The Blue Dragon Clan’s Very Suspicious Little Chick - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24

How could the heartless Xuanwu Palace lock away something so beautiful, so pitiable as this child?
Aran found herself resenting the Xuanwu Clan Patriarch she’d never met, and pressed on with her question.
“Chirp?”
(Surely they’ve given him food, at least?)
“Yes. But he said I can’t leave the library until I’ve read every book there.”
“Chirp? Peep!”
(What? Oh no, Xuanwu Palace is really too much. Over here at Qinglong Palace, the younglings just eat and play all day. They don’t know a single character…….)
Oh no.
Aran snapped her beak shut in alarm.
In her excitement, she’d let slip far too honestly just how poorly educated the Qinglong children were.
Oh dear, oh dear, our twins.
They wouldn’t become known across the Northern Region merely for being sturdy and beautiful, would they?
“Really? I’m jealous…….”
Fortunately, Tae-o seemed less interested in exploiting the Qinglong younglings’ weakness than in feeling a touch of wistfulness about it.
Even so, he kept running his fingers gently over Aran’s damp feathers, as though he wished to dry them.
Aran found herself taking a sudden liking to this small Xuanwu spirit beast.
Not that it was entirely because he was adorably doll-like, of course……, but he was young, after all.
Yes—young, and besides, the offspring of a god’s request.
“Chirr-chirr? Peep?”
(Still, even so, you didn’t just sneak away on your own, did you? This isn’t right, is it? If anyone found out you came to Qinglong Palace all of a sudden, it could cause trouble for our father…….)
“Your father……?”
If that question sounded to him like she was doubting whether he even had a father, well, that would be a misunderstanding.
“Peep.”
(Yes, our father—the Qinglong Clan Patriarch.)
But in that moment, Tae-o’s expression shifted strangely.
The cheerful smile that had just a moment ago played at sympathy vanished in an instant, his features turning cold as ice.
Aran saw that hardened face and, interpreting it as doubt toward her newly claimed family, finally lost her temper.
“Peep?”
(You, barely even born, you’re not about to start spouting some tired nonsense about how a bird is a bird and the Qinglong are the Qinglong, are you? If you dare say something so despicable, I’ll…….)
At that, Tae-o’s expression finally eased, and a faint smile crossed his face.
“It seems the Qinglong Patriarch treats you well. That’s good.”
But really, didn’t this child have the most presumptuous manner of speaking?
Calling someone else’s father by his title like that?
Aran herself had taken to calling Cheongun “the Great Lord” under the pretense that he couldn’t understand her anyway, but hearing someone else do it was unbearable.
She flared up indignantly and challenged him.
“Chirp!”
(Hey, is our father your friend or something? Can’t you say “Lord Qinglong Patriarch” properly?!)
Just as they were embroiled in this absurd bickering, a warm breeze stirred from somewhere, rustling softly through the air.
Aran turned with anticipation, only to freeze as she saw Hui and Suryeon rushing toward her with grave expressions, flanked by armed guards.
Wait—why were they armed?
And now that she noticed, the watchtower was releasing eerie blue-green sounds, wailing in alarm.
Ah……?
So this mischievous young Xuanwu had just invaded Qinglong Palace without any warning or procedure…….?

