Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 441 : Denial (1)

Upon recalling the uninvited guest from the previous night who burrowed himself shamelessly into his shizun’s tent, Huang Taichen’s face darkened in an instant.

Anyway, it was none of his business.

His shizun was so strong and handsome.

Maybe no women were good enough for him.

Although that Zhang Fengxi guy was extremely annoying, he was at least strong. And he did save them from scorpion attacks and cured his shizun from poisoning...

Huang Taichen sucked in a deep breath and murmured to himself, "I am going to be nice to him I am going to be nice to him I am..."

His chanting stopped when he saw his shizun’s slender hand push his tent flap aside.

"Shizun, good morning... Eh?"

Huang Taichen had to rub his eyes repeatedly.

He just saw a dwarf tumbling out of the tent, his tiny hand tightly clutching Qiao Wei’s.

"What’s that?" Huang Taichen asked in a hauntingly similar way to Bai Ling back then.

Zhang Fengxi hissed at him like a feral cat.

Qiao Wei cleared his throat awkwardly.

"This is Zhang Fengxi. He is currently afflicted with a curse, making him turn into a little boy at times."

....

Huang Taichen immediately abolished his initial plan to be kind to Zhang Fengxi.

This dwarf was not going to be useful at all! He was going to disturb his shizun’s peace and ruin their plans onward!

Alas, his shizun was simply too kind a person. He carried Zhang Fengxi in his arms like he would a child. He even fed him food from his plate and let him ride with him!

How infuriating!

Huang Taichen fumed while riding his horse behind Qiao Wei and Zhang Fengxi. He usually liked to ride next to his shizun, but he did not want to watch his shizun shower the dwarf of shiniang with affection the entire time!

"Huang Taichen."

Caught off-guard, Huang Taichen choked several times before replying to Qiao Wei with watery eyes, "Y-yes, Shizun?"

"We are here," Qiao Wei announced.

Huang Taichen ripped his gaze from Qiao Wei, his eyes drawn to the vast expanse of desert that stretched before them.

A lush oasis burst from the desert sands, teeming with vibrant greenery that soared skyward.

Sand-brick buildings huddled together, their earthen walls dwarfed by the colorful tents that sprouted like wildflowers around them. Squinting against the harsh sunlight, Huang Taichen made out the fleeting silhouettes of figures moving amongst the tents.

His heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. This was the homeland of the Banyue tribe, where his father was born and raised.

They climbed down their horses and slowly walked toward the lush oasis, the air growing cooler and more humid with each step. The closer they got, the more the towering palm trees and mudbrick buildings seemed to rise from the ground.

The village was not guarded in any way, but both Qiao Wei and Zhang Fengxi refrained from getting too close to the entrance.

Qiao Wei held an arm up to prevent Huang Taichen from advancing.

A loud whistling sound was heard, and a horde of black scorpions, similar to the ones that attacked Qiao Wei and Huang Taichen the previous day, burst forth like water from a fountain.

"Don’t move," Zhang Fengxi mumbled, barely moving his lips. "They are not here to attack."

All three of them went stiff, even when the scorpions were clicking their stingers menacingly close to their shoes.

Moments later, as the tension peaked, a group of men emerged.

Their torsos, exposed to the sun’s relentless gaze, were the color of burnished bronze, a testament to a life spent under the desert’s harsh embrace.

Each figure was clad in billowing silk pants, the fabric adorned with intricate embroideries that shimmered like desert mirages.

A wide leather belt cinched their waists, each bearing a metal plate emblazoned with the same sigil -- a half-moon intertwined with a scorpion’s menacing tail.

Among them stood a man who exuded an air of authority. His head was adorned with a feathered headdress, its vibrant plumes a stark contrast to the muted tones of the desert.

His body, unlike the others, was adorned with a wealth of adornments: intricate necklaces, gleaming bracelets, and mysterious amulets, each whispering tales of power and prestige.

Even at a distance, it was clear that this man held a rank above his companions. He was like the desert’s sun, radiating heat and power, while the others were like the resilient sands, forever shaped by his will.

"My name is Temuge Boroghul," the leader said in a deep authoritative voice. "I am the reigning Banyue Tribe Head."

His sharp phoenix eyes drifted between the three strangers before them, before they settled on Huang Taichen.

"You can speak with the scorpions. Who are you?" He asked the young man with a glare.

"I... Uh... M-my... My father was a member of Banyue Tribe," Huang Taichen stuttered in anxiety. "I... If I am not mistaken, his birth name was Khadagan Harghasun."

Upon hearing the real name of Huang Taichen’s father, a strange light glinted past the tribe head’s eyes.

It soon disappeared, replaced by utter nonchalance.

"We don’t know that person," he said, curt and concise. "Please leave."

The tribe head dismissed them with a hand wave and turned on his heel, heading back into the village.

"No, wait, maybe you don’t know him, but he really hailed from this tribe. Otherwise, where did I get the ability to talk to animals from?" Huang Taichen chased after the tribe head, but the scorpions clicked their stingers menacingly at them, preventing them from entering the village.

Qiao Wei sighed.

"Huang Taichen, let’s go. I will find another place for you to stay. Nothing good comes out of forcing these people to accept you."

Qiao Wei patted Huang Taichen’s shoulder and smiled.

"No worries. Let’s go."

They traveled back to their camping spot the previous night to re-align their strategies.

"I don’t know what to do," Huang Taichen wailed. "Why won’t they accept me?"

"To be exact, they didn’t even acknowledge your father, let alone you," Zhang Fengxi remarked. "But I do think that the tribe head knew him. The question is rather -- why did he pretend not to know him?"

No sooner had the question formed in their minds than countless silvery streaks blazed across the heavens, hurtling towards them with deadly intent.