The Fire Rock Dragon—now officially named Error by Seraphine—had settled into palace life with the enthusiasm of a lottery winner.

After binding the master-servant contract with Seraphine, its loyalty peaked the moment it devoured that Flame Heart Stone and underwent its rebirth.

To stay close for whenever Seraphine might summon it, Error claimed the side hall nearest to her quarters as its den. Master had told it to pick anywhere, and this spot came with a bonus: the windows opened directly toward the mountain waterfall. When hunger struck, it could slither out and swim down to catch the spiritual energy-fattened fish below.

The fish in areas rich with spiritual energy were particularly plump and delicious.

It had done its homework. It discovered that Seraphine’s every need was handled by palace servants, and the mountain’s wildlife—untouched by hunters—lived fat and happy on pure spiritual energy. Birds, beasts, fish—all of it was now Error’s personal buffet.

Master is so wonderful! This must be my destined master!

The dragon coiled into a delighted spiral on the jade-stone floor. It rolled around like an oversized, scaly house cat, clearly reminiscing about its previous damp, dark cave existence. The contrast with its former master—some old cultivator who’d beaten it regularly before abandoning it to near-petrification—couldn’t be starker.

That old man wasn’t worth a single strand of its current master’s hair!

So this is what dragon life can be like! Spiritual beasts really do need to find good masters!

Outside the hall, Xue Mengtao’s face had gone white as she listened to the crashing and banging from inside. Her hands shook as she knocked on the door. ‘Disciple Xue Mengtao of the Beast Tending Hall requests an audience with Lord Error,’ she said, trying to keep her voice respectful

Error rolled over with another thud, its massive green eyes swiveling toward the door.

Lord Error ? Is that… me? How embarrassing… hehe.

It let out a low, melodious growl—almost like purring.

I followed Xue Mengtao inside and immediately spotted the Fire Rock Dragon sprawled on the floor. Opening my surveillance log, I began documenting:

[Stalking Assignment Day 1: Fire Rock Dragon has tied itself into a knot and cannot untangle. Xue Mengtao is shaking like a leaf.]

After a moment’s consideration, I added a little T.T emoticon. The situation seemed to warrant it.

Xue Mengtao entered, her face pale as moonlight. The poor girl had clearly never encountered a dragon-type spiritual beast before. Those fist-sized blue eyes tracking her every movement probably didn’t help her nerves.

“G-Great Lord,” she stammered, “I’ve been assigned to serve you. I’ll bring your meals three times daily, plus monthly cultivation resources. I’ll also handle cleaning the hall.” Her fingers trembled as she channeled spiritual energy into her storage ring.

Funny thing—she’d spent years in the Xue family seeing such rings only on the young masters and mistresses, but got one on her first day at Luanyang Palace. Even if it was just for feeding a spiritual beast.

But then again, this was the Palace Lord’s contracted beast.

From her ring, Xue Mengtao produced a jade basin large enough for five people to bathe in, filled with precisely cut spiritual beast meat that glowed with faint energy.

Error’s eyes lit up like fireworks. It charged forward with an eager roar, mouth gaping wide.

[Update: Big eater confirmed.]

The metallic scent of blood thickened in the hall. Xue Mengtao swayed on her feet, looking ready to faint, but bit her lip and endured. She produced a second basin filled with spiritual fruits—apparently the dragon’s dessert course.

Along with the food came spiritual stones and fire-attribute cultivation materials, filling the side hall to capacity.

After its feast, Error dragged its bulging belly onto a fire-stone platform to rest. Xue Mengtao carefully gathered the empty basins and trudged toward the back mountain to wash them. By the time she’d cleaned everything and reorganized the scattered cultivation resources, sunset painted the western sky.

Error surveyed its spotless, well-organized domain and flicked its tail approvingly against the floor. It picked up several spiritual stones in its mouth and approached Xue Mengtao with a low growl.

Hesitantly, she extended her pale hands. The dragon’s massive head drew close, and it opened its mouth.

Snow-white spiritual stones tumbled into her palms, their weight making her hands dip.

“This… this is…” Xue Mengtao stared at the stones in shock. “For me?”

“Roar.” Error swished its tail.

