The Qilin is "Honest"

Leaving the battered valley behind, Xuan Wazi kept up his old Daoist guise, heading cheerfully toward the central region where the Kirin Tribe was said to be most active. Along the way, he continued his "shopping spree," relying on the Primordial Dao Body's sensitivity to pick up a few more decent innate materials—nothing top-grade, but plenty of variety, better than nothing.

"The Kirin are said to be the leaders of all beasts, embodying the earth's essence, gentle and peaceful—not domineering like the Dragon Clan, nor haughty like the Phoenix Clan," Xuan Wazi mused, recalling the Primordial Era lore from his past life. "Gentle and peaceful... that means easy to fool? Ahem, I mean, easy to have friendly talks with."

A few days later, a vast mountain range appeared before him, thick with spiritual energy and shimmering with auspicious light. Within the peaks, auspicious clouds drifted, Immortal Cranes gathered, and spirit deer roamed—a scene of pure harmony. Deep in the mountains, a vast, heavy pressure pulsed with the rhythm of the earth. That must be the Kirin ancestral land—the Kirin Ancestral Abyss.

Xuan Wazi didn't barge straight into the Kirin Ancestral Abyss—that would be an outright provocation. He landed his cloud at the mountain range's edge, suppressed most of his aura, revealing only True Immortal-level cultivation, and strolled through the woods like an ordinary wandering immortal, taking in the scenery so different from Mount Buzhou's vicinity.

The Kirin Tribe lived up to their name. The few he saw—some alone, some in groups—were mostly calm and steady, radiating a soothing Earth Element Spiritual Energy. When they noticed this "strange" old Daoist, they only glanced at him curiously, showing no hostility. One young Kirin even trotted over, sniffed his robes, and nuzzled his Daoist garb affectionately.

"Tsk, truly an Auspicious Beast—much cuter than those two hot-tempered serpents," Xuan Wazi said, patting the young Kirin's head. The scales were warm and smooth. He casually pulled a fragrant spirit herb from his system space—one he'd picked along the way—and handed it over. The little Kirin chirped happily, took the herb, and scampered off.

"Such a peaceful place—if I just pass through like an ordinary traveler, wouldn't that waste my 'Xuan Wazi' reputation?" His eyes twinkled, and that Not Being a Person urge flared up again. "I need a plan—one that won't really harm these gentle Kirin, but will leave them with a 'deep' impression, and test the limits of this Heavenly Secret Concealment Mask."

His gaze swept the area and landed on a shimmering lake in the distance. The lake was rich in spiritual energy, clearly a common spot for the Kirin to drink and play. Strange fruit trees grew along its shore, laden with bright red spirit fruits that gave off an enticing aroma.

"Got it!" A scheme formed in his mind.

First, he silently slipped to the lakeside and found a few trees with the most fruit. Then, he cast a minor illusion—not altering the fruit's essence, but subtly tweaking the molecular structure of their scent. The originally sweet fragrance was cleverly "grafted" with a faint trace of a certain Primordial Skunk-like Demonic Beast's... signature odor.

The smell itself was harmless, with no effect on cultivation—just... incredibly pungent and long-lasting.

After setting his trap, Xuan Wazi quickly retreated to a hill with a good view and easy cover, laid out some snacks, and sat back to watch the show.

Before long, a few adult Kirin strode gracefully to the lake to drink. One was especially massive, covered in earthy-yellow crystalline scales, with a single horn on its head gleaming with heavy light. Its aura was unmistakably at the early Golden Immortal stage! Even among the Kirin Tribe, that marked a core member.

"Oh? A big one—looks like he's high-ranking in the tribe." Xuan Wazi perked up.

The Golden Immortal Kirin seemed thirsty, heading straight for the lake and lowering its head to drink. But just as its nose was about to touch the water, a breeze from the orchard carried that strange scent—a mix of sweet and utterly foul.

"Hm?" The Kirin froze mid-motion, lifting its massive head and sniffing hard. Its face twisted into a deeply puzzled and disgusted expression. It sniffed again, doubting its own senses.

"Ugh—!" The next moment, the dignified Golden Immortal Kirin couldn't help but dry-heave, stumbling back a few steps with shock and... nausea in its eyes.

"Elder Lin Sheng, what's wrong?" The other Kirin hurried over in concern.

The Golden Immortal Kirin, named Lin Sheng, pointed at the orchard, his voice low and rough: "Those... those fruits smell wrong!"

