Chapter 0: The Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan
When Qin Gou returned to Yan Qihao’s cave dwelling, he found the room had lost its previous warmth. Including Li Yuanzhen, the three people present had solemn expressions.
Could it be that they had also learned about the disappearance of ‘Yan Ming’ from somewhere?
“What’s wrong, the three of you?” Qin Gou immediately asked.
“I just received a sound transmission report that the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan is visiting.”
“I seem to have forgotten too many things… I actually have a son?”
“I seem to have forgotten to eat this morning.”
Unexpectedly, the three people’s statements were completely different, but Qin Gou could still easily distinguish the urgency.
“Then let’s go quickly! I’ll go with you to eat.”
“Alright!”
With that, Qin and Li actually linked arms and walked away at almost the same pace.
“Cough… Senior Qin, please wait!”
Yan Cang Zhou was ashamed and quickly chased after them. “The Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan is usually met by Yan Shang himself, but now… it will take at most the duration of one incense stick burning. Please help this old man out one more time, Senior Qin.”
“Elder Cang Zhou, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. Didn’t you say yourself that the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan was always met by Yan Shang in person? How would I know what they usually discussed? If I mess up, wouldn’t the gain be less than the loss?”
Qin Gou thought for a moment, then looked confused. “Besides, they are just a crowd of visitors. As far as I know, when have you Fire Crow Bi Fang ever truly cared about the face of other clans in this Beast Land? Just use an excuse and don’t see them!”
Yan Cang Zhou smiled helplessly. “Senior Qin’s words are a bit exaggerated. Since the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan received part of the inheritance from the ‘Ancient Spirit God Cult’ back then and became increasingly powerful, no other clan in this Beast Land can easily underestimate them.”
“Wait a moment.”
Suddenly, Qin Gou frowned. “I wonder if the Ancient Spirit God Cult you mentioned, Elder Cang Zhou, is the same one I’m thinking of right now?”
…
In the end, Qin Gou agreed to meet the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan, not only to show that everything in the Bi Fang Clan was as usual, but more importantly, because of the Ancient Spirit God Cult, a name he absolutely could not ignore.
This was the second time Qin Gou had heard someone mention this lost ancient sect.
Before, according to the Falling Prison Stele, both A Yuan’s severe injury and unconsciousness, Mu Tangchun’s complete amnesia after birth, and the Sick Tiger Shangguan Ju’s insomnia were all caused by an exploration of the ancient Spirit God Cult’s relic secret realm.
At noon, in the main hall of the Fire Crow Bi Fang.
The current ‘Cloud Tiger Beast King’, Jing Shixue, appeared before Qin Gou with divine eyes and a swift gait.
This woman wore no pearls or jade, but a suit of silver armor. Her beautiful face was like a cold blade, and her heroic spirit was awe-inspiring!
Yet, the most incongruous thing about this warrior-like beast leader was the pair of short, semi-circular white furry ears on her head.
Qin Gou guessed that perhaps due to differences in cultural perception between the two races, Jing Shixue might believe that her humanoid Dao body retained some characteristics of her true form, just as the Bi Fang Clan would summon their fiery wings at any moment, and like the beautiful dragon scales on Little Banwei’s neck, it strongly expressed pride and honor in her own race…
Of course, it didn’t matter if the girl simply wanted to be exceptionally cute.
After all, what truly surprised Qin Gou was not the pair of white furry tiger ears on her head that were constantly acting cute, but that Jing Shixue’s silver armor was actually a masterpiece he himself had forged back then!
Old Qin was fond of refining artifacts when he was teaching at Arc-Moon Mountain, but his skill was limited, and he didn’t refine many successful pieces, so he remembered every one of his works.
Although this set of silver armor had been slightly modified to fit the wearer’s different physique, with the upper body having more pronounced curves than the original, the words ‘Arc-Moon’ on the left hip were strong proof that this item was one of the many spirit treasures Qin Gou had bestowed upon his eldest disciple, Zhao Xinting, in the past!
Could this armor have been forcibly taken from Zhao Xinting by this Cloud Tiger Queen at some point? That was clearly unlikely.
Given Zhao’s temperament of retaliating immediately and settling grudges quickly, if she had suffered such a great humiliation, how could she have endured it until today? Now that she had achieved the realm of a Realm Lord, she would have likely stormed the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan long ago and turned them to dust.
“Clan Leader Yan, have you seen enough?” Suddenly, Jing Shixue spoke calmly, her clear eyes showing no concealment of disdain.
Qin Gou was stunned for a moment. He knew that staring directly at her without speaking was indeed rude of him, but how could she, as one of the clan leaders of the Beast Land, be so direct and unreserved when facing him, who had transformed into the Bi Fang master Yan Shang? This was truly rare.
“Indeed, I was rude,” Qin Gou said with a faint smile, regaining his composure. “Clan Leader Jing, what matter do you have to discuss with this seat?”
“Didn’t Clan Leader Yan want our clan’s Thousand Illusory Invisible Killing Array before? The refining method is a secret that cannot be passed down, so our clan naturally cannot give it to you. But this King can now decide to give Clan Leader Yan a complete formation. The Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan has produced many talents, and they will surely be able to study it themselves. In exchange, I need Clan Leader Yan to lend me the spirit jade that can conceal the auras and realms of multiple cultivators simultaneously!”
As she spoke, as if sensing Qin Gou’s confusion, Jing Shixue immediately added, “This King wishes to lead several clan members to the Human Realm. To say more would involve our clan’s secrets.”
“You want to go to the Human Realm?”
“Clan Leader Yan, please don’t misunderstand. This King will not act as madly as Clan Leader Yan. Our clan will abide by the rules of the human world and will absolutely not cause trouble or create unnecessary problems. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to use that spirit concealing jade.” Jing Shixue said without hesitation.
Qin Gou was slightly surprised. Jing Shixue’s direct admission of distinguishing herself from Yan Shang’s past brutal actions showed commendable courage. He nodded slightly. “This seat will not rudely inquire about the secrets that Clan Leader Jing is unwilling to reveal. However, at this moment, we probably need to change our transaction method. The spirit concealing jade can be lent to you, but compared to the Thousand Illusory Invisible Killing Array…”
“I heard that the Great Marsh Cloud Tiger Clan received the inheritance of the Ancient Spirit God Cult. I wonder how much you know about the master of that Spirit God Cult secret realm located in Mozhou? This is the information that is truly useful to me now.”
“Bang!”
Suddenly, Jing Shixue slammed the table, her pretty face turning cold. “How did you know that our clan is going to that Mozhou ruins this time?! Did you plant an insider in our clan?”
“What?”
Qin Gou was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and said, “Isn’t this a coincidence? Actually, it was when my little daughter once entered…”
“Clan Leader Yan, stop making excuses. When did you have a daughter?”
After some exchange, Qin Gou realized that Jing Shixue and Yan Shang were not close partners who understood each other deeply. Therefore, he didn’t plan to explain further and spread his hands. “Clan Leader Jing can simply consider her an adopted daughter! It was because of that Spirit God Cult that her Dao body was separated by some strange powerful force. Although it seems to have no drawbacks, I still want to know the reason…”
“Yan Shang!”
Unexpectedly, Jing Shixue became even more agitated at this moment. She suddenly stood up from her seat, her apricot eyes filled with anger, and the beast ears on her head pointed directly at Qin Gou. She shouted, “Your Excellency is truly all-powerful, but why do you keep hinting at me like this? How did you know… that this journey is also because my precious adopted daughter was split into two by some mysterious law of the Spirit God Cult!?”