The gesture reminded me of Seraphine offering me pastries, and I found myself writing a single word in my log:

Sigh.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming unfamiliarity of this new place, or maybe receiving kindness from such a fearsome-looking creature, but Xue Mengtao finally broke down in tears.

I startled backward, floating cautiously while observing this emotional display.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, wiping her eyes frantically. “I was just… scared.”

The equally startled dragon froze completely. After a long moment, it cautiously used its tail to nudge two more spiritual stones in her direction.

That’s all you’re getting, no matter how much you cry!

“No, no, I didn’t mean—thank you, Lord Error,” Xue Mengtao wept, slumping against the steps in exhaustion.

Golden sunset light poured through the hall, painting everything in warm amber tones.

“If you’d chosen to return to the Lianshan Sect with Young Master that day, he would have treated you well too,” she murmured. “He’s a good person.”

Error sprawled among its spiritual stone pile, tilting its head curiously at her words.

Xue Mengtao managed a watery smile. “Though the treatment wouldn’t have been this luxurious. Luanyang Palace is a major Eastern Continent sect, after all. I wonder… what situation is Young Master in now?”

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

The opulent, unfamiliar palace halls surrounded her, but Xue Mengtao’s heart yearned for the simple courtyard back at the Xue estate. After becoming Xue Bufan’s personal maid, she’d finally gotten her own room. When his talent emerged, her status rose alongside his.

But after his spiritual root was crippled and his injuries left him a seeming cripple, those who’d once respected her revealed their ugly faces, as if wanting to vent years of jealousy all at once. Xue Mengtao could endure her own suffering—it was seeing Xue Bufan’s pain that truly broke her heart.

If she faced such treatment, what must he be enduring?

Unaware of Xue Bufan’s spiritual root restoration, Xue Mengtao continued worrying for him.

“I was thinking wrong anyway,” she said with a bitter laugh. “Even if you’d gone with Young Master to the Lianshan Sect, you couldn’t have followed him. He’s just an ordinary person now.”

“Roar?”

Error slithered closer, resting its massive head nearby.

Oh, that’s not right at all, it seemed to say. Your young master got an inheritance from my former master, fixed his spiritual root right up. I witnessed the whole thing. He even promised to find me a Flame Heart Stone to repay the life-saving favor.

But thoughts of life-saving favors and former masters made the dragon’s eyes cloud with irritation.

Xue Mengtao mistook its mood for impatience and quickly stood. “I’m sorry, Lord Error. I’ve kept you from your cultivation. I’ll leave immediately.”

Leaving already?

Both Error and I—still floating above its head in surveillance mode—had the same thought.

Xue Mengtao smiled at the dragon and turned to go, but peripheral vision caught two figures standing in the opposite corridor. Her face went white with shock as she dropped into a formal bow.

“Palace Lord! Lady Siyi!”

Host.

I drifted over. Weren’t you supposed to be in closed-door cultivation? Are you here for a work inspection?

“Siyi had business with me, so we took a walk through the halls,” Seraphine said smoothly.

Siyi looked puzzled. Who was the Palace Lord explaining herself to?

Xue Mengtao?

Impossible.

Siyi smiled and focused on the Fire Rock Dragon. “I saw the Palace Lord riding this dragon today—red scales with a beauty, truly stunning. Come to think of it, Palace Lord has always loved beautiful things. Even before this dragon submitted, despite its bedraggled state, I could see its potential magnificence. I knew immediately that Palace Lord would want it.”

Both Error and Xue Mengtao’s eyes widened in shock.

Didn’t she say she wouldn’t force anything? That she didn’t particularly want it?

Seraphine clasped her hands behind her back, crimson lips curving upward.

I had an epiphany: Humans…

“Lord Error is indeed magnificent and beautiful,” Xue Mengtao said quietly. “Palace Lord’s eye for quality is naturally excellent.”

Siyi’s smile deepened. “I’ve known her since childhood—how could I not understand her thoughts? But you… I heard you and Xue Bufan are childhood sweethearts?”

“I wouldn’t dare claim such a relationship with Young Master Xue!” Xue Mengtao protested quickly. “I merely served at his side since childhood!”