The other Kirin grew curious and went over to sniff.

"Pfft—!"

"Cough! What is that stench?"

"It's like... a skunk beast rolled all over the spirit fruits!"

The Kirin stirred in agitation. Some couldn't help dry-heaving, while others backed away from the orchard in disgust. They couldn't understand—how could such bright, tempting fruits give off such a suffocating odor?

Elder Lin Sheng, after all, was a Golden Immortal. He quickly steadied himself, scanning the area with sharp eyes, his divine sense spreading like liquid mercury, probing every inch of land and every ripple of spiritual energy.

"Something's wrong! Some scoundrel must be causing trouble here!" Lin Sheng growled, anger creeping into his voice. The Kirin were gentle, but not stupid—and certainly not without temper.

From his hilltop, Xuan Wazi watched with great amusement, barely holding back laughter. He was pleased with the precision of his illusion—the scent's source was the fruit itself, not an external addition, leaving the Kirin with nothing to trace.

Sure enough, after a long search, Elder Lin Sheng's brow only furrowed deeper. He found that the strange smell was naturally emanating from the fruit, as if they'd always had that "flavor." But how could that be? They'd eaten these Dragon Scale Fruits for countless years—always sweet and refreshing. Why the sudden change?

"Could it be a vein mutation? Or contamination by some unknown filth?" Lin Sheng was baffled. He tried purifying a fruit with his magic, but the stench seemed fused with the flesh. After purification, the fruit withered, yet the smell stubbornly remained.

Just as the Kirin were at a loss, murmuring around the orchard, Xuan Wazi judged the moment ripe. He changed his voice again, this time mimicking an ethereal, drifting tone, as if from the Ninth Heaven, laced with mockery:

"All things in heaven and earth, yin and yang give birth to each other; fragrance and stench coexist. You Kirin, inheriting the earth's deep virtue—do you not know that 'stench' is also a part of the Great Dao? Today's fruit is your cultivation lesson. When you can face this 'scent' with equanimity, your Dao heart will ascend a level. Excellent, excellent!"

The voice came from nowhere, drifting and elusive, leaving the Kirin unable to pinpoint its source.

Elder Lin Sheng paused, then fell into deep thought. He savored the words... Fragrance and stench coexist? A part of the Great Dao? Cultivation? Dao heart?

The other Kirin looked bewildered. Some thought the senior (?) might have a point, but something felt off. Others dismissed it as pure nonsense—who cultivates by smelling something foul?

After a long silence, Lin Sheng nodded slightly toward the void, his tone turning respectful: "Thank you for the guidance, Senior! But would you honor us with your presence, so Lin Sheng may seek your teachings in person?"

Xuan Wazi nearly burst out laughing. Were the First Kirin's descendants this gullible? They actually bought it? Suppressing his mirth, he continued in that ethereal voice:

"When fate brings us together, we meet; when it fades, we part. Today's fate is spent. Farewell."

With that, he fully concealed his aura, using the mask's power to vanish like a drop of water into the sea, leaving behind a group of Kirin staring at each other, pondering the "Great Dao" over stinky fruit.

Far from the Kirin territory, Xuan Wazi reverted to his true appearance and finally burst into laughter.

"Gentle—so gentle! From now on, anyone who calls the Kirin simpletons gets an earful from me! They're just pure and adorable!" He laughed so hard tears came to his eyes. Imagining Elder Lin Sheng possibly leading his tribe to meditate on stinky fruit in the future filled him with immense satisfaction.

[Ding! Detected host successfully pranking a Kirin Tribe elder-level member, causing philosophical reflection and self-doubt—deeply aligns with "Not Being a Person" behavior. Reward: Divine Ability 'Earth Traveling Technique' (Earth Escape Advanced), Innate Spirit Material 'Essence of Wutu' ×1.]

"Haha, good! Good! System Bro's got my back!" Xuan Wazi was in high spirits. This "Not Being a Person" path was indeed broadening, and the rewards kept getting better.

"Dragon, Phoenix, Kirin—I've seen two of the three. Next up, the Immortal Volcano in the south. Let's see what 'surprises' those proud birds have in store for this poor Daoist."

With a flicker, he transformed into an unremarkable streak of light, heading toward the scorching southern lands. In this grand drama of the Primordial Era, his mischievous role was only getting deeper.