A Gentleman's Friendship

No wonder he was so good at disciplining Yu Shang back then. Qin Yi suspected that the ancestors of the Winged Human Race had been treated like that by Bangbang, and that's why he would get angry whenever he heard anything related to "Liusu"...

"You're the one who started something and then abandoned it, you scumbag."

On a dark and windy night, Qin Yi, accompanied by Liusu, strolled through Xun Wood City, seemingly aimlessly wandering the streets, but in reality, they were waiting for their prey to take the bait.

"To be honest, I don't remember much about it," Liusu said matter-of-factly. "Anyway, I didn't do anything with her, I just thought it was fun."

"..." Qin Yi asked, "Their ancestors should have passed away by now, right?"

"Of course, without reaching the Taiqing realm, even the Formless realm is not immortal. Except for special cases like the dog, how can one not die... Besides, back then they hadn't reached the Formless realm yet, they were just a bunch of maids. Now they can arrogantly call themselves a superior race and even take in sons-in-law. Tch. It seems that the Double Eyed Bird have also declined. Otherwise, the Double Eyed Bird were much more noble than them back then."

Qin Yi didn't discuss the issue of social status with it, but simply asked, "If the ancestors of the Feathered People have all vanished, why has the remnant soul of the Soaring Serpent and the others been able to survive for so many years?"

"In the end, it's just a wisp of remnant consciousness, its awareness is unclear, so what's the difference between it and being dead?" Liusu said, "If they really had original consciousness, your Cheng Cheng wouldn't be able to control them. Now, rather than saying they are alive, it's more accurate to say that they have become a kind of array spirit of the Rift Valley Demon City, continuing to exist by relying on the energy of the array, otherwise they would have dissipated long ago."

"Are the Nine Sons of the Dragon in the center of the sea... living bloodline inheritors, or souls?"

"If they had survived back then, they would naturally have had descendants. The Baxia and Suanni of today might not be the same group I knew back then; they might just be their descendants." Liusu said, "Of course, it's also possible that they relied on some special method to nourish their souls and survive, so they can only forever remain in the sea, unable to go out."

This makes more sense.

The tens of thousands of years that Liusu often mentions are uncertain, because it has been inside the stick for so long without the sun and moon, that it simply doesn't know the exact year and can only make an estimate. Now, considering various accounts and records, this "tens of thousands" should be around 80,000 to 90,000 years. In addition, considering that they were already quite old before the Immortal-God Calamity, a rough calculation would put it well over 100,000 years ago.

Wuxiang is ultimately not Taiqing, nor is he a special being like Gouzi. He has not yet achieved true immortality, and without a special method, he could not have lived for so long.

Qin Yi and Liusu communicated through their Divine Sense. On the surface, he was just walking alone on the long street of Xun Wood City at night. The moonlight stretched his shadow, making him look very lonely and desolate.

He knew he wouldn't be "alone" for long; Gu Shuanglin and his ilk would inevitably come knocking on his door.

The reason they haven't come looking for him for so long is, of course, because they're just observing. After all, it's very strange for him to be out on the street alone; it's too much like he's fishing.

Qin Yi had no choice but to resort to this obvious baiting tactic. Otherwise, where would he find a chance encounter? In any case, the assessments for several organizations were imminent, and since the other party had ulterior motives, they certainly wouldn't be able to hold back.

The two silently tested their patience for a while, more than an hour later, before a sigh came from behind Qin Yi: "Brother Qi, what are you doing walking alone on the street in the middle of the night?"

Qin Yi smiled without turning his head and said, "Brother Gu, what brings you here in the middle of the night?"

Gu Shuanglin said, "We Uwabami Bird are naturally nocturnal, so it's not surprising that we've seen them during the day, let alone at night."

Qin Yi laughed and said, "As a son-in-law, one is not really in control of one's own life. Whether or not one can sleep in the same bed is not up to one's own decision. It's not surprising that one goes out for a stroll at night."

After each person said a sentence, they both fell silent. Qin Yi turned to look at Gu Shuanglin behind him, and the two of them smiled.

Both sides knew perfectly well that one had come specifically to find him, while the other had been loitering outside waiting for him to come to him.

Both of them had a sincere and gentlemanly demeanor, as if they had met old friends in a foreign land.

Looking at Liusu's matter-of-fact expression, Gouzi thought to himself that the phrase "Ah, the Gentleman Country" was truly apt for that Miss Yue Xi. Qin Yi was already considered one of the more gentlemanly people Gouzi had met, but when it came to being cunning, he was no less so.

