Psycho little snake tamed by the dragon king

50) You suffered because of me

The room was quiet. Three friends sat at the table, no one speaking. The air was heavy, filled with words left unsaid. Finally, Lilun broke the silence.

"What exactly did Ah-yan say during the battle?" he asked, running his finger along the edge of his teacup. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. "Did I really get sentenced to death, not imprisonment?"

Ye Yun sighed, his expression gentle. "Lilun, you saw it yourself. My sister wasn't in her right mind. She was just speaking nonsense, trying to cause more chaos."

Lilun looked up at him, his eyes searching. "If it was nonsense, why did you both look so shaken?" His voice was steady, but there was a quiet intensity to it. "Why did you get angry and try to stop her from talking?"

"Because she was stirring up trouble." the Dragon King interrupted, sighing in frustration. "We had to stop her." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "This is a waste of time. I'm leaving."

Lilun's next words made him freeze.

"If something really happened back then... if you both suffered because of me..." Lilun's voice was quiet, but it carried weight. "Don't I have the right to know?"

The Dragon King sat back down.

"What happened is exactly what you know." he said firmly. "You committed a crime. I had to choose between my friend and justice. I chose justice. I abandoned my friend. That's all."

"That's true." Ye Yun said, placing a reassuring hand over Lilun's. "But Lilun, Zhu Yan had no choice."

Lilun pulled his hand away, standing up. "Fine, You won't tell me." he said, his voice hard. "I'll see for myself."

Before they could react, Lilun's hand shot out, grabbing the Dragon King by the neck.

"Lilun!" Ye Yun shouted, trying to stop him. It was too late.

Lilun's glowing green eyes reflected in the Dragon King's as their gazes locked. And then, Lilun saw it. His grip loosened. He stumbled back, his hands shaking.

"You... you..." His voice was barely above a whisper. His wide eyes were filled with shock, with disbelief.

The Dragon King's true form stood before him. His golden scales, once strong and radiant, were no longer the same. They looked fresh, like they had only just grown back. Tears welled up in Lilun's eyes. He turned to Ye Yun, desperation in his voice.

"Yun Ga... Yun Ga, tell me." He grabbed Ye Yun's hands. "What happened? Why does he look like that?"

Ye Yun looked at the Dragon King, whose head was now hanging low. He sighed. There was nothing more they could say. No lie could cover up the past.

Lilun's hands trembled as he stepped back. His chest tightened with a feeling he couldn't name, fear, guilt, anger? His glowing green eyes flickered, then dimmed as his body felt heavier.

"You..." His voice was hoarse. "Your scales... They were supposed to be strong, golden, glowing with power. Why... why do they look like this?"

The Dragon King remained silent. His head was still bowed, shadows covering his face. He didn't move, didn't argue, didn't even look at Lilun.

Lilun turned back to Ye Yun, his hands clenching into fists.

Lilun's voice broke as he shouted, "Tell me! What happened back then? What are you two hiding from me?"

Ye Yun closed his eyes and took a slow breath. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Lilun's hands clenched at his sides. His patience was gone. "Even now, you still want to keep me in the dark?" His voice was filled with frustration. "Fine. If you two won't tell me the truth, I'll go to the person who punished me."