Chapter 96: Little Beggar

Xian Yue stepped onto the street just as the little beggar finished wiping the blood-stained ground. Unfortunately, the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth once again soiled the street.

Despite her efforts, she was just an ordinary person without any cultivation. The young dragon man who had struck her was a monk, and the dragon blood flowing through her veins barely protected her from death. If not for that, no regular person could have survived such a powerful kick.

"I told you to clean it, and now you're spilling blood again! Are you trying to die?"

The dragon youth shouted angrily, his eyes filled with disdain. Without hesitation, he raised his foot to deliver a kick aimed directly at her head.

If that kick landed, her head would undoubtedly explode. But before he could strike, a piercing scream escaped his lips, as if he had suddenly hit something unbreakable.

"Who dares interfere in the affairs of the Dragon Clan?"

The dragon youth, standing on tiptoe, scanned his surroundings with sharp, predatory eyes. His gaze finally landed on Xian Yue, who was quietly observing from the side.

"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the Dragon Clan's matters?"

Before he could finish his words, a powerful force sent the dragon youth flying backward. Blood sprayed from his mouth, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

"Your cultivation is pathetic. Even your dragon bones are unfit for me to feast on. I'll give you three breaths to disappear from my sight, or I'll kill you on the spot!" Xian Yue said calmly, staring at the dragon youth.

Fear flickered in the young dragon's eyes as he felt Xian Yue's murderous intent. He quickly repressed his anger, swallowing his pride. After all, survival was his priority at this moment. "Alright, alright, human boy, I'll remember you!"

The dragon youth slunk away, clearly planning to return later with reinforcements. The little beggar, meanwhile, glanced up at Xian Yue but quickly averted her gaze upon seeing his clean clothes and handsome face. She endured the pain in silence, lowering her head and continuing to scrub the blood-stained ground.

She was no more than a deformed dragon, born into a lowly life. Even the act of looking at someone directly was seen as disrespect, so she dared not meet anyone's eyes.

A soft golden glow emanated from Xian Yue's fingertips, shooting directly into the beggar girl's brow. Immediately, the intense pain that wracked her body vanished.

The little beggar raised her head again, this time with a hint of surprise in her eyes. Her pain had suddenly disappeared—it had to be because of him. No one else would ever help someone like her.

Even though she was grateful, she remained cautious. She bowed her head again and murmured, "Thank you, but you should leave now. It won't be long before stronger members of the Dragon Clan come looking for you."

She was clearly aware of what was coming next.

"It's just the Dragon Clan. They can't do anything to me. Come with me, little girl."

Xian Yue crouched down and extended his hand toward her.

"No, I'm a deformed dragon. I can only live as a slave in Zulong City for the rest of my life. I can't go anywhere."

This belief had been drilled into her and the other deformed dragons by the Dragon Clan. It was an absolute truth they were forced to accept. She also glanced down at her dirty hands and then at Xian Yue's outstretched palm, which was as clean as jade. Her shame forced her to lower her head again.

But at that moment, Xian Yue grabbed her hand and gently pulled her to her feet, smiling softly. "Come on, I'll treat you to a meal."

After they left the street, the bystanders who had witnessed the confrontation couldn't stop murmuring among themselves. They all knew that no one had ever harmed a member of the Dragon Clan without facing severe consequences. This was far from over.

...

At a table full of luxurious food, the little beggar sat silently. She had never seen anything like it. The fragrant and richly adorned dishes before her were a far cry from the scraps she scavenged in the sewers where the deformed dragons lived. Starving as she was, she could hardly believe she was in front of such a feast.

"Sit down and eat! Don't be shy," Xian Yue urged, already helping himself to the food.

"Brother, you should leave. The Dragon Clan will come after you," she whispered, her voice faint from exhaustion and hunger. She hadn't eaten in days, and it was taking all her energy just to speak.

"If they want to come after me, let them try. Hurry and sit down, or I'll finish all this food by myself!" Xian Yue said with a teasing grin.

"Brother, why are you doing this? I'm just a deformed dragon. I'll only bring you misfortune," she said, clutching her ragged clothing and keeping her head down.

Xian Yue's expression softened. "Actually, I'm thinking of taking you as my disciple. What do you say? Think about it."

The little beggar's eyes widened in confusion. "Disciple? What does that mean?"

"It means I'll take you under my wing. I'll teach you to cultivate, help you become strong, make sure you never go hungry, and ensure no one can ever bully you again."

"No, no, no!" she said, shaking her head in terror. "Deformed dragons can't cultivate. We're doomed to be slaves for the rest of our lives. That's what the Dragon Clan told us, and we can't break their rules."

The fear in her voice was palpable. To her, cultivation was not just impossible—it was something terrifying, a path she had been told she could never walk.

Xian Yue frowned slightly, realizing how deeply the Dragon Clan had ingrained these beliefs into her. It would take time and patience to break through her mental barriers.

"Alright, let's not worry about that for now. Just eat."

But the little beggar remained standing, still hesitant.

"Why aren't you eating? Don't you like the food?" Xian Yue asked.

"No, no, this is the best food I've ever seen. It's just... the Dragon Clan decreed that deformed dragons can only eat leftovers."

"Well, I don't see any dragons here. They won't know, and no one's going to stop you," Xian Yue reassured her.

She looked around nervously, as if expecting dragons to appear at any moment. But there were none. Her hunger got the better of her, and she couldn't resist any longer. She reached into her tattered clothes and pulled out a broken bowl, shyly offering it to Xian Yue.

Xian Yue sighed. He knew that breaking through her conditioning wouldn't be easy, but he wasn't discouraged. He had seen something special in her—a unique constitution that, with the right guidance, could follow a path similar to his own, one that could eventually lead to unimaginable strength. He was willing to invest the time and effort to nurture her.

He filled her bowl with food, and her face lit up. She scurried to a corner, squatting down to devour her meal with all the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't eaten in days.

Xian Yue had already purged the food of its overwhelming energy, knowing that even a sip of soup in its original form would have been enough to tear her body apart.

Meanwhile, outside on the street, a group of dragon clan masters had arrived. They began questioning the onlookers about the events that had just taken place, eager to track down the deformed dragon and the mysterious figure who had dared to harm one of their own.