***

“Peep?”
(Oh, brother. He’s not committing an invasion or anything—he’s just Aran’s guest, right?)
Aran had been transferred into Suryeon’s hands and was having her feathers dried to fluffiness by the Hot Wind he summoned.
Yet she kept glancing sidelong at Hui, whose expression was unusually cold.
“Peep? Chirp?”
(Oh, brother? Anyone who knows anything would say so. He’s just a baby. Younger than Aran, even. Right?)
The real problem was Tae-o.
A moment ago, he’d been making all sorts of excuses and explaining himself well, eager to make a good impression on Aran, but now that the dragons had appeared, he’d suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Was he frightened by the armed guards?
But Tae-o didn’t look frightened at all—his eyes were fixed firmly, staring at Aran, or more precisely, at Suryeon.
This is frustrating.
What have I done so well that I’m glaring at someone?
Aran finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a sharp cry.
“Squawk!”
(Listen, Tae-o! Won’t you apologize already and beg for forgiveness? Do you want to be the youngest member of the Xuanwu Clan to ever be imprisoned?)
Aran wasn’t sure if there had ever been a member of the Xuanwu Clan imprisoned, but she bluffed anyway.
Young children needed this sort of thing to listen to reason.
But Tae-o asked back instead.
“Prison? You mean the dungeons of Qinglong Palace here? If I were locked up there, you’d come visit me every day?”
While Aran’s breath caught, the restraint that had held back finally shattered—restraint that had been exercised all this while simply because the other party was too young.
“Don’t talk nonsense, youngest of the Xuanwu Clan. If you don’t even know the basic rule that you must not trespass on another’s domain without permission, then wherever you’re locked up, I won’t be coming to see your face anymore!”
Tae-o’s green eyes blazed with a keen light.
“Why?”
Aran flinched at that gaze despite herself, but she quickly regained her composure.
Here she was, a great vermillion bird, rendered helpless before a little thing who could barely use their power.
So she interjected all the louder.
“Chirp-chirp!”
(Because I won’t be coming to see you! You can’t go around troubling both our families and your family like this!)
The moment Aran spoke those words, something that had been about to burst inside Tae-o deflated with a sharp hiss.
The child who had been acting stubborn until now suddenly glistened with tears, and asked in disbelief.
“You won’t see me ever again?”
Good heavens.
Aran was truly taken aback.
She’d thought herself practiced at caring for children while living with the twins in Qinglong Palace.
But thinking about it, the twins stumbled and broke things and caused trouble, yet they never resorted to this kind of whining and fussing!
In short, Aran had no immunity to this sort of behavior.
“Chirp?”
(Why are you suddenly crying like that? Tae-o is supposed to be a brave child, right?)
“Everyone in my family scares me, and you’re all I have…….”
To make matters worse, Tae-o began to whimper. At that point, Hui sighed and left the room.
Aran hopped busily from Tae-o’s left shoulder to his right, trying to soothe the child.
“Chirp-chirp.”
(I didn’t mean what I said about not seeing you again. I spoke without thinking because you were causing everyone trouble. So stop crying.)
“Then, we can see each other again?”
“Chirp-chirp.”
(Of course. I can already see you’re controlling Spirit Beasts, so it won’t be hard for us to meet. But before that, you have to get permission. From both Qinglong Palace and Xuanwu Palace.)
“Why do I have to do that?”
“Chirp…….”
(Because we’re still babies? When we grow up, things will be freer. Then I’ll fly to Xuanwu Palace to see you myself. How does that sound?)
Tae-o seemed to feel a bit better at those words and reached out his hand to Aran again.
“Don’t go to such trouble. All you have to do is send me a letter whenever you can.”
Only then did Aran peer at Tae-o’s face again, carefully checking whether there were any traces of tears.
To think she would send away a child who had come so far, just to see her, with tears on his cheeks.
While Aran was fretting over this, Hui returned.
Unlike Aran or Tae-o, his face was still thoroughly angry.
“So, are you prepared to bow before the Great Lord of the Eastern Region and beg for mercy?”
For a moment, it seemed as though a sharp gleam shot from Xuanwu’s green eyes again, but Tae-o glanced back at Aran once and then sighed resignedly.
“If there are things I’ve done wrong, I will ask for forgiveness. But I haven’t even passed my first birthday yet, so there’s much I don’t know.”
He spoke as smartly as a ten-year-old child, and when he found himself at a disadvantage, he resorted to his age as an excuse.
It was a transparent scheme to anyone, but Aran pretended not to notice and sided with him.
“Chirp-chirp.”
(That’s right, brother. Tae-o is even younger than Ari, and younger than Yeon and Min. What he doesn’t know, we can teach him.)
Hui turned away, though his expression remained displeased.
“Then let’s go to Father.”

***

“Still haven’t found him?”
That same evening, Xuanwu Palace was in turmoil.
Tae-o had been missing since early morning, and another Summoning Circle drawn on paper had been discovered in his empty room.
The Summoning Circle drawn with brush had formed a perfect hexagon without the slightest deviation, and predictably, the Six-Eyed Spirit Beast vanished as well.
“The Six-Eyed Spirit Beast?”
Uicheon struck his chest in frustration as he spoke.
“The Six-Eyed Spirit Beast that Tae-o summoned—it still hasn’t returned?”
The Qinglong Clan’s Suspicious Proceedings — Chapter 24
E-book Release Date | 2026.08.05

Author | Ravioli
Publisher | Odd Eye
Submissions/Inquiries | [email protected]

UCI | G720:N+A101-20260722065.0024
Price | 100 won

ⓒ Ravioli 2026

This e-book is protected by copyright law.
This e-book is published under contract with the author, and unauthorized reproduction, duplication, distribution, or sharing without written consent from both parties is prohibited.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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