Linglong was an extraordinary woman, strong enough to lift a massive cauldron, and hoisting up a Xiaolong more than ten meters long was an effortless task for her.
Of course, the Longxueteng did not want Linglong to snatch away their prey, but all the Longxueteng nearby had lost their ability to block her thanks to Hua Jian’s interference.
They could only watch helplessly as Linglong carried Xiaolong away.
Only after Linglong had flown off with Xiaolong did Hua Jian sever her connection with the Xiteng.
After all, she couldn’t possibly pull the Xiteng out from inside the Longxueteng’s belly; she could only cut the vine off from her own end.
Actively severing from the Xiteng didn’t feel good. It hurt, and after it was done, Hua Jian felt a persistent weakness welling up from within.
Luckily, the Longxueteng were still busy devouring the Xiteng she’d left behind, so they didn’t have time to bother with her, allowing her to leave safely.
Without pause, she used her flying flower technique to flee the Forbidden Land, landing beside Linglong and the weakened Xiaolong.
As soon as she touched down, Hua Jian hurriedly started popping Alchemy Pills into her mouth.
If she didn’t take some Alchemy Pills to prolong her life, she feared she might collapse from exhaustion right there.
Two spiritual energy-restoring pills later, Hua Jian finally felt better and had enough strength left to check on Xiaolong’s condition.
Linglong was also feeding Alchemy Pills to Xiaolong, but the little dragon’s state was so poor that even after swallowing several pills, she couldn’t recover any time soon.
Still, her life had been saved, at least.
“The Protectorate Supervisor elders said they’ll be here soon and told us to wait for them,” Cai Qi ran over holding a Yupai, returning it to Linglong while curiously studying the Xiaolong that Linglong had rescued.
The Xiaolong was deep azure all over, her scales rippling like water. At a glance, one could tell the dragon’s affinity.
Compared to the three girls, Xiaolong was obviously much larger, but she wasn’t fierce or terrifying at all. Instead, she looked rather delicate and beautiful.
Hua Jian secretly asked Linglong, and as expected, Linglong’s answer was: Xiaolong was female.
“She says thank you for saving her,” Linglong translated Xiaolong’s words.
Even among the Dragon Race, those at the Ling King stage couldn’t take human form.
Their spoken language naturally wasn’t one humans could understand, but the unique Lingyu of the Dragon Race.
Only someone like Linglong, a half-human, half-dragon Little Dragon Girl, could communicate freely with Xiaolong. Anyone else would be left staring blankly at each other.
“I’ll ask her how she ended up here…”
Linglong started conversing with Xiaolong. The encrypted exchange between one girl and one dragon left Hua Jian and Cai Qi utterly lost.
If you can’t understand, then there’s no point troubling yourself—just think about something else.
Holding this principle, Cai Qi secretly asked Hua Jian, “She can really talk to dragons?”
“Of course, she’s got all kinds of skills,” Hua Jian nodded vigorously. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you before, she’s the real young lady.”
This time, Cai Qi no longer suspected Hua Jian of lying; after all, nothing about Linglong’s behavior resembled that of an ordinary bodyguard.
What kind of bodyguard could be so powerful? If Linglong were truly a bodyguard, then just how amazing must Hua Jian herself be as a young lady?
But after spending these days together, Cai Qi felt that Hua Jian didn’t resemble a young lady at all.
At first, Hua Jian’s looks and dress could fool people, but given time, her goofy nature would burst through and utterly shatter any elegant young lady impression.
“So who is she really? She’s so incredible.”
“Of course she is. She’s a once-in-a-millennium super beauty, the undeniable main heroine straight out of a storybook!” Hua Jian hadn’t finished her dramatic line when Linglong already cast a deathly glare her way.
“Say that again if you dare.” The Little Dragon Girl’s gaze was deep and chilling.
Hua Jian immediately surrendered, “Ahem, anyway, she’s just amazing.”
Watching the sheepish Hua Jian, Cai Qi couldn’t help but chuckle twice. The relationship between Hua Jian and Linglong was truly enviable.
