Soaring Serpent

"This isn't a snake." Liusu leisurely opened the conversation. "I never expected such a remote little country as Southern Li to possess such an unusual species. Quite interesting."

"Not a snake? You mean its wings weren't a mutation caused by the Demon Transformation Poisonous Mist, but something it was born with?"

"Of course. A fierce tiger might transform into a demon and grow wings, but when a snake has wings, that is another matter..."

"Don't tell me it's a dragon."

"It's a Soaring Serpent." Liusu said unhurriedly, "This kind of snake is an ancient variant; its kind is no inferior to dragons. But her bloodline is thin, still far from it... If she encounters a fortunate opportunity, she might be able to take another step forward. But I don't think she'll have such a chance. Southern Li is simply too small—so small it is like... hmm, sitting at the bottom of a well and watching the sky. For a place this small to produce cultivators of Minghe's caliber, and people like Li Qinglin... it already counts as a convergence of winds and clouds."

Qin Yi suddenly thought of the Yelang Kingdom. Though the analogy was not quite fitting, it did carry something of that meaning. Yet what was interesting was that such a place, like the Yelang Kingdom, had Liusu. Thinking of this, he smiled. "If Minghe's appearance counts as a great convergence, then what about Liusu's?"

Liusu said blandly, "When I existed, Southern Li did not yet. We are separated by... many, many years. So it is not that Liusu appeared in Southern Li, but that Southern Li is fortunate enough to lie near Liusu."

There was something unusual in her tone as well. Yet as Qin Yi listened, that sense of being gazed down upon from another dimension rose in him again—that distance, like the Milky Way suspended in the sky.

Minghe's serenity and Liusu's wickedness truly stemmed from the same essence: a detached gaze looking down upon the mortal world.

After pondering for a long while, he suddenly asked, "Since she's such a variant, is Ye Ling's speed innate?"

"It is a talent. The Demon Transformation Poisonous Mist awakened her intelligence; at such a young age, she successfully transformed, and even escaped the Demon Refining Array. That is precisely because her bloodline is far from ordinary. Unfortunately, she also has no proper method of cultivation. She is a complete mess, relying entirely on the spontaneous awakening of her innate gifts, having never truly learned anything. Otherwise, leaving aside her bloodline, a Transformation Stage demon would not nearly have been slain by a mere wooden sword with an enchantment attached."

"Then what about her... means of attack?"

"How would I know when I didn't see them? So why are you beating around the bush? What do you want me to say?" Liusu sneered. "That the Crown Prince was most likely sent by Li Qinglin to kill her?"

Qin Yi fell silent.

Liusu continued, "Li Qinglin dawdled along the road, even having the leisure to accompany his sister in investigating the case. Weren't you already puzzled by that at the time?... Looking at it now, he was actually just waiting for this incident to erupt. Returning to the capital too early would not do. Since you had already reached that conclusion in your heart, why wait for me to say it?"

Neither of them had expected the case to be solved so quickly.

This was not a case solved through their keen-eyed observation; rather, Li Qinglin seemingly had not intended to hide it from him too carefully at all. Qin Yi had the feeling that if he simply went straight to Li Qinglin and asked, Li Qinglin might even explain everything plainly.

Because they shared the same goal and the same enemy, they could seek common ground while reserving differences on everything else.

After a long while, Qin Yi finally said, "No matter what he has plotted, he has treated me well enough." As if trying to persuade himself, he added in a low voice, "In any case, my Cooperation with him is only to deal with Dong Huazi. Everything else has nothing to do with me."

Liusu said coldly, "Does it truly have nothing to do with you?"

Qin Yi did not answer, but Li Qingjun's sobbing when she learned of the Crown Prince's death yesterday surfaced in his mind.

Even her journey to Immortal Trace Mountain in search of immortals had been nothing more than a tool for her brother.

He truly did not know how he should judge Li Qinglin. No matter how much of it had been an act, Li Qinglin had indeed treated him very well. That made it difficult for Qin Yi to feel any real antipathy toward him, yet these matters clashed utterly with his values. The more he thought about them, the more complicated his feelings became.

He rose and stood by the window, quietly watching the bright moon in the sky. Only after a long time did he murmur, "You were right. I truly have to roll through the mortal dust before I can know."

Liusu asked, "Do you know now?"

"Not yet. What about you? How do you feel about this?"

"In my eyes, every wave that blooms and closes is the birth and destruction of a world. The power struggle of one tiny kingdom cannot stir much feeling in me. No matter how bizarre and grotesque it becomes, it can only make me find it somewhat interesting." Liusu said leisurely, "I do hope Li Qinglin can become a little more interesting, leaving behind a story more worth savoring in my long Years."

How could someone as formidable as you always leap sky-high at a simple provocation? Qin Yi badly wanted to mock her, yet could not bring himself to do so. He knew Liusu was not putting on an act in the slightest.

