In the Pacific Ocean lay a massive island, nearly the size of India yet sparsely populated—only about two hundred thousand souls called it home. No one dared cause trouble here. No race claimed they could defeat these two hundred thousand, though some had tried. All were eradicated.
A bustling marketplace thrived beneath endless emerald forests, encircled by undulating mountains. At its heart stood a grand palace, distinct from the outer stalls. A banner fluttered atop it: a coiled White Dragon clutching a golden pearl in its jaws.
This was the domain of the White Dragon Clan—one of the continent’s twin rulers. The other, the Heavenly Dragon Clan, stood entrenched in the deep south. Though both were dragonkind, their enmity ran deep. Each sought to prove itself the strongest, the most *true* lineage. Legend told of the Spirit Dragon God’s two heirs: the White Dragon and the Heavenly Dragon. Born as mortal enemies, their feud endured through generations.
Inside the White Dragon’s palace, a middle-aged man sat robed in silver. Waves and soaring dragons embroidered his garment; golden tides surged at its hem. His sleeves billowed in an unseen wind. Arched brows framed eyes dark as polished jade, radiating imperial warmth. Two guards flanked him, violet blades gleaming in their grips.
A little girl burst in—golden hair spilling over a frilly purple dress, barely four feet tall. Her face held an unreal, heart-melting cuteness. The stern ruler’s expression instantly crumpled into a doting grin. "My little Baobao!" he cooed. "Skipping training today? Missing Daddy, hmm? Of course you are! Come, let Daddy comfort your little heart. A father’s duty, after all!"
Banas’s next words struck him like ten thousand blades. His face twisted—the look of a man watching his eighth bride bed his brother the morning after their wedding.
"Dad," the girl pouted, her panda-like eyes wide and pleading, "I just wanted to ask… when can I visit Brother Ye again?"
"Only when he awakens the Sacred Eye," he replied, forcing a smile bitterer than an unripe persimmon. "Then my little Baobao can protect him, yes?" Inside, the White Dragon Emperor raged.
*Kill that ugly brat Lin Ye. Give me back my pure-hearted daughter! A daughter’s love belongs to her father—that’s the purest bond in the world! Three years minimum, death penalty maximum—that Lin Ye dares to steal a child’s heart? Unforgivable. He must die.*
Miles away in China, Lin Ye sneezed. Had he known the White Dragon Emperor had sentenced him to death over such a reason, he’d have been speechless.
"Daddy!" Banas pressed, deploying a smile lethal enough to kill without trial. "I know only Demon Emperors or higher can detect the Sacred Eye’s awakening. So you *must* tell me!"
"Yeees…" he sighed, utterly bewitched.
"Okay! I’ll rest in my room now!" She turned to leave.
"No cuddles with Daddy today?" he whined, voice thick with wounded pride.
*Hopeless father,* the guards thought silently.
Banas skipped down the hall, mind racing.
*Daddy’s useless. He’ll never tell me about Ye-gege.*
*Ask the Demon Emperor uncles and aunties? Too far away…*
*I need to be the first to know about Ye-gege!*
*…I’ll plant cameras in Daddy’s room! Perfect!*
Had the White Dragon Emperor glimpsed her thoughts, he’d have spat blood.
Back in her room, Banas hugged a chibi doll—a miniature Lin Ye. She grabbed a tiny brush and makeup kit, settling into her daily ritual. Hours later, the doll had transformed: rosy lips, glittering eyeshadow, a glamorous lady-doll version of Lin Ye.
"Heeheehee! Ye-gege looks so pretty in girls’ clothes! Mwah!" She kissed the doll’s painted cheek. "Time for our bath, Ye-gege!" She skipped toward the bathhouse, doll in hand.
A steady patter of water filled the room.
