Giant Sun Elephant

Qi Bei folded his arms and narrowed his eyes as he sized up Marquis Lanling. He knew who he was and had more or less guessed his motive.

However, Qi Bei's memories contained little information about Marquis Lanling. He only knew that the man acted with outrageous abandon, holding neither the Nord Family nor even Hamos the Great of the Golden Leaf Dynasty in much regard.

When something was abnormal, there was sure to be something sinister behind it! Qi Bei was no longer the Qi Bei of the past. If even the Nord Family and the imperial clan of the Golden Leaf Dynasty were wary of Marquis Lanling, then his background was certainly no simple one.

"Little sweetheart, come here and let this marquis have a taste of you." Marquis Lanling completely ignored the two guards lying on the ground and screaming. He transformed into a streak of pink and charged toward Vajra.

Vajra roared furiously. The muscles in his arms bulged, and his bowl-sized fist blasted straight through Marquis Lanling's figure.

Had he hit him?

But in the very next instant, Vajra felt a pain in his butt. His enormous body flew up and crashed forward in a posture fit for a dog eating dirt.

Qi Bei moved. In two strides, he reached Vajra's side, grabbed him around the waist, and used a deft force to turn his body upright.

"Old rabbit, is your chrysanthemum itching? Our Nord Family happens to keep two Giant Sun Elephants. How about this young master bears the pain of parting with them and sends them to you to blow out your chrysanthemum?" Qi Bei smiled brightly. He slapped Vajra's arm with his large hand, signaling the enraged Vajra not to act rashly. He had already seen that even if Marquis Lanling had not condensed liquid into a core and become an Earth Grade warrior, he was probably not far from it. An expert of this level was not someone he and Vajra could deal with at present.

Killing intent blazed in Marquis Lanling's eyes. He might favor men, but Qi Bei calling him an old rabbit had still enraged him.

"Little good-for-nothing, I heard you had an encounter in the Undead Mountain Range. Let this marquis weigh you up." After speaking, Marquis Lanling's delicate, feminine hand suddenly formed a claw and reached through the air for Qi Bei's throat.

Qi Bei did not move at all. He raised his neck and put on the appearance of a lamb awaiting slaughter.

Just as Marquis Lanling's claw was about to touch Qi Bei's throat, it paused. Qi Bei was a direct-line descendant of the Nord Family. Marquis Lanling could insult the Nord Family verbally, but he still lacked the nerve to kill one of its direct-line descendants.

Yet with that single pause, Marquis Lanling suddenly sensed danger. Like a pink butterfly, he gracefully retreated.

A streak of black flashed past like lightning. When Marquis Lanling steadied himself, a strand of hair drifted down slowly before his eyes.

Qi Bei secretly lamented the missed opportunity as he withdrew the Black Sword. Taking Marquis Lanling by surprise, he had only managed to cut off a lock of hair, which left him somewhat dissatisfied. In his view, it would have been perfect if he had seen some red. As for killing him, Qi Bei knew it was impossible with his strength—unless...

However, when Marquis Lanling saw the hair that had been cut away, his carefully lined eyes suddenly turned red, as though Qi Bei had killed his mother.

Qi Bei's entire body tensed abruptly. He could see that Marquis Lanling had truly developed killing intent toward him. He wanted to kill him.

"Hmph."

At that moment, a cold snort suddenly rang out, instantly scattering the killing intent Marquis Lanling had focused on Qi Bei.

The redness in Marquis Lanling's eyes slowly faded. He glanced at the crowd behind Qi Bei, who had been watching the spectacle, then turned and left.

Qi Bei let out a breath of relief. His back was faintly damp. The killing intent of a peak King Grade Warrior directed at him was truly something an ordinary person could not withstand.

Qi Bei looked back. He did not know who had forced Marquis Lanling back with that cold snort. Perhaps it had been an expert from the Nord Family.

"Vajra, let's go," Qi Bei said indifferently. Within the fist clenched in his left hand, the image of a divine dragon was throwing back its head and roaring.

He, too, had developed killing intent toward Marquis Lanling.

At the restaurant across the way, Princess Mingyue withdrew her gaze, looking thoughtful.

