordinary immortal shouldn’t be so humiliated by her!

I desperately clutched at the roots of my hair that she was pulling, tears streaming down my face from the pain. A lot of hair had already fallen to the ground, and I trembled. Thinking that it was useless to reason with a madwoman, I immediately strained my voice and called out for Ah Qiao. If Ah Qiao appeared to confirm my identity, I certainly wouldn’t have to suffer such humiliation.

Seeing me crying out for my maid, Luo Bingyu’s eyes widened, and she quickly choked my neck. I couldn’t even breathe, let alone make a sound. Luo Bingyu moved quickly, dragging me into a corner and viciously digging her nails into my face. Merpeople, having long been immersed in the sea, possess captivating beauty, but also poisonous nails. She intended to disfigure me! I immediately struggled with all my might, but my movements became weaker and weaker due to suffocation. My face hurt, and my lungs hurt; every breath felt like being sliced by a sharp blade.

“Stop, stop! I am Xuan Xin’s moth—”

“Shut up! I came here today to teach you, you *****, a lesson. How dare you even mention Xuan Xin’s name! He is my Lord!”

Her nails dug deeper, and after the venom seeped in, my face began to feel numb. I panicked and instinctively bit her hand. Seizing this gap, I frantically shouted, “Ah Qiao! Save me!”

Luo Bingyu didn’t even have time to tend to her wound before she immediately grabbed my head and slammed it against the ground. There happened to be a protruding stone behind me, which hit me so hard that I felt dizzy and even speaking became difficult. Tears silently flowed down my face, and my ink-black eyes saw a figure suddenly appear in the distance. I instinctively opened my mouth and murmured.

“Ah Qiao, save me.”

“Ah Qiao…”

The merperson sneered, directly raised her hand and poked my eyes, only calming down after stuffing a handkerchief into my mouth. She tidied her clothes for a moment, and just as she was about to walk out, Ah Qiao quickly ran over. The sight before her instantly made her face turn pale. Ah Qiao’s eyes widened, staring intensely at me, writhing in agony on the ground, her voice trembling. “What are you doing?! Do you know who she is?!”

The merperson frowned slightly, a mocking smile playing on her lips. “Oh, just Xuan Xin’s concubine, that’s all.”

“You, a simple flower spirit, are quite a match for this b****! So angry, are you going to vent your master’s anger? It’s fine, I’ll set the rules for you first. After I marry in, you low-ranking maids will know how to behave yourselves! Don’t you dare harbor any crooked thoughts!”

I am a spider demoness, originally favored for my fertility, my spiritual power not comparable to the merpeople spirit beasts of the South Sea. Ah Qiao was merely a flower demon; in the past, it was I who protected her from being bullied. Now, I only hoped that she would reveal my identity to intimidate the merperson and make her stop immediately. But the merperson, just as Ah Qiao was about to help me up, immediately extended her poisonous claws. I only felt a warm sensation on my body, and then I heard Ah Qiao’s voice no more.

“What did you do to Ah Qiao?!” My voice was hoarse, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. Luo Bingyu lifted her leg and kicked my lower abdomen. My face turned pale from the pain. She looked arrogant. “Just a small flower, a mere finger of mine could turn her to dust. It’s her good fortune to die so easily; you won’t be so lucky!” She laughed coldly, dragging my hair to the side of the well. The wooden box I was originally going to give her fell to the ground, and the Mysterious Sky Jade Bracelet inside shattered into several pieces.

Luo Bingyu was instantly attracted by the exquisite jade marrow and unpleasantly picked up one of the pieces. “Xuan Xin has never even given me such a precious bracelet, yet you, this b****, already have one! Just a small cat or dog kept at home, Xuan Xin actually values you so much…” Her tone paused, and she tugged at my hair with some confusion. I quickly spoke up, “He values me so much, don’t you find it strange? Stop now, there’s still time!”

“I am Xuan Xin’s mother!”

