That evening, everyone gathered in the Dragon Girl’s room to discuss their next move. Hass had decided he would offend neither side; asking him for aid would likely cost the Dragon Girl her virtue, a price I vehemently opposed. Though in the prehistoric era, the concept of 'virtue' was largely meaningless, the Dragon Girl seemed genuinely remorseful for her earlier lapse in judgment, regarding me with expressions so apologetic they filled me with a secret satisfaction.
“I think everyone should return to Dragon Mountain first,” Elena suggested. “It’s too dangerous for a princess to remain outside during such chaotic times. Besides, the wound on her neck from the wolf fang shows signs of infection and inflammation; she needs to see the best doctor immediately.”
I shared some of that concern, but the Dragon Girl touched her neck. “It should be fine. It was treated back in the city. Everyone, please don’t worry about me.”
“Back,” I mused. “Staying here is useless, and it only gives that old fox Hass reason to keep thinking about you. Firstly, going back means you can see your brother. Secondly, we need to discuss adjusting our troop deployment against the rebels. We also need to send people out to find my three friends.”
“I will listen to you,” the Dragon Girl said. “Tomorrow, we will bid farewell to Captain Hass and ask him to send a spacecraft to take us back to Dragon Mountain.”
Elena was displeased. “Dragon Girl, that’s unfair! I suggested this idea, but you’re saying you’ll only listen to Zhao Qian. Do you have some other thoughts about my boyfriend?”
The Dragon Girl’s face flushed. She was surprisingly shy, unlike other prehistoric girls who seemed unconcerned with matters between men and women. “Don’t be silly. I need to rest now; you two should sleep early too.”
In the middle of the night, just as I was drifting off, someone shook me awake. “Dragon Envoy, Dragon Envoy, it’s me, the Dragon Girl. Wake up.”
I hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Finally arriving at Captain Hass’s Yanshan and settling into a private room, only for the Dragon Girl to wake me again in the dead of night. Still, I was quite pleased; being alone with a woman at this hour could easily lead to… well, intimacy. However, I seemed incapable of harming the Dragon Girl; if I lost control and took her, it would be akin to killing her.
I rubbed my eyes. “Dragon Girl, is something wrong? Do you want to sneak into Yanshan again?”
“No.” The Dragon Girl shook her head. “I can’t sleep. I want you to come outside with me to look at the stars.”
I sprang out of bed. “Great! Let’s go.” In this era, there was no moon, only the stars to observe.
We slipped out of the room, and I carried the Dragon Girl onto the rooftop. The prehistoric night sky appeared even more brilliant, the stars seeming closer to us. The Dragon Girl leaned slightly against my body. “Dragon Envoy, I promised my brother I would persuade Hass to send troops to help quell the rebellion. Now that Hass is so stubborn, I truly don’t know how to face my brother when we return. But thank goodness I met you, Dragon Envoy. I believe my brother will be happy because you have increased our chances of success.”
I sighed. I felt compelled to help, regardless of my initial hesitation. This prehistoric affair involved too much; it was no longer just about pursuing girls. “Dragon Girl, don’t worry. What I, Zhao Qian, say, I will certainly do. No matter how difficult, I will help you defeat Kang Hui. In the future, you shouldn’t concern yourself with these matters. War is for men. You should focus on tasks suitable for a girl.”
The Dragon Girl nodded slightly. “I believe you, Dragon Envoy. That’s why I plan to propose enacting the ‘Marriage Law’ to my brother once we return. I added some amendments and refinements based on what you said that day. I will need your guidance and corrections then, Dragon Envoy.”
I was surprised to find myself acting as a teacher to a deity. “A small matter. I think we should also promote awareness about certain concepts of ethics and morality to everyone.”
“Ethics and morality?” the Dragon Girl inquired. “Could the Dragon Envoy please explain in detail? Our ancestors, after fifteen hundred years of interstellar travel, left us very little in the way of spiritual heritage.”
“For instance,” I began, “sexual relations between humans and other species is contrary to common sense. Now that our genes are so mixed, I imagine that besides deliberate experimentation, natural hybridization must be a contributing factor?”