Siyi regarded her with amusement. “I see. Young Master Xue is handsome and incredibly talented—it’s only natural you’d fall for him.”

Xue Mengtao’s face flushed crimson.

“Even we outsiders who barely interacted with you could see it clearly,” Seraphine said dismissively. “How could Xue Bufan not know?”

Xue Mengtao hung her head, mumbling a defense of him.

“Young Master Xue was engaged to Palace Lord. How could he possibly look at someone like me…”

“But now the engagement is void, and he still didn’t choose you, did he?” Siyi pointed out with a smile.

“No, I gave up on Young Master first!” Xue Mengtao insisted. “I’m just a servant girl—I wouldn’t dare presume to have anything with him.”

Seraphine’s frown deepened, clearly disgusted by this self-deprecating attitude. “You certainly protect him. No wonder your cultivation is so pathetic—you’ve probably spent all these years focused on serving others instead of yourself.”

She started to leave with an irritated wave, then suddenly turned back.

“…”

“Hmph!”

Siyi watched Seraphine’s retreating figure in surprise. “Why the sudden anger?”

“Did I anger Palace Lord somehow?” Xue Mengtao asked anxiously.

“You’re not important enough for her to pay attention to,” Siyi said bluntly, making Xue Mengtao shrink further.

“But don’t act like that in front of her.”

Siyi reached out to lift Xue Mengtao’s chin, studying her face with a bright smile. “With looks like yours, constantly attending Xue Bufan without winning him over… seems he has some self-control after all. But since he’s heartless, you should abandon those feelings and focus on cultivating properly in the palace.”

“Do you want to remain a servant girl forever?” Siyi released her chin, casually adjusting the ornamental hairpin in Xue Mengtao’s hair. Her palm settled on the girl’s shoulder with a gentle pat.

“People must ultimately look out for themselves.”

“…”

Xue Mengtao’s expression showed bewildered pain as she watched Siyi leave, managing only a bitter smile at those parting words.

The area fell quiet. With nothing left to do, Xue Mengtao departed as well, leaving Error to curl up among its spiritual stones for cultivation.

Having completed my surveillance duties, I drifted back to find Seraphine.

The moment I phased through her window, an irritated voice greeted me.

“So you do remember to come back?”

Seraphine sat on her bed platform, surrounded by stacks of jade slips, clearly having waited for some time.

I considered the situation and offered up my work log as tribute.

Seraphine glared at me coldly, seeing no trace of guilt in my demeanor. Annoyed, she focused on the report panel I held up.

Let me see what this little thing wrote. It better be an apology!

But as Seraphine read line by line, her mouth twitched, and the anger lurking around her eyes and brows gradually melted away like falling peach blossoms. She quickly turned her head, shoulders shaking.

Me: ?

Why was the host laughing? I’d been completely serious in my documentation.

The main system always reviewed my logs carefully and even said they’d publish them as training manuals for other system units.

But before addressing that mystery, I had a more pressing question.

I dismissed the panel and asked earnestly: “Host, did you recruit Xue Mengtao to Luanyang Palace because she’s beautiful?”

Just like with the Fire Rock Dragon.

What kind of question was that?

Seraphine frowned at me. “Naturally I don’t want Xue Bufan to leave comfortably—though if Xue Mengtao were ugly and had no feelings for him, I wouldn’t have bothered with her either.”

I focused on the key phrase ‘if she were ugly’ and updated the host’s profile:

Appearance-focused.

“Speaking of which, I have a question for you,” Seraphine said. “Earlier you asked what sounds I liked—what did you mean? Can you actually replace that awful grating voice of yours?”

Awful? Grating?

No host had ever complained about this before! Everyone had always been satisfied.

Seeing my acceptance of her criticism, Seraphine’s interest perked up. “Fascinating. Do you change voices for different hosts to suit their preferences?”

No, because that costs points. I’d never spent points on anything before.

“I see you want to do something about it,” Seraphine said lazily. “But it’s curious—if you want to change it yourself, why ask about my preferences?”

She continued: “Even spiritual beasts choose their appearance based on personal preference when they take human form. Echo, why don’t you ask yourself—what kind of voice do you want?”