Suddenly, the pressure from above intensified. I thought Luo Bingyu had repented, but unexpectedly, she angrily pressed me to the ground and ruthlessly trampled on my face. “Alright, you still dare to lie at this point? Xuan Xin’s mother is an immortal who established the Black Dragon lineage, she wouldn’t be as bewitching as you! And Lord Black Dragon often speaks of his beloved wife, so why would he leave his wife at home and not go to congratulate the Nine Heavens Divine Dragon on his birthday?!”

“B****, you really dare to lie!”

She twisted her hand, ignoring my struggles, and threw me into the well. Extremely fierce curses came from the mouth of the well. I struggled helplessly, only able to support myself with the water weeds on the wall to keep from sinking. “You stay in there and reflect properly. When Lord Black Dragon and Xuan Xin return from the banquet, I’ll give you a quick death.”

“Once this intimidation is established, he’ll never dare to fool around again! Haha, don’t you agree?”

I shivered from the cold, tears mixed with blood flowing down. Perhaps the cold alleviated the pain, as I didn’t even notice the blood flowing between my legs.

The merperson of the South Sea was a rare beauty in the mortal world. When the Black Dragon said he would introduce Luo Bingyu to Xuan Xin, I was very curious about her personality, wondering if she could get along with the taciturn Xuan Xin. I asked softly, unconsciously pinching my sleeve. The Black Dragon laughed, the tremor in his chest making me somewhat afraid. He raised his hand and stroked my back. I had been forcibly sent to the cave dwelling by my foster mother, and I was always afraid of the decisive Black Dragon.

The Black Dragon lineage had difficulty producing offspring because the dragon’s bloodline was too domineering, and the pregnant individual was almost a vessel for the young dragon. For a spider demoness, bearing children was effortless; in the past, my mother would have thousands of offspring in one litter. And my body was softer than my mother’s, making me a chosen dragon wife.

Initially, the Black Dragon didn’t have much affection for me. When he carried out his duties, he was never gentle with me. For spirits like us, who were not as precious as spirit beasts, being looked down upon and harmed was a common occurrence. It wasn’t until I gave birth to a group of dragon babies, barely surviving, that the Black Dragon began to see me in a new light.

Even though I knew he loved me, I could never shake off my fear of the Black Dragon. The Black Dragon didn’t know my thoughts, and domineeringly pulled my hand to his face. “She’s eloquent and articulate, a good match for Xuan Xin’s reticent nature.” After speaking, he flipped me over and restrained me on the bed. “Good Pearl, how about bearing me another hundred little dragons?” I trembled, slowly closing my eyes, helplessly enduring his wanton demands. Red candles warmed the curtains, a sleepless night.

Unexpectedly, that single intimacy caused me, weakened from childbirth, to become pregnant again. But now, it was all gone. When I realized the child was gone, I let out one last, helpless shriek of grief. My body suddenly felt very heavy, as if it were sinking into the deepest abyss.

“Lord Black Dragon…”

As I closed my eyes, the well water suddenly rippled. I heard the laughter and frolicking of children, and the heavy, powerful footsteps of my Lord. I opened my mouth, choking on another mouthful of water. Was I going to die like this? I unwillingly slapped the well wall, but no one answered. Unexpectedly, Luo Bingyu spoke at this moment.

She triumphantly greeted the Black Dragon and his children, taking out the wooden box in her hand. “Your daughter came to the estate today to look for your son, but she unexpectedly encountered a rogue and punished her privately due to a moment of urgency.”

The Black Dragon frowned. He had thought the merperson was refined and gentle, never expecting her to be so daring as to execute punishment privately. When he lowered his head to look at the bracelet, his brows furrowed even deeper. Xuan Xin was originally a man of few words, but upon seeing the bracelet, he was instantly stunned. The rest of the dragons gathered around.

“Isn’t this the bracelet Mother prepared? Why is it broken?”