That was the weathered weight condensed through who knew how many years.

No matter what, dealing with Dong Huazi was both Qin Yi's own wish and the final obsession cherished by this body's Original Owner. Its influence ran so deep that merely hearing the title National Teacher made Qin Yi nauseous. He knew he had to settle this matter, and Li Qinglin was absolutely the best partner for it—moreover, Li Qinglin was actually the main force, while Qin Yi was merely support.

Everything else could only be secondary.

To be honest, after learning a little more, he knew Dong Huazi was definitely a cultivator with genuine ability, not the swindler the Li Family Siblings had originally called him. Since he was a true cultivator, regardless of the level of his cultivation, he was still above Qin Yi, who had yet to begin cultivating.

Even if Qin Yi started cultivating with Liusu now, it would be too late. All he could rely on was Liusu's vast cultivation knowledge, as though there were nothing she did not know. Perhaps she could use four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds and unravel Dong Huazi's methods. As support, that would be enough.

Thus, while Li Qinglin spent these days securing the position of Crown Prince and had no time to spare for other arrangements, Qin Yi had no intention of going out at all. He hid in the small courtyard, wholeheartedly learning from Liusu about the arts of the Dao.

Some things could be used without cultivation; others required cultivation, but he could already understand their principles. He studied more earnestly than he had in Immortal Trace Village, never stepping beyond the door.

Of course, there was another reason he did not leave: he did not want to run into Minghe.

Even if Ye Ling had killed the Crown Prince, when Qin Yi looked at the little girl sitting before him and blinking her eyes, he truly felt he could never bear to expose such a little sister to Minghe so she could slay demons and eliminate evil.

Perhaps Liusu had been right. The trip to the farmstead had indeed been of no use to him. He had thought he understood that skin and appearance were no more than superficial forms, yet when a little girl truly sat before him, pity naturally rose in his heart. He could not escape the perceptions in his own eyes; they honestly reflected themselves in his heart.

And Liusu had not tried to admonish him against being deceived by appearances at all. It seemed she truly wanted him to experience it for himself before speaking.

"This thing is called an Enlightenment Pill. As the name suggests, it is used to enlighten spiritual intelligence." Qin Yi rolled a pill between his fingers and coaxed her patiently. "Open your mouth. Ah~"

Ye Ling sat on the floor, looking at him with a trace of distrust. "I've already transformed. Why do I still need enlightenment?"

"Don't you think you're a little stupid and need to become smarter?"

"You're the stupid one."

"All right, actually, its effect is similar to the Demon Transformation Poisonous Mist, only of a higher grade. It may be able to override the mist's effects, allowing you to avoid being restrained by Dong Huazi's demon arts when you face him."

Ye Ling immediately stretched out her neck, trying to snatch the pill from his hand with her mouth.

Qin Yi pulled his hand back, and the little girl promptly flopped face-first onto the floor, raising her head to glare at him indignantly.

"Stupid." That was Liusu's voice.

In fact, the words, "She's a little stupid and needs to become smarter," had come from Liusu in the first place.

Ye Ling truly lacked common sense... or rather, she lacked any awareness of how to behave as a "person." Like how she was sitting on the floor instead of a chair right now, craning out her neck to take medicine instead of reaching out her hand.

In Liusu's eyes, a Transformation Stage demon still clinging to a whole bodyful of primitive habits was stupid beyond belief. Yet Qin Yi found it adorable. If he put a bowl in front of her and watched her stretch out her neck to lap up water, that would be even more adorable...

"I'm kidding. This pill isn't meant to be eaten." Meeting Ye Ling's indignant gaze, Qin Yi smiled pleasantly as he tossed the pill in his hand, then pressed it against the center of her brow.

A wisp of rosy light rippled out. The pill slowly shrank, then gradually vanished.

"Well? How does it feel?"

Ye Ling looked at him blankly. After a long while, she said, "I don't know. It feels like I forgot something, but also like nothing changed."

Qin Yi put on an inscrutable air. "That means it worked. You can go back now."

He was dying to ask Liusu what this "forgot something" situation was about.

"I'm not going back." Ye Ling remained seated on the floor. "I want to hear about the Monkey."

Qin Yi clutched his head, his balls practically shattering. It wasn't just Ye Ling—Li Qingjun had also been coming over every day lately just to hear stories. But did these two idiots have any idea how precious these past few days were? He barely had enough time to learn things himself, yet he kept wasting it all telling stories...

"Go, go, go. I have important business today." Qin Yi grabbed her by the collar, hauled her up, and tossed her out.

He really did have business. For instance, there was a formation in the backyard that was only half laid out, with Minghe's Peach Wood Sword serving as its core.

He felt that Dong Huazi could not possibly have only slain demons and monsters without ever subjugating or commanding any. If the other side secretly possessed such a demon-and-monster force, then Minghe's sword combined with Liusu's formation could probably achieve something beyond anyone's imagination.