The Golden Dragon was astonished and asked:
Golden Dragon ??: "The White Dragon King is dead? My father is dead?" ??
The Green Dragon sounded confused:
Green Dragon ??: "What? The White Dragon King's son—that’s you?"
From that day on, the Golden Dragon was gloomy and spoke no words. The Green Dragon intentionally tried to cheer him up, no longer collecting Spirit Stones from him and even offering free guidance, but the Golden Dragon remained like a soulless husk, causing the Green Dragon much worry. She petitioned the Dragon King to grant the Golden Dragon leave to visit his family. Though permitted, the Golden Dragon went nowhere, merely hiding in his own cave.
A Strange Relationship and Looming Hatred
By this time, Ufretin ?? had been there for over a month and was gradually adapting to life. Seeing the Golden Dragon's sadness, he often came to chat and console him.
In terms of age, the two were roughly equivalent, around 300-400 years old. However, in personality, the Golden Dragon was like a newly grown adolescent, his emotions volatile—at times extremely enthusiastic, at others cold and nihilistic. Ufretin, conversely, was like an old man nearing the end of his life, possessing great knowledge, reflecting much on life and death. He stayed by the Golden Dragon’s side like a father or grandfather, advising, teaching, playing games, and joking. The Golden Dragon grew very fond of this bearded old man, seeing him as a father, even more so than his biological father who was preoccupied with the duties of a Dragon King and many descendants, often leaving this sensitive young Golden Dragon feeling neglected.
The other Dwarves, or Dragon Slaves (Long N?) in the Great Mountain Range, were astonished by the strange relationship between the Golden Dragon and Ufretin. How could the bond between master and slave be so good, intimate like kin, siblings, or members of the same family ????????? This was completely different from how other dragons treated the Dragon Slaves like trash, frequently beating, scolding, or sometimes even killing them on the spot. The Golden Dragon also treated the Dragon Slaves very politely, always remembering and calling each one by name, no different from how he treated Ufretin.
The Dragon Slaves spent their entire lives in mines and forges, digging ore or forging weapons and armor to serve as decorations in the dragons' caves. They also had to provide food and water when needed, guard the dragons while they slept, performing every service job without any benefit. The anger of the Dragon Slaves multiplied, waiting like a fuse about to ignite into a riot, especially after the Immortal-Dragon War, with the Dragon King injured—it was the perfect time to act.
They whispered in the dark corners: "Has he been brainwashed by the dragon?" "Or is he a spy for the dragon scum?" That closeness was like a thorn in the hearts of those plotting rebellion.
The atmosphere in the mines was heavy. The fire in the forges wasn't just heating iron, but fueling rage. The sound of the hammer was not a sound of production, but the silent roar of repressed resentment. Dragon Slaves were treated worse than rubble; a blow or a curse could be a death sentence. This was the moment the Dragon Slaves had been waiting for a century. The death of one dragon was the freedom of a thousand Dwarves.
The "Massage" Plan and Psychological Warfare ??
Ufretin went to see the Dragon King to report the Dwarven conspiracy and propose a solution. The Dragon King was skeptical of the plan and immediately said: "Are you sure, Dwarf? Give them weapons and tell them to hit me? Are you joking? Do you wish to die so badly?"
Ufretin bowed, but his voice was as firm as forged steel: "I beg Your Majesty to trust my understanding of human nature, and the nature of anger. They are only weak and hungry Dwarves, how could they produce good products? All their goods are mere mortal trinkets, not worth mentioning. I have tested them on the Golden Dragon's scales; they are utterly useless. Besides, you are the King of Divine Dragons, with the Divine Sight, you can easily gauge the danger of every weapon."
The Dragon King laughed and said, "You know too much, Dwarf. Fine. I will trust you for now. I am also too lazy to constantly threaten these slaves."
Over a hundred of the strongest Dragon Slaves, their eyes ablaze, carried the shinies—the hammers and axes they had forged to kill dragons. They believed they were marching into a glorious rebellion, not a joke.
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The Dragon King glanced over and saw nothing of worth, save for the war axe of the Dragon Slave King (King Dwarf). But the Dragon King paid no heed, lying still for them to strike. They hit him from morning till evening. Occasionally, the Dragon King would moan with pleasure ??, not the sound of pain they had hoped for. With every relentless strike, impotence choked the Dragon Slaves. When the young men were exhausted, the Dragon King did not allow them to stop but demanded they continue until their arms trembled before being allowed to leave.