“Nine Heavens Black Jade is rare in the mortal world, to be shattered like this, what a pity…”

They were either confused or serious. Luo Bingyu blinked, looking contemptuously at Xuan Xin’s face, and pointed to the well. “So she stole Auntie’s bracelet? This little thief really doesn’t know her place. Lord Black Dragon must punish her severely to properly discipline the servants in this estate who harbor ulterior motives!”

Xuan Xin looked at Luo Bingyu’s smug face, bewildered, and the Black Dragon’s expression instantly turned grim. “I originally kept Pearl at home to rest because I was afraid she’d be tired, but I never expected something like this to happen right under our noses after we were only out for a day!”

“In the past, Pearl was pure-hearted and kind, never willing to scold servants, which made them lose their manners and allowed you to see a spectacle! But since it’s a private matter, we’ll handle it ourselves. Why must you make the estate a mess?”

The Black Dragon was displeased and looked towards my residence, not understanding why I hadn’t come out. Luo Bingyu quickly lowered her head, a fawning expression on her face. “Your daughter was just too anxious. Since Auntie didn’t come out to reprimand her, I acted on my own.”

The Black Dragon pursed his lips, shook his head slightly, and didn’t pursue the matter further. Xuan Xin looked up at Luo Bingyu’s smug face, sighed, and walked to the well with his hands behind his back. “Do you know your mistake?” As soon as he asked, he saw the shocking sight at the bottom of the well. A piercing dragon roar, almost shattering everyone’s eardrums.

Xuan Xin covered his chest and fainted. Several children quickly helped him up and settled him in the bedroom. Some children, bewildered, looked towards the well and were all terrified. I was already disfigured, and prolonged immersion had caused my wounds to swell. I looked exactly like a female ghost, completely unrecognizable from my previous appearance. The timid children immediately closed their eyes, not daring to look again, while the brave ones frowned deeply.

The eldest son, Xuan Tian, cast a spell and violently flung me to the ground, pointing at me and shouting angrily at Luo Bingyu, “Even if a small maid in the estate has sticky fingers, you shouldn’t be so cruel and abuse someone to this extent!”

Luo Bingyu pursed her lips, a stark contrast to her previous fierce and shrewish demeanor. She curved her eyebrows, looking wronged, and gazed at Xuan Tian. “She stole rare treasures, so should I indulge her? Even if I made a mistake, Auntie would surely have stepped in to stop it, so why would she stand by and do nothing?”

“Or is it just because she’s close to Young Master Xuan Xin that you’re biased towards this b****? Without rules, there’s no order, Brother Xuan Tian.”

Xuan Tian didn’t understand why Luo Bingyu said this. Xuan Xin was not good at speaking, and always kept to himself, so how could he have a maid he was close to? He frowned, and just as he was about to say something, the Black Dragon looked up and stopped him. His gaze swept over my ugly face, as if looking at something dirty, and he quickly turned his face away.

“Miss Luo is right, there’s no order without rules. Today, you’ve certainly witnessed a spectacle.”

“We will handle these thieving b****es ourselves, no need for ‘outsiders’ to worry.”

Luo Bingyu was startled, immediately understanding the Black Dragon’s words, and for a moment she panicked. “Lord Black Dragon, I was just trying to purify the estate’s source. My hand was indeed heavy this time, I know I was wrong.” She knelt down with a thud, glaring fiercely at me, half-dead on the ground. “This thief smashed your priceless treasure, I was truly too angry in my heart to…”

Xuan Tian suddenly spoke, “Just now you said she stole it, so why now do you say she broke it? Could it be that you’re deliberately making trouble?”

“Luo Bingyu, you’ve probably slandered this maid. The only female Xuan Xin is familiar with and cares for in the estate is my mother.”

Upon hearing this, my heart slowly warmed, and I reached out to them with all my might. But the children found me dirty and immediately stepped back a few paces, while the Black Dragon watched coldly, not coming near. Luo Bingyu, fuming, looked at Xuan Tian’s disapproving expression, then abruptly stood up and walked towards me.

