Four Dragon Island
Volume Thirty-one
Mythology of the Flower and Dragon

Summary by Amparo Bertram




By the tender age of fifteen, Max is already experienced with older women, not to mention visiting the opium dens. One night at a party, he encounters a young jewel thief he likens to the deep, passionate red of pomegranate. When the young man offers to help him escape from his "jewelry box" prison, Max agrees on a whim. The thief fails to carry through on his promise, however, so in revenge Max foils his next attempt to steal a valuable diamond. Clay says good riddance, as such a dark red stone isn't suitable for him at all. As Clay tries to describe what type of stone would suit him best, Max gazes out his window at the jade green leaves.

Liing comes to teach Fei martial arts when the boy is ten. After he turns twelve, his father orders Liing to manipulate Fei into getting a tattoo on his back to cover over the one already present on his shoulder. Liing is supposed to offer it as a reward for the boy defeating him in a fight, though it will be difficult to let Fei win without the boy figuring out the match was rigged. After Fei helps protect his father by fighting a thief who sneaks in one night, he gains the confidence to fight with all his strength, allowing him to defeat Liing in a serious duel. Liing looks forward to seeing what kind of flower Fei will become when he finally blossoms.

Roughly a year after Fei and his father open their tea shop in the wealthy district of Bailong, Fei witnesses a young woman being kidnapped, yet he refrains from getting involved. No one in the city is willing to stand up to the goons hired by Lao Shao, the late White Dragon's brother. Even the Howaluu can't fight them, because that would only give Lao Shao the perfect excuse to crush them for rebellion. Still, they resist as much as they can and do their best to preserve peace in the city. Seeing them, Fei feels compelled to help search for the kidnapped young woman.

Lao Shao demanded that the Howaluu provide a virgin dancer for his entertainment at a festival...then ordered his goons to kidnap the chosen girl and make her incapable of dancing, so that he can use the lack of a dancer to accuse the Howaluu of rebellion. Fei has a plan, but he needs the Howaluu's support. He duels and defeats their leader to prove himself. He then attends the festival and performs a skillful sword dance, offering insult to Lao Shao yet doing it in such a way that the guests believe it is part of the show, thus preventing Lao Shao from having revenge.

In the present, a ceremony is about to be held in which the Howaluu must present the White Dragon with a special jeweled necklace as a sign of trust. The White Dragon's young heir, his cousin Tsoi Shin, is upset by seeing the way Max teases Fei and wants to protect the Howaluu leader. He steals the necklace, believing that will force Max to step down as White Dragon. Then Fei will be Tsoi Shin's Dragonstone. Fei explains that he has promised himself--body, heart, and soul--to Max, and he will continue to stand by Max even without the necklace. This convinces Tsoi Shin to return the necklace...though he still wants Fei to be his after Max dies.

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