"Hey, let's make a deal. If you agree, I'll let bygones be bygones."
Feng Qing'er knew she couldn't keep things this awkward between them forever.
Given enough time, her anger would fade, so she wanted to squeeze another benefit out of him before it vanished completely.
"Tell me what it is first. I'm not agreeing that easily. You're hardly an honest one yourself."
Qin Yun wasn't about to agree blindly. In general, his attitude toward promises depended on the circumstances.
For certain special promises, he would fulfill them even at tremendous cost-or at the cost of his life.
But when someone deliberately schemed or tricked him into a promise, he would still resolve it.
Of course, not by fulfilling it in the conventional sense. He would simply eliminate the source of the promise, then dust off his backside and leave.
"I want you to join our Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan." Feng Qing'er spoke her mind outright. She had the interests of the entire clan in mind, along with a few selfish motives of her own.
Most of all, though, it came from her deep-seated admiration for strength. After all, he was the first person she had ever met who had beaten her into submission-and he was a human, someone she would once have looked down on entirely.
"Sure, I agree." Qin Yun barely considered it before answering instantly.
Truthfully, he had already been thinking of visiting the Heavenly Demon Phoenixes.
He simply hadn't figured out how to bring it up yet. Now that she had invited him herself, how could he refuse?
"If you don't want to join, I won't force you... I... wait, what did you say? You agreed?"
Feng Qing'er hadn't expected such a swift answer. It was as though he had been waiting for her invitation all along.
"Why did you agree so quickly? Don't tell me you want to screw with me for the rest of my life."
Seeing him agree so readily gave Feng Qing'er a bad feeling. Somehow, she felt she was about to suffer again.
"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Qin Yun offered her two choices.
"The truth." Feng Qing'er had no interest in listening to a lie he made up on the spot.
"It's mainly ambition, I suppose. To put it plainly, I don't feel secure and need someone powerful to back me. Right now, your Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan is the only race I can reach that has a Dou Sheng Expert." Qin Yun spoke after a moment's thought.
"That's all?" Feng Qing'er thought the reason sounded far too ordinary, almost as though he was brushing her off.
"...Fine. The truth is, I have a very complicated plan in mind. To put it bluntly, all of you could be considered my chess pieces."
Qin Yun hesitated briefly. Since some things would have to be said sooner or later anyway, he might as well say them now and start preparing early.
"Heh. What big words. Do you know that our strongest member, the clan leader, is a Five-Star Dou Sheng?
"Someone like that could blow you to death with the slightest breath, yet you have the gall to call us your chess pieces."
Feng Qing'er didn't believe Qin Yun's claim that he was playing some grand game of chess.
Please. This wasn't one of those plays written by idiot authors. Feng Qing'er had seen a few human plays before.
A mighty Dou Sheng Expert wanted to deal with a measly Dou Wang, yet dragged his feet, finding excuse after excuse and using his connections to keep suppressing his opponent.
He would even summon a crowd to point fingers and criticize, hoping to shame his opponent into wishing the ground would swallow him.
Please. A true powerhouse wouldn't bother with all that complicated nonsense. He would simply slap you.
That one slap would smash you against a wall into a pulpy heap you couldn't even scrape off.
Her own Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan had experienced several coups, but each had come and gone swiftly.
Often, someone would invite an elder to a meal, and then that elder would disappear. A new elder would emerge from behind the scenes to take his place.
Having witnessed so many shifts in power, Feng Qing'er revered strength and scorned Qin Yun's so-called chessboard from the bottom of her heart.
If someone was strong enough to overturn your chessboard, what could you do about it?
"Not necessarily. Would you believe I've already made some plans, and your clan leader Huang Tian is my target? As long as things follow my plan,
"I have about a seventy percent chance of getting your aunt into power. When that happens..." Qin Yun hadn't finished speaking.
Feng Qing'er pulled a small dagger straight out of her Storage Ring and pressed it to Qin Yun's neck.
"You really have some nerve. Do you honestly think we're that close? I merely admire you. That doesn't mean you can say such treasonous things in front of me.
"You should know that if I report what you've said, the clan leader might personally hunt you to the ends of the earth.
"Every force connected to you would be reduced to ruins. By then, it would be too late for regret." Feng Qing'er glared at him and spoke fiercely.
"So my life is in your hands now. If you want to kill me,
"There's no need to report what I just said and make things so complicated. Go ahead. I won't resist."
Qin Yun even obligingly leaned his neck against the dagger, as if to say she could do whatever she pleased.
But that gesture left Feng Qing'er at a loss.
She had only wanted to frighten him a little and indulge her mischievous streak.
After all, after spending so much time together, even two stones would have developed some affection.
She hadn't expected him to cooperate so readily, leaving her caught between two impossible choices.
"As far as tonight is concerned, you were never here. I won't tell anyone what you said, either. Watch your mouth from now on, and remember: disaster comes from the mouth."
In the end, Feng Qing'er gave a haughty snort and put away the dagger, turning her head so she wouldn't have to look at Qin Yun.
"Don't you have even a little ambition?" Feng Qing'er wanted to drop the matter, but Qin Yun refused to stop talking and continued tempting her.
"Absolutely not. In my eyes, what you're asking would mean betraying my entire clan..." Feng Qing'er rejected him without a second thought, only to hear something unbelievable a moment later.
"The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit." Qin Yun slowly spoke those words.
"What?!!!"
"I said I know where the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is." Qin Yun revealed his trump card. No member of the magical beast races could resist such a treasure of heaven and earth.
"Tell me where the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is. As long as you tell me, I can fulfill any request you have on behalf of my race." Feng Qing'er's breathing quickened, and for a moment, she forgot everything that had just happened.
She knew what Qin Yun was like. In a situation like this, he would never casually invent a lie just to amuse her. There was only one possibility: he was absolutely certain.
"I'm not telling you." Qin Yun rolled his eyes at her.
"You..." Feng Qing'er hadn't expected him to start sulking. What was going on? He had clearly come to comfort her, so how had he turned the tables and taken control?
"All right, all right. I'll call you master, okay? Can't you just consider it a favor for your mount? The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit really matters to me. Please?" Feng Qing'er knew he responded to gentleness rather than force, but she couldn't bring herself to beg him.
She could only imitate the others in her clan and act a little coy. Yet that single sentence alone left her face burning red, her heart overwhelmed with shame.
Before you continue