They've already fought their way through the Holy Grail War, and you still call them dragons?

Seeing that he was distracted, Lord Wa jokingly said, "It's rare for our Zhou family to entertain outsiders like this. Others who see my snake tail are either terrified to the point of fainting, or so enraged they think they've entered a demon's lair. But you, on the other hand, are so calm and composed that you ignore it."

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I was distracted. I suddenly thought of Nuwa..."

Emiya couldn't say anything: Wow, Master Wa, you look like something out of a certain game series. In the future, this game will have comic book, novel, and film and television adaptations, transforming into a super IP that's popular all over China. Heroines like Zi Xuan and Zhao Ling'er, who resemble you in a human-headed, snake-bodied body, will become the dream lovers of countless people...

"Hehehe, do you know there's a Nuwa in the world? Born from Lei Ze, the Emperor's daughter, and from the Yin extreme came the creation of all things!" Nuwa reeled off a passage of ancient history. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that there existed a Thunder God in Yunlei Ze, with a human head and a dragon body. The goddess Hua Xu entered the Thunder God's domain and, stepping on his footprints, became pregnant and gave birth to Fuxi and Nuwa.

Then Lord Wa talked about how their Zhou family's mixed-blood lineage was inherited from the ancient Nuwa, and that they had the appearance of a human head and a snake body, which was passed down from generation to generation, forming the Nuwa clan. All the heads of the Zhou family were named "Lord Wa", and only a Nuwa clan member like her with the characteristics of a snake body could hold the position... As she was speaking, Lord Wa suddenly saw a look of understanding on Emiya's face.

What do you know, kid...how did you know that?

The little face of the Wa Lord puffed up, and she looked a little indignant.

"I have to say, you have quite a lot of strange secrets..."

When Shirou Emiya talked about magic circuits and refining essence into energy before, Lord Wa became very interested in him, so she sent her subordinate Zhou Yuxuan to consider it. She never expected that an accident like Deadpool's attack would happen halfway... But later, Emiya directly pulled out the Dragon Breaking Platform without going through the Living Spirit Test. This series of twists and turns can be regarded as a proof of his true ability.

In this case, his so-called magician training might be true... Wazhu's heart was burning with enthusiasm, collecting the essence of heaven and earth for her own use, and absorbing the great power of heaven and earth into her own body. This opened a new era... and opened up a brand new road to heaven, the road to immortality, and the road to deification!

If this can be widely adopted, the era of cultivators will surely begin from now on. The ancient and traditional hybrid races will be swept into the dustbin of history, and the world will enter a brand new era. At this turning point in history, our Zhou family should take a key leadership position and rise with tremendous momentum!

Lord Wa thought about it in her mind and came up with a plan.

At this time, Emiya Shirou was about to talk about the follow-up of the handling of the Deadpool attack incident, "...Speaking of which, are the results of the investigation into the incident that day out? The fact that you sent someone to meet me that day should be kept secret. Did those guys who transported Deadpool here just get lucky by accident..."

"An unexpected success? To some extent, it can be said to be, but it can also be said not to be..." Lord Wa opened his folding fan to cover half of his face and said something that was a bit self-contradictory and full of profound meaning.

"Naturally, few people know about Zhou Yuxuan's meeting with you, but there was another incident before that that was known to many family forces."

Emiya suddenly remembered, "Multiple families are involved in the Three Kings Tomb Ruins! One family planned this and intended to send Deadpool to the ruins early... So the purpose is-"

"The Three Kings Tomb was originally developed by my Zhou family. No matter what kind of accident happens, it will put my Zhou family in an unjust position." Lord Wa said in a cold voice.

"Well, what's more..." Emiya stared at the gracefully swinging snake tail of the Lord Wa. Almost all those who attacked that day were snake-shaped Deadpools. This kind of thing happening in Shenzhou was almost a clear attempt to put the blame on the Zhou family.

