Li Qinglin left, but Ye Ling didn’t follow. She stood there straight, saying nothing and not sitting down. Li Qingjun watched from the side, feeling frustrated. She wanted to talk to Qin Yi, but with someone standing there, it was hard to say anything, so she said, “Can you step aside?”
Ye Ling didn’t bow or anything; she just disappeared.
Li Qingjun shook her head. “I don’t know where my brother found this little guard. Her skills are decent, but she’s a bit strange, always wearing that odd cloak. Hey, do you really want her as a guard? It’s a lonely man and a lonely woman…”
Qin Yi felt a bit sour hearing this. “You praise her for being quiet in front of her, but now that she’s gone, what are you saying?”
Li Qingjun huffed a couple of times, not really knowing why she was saying all this. After a moment, she said, “With