...
Bai Bu'e had no idea that Bai Yan would end up dragging him down. Full of swagger, he raced his bumper car forward, executing a perfect drift and knocking two of his cousins flying.
Bai Yan followed close behind.
He couldn't hurt Bai Bu'e's brothers, so he simply stayed near, blocking others from bumping into Bai Bu'e.
After his showy display, Bai Bu'e tried to retreat—only to find his escape route blocked by his teammates.
Before he knew it, his cousins had surrounded him from all sides.
Bai Bu'e stormed ahead, sulking, while Bai Yan trailed behind, looking guilty.
The elder, however, was quite pleased and couldn't resist nagging:
"Bu'e needs to suffer a few setbacks, or his hot-headed nature will get him into trouble one day."
But Bai Yan knew that wasn't the whole story.
It wasn't Bai Bu'e's fault.
It was he who had dragged Bai Bu'e down.
Later, they returned to the Fortune Inn in the city—two kids to a room, while the elder enjoyed his private suite.
True to its reputation as the most expensive inn in Black Dragon City, everything about it—food, lodging, services—was top-notch. Even Bai Bu'e, who had been grumbling, finally calmed down.
If they didn't still need to pick up their little brother at the palace, none of them would have wanted to leave.
The dinner table was piled with ten empty dishes, only a few scraps left behind.
Around the table, the boys were sprawled out, their bellies stuffed round, too lazy to even move.
The Fortune Inn's portions were generous.
Seeing so many guests, the staff even served the food in large soup basins.
Although the lodging price was high, meals were included—and the taste and quantity made it worth it.
The boys kept burping in satisfaction.
The elder leaned back comfortably in his chair.
"Baobao's living like a little god here."
Bai Bu'e grumbled:
"When I said that earlier, you knocked me on the head!"
The elder gave a shameless "adults can do what they want" smile.
"Adults can say it. Kids can't."
Bai Bu'e pouted.
When I grow up, I'm going to let kids play however they want! I'll never become a nag like the elder!
Soon, a messenger from the palace arrived.
Lou Zhao had told Yin Jixue that some of the little tiger's older brothers had arrived in town.
Yin Jixue's eyes lit up.
The cub's brothers?!
Could it be... a whole group of round, fluffy, adorable tiger cubs?!
She had to force herself to stay calm—didn't want Lou Zhao to realize just how obsessed she was with all things fluffy.
At the moment, she was passing the time by modifying Lou Zhao's furry little outfit.
Given her clumsy hands, "modifying" basically meant poking two neat holes in the right spots so Lou Zhao's tiny paws could stick out.
The holes needed to be perfect without tearing the whole garment.
Lou Zhao lay sprawled on the desk, full of grievance.
"If I were in human form, I could poke holes in it with a flick of my finger."
Yin Jixue blinked.
"Then... why don't you just change back?"
Not!
Lou Zhao decided to play dead.
Yin Jixue thought for a moment, then pressed her finger gently against the marked spots, silently willing holes to appear.
And like magic—they did!
Lou Zhao lifted his head, astonished.
"I just sensed magic."
Yin Jixue innocently spread her hands.
"You said you could make holes with a touch, so... I tried it."
She handed him the modified outfit—it fit his little claws perfectly.
Lou Zhao nuzzled her hand with his head, looking like he was just playing around.
But he mumbled, "No... something's off. You're supposed to just be an immortal human. How can you use my magic?"
Yin Jixue said casually,
"Maybe you should ask yourself what you did to me?"
Lou Zhao curled himself into a tight coil, finally admitting in a tiny, guilty voice:
"I didn't do anything serious... just a basic demon clan marriage bond. We share illnesses, share lifespans... I've never heard of it sharing abilities though."
Yin Jixue immediately grew curious.
"Then can you see my system?"
Lou Zhao hadn't seen it before.
But since she brought it up, he closed his eyes and concentrated on trying.
When he opened them—
He really could see her system panel!
"I can see it! Uh... wait, isn't that... my homework?"
Yin Jixue quickly closed the panel and laughed awkwardly.
"I forgot to delete it after helping you fix it," she fibbed.
In truth, she had made Lou Zhao's little essay her desktop wallpaper.
It was a heartfelt essay where he endlessly praised how amazing Black Dragon City was—
And since she had built Black Dragon City, she took it personally as praise for herself!
Meanwhile, the boys and the elder were sitting in the palace's official carriage, heading toward the palace gates.
They hadn't even ridden a bus yet!
They'd been thinking they could try riding public transport later—but the Demon Queen had already arranged everything, sending palace guards to escort them.
As they drove through the city, they happened to pass by a school.
The driver parked the car to let a wave of children pass.
The boys pressed against the windows, watching in awe.
"So many kids! Why are they all gathered here?"
"Wait, isn't the palace supposed to be in the other direction?"
Near the school gates, street vendors had set up snack stalls.
After classes, the local kids would stop by for a treat before heading home.
"Grandpa Bunny, I want a piece of pineapple!" a child shouted.
The old rabbit demon at the stall chuckled warmly, picking out the biggest chunk for him.
"Now go home and eat dinner!"
They rarely charged kids real money.
The children weren't greedy either—usually asking for just one taste.
The boys inside the carriage were green with envy.
Even though they were stuffed full from dinner, they still wanted some fruit.
The elder, unable to resist the fruity aroma, asked the driver to wait.
Eventually, he sent Bai Yan down to buy some pineapple.
But when Bai Yan offered a full Black Dragon coin, the vendor laughed.
"Too much! I can't make a change for that. One piece is just five beads."
Beads were small denominations of Black Dragon currency, like copper coins in the human world.
The elder signaled Bai Yan to buy enough to equal one full coin's worth of pineapple.
A hundred beads made up one Black Dragon coin.
The rabbit demon's stall was almost sold out anyway, so he packed up to head home.
The elder chatted him up:
"Old sir, what is this place? Why so many kids?"
The rabbit demon laughed:
"You must be new around here. This is Black Dragon City's elementary school! All the local kids come here to learn how to read and write."
The boys erupted into excited chatter.
"Reading and writing?! Isn't that something only human schools have?"
"I heard the Empress of the Qingluan Clan studied in a human academy too!"
One of Bai Bu'e's cousins even teased:
"I heard school reveals how dumb you are—so be careful!"
Bai Bu'e, however, stared at the school longingly.
"Do you guys want to go to school too?"
The boys all nodded furiously.
School must be super fun—why else would so many kids be here?
Bai Bu'e turned his pleading eyes toward the elder.
The elder hesitated.
"Maybe... when we go back, we'll build a school too. Bring in a couple of teachers from the human world."
Of course, that would still need the Tiger King's approval.