The Rustic Dragon's Discomfiture

An uncontrollable surge of hatred and impulse welled up in Du Chen's heart. Could this Third Master be the very same Third Master who seized the Star of Turaam and caused over ten thousand casualties among the common folk in my territory?

If so...

Wait! Damn it! Du Chen suddenly remembered something else. If this Constantine was truly who he said he was, then for what reason were Master Zigurd, far away on the Holy Mountain of the Papal Curia, the Pontiff, the Dragon God of Mount Miglio, and the Four Great Divine Dragons... at such daggers drawn, on the verge of war!?. Back then, Master led half the elites of Battle God Isle to the Papal Curia. Later, he even invited Roland to assist in the battle, all because the Dragon God accused the Papal Curia of harboring Constantine and declared that if the Holy Church did not surrender Constantine, whom the Pontiff was allegedly hiding, it would be considered an act of war against Mount Miglio!

But the Papal Curia genuinely wasn't harboring Constantine. The Rebellious Dragon was right before his eyes—others could be faked, but could a power that even Beibei couldn't see through be faked? How many The Masters like Constantine were there in the world today? And who would willingly impersonate a dragon constantly hounded by pursuers!? The Pontiff was indeed wrongly accused by the Dragon God...

But the top priority now was to first ascertain if he was the "Third Master" who had killed over a thousand commoners!

Du Chen used the opportunity of leaning down to pat Andy to conceal the chilling glint in his eyes. When he looked up again, he was all smiles. Constantine, across from him, felt a slight embarrassment, thinking to himself, *His own son claimed he couldn't eat his own family's food, instead begging a human for sustenance! This was truly bringing shame upon the Dragon Clan!*

Du Chen chuckled, "Third Master? What a coincidence! I still carry the title of Thirteenth Master of York Town! Could it be that you, too, are recognized in the Clandestine Circles?"

Andy exclaimed urgently, "Master, this Third Master is the Third Head of Thistle Valley! Quick, Andy's starving to death!" He slapped Du Chen's calf with his tail, urging Du Chen for food like a hungry pug.

Constantine frowned, glancing at Andy, then nodded, "Thistle Valley, Third Master!"

"So, it's the Third Master of Thistle Valley. Oh, Andy's urgent, so let's eat and talk! Harry, set up a feast in the front hall, and tell the front gate I'm not seeing any guests today!" Du Chen loudly called out to the servants waiting outside, his mind, however, busily calculating.

Thistle Valley was a place Deboning had mentioned before. It was reputed to harbor all the wicked and rebellious of the world, yet was not tolerated by society! It was originally a military prison from the War of Fallen Gods. After the War of Fallen Gods, the Holy Alliance disbanded, and the major human powers were busy redistributing territories. Thistle Valley prison was subsequently ignored. Gradually, the prisoners inside united, forming a formidable power... In short, it was this world's Valley of Villains!

In the corridor outside the front hall, Harry, with a pang in his heart, directed the servants to serve wine and dishes. Gazing at the platters of delicacies, he swallowed hard, but in a low voice, he instructed, "Listen up, all of you! Serve the dishes calmly, as if these are things we eat every day at home! Understood?"

“The servant nodded. "Butler Harry, even in the past, these dishes were only prepared by the Lord on important festivals. And lately, the Master has exhausted his family fortune for the territory, so he's tight on money and has already ordered frugality within the manor. How, how could you still order such dishes to be prepared? And looking at that guest's attire, he doesn't seem like much of an Eminence Project either!"

Harry glared at him fiercely, then smugly said, "Hmph, hmph, this is why I'm the butler and you're just a servant! Enough talk, serve the dishes quickly, and remember my instructions!" He thought to himself, *Andy's old man is here, what's he doing? He must be trying to snatch Andy from the Master. Then Harry must find a way to alleviate the Master's worries and keep Andy's heart! Heh heh, how to keep Andy? Who would know better than Lord Harry, who understands Andy best?! Master, don't worry. I guarantee that this meal will make Andy forget his father's name, and he'll rather die than leave you!*"

After all the dishes were served, Harry adjusted his standard Noble Etiquette butler uniform and wheeled in a small liquor cart. "Esteemed guest, the first round of appetizers is ready; please enjoy!" He lowered his head apologetically, whispering somewhat impolitely, "Please forgive us, time was too short, and we couldn't prepare anything better. These are just some everyday home-cooked dishes, please forgive us..." Seeing Du Chen's secretly approving glance, Harry's heart bloomed with joy.

Staring at the table laden with dishes, Andy took a deep breath, opening his wide maw. "Awooo! It's my favorite Roasted Dragon-Whale Fins! Haha, *this* is the noble lunch befitting my status!"