If her own childhood had been different, maybe she too could have found such a good friend?
Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the pitch-black longsword at her side, a faint, hard-to-notice envy flashing in her eyes.
To escape the pursuit of the Gang Wolf Legion, she had been forced to hide her name and even dared not reveal her true gender.
She also wanted to be like Hua Jian, going out openly with friends in beautiful clothes, but… it was all a meaningless fantasy.
“What’s wrong? Jealous?” Hua Jian noticed Cai Qi’s mood shift and could guess her thoughts.
Of course, she had to use her own signature Hua-style comfort!
“Being jealous is useless. Some people are born in Rome; you and I are born to be beasts of burden. Just accept it.”
Cai Qi’s expression stiffened. Was that how one comforted others?
“You think you’ve got it rough? At least you had a dad at some point. I’m an orphan—never knew parental love and nearly starved to death a few times. Didn’t I survive anyway?”
If it came to tales of woe, Hua Jian truly feared no one. She was a Tiansha guxing, with a Diyu kaiju—hardly anyone could compete with her misfortune.
“I still think I have it worse,” Cai Qi was nearly laughing from frustration. How could Hua Jian have such a competitive streak about misery?
“I’m clearly more pitiful.”
“…Whatever you say,” Cai Qi gave up arguing. There was no point debating this. “So, what next? Are you still going after the Gang Wolf Legion?”
This was her biggest concern.
No one had expected to pick up a dragon here. Logically, Linglong and Hua Jian should have changed their plan to revolve around Xiaolong now, right?
If that was the case, perhaps they would have to go their separate ways.
Cai Qi would never give up her revenge. If their goals no longer aligned, she would choose to go after the Gang Wolf Legion alone.
Hua Jian, seeing Cai Qi’s determined eyes, couldn’t help but reach out and pat Cai Qi on the forehead.
That gesture instantly dispelled the hard-won resolve in Cai Qi’s heart. She leaned back to dodge Hua Jian’s hand. “What are you doing?”
“Checking if you have a fever.”
“Huh?”
“What are you thinking about? I don’t know what exactly was discussed just now, but I’d guess our destination won’t change,” Hua Jian said, poking Cai Qi’s forehead with her finger.
“Our original goal was to explore that area, and now we have an extra objective: investigating the Hei Long Gang.”
Though they were different tasks, Hei Long Gang was currently in that same place, and the Gang Wolf Legion that Cai Qi sought was there too, so their goals were still aligned.
That region deep within the Northern Mountains was like a giant vortex, drawing everything in.
The only difference now was that the discovery of the Hei Long Gang’s secret gave Hua Jian and Linglong another reason to go there.
“Plus, we might have more bodyguards traveling with us, making the journey even safer.”
Normally, the Hudaosi wouldn’t stir up trouble in the Northern Mountains, but when it came to matters of demonic cultivation, the Hudaosi would never back down. If needed, they’d enter the mountains.
Spirit Beasts might not like it, but so what? Go complain to our sect elders!
Especially the Jianxiu—they were the least likely to show Spirit Beasts any respect, always eager for a brawl.
So when the Hudaosi had sufficient reason to enter the Northern Mountains, the Spirit Beasts would turn a blind eye, as long as no one used the opportunity to attack them.
The Hudaosi, for their part, accepted this unspoken rule, only entering the mountains to arrest people when there was solid evidence.
Now, there was solid evidence!
Compared to other factions, the Hudaosi were extremely fast to act. Cai Qi had left the Forbidden Land around midday to report, and by the time the Hudaosi arrived, night had only just fallen.
In less than half a day, the Hudaosi had arrived.
“Where is the Longxueteng?” The Hudaosi cultivator who arrived was not someone Hua Jian recognized, but a stern male Jianxiu with a longsword strapped to his back.
As soon as he arrived, he asked for the location of the Longxueteng.
“I’ll take you there, Shixiong,” Hua Jian stood up quickly. She was the only one free and able to guide the Jianxiu to the scene.
Linglong was busy caring for Xiaolong, and Cai Qi wasn’t capable. It could only be her.
