The Dragon King Insists That I Raise Him Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Playing with People’s Hearts Too Well

The dust motes in the air drifted like fleeting light, illuminated by the setting sun’s afterglow, shining in Tao Qingguan’s eyes. He felt the warmth on the back of his hand, his expression distant.

His nose was clear, and his head didn’t feel as uncomfortable; the effect was immediate. It actually…

“The rain stopped!?” Chen Fengming howled, his voice cracking, “The rain stopped!”

He sprang up from the sofa, agile for a two-hundred-plus-pound fatty, “Did you see it? The rain stopped! It really stopped!”

“Ancestors above, I, Chen Fengming, have brought honor to my lineage.” Chen Fengming was so excited he almost danced, speaking like a machine gun, “Did I make it stop? It must be me! The rain stopped right after I spoke, how could it be such a coincidence? I told you my talent isn’t bad, just lacking a bit of luck. Now that the luck is here, everything will be fine!”

Chen Fengming beamed, his features squeezed together, the flesh on his body jiggling along. He clasped his hands together, muttering something, bowing in all four cardinal directions.

Tao Qingguan was startled by Chen Fengming’s frantic behavior. He took a step back, moving away from the other man, but it was too late. The next second, his hand was grabbed by Chen Fengming.

“Do you know how hard I’ve worked? Getting up early every day for morning exercises, I’ve even lost weight.” Chen Fengming wiped away nonexistent tears, “Uncle is too happy. The day I can finally hold my head high has arrived. I’m not just relying on opportunism; I have real ability too!”

Tao Qingguan’s mouth twitched, “Uh… okay.”

He tried to pull his hand back but couldn’t. Chen Fengming was too excited and held his hand tightly.

“Nephew, you are my witness. I stopped this rain.” Chen Fengming was eager to prove himself, shoving his face close to Tao Qingguan’s, “Uncle knows you’re on my side, otherwise you wouldn’t have let me in so many times alone. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t forget your kindness. If you ever need anything, just come to Uncle.”

Tao Qingguan: !?

No, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense!

But at that moment, his nose tingled, and a familiar sensation washed over him. Before Tao Qingguan could react, his vision blurred. His eyes filled with tears, and he saw shock in Chen Fengming’s eyes.

Tao Qingguan: …It’s over.

“Nephew!!!” Chen Fengming shrieked heartbreakingly, and tears instantly streamed down his face, “Uncle knew you had Uncle in your heart!”

Tao Qingguan bristled, using all his strength to yank his hand free. With a limp leg, he scrambled backward ten miles.

Chen Fengming tried to chase, but his body suddenly stiffened. The surrounding Spiritual Energy surged and pressed down, freezing him in place. The squeezed-out tears hung comically on his face. He turned his head jerkily, like a rusty puppet, his dark eyes fixed on Tao Qingguan. Instantly, a chill ran through him.

It knew everything. All his little thoughts were exposed under its gaze without a single omission.

Chen Fengming sheepishly retracted his hand. He swallowed, clasping his hands nervously in front of his chest, stammering, “S-sorry, I was too… too excited, uh…”

He smiled bitterly in his heart. Whether he had stopped the rain or not, he knew clearly. He had merely sensed the strongest fluctuation of Spiritual Energy nearby and was trying to pass off a fake as real.

After all, he was right in front of that being; perhaps he could…

Chen Fengming dared not think further. He shivered, his calves trembling uncontrollably. He didn’t even have the courage to turn his head to look at that being again.

Tao Qingguan watched Chen Fengming’s sudden shift in demeanor, one second ecstatic, the next acting strangely, as if having a breakdown. But he wasn’t in a position to judge. He raised a hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes, his heart heavy.

His lifelong reputation!

Tao Qingguan forced a smile that looked almost ferocious, “It’s fine. Uncle, you shouldn’t have such fluctuating emotions; it’s bad for high blood pressure when you’re older.”

“Yes, yes.” Chen Fengming wiped the sweat from his forehead, eager to escape the place, “Well, it’s almost time for evening exercises. I’ll take my leave now. You rest well.”

With that, he fled as if chased, his retreating figure showing a hint of panic.

Tao Qingguan closed the door with a stern face.

Damn it, his head hurt, it hurt so much.

He knew this room wasn’t clean. His ancestral grave must have been flooded, otherwise, why would he cry so much? No, he had to bring his grandfather to the ancestral grave to dance a couple of steps.

If that didn’t work, he could dance himself. His grandfather taught him a little when he was young, but he had forgotten most of it. He wasn’t sure if it would work.

But… where was the ancestral grave again?

Tao Qingguan expressionlessly pulled out a tissue to wipe his tears. He hadn’t had time to deal with it because of Chen Fengming’s disruption, but now, feeling properly, he realized his cold symptoms were truly gone.

He walked to the window and peeked outside. The sun hung at the edge of the sky, the sunset stretching for a thousand miles, the fiery clouds dyeing the surroundings red. There wasn’t a single dark cloud in sight.

The effect was actually this good; he thought Chen Fengming had been lying.

Tao Qingguan rested both hands on the window ledge, leaning back. He tilted his head to look at the Sunny Day Doll hanging there, touching his chin.

Would it work better if he tied a string around its neck and hung it up?