“So you mean that,” the Dragon Girl replied. “In order to achieve rapid assimilation, we actually encouraged natural human-beast hybridization. We successfully birthed species that are more human-like than the half-beasts. They possess a human appearance while retaining many animal traits—for example, greater physical strength, faster speed, and more advanced immune systems. In fact, human-beast hybridization was a major research project promoted by our Taihao and was considered the optimal solution for ordinary humans to survive naturally on the surface.”
I felt helpless. This involved the very survival of a race. If I insisted they abolish it, I would appear incredibly foolish. To judge six thousand years ago by the standards of six thousand years later—what else could it be but foolishness? They valued life above all else and believed in equal treatment among all species. In retrospect, it was we, the people six millennia later, who were too selfish.
“Let’s drop this issue. My thinking was too narrow.”
The Dragon Girl countered, “The Dragon Envoy does have a point. However, for the better development of humanity, certain sacrifices sometimes must be made. It is what it is: natural selection, survival of the fittest. For a species to continue proliferating long-term, it must constantly absorb the strengths of other species to better adapt to environmental changes and prevail in the struggle against nature.”
I gave her a thumbs-up. “Remarkable, Dragon Girl. You understand the principle of ‘natural selection, survival of the fittest.’ In your time, you could be called a great visionary.”
The Dragon Girl looked embarrassed. “Please don’t mock me, Dragon Envoy. This was something I read in Master Toma’s diary. I thought it made a lot of sense, so I memorized it.”
No longer bothered by the previous topic, I conceded, “Hybridization it is, then. I will gradually adapt to the customs here and stop being surprised by things.”
The Dragon Girl’s voice dropped low, and she hung her head toward her chest. She murmured quietly, “I know the Dragon Envoy is opposed to human-beast hybridization and also against casual sexual relations between men and women. I won’t make the Dragon Envoy unhappy, please rest assured of that.”
My heart suddenly thumped. So, the Dragon Girl had feelings for me too. Otherwise, why would she care so much about my feelings, even being willing to abandon her customs for me and adhere to our philosophical concepts? This was extraordinary; I never imagined I possessed such personal magnetism.
The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. Looking at the Dragon Girl, in whom I now saw shadows of all the women I knew, I involuntarily pulled her into an embrace. “Dragon Girl, I like you.” I wasn't lying; I truly liked her. By modern aesthetic standards, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Given my own romantic history, failing to possess her would be the greatest regret of my life.
To my surprise, yet also as expected, the Dragon Girl leaned tightly into my embrace. “Dragon Envoy, me too. From the moment I saw you, I fell for you. But you always ignored me; I was so hurt.” It was surprising because I never expected such a beautiful princess to be so taken with me in just a few days. It was expected because in their era, sexuality was free; I figured she wouldn't refuse the affection of the Dragon Envoy.
I protested, “I didn't! I was always paying attention to you; how could I ignore you?”
“Why weren't you more proactive? If you had just said the word, I would have been yours long ago. Don't you understand the situation here?”
I smiled. “I suppose I don’t fully grasp your level of openness yet. But it’s not too late for you to become my woman now.”
“Mmm. Right now, I am still the Dragon Envoy’s desired woman. And for various reasons, no man has ever touched me before. Dragon Envoy, you are the first man to hold me without my knowledge. Dragon Envoy, do you like me like this? You should know that in our society, this is considered extremely shameful—no man has shown interest in me. Am I very ugly?”
I held her happily. “Of course, I like you! I don’t know if you’re ugly, but I know I am deeply captivated by how you look. From now on, you belong only to me, your Dragon Envoy. No one else is allowed to touch a finger on you, let alone share a bed with you. Only I have that right.”
“The rules of the Dragon Envoy’s homeland sound very strange, but I will follow them because the Dragon Girl likes the Dragon Envoy so much. Your power is so immense; my heart followed you the moment you saved me from the Man-Wolf’s jaws. In this world, besides my brother, you are the only one I care about; I wouldn't look twice at any other man.”
I cautioned her. “In the future, do not expose your body excessively in front of other men, especially those three sensitive areas. No one is allowed to look, much less touch them.”
