Gao Yun, seeing this, shook his head like a rattle drum, saying earnestly, "How can that be allowed? Since Your Grace has arrived here, it is my duty to ensure your safety. I absolutely cannot neglect my duties, so I will definitely stay right by Your Grace's side. Please rest assured, Your Grace."

Mo Han couldn't help but feel a mix of laughter and tears upon hearing this. He knew arguing further was futile, so he let the matter rest. With such a formidable guard standing watch, why would he need to worry about his own safety? Thinking this, Mo Han could only nod and say, "Very well, if that is the case, then please, Commander Gao, bring a few attendants along. But not too many; I dislike large crowds."

When Gao Yun saw Mo Han agree to his request, he was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Your subordinate understands. Please wait a moment, Your Grace, I will make the arrangements immediately."

With that, he took a few guards and trotted off to prepare.

For the time being, Mo Han toured his fiefdom briefly under the escort of Gao Yun and Latin. By the time Mo Han and his party returned to the castle, it was already afternoon. Mo Han remembered the primary purpose of his visit: to check on Xiao Han. With this in mind, Mo Han quickly turned to Gao Yun and inquired about Xiao Han's condition.

Upon hearing Mo Han ask for Xiao Han, Gao Yun immediately led him to a small grove behind the castle, where, at the edge of the woods,

stood a brand-new wooden cabin, presumably built specifically for Xiao Han. Around the cabin, several guards from the Heavenly Dragon Legion were on duty, their purpose being to prevent the common folk of the fiefdom from accidentally entering the bamboo grove and disturbing Xiao Han, which could lead to unnecessary misunderstanding or injury.

As soon as he entered the grove, Mo Han saw Xiao Han sprawled languidly on a section of felled bamboo, wearing an expression of utter contentment.

It was just as Daili and the others had said: after a period of gorging and sleeping here, the little creature did seem to have fattened up considerably. Coupled with its naturally chubby build, Xiao Han now truly resembled a little ball of fat, appearing somehow much more adorable.

Hearing the sound of footsteps entering the grove, Xiao Han seemed displeased that its rest was disturbed, quickly rising up to let out a low growl.

But upon clearly seeing who had arrived, Xiao Han's dissatisfied growl instantly morphed into an excited whimper. A flash of white light emanated from Xiao Han's body, and it vanished from the pile of bamboo, instantly appearing beside Mo Han—it was Xiao Han's signature spatial teleportation.

The Heavenly Dragon guards around Mo Han were all dumbfounded, wondering if their eyes were deceiving them. Including Gao Yun, it was the first time any of the Heavenly Dragon guards had witnessed Xiao Han employing spatial magic.

Naturally, they were quite startled.

Even though Mo Han had witnessed Xiao Han's spatial shift before, he was still jolted by the sudden appearance. Mo Han felt that although Xiao Han had used teleportation this time, the speed of its execution seemed significantly faster than before. Moreover, Mo Han sensed a subtle change in Xiao Han's being, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the exact alteration for a moment—it was just a feeling.

Mo Han felt Xiao Han was somehow different now.

After pouncing next to Mo Han, Xiao Han affectionately extended its head, rubbing against Mo Han incessantly.

It continued to make soft 'wuwu' sounds, acting spoiled toward Mo Han.

Seeing this, Mo Han smiled, picked up the now miniaturized Xiao Han, and said warmly, "Little fellow, long time no see. Have you missed me terribly?" Upon hearing Mo Han's question, Xiao Han quickly nodded to confirm its longing. Mo Han couldn't help but laugh, saying, "You've put on quite a bit of weight lately, haven't you? It seems the bamboo here suits your taste perfectly. Keep eating like this, and we'll have to stop calling you Xiao Han; we'll just call you Little Pig instead."

When Xiao Han heard Mo Han refer to it as a pig, it vigorously shook its head, emitting a series of soft whines, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction with Mo Han comparing it to a swine.

Mo Han and Latin had long been accustomed to Xiao Han's sentience, so they were unsurprised. Conversely, Gao Yun and the Heavenly Dragon guards, seeing such an intelligent magical beast for the first time, were utterly astonished. No wonder the Duke was so fond of this spirit beast. Such a perceptive creature, coupled with its endearing appearance, made even Gao Yun and his men feel an urge to hold it close, watching Mo Han converse with Xiao Han with expressions of curiosity.

Mo Han, however, paid them no mind, focusing entirely on communicating with Xiao Han. Although Xiao Han could not speak, it seemed to understand every word Mo Han said, constantly nodding, shaking its head, or making 'wuwu' sounds to convey its opinions. This only further amazed Gao Yun and the others, who secretly marveled that their Duke could achieve such renown across the continent, simply by possessing this spirit beast—something ordinary people on the mainland could never hope to own.

After spending some time with Xiao Han, the sky began to turn evening. To prevent Daili and Murong Feixue from worrying, Mo Han led Latin and the others back. Xiao Han initially wanted to follow, but Mo Han seemed to notice that by consuming more of this bamboo, its strength was improving incrementally. Though the effect wasn't dramatic, a master of Mo Han's caliber could discern it accurately. Therefore, Mo Han decided to let Xiao Han remain here to cultivate, thinking he might need its help soon, and increasing its power would be beneficial for both of them.

Although Xiao Han was a little reluctant, it was extremely obedient to Mo Han. Upon hearing Mo Han's arrangement, it quietly remained in the bamboo grove to continue its training. By the time Mo Han and his party reached Heavenly Dragon City, it was already night. However, because Heavenly Dragon City was the Imperial Capital, the city gates had not yet closed, and many pedestrians were still out on the streets, painting a scene of prosperity.

