Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
70. Standoff

While Jinshu was still puzzling over Bing's sudden shift in mood, the sound of wings beating filled the air once more. This time, it wasn’t just one pair—it was the sound of dozens, moving in unison like a storm brewing in the skies.

Their heads snapped toward the horizon, and their eyes widened. Beads of sweat began to form on their brows as the oppressive sound grew louder.

Roar!

Before panic could take hold, a thunderous dragon's roar reverberated across the heavens, cutting through the cacophony. Instinctively, they turned in the opposite direction, and there, leading a majestic flight of dragons, was their father—the mighty Azure Dragon.

The dragons and rocs collided in the skies above the four siblings, their auras crashing together like tidal waves. The pressure bore down on Jinshu and his sisters, each aura as heavy as a mountain, leaving the four rooted in place.

Caw!

A deafening screech rang out in response, piercing through the atmosphere. The lead roc—a monstrous, golden behemoth—emerged from its flock. This gargantuan creature dwarfed the roc Jinshu and his sisters had battled earlier, its sheer size making it seem almost mythical. Its wings stretched so far into the horizon they appeared to touch the heavens themselves, and a single feather of its plumage was larger than any of them, even in their true forms.

Yet, their father was no lesser. Long Qing, the Azure Dragon, was every bit the roc's equal. His serpentine body stretched endlessly in the opposite direction, and his azure scales gleamed like polished gemstones under the sunlight. His long silver whiskers, flowing mane, and regal horns radiated an unmatched majesty—at least, in the eyes of his children.

"Is that what little brother's going to look like when he becomes the Azure Dragon?" Yanjiang asked, her tone tinged with awe as she gazed at their father.

Jinshu blinked. "Why am I the one becoming the Azure Dragon? You have a better chance than me. The Azure bloodline is passed to the strongest, after all," he replied, his voice pragmatic.

His sisters exchanged amused glances before looking down at him with knowing smiles. The air hung silent for a moment before their laughter broke the tension.

"You do know Aunt Jiamei told our mothers what books you read, right?" Yanjiang teased, her grin widening.

Jinshu’s complexion paled faster than when he had lost gallons of blood earlier.

"Let’s see... How to Be a Good Leader, The Duty of the Divine Beasts, Biography of the Greatest Clan Leaders," Yanjiang began listing off his favorites, her tone dripping with amusement.

Jinshu opened his mouth, ready to protest, but before he could defend himself, the tension in the skies shifted. The dragons and rocs had ended their staring contest, and the first words of negotiation—or challenge—echoed across the heavens.

“Peng Niao Nao! Since when was my land a playground for your clan’s havoc?” Long Qing’s voice rumbled through the heavens, shaking the ground beneath the siblings. (Long Qing essentially calls the roc Bird Brain here)

The great roc bristled, his feathers standing on end. “Long Qing! My name is Peng Niao, you bastard!” he snapped, his screech cutting through the air. “And this is the fringe of your territory—open to all! Why would we need your permission? Or does your Dragon Clan think it rules the world now?”

Long Qing’s serpentine form coiled slightly in the air, his azure scales shimmering. “Even if it’s the fringe, it is still our territory. You may pass through, but I will not allow you or your flock to run wild!”

His aura swelled, a tempest of pressure radiating outward. The dragons flanking him roared in unison, their combined voices crashing like a thunderclap. The smaller rocs were thrown backward, wings flapping wildly to regain balance.

Peng Niao flared his massive wings, shielding his flock from the onslaught. His golden feathers gleamed as he held steady against the combined soundwaves.

“Fine! We will retreat. However...” Peng Niao’s tone turned icy as his gaze shifted downward, locking onto Jinshu and his sisters. “I’ll be taking those little hatchlings with me.”

Before the siblings could react, two rocs broke away from the flock, diving toward them with razor-sharp talons gleaming.

“You will do no such thing!” Long Qing roared, his voice echoing like an avalanche. Two dragons streaked forward, intercepting the attacking rocs in a clash of claws and teeth.

Peng Niao narrowed his eyes. “Hand them over, or I’ll take them by force,” he snarled. Then he paused, his gaze lingering on the siblings. A mocking realization dawned on his face. “Wait a moment... I’ve heard whispers that you’ve had four hatchlings recently. These little worms don’t happen to be yours, do they?”

Long Qing’s eyes blazed like molten sapphire. “Whether they are my children or not, you will not touch them!” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

A sneer curled Peng Niao’s beak. “Ah, so they are yours, then—”

Suddenly, the air above Peng Niao’s head rippled, cutting off his words.

“What’s happenin’ here?” a slurred, lazy voice drawled.

Peng Niao froze, feathers quivering in confusion. “What? Who’s speaking?”

One of the nearer rocs glanced up nervously. “Patriarch... there’s a woman. On your head.”

“A woman?” Peng Niao repeated, his tone growing incredulous. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get her off!”

The roc hesitated but leaned forward, pecking at the figure perched atop Peng Niao’s head.