Wazhu noticed Emiya's fixed gaze and suddenly smiled, twisting her body seductively. "According to the time, Zhou Yuxuan should be waking up soon. Come with me to check on him."

"Okay, with Old Tang looking after him, there shouldn't be any problem... Uh, Lord Wa, what are you doing?" Emiya saw Lord Wa open his arms.

"Carry me over there."

“Isn’t this bad…?”

Wazhu pointed to the ground, and Emiya noticed that Wazhu's snake-like lower body and tail were "sitting" on a small flat platform, not touching the ground at all. The long tail of the Tang skirt that Wazhu was wearing was also gathered up:

"You see, if you don't carry me, I'll have no choice but to slide on the ground, and my lower body and clothes will be covered in dust."

Shirou Emiya naturally didn't know that Wa was carried around in a sedan chair by her family members when she went out on a daily basis, so he had to carry Wa on his back all the way to visit Zhou Yuxuan. By the way, he felt the strange and awkward touch of the snake's body around his waist all the way.

After the visit, Wazhu didn't even end her journey. She then laid on Emiya's back and waved with her white and tender little hand: "Carrying me once is carrying me, carrying me twice is carrying me, why not just give me a ride again! I'll take you to a great place this time!"

After adapting for a while, Emiya felt that he was almost accustomed to the touch of the snake's body wrapped around him, so he said in a good-natured tone, "Okay, okay, Lord Wa, where is the nice place you plan to take me to?"

Wazhu didn't say anything, but just smiled and looked at Shirou with a meaningful look.

Not long after, Emiya felt that the terrain was lowering and he was walking down along the stone path, but after walking for a while, the ground gradually became wider. Is there such a place in Xiangyang?

Lanterns hung everywhere, illuminating the palace complex. These subterranean palaces offer nothing reminiscent of the underworld, their ornate carvings rivaling those of the Tang Dynasty city beyond. The doors and columns are adorned with carvings of dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers, and curling grasses. Every few steps, a traditional landscape painting evokes a sense of antiquity, while the roofs are adorned with shimmering, lead-glazed tiles.

Emiya looked at it and smacked his lips secretly. It turned out that real estate was the best way to show one's wealth, especially for a family like the Zhou family that had been around for thousands of years. Any brick they picked up would surely be a priceless antique.

But where exactly is this place?

Wazhu finally gave in and replied: It is where the elders of the family live.

When Emiya carried her into the main gate, a group of old faces were staring at piles of newspapers in the candlelight. When Wazhu coughed lightly, the old faces raised their heads. Their pairs of golden vertical pupils first looked at Wazhu coldly, and then noticed Emiya.

"Who is this?"

It seemed like a casual question, without any questioning tone. It was obvious that the elders did not care how many people in the Zhou family they did not know.

Wazhu suddenly put her arms around Wei Gong's neck and said cunningly, "My chosen husband."

In an instant, more than a dozen pairs of golden eyes brightened noticeably, and their horrifying scrutiny focused on Emiya.

Emiya looked around in confusion. Is...is the plot of becoming a son-in-law going to begin?

Chapter 13 That Year I Put My Hands in My Pockets

"Who told you to speak here? Do you have the right to speak? You are just a small son-in-law of my Zhou family, and you dare to speak in front of the old man? You are not even worthy of carrying his shoes."

"Hey, who is this? Emiya Shirou, the son-in-law of the Zhou family, is so great, but you are not worthy of Wazhu, who is about to divorce."

"Please sign this divorce agreement..."

"Dragon King, the three-year period has arrived..."

……

Since he had no idea about the Zhou family's specific family traditions, scenes of the extremely ridiculous story of the Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King automatically flashed through Emiya's mind.

He looked intently at the "elders" Wa had mentioned. They were indeed wrinkled, withered old men, their lower bodies shaped like the same sinuous, serpentine forms Wa had. Their pupils were even darker and colder than Wa's, and they wore colorful, ancient robes embroidered with patterns of mountains, rivers, stars, and insects.

