321: Call me Your Majesty!

Hearing Li Shengyuan's tentative question, Long Qingcheng was momentarily stunned.

Immediately, those majestic eyes burst forth with a light that mixed craftiness, playfulness, and... a hint of the warmth of finally finding a 'kindred spirit'.

She suddenly burst out laughing with a "puchi" sound; this laughter was different from her reserved and majestic demeanor at the banquet.

It was also different from her gentle sighs when recalling the past; it was more like a woman who had put down a heavy burden and revealed her true nature, with a touch of charm and mischief.

She gave Li Shengyuan a coquettish look, and the playfulness in her eyes made Li Shengyuan's heart skip a beat.

“Senior Martial Uncle?” Long Qingcheng dragged out the words, as if she quite disliked the title. “That sounds old-fashioned. I... I'm not that old yet, you're not allowed to call me that!”

The corner of Li Shengyuan's mouth twitched imperceptibly as he thought to himself: In some ways, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor really does share a 'lineage' with his own often flighty Revered Master... However, seeing her rare display of a personality so different from her usual majestic image, he actually found her... a bit cute?

Long Qingcheng tapped her chin with a jade-like finger, looking pensive, then shook her head again: “Senior Sister... that won't work either.”

“Back then, Big Sister wouldn't let me call her Master, so Senior Sister is naturally out of the question. Seniority seems to have never been fixed with her.”

Seeing Li Shengyuan's somewhat helpless yet curious expression, the smile in her eyes deepened, and she suddenly took half a step forward.

She was already taller than Li Shengyuan, and as the distance between them closed, the Aura brought by her height—a mixture of pressure and a strange attraction—became even more apparent.

She tilted her head slightly, her red lips parted, and she smiled with a coaxing tone:

“How about... just like that girl Xiao Yun, you call me ‘Sister Long’ in private?”

She blinked and added, “Of course, when there are outsiders, you should still call me Your Majesty.”

Li Shengyuan: “...”

He felt the corner of his eye twitch as well.

To have Marquis Li, who awed the world in Great Qian, call the Dragon Emperor who ruled the Demon Domain 'Big Sister' in private?

This scene... was absurd no matter how he thought about it.

It seemed that deep down, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor really hid a hidden, almost girlishly playful nature.

And Li Shengyuan actually saw a bit of excitement in her eyes!

However, Li Shengyuan didn't expect that something even more 'absurd' was coming.

Seemingly feeling that her previous suggestion wasn't fun enough, Long Qingcheng suddenly took a small step back, then straightened her proud figure and folded her arms across her chest.

This movement made her already full curves even more breathtaking, outlining a stunning silhouette under the moonlight.

She tilted her chin up slightly, looking down at Li Shengyuan with an absolutely condescending posture. The smile on her face became flamboyant and aggressive, and her eyes flashed with a burning, overbearing light.

For a moment, her Aura surged, as if she were no longer a reminiscer telling old stories, but had turned back into the supreme Empress who ruled over heaven and earth and made all demons submit!

Her red lips curled into a highly seductive and oppressive arc, and her voice carried a hint of laziness and dominance as she said clearly:

“Or... you could also call me ‘Queen’.”

Her gaze drifted over Li Shengyuan's face, as if she were admiring the expression he might make. “If you call me that, this Queen... will gladly accept it too~~~”

Li Shengyuan was completely stunned.

Queen...?

He looked at the Long Qingcheng before him, whose presence was fully unleashed, her figure full and hot, her eyes brilliant, her dragon horns glowing, and her entire body radiating a strong Aura of 'conquer me or submit to me'. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

The majestic Dragon Emperor actually had this kind of 'kink' in private?

Could it be that she had been in a high position for a hundred years, carrying heavy responsibilities and suppressing herself for too long, and finally, in front of him, a 'fellow disciple', she couldn't help but release some of her true nature?

Or was this simply a true side of her character that she rarely showed to others?

However... the title 'Queen', coming from her mouth and paired with her current posture, strangely didn't feel out of place. Instead, it had a different kind of heart-pounding charm and sense of challenge.

The hint of closeness Li Shengyuan felt due to their common sect origins was instantly overridden by a stronger, masculine desire to conquer.

He chuckled inwardly: My Long Qingcheng, oh no, Queen, do you know that in many stories, the 'Queen' is often the one who is eventually conquered... While his thoughts swirled, he quickly regained his composure on the surface.

