Chapter 0: Wrong Love
“Little Yu’er, for these few days, you should focus on catching up with Huan Baiyao. I’ve made up my mind.” Qin Gou said to Qing Yu and the others with a gentle smile, “That girl has a past with you, and she’s kind-hearted. It wouldn’t be right for us to leverage her affection and secretly plot against her!”
“Thank you, Master!”
“Why thank me?” Qin Gou chuckled, dumbfounded. “Little Yu’er, you don’t actually think I’m the kind of person who would resort to any means to achieve my goals, do you? No way? Cough… Forget it, then consider this my sudden surge of conscience. Is that acceptable?” He had only spoken half of his sentence when Old Qin noticed Little Yu’er covering her mouth and smirking impudently. He then changed his tune on the spot.
“But, A’Qin, have you ever considered that perhaps everything Huan Baiyao is currently showing might be an act?” Li Yuanzhen interjected casually.
Hearing this, Qin Gou couldn’t help but look at the Little Gambler with curiosity. “What do you mean? If that’s the case, what reason would she have for doing so?”
“I don’t know either. I just feel something is strange, maybe it’s just intuition!”
…
Feng Shi Cliff, Coiled Serpent Palace.
“Clan Leader, that item… you’ve secretly handed it over?” an old woman from the Empty Illusory Snake Clan asked in a deep tone.
“Yes,” Huan Baiyao sighed softly. “Hearing this answer, will the Great Elder finally be able to sleep soundly?”
“This old one understands. This matter is very difficult for you, Clan Leader, but our clan can only survive in the cracks this way, can’t it?” the old woman said with a bitter smile.
“Believe me, if it were anyone else, I, Huan Baiyao, wouldn’t even blink an eye! But facing Lord Qing Yu, who not only has been kind to me, but has also always cared for Baiyao…” Huan Baiyao’s eyes struggled as she gritted her teeth. “Can’t we just be open and honest, and tell Lord Qing Yu the truth? Perhaps she would be willing to lend a hand.”
“Clan Leader, the you of the past would never have such a naive thought,” the old woman shook her head helplessly. “Think about it carefully. Do you think, even with Senior Dragon Saint here, what is the probability that she would be willing to make an enemy of the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan from West Qin Mountain for no reason at all?!”
Huan Baiyao snorted coldly, a hint of defiance in her tone. “As long as we openly offer the ‘Domain Ancestral Array’ to Lord Qing Yu, what is there to say about ‘for no reason’?”
“You jest. The Domain Ancestral Array is the most precious foundation of our Huan Kong Main Vein, and it cannot be recreated. It must absolutely not be given to others!” The old woman’s eyes were grave. “Otherwise, we would simply obey the command and hand it over to the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan. Why bother Senior Dragon Saint? Clan Leader… you haven’t actually done that, have you?”
“I… slightly altered the original plan. The Domain Ancestral Array has been temporarily divided into two parts, with extreme concealment and disguise. One part is hidden within the jade bracelet spiritual artifact that was exchanged with Lord Qing Yu yesterday,” Huan Baiyao’s eyes were complex. “And the other half is hidden within a travel token, which was given to Brother Qin earlier.”
“Brother Qin?”
“Yes, the Faceless Hermit.”
“Excellent!” The old woman’s eyes lit up. “It’s still you, Clan Leader, who thinks things through. This way, even if the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan comes to demand it in person, we can truthfully say, without fear of Lie Detector Spirit Arts, that the Ancestral Array was taken by Senior Dragon Saint in advance! And retrieving these two items later will not be difficult.”
“Yes, this way they definitely won’t come to demand it directly, but it will also invisibly make the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan resent Lord Qing Yu!” Huan Baiyao clenched her fists, her eyes red. “I, Huan Baiyao, treat my benefactors like this!”
“Clan Leader, you must remember that everything you do is for the future of your clan!” the old woman immediately comforted her.
“You don’t need to tell me. I’ve always been good at convincing myself. But compared to the truly noble camaraderie of Brother Qin, it’s like the clear breeze of the floating world against dirty insects. I really am just scum.”
“Clan Leader?”
“Go. Let me be alone for a while.”
“Dong dong dong!” Suddenly, the sound of powerful war drums reverberated through Feng Shi Cliff. The invisible force contained within it made those who heard it tremble, as if their very souls were quivering.
“This is the Net Sky Drum Beating of the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan? It can’t be…” With the sound of the Net Sky Drum Beating, except for the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan’s spirit boats, all other peak spiritual beast clans must temporarily descend from the sky and were forbidden from obstructing the path ahead. This was a significant symbol of the Bi Fang Clan’s dominance in the Beast Land.
In an instant, a clansman rushed in to report: “Reporting to Clan Leader, it is an envoy from the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan!”
“What?” The old woman’s face suddenly turned pale with panic. “How could the Fire Crow Bi Fang people arrive so quickly? Senior Dragon Saint hasn’t even left with the ‘Domain Ancestral Array’ yet. What can we do!”
“Why must the Great Elder panic?” However, at this moment, Huan Baiyao’s eyes were as calm as a dead, silent lake. She said regretfully, “Since Baiyao has chosen to do evil, she will carry it through to the end. The travel token I gave to Brother Qin earlier also contains a mysterious illusion technique. Perhaps it can be used to directly provoke a conflict between the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan and Lord Qing Yu.”
