Chapter 19 — The Beggar Husband Turns Out to Be a Dragon

Three o'clock in the morning. Bach Tranh did not wait until six hours as planned for the ultimatum. He knew that the longer he waited, the more time Ngao Viet Phong had to prepare and the more opportunities he had to call for reinforcements. Surprise was the only weapon he had right now.

He left the car two kilometers from the warehouse and walked the rest of the way in the dark, along the stone embankment that Chuong Dich Pham had instructed on the phone. The layout of the warehouse was already in his head: two entrances, three broken skylights, a storage compartment below that could be used as a retreat.

The wind blowing from the sea was cold. Bach Tranh clenched his fists, trying to suppress the anger boiling in his chest. This is not the time to be hasty. Every step he took was carefully calculated, leaving no trace on the wet sand. In his mind, the image of Tuyet Nhi tied up, her face pale but her eyes resilient, appeared continuously, urging him to move faster.

The two gatekeepers did not have time to react. Bach Tranh approached in the dark, one hand covering his mouth, the other hand pressing on acupuncture points, both collapsed quietly, without a sound.

He pressed his ear to the corrugated iron wall and listened. Inside, the sound of someone's footsteps, walking back and forth steadily. Only Ngao Viet Phong is on guard directly.

Bach Tranh pushed aside the rusty iron door and walked in.

"Arrived earlier than I thought." Ngao Viet Phong turned back, not at all surprised, as if he had anticipated this move. "But did your highness come alone? Without the Dragon Seal?"

"Dragon Seal is not something to bargain with." Bach Tranh replied, his eyes quickly scanned the room, finding Tuyet Nhi still tied to the iron chair in the far corner, her face was pale but her eyes were still alert, not losing her temper. "Let her go. The matter is between you and me, let's handle it privately."

"Then let me try and see how much six years of hiding have worn down your highness." Ngao Viet Phong rushed forward, without waiting for orders, a straight punch aimed at Bach Tranh's chest.

Bach Tranh dodged to the left and counterattacked with an elbow. Ngao Viet Phong blocked it, stepped back, then attacked again with a series of fast and dangerous kicks.

The two exchanged more than a dozen moves in just a few seconds, the speed was so fast that nearby cardboard boxes were blown away by the wind from the attacks, flying everywhere around the room. Bach Tranh was hit in the ribs, took two steps back, but immediately counterattacked, a straight punch caused Ngao Viet Phong to fall backwards, hitting a steel column.

"Not bad." Ngao Viet Phong stood up, brushed the dust off his shoulders, his voice still calm. "But I'm just buying time, your highness."

"Your Highness thinks it's that simple?" Another voice rang out from the back door, deep and majestic. Diep Thua Uy stepped out from the darkness, no longer an image through the mirror, but a real person, tall and tall, with cold eyes scanning Bach Tranh from head to toe.

"You..." Bach Tranh paused for a moment. "You came here yourself?"

"Six years of hunting, I cannot let the end fall into someone else's hands." Diep Thua Uy replied, his voice full of complacency. "I want to witness with my own eyes the moment my grandson kneels."

"I will not kneel." Bach Tranh raised his voice and took another step forward.

"Still as stubborn as your father." Diep Thua Uy shook his head, his voice turned sour. "He also stood up straight and said the same words to me, right before the poison I put in the tea cup started to take effect. You know, the feeling of watching a person who has always believed that he is right and righteous, gradually collapse before your eyes, is very interesting."

"You..." Bach Tranh gritted his teeth, his anger almost made him lose control immediately, but he held back, knowing that being impatient at this moment would only put Tuyet Nhi in more danger.

"Don't be hasty, nephew." Diep Thua Uy smiled faintly, as if reading his thoughts. "I know you are planning something, but tonight, all your plans are meaningless."

"Then let me give you a reason to change your mind." Diep Thua Uy waved his hand. Ngao Viet Phong immediately approached Tuyet Nhi, a short blade appeared in his hand, close to her neck.

"Do not!" Bach Tranh shouted, his whole body stopped.

"Long An, give it here." Diep Thua Uy extended his hand. "Right now."

