Four Unlike

Chen Song rode Big White deeper into Auspicious Valley. The farther he went, the more this place felt like an ordinary mountain valley wrapped in the outer shell of a "secret realm."

Spirit herbs were as sparse as patchy baldness, and there was not even a spirit bird brave enough to chirp. Only a faint, almost imperceptible peaceful aura drifted through the air, barely maintaining the grandeur of a "Kirin Clan outpost."

"Boss, this place?" Big White's ears drooped as his nose stubbornly searched for the scent of Spirit Fruit. "No ginseng fruit is one thing, but I haven't even seen any wild peaches. Did Four Unlike run off because he was starving?"

"Can you think about something besides eating?" Chen Song smacked the dog's head, just about to say more when his entire body suddenly stiffened.

A hidden yet overwhelmingly oppressive aura rolled over from the depths of the valley. It was even heavier than the pressure of Feilian, that demon saint. Like water-soaked cotton, it looked soft and harmless, yet it made one's soul tremble beneath its weight.

Before he could react, two bluish-gray figures sprang out from behind a boulder. Raising stone spears polished smooth and bright, they shouted, "Who goes there! Trespassing into Kirin Clan territory, are you looking for a beating?"

Chen Song focused his eyes and saw that the two guards were half-grown kirin youths. Their transformed forms still carried childishness, with soft pink edges on their scales. Even the hands gripping their stone spears were shaking, yet they forced their voices to sound fierce.

Big White jumped at the shout and instinctively tried to hide behind Chen Song. Then he remembered that he was a "mount and bodyguard," so he forcibly straightened up and bared his teeth at the two youths. "Woof! We're here to find someone! We're not here to steal your lousy spirit herbs!"

At the words "steal spirit herbs," the two youths became even more wary. One of them even thrust his stone spear forward. "Find someone? Who? Our Kirin Clan has lived in seclusion for many years. We stopped dealing with the outside world long ago!"

"We're looking for Four Unlike." Chen Song jumped down from Big White's back and leisurely pulled out the secondary seal of the Earth Book, giving it a shake. Just as he was about to say more, the sound of a cane striking the ground—tap, tap—came from deep within the valley.

A group of figures slowly approached. At their head was an old kirin wearing a faded, earth-yellow Daoist robe. His beard and hair were white, and he leaned on a kirin-bone cane that glimmered with ancient spiritual light. He walked unhurriedly, but when his eyes swept over Chen Song, Chen Song suddenly felt the back of his neck tighten.

This aura... a Quasi-Saint!

Chen Song instantly understood why Feilian had backed down before. So Auspicious Valley, despite looking unremarkable, had a Quasi-Saint Big Boss hidden in its depths! Feilian must have sensed this pressure the moment he reached the valley entrance. Afraid of getting beaten up, he had cursed a few times and run off. No wonder he had retreated so decisively!

"This young friend, are you a disciple of the Three Pure Ones?"

The old kirin spoke in a hoarse voice steeped in age. His cane lightly struck the ground again, and Chen Song could clearly feel the earth veins beneath his feet tremble along with it.

This was no ordinary cane. It was clearly proof of a Quasi-Saint Big Boss's strength!

"This junior is Chen Song. Greetings, Clan Chief." Chen Song hurriedly cupped his hands. He secretly thought that this old clan chief looked low-key, but he had not expected him to be such a formidable survivor of the war among the three clans.

"This junior came on behalf of my Second Martial Uncle, Yuanshi, to seek a mount. I heard that Four Unlike is an anomaly of the Kirin Clan, with an extraordinary Origin/Foundation, making him most suitable for my Second Martial Uncle's status."

This old kirin was none other than Qiyuan, the current chief of the Kirin Clan. During the war among the three clans, he had withstood an attack from a Dragon Clan Quasi-Saint. Though he had suffered severe injuries, his Quasi-Saint cultivation remained. At the name "Yuanshi," his eyes lit up almost imperceptibly.

His cane struck the ground again. "You jest, young friend. After the war among the three clans, our Kirin Clan set a rule: we would live in seclusion and no longer involve ourselves in the disputes of the Primordial World. Though Four Unlike is an anomaly, he is still a child of our clan. How could we let him become another's mount?"

Though the words sounded like a rejection, Chen Song had sharp eyes. He noticed that several elders behind Qiyuan had quietly perked up their ears. Even the two kirin youths holding stone spears had forgotten to keep up their fierce acts, their eyes filled with the expectation of, "Could this be someone coming to offer us protection?"

Clearly, they had spent too long in seclusion. They feared the dangers outside, yet they also craved the protection of a powerful backer.

Big White caught on as well. He leaned close to Chen Song's ear and quietly woofed, "Boss, this old clan chief talks just like your Second Martial Uncle. Tough words, but it feels like he really wants it! How about mentioning Spirit Fruit again?"

Chen Song ignored the glutton and turned to Qiyuan with a smile. "This junior understands the Clan Chief's concerns. But think about it: the Kirin Clan is greatly weakened now. Even if you hide in Auspicious Valley, if a demon saint like Feilian comes looking for trouble one day, can the younger members of your clan alone protect the people of Kirin Cliff?"

