Hat-Wearing Person

It was noon when Yu Shang left the Guest Courtyard.

Facing the strange looks from the girls changing shifts, Yu Shang remained calm and said indifferently, "I had a long talk with our distinguished guest all night and cleared up some misunderstandings. From today onwards, he will no longer be under house arrest. If he wants to go out, you will guide him and provide him with proper protection. Do not neglect your duties."

"Yes." The innocent winged girls actually believed it, and they couldn't help but feel ashamed of their previous doubts about the Saintess. They knew the Saintess wasn't such a clueless person!

Yu Shang, without glancing to the side, asked, "When will the Clan Leader arrive?"

"It's not the Clan Leader... the High Priest will arrive tonight."

"Huh?" Yu Shang was somewhat surprised. "Why is it the High Priest who came to propose marriage?"

"Because of the distinguished guest in the house, the High Priest wants to see for himself."

"Hmm..." Yu Shang slowly walked towards the main hall, pondering all the way.

The Clan Leader is her mother, though she was born from water and always has a stern face, prioritizing clan affairs over family ties... Anyway, if she wants to be a little coquettish, she's always easier to talk to. The High Priest, on the other hand, is much more rigid, making it much more difficult to cheat in the marriage selection.

But the High Priest's arrival wasn't entirely without its benefits.

The Clan Leader is more focused on the advantages and disadvantages of the clan and will be more pragmatic. Qin Yi has no foundation here and therefore has little advantage. The High Priest, on the other hand, believes more in the revelations of the Dragon God Phoenix God. Qin Yi's bloodline is very unusual and may have a unique advantage.

I can only hope that Qin Yi's bloodline truly holds the key to destiny.

After spending so much time together in the room, besides exchanging saliva, the two of them also talked about serious matters.

Yu Shang also asked about Qin Yi's condition, but what was troubling was that Qin Yi himself didn't know where the phoenix intent in his blood came from.

In fact, this is even more important than dragon blood—as Liusu and Taotie said, their Winged Human Race originally followed the Phoenix. Most winged races were like this back then, with the Winged Human Race being the most "close" and having an extremely close relationship.

However, during the ancient war, the Phoenix Clan encountered some unknown situation and failed to respond to their prayers, nearly leading to their extinction. It was the Divine Dragon who personally intervened to help, allowing the Winged Human Race to survive. Therefore, they worship the Dragon God and, after the Dragon God's fall, assisted its bloodline descendants.

That's right, the true rulers of the sea are the Nine Sons of the Dragon. Not the Dragon Clan, since dragons have never been seen in the world anymore... but rather a group of mutated creatures, such as Baxia and Bi'an, who live in the deep sea in an array.

However, they are not all so powerful that they are all formless; Yu Shang is not quite sure how powerful they are.

However, regardless of the circumstances, it's clear that Palace Master Xu Buyi get through, and it's conceivable that it will become Restricted Area in the deep sea.

The Winged Human Race assist them only to repay a debt of gratitude; their true master is actually the Phoenix.

The Winged Human Race did not hate the Phoenix for "betraying" them, especially after they discovered that the Phoenix Clan had vanished. They felt even more strongly that it wasn't that the Phoenix hadn't tried to save them, but that something had gone wrong, and they couldn't blame it. Therefore, they did not sever ties with the Phoenix Clan and continued to pay homage from afar.

This also reveals the loyalty and inflexibility of the Winged Human Race. They didn't respond to you back then, and haven't heard a word from you for tens of thousands of years, yet they still revere you as their main god, remaining steadfast and unwavering. No wonder Liusu said that if they were enemies, it would be a headache, but if they were her subjects, it would be a blessing.

What's even more interesting is that the dragon and phoenix actually had a falling out, contrary to popular belief that they were auspicious together. Therefore, the dragon, sensing the phoenix's intent, felt strong hostility and rejection. However, the Winged Human Race were quite pleased, clearly hoping for harmony between the dragon and phoenix.

Therefore, Qin Yi, who embodies both the dragon and the phoenix, was naturally treated as an honored guest by the Feathered People, with a level of respect equal to that of Wang Ping. Furthermore, the High Priest would make a special trip to check on his condition.

That's how it all started; it's quite simple.

The affairs of the Feathered People are not complicated to begin with. Their actions are very straightforward and rarely involve roundabout methods. If there were any more twists and turns, they would end up like Yu Shang, whose logic was almost broken by Liusu's entanglement.

Unfortunately, Qin Yi's "Zhao-related influence" is too weak, so he can't possibly have the power to command the Yu people; he can only show them a high level of respect. Ordering girls around to do chores is no problem, and even having them kneel before you is not an issue, but anything more is out of the question... The idea of serving you in bed, as imagined by Liusu Su, is impossible.