“I don’t believe it. She must be Xuan Xin’s new lover hidden in the cave dwelling! Otherwise, why would Xuan Xin reject my advances? I have captivating beauty, yet he won’t even look at me!” She fiercely kicked my abdomen, her eyes red with anger. “Don’t pretend to be dead, if you have the guts, admit it yourself!”

My voice was hoarse, and I cried out in helpless agony. The faint, wavering wails were not clearly heard by others. But most of the children felt compassion and couldn’t bear to see Luo Bingyu humiliate someone like this, so they all spoke up, telling Luo Bingyu to stop. Perhaps she felt wronged, and also felt they were shielding me; every time they spoke a word, she would kick my belly. Blood flowed all over the ground, staining my plain white clothes.

“What is that between her legs? Golden and shiny, could it be… could it be a dragon fetus?” Xuan Tian was startled and cast a spell to retrieve the dead dragon egg. The dragon egg floated in mid-air, mixed with my dried bloodstains, the originally dazzling golden egg now incredibly dim. After my eyes were gouged out, I couldn’t see anything, only hearing everyone’s exclamations. Only one thought remained in my mind: death. The child was gone, and I had been so humiliated in front of my loved one and children. My will to live was completely lost.

As I bit my tongue, Luo Bingyu immediately clamped my mouth shut. She pointed at the stillborn fetus and sneered, “Still denying it? This is her illegitimate child with Xuan Xin!”

After reaching the peak of sadness, I laughed maniacally like a madwoman. No matter how she slandered me, I couldn’t stop my wild laughter. The Black Dragon walked a few steps closer to us, glancing at me faintly, his tone equally helpless: “Stop tormenting her.” The large hand that used to gently caress me now rested on my forehead. For the first time, I yearned for him to kill me. My body trembled, and I silently leaned into his palm, seeking death.

“The child isn’t Xuan Xin’s.” I said hoarsely, awaiting the Black Dragon to take my spirit. As the Black Dragon’s hand pressed against my forehead, his brows furrowed even deeper, and for some reason, his chest felt extremely uncomfortable. Just then, Xuan Xin, who had regained his senses, stumbled and ran over. He rolled several times on the ground, his face covered in grit. He crawled towards me with red eyes, holding me tightly in his arms, just as I was about to embrace death.

“And you still say he has no affair with this maid!” Luo Bingyu sneered.

The Black Dragon glanced at Luo Bingyu, then turned to Xuan Xin. “What are you doing? If you truly have someone you care for, why didn’t you tell your father sooner?” Xuan Xin shook his head vigorously, biting his lip, and spoke each word with immense grief: “Father, this is Mother!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? How could Pearl be in such a state?” The Black Dragon was shocked, his jawline taut, barely restraining himself from stepping back a few paces. Xuan Xin, with tears in his eyes, cast a spell to remove the swelling from my face, revealing my appearance. However, the merperson’s venom was too deep; the scars on my face could not dissipate, and I was also blind, unable to see anything. My head silently tilted to the side, as pale as a broken doll.

“Let me die.”

The Black Dragon was furious and kicked Luo Bingyu, who was standing beside him in a daze. Luo Bingyu, caught off guard, tumbled many times on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. She clutched her abdomen, looking at the Black Dragon with a pained expression. “Lord Black Dragon, what do you mean? Why did you hit me! This woman is definitely not Lady Hongzhu. Don’t be fooled by these spirits’ tricks!” She stubbornly believed that I was a demon who had seduced Xuan Xin and confused everyone. Seeing Xuan Xin carefully protecting me in his embrace, she was so angry that she almost bit through her tongue. She struggled to stand up, trying to grab my hair.

“How dare this b**** flirt with my husband! Get out of here!” I heard her curses, and my body trembled uncontrollably, instinctively trying to pull away from my son’s embrace. The once gentle and loving mother had become so timid; Xuan Xin’s tears were almost dry. He held me tightly in his embrace, glaring fiercely at Luo Bingyu.