He deliberately mentioned Feilian. Sure enough, Qiyuan's brow lifted slightly, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips. "That demon saint lingered at the valley entrance yesterday. At least he knew his place and did not dare take another step forward."

At those words, Chen Song became even more certain: Feilian had been too afraid of Qiyuan, this Quasi-Saint, to chase them inside!

"My Second Martial Uncle Yuanshi is of Pangu's True Lineage, and the Dao Ancestor personally bestowed Primordial Violet Qi upon him. His future attainment of sainthood is certain." Chen Song struck while the iron was hot. "If Four Unlike follows him, it will not disgrace the Kirin Clan's Origin/Foundation. And if Kirin Cliff encounters trouble in the future, could my Second Martial Uncle simply stand by and do nothing? You are a mighty Quasi-Saint, Clan Chief. You surely understand that it is cooler in the shade of a great tree."

Qiyuan tightened his grip on the cane. How could he not understand? After the war among the three clans, the Kirin Clan appeared to live in seclusion, but in truth, they were treading on thin ice. Though his Quasi-Saint cultivation could deter petty foes, it could not safeguard the future of the entire clan. The support of the Three Pure Ones was more reliable than any secret realm barrier, but he also feared being dragged into conflict again and letting his clansmen suffer further wounds.

He pondered for a moment, then turned and muttered quietly with several elders behind him. It was nothing more than an assessment of matters such as whether Yuanshi had sufficient potential and whether he would bring danger upon the clan.

At last, a white-bearded elder nodded. "Clan Chief, the Three Pure Ones are the orthodox lineage of the Mystic School. Though Fellow Daoist Yuanshi has yet to become a saint, he is already among the foremost great powers of the Primordial World. Following him is better than remaining here to guard Kirin Cliff."

Qiyuan finally relented, the hesitation in his eyes replaced by resolve. "Young friend, this old man has two conditions. First, after Fellow Daoist Yuanshi becomes a saint, he must permit our Kirin Clan to follow him and relocate to the Kunlun Mountain region. Second, I hope that Kirin Cliff, the true homeland of our Kirin Clan, may come under Fellow Daoist Yuanshi's protection—but our clan must retain the right to remain secluded. Unless necessary, we will not participate in outside conflicts."

Chen Song was overjoyed. These conditions were practically a gift delivered to his door! Not only would they solve Yuanshi's mount problem, but they would also help the Three Pure Ones win over a clan guarded by a Quasi-Saint. He quickly thumped his chest in assurance. "Rest easy, Clan Chief! I'll accept both conditions on behalf of my Second Martial Uncle! From now on, the Kirin Clan is one of us. With me around, I guarantee no one will dare bully you!"

Seeing him agree so readily, Qiyuan smiled as well and called to those behind him, "Bring Four Unlike here!"

Before long, a sturdily built youth came running over.

His head resembled a dragon's, his body a tiger's, his claws a lion's, and his tail a kirin's. The scales on his body shone with a faint golden light. He was Four Unlike. He scratched his head and curiously studied Chen Song and Big White. When he saw Big White in particular, he even took a step back. "That dog looks like he can eat a lot. He isn't going to steal the Spirit Fruit I hid, is he?"

The moment Big White heard "Spirit Fruit," his eyes lit up. "Woof! You have Spirit Fruit? Where did you hide it? Let me have some!"

Chen Song hurriedly pulled the two troublemakers apart and tempted Four Unlike, "Don't lower yourself to his level. He's just a glutton. Come with me to Kunlun Mountain. My Second Martial Uncle Yuanshi has plenty of Spirit Fruit. Just taking a little will be enough to fill you up, and he can teach you cultivation too. It's far better than gnawing on wild fruit in Auspicious Valley."

Four Unlike's eyes brightened. "There really is endless Spirit Fruit? And I can learn powerful spells too?"

"Of course!" Chen Song pointed at himself. "My Second Martial Uncle is one of the Three Pure Ones. The treasures in his hands could pile into mountains. If he casually gives you one, it'll be enough for you to swagger across the Primordial World."

Four Unlike turned to look at Qiyuan. Seeing the clan chief nod, he thought about Spirit Fruit and spells for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine! I'll go with you! But if there's no Spirit Fruit, I'm running back to Kirin Cliff!"

Qiyuan watched the scene and could not help sighing.

In the end, they still could not resist the temptation of a powerful backer. Still, this was for the best. The Kirin Clan finally had something to hope for. He took out a cloth bag from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Song. "These are Spirit Fruit unique to Kirin Cliff. Take them back for Fellow Daoist Yuanshi to try. Four Unlike is in your care now. If there are any instructions, send someone to Kirin Cliff at any time."

Chen Song accepted the bag and weighed it in his hand. It was rather heavy, making him even happier. He mounted Big White, with Four Unlike following behind, and prepared to leave Auspicious Valley. As Big White flew, he fought Four Unlike over the Spirit Fruit. "Hey! This one's mine! You're already going to Kunlun Mountain, so why are you fighting me for it?"

Four Unlike refused to yield. "Why should it be yours? The clan chief gave it to us. I get a share too!"