The young couple in front talked quietly while the one in the back slowed down. Seeing the two of them drift along on a cloud, Leng Jin Yu glanced at his husband and then leaped off his back, hovering in the air by himself.

Jinde turned around, circling around him once before taking on his other form again, the breeze playing with his golden hair. “Not wanting to be carried any longer?”

Leng Jin Yu smiled and motioned at the newly wedded husbands. “I’m afraid we’ll overtake the actual attraction if we continue moving forward at that pace.”

Jinde pursed his lips and chuckled. “Oh, imagine the scene if we turned up at the gates of the capital city before them! People wouldn’t know what to do.”

Leng Jin Yu could only smile helplessly. That was exactly what he was worried about. Usually, shouldn’t the whole procession arrive together? But thanks to Qiu Ling’s earlier stunt, everyone had scattered and the remainder of the group would only slowly catch up. It wouldn’t do for them to rush now. They had to rally around the couple to make sure things went smoothly. After all, the previous shock could still have dire consequences.

Thinking of this, Leng Jin Yu lowered his gaze. “Do you think … they’ll accept it?” He himself was torn on what the result would be. On the one hand, the discrimination against half-bloods was real, mostly due to the hatred that the demons had forged over the millennia. On the other hand, Qiu Ling had been king for so long and he had done a stellar job from what he could tell. That should override any of the worries the dragons might have about his heritage, shouldn’t it?

Jinde kept quiet for a moment and then sighed. “No matter what happens, it’s better this way, isn’t it? He was constantly afraid someone would find out. Sure, he managed to keep it a secret for almost ten millennia so you could say that fear is ridiculous but look at the lengths he went to, to make that happen.

“Never taking on your dragon form makes you more vulnerable. If a big battle happened again, would he refrain from doing that and put himself in danger or finally make the decision to expose it? And if he did, what would the reaction be like in such a time when emotions were already running high?

“Compared to such a possibility, I believe this is better. At the very least, everyone will have time to think it through slowly. Not to mention that the marriage with Jing He might dampen the shock. Especially so after the Supreme Sovereign made an appearance and basically blessed this couple in front of everyone.”

Yes, no matter how shocking it had been that Tian appeared, it also sent a clear message: The Supreme Sovereign knew very well what exactly was happening in the immortal realms, despite the fact that it had been more than two hundred thousand years since he last appeared. It also showed that he approved of the two people who had gotten married and likely wouldn’t take kindly to someone causing issues for them, whether it was for them individually or for them as a couple. This might be the best defense they had against those less inclined to approve of a dragon king of mixed blood.

Leng Jin Yu nodded. He also hoped that Tian’s appearance would have a positive impact on Qiu Ling’s situation going forward. Of course, more than that, he hoped that the dragons could accept him for who he was based on his own merit. That would likely mean more to Qiu Ling as well. But no matter what, the result was what counted in the end. As long as nobody caused a fight, it could be considered as good. “Well, no matter what happens, we’ll make it through somehow.”

Jinde nodded and clasped his husband’s hand and then waved the other, calling some of the remaining clouds over as well and taking a seat. “This is what family is for. If they can’t accept him, I’m not opposed to leaving the capital and starting over somewhere else. If not right now, then after Xiang Ling is born.” He sighed faintly and looked at the figures of Qiu Ling and Jing He in front. “I hope that my return won’t cause harm. If I had known he’d expose things today, I would have been more careful.”

Leng Jin Yu nodded but now, everything had already happened. They couldn’t change it any longer and, to be honest, he didn’t want to either. “We always knew that you taking on another name was only a temporary measure. Even if there aren’t many people of your time left, there are still some. Plus, it just won’t do. You gave a lot when you were king. It has to stop someday.”

Jinde gave a hum but his thoughts on the matter were complicated. Whether it was him or Qiu Ling, he was afraid they couldn’t simply stop the mindset they were in. At a certain point, caring for your people became second nature to you and even if you left the position behind, this nature wouldn’t change. It was simply a way of being, no matter the title you carried.

Because of this, they couldn’t help being influenced by the opinions and actions of their people and the situations the realm found itself in. This was the mark of a good sovereign and it was why both he and Qiu Ling had stayed in this position for so long. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t gain the recognition of your people and no matter what else had happened, both of them had done so.

Whether or not this would still be acknowledged now that Qiu Ling’s heritage was exposed … it remained to be seen. But he hoped that it would be. After all the years Qiu Ling had given his people, this should be the least he received in return. As someone who had gone through the same, nobody could change this opinion of his.