The Dragon King was so delighted that he frequently ordered them to gather and "massage" him. Because the Dragon King felt comfortable and satisfied, he even rewarded them all. Anger, when it fails to cause damage, turns into emptiness and humiliation. The Dragon King demanded they continue, not as a physical punishment, but a mental torture. Their will to revolt was shattered, crushed, and ridiculed into a ridiculous "massage" game.
The Slogan and the "Win-Win" Strategy ??
The Dragon King praised Ufretin's plan as brilliant, noting that such a small action had crushed the will of all the Dragon Slaves; no one dared to rebel again.
Ufretin ??: "My King, please grant me permission to collect all the urine and feces of all the dragons here."
Dragon King ??: "Why would you take our waste? Planning something indecent?"
Ufretin ??: "To grow Dragon Immortal Grass ??, Your Majesty."
Dragon King ??: "What is so good about that grass?"
Ufretin ??: "It is a potent herb for making energy restoration medicine for Cultivators. It sells quite well. This will create a source of profit for the Dragon Slaves. When they profit from the dragons, a win-win situation ?? is established. The Dragon Slaves will no longer want to rebel, but will willingly become Your Majesty's servants."
Dragon King ??: "Good, take it." (The Dragon King vaguely began to understand why the Immortal Clans wanted to capture and raise dragons.)
After a while, Ufretin introduced various products, such as Armor for Dragons, and iron-plated dragon claws called Dragon Armor Iron Mail (Long Giáp Thi?t Kh?i), increasing the Golden Dragon's magical resistance, physical defense, and combat ability, helping him achieve a high position among the Dragon Envoys (Long S? gi?). Then came:
- Dragon Immortal Grass (Long Tiên Th?o), grown from dragon waste, used to create energy recovery medicine.
- Dragon Ambergris (Long Diên H??ng) (taken from dragon feces after the dragon eats a specific type of octopus), a highly valuable ingredient for making perfume.
- Utilizing shed dragon scales to make armor and shields.
- Dragon Breath Rock (Long T?c Nham), various metals and stones altered by dragon fire or ice, serving as excellent crafting materials.
- Dragon Immortal Stone (Long Tiên Th?ch), various types of jade and crystal that change color when near dragons, becoming purer and more beautiful, acting as health-boosting jewelry.
- Dragon Blood Elixir (Long Huy?t D??c) (dried dragon blood), which can be used to make an aphrodisiac, a type of medicine loved by all men, 'The husband drinks, the wife praises.'
Ufretin took these items and sold them to humans and Immortals. Ufretin didn't talk about loyalty, but shared a way to make money from the dragons. He placed a heavy leather pouch on the forging table. "This is gold earned from dragon feces." Silence fell. The Dragon Slaves, their calloused hands stained with charcoal and stone dust, looked at the bag of gold and the bearded old Dwarf. "You have spent your whole lives serving the Dragon Race, but got nothing. Now, things are different," Ufretin said, his voice deep and echoing. "Look at all this I got from the dragons. It's no longer foul waste to be thrown away, but wealth."
A young Dragon Slave, who had once led the intention to rebel, spoke up: "How is this any different from slavery? We still have to serve the dragons!"
Ufretin smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening. "You are wrong. Before, you were Slaves forced to serve your master for nothing. Now, you are salespeople, service staff, for demanding customers—but they will help you become rich. And for those who say you are slaves of the dragon, unworthy of the noble Dwarf Race, then you take a full bag of gold and hit them over the head with it—let's see if they speak again?"
He raised his fist high, shouting in the ancient Dwarven language:
'The dragon race flourishes, the dwarves are rich!' ??
At first, only a few mumbled along. But when Ufretin began to distribute the first gold bars and explained the formula for making the vitalizing Dragon Blood Elixir, the skepticism vanished. Enthusiasm ignited in their eyes. They were no longer just slaves. They were businessmen, jewelers...
Ufretin was granted a great privilege by the Dragon King, allowing him to lead a group of Dwarves away from the Dragon Lair to the nearby human villages and the ancient six-fingered people, always accompanied by the Dragon King's Envoys, disguised in human form, both protecting and supervising the trade of dragon products. Initially, few people were interested because the prices were so high ordinary citizens could never afford them.
Ufretin gifted powdered and highly diluted Dragon Blood Elixir (to prevent side effects)—the medicine 'The husband drinks, the wife praises'—to lords who were struggling with infertility regarding children. After a short period, the Dragon Blood Elixir was sold out at a price that was practically a giveaway. From there, they established close relationships with the local kings and lords to sell the remaining goods. Dragon Blood Elixir was constantly out of stock despite massive price increases, marking the beginning of their future prosperity.