Long Nuhuang's body was bloodied beyond recognition and the dragon that did this simply shifted its attention to an inconspicuous scale on its body. It was cracked, and one could see the faintest bit of red that looked ever so striking against the backdrop of light blue-coloured scales.
"You pass."
****
"I-I pass?"
"I'm cured?"
The royal emissary shot a gaze towards all the spectating dragon kins that were here, prompting them all to be dismissed.
"Yes, and yes." The royal emissary answered. "Let's go somewhere to talk. You must have a lot of questions."
"What about him?" Long Huangdi pointed to Long Jiao, who was firmly embedded in the wall like a taxidermied centre-piece.
"Give him some time to calm down." After saying this, the royal emissary didn't pay any more attention to the bastion's ruler.
Long Huangdi said nothing more on this matter and followed the royal emissary as he led the way. He held the halberd in one hand and stepped with the same energy he used to before his cultivation had stagnated.
In addition, this time, there was a will that came from the depths of his soul that bore an unbreakable attribute.
Long Nuhuang, who was at the back, became emotional when she saw the man her husband used to be. She never stopped loving him, but seeing how he had become a shell of his former self hurt her, and detaching herself from the reality of it through battle and cultivation was the only way to cope with it in addition to all that had happened.
But now, he was back; he took sharp, confident steps that spoke of some new ambition that burned within him.
Suddenly, he stopped, and she subconsciously paused as well. He then turned around and stared at her with a profound look in his eyes. His gaze softened as he looked at her.
It didn't take long for him to make his way back to her before lifting her in a princess carry.
"Dear!"
The sudden lift caught her off guard!
"Shhh…"
He tried to calm her down as he returned to following the royal emissary, who had slowed down without looking back to allow them to catch up.
"Just allow me to hold you like this."
Her body was a mess at this time, as the emissary didn't make it easy for her. Long Huangdi carrying her was the best action to take, even though his body was a wreck as well.
Eventually, they ended up in another room of the massive bastion. The royal emissary went atop a stone platform where he coiled up as he observed the two humans before him.
"Ask," was the only thing he said.
Long Huangdi looked at his wife, who stared back at him with a rare happiness. He then posed his question to the emissary. "You said I was cured. How? My cultivation had stagnated for years a short time after my son was born."
"It was the draconic salve that I gave you to treat your wife." The royal emissary answered.
"The salve!?" Long Huangdi was shocked. That salve may have been effective in treating his wife, but it was poison to him!
"How is that possible!?"
The royal emissary exhaled, sending a plume of water-attribute energy through its nostrils. "The draconic salve is a treasure of our race infused with several of our attributes and of course that includes its regenerative effects."
Long Huangdi held a face of confusion when he heard this. "Then why did it harm m—"
"You mean kill you? Because that is what would have happened if what took place today didn't." The emissary replied.
"What do you mean?" Long Nuhuang was the one who asked this time, as she had no idea that her husband's life was in danger.
"The draconic salve is something that bears our properties and attributes. However, there is a condition that needs to be met in order to use it and that is for the will of the being using it to be comparable to that of a dragon. If the individual's will is weak, the draconic salve will instead act as a poison, killing that individual."
"You said nothing to us, you said nothing to me!" Long Nuhuang was enraged. "You were trying to kill my man!? Why would you let that risk be taken!? What if he had died!?"
"If he had died, then you would have been stronger for it." The emissary calmly declared.
"No! If he had died, then I would have been fully hollowed out and it would have led to my madness!"
"In any case." The emissary disregarded her claim. "Under normal circumstances, I would never even deign to give the salve to a human. Disregarding its value, it would be a guaranteed death for anyone in your race. However, this woman…"
The emissary turned its gaze back to Long Nuhuang. "She possesses a will that I have ne'er seen in an entity outside the dragons… or those flimsy birds. When I felt that will, I decided to use the salve. Because you could do it, I bet on his life that he could do it too."
Long Nuhuang wasn't amused by the emissary's careless bet. "And what if he had died!?"
"Then it would have been your fault for choosing a weak mate."
"You!"
"It is also why I orchestrated today's events." The emissary continued. "I had the ruler provoke you all this time to awaken within you the will that your wife had. Since it didn't work, I took more drastic means."
Long Huangdi was surprised once more. "You mean the reason the ruler targeted me was because of you?"
"Do you think my many contacts with you were intentional?"
A voice that subconsciously rose Long Huangdi's ire rang out. They turned around to see Long Jiao entering the room.
"I detest weakness, and would rather stay away from it. But the emissary saw hope in you while I didn't." Long Jiao said without looking at the human he doubted.
He assumed a place near the stone pedestal before coiling up as well.
"Is that why you always wounded me? To get under my skin?" Long Huangdi asked.
"No." Long Jiao answered. "It was to kill you faster since the salve's poisonous effects are magnified when applied to wounds instead of just on the skin."
When Long Huangdi heard how dismissively Long Jiao spoke of killing him, he gently put his wife on the ground and kissed her on the cheek, before he calmly looked in the flood dragon's direction.
"Hngh!"
Without warning, Long Huangdi hurled the halberd at Long Jiao with all his strength!
It tore through the air as it closed in on the startled dragon. Because Long Jiao didn't expect it and he was in a coiled position, he wasn't able to react in time.
Ping!
Unfortunately, when the halberd made contact with Long Jiao's hide, the only effect was sparks flying in every direction!
"Insolent human! Am I a joke to you!?" Long Jiao was enraged when Long Huangdi attacked him like this.
"Settle yourself, Ruler Jiao." The emissary spoke up.
"But the human ju—"
"You know as well as I do that a dragon's will is normally accompanied by a dragon's pride."
"Hmph!" Long Jiao snorted. "I will never accept this human's will as being comparable to a dragon's."
"Surviving the salve is a testament to the power of his will. If you violated that level of pride, it would have been weird for him to not retaliate." The emissary's magnetic voice silenced any opposition Long Jiao would have had.
He then turned his attention back to the two humans. "I've answered all your questions for now?"
Both Long Huangdi and Long Nuhuang nodded.
"Then you can both go back and think of the wish that you would like for me to grant."
"No need," said Long Nuhuang. "I already know what I want."
"Oh?" The emissary wasn't too surprised. He then asked her what she wanted for her wish.
Long Nuhuang looked at her husband, who nodded in kind to indicate he supported her no matter what decision she made. She was the Family Head, after all.
She then turned back to the emissary and made her wish. "I wish for you to help raise, train and cultivate my family into the biggest middle finger to the Heavens!"