…
Those deafening, domineering drumbeats naturally attracted the attention of Qin Gou and his companions. The moment the massive spirit boat landed on Feng Shi Cliff and several stern-faced individuals with scarlet wings on their backs appeared, Qin Gou immediately understood their true origin, and his gaze turned icy.
“What? It seems Clan Leader Huan is not very welcoming of our sudden arrival?” the red-robed male cultivator leading the group said with a loud laugh.
“Not at all, not at all.” Despite his words, Huan Baiyao’s expression was indeed quite cold.
“No, what I mean is… wouldn’t it be most normal and reasonable for Clan Leader Huan to appear unwelcoming?”
Everyone looked confused. The red-robed male cultivator then revealed a playful smile and spoke eloquently, “After all, if Clan Leader Huan could still greet us with a smile after knowing the purpose of our visit, then your Empty Illusory Clan would truly be devoid of backbone!”
“Hahaha…” A crowd of Fire Crow Bi Fang members laughed arrogantly, showing no regard for Huan Baiyao’s feelings. Such scenes were not uncommon in the Beast Land.
“So, Clan Leader Huan, there’s no need to delay us further, is there?” With that said, the red-robed male cultivator directly extended a hand towards Huan Baiyao, his intention quite clear. Since the Fire Crow Bi Fang had spoken, she had to comply.
“Clan Leader,” the old woman standing beside Huan Baiyao suddenly reminded her. Huan Baiyao, who was about to use the illusion technique hidden in the travel token to confuse Qin Gou and divert the trouble, inexplicably hadn’t acted yet.
At this moment, a figure in a green shirt suddenly parted the crowd, walking calmly towards the Fire Crow Bi Fang contingent. All the gazes of the Empty Illusory Snake Clan members were instantly captivated by that composed, slender figure.
“Fire Crow Bi Fang?” Qin Gou said faintly.
As soon as he spoke, hearing this familiar voice, Huan Baiyao suddenly looked up. Her eyes, which had been listless and filled with self-deprecation the entire time, suddenly burst with an intense look of disbelief at this moment.
The red-robed male cultivator frowned, his eyes cold. “Who are you?”
Qin Gou, however, answered his own question, a smile as usual. “Did you all receive an invitation from the Huan Kong Main Vein for this visit? If not, I’m very interested in personally teaching you the etiquette required when visiting someone’s residence.”
“For example, pesky uninvited guests like yourselves, if you don’t scram within the duration of one incense stick burning, you’ll never leave again.”
Upon hearing this, Huan Baiyao stared blankly at Qin Gou’s back. She was certain she hadn’t actually activated the illusion technique on Qin Gou. So why was he provoking the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan at this moment? He clearly knew their fearsome origin. And this group of Fire Crow Bi Fang had not paid any attention to him, directing all their hostility entirely at her, the Clan Leader of the Huan Kong Main Vein. Brother Qin, what reason did he have to act like this?
Then, the red-robed male cultivator’s lips curved into an ice-cold smile, and he looked directly at Qin Gou, asking, “Boy, can you speak for the entire Huan Kong Main Vein, for Huan Baiyao, when you say that?”
Qin Gou’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. After a moment’s thought, he realized that his anger had made him act rashly, and he hadn’t considered the powerful threat the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan posed to the Huan Kong Main Vein, potentially causing collateral damage.
“Don’t misunderstand.” Qin Gou immediately turned to glance at Huan Baiyao. He said with a faint smile, “This matter has nothing to do with Clan Leader Huan. It’s simply because I, Qin, absolutely detest your Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan!”
With that, Qing Yu, Li Yuanzhen, A’Yuan, Little Chair, and others also unhesitatingly moved away from the crowd and appeared behind Qin Gou. They all knew that Qin Gou was speaking the truth. However, in this situation, only Huan Baiyao felt that Qin Gou’s words should be interpreted in the opposite way! If it truly had nothing to do with her, why would Brother Qin, an “Abyss Citizen” who had no connection to the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan, risk his life at this moment? Moreover, since the situation had developed more smoothly than she had imagined, with Qing Yu and the others firmly opposing the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan, she clearly could no longer remain silent.
“Esteemed envoys, it was one thing to be harsh with Baiyao just now, but if you intend to be so disrespectful to my most honored guests, our Huan Kong Main Vein will absolutely not assent!” Huan Baiyao’s eyes sharpened, and she stepped forward, standing firmly beside Qin Gou.
“Baiyao, you…” Qin Gou looked at Huan Baiyao, utterly confused. He was trying to help this girl clarify her relationship, and now she was suddenly getting worked up?
“Brother Qin, no need to say more.” Huan Baiyao smiled brightly. “Baiyao is willing to act for the same reason as Brother Qin.”
“You’re also doing this because these guys are too impolite?” Qin Gou chuckled.
Huan Baiyao nodded eagerly. “Exactly.”
“Lying.”
“Brother Qin… aren’t you too?”
In that moment, standing shoulder to shoulder, their eyes met again in a silence more eloquent than words. One acted purely out of personal grievance. The other, while touched, also hoped to advance together with Qing Yu, Qin Gou, and the others from now on, no longer allowing their clansmen to be oppressed by the Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan. Both, however, mistakenly felt a profound, unshakeable love from the other, a love that definitely could not be let down!