Qin Yi had been in Xun Wood City for three days before finally taking his first step out of the door.

The twelve winged maids were all high-ranking members themselves, with their own important duties to attend to; they weren't just idle little maids watching over him. This time, Qin Yi only brought Yu Lan, the only one whose name he knew, as a guide to explore this novel city.

This is a long, narrow city, stretching for a thousand miles. Since the residents can fly, the journeys are not too far. The winged people's residence is located in the very center of the city, and the city lord's palace is not far from their doorstep. Yu Shang is essentially the "Acting City Lord," but she does not hold absolute power; instead, she manages the city jointly with representatives of several other ethnic groups.

In other words, stepping out here leads to the most bustling area of the city center.

Qin Yi's first exclamation was, "Wow, there are so many birds!"

Over 90 percent of the inhabitants have wings, mostly feathered wings, but a small portion have bat wings, and they come in all colors, with pure white wings like those of the Winged Human Race being extremely rare.

Some of these winged creatures are High Antiquity races like the Winged Human Race, while others are transformed bird Demon Race.

By today's standards, the Winged Human Race can be considered human; they are born in human form and are not demons in disguise. Like those with Pierced Chest Person, they are also human. It's simply a difference in race, not a difference between humans and demons.

In their own eyes, there was no difference between humans and demons; they were all High Antiquity races, and they were one of them. Therefore, humans and demons lived together in the city without any sense of incongruity... Qin Yi looked on with some admiration. The most troublesome thing in the Rift Valley Demon City was not a problem at all here.

The world is so big, how can you see it if you don't travel around?

Besides the mainstream winged creatures, there are also wingless ones, and Qin Yi walking among them doesn't seem out of place.

"Yu Lan".

"Here." The girl had lost her adorable, candy-licking demeanor and stood solemnly behind him, her hand on the Moon Blade at her waist. She followed closely, alert to her surroundings, instantly transforming from a cute, innocent girl into the most competent bodyguard.

Qin Yi pointed to a group of people with straw hats covering their backs as they passed by to the side. "Who are they?"

Without saying much, Yu Lan simply said, "Uwabami Bird."

"Those with wings are Uwabami Bird, I can guess that," Qin Yi said, pointing to some wingless creatures mixed in with them. "And who are those wingless creatures, also wearing straw hats to cover their backs, and who are they hanging out with?"

Yu Lan's eyes widened, and she answered firmly, "I don't know."

Qin Yi glanced at her sideways, speechless.

"Just like when I go out with you, no one will know who you are walking with," Yu Lan said matter-of-factly. "Then why should I know who the Uwabami Bird is with? Maybe they all like wearing straw hats, so they're friends?"

Qin Yi: "..."

Yu Lan countered with, "Doesn't that make a lot of sense?"

"Yes..." Qin Yi gritted his teeth, "This clan is the one that proposed marriage to your Saintess, and you're telling me you don't know who they brought with them!"

Yu Lan blinked. "That's what you're worried about. To us, does it matter who the Saintess marries? Maybe they're even better than you..."

Qin Yi was furious. "Your candy is gone."

Yu Lan immediately bent down, flapping her wings. "I was wrong... Actually, we ourselves have only recently Xun Wood City, and there are some things we don't quite understand..."

Qin Yi looked her over with amusement. "Hey, what was the effect of that candy you ate earlier?"

Yu Lan looked around furtively and said, "I feel like this has gotten a little bigger since I ate it."

Qin Yi stared blankly at her chest, then suddenly pulled out the dog. "Do you still have that kind of candy?"

The dog, seemingly dazed, said, "I finished eating a long time ago."

"Qing Jun will kill you if she finds out." Qin Yi decisively shifted the blame. "I didn't know about this effect beforehand, it's not my fault..."

Dog: "... As if I knew that, I don't have breasts either."

"Never mind." Qin Yi took out a Spirit Stone and handed it to Yu Lan: "Go buy some candy."

Yu Lan's eyes lit up, but she quickly shook her head. "I want to protect you."

"Alright, it's your own city." Qin Yi respected their spirit and said gently, "I sent you to buy it."

Yu Lan felt relieved and left happily.

Qin Yi watched her retreating figure, shaking his head and chuckling.

Perhaps they are hundreds of years old, but they are just young girls who have been cultivating in the forbidden areas of the sea and have never seen much of the world.

"Brother, you are truly blessed." A warm male voice came from beside him. "Could you be the husband of that beautiful winged lady?"

Qin Yi turned his head and saw an honest and sincere face with a friendly smile.

It was none other than the person Qin Yi had just been curious about, the one with the Uwabami Bird a bamboo hat but had no wings.