Tuyet Nhi, even though the blade was close to her skin, still raised her head, her voice trembled but did not yield. "Bach Tranh, don't give it to him! Don't betray your father because of me!"

"Tuyet Nhi..." Bach Tranh looked at her, his heart aching.

"Shut up." Ngao Viet Phong gently squeezed his hand, the blade pressed closer, a thin streak of blood oozed out from Tuyet Nhi's neck. She gritted her teeth and endured the pain, not making a sound.

That scene was like a spark that lit a barrel of explosives in Bach Tranh's heart. The aura in his body flared up violently, he could no longer control it. His eyes changed completely to a brilliant metallic color, dragon scales began to spread from his wrists, gradually climbing up his arms, his whole body seemed to be on fire from an ancient energy that had been suppressed for six years.

"Get your hands off her." His voice was no longer a human voice, it was deep like distant thunder.

"OH?" Diep Thua Uy took a half step back, his eyes showing surprise and excitement. "Are you planning on turning into a dragon right here, in front of a human? Aren't you afraid she'll panic and run away?"

"You don't understand anything about love." Bach Tranh replied, his voice almost growling.

His body began to transform. The bones creak, expand, and stretch. Dragon scales spread all over his body, blue-black light sparkling under the yellow light of the warehouse. The giant wings tore through his shirt and spread out behind him, almost touching the soaring ceiling of the warehouse. Sharp claws replaced human hands, eyes were now completely two bright golden spots of light.

The whole warehouse shook with every breath of that giant body. Dust and scraps of corrugated iron fell from the ceiling. Bach Tranh's breath exhaled in streams of hot air, carrying the smell of thunder and the sea, an ancient scent that Tuyet Nhi had never smelled before in her life.

Tuyet Nhi looked at that scene, her heart pounded, but she did not scream or run away in panic like Diep Thua Uy expected. She looked straight into Bach Tranh's golden eyes, and in that moment, she still recognized him, still the husband she loved, just in a different form.

"You're still you." She whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

Ngao Viet Phong, standing nearby, couldn't help but take a step back in front of the true form of the dragon clan prince, the knife in his hand trembled slightly.

"It's beautiful." Diep Thua Uy clapped slowly, his voice full of sarcasm. "But a beautiful appearance does not mean real strength. Ngao Viet Phong, deal with that girl first. Let her know that even if she turns into a dragon, she still cannot protect the person she loves."

Ngao Viet Phong nodded, his hand tightened on the knife, preparing to strike.

Bach Tranh roared loudly. The giant dragon's body rushed forward at an unimaginable speed, blocking Tuyet Nhi's face just a split second before the blade could touch her. His claws swept horizontally and knocked Ngao Viet Phong away, hitting the corrugated iron wall hard, creating a deafening noise.

"Not bad." Diep Thua Uy squinted his eyes, his eyes also began to shine with a strange golden color. "But you forgot, I am also of dragon blood."

Having finished speaking, his body also began to change, jet-black scales spread out, wings larger than Bach Tranh's unfolded, a black dragon with blood-red eyes appeared in its true form right in the middle of the warehouse, causing the entire corrugated iron roof above to be blown away, revealing the starry night sky above.

The two dragons faced each other amid the ruins of the old warehouse, a moment of eerie silence before the decisive battle actually began.

"Six years I've been waiting for this moment." Diep Thua Uy roared, his voice resounding throughout the empty space. "Today, I will end everything, once and for all."

Tuyet Nhi, still tied to the chair, looked at the scene of two dragons preparing to rush into each other, knowing that she could not just sit still and wait. She glanced at the rusty fire extinguisher and metal drums she had noticed before, her left hand silently twisted, trying to further loosen the knot of rope that had become loose many hours ago.

The battle was about to break out, and she knew that this would be the only chance for her to contribute her small part in deciding the outcome of tonight.

Her heart was beating rapidly, but her hands still persisted in twisting little by little, not revealing it. She glanced at Bach Tranh, the giant dragon's body preparing to fight, then glanced at Ngao Viet Phong who was standing up in the distance, the pain still clearly visible on his face. This was her chance, and she wasn't going to let it slip away.