Crying in my arms, the Dragon Girl said, “I know! Only you, you stingy man…”
That sounded exactly like Elena. Did the Dragon Girl pick up bad habits from her? Now I’ve seduced the Dragon Girl, but ultimately, I have to return to six thousand years in the past. What should I do? Leave her here alone, or figure out a way to take her with me? Even if I solved that problem, what if, during intimacy, things became difficult, like they did with Gu Tian’er?
While I was lost in thought, the Dragon Girl assumed I was angry. “Dragon Envoy, please don’t be angry. I was just joking. The Dragon Girl is not an ignorant child. I know a lot about your world and understand these are your customs. I will certainly abide by them. If you are still upset, perhaps I could go to my room and offer an apology and some compensation?”
My hand trembled involuntarily. ‘Compensate’ in the Dragon Girl’s room suggested intimacy, but I couldn't allow it; if I lost control, it would be trouble.
“Dragon Girl, I’m not angry. I’m thinking. You know I come from a very distant place. I’m considering what will happen to you when I have to return.”
The Dragon Girl replied without hesitation. “Of course, I’ll go with the Dragon Envoy! Do you intend to leave me here alone? I know you have eleven other girlfriends back home, but I don’t care. You’ve seen the customs of our world; here, desire and love are completely liberated. So, the Dragon Envoy doesn't need to worry about that.”
“My worry isn't that,” I said. “I’m concerned about how I can possibly take you with me in the future.”
The Dragon Girl rested her forehead against my chest. “I trust the Dragon Envoy will find a way. You won’t abandon me.”
I boldly placed one hand on her chest and the other on her waist. Even through the layer of slick, dark protective clothing, I felt intensely stimulated.
“Rest assured, I will find a solution. I won't be leaving yet, so let's not think about that now. Let’s go back to our room; it’s late, and we have to travel tomorrow.”
Carrying the Dragon Girl, I stood up and noticed that Hass’s residence not far away was brightly lit. “Do your people have a habit of working late into the night?” I asked. “It seems Captain Hass is a dedicated man. But if he lives here long-term, won’t it affect his health? You mentioned the Earth’s environment isn't suitable for you long-term residents.”
“Has the Dragon Envoy ever tried living for a thousand years without sunlight?” the Dragon Girl asked.
I shook my head in horror. “I can’t even imagine. I’d probably suffocate from the gloom after a week, and my whole body would mold.”
“But our ancestors lived for fifteen hundred years without seeing the sun. Can you imagine that life? The fear of darkness is deeply embedded in the genes of generations of our descendants. That’s why, even though we know living under the sun exposes us to myriad killers like germs, UV rays, and gravity, we rush toward it like moths to a flame, determined to rebuild our home on Earth.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. Life is truly not easy for you.”
The Dragon Girl continued, “Our yearning for sunlight also results in severe consequences: greatly shortened lifespans and rampant diseases. But we haven’t stopped fighting. In fact, when our ancestors first arrived on Earth, they could remain aboard the spacecraft. But after a few hundred years, necessary maintenance on the ship’s equipment failed, rendering it useless even if we stayed inside all day. Later, we built sterile rooms and gravity/pressure adjustment chambers on the surface, artificially creating small spaces suitable for our survival. However, due to limitations, these spaces are cramped and stuffy, so unless absolutely necessary, we prefer not to stay inside, even if spending a day outside shortens our lifespan by a day.”
I took the Dragon Girl’s hand. “Dragon Girl, believe me, I will help you solve this problem. You will definitely adapt to the survival environment on Earth in the future. I can guarantee that.” The Dragon Girl gripped my hand tightly; her hand was so cold I couldn’t help pulling her closer into my embrace. “Dragon Envoy, I believe you. Take me with you; I’ll go anywhere.”
It was a pity that no matter where we went, we couldn’t engage in that activity. So, I deliberately steered clear of that topic. “We can’t go anywhere right now. How about we go see what Hass is so busy with?”
The Dragon Girl said nothing but willingly hopped onto my back. Thus, I carried her on my back as we stealthily crept towards Hass’s residence. In the end, it seemed we were destined to sneak into Yanshan again. I just wondered what we might discover.
Following procedure, I poked a small hole in the roof, and we secretly peered inside. Captain Hass was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed into a knot. Beside him stood several men who looked like retainers; none dared utter a sound.