“Just because you assumed I was close to her, you humiliated her like this, tormenting her until she was unrecognizable?! Luo Bingyu, I never agreed to your advances, yet you often pretended to be the legitimate wife outside! In the past, I had to hide from you, and I didn’t realize I was indulging you!”

“I truly regret it. I should have directly refused back then, instead of dutifully trying to get along with you!”

Luo Bingyu’s expression held a hint of panic, and her hands unconsciously clenched. “It’s fine if you regret it. As long as you’re by my side, I won’t do these things! Lord Black Dragon said that you and I are an excellent match! A match made in heaven!” After speaking, she gave the Black Dragon a flattering look, but instead saw intense murderous intent.

The Black Dragon was merciless, using a spell to restrain her in mid-air. “My eyes were clouded then; I didn’t see your true nature, causing my beloved wife to suffer such tribulation! Luo Bingyu, I will make your merperson tribe pay the price!” After speaking, he fiercely slammed Luo Bingyu to the ground. I only heard the sound of bones cracking and Luo Bingyu’s muffled screams mixed with mud and blood.

“Xuan Xin, Xuan Xin, save me!”

But Xuan Xin had already picked me up and left without looking back. That night, the Black Dragon confined Luo Bingyu in the immortal prison. She was both pained and terrified, trembling uncontrollably. She even tried to ask the gentlest young dragon to save her, but instead, the children secretly broke her fingers. Instantly, she screamed heart-wrenchingly, but no one paid her any attention.

“B****! You tormented my mother into this state, and you still think you can walk out of this cave dwelling alive?!”

“Even if each of us brothers were to consume your essence and blood, we could still slowly torture you to death!”

Luo Bingyu no longer dared to hope for their help. In the immortal prison, she only called out Xuan Xin’s and her parents’ names day and night. Meanwhile, I was carried in Xuan Xin’s arms as he quickly ran towards the sleeping quarters. It wasn’t until the Black Dragon had dealt with Luo Bingyu that he took me from Xuan Xin.

He gently embraced me for the first time, and I was in a trance, not noticing the fluctuations in his emotions. The immortal doctor, summoned by Xuan Tian from the immortal abode, frowned slightly. “Lady Hongzhu’s external injuries are manageable, but the merperson’s venom is one of the rarest poisons in the Three Realms; the scars may be difficult to remove, and furthermore…” The immortal doctor paused, finding it difficult to speak. “Lady Hongzhu’s abdomen was repeatedly kicked hard; the fetus was literally kicked out. Although Lady Hongzhu is strong, no one can endure such a beating. She may have difficulty conceiving again in the future, and this area might also need to be removed, making marital relations impossible from now on…”

The Black Dragon’s face was solemn. He forcefully held my hand and said in a deep voice, “…Remove it then, as long as Pearl is safe and sound.” I listened from the side, numb for too long, with no great emotional fluctuations in my heart. I just vaguely touched my belly, realizing that the baby I had secretly hidden inside would never have a chance to be born because of my uselessness.

Tears suddenly fell. The Black Dragon sighed and kissed the tear tracks on my cheek. “It’s my fault, my dear, for making you suffer, Pearl.”

That day, the immortal doctor made thousands of incisions on my body, removing all the damaged organs. The room was filled with a bloody smell, and the young dragons dared not approach. Only Xuan Tian and Xuan Xin dared to come near, while the Black Dragon stayed by my bedside. I was in great pain, and my vision went dark. I only knew that my hand was being held tightly, even though the hand holding mine was trembling uncontrollably. Before long, I fainted and remembered nothing else.

When I woke up again, I only felt an emptiness in my abdomen, as if something was missing. The Black Dragon took my hand and gently placed it on his face. “As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters, Pearl. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone at home, and I certainly shouldn’t have let the wolf into the house!” The once arrogant and uninhibited Black Dragon cried in front of me. Like a child, he sobbed softly, his massive body trembling slightly. He lowered his head, tears dripping onto the quilt from his high nose bridge. I struggled to pull my hand away and turned my back, no longer looking at his face. “I’m tired. I need to rest for a while.”

