Alas, I am now nothing more than a silkworm farmer.
Getting by on selling some silk threads, if nothing unexpected happens, next year I will marry Little Yan from across the street who works with silk, living an ordinary life that goes with the flow.
Over the years, Zhu Minglang had already worn down his ambitions; he no longer yearned for past glories and just wanted to earnestly plant some mulberry trees and raise silkworms in a place where no one knew him, to muddle through this life...
Who knew that one day he would suddenly end up sleeping in a dungeon with the dazzling Valkyrie, the ruler of Eternal City? Such an unsettled life indeed.
Closing his eyes, Zhu Minglang also began to feel lost and overwhelmed.
Before long, he succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.
...
"Sizzle~"
What a delicious smell, is next door frying rolls again?
Zhu Minglang woke up and quickly smelled the tempting aroma of frying oil.
After splashing his face with cold water, Zhu Minglang realized that the fragrance was coming from his own kitchen.
The Valkyrie? Is she in the kitchen??
Could it be that she knows how to cook!
Amazing, she descends dungeons, graces the halls, and even enters the kitchen!
Walking into the simple kitchen, Zhu Minglang saw a big pot next to a bamboo basket, which contained golden, crispy, oily fried rolls that looked crunchy and delicious!
But soon, Zhu Minglang witnessed a scene that made him want to collapse!
The Valkyrie, handling long chopsticks adeptly, was coating each plump Large Meat Silkworm in sweet potato flour before tossing them straight into the hot oil, and the fresh aroma wafted up once again.
"My Large Meat Silkworms!!" Zhu Minglang howled in despair.
"I was hungry and there was nothing else to eat in your house."
Silkworms are so adorable, how can you eat them!
Zhu Minglang had labored hard to raise these Large Meat Silkworms for over a month, each one worth a grain of sand silver, relying on these most expensive silkworms to marry a wife from the town...
"Seeing you with a beauty like a fairy and an extraordinary temperament, why does frying silkworms smell so good... why so cruel!" Zhu Minglang lamented tearfully.
"I've seen these Large Meat Silkworms you have; my people prepare them just like this. I tried one and it was too greasy for my taste, didn't quite like it," the Valkyrie said as she wrapped a freshly fried Large Meat Silkworm with a tender green lettuce leaf to cut the grease, then bit into it with a slight frown and swallowed with difficulty.
Eating's fine, but then you criticize them for being greasy and put on that painful and hard-to-swallow expression...
It's obviously delicious!
In the end, Zhu Minglang also picked up a piece, gently wrapped it in a fresh leaf, and put it into his mouth.
"Little guy, I won't eat you, I won't eat you; they're Large Meat Silkworms, meant to be eaten," Zhu Minglang comforted the Ice Bug perched on his shoulder as he ate.
"In recent months, there's been a rumor that Young Dragons love to eat Large Meat Silkworms and if they spot a Juvenile Spirit eating them, capturing it is a must as the chances of it transforming into a dragon are very high," the Valkyrie said.
"No wonder the Large Meat Silkworms have been selling especially well lately, in high demand. I thought it was some rich family's daughter needing a huge quantity of silk for a wedding dress. Damn it, what's meant for making clothes has turned into a meat dish; those Large Meat Silkworms must be so resentful."
"If by consuming silkworms they can transform into dragons, tens of thousands of silkworm souls won't be in vain," the Valkyrie stated.
"Are dragons very noble?"
"Noble."
"Compared to you?"
"I am nothing compared to a dragon."
This land holds a wondrous power, that is, no matter what creature it is, all have a certain chance to transform into dragons.
Dragons are elusive, noble, and formidable beyond measure, with very few of the billions of lives ever turning into dragons.
Legend has it, every living being has its own Dragon Gate.
Once leaped over, they transform into dragons,
Dragons, like the sun, moon, and stars, hung high in the sky, resplendent beyond compare.
To those wild beasts and demon spirits vying for food and territory, these transforming dragon creatures appeared as nothing more than the rank and foul-smelling mortal fish and assorted shrimp that fill the river.
"If dragons are so powerful, what's the point of humans killing and competing with each other?" Zhu Minglang asked.
"Humans possess intelligence. Transforming into a dragon involves countless uncertainties. It requires a certain destiny and demands an arduous price. There are those who seek the patterns of dragon transformation, looking for young dragons that might have the potential but lack other conditions, and they provide what's missing, helping them leap through that Dragon Gate!"
"Dragon Shepherd?"
"Mhm, humans can become—Dragon Shepherds."
"How do you think I'm doing?" Zhu Minglang asked enthusiastically.
"Your silkworm is doing well, very plump."
Well, Valkyrie's reluctance to lie is also exceedingly beautiful.
...
Eternal City.
It was still early in the morning with the sun yet to rise, but the sky was already painted with gorgeous crimson clouds. It seemed like true flames shone upon the entire city, illuminating even the darkest corners with incredible clarity!
"Run for your lives, run!!"
"There's a fire, a great fire!!"
A wave of commotion suddenly came from down the street, growing louder as it approached. A large crowd could be seen fleeing desperately towards the outskirts of the city as if pursued by some primordial fierce beast.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!!!!"
Suddenly, a vast swath of fire rain swept across horizontally, striking the tall buildings, and in an instant, houses and estates on the street crumbled, turning into countless bricks and rubble that swept across the thoroughfare.
A group of townspeople dressed in simple clothes was pierced by the fiery rubble, their bodies igniting and burning up, creating a truly pitiful sight!
The buck-toothed soldiers managing the long street were shocked and hurriedly drew their long swords, thinking that some bandit group had entered the city, killing and looting.
"Roar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!"
Behind them, towering buildings belonged to the nobility and the wealthy, and upon the corner of a rooftop, a massive head suddenly rose into the air, bringing along a long and thick body, while dazzling fire scales incessantly exuded that scorching hot flame...
"A dragon!!!!!"
The buck-toothed soldiers were immensely shaken, watching the Gilt Flame Dragon rise into the air and vent its rage, feeling a profound chill of fear despite the intense heat surrounding them!
A Gold-plated Fire Dragon!!
It was sanctifying the crowd below on the streets of Eternal City with a fiery rain spewed from its mouth.
With a raise of its head and a spit of fire, every living soul on a street turned to ash!
With a sweep of its tail, city walls and high-rises collapsed, as well as government offices and shops, all falling down!
As for the civilian homes, a mere touch of its fire scales was enough to set them ablaze, reducing them to burning rubble within half a minute!
In just half a minute, the street was in complete disarray.
There were some soldiers too, blades in hand, wearing armor, appearing well-trained and fearless.
But with a roar from the Gold-plated Fire Dragon, the soldiers' eardrums burst. They rolled on the ground in agony, covering their ears and screaming, unable to engage in combat.
With one swipe of its claws, these soldiers had no chance to wield their martial power and were all turned into meat patties!
If the soldiers couldn't stand against the burning Gold-plated Fire Dragon, let alone the civilians.
The city had turned into a sea of flames. Even the flourishing armed forces of Eternal City were no match and soon, the armored city soldiers were seen dispersing and fleeing like the civilians.
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(Chaos: Live broadcast event for the new book, March 15, yes, tonight, at 8 pm, see you at Penguin E-Sports.
Upon entering the platform, there should be a guide on the homepage, and everyone is welcome to visit the author.
A guest author from Pets Charm is also invited, cough, that's all I'll say for now.)