As soon as Mo Han arrived at the Ducal Mansion, he learned from the guards at the entrance that a guest had visited that afternoon—a young male noble. Daili and the others had already returned and were currently entertaining the guest in the living room. Mo Han couldn't help but feel puzzled; he didn't recall knowing any young male nobles. He could only instruct Latin and the others to proceed toward the living room.

Just as they reached the doorway of the living room, Mo Han heard Daili's cheerful laughter, interwoven with Murong Feixue's voice. When Mo Han entered the main hall, he saw a young man dressed entirely in white sitting in the living room, with Daili and Murong Feixue happily chatting alongside him.

Mo Han felt a flicker of curiosity, but upon seeing the young man's face clearly,

he couldn't help but find it amusing. It turned out the young man in white was Princess Rouxue of the Holy Dragon Clan, disguised as a man. At this moment, she was dressed in the attire of a male noble, which explained why the guards at the entrance hadn't recognized her. Yet, Mo Han spotted her immediately.

Seeing Mo Han enter, Daili quickly said with a smile, "Mo Han, you've returned at the perfect time. Princess Rouxue has been waiting for you for quite a while."

Evidently, Daili had also recognized Rouxue's disguise. However, Daili only knew from Mo Han and Rouxue's conversations that she was a princess; she had no idea which nation's princess Rouxue was, so Daili didn't know she was the Princess of the Holy Dragon Clan.

Seeing Rouxue, Mo Han immediately teased, "What breeze blew Your Highness all the way over here? Didn't we just meet yesterday? Could it be that Your Highness missed me so much you rushed over? Am I just that charming?" Daili and Murong Feixue were long immune to Mo Han's shameless pronouncements, so they showed no reaction to his words.

Rouxue, having met Mo Han several times, was also accustomed to his tone and was not angered in the slightest.

She simply smiled and replied, "Didn't I hear Your Grace mention yesterday that you bought a 'Ruhua'? I specifically came today to see this creature. Are you not welcoming me, Your Grace?" Hearing Rouxue’s words, Daili and the others finally understood why Mo Han had urgently instructed Marko to buy a small dog that day—it was for Rouxue's sake. But for some reason,

Rouxue's tone seemed very displeased with this 'Ruhua,' which made them secretly wonder. Daili and the others had no idea about the true reason Rouxue wanted to see 'Ruhua.'

If they knew Mo Han had also given Rouxue the nickname 'Ruhua,' they might better understand Rouxue's mood.

Mo Han inwardly smirked upon hearing this. He hadn't expected this girl to give up so easily; clearly, she couldn't let that slight go and had come specifically to verify. Fortunately, he had prepared for this, so there was no need to worry about being exposed. Thinking this, Mo Han smiled and said, "So, Your Highness came to see Ruhua? You should have just said so! I could have brought it to see you another day; why the personal trip? It makes me feel quite awkward. Do you have an interest in raising dogs, Your Highness? I never knew before."

Hearing Mo Han's reply, Rouxue was nearly driven mad with frustration. Did she run all the way over here because she was interested in dogs? If Mo Han hadn't mocked her with that name yesterday, she wouldn't bother looking at any of those cats and dogs! But Mo Han was clearly playing dumb to provoke her. Yet, with Daili and Murong Feixue present, she couldn't afford to lose her temper. She could only say faintly, "I have a slight interest, yes, but I'm only interested in this 'Ruhua' you've acquired. Isn't Your Grace going to let me see it?" Mo Han chuckled internally. I knew you couldn't resist. Good thing I was prepared. Thinking this, Mo Han immediately instructed a servant to tell Marko to bring Ruhua. The household staff had already been tipped off by Marko, so upon hearing Mo Han’s command, they rushed off to find him, leaving Mo Han and the others chatting in the meantime.

Before long, Marko appeared carrying a small white dog. This little dog had clearly received special treatment from Marko, as it was meticulously groomed all over, looking utterly endearing. Seeing this little white dog, Mo Han couldn't help but smile, sighing internally that Marko was truly talented—wasn't he intentionally trying to infuriate Rouxue? With this thought, Mo Han couldn't resist saying, "Ah, Your Highness's attire matches Ruhua quite well, don't you think?" Hearing Mo Han’s words, everyone in the hall couldn't help but smile, secretly marveling at how Mo Han could make such a comparison—how could one compare a person to a dog? Wasn't he deliberately trying to provoke her? Indeed, upon hearing Mo Han's words, Rouxue felt fury boiling inside her. But she sternly warned herself not to get angry, or Mo Han would have exactly what he wanted. Since meeting Mo Han, Rouxue had noticed a distinct increase in her frequency of irritation. Even with her high level of self-cultivation, the moment she encountered Mo Han, her composure seemed to vanish instantly. She got angry far too easily. This Mo Han, she thought angrily, must have been born specifically to vex her.

With this thought, Rouxue suppressed her anger and spoke calmly, "Oh, so Your Grace didn't know this Ruhua was white? Why use the word 'originally'? By your tone, Your Grace seems unaware of the color of your own pet?" Mo Han’s heart sank; he had been so focused on provoking her that he forgot about this detail. However, Mo Han’s expression didn't change as he replied, "Heh heh, that's just my habitual way of speaking. I often use the word 'originally' when I talk. Didn't Your Highness know? Oh, I forgot; we aren't that familiar. If you don't believe me, Your Highness can ask Daili and the others—they are all my confidantes."

Seeing Mo Han utter such a lie without so much as blinking, Daili could only give him a helpless eye-roll. This kind of brazen deception was something only Mo Han could pull off so calmly, as if it were completely true.

Jumping to

For more novels, visit storyread.net.