He even followed Long Qingcheng's lead, showing a smile that was brighter than usual and tinged with playfulness.

He took a step back, then cupped his hands properly, bowed slightly in a somewhat exaggerated gesture, and said with a clear voice full of amusement:

“In that case... then I, Li will respectfully obey.”

He looked up, his gaze meeting Long Qingcheng's expectant and playful eyes, and said clearly, word by word:

“Greetings... Queen.”

“Hahahahaha...” Long Qingcheng was first taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into a fit of hearty and unrestrained laughter.

The laughter was like jade beads falling onto a plate, yet it also carried the unique resonance of the Dragon Clan, echoing in the silent garden night sky.

She laughed so hard her body trembled, and her proud curves rose and fell with it, creating a dazzling sight under the moonlight.

Clearly, Li Shengyuan's 'sensible' response had made her extremely happy.

“Good, good brother! So obedient!” She laughed for a long time before stopping, reaching out to pat Li Shengyuan's shoulder, with tears of laughter still in the corners of her eyes.

“From now on in this Demon Domain, if anything happens, just use this Queen's name! Big Sister... oh no, this Queen will cover for you!”

Li Shengyuan smiled helplessly, becoming even more certain: This Queen had definitely been bottled up for too long. Today, she had finally found someone who could understand part of her past and who didn't seem to 'fear' her, so she had completely released her nature.

After the joke, the smile on Long Qingcheng's face gradually faded, but the sense of relaxation and closeness didn't entirely vanish.

She turned back around to face the endless night sky beyond the railing. Her voice regained its previous stability, but it lacked the initial distance and testing, replaced by a bit more sincerity and solemnity.

“Alright, back to business.” She said slowly, her gaze fixed on the depths of the unreachable starry sky. “One day, I will go to seek Big Sister's footsteps.”

“But before that, I must make the Demon Domain truly stable, becoming a country that can run steadily and develop prosperously even if I leave.”

“Any internal instability, any external threat, especially shadows like the Demonic Cult that intend to overturn everything, must be completely eradicated.”

She turned her head, the moonlight casting a silver edge on her perfect profile, her eyes flashing with a firm light as she looked seriously at Li Shengyuan:

“Brother Shengyuan, the purpose of your trip is to deal with the Demonic Cult's infiltration of our two races, which aligns with my goal. You also carry Big Sister's Legacy, and your strength and wisdom are both extraordinary.”

She paused, her tone carrying a formal request, “I hope... you can help me. Help Big Sister here to thoroughly rectify the Demon Domain, root out all traitors associated with the Demonic Cult, clear internal troubles, and stabilize the borders.”

Hearing her call him “Brother Shengyuan,” and looking at the Dragon Emperor who had just called herself “Queen” but was now incredibly serious, Li Shengyuan felt a wave of emotion.

This shift and blending of identities was truly marvelous.

He pondered for a moment, and a sincere, confident smile appeared on his face.

This smile had less of the politeness and distance he showed to outsiders and more of the tacit understanding and responsibility shared between fellow disciples.

“Queen, you flatter me.” He cupped his hands slightly, his tone firm. “I came to the Demon Domain for this very reason.”

“To have Your Majesty's... to have Sister Long's trust and to fight side-by-side is my honor. Eradicating the Demonic Cult and stabilizing the two races is what my generation should do.”

He shared the same thought as Long Qingcheng; he would eventually leave this world, and before then, all threats and unstable factors had to disappear!

He looked up, his eyes flashing with sharp light: “What's more, being able to take this opportunity to contribute a little to Sister Long's ideals, and to... get to know such an interesting person as the Queen, is a pleasant surprise.”

Hearing the words “interesting person,” a smile flashed in Long Qingcheng's eyes again, but she quickly nodded seriously:

“Good! Then it's settled. We'll discuss the details later. It's late; you should go back and rest first.”

She waved her hand, signaling Li Shengyuan to leave, but then, as if remembering something, a golden dragon scale appeared in her hand. She handed it to Li Shengyuan and added:

“This is a gift from this Queen. You can use it to contact me, and it can also protect you!”

By the end, she couldn't help but smile again, clearly quite pleased with her new 'role'.

Li Shengyuan also smiled, took the dragon scale, and nodded in response: “Then I shall take my leave. Queen... please rest early as well.”