"Those are just appetizers before the main course!" Harry corrected Andy's mistake with a chuckle.

"Heh heh, appetizers, appetizers! My mistake!" Andy, accustomed to blindly following Harry's words, giggled contentedly and plunged his head into the dish.

Dragon-Whale Fins, Fire Crane Claws, Cloudmist Bear Paws... Constantine watched the tabletop, his mouth twitching. How many years had it been? Since he embarked on his life on the run, he hadn't enjoyed a meal of this caliber, had he? No wonder, no wonder Andy would rather starve for three days than eat black bread! He probably wouldn't eat it either, if he were in Andy's shoes! Constantine picked up his utensils and began eating without hesitation. He wasn't at all worried about Du Chen poisoning the food or drink, because, as a Divine Dragon, he was naturally immune to poisons!

"Esteemed guest, please!" A clear, fragrant aroma wafted into Constantine's nostrils, going straight to his head. What kind of wine was this? He drained the sapphire-blue liquid from the cup, feeling the mellow fragrance permeate his body from his throat down to his abdomen, and couldn't help but praise, "Good wine!"

But when he looked up, he saw Harry patting Andy's hind head. Andy had just drunk a similar cup of liquid. "Oh, Andy, how many times have I told you? Don't drink the mouthwash before drinking wine! You're a noble, you know!... Ah, esteemed guest, you drank it too... Uh, this is wine, a very high-grade exquisite wine, would the guest like another glass?"

Instantly, Constantine's face flushed crimson... And Andy looked at his "cheap old man" and shook his head!

All of a sudden, Constantine felt utterly uncomfortable, no matter how he sat. It was as if countless voices were shouting in his ears... *A rustic bumpkin still dares to acknowledge a noble son? Aren't you just here to take advantage?!*

However, seeing Andy devour all the dishes on the table, which were larger than his own body, Constantine comforted himself inwardly. "Hmm, only a true scion of the Dragon Clan could possess such an enormous appetite!" In truth, Andy's body was highly compressed. His true appetite was calculated based on the massive, fortress-like physique of Composite Aberrant Beasts!

After the appetizers were cleared and the main course arrived, Constantine's flushed cheeks felt a little better. He glanced at the main course on the table, a small steak. "Ah, finally something normal!" He would never mistake a steak! He looked at the ravenously devouring Andy and said displeasedly, "Andy, why wouldn't you eat the steak I had someone buy earlier? Hmm?"

Andy didn't even lift his head, grumbling, "Is it the same? The meat for the Master's steak is cultivated with fire-elemental battle qi, drinking Blood-Jade Juice mixed with arctic antelope milk since birth, growing into three-month-old, second-grade Azure Cloud Flame Ox calves. Moreover, from each beef ox, only the small piece of meat surrounding the core in its heart is used as ingredient. And it's seasoned with Misty Forest's fog-ice salt flakes as the main condiment..."

Constantine put a piece of steak into his mouth with his fork, savoring its melt-in-your-mouth perfection. He gritted his teeth... *Damn it, Andy is so familiar with this steak, could Francis's family *really* eat this as an everyday dish?! A rustic bumpkin still dares to claim a son? Aren't you just here to mooch off us?! We certainly don't need an extra mouth to feed here!* Another voice seemed to echo in his ears!

"Ugh!" Andy let out a satisfied burp, rubbing his belly before lying down. But he lay at Du Chen's feet, not even sparing Constantine a glance!

Butler Harry saw this scene, secretly went to a corner, and shook with laughter, his ample flesh jiggling... Even if Constantine really was his birth father, Andy would definitely refuse to leave now!

According to Noble Etiquette, dessert followed the main course. Looking at the items on the table, Constantine said nothing more; he felt utterly powerless! The pressure was immense; he was one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, and his strength was absolutely beyond question. Yet, the delicacies before him—or more precisely, their *value*—overwhelmed him with pressure!

"Francis, it's time to talk business. I want to know, how did Andy become your Divine Pet? Also, what has his experience been like since he gained sentience?"

It seemed Andy hadn't said anything at all! Du Chen smiled faintly, "That's a long story..." He concealed almost nothing, recounting everything from the sudden appearance of a Snow Wolf with Dragon's Might during their journey through the Misty Forest, to the three sisters acknowledging their kinship, and then Andy being abducted and disappearing by Brockman... Everything, up to this point, was completely true, but what followed was quite different— "According to Andy," in the Auerbach Grand Canyon, Andy was transformed and acknowledged a mysterious The Master as his new lord. But still, "according to Andy," that mysterious The Master lived with him for a few days before kicking him out, and then Andy voluntarily returned to Du Chen's side! Throughout this entire process, Du Chen had been on a diplomatic visit as Lanning's envoy to the McAllen Great Plains, having experienced none of it personally!

