326: Long Qingcheng's "threat"

Li Shengyuan watched Long Yun's figure disappear around the corner of the corridor, a faint smile playing on his lips. He shook his head and turned to step into the garden.

Following the path, he soon arrived at the massive crystal terrace that overlooked Holy Dragon City.

However, the scene before him made Li Shengyuan pause slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Long Qingcheng was not leaning against the railing and gazing into the distance as she had last night, nor was she sitting with her usual majesty.

She was reclining lazily on a magnificent lounge chair covered in soft Snow-velvet, wearing a simple dark gold robe. Her snow-white legs were partially visible, and her long hair was unstyled, cascading freely.

Most unexpectedly, those jade-like hands that ruled the Demon Domain and commanded the winds and clouds were currently holding a crystal-clear cup.

Inside the cup was a liquid of milky white and light brown, with several round pearl-like objects and crushed ice floating on top, and a slender hollow grass stalk inserted into it.

She was slightly bowing her head, sucking on it elegantly and contentedly.

That expression, in contrast to her previous demeanor of majesty and her domineering self-proclamation as "Her Majesty the Queen," actually revealed a hint of... common-world cuteness?

Sensing Li Shengyuan's arrival, Long Qingcheng raised her eyes. Her usually majestic and indifferent pupils glanced at him, instantly seeing through the surprise in his heart.

She didn't put down the cup; instead, she took another sip before speaking slowly, her voice carrying a hint of laziness and nonchalance:

"What? Are you surprised?" She shook the crystal cup in her hand.

"This is made from the colostrum of a snow mountain Spirit Beast, mixed with Cloud-Top Mist Tea, plus Black Jade Honey and Cassava pearls."

"The way to drink it was told to me by your Master... Sister Yunmiao, when she came back a few years ago. She said it's something you... in Great Qian tinkered with, called... 'milk tea'?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly amused by Li Shengyuan's surprise: "The taste is indeed good—sweet but not greasy, smooth and fragrant. Drinking it occasionally is quite fresh. When I'm tired from handling government affairs, tasting this really relaxes the mind."

Li Shengyuan couldn't help but laugh.

He hadn't expected that the milk tea he had casually "invented" as a child in the Capital of Great Qian to please the young girls like Princess Pingyang would appear in this way in the distant Demon Domain, held in the hands of the dignified Dragon Emperor.

It seemed his Master really shared everything with this "younger sister."

Perhaps after not seeing each other for so many years, she even used this milk tea to coax the child back then... "So that's how it is." Li Shengyuan stepped forward a few paces, cupped his hands, and smiled, "As long as the Her Majesty the Queen likes it. It's just a small trick for the appetite. It is an honor for it to be able to relieve Your Majesty's fatigue."

Hearing the title "Her Majesty the Queen," Long Qingcheng's lips curled up noticeably. She was clearly quite pleased with the name, and even her gaze toward Li Shengyuan softened a bit.

"Sit..."

She pointed to another chair beside her, also covered in Snow-velvet.

She casually picked up an empty crystal cup from the jade table, used a pot warming on a small stove to pour Li Shengyuan a cup of the same "milk tea," and pushed it in front of him.

"Try it. I had people improve it according to the recipe Sister mentioned, using the best Materials in the Demon Domain." Her tone was casual, as if it were just a common sharing between siblings.

Li Shengyuan sat down readily and took a sip.

Indeed, the milk was rich, the tea was elegant, the sweetness of the honey was just right, and the pearls were chewy and soft. Compared to the version he made in Great Qian, the ingredients used here were more luxurious and refined, offering a unique flavor.

"It is indeed delicious. Your Majesty has been thoughtful." Li Shengyuan praised.

Long Qingcheng gently swirled the cup in her hand, but her gaze turned toward the gradually awakening Holy Dragon City. Her tone suddenly became calm yet carried an unquestionable seriousness:

"That girl Xiao Yun has a simple heart, and her talent and appearance are both top-notch. Although she is an adopted daughter of the Human Race whom I took in, in my heart, she is no different from a biological younger sister."

She turned her head and looked at Li Shengyuan with calm eyes that seemed able to see through one's heart: "She has a straightforward personality and no guile. Toward you... she also seems to have quite a good impression."

Li Shengyuan's hand holding the cup paused slightly as he looked up to meet Long Qingcheng's gaze.

Long Qingcheng continued, her tone still flat but with deep meaning: "As for the matters of you young people, I originally didn't want to interfere too much, but..."

Her tone shifted, and her gaze suddenly became sharp for a moment. Although it was only a flash, it allowed Li Shengyuan to clearly feel a trace of the pressure belonging to the Dragon Emperor.

"Since you call her Xiao Yun and she regards you as a... friend." Long Qingcheng parted her red lips, her voice not loud, yet every word was crystal clear.

"From now on, whether in Great Qian or in the Demon Domain, be better to her and don't bully her."

She paused, a half-smile curling her lips, and waved her fist as she added:

"Otherwise, even if you are Sister's Disciple, this Her Majesty the Queen... will definitely go to Great Qian personally to give you a good 'lesson'."

This sounded like a joke, but Li Shengyuan clearly heard the full seriousness and protective intent within it.

Looking at this Long Qingcheng before him, who was holding milk tea yet exuded an incomparable majesty, he couldn't help but be amused.

This "Her Majesty the Queen" was truly... uncompromising when it came to protecting her own.

Li Shengyuan put down his cup, a solemn expression appearing on his face. Meeting Long Qingcheng's gaze, he nodded seriously:

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Xiao Yun is innocent and pure, with a heart of gold. I, Li, regard her as a sister and would never treat her with neglect or bullying."

Hearing the phrase "regard her as a sister," a fleeting, indiscernible look of complexity flashed in Long Qingcheng's eyes, but she said nothing more, only nodding slightly.

"Alright, enough small talk." She drank the remaining milk tea in her cup in one gulp, casually placed the crystal cup aside, and sat up straight, her snow-white legs concealed by the hem of her skirt.

In an instant, that lazy and relaxed aura vanished without a trace, and the majesty and steadiness belonging to the Supreme of the Demon Domain returned to her.

"I asked for you today to discuss serious matters." Long Qingcheng's golden eyes deepened as she looked directly at Li Shengyuan.

"Regarding how to thoroughly investigate the connections between the interior of the Demon Domain and the Demon Cult, as well as... our specific method of cooperation."