One of the leaders spoke up: "Which family is he from? What's his bloodline?"

The man looked at Shirou Emiya as if he was examining an exquisite object, which made the latter feel uncomfortable, but he did not show it because of the presence of Lord Wa.

"You have a fine appearance, your blood is as vigorous as a dragon and a tiger, and your foundation is not bad... But if you are of lowly bloodline, you are not allowed to enter the Zhou family."

Another person spoke, and although his eyes were fixed on Emiya, his words were addressed to Wa.

Wa was unsurprised. Bloodline supremacy had been the rule for millennia, but this time was truly different. In her view, Emiya was someone who could change the times. "It's not bloodline I'm looking for. You should all open your eyes and look at the world. We're in this era now, and the rules should be changed."

"?" This time, all the elders focused their attention on Wazhu. One of them panted and accused, "You want to change the laws of our ancestors and indulge in your own selfish desires?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Emiya Shirou also secretly tugged at the sleeves of the little girl, leaving aside the fact that he didn't have too deep feelings for her, even though she was cute and beautiful, she looked a little too young, and he wouldn't "enter Zhoumen deep into the sea" just for her...

However, Lord Wa also said that the elders’ ideas were feudal, and most people in ancient times got married early. Could it be that they thought Lord Wa was of marriageable age?

In fact, this is not something you should really say to Wazhu. Her reaction will definitely be to angrily say that she looks young but she is not really young. She has already reached adulthood a long time ago...

Emiya was just daydreaming inwardly, but Wa winked at him. She looked confident as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm not really marrying into your family. I'm in control of the whole situation. Just play along with me, watch how I operate, and then wait for the surprise at the end!"

Then, with everyone looking at her, Lord Wa raised her hand and waved:

"Someone, come! Go up to the Dragon-Severing Platform!"

The elders were all shocked. "What the hell are you trying to do? You, the patriarch of the Zhou family, are you trying to force the emperor to abdicate and rebel against the Zhou family? How can you not follow the rules?"

So, under everyone's tense gaze, Lord Wa picked up the enormous bronze heavy sword presented to her, the family heirloom, and held it high...

Then he placed it in Emiya's hand.

"What does this mean?"

The elders, who had been nearly having a heart attack, relaxed, but their tone remained unchanged. They felt that the Wa Lord was merely displaying her strength, not actually engaging in combat. That was why she was merely bluffing them, and after overwhelming them with her aura, she then turned around and handed the Dragon Severing Platform to a weak follower of lesser pedigree. (Emiya:?)

"Hmph, Emiya, pull it out and let the elders see it, let them take a look!" Wazhu put her hands in her pockets, her little face proud, and she didn't know what an opponent was.

...Then Emiya Shirou grabbed the Dragon Severing Platform and pulled it out directly.

"what?"

Why did you pull it out directly? Where's the seal? Where's the living spirit test? How could you not follow the procedures?

The elders in the family were dumbfounded.

Ahem, Lord Wa started to wink at Emiya again, trying to cooperate and show some momentum.

Understanding, Emiya nodded, and then magic power was instantly injected into the sword, awakening the dragon soul.

Rumble——!

First, a strong wind arose from the flat ground, and then a mighty, dull dragon roar emanated from the sword, like bursts of thunder. The elders' faces were filled with shock and anger, their hair and beards standing on end, and their gorgeous robes were blown into disarray. However, a powerful will seeped out from the dragon's might, piercing into the elders' decayed spirits, and then terrified them. In a trance, they saw a huge eye that filled the entire sky, glaring at them coldly and violently...

Several screams were heard, and it was obvious that several elders had made a fool of themselves. Until they all came to their senses, they found that the world had calmed down. Emiya Shirou had already sheathed his sword and was very low-key, looking at his nose and his mind, with his head down, pretending to know nothing.

Seeing that things were going well, Wa Zhu stopped and slightly suppressed the smug look on her face. "Emiya's talent is unique. He is a genius in refining weapons. His control over magical weapons and artifacts is unparalleled in the world... Now, he has signed a cooperation contract with the dragon spirit of the Dragon Severing Platform, so he can borrow its power."

