Dragon Tamer

Monument City

This was a large city built of stone, its walls likewise constructed from those grey ancient boulders from the wilderness.

Upon entering the city, one could see a vast marketplace.

What was sold were not utensils, food, Dragon Food, or antiques, but person after person bound by rough shackles.

These were all slaves.

Either captured from some uncivilized tribes.

Or hailing from defeated countries, or perhaps a band of rebels.

“Take a look, this woman was snatched from Mount Fox God, savage and tempting, buy her and you’re guaranteed the thrill of taming her, a thousand gold pieces!”

A man dressed in a private army’s uniform called out loudly, holding a sturdy leather leash, the other end of which was fastened to a woman with pointed, elongated ears.

The woman’s skin was wheat-colored with a hint of black, but it did not conceal her natural allure. Those narrow eyes and sharp chin indeed carried an exotic charm and enticement.

“Prisoners from the Li Chuan Continent, transported from thousands of miles away, this one’s nobility, whole families of servants, clansmen, misses—all for just a hundred thousand gold!”

In a large iron cage, a group of people with somewhat ragged clothing squatted.

There were young men, delicate women, and also a few elderly matrons. They had dim expressions and vacant stares, looking as though they were simply walking corpses.

“Empress!”

Suddenly, in the cage, a young man’s eyes widened, shining with brightness.

He desperately clutched the iron bars, shouting excitedly towards a woman on the street.

“Ling Tu, have you lost your mind?” said a General wearing tattered armor nearby.

“General, look, isn’t that Empress Li Yunzi?” the young man known as Ling Tu pointed to a woman seated atop a Triceratops.

The General gripped the bars of the cage, slowly standing up.

As his gaze fixed on her, the woman’s appearance was indeed outstanding, shining like a bright moon amidst the chaotic flow of people—so beautiful and striking!

“It really is her!” General Ling Xun also widened his eyes.

“Ancestral Dragon City has established its own kingdom and become part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. She is now a Monarch there!” Ling Tu said.

On their way being escorted here, the Ling Family had heard plenty of news.

Ancestral Dragon City had become a kingdom, and Li Yunzi, with her own power, had taken down the Rui Country. The four city-states she governed became the untrample lands of the Li Chuan Continent; however, other city-states, other lands, were not so fortunate.

Like their Lingxiao City State

The city was trampled, families were massacred, and even their great Ling Family eventually fell into slavery, transported like cattle to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent.

After this drastic change, the Ling Family of Lingxiao City was filled with extreme regret.

Why did they, in the first place, prevent Li Yunzi from establishing a kingdom.

If Li Yunzi had unified the entire Li Chuan Continent, they would not have ended up like this.

Their backbone, Ling Luotian, died a tragic death, their clan’s experts were slaughtered, and even their sisters who never left home were turned into playthings by raiders. Ling Tu’s eyes, almost dried out, once again moistened and turned red at the thought.

“General, let’s plead with her,” he said.

“How could we do that, after all we ” began General Ling Xun, intending to say they were from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City State. But his words choked off as he glanced at the cage, then at his clansmen suffering alongside him, waiting to be sold like livestock, and he took a deep sigh.

He knew all too well that they were nothing now.

They only sought to survive.

They only sought to give their people a path to life, rather than becoming slaves without any dignity.

“Empress, save us!”

“Empress, save us!”

As a group of people passed by, Zhu Minglang suddenly heard someone calling out to the Female Monarch.

The Empress should be the title unique to Li Yunzi in Li Chuan Continent, and many people outside of Ancestral Dragon City also referred to her as such.

Zhu Minglang looked over and saw a group of slaves locked in a cage.

Because one of the men was shouting very loudly, the slave owner whipped him viciously with a whip, tearing his skin open.

“Ask about it,” Li Xinghua said softly.

Zhu Minglang stepped forward, stopping the person wielding the whip, and asked, “Where did these people come from?”

“From Li Chuan Continent, young master. Are you interested in buying? For just one hundred thousand gold, this entire family will belong to you. Whether you’re looking for prestige, power, or distinguished household slaves, these people come from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City in the Li Chuan Continent. They were like Earth Emperors there, not only do they have young men with decent strength but also well-educated young ladies, all untouched!” the private army leader said.

Zhu Minglang, upon hearing they were from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City, lost his interest in purchasing.

He had thought it might be a family from a city-state that had fallen on hard times. As the current ruler of Li Chuan Continent, rescuing compatriots wouldn’t be a problem.

But since it was his mortal enemy, Zhu Minglang didn’t want to spend that hundred thousand gold.

He had his principles; he felt compassion for the common people, but enemies were not common people.

Turning his head, he walked back to his group. Zhu Minglang said to Li Xinghua, “The Ling Family from Lingxiao City is the one that tried to force Yunzhi to become a concubine. Let’s pretend we didn’t see it.”

“I’ll buy them.” At that moment, Nan Yuso, wearing a veil, walked over, took out a Purple Gold Bead, and handed it to the soldier.

Zhu Minglang didn’t even see when she had approached.

What astonished him wasn’t that Nan Yuso bought these people, but that Nan Yuso was so extravagantly generous. One hundred thousand gold, and she didn’t even blink!

“My lady has good taste. These are all high-quality slaves. May I ask to which place should they be delivered?” asked the private army leader, his face full of smiles when he saw the money.

“Send them back to the Li Chuan Continent. Tell Nan Family of Ancestral Dragon City that from now on, these people are their household slaves,” she answered.

“Ah?” The private army leader had a headache. They had gone through so much trouble to bring them from such a far place, and now they had to send them back. Although the transportation was relatively cheap, it would take a long time.

“I’ll give you an extra ten thousand gold. Deliver them to the place I said, if the people there send a message that someone died or something is missing, I’ll level your slave camps,” Nan Yuso said without politeness.

“No problem, you pay the extra shipping, and all is well. Our camps specialize in this business; nothing will go wrong!” the private soldier assured.

The down payment was made, and those involved in the slave trade were regulated by the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty. If they breached the contract, they would face severe punishment.

“Thank you, Empress, thank you, Your Highness. In the next life, I will surely become a horse or ox for you!” Ling Tu quickly gave thanks.

“There’s no need for the next life. In this life, just serve our Ancestral Dragon City well as horses or oxen,” Nan Yuso said coldly.

For many years, the Ancestral Dragon City-State and Lingxiao City-State had been embroiled in disputes.

Both the Li Family and Nan Family were extremely disgusted with them.

It was better to have them serve in Ancestral Dragon City than to be household slaves for others.

On one hand, it was a venting of anger, and on the other, it was considered an act of kindness, after all, they were citizens of Li Chuan Continent.