354: Chapter 354 Husband, let's bring the Dragon Emperor back to the Great Qian Dynasty!

Before leaving the Demon Domain, Li Shengyuan planned to go to Holy Dragon City to say goodbye to Long Qingcheng.

Upon returning to the Dragon Palace, Long Yun ran ahead excitedly, her skirt fluttering like a bird returning to its nest.

“I'm going to report the battle results to Her Majesty first! You guys go back and rest!” Before her voice even faded, she had already disappeared into the depths of the palace gates.

Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun walked back to the Dragon Perching Garden side by side.

The setting sun dyed the glazed tiles of Sky City a golden red, and the Holy Dragon Square in the distance was still under repair, the clinking sounds of hammering drifting over with the wind.

Back in the room, Pei Shuyun closed the door, turned around, and looked at Li Shengyuan with a half-smile.

That look made Li Shengyuan feel inexplicably guilty.

“What is it?”

Pei Shuyun took two steps closer, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of mischief in her eyes, “Husband, what do you say... how about bringing His Majesty the Dragon Emperor back to Great Qian as well? To meet your parents and grandfather?”

Li Shengyuan was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Pei Shuyun covered her mouth and laughed, slowly pacing around him. “Others might not see it, and His Majesty the Dragon Emperor probably thinks she hid it well, but I'm different! That day when you two came back together from the Blood Sacrifice Grand Array, I felt something was off.”

She stopped in front of Li Shengyuan, looked up at him, her eyes filled with an all-knowing clarity. “The way she looks at you, and certain subconscious, slightly intimate physical gestures—though she hides them deeply, I can tell... there's definitely something going on between you two!”

Li Shengyuan was completely dumbfounded.

He thought he and Long Qingcheng had maintained a proper distance in front of everyone, but he hadn't expected Pei Shuyun to see through it so clearly.

Seeing him like this, Pei Shuyun's smile deepened. She leaned in closer, her eyes shining. “If we could kidnap His Majesty the Dragon Emperor home, just thinking about that scene is exciting. It would bring so much honor to our family.”

Li Shengyuan snapped out of it and didn't plan to hide it anymore. He gave Pei Shuyun a weary roll of his eyes. “That is the Dragon Emperor who has ruled the Demon Domain for centuries, pursuing the supreme Great Dao. How could she easily submit to someone else?”

Pei Shuyun was undeterred, her eyes full of certainty. “Husband, I believe in you! You even killed the Demon Cult Leader, so why fear this?”

As she spoke, she actually looked a bit longing. “Just imagine, the dignified Dragon Emperor becoming a sister and sharing the same bed—what a magnificent sight that would be...”

Li Shengyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out and flicked her forehead. “Alright, stop dreaming.”

Pei Shuyun rubbed her forehead but was still grinning.

Li Shengyuan's expression gradually turned serious as he looked at her and said, “After returning to Great Qian, I want to visit the Pei family first. To pay my respects to your father and mother.”

Pei Shuyun's smile faded slightly. After a moment of silence, she nodded gently. “Mhm.”

What must come will eventually come.

The Pei family's involvement with the Demon Cult had to be settled sooner or later, and there was an eerie aura hidden within this matter.

Li Shengyuan accompanying her back was already the greatest form of tolerance.

Seeing her solemn expression, Li Shengyuan suddenly chuckled, his tone lightening up. “Say... I've kidnapped their precious daughter; what kind of gift should I prepare for the visit?”

Pei Shuyun was startled, then gave him a reproachful glare and huffed, “That's your business, I'm not helping!”

Yet, the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.

The two joked for a while longer, and the atmosphere gradually warmed and became more intimate.

It wasn't until the sky grew dark that Long Yun came rushing back, her face still flushed with excitement.

“Sister Shuyun! Her Majesty has given us a reward. I'm treating you to a good meal, just the few of us, come on!” She grabbed Pei Shuyun's hand to leave, then looked back at Li Shengyuan. “Shengyuan, hurry up...”

“You guys go ahead.” Li Shengyuan smiled slightly. “I'm going to say goodbye to the Her Majesty the Queen.”

Long Yun was stunned for a moment, opened her mouth, but eventually just nodded. “Then... alright.”

She pulled Pei Shuyun a few steps away, then couldn't help but look back once more.

Pei Shuyun let herself be pulled along, but after a few steps, she also looked back.

The two women's gazes met in the air and then moved away, one with a hint of understanding, the other with a hint of complexity...

Li Shengyuan watched them leave, then turned and walked into the depths of the Dragon Emperor Palace.

As the night deepened, the palace lanterns lit up one by one.

Li Shengyuan passed through several halls and arrived at the familiar garden entrance.

The elven maid guarding the door saw him, curtsied, and silently stepped aside.

Li Shengyuan stepped into the garden and walked along the gravel path to the crystal terrace.

Long Qingcheng was standing by the railing, still in that dark gold casual robe, her long hair gently swaying in the night breeze.

She didn't have milk tea in her hand; she was just quietly gazing at the thousands of lights of Holy Dragon City below.

Hearing the footsteps, she didn't turn around.

“You're here.”

“Mhm.”

“Thank you for your help in purging the Demon Domain.”

“It was nothing, just something I did along the way.”

Li Shengyuan walked to her side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

Neither of them spoke, just quietly looking into the distance.

The night breeze brought the faint scent of wine and laughter; Long Yun's small banquet had begun.

After a long silence, Long Qingcheng finally spoke, her voice very soft. “Leaving tomorrow?”

“Mhm, I've been out for quite a while, it's time to head back.”

Long Qingcheng nodded slightly, not asking him to stay.

She took a palm-sized golden scale from her sleeve and handed it to Li Shengyuan.

The scale glowed with a golden light, as warm and smooth as jade, with faint streaks of light swirling within.

“Take it. If there is any news of that old fellow, the High Priest, I will use it to notify you, and you can also send messages to me.”

Li Shengyuan took it; it was warm to the touch and carried that unique ambergris scent from her body.

He put the scale away and smiled. “Does this count as a token of love from the Her Majesty the Queen?”