Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 11, Part 1)

172 What Makes a Person a Person?

Qiu Ling took a faint breath to calm himself down again and tried to reassure himself at the same time. It was alright. They had some time and Xiang Yu was probably willing to help him meet up with Jing He secretly in the future. He could use the time right now to prepare and then bring it up again more easily later, after Jing He had had some time to think about it.

He smiled wryly after coming up with this plan, knowing well enough that he was just not ready to say it yet. Still, he pushed the thought away, just focusing on what he had just said. "Well, it is true that it is a missed opportunity. I think there is more to it though.

"You've also realized how different our races can be. It's not ... all inherent. A lot of it is simply the culture we are steeped in while we grow up. When it comes down to it, what really makes a dragon a dragon, a god a god, or a demon a demon?" He looked at Jing He, his tone making clear that he wasn't just asking a rhetorical question.

Jing He felt confused but then thought of how they would get married as soon as possible. At that time, while he wouldn't have to take responsibility for the matters of the dragon realm, he would still be the dragon king's spouse. As such, he should be expected to show his insight into these matters and prove that he had the best interest of both races and all their people at heart, shouldn't he?

He thought about what Qiu Ling had said, feeling that both the former observation about their culture and the question insinuated something. "If we are talking about a full-blooded person, then they would be expected to comply with what we know about each race.

"A god should have a high magical ability but a weak body and fragile soul. A dragon should be the least gifted in the magical department but should have a strong body at their disposal and should also be able to take on a dragon form which is even more well-fortified. As for the demons, they possess more magic than a dragon but less than a god. Their bodies would be moderately strong, also falling in between the other two races with some differences between each of them because their people are more varied depending on which tribe they hail from."

Qiu Ling inclined his head but didn't speak.

Jing He continued to think, his hands still holding onto Qiu Ling's arm. "Other than that, there would be Tian's curse that affects every race differently. The trials of the gods that are a danger to their souls and the dragons' ..." He wasn't sure how to phrase it and glanced at Qiu Ling's expression before hastily averting his gaze. "Their limitations on who to fall in love with."

Qiu Ling nodded again, his heart beating faster as he waited for what seemed like it would be Jing He's final verdict.

Jing He hesitated but then looked up again. "I am afraid I am not entirely aware of the curse on the demons. I think it is said that they cannot love but seeing how little I knew about the dragons before I met you, I am not certain this is all there is to it."

Qiu Ling gave a hum. "It does sum it up just like saying the dragons can only fall in love once isn't untrue. It simply ignores some of the implications that brings with it."

Jing He nodded. He didn't doubt anything based on this reply. He definitely didn't wonder why Qiu Ling was so sure about much of what was going on in the demons' territory and history either. To him, this was simply a matter of course. After all, his fiance was the dragon king.

Even though Qiu Ling had often mentioned that he had never received the education he should have, he simply felt that after so many years, he should have made up for any shortcomings. Knowing about the demons was just something a good king would do since they were at war with them and every piece of knowledge was valuable.

He didn't bother to think about that part any longer and instead thought about where this conversation had started: the life of the half-bloods, how their current situation was a missed opportunity but also a cause of grievances. Come to think of it now, after detailing where the people of each of the immortal races differed ... "A half-blood would not necessarily fall cleanly on either side of a race, would they?

"They might combine the strengths of both races like the strong body of the dragons and the strong magic of the gods. At the same time, they could also inherit all weaknesses, giving them a weak body and a weak soul but also limiting their magical abilities. This kind of person might have it rough surviving in the immortal races in times of war."

Qiu Ling nodded but still silently waited for Jing He to continue. After all, he hadn't yet gotten to the point where he was considering what he wanted him to know. In fact, it seemed very much that Jing He consciously or subconsciously ignored the demons in his considerations, only ever speaking about the gods and dragons.

Maybe to him, this wasn't odd. After all, he had already felt troubled by the thought of being with somebody from the dragon race in the beginning. To him, a god being with a demon should be completely unimaginable. Naturally, he wouldn't consider it at this point.

Jing He indeed wasn't thinking about that but seeing Qiu Ling's gaze, he felt that there had to be something he overlooked so he still continued to think about the issue. After all, he would never want to disappoint his fiance.