“Very well,” the Jianxiu nodded, following Hua Jian toward the Forbidden Land.
On the way, Hua Jian curiously asked why the Hudaosi had sent only one person.
A trace of helplessness flashed across the Jianxiu’s stern face. “We need solid evidence before the Hudaosi can send a full team into the mountains.”
Linglong’s report alone wasn’t enough. The Hudaosi needed direct, visible proof before dispatching stronger forces.
He was only an advance scout, here to confirm the clues. Once verified, he’d report back so the Hudaosi could take the next steps.
“I see… The Longxueteng are just up ahead. Shixiong, please take a good look.”
……
“Qian Feixue, are you going on a long journey?”
“Not really. Something interesting popped up nearby, and I need to take a look,” the white-haired girl smiled, changing out of her usual black cleric robes and into clothes suitable for combat.
Huaxinyuan squinted her eyes. Qian Feixue, that sly fox, never acted without reason. Nothing good ever came from what brewed in her head.
If something required Qian Feixue—a Ling Emperor herself—to personally inspect, it had to be a big deal!
“We’re still swapping brains for the Chai Clan. Is it really alright for you to leave now?”
“Do you think you or I make any real difference here? Leave these little things to your Shimei—no need for us to appear,” Qian Feixue chuckled.
Huaxinyuan herself had barely put in any effort for the Chai Clan; everything was being pushed forward by that poor child, Huan Rui.
It was a test for Huan Rui. If Huaxinyuan intervened, it would defeat the purpose.
Such frank words left Huaxinyuan’s expression stiff. Annoyed, she slapped the table: “We’re allies! Why are you being so secretive?”
“Oh, I don’t really know why I’m going. I just have a feeling something interesting is happening over there…”
“You wretched fox, I’m going too!” The more Huaxinyuan thought about it, the more wrong it felt—Qian Feixue was acting like a fox going off to enjoy a meal alone.
How could she let Qian Feixue get away with that? She had to stick to her like glue!
Qian Feixue’s smile grew even brighter, as if she’d been waiting for Huaxinyuan to say exactly that.
“Alright.”
Seeing the grin on Qian Feixue’s face, Huaxinyuan suddenly had the sense she’d just walked into a trap.
Was Qian Feixue fishing for her all along?
……
“So many Longxueteng… We’ll need cultivators from the Wanling Sect to handle this.”
After inspecting the Longxueteng in the Forbidden Land, the Hudaosi Jianxiu also felt at a loss.
He excelled at combat and action, but dealing with strange spirit creatures like Longxueteng required experts.
And among the Saint Sect, the experts for this sort of thing were the cultivators of the Wanling Sect.
“It also concerns the Dragon Race. This is going to be trouble.”
“Shixiong, can’t you just cut the Longxueteng apart? Aren’t you a Ling Emperor?” Hua Jian asked in confusion.
The Jianxiu shook his head, indicating that things were not as simple as Hua Jian thought.
Spirit creatures possessed all sorts of bizarre traits; simply slicing them up wouldn’t eliminate the Longxueteng completely.
That’s why Wanling Sect cultivators were needed—they understood these formidable spirit creatures far better than a Jianxiu like him.
“But the Hei Long Gang really is suspicious. We’ll send people into the mountains to arrest their leaders.”
At those words, Hua Jian immediately perked up, raising her hand to volunteer her help to the Hudaosi.
“Shixiong, we can lead the way for you!”
With Hua Jian, Linglong, and Cai Qi—three Spirit Masters—they’d be as inconspicuous as grains of sand in the Northern Mountains. No one would pay them much attention.
Letting them scout ahead and provide the Hudaosi with crucial information would be far more efficient than the Hudaosi blundering aimlessly into the mountains.
After all, the Hudaosi’s actions would be constrained by the Spirit Beasts in the Northern Mountains. They couldn’t act as recklessly as they did outside.
At a time like this, a surgical strike was the best approach.
Hua Jian’s group could provide the precise intelligence the Hudaosi needed.
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Thank you for the chapter! I noticed the cross dressing ladies name changed multiple times throughout the last few chapters though…