It's not that the Gentleman Country is full of scoundrels, but rather that there may be very few True Lord left in this world...

Gu Shuanglin finally said, "Since Brother Qi is unhappy, why don't we come to my humble abode for a couple of drinks?"

Qin Yi laughed and asked, "Where do you live? It wouldn't happen to be Zhi Bird Village, would it?"

"Where is that?" Gu Shuanglin shook his head. "It's not far from here, in the Flying Bird Forest."

Qin Yi didn't say much, made a "please" gesture, and the two silently turned out of the long street.

It's quite normal for Xun Wood City to have forests. After turning off two streets, you'll soon see a grove of trees not far away, lush and green, with many birds flitting about, many of which haven't yet taken human form.

There is a pavilion in the woods, wine in the pavilion, and fruits and vegetables.

It was prepared long ago.

The two sat down facing each other. Gu Shuanglin picked up the wine pot and poured Qin Yi a cup, saying with a smile, "To be honest, it's really uncomfortable for a man to bow and scrape and serve a woman."

Qin Yi sighed and drank.

Gu Shuanglin comforted him, "Actually, Brother Qi is living a life of privilege without realizing it. Countless people envy Brother Qi. Look, we're here to learn from Brother Qi..."

Qin Yi said, "You're asking to marry the Saintess? Oh, no, you're asking to marry into her family? What's your motive?"

Gu Shuanglin laughed and said, "The Saintess is stunningly beautiful, and the Feathered Man is noble and respectable. Aren't they worth it?"

Qin Yi said, "But look at me, even having sex with someone requires my permission, and you're still willing to do it?"

"Of course we are willing." Gu Shuanglin said righteously, "Our hearts are as clear as Saintess."

Qin Yi patted him on the shoulder, deeply moved. "If you didn't truly like someone, who would be willing to be a simp?"

The two looked at each other with mutual respect for a while, Gu Shuanglin lowered his voice and said, "I can see that Brother Qi is not willing to humble himself, but he really likes your wife, right?"

"Right."

"If I had a way to make your wife submit to Brother Qi, what would you do, Brother Qi?"

Qin Yi was taken aback. "You're not going to tell me you're going to use some kind of poison or something, are you? I won't do that kind of thing."

Gu Shuanglin waved his hand. "There's no need to use poison or even magic. We sincerely beg the Saintess, so of course we wouldn't resort to such methods."

Qin Yi was now genuinely curious. "How is it done?"

Gu Shuanglin smiled and said, "Brother Qi, you must have heard the legend of the Uwabami Bird. It's about taking someone else's child and raising it yourself, and that child will genuinely recognize its mother. This is simply the bond of nurturing. Because of our special circumstances, we can amplify the other person's feelings many times over, making her consider it the most important thing. Brother Qi, think about it, this first and foremost requires your wife to truly have feelings for you in order to amplify it. It's not about twisting her heart to harm her, is it?"

Qin Yi nodded slightly. "That makes sense. So you're planning to use this method to make the Saintess completely devoted to you?"

Gu Shuanglin said earnestly, "If she has feelings for us, nothing can change her heart. If she has no feelings for us, we are willing to humble ourselves and serve her. So, Brother Qi, you should know that we have no ill intentions and are sincere in our hearts."

Qin Yi sipped his wine without answering.

Gu Shuanglin smiled and said, "If Brother Qi can provide Winged Human Race, especially the Yu Shang Saintess's temperament and preferences, then we will also send Brother Qi a share of our clan's treasures, so that Brother Qi can hold his head high at home and assert his authority as a husband."

Qin Yi hesitated for a moment. "Give me the treasure first."

Gu Shuanglin didn't hesitate and readily took out something that looked like a bird's egg. "If you carry this with you, it will slowly influence your wife without any negative effects."

Qin Yi took the bird egg, weighed it in his hand for a moment, and grinned. "You know that the Winged Human Race's headdresses are quite simple, at most just a few white feathers as decoration, right?"

Gu Shuanglin nodded. "I know that. It's because the Winged Human Race have a tradition of valuing simplicity."

Qin Yi lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Actually, many young women of the Feathered Clan are fond of flashy things. I know that the Saintess really likes those magnificent crowns with Liusu hanging all over them, and she has even secretly worn one. It's just that due to the conservative atmosphere in the clan, no one is too embarrassed to say it out loud."

Gu Shuanglin's face lit up with joy. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Qi. I know what to do now."