"Mingyue, your future husband seems to have undergone a complete transformation in the Undead Mountain Range. Among the younger generation, I'm afraid no one else in the Imperial Capital could cut off Marquis Lanling's hair," Feng Ruoyun said with a faint smile.

"He used trickery. Marquis Lanling had no intention of killing him, while he intended to kill Marquis Lanling. Even a rabbit will bite when driven into a corner," Princess Mingyue said, raising her cup and taking a delicate sip.

"That's true, he used trickery. His strength is probably only at the level of an intermediate warrior. But in this Imperial Capital, who would dare harbor killing intent toward Marquis Lanling while facing him?" Feng Ruoyun looked at Princess Mingyue.

Princess Mingyue met Feng Ruoyun's gaze. The two stunning women, both possessed of extraordinary wisdom, traded barbs in their own ways.

Feng Ruoyu looked from one to the other, somewhat confused. How had these two close friends ended up at daggers drawn over Qi Bei?

After a while, Princess Mingyue and Feng Ruoyun smiled at the same time and smoothly changed the subject, their understanding absolutely seamless.

Qi Bei did not return to the Nord Family. Instead, he went to the beast yard where the family raised various Magic Beasts.

"Fifth Young Master." The steward of the beast yard hurried over respectfully to welcome him. Regardless of Qi Bei's reputation, he was a direct-line young master of the Nord Family, and the steward had to maintain the proper outward respect no matter what.

"Are those two Giant Sun Elephants still here?" Qi Bei asked.

"They are, but both Giant Sun Elephants are adults. They will need some more time to be tamed," the steward replied.

"Take me to see them," Qi Bei ordered.

"Yes, Fifth Young Master." The steward led the way, though he felt somewhat puzzled. Just now, Qi Bei's few words had actually pressed down on him until he could barely breathe, and he had instinctively carried out Qi Bei's order.

Two Giant Sun Elephants, each a full two zhang tall, were locked inside a huge iron cage. The two sharp tusks at the corners of their mouths were ramming furiously against the bars, trying to break out.

Giant Sun Elephants were fourth-rank Magic Beasts with comprehensive offensive and defensive abilities. They were extremely expensive, costing at least over a hundred thousand gold coins each on the market. If they had been properly raised and trained, the price would double again and again.

Qi Bei's gaze fell upon the enormous thing beneath the Giant Sun Elephants' crotches, and he suddenly broke into an evil smile.

"Open the door," Qi Bei said.

"Fifth Young Master, these two Giant Sun Elephants have not been successfully tamed yet. Although the Magic Array on the iron cage restrains them from using their innate magic, their physical attacks are still extremely terrifying." The steward hesitated. If anything happened to Qi Bei, he would never be able to bear the responsibility.

"I'm very afraid of death. Do you think I would joke around with my own life? Open the door." Qi Bei's gaze sharpened as he stared at the steward.

The steward's heart trembled. He took out a specially made key and opened a small door at the bottom of the iron cage.

Qi Bei walked inside at a leisurely pace. What happened next was astonishing: after Qi Bei entered, the two previously frantic Giant Sun Elephants suddenly quieted down.

Qi Bei leaped into the air and mounted one of the Giant Sun Elephants. He reached out and stroked its pair of enormous ears, then jumped onto the other Giant Sun Elephant and stroked it as well, all the while murmuring something as if soothing them.

The steward stared dumbfounded. He wondered whether Qi Bei actually possessed the ability to communicate with Magic Beasts. Wasn't that a talent possessed only by disciples of the Beast Taming Manor, one of the Five Great Holy Lands, according to the rumors?

Before long, Qi Bei walked out again. Yet the moment he emerged, the two previously calm Giant Sun Elephants grew agitated once more.

"You, send these two Giant Sun Elephants to Marquis Lanling's residence," Qi Bei said to the steward.

"Fifth Young Master, this..."

"If I tell you to send them, then send them. I'll explain it to Father myself." Qi Bei swept the steward with his gaze and spoke coldly.

"Yes, Fifth Young Master." Under Qi Bei's gaze, the steward felt cold all over and did not dare say another word.