“What do you want?”
Jiang Huai’s tone was calm, as if the person before him was nothing more than a pleasing landscape, to be glanced at and then ignored.
“I am the true Saintess.” Chihuang lifted her chin haughtily from her lofty position, her posture proud and imperious.
She had seen that flash of amazement in Jiang Zhun’s eyes, and a faint delight flickered in her heart.
She knew her looks and bearing were more than enough to captivate.
But what she truly wished to see was regret and remorse in Jiang Zhun’s eyes.
Just a short while ago, she had even set aside some of her dignity and made it clear she was willing to offer herself.
Her Yin Yuan was deeper and purer than Chi Lian’s, and her status was a hundred times more distinguished.
Everything about her, in her own eyes, was far superior to Chi Lian.
But this man, who cared only for status and had eyes yet could not see, had actually chosen Chi Lian.
“I know.”
Jiang Huai seemed oblivious to the complex turmoil in her heart.
He simply stroked the little Red Dragon Ancestor in his arms, who lay there lazily, and responded absentmindedly.
“You—” Chihuang was choked by his nonchalance, the words she had prepared caught in her throat.
“Do I look stupid to you?” Jiang Huai raised his eyes and asked back, his gaze clear, with a faint and indistinct hint of a smile.
This question left Chihuang stunned once more, so utterly blocked that she didn’t know how to answer.
Then why did you choose her? In what way am I inferior to her?! This question screamed in her heart, but no matter what—
She could not say it aloud.
If she said such things, wouldn’t she be losing all her dignity!
All she could do was force herself to stand tall, subconsciously using arrogance to hide her disappointment, and followed Jiang Huai’s words, saying:
“So you are clever, knowing that this Saintess would never fancy you.”
“And you also know this Saintess would never lower herself to serve a man alongside other women.”
At her words, Jiang Huai seemed to recall seriously for a moment, thinking back to their sharp clash when first entering the secret realm, where he had even held the upper hand, and nodded:
“I know.”
Chihuang was blocked again, a suffocating feeling weighing in her chest.
But it wasn’t like that.
She wanted to retort, but didn’t know where to start.
Chihuang avoided his gaze and thanked him:
“But whatever the case, I owe you a favor this time.”
After all, Jiang Huai had saved the people of the Red Dragon Clan this time.
She composed herself, then respectfully performed a dragon clan salute to the little Red Dragon in his arms, her voice solemn once more:
“As the current Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan, Chihuang, I pay my respects to the Ancestor. The Ancestor has slumbered for millennia, and now awakens—this is the greatest blessing for our clan.”
The little Red Dragon Ancestor lazily lifted her eyelids, her crimson dragon eyes resting on Chihuang for a while, then darted a glance at Chi Lian, who stood quietly behind her.
A trace of understanding and contemplation flickered in her gaze.
“So much time has passed… so much…” She let out a long sigh, then sounded a little puzzled.
“You are the Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan? What does that mean? Since when did our Red Dragon Clan appoint a separate Saintess?”
Her voice suddenly rose, tinged with incredulous suspicion:
“Don’t tell me the Red Dragon Clan has betrayed the Dragon Palace?!”
Chihuang was caught off guard by the question and blurted out:
“Ancestor, the Red Dragon Clan is just the Red Dragon Clan, how could there be talk of betrayal?” Jiang Zhun, seeing this, explained:
“Senior, as far as I know, ever since the last Yin Yang Constitution died in battle, the originally united Five Great Dragon Clans have gradually disbanded. Now they’re split into five branches, each ruling itself.”
“What?!”
The little Red Dragon Ancestor’s scales seemed to bristle all at once at these words.
“Disbanded? The Five Great Dragon Clans actually split up?! How could this happen?!”
“You useless bunch, how could you split up?!”
Boom!
Several overwhelming auras rushed over from afar like meteors, descending on these ruins in an instant.
Qin Qingyue landed first, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her gaze sharp as lightning, the black dragon spear in her hand glinting with a chilling, cold light.
She scanned the surroundings warily, releasing her oppressive presence without restraint.