The Black Dragon responded miserably. “You rest. Luo Bingyu has been imprisoned in the Sun Flame Prison. She loves water by nature, but now she’s exposed to the sun every day and has already been scorched to a layer of skin! Trust me, I will make the merperson tribe pay the price!”

I didn’t answer him. Later, Xuan Tian and Xuan Xin came to see me together. They looked at my scarred face, and my usually stoic children cried uncontrollably. “Mother, we will surely avenge your injustice! That b****’s eyes have already been taken by me; your eyes will regain their sight!” He waved his hand, and my vision brightened. I suddenly saw Xuan Xin, exhausted from crying, kneeling on my lap. Both brothers’ eyes were incredibly red, with dark circles under them. Xuan Tian knelt down with a thud, whimpering and crying, only to repent to me for throwing me to the ground earlier.

“It was son’s fault; I didn’t know it was you then, and I was so rough!” I sighed, “Even an ordinary maid deserves respect, Xuan Tian. Your mother is but a humble spider demoness.” Xuan Tian nodded quickly, then bowed his head several more times with a loud thud. “Xuan Tian knows his mistake.”

Perhaps it was out of guilt, Xuan Tian didn’t linger too long and left the bedroom first, but Xuan Xin remained. He was very affectionate with me, clinging to my side and refusing to leave. “When I first interacted with her, I felt uncomfortable, but Father said that the merperson was gentle and came from a good family, urging me not to judge too early. Now I truly wish I had rejected that marriage back then, so you wouldn’t have suffered such hardship!” His voice was a bit hoarse; he had been crying so much these past few days that he felt dizzy and even fell seriously ill.

I sighed helplessly. Who would have thought that this seemingly kind merperson was so malicious underneath? We were all deceived by the merperson, blinded by her facade.

“It’s not your fault.” Xuan Xin looked up at me slightly and nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he opened his lips again: “Actually, Father was also deceived. The most important person in his heart is you. He didn’t recognize you then, that’s why…” I shook my head, stopping Xuan Xin’s words. In my heart, I knew it was all Luo Bingyu’s fault, but the chasm of being disregarded by him that day wasn’t so easy to close. That incident made me feel as if I had returned to the time when I first entered the estate, when the Black Dragon only treated me as a vessel. His eyes were cold, as if he would just replace me if I died, waiting until he found someone suitable.

I was too humble, always unable to resist sinking into the pain of the past. Seeing me close my eyes, Xuan Xin pursed his lips, knowing that I didn’t want to hear these grand道理 at the moment, so he pulled my hand as a comfort. I tapped his forehead: “Even your father and older brother didn’t recognize me, so how could you have recognized me?” Xuan Xin was startled, his cheeks flushed.

“I grew up on your lap. Father probably hasn’t spent as much time with you as I have. And Mother, you are the most important person in my heart. I remember exactly what clothes you wore and how you styled yourself today. Look, I recognized you by these plain earrings.” These earrings were extremely ordinary; even common maids would wear them. Yet, he recognized me, a person whose face was completely disfigured, by these earrings.

“You’re wearing white today, with wooden earrings. Only you in the estate are dressed like this today.” Xuan Xin knelt on my lap. A rare warmth filled my heart, and I raised my hand to tap his nose.

After that day, I rested in the estate for over seven days. During this time, the Black Dragon never appeared, and the children were all evasive, none of them actively telling me about the Black Dragon’s whereabouts. A few days later, Xuan Xin came over with a box of ointment. He personally applied the ointment to the scars on my face, and my skin felt slightly cool. Xuan Xin specially brought a mirror for me to see, and the scars had all disappeared. I looked at him in confusion, and Xuan Xin then raised an eyebrow. “The merperson’s venom needs to be cured by a merperson. A few days ago, Father imprisoned Luo Bingyu in the dungeon. She was exposed to the sun for several days and was almost dehydrated. My brother said ‘a hand for a mouthful of water,’ and the merperson agreed, so I took one of her hands to boil an antidote ointment for Mother.”