The thoughts of the elders had just calmed down, but the words of Lord Wa stirred up a storm again... For so many years, they had only heard that the Broken Dragon Platform tested people without any negotiation - to put it simply, the living spirit of the Broken Dragon Platform asked a specific ultimate question, and it judged that those who passed the test would live, while those who failed would have their consciousness sucked away and die.

When Wa used the Dragon-Breaking Platform, she was pulled into the spiritual space and was tested by the living spirit. The living spirit's question at that time was about the observer effect: "When the observer disappears, does the observed world disappear as well?" Wa spent two days and two nights in the spiritual space arguing with it over this issue. The process was like a tit-for-tat confrontation, and finally ended the debate with a sentence from the Diamond Sutra: "One should not dwell on anything and give rise to the mind."

I didn't expect that the young man in front of me would directly discuss with Duanlongtai and sign a cooperation contract. What's going on?

Finally, an elder with a strong aura of decline spoke up and asked, "What does the so-called cooperation with Duanlongtai mean...?"

Emiya replied, "The power of this Noble Phantasm is at my disposal at any time. I will repair the half of the sword and make it complete."

"No! Absolutely not!" The patriarch stroked his white beard. "The Broken Dragon Terrace is the Zhou family's symbol of honor. How can we allow outsiders to take it at will? Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Another elder continued, "Unless you marry into our Zhou family." Once you marry into the Zhou family and settle down there, you will naturally be bound by the rules of the Zhou family, so it is naturally not considered as misconduct.

You can’t get rid of the word “son-in-law” in your mind, right?

Emiya's eyelids twitched, and suddenly he had an idea and looked at Nuwa, then gently patted the scabbard of Duanlongtai with his hand.

A hint of dragon power overflowed.

The familiar scene happened again... The elders' faces turned pale and ugly again. Agreeing to marry into the family was already a big concession, but you still want to push for more, right?

Emiya thought to himself, old man, this means you will cede five cities today and ten cities tomorrow. It would be better for you to obey Lord Wa quickly and then sleep in peace.

At this moment, the Great Qin Wa Lord, who was threatening the elders of the six kingdoms with his fierce gaze, finally swung his sword to cut through the clouds and said leisurely, "I have something to say. Please listen carefully..."

Chapter 14 I have a dream

The elders in the palace finally lay lifeless in their hibernating coffins...

That's right, hibernation. They're not dead, but rather hibernating in a similar way to cold-blooded animals like snakes. According to the Nuwa Master, the Nuwa people can use this method to survive in suspended animation in underground cold storage for hundreds of years, and generations of clan elders have survived this way. Given the Nuwa people's inherent longevity, they could probably survive for two or three centuries. No wonder they're so stubborn.

Before dying... no, before going to sleep, the elders and Wazhu engaged in a heated exchange of words. Of course, Wazhu was the sole main force in control of the situation. She further used the fate of the Broken Dragon Platform as a bargaining chip to force the old guys to compromise and give up their last power as elders, accepting Wazhu's new strategy of "abandoning tradition and keeping pace with the times" -

From the perspective of the family's industrial structure, traditional industries and unimportant real estate will be gradually adjusted and transformed into manufacturing in emerging technology fields such as semiconductor wafers and intelligent CNC machine tools. The plan is to first select the best investments and then conduct independent research and development. In addition, the organic combination of traditional refining and talisman-making technologies will be taken into consideration.

During their conversation, Wazhu cited the integration of Western alchemy systems into the military and auto parts industries, as well as their recent extensive development of artificial intelligence Norma. He also cited the inevitable trend of the overall transformation of the Shenzhou family.

At that time, Emiya saw that all the elders of the family were stunned by what Wazhu said. It was obvious that these were completely beyond the cognition of the old guys in the feudal era. Wazhu spoke eloquently and beat them to a pulp with a string of witty remarks. He also changed Emiya's arrangement from a son-in-law to the chief historian of the Zhou Mansion, which was equivalent to the chief of staff of the head of the Zhou family.