Next, vast sword qi poured down like the Milky Way from the heavens.
Wu Zhaohua, her white embroidered shoes lightly touching the ground, moved with an immortal grace.
Pure, righteous Vast Sword Qi coiled around her, and her cold gaze instantly locked onto Jiang Huai at the center.
Last to arrive was the Red Dragon Clan Leader, Chihong, descending as a blazing streak of fire, her face filled with anxiety and urgency.
At the sight of Qin Qingyue, the little Red Dragon Ancestor’s eyes lit up instantly, her anger momentarily suppressed as she muttered with a hint of admiration:
“A dragon clan has produced such a young Celestial. Not bad at all. Jiang Huai!”
Qin Qingyue spotted Jiang Huai, safe and sound, and was overjoyed.
She couldn’t care about anything else as she strode quickly to his side, boldly inspecting him, her tone anxious:
“How are you? Are you alright? You’ve broken through to the Golden Core, good!”
Her joy was plain to see, tinged with a pure possessiveness.
Meanwhile, the little Red Dragon Ancestor swung her body and flew straight to the still-confused Chihong, circling her twice, eyeing her up and down.
Chihong felt a chill at being scrutinized by this ancient, pure-blooded little red dragon, especially after recalling those faint glimpses of Red Dragon clansmen she had seen on her way here.
Her heart thumped anxiously.
They had used this secret realm for thousands of years—yet there were actually living Red Dragon clansmen hidden within? This was terrifying!
“You are…?” Chihong hesitantly began.
“Are you the Clan Leader?” the little Red Dragon Ancestor asked first, her tone appraising.
“Yes, I am indeed the current Red Dragon Clan Leader, Chihong.”
“You’re so weak,” the little Red Dragon Ancestor commented bluntly, flicking her tail at Qin Qingyue.
“Not as good as that Black Dragon, nor as good as that Human Sword Immortal.”
Chihong: “Heh…”
She was at a loss for words, her face filled with awkwardness.
In terms of strength, she was indeed no match for Qin Yaochen or Wu Zhaohua, but who could compare themselves to the two of them?
“Are you the strongest of the Red Dragon Clan?” “Yes.”
The little Red Dragon sighed, resigned, “Very well.” It seemed things had fallen to ruin after the split.
Seeing this, Chihuang hurried forward and began quickly and quietly explaining to Chihong the origins of the Ancestor before them, and all that had transpired in the secret realm.
Elsewhere, Wu Zhaohua stood in place, her cold gaze settling on Qin Qingyue, who was intimately inspecting Jiang Huai and whispering to him, her eyes deep and unreadable.
The moment her eyes met Jiang Huai’s secret glance, she turned away as if nothing had happened.
“So, how did it go? Did you get your hands on that Red Dragon Saintess?” Qin Qingyue sidled closer to Jiang Huai, lowering her voice and grinning mischievously.
If her husband could really lure the Red Dragon Clan’s Saintess back as a concubine, then as the main wife, she would have plenty of face in public.
“Not her.” Jiang Huai shook his head and pointed to Chi Lian, who instinctively shrank back.
“It’s her.” “Hmm?”
In that instant, the gazes of Qin Qingyue, Su Yingman, and even Tang Zhaoxue, who was standing quietly in the distance, all snapped simultaneously to Chi Lian—concubine number 003.
Tang Zhaoxue’s elegant brows furrowed ever so slightly.
Suddenly, she realized: If she delayed in being “promoted,” wouldn’t someone else move ahead of her in the order?
Shouldn’t she have been ahead of Chi Lian to begin with?
“Ah…” Chi Lian, never having faced such a scene before, became flustered and lost.
Qin Qingyue sized Chi Lian up and down, rubbing her own chin, her tone clearly laced with doubt and a hint of disappointment.
“Her? She doesn’t seem all that special, does she?”
Unable to help herself, she glanced again at the stunning, graceful Chihuang, then leaned in even closer to Jiang Huai, whispering more quietly,
“Why not that Chihuang?”