My face changed dramatically. The pink ointment had a faint fragrance, but it couldn’t mask the fishy odor. Killings among the demon race happened frequently, and I had seen far more terrifying things. But having been away for five hundred years, protected too well by my family, I felt nauseated by this for a moment. I pushed him away a bit and said to Xuan Xin with some concern, “She is a merperson from the South Sea, and she has the Southern Heavenly Dragon backing her. Such an act is undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Southern Black Dragon lineage. I’m afraid…”

A mocking smile appeared on Xuan Xin’s lips. “Then her treating you like this, isn’t that also a slap in the face to the Black Dragon lineage? Even if the Black Dragon clan leader knew, he wouldn’t dare to comment! You are the benefactor who allowed our lineage to prosper endlessly! Mother, please value yourself more, don’t always be so cautious!” He gently patted the back of my hand. After a moment of stunned silence, I nodded.

By the time the Black Dragon returned, it was a month later. Xuan Xin suddenly invited me to the main hall, leading me to sit behind a screen. Meanwhile, the blind and disabled Luo Bingyu was dragged to the center, crying and shouting for her father to save her. The Black Dragon sneered, striking her beautiful face with the hilt of his sword. Of course, now that she had been sun-dried and her skin was peeling, her face was covered in blotches, long losing her beautiful appearance. A trail of blood remained, her skin broken.

Luo Bingyu spat out a mouthful of blood. “If my father were here, you wouldn’t dare to treat me like this!” The Black Dragon snorted coldly. “Just a mere merperson, even after cultivating for thousands of years, she won’t turn into a dragon. How dare she challenge me!” He gestured, and a young servant brought forward a wooden box. A bloody smell spread throughout the room. I frowned tightly and quickly covered my nose with a handkerchief. The Black Dragon violently threw it, and a human head bounced and rolled repeatedly on the ground until it was stopped by Luo Bingyu’s knee, halting its momentum.

“You’re blind, so you probably don’t know what this is. This is your father. Now that you’re like this, are you crying tears of joy?”

“Ahhh—!”

Luo Bingyu, in the hall, was stunned for a long time, then suddenly shrieked loudly, her body twisting frantically, saying it was impossible. My heart trembled; I hadn’t realized he had gone to such lengths for me. The Black Dragon found it irritating and shoved the hilt of his sword into her mouth, preventing her from biting her tongue to commit suicide and from being annoyingly loud.

“Luo Bingyu, your father deserved to die for raising a daughter like you!”

“Do you think I kept you alive for a month because the Black Dragon feared the merperson tribe? What a joke! I merely used that month to slaughter all the bloodlines of your clan! This is your father’s head. Your mother and your brother’s are all waiting for you outside!” I looked outside; dozens of uncovered wooden boxes were baking in the scorching sun. They were already in their merperson forms; their transformed appearances were no longer visible. The Black Dragon’s voice was cold, and he mercilessly twisted the sword hilt, causing blood to ceaselessly flow from Luo Bingyu’s mouth. Her eyes were just two empty sockets. She sat blankly on the ground, unable to utter a single word, long having lost her previous domineering attitude towards me.

I raised my hand to block the surging blood and was helped out by Xuan Xin. “Pearl, you can watch from behind, no need to come out.” The Black Dragon said with extreme care, then glared at his son. I shook my head, my delicate hand drawing the sharp blade from his grasp, and directly sliced into Luo Bingyu’s abdomen. This cut, in a way, was giving her a quick end. Luo Bingyu clutched her abdomen, twitching weakly on the ground, her hand desperately clinging to the hilt of the blade, her expression like a vengeful ghost. I closed my eyes, no longer looking at her.