Andy also chimed in, "Mmm, that's right. Before, I used to just scare animals to death with my Dragon's Might to survive, until one day, I met Master..." He omitted the part about eating the Silver Dragon Pike, only saying that his Dragon's Might was innate, and everything else was also the truth!

Constantine listened, drumming his fingers on the table. Though his face was expressionless, his heart believed roughly seventy to eighty percent of the tale. He nodded, "Hmm, since Sir Francis has been so candid, I won't conceal anything either. Thirteen years ago, Sophia and I were hunted by the Dragon Clan in the Misty Forest. Sophia, pregnant with our child, disappeared near a cave... Three months ago, a few of my informants on Mount Miglio sent news that my three nieces had discovered my child, who had been missing for years..." He told Du Chen all the basis for his judgment. Indeed, in the Battle God World, without the technological conditions of Du Chen's previous life, what Andy displayed was sufficient proof that he was Constantine's son! But what truly convinced Constantine was another matter, something Du Chen was still unaware of...

After trying to touch Andy but being evaded, Constantine sighed, "Since the matter has been laid bare, Francis, my stance is simple: My descendant cannot be a human's pet. I must take Andy with me! However, to avoid any future unpleasantness between father and son, and to make Andy willingly call me father, I don't wish to take him by force—though I could!" Constantine gazed at Andy with paternal affection.

Du Chen slowly lowered his head, speaking with a touch of melancholy, "You are one of the legendary Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, an ultimate super The Master. I have neither the right nor the reason to doubt your words. However, Andy is my Divine Pet, like my best friend, my brother! My only concern, my *sole* concern, is: Can you take good care of Andy? Can you ensure he lives a carefree life?"

Constantine's paternal expression froze on his face. Judging by the standards Du Chen applied to Andy, he honestly wouldn't dare claim he could match them! What kind of standards were these?! Even entertaining the Dragon God wouldn't be much more extravagant! At this moment...

"No! I absolutely will not leave Master! Oh, Lord, please, please don't abandon Andy!" Andy's two front paws tightly hugged Du Chen's thigh, his tail wrapped around Du Chen's waist. "I'm not going with you! Never! Staying by Master's side is my greatest dream! If you dare take me away, I, I'll curse you!" Andy shrieked hysterically.

Constantine felt a pang in his heart but was speechless! A chilling glint from his eagle eyes shot towards Du Chen. An immense pressure sought to force Du Chen to persuade Andy on the spot!

Such immense pressure! Was this the aura of one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams? Du Chen gently stroked Andy's large head, "Andy, you must be obedient. Constantine hasn't disdained you, his son who lacks talent; you should be happy. His paternal affection isn't fake. You just need to remember that this place will always be your home, and you're always welcome back! Be good, now, little one!"

Andy's mournful whimpers were incessant. He refused to release his front paws and tail, no matter what!

Du Chen "helplessly" tilted his head slightly, smiling faintly, "Sir Constantine, you've seen Andy's attitude. Normally, we should respect his wishes, but acknowledging one's heritage and returning to one's clan is, after all, a major matter. How about you wait a moment, and I'll have a talk with him?"

Saying this, Du Chen led Andy out. As they reached the doorway, they heard Constantine coldly state, "Give me an answer before midnight, a *satisfactory* answer!"

Du Chen's lips curved into a cold smile, leaving Constantine with a straight back. As he walked through the corridor, he whispered his instructions, "Harry, tell Deboning, Porter, and Beibei to go to the underground secret chamber!"

Andy timidly followed Du Chen into the secret chamber. "Master, you won't abandon Andy... Aiya!"

Du Chen grabbed the Snow Wolf by the scruff of its neck, a content smile playing on his lips. "First, let's confirm something: Is Constantine the Third Master who caused over ten thousand casualties among my people?!"

"This, he has Adams with him..."

"Then that must be it! Hah! Back then, I hid within the Precious Lotus Scripture to seize the Star of Turaam. It seems Constantine is still confident I don't know he killed over a thousand commoners!" Du Chen gently set Andy down, staring at him. "Then to confirm the second matter: Do you believe Constantine could truly be your father?"

Deboning and Porter also entered. Upon seeing Du Chen's cold expression as he questioned Andy, Porter's heart skipped a beat!

Andy stammered, "I, I don't know either. Probably not, right?! Master, is this important? Andy's hungry again..."

Du Chen wagged a finger in front of Andy's eyes. "This is *very* important! Before I apprehend and kill Constantine, I need your answer!"