The air rippled again, and the woman vanished just before the roc’s beak struck. Instead, it slammed directly into the back of Peng Niao’s skull with a resounding thwack.

Peng Niao squawked in pain, his feathers fluffing in frustration as his flock descended into uneasy murmurs.

The air above Long Qing rippled, and a silver-haired beauty with a flushed face landed lazily between his horns. She swayed slightly before taking a swig from the wine gourd in her hand.

“What are you—hic—doin’ in my garden?” she slurred, her voice carrying a drunken indignation.

Long Qing sighed, his majestic demeanor slipping for a moment. “Long Zui, get off my head. And what do you mean your garden?”

She blinked down at him, as if the question itself offended her. “Dis is my garden. Look, I planted a tree. See?” She wobbled to her feet, gripping one of the spines on Long Qing’s horns for balance as she pointed toward the edge of the crater Jinshu and his sisters were in.

All eyes turned to a glowing tree standing amidst the devastation, its bare branches casting an ethereal light over the area.

Long Zui squinted at the tree, her brows knitting together. “Wait... where are the fruits?” Her gaze turned sharp, and she sniffed the air like a hound catching a scent. “Who took the Zui Long Gou from my tree?!”

Her drunken haze seemed to vanish in an instant as she bellowed the question.

Peng Niao opened his beak, only to be cut off mid-sentence. “What—”

“WHO TOOK THEM?!” Long Zui’s shout echoed across the sky, and the air around her shimmered with the force of her Qi.

In the next moment, she disappeared from Long Qing’s horns, reappearing directly in front of the siblings. Jinshu and his sisters froze in place, their minds unable to process the whirlwind of events.

Long Zui leaned in close, sniffing at Yanjiang’s face like a predator inspecting prey. She grabbed Yanjiang’s chin, prying her mouth open. “You ate them!” she declared, her voice accusing.

Before Yanjiang could respond, Long Zui turned to Bing, repeating the invasive inspection. “You did too!”

Bing, wide-eyed, could only squeak in response as Long Zui moved to Yuetu, then finally Jinshu. “All of you! You all ate my Zui Long Gou!”

The siblings exchanged helpless glances but didn’t dare resist.

“That’s it! You’re coming with me!” Long Zui huffed. Without giving anyone a chance to protest, she scooped up Jinshu and Bing in one arm, Yanjiang and Yuetu in the other.

The air rippled again, and she vanished with her captives.

A stunned silence fell over the battlefield. Both dragons and rocs stared blankly at the empty space where Long Zui had been, as if collectively questioning what had just happened.

“Ahem. Well then, I guess we’re done here. Nice seeing you, Niao Nao.” Long Qing’s voice carried a hint of amusement as he turned away, leaving the dazed and confused Roc clan patriarch to stare after his retreating figure.

***

The air shimmered, rippling like a pebble dropped into a tranquil pond above a serene courtyard, bursting with vibrant flowers, meticulously trimmed bushes, and a shaded pavilion floating in the center of a lily-covered pond.

Long Zui emerged from the rippling air, her steps as carefree as ever. Without a second thought, she unceremoniously tossed Jinshu and his sisters into the lily pond before striding into the pavilion and settling onto a cushioned seat.

“Chanshi!” she called out, her voice echoing with a commanding tone that contradicted her earlier drunken slur.

The siblings surfaced from the pond in a spluttering mess, coughing and spitting out water. Jinshu swiped at a lily pad stuck to his face while Yanjiang shot to her feet, her fiery qi simmering just beneath the surface.

“Aunt Zui! You can’t just throw us around like that!” Yanjiang shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at her aunt. Water dripped from her horns as her glare promised retribution.

Long Zui leaned back lazily, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “Oh? I can do whatever I please. After all, who’s going to stop me? You?” She laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that echoed through the courtyard.

Yanjiang’s fists clenched at her sides, her body trembling with barely restrained anger. But no retort came—she knew there was little she could say or do to counter her aunt’s overwhelming strength.

Behind her, Jinshu climbed out of the pond, dripping wet but composed as he extended a hand to help Bing and Yuetu to the shore. Bing clung to his arm with a pout, wringing water from her clothes.

“I smell like pond water now,” she muttered under her breath, her spirits dampened—literally.

Yuetu silently shook water from her rabbit ears, her face calm but her gaze flickering toward Long Zui with cautious wariness.

“Is there a reason you brought us here?” Jinshu asked, his voice calm despite the chaos. He glanced toward Long Zui, hoping to redirect her attention from Yanjiang before things escalated further.

Long Zui’s gaze settled on Jinshu, her wicked grin spreading wider as her sharp eyes roved over him. “Hmm... you know, little nephew, I still haven’t forgotten what you did to me back then.”

The playful malice in her tone sent a chill down Jinshu’s spine. He stiffened, swallowing nervously under her piercing stare.

There was something in her expression—something dangerous and calculating—that made his instincts scream to run, but he remained frozen, bracing himself for whatever mischief she had in store.

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