The Black Dragon was very confused as to why I had let her off so easily. I lowered my voice and sighed, “That day she killed Ah Qiao. No matter what, I had to avenge Ah Qiao.” Throughout this past month of travel, none of them had noticed that a maid was missing from my side. The Black Dragon paused, then raised my hand and placed it over his chest. In a very low voice, he said “I’m sorry” again.

He hadn’t recognized me then, and he had even treated me with such disdain, leaving me at home to be humiliated by this madwoman. But the Black Dragon loved me to the extreme, which was why he didn’t care about other women. I sighed and placed my hand over his. Everything was left unsaid.

Meanwhile, the once arrogant Luo Bingyu died in the hall not long after receiving the news of her clan’s demise. Her mouth opened and closed, much like a fish struggling for life. The scales on her face scattered layer by layer, and the immortal doctor walked over with a porcelain jar. “These are good things, top-notch divine antidotes. They can’t be wasted; let me take them and store them!” I frowned slightly and withdrew, returning to my sleeping quarters. Xuan Xin followed, only to see me starting to pack my belongings, looking puzzled.

“Mother, what’s wrong? Father has already avenged you, why are you still leaving?” I lowered my gaze to the half-packed luggage and sighed. “This courtyard makes me uncomfortable. Day and night, I’m reminded of the humiliation I suffered. I want to find a quiet place to recuperate.”

Just then, the Black Dragon pushed the door open and walked in, his arrogant brows now filled with melancholy. “If you wish to leave, I cannot keep you, but I must properly handle that cave dwelling for you before I can rest assured that you live there.” I glanced at him faintly and nodded.

Three months later, I moved to the North Sea. However, the amount of luggage surprised me a little. Then, a figure walked towards me; it was the Black Dragon. He embraced my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “If you wish to leave, I cannot keep you, but I cannot be without you, so I can only follow you.”

“Pearl, from now on, you and I will live here. The old den will be left for the children. We will live a carefree life. Our children and grandchildren will have their own blessings; I will no longer interfere.” The Black Dragon finished speaking, his eyes filled with a fawning expression. The events of the past had filled him with remorse, and he dared not leave my side for a single step again. I glanced at him helplessly, slowly leaning my head on his shoulder. Thus, protecting me became his obsession.

However, after just one day, a group of dragon children came chasing to the door, visiting us one after another. They claimed to be visiting me, but then refused to leave. A hundred dragon children squeezed into the residence, and the once quiet courtyard became noisy. The Black Dragon irritably stroked his chin and decided to move again, determined not to tell the children our whereabouts.

Since then, I and the Black Dragon went to another Peach Blossom Spring, no longer disturbed by outsiders. We would only appear when our dragon children married and started their own families. Three hundred years later, the youngest, Xuan Xin, married a nine-tailed spirit fox. The Black Dragon lineage is now thriving, no longer needing to abandon their loved ones for the sake of propagation. He invited us to the estate, and the noble nine-tailed spirit fox bowed to us several times.

“Had it not been for you, who enabled the Black Dragon lineage to successfully propagate its descendants back then, I would not have met Xuan Xin, nor would I have been able to marry him with such prestige.” Her eyes filled with affection, she bowed in gratitude. I looked at Xuan Xin and his wife with satisfaction, taking out the Mysterious Jade that had been broken back then. Later, I found a skilled craftsman and had the broken jade made into a set of ornaments, intended for a destined person in the future.

The Nine-Tailed Divine Fox received it with both hands, tears dripping onto the Mysterious Jade. She carefully asked her husband to put it on for her. Her temperament was truly top-notch in its gentleness, charming and adorable. Seeing this silly boy find a good match, my last lingering concern was finally released. As we left, the Black Dragon looked at my relieved face, somewhat puzzled. I only lowered my head and smiled, holding his hand.

From now on, I will not take another step outside the Peach Blossom Spring, living a devoted life with the Black Dragon. The past conflicts, contempt, and fear have all vanished. After all, with the Black Dragon’s sincere protection, ordinary spirits cannot get close. In this life, I will never suffer such torment again.

[End of Novel]