Emiya, who was cooperating on the side, was secretly shocked. Under one person, above ten thousand people...

With another wave of her hand, Wazhu appointed the Zhou family's chief historian as well as the head of the equipment refining department, exercising the powers of supervision, guidance, and planning... which was equivalent to the chief technical director. The Zhou family's treasury collection and the rare materials of famous swords and knives seized from outside were all open to him.

Emiya, already worried about his projection magic training, was startled again. He thought, "You're testing me with this?" ... So, he took on the role of Chief Technical Director without hesitation. Then, Emiya remembered that when they first met, Zhou Yuxuan had said the Zhou family could agree to one of his requests. So, he simply did an extra favor and got his good partner, Old Tang, the assistant position.

Wa and Shinobi worked together and fought in harmony in the underground palace complex for several hours. When they returned to the surface, it was already dark outside.

"I'm sorry, I dragged you into this play with me. And don't take those old guys' nonsense about marrying into the family seriously. It's an era now, and they're still practicing feudal personal dependency. They've guarded their families their whole lives, and once they cling to something, they can't let it go. In the end, they all become guard dogs..."

"It's okay," Emiya said, looking at the sky. "In fact, the compensation you gave me was too good."

"Hehe, is that compensation? That's called... interest binding!" Lord Wa laughed, waving his folding fan and shaking his head.

"Old guys, they want you to marry into their family just to tie you down. I'm just giving you a job and treating you well. It's just a way of doing things that's more in line with modern values. What's the difference?"

"No, it's different. Very different."

The benefits they gained were different, and their status and dignity were also different. Emiya Shirou could tell clearly that even if Wa-sama had her own plans, she was at least a good boss who knew how to win over talented people. She was very good at dealing with people without bullying others...

On his return trip, Emiya once again carried Wa on his back. The pointed snake tail swung around his waist, but he no longer felt the awkward touch.

The bright orange lanterns in my sight gradually became clearer, and I could hear the cheerful, babbling folk songs of a little girl. Her voice was as melodious as the chirping of an oriole, as if to say, "You have good taste..."

That’s right, the Wa Lord beside me began to mutter again, “Huh, huh, huh, actually, those old guys didn’t realize that I, as for you, must take advantage of this power transfer and industrial restructuring to replace all the things around me with ones that are in line with modernization—”

Hehe, this way I can go out and about in a sports car instead of that stupid sedan chair, and I don't have to wear long Tang skirts. I'm also thinking of going to high-end ready-to-wear stores and wearing designer clothes, Chanel, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, whatever. I don't want anything else, just something new and different, haha. Anyway, the old guys don't care, so I'm not afraid of other people's nagging. This is called open cultivation, cultivation...

Shirou Emiya responded by saying that this is called building a false front to attack Chencang in secret. Forget about shopping, even buying the entire store you like wouldn't be a problem given the Zhou family's financial resources.

Well done, Shirou, you really fit in with the role and are a good housekeeper, which makes me feel at ease.

Wazhu nodded her little head, her eyes narrowed a little, and her chin twitched on his shoulder, like a cute little animal. It seemed as if she was about to fall asleep on his back.

housekeeper?

Emiya was stunned for a moment, and the memory of Shirou Emiya working as a butler for Luvia, a Finnish noblewoman, flashed through his mind again. Plus, in the UBW world, he also worked as an assistant to Rin Tousaka...

Holy crap, is this the legendary convergence of world lines? Does he have some weird, young lady-attracting physique?

When they returned, the palace lights were on. Zhou Yuxuan had recovered enough to walk around. Old Tang was still blowing bubble gum. When he saw that he was still carrying the Queen Wa on his back, he seemed to have something in his mind. He ate the gum with a smile and whistled to himself in a frivolous way with a hint of meaning.