Yan Jiu noticed the look Tao Qingguan gave the rag doll. Although it didn’t know what the other was thinking, it instinctively felt it wasn’t anything good.

Its expression was complex. Ling residue, not yet fully dissipated, lingered around Tao Qingguan—Ling that the other had forcibly torn away from the Ling it used to summon rain.

The other contestants tried every means to disperse its Ling to stop the rain. Tao Qingguan, however, directly tore off its Ling and swallowed it. And he actually managed to tear it off.

Even though he was still shedding tears due to indigestion, it couldn’t hide Tao Qingguan’s brutal methods. To confront it head-on was a talent.

Yan Jiu observed Tao Qingguan with a novel gaze, as if discovering something unbelievable. It had assumed Tao Qingguan couldn’t use the Ling within him, but now it seemed there was a possibility of using it, though not entirely.

Over the past half a month, Tao Qingguan had consumed plenty of food rich in Ling content. Yan Jiu hadn’t paid attention before, but looking closely now, the amount of Ling Tao Qingguan could store had clearly increased significantly.

Ling had the effect of strengthening the body to a certain extent, which was why Tao Qingguan’s cold was instantly cured.

However, everyone’s innate talent is fixed. A talent like Tao Qingguan’s, which grows with circumstances, is rare even if not unparalleled, perhaps appearing once in a hundred years. If a method could be found for Tao Qingguan to use Ling, surpassing Tao Lihe, the current foremost Rain Master, would not be impossible.

This was getting interesting.

Based on the current scores, Tao Qingguan, who was initially not favored, had unexpectedly taken first place. The total score for the assessment was split 40/60, with 60% based on performance during the assessment, and the remaining 40% decided by him.

This meant that if he wished, the final victor could be Tao Qingguan.

Yan Jiu looked up at Tao Qingguan’s fair face, a fleeting smile in its eyes. Although choosing a candidate was secondary for it, things had become interesting.

Tao Qingguan sneezed, rubbing his nose with his index finger, and couldn’t help but sneeze again.

Who was talking about him? Or was his cold not completely gone?

Tao Qingguan glanced at the medicine on the coffee table, deciding to take two more doses to consolidate the effect. His physique could be useless, but a cold was truly miserable.

Huang Ju, who had been neglected, padded silently to Tao Qingguan’s feet. It meowed twice and nudged Tao Qingguan’s calf with its head.

Tao Qingguan bent down, supporting Huang Ju’s front paws, and stood up… but didn’t move. Huang Ju weighed more than he expected. He awkwardly withdrew his hand and started stroking the cat’s head instead.

“You need to lose weight,” Tao Qingguan poked the top of Huang Ju’s head, “You look like a pig in a cat’s skin.”

That was negative feedback; Huang Ju ignored it, persistently rubbing against the hand Tao Qingguan had used to touch food, trying to trick him into giving up more treats.

All its little schemes were focused on eating.

Tao Qingguan tutted twice, bypassed Huang Ju, and walked away without hesitation. The Ling around him hadn’t settled yet; it only needed an opportunity to summon a sudden downpour.

Yan Jiu’s gaze followed Tao Qingguan’s movement, a dark shade flashing in its eyes.

Planning to summon rain by leveraging the momentum? That was indeed a good method. The opportunity to gather so much Ling in a short time was rare. If this rain could successfully fall, no one could question Tao Qingguan’s status as a Contractor.

One step, two steps, three steps…

Tao Qingguan reached the edge of the bed and sat down with a plop. He pulled over the following Huang Ju and said, “Good kitty, sleep with me.”

Huang Ju didn’t resist. It lay down beside the mat, its head sticking out like a turtle, resting near Tao Qingguan’s hand.

Guests are welcome.

Tao Qingguan hadn’t slept well last night because his nose was blocked. Now, feeling refreshed and having eaten and drunk his fill, what better time to catch up on sleep?

With the soft, fragrant cat in his arms, Tao Qingguan sighed contentedly. He had always wanted a fluffy little animal, but he never had time. Now that he had one for free, it was delightful.

So, under Yan Jiu’s gaze, Tao Qingguan happily lay down for a long nap.

Yan Jiu remained silent until all the Ling around Tao Qingguan dispersed. Its expression twisted for a moment.

Sleeping all the time, so unmotivated.

It glanced again at the cat nestled in Tao Qingguan’s arms and snorted coldly.

Indulging in trivialities leads to losing ambition.

However, Tao Qingguan didn’t just sleep now; he slept for the next few days too. He ate and drank as usual, carrying his slacking off to the extreme.

He couldn’t help it; his left foot hadn’t fully recovered. If he walked too much, Tao Qingguan felt like a cripple, the kind that should apply for disability benefits from his grandfather.

It was a work injury, a work injury!

Yan Jiu waited and waited for Tao Qingguan’s next move. Its mood curve dropped from an initial peak to a trough, finally flattening into a straight line. The way it looked at Tao Qingguan changed.

So patient?

Tao Qingguan: Abba abba.

He looked up at the window, his eyes filled with expectation. Why hadn’t Huang Ju come today? He had the food ready. Even if it was for the second meal, he was willing to be the backup.

Wuwuwu, as expected of someone from the palace, they really know how to play with people’s hearts.