"May we ask the Immortal Maiden to leave now?"

The flood-dragon-headed great general, halberd in one hand and jade slip in the other, looked at the girl in front of it, who had used a shape-transformation art.

It even had the composure to shake its head, feeling a touch of regret.

The Immortal Maiden Baohua's name carried a fair way among the water-kin too, and today there would be no chance to see that famous face.

The hunchbacked old one kept its head down, something reflective welling in its expression.

Even it had not expected the Dragon Lord to think so highly of the mistress — that with relations as strained as they were with the Dragon Consort, it should still have sent a Dragon Palace general.

With the Dragon Palace showing itself, today's business was at an end.

"Off with you, then." The snake woman settled back onto the couch and glanced across, wary and a little envious.

She did not think this woman deserved the title of Immortal Maiden; but even with the Dragon Palace's general standing guard at her side, she did not dare take too many liberties in the Immortal Maiden's presence.

It took all the strength Xiao Yuanlin had to lift his head, propping his eyelids open, and look at the Immortal Maiden Baohua.

Even without the awl in his mouth, he would not in fact have known what to say.

He was no power whose name shook a whole region, but he was the lord of a fort for all that, and he could see this much clearly enough.

His lady, while she lived, had revered the Immortal Maiden above all.

It could not be done now; that was Heaven's decree. There was no call for him to add to the weight on the Immortal Maiden's heart.

At that thought he let his head drop again.

In the instant Xiao Yuanlin's gaze fell away, a crisp sound rang across the room.

Crack.

The Immortal Maiden Baohua had flung out the thing at her waist, and it shot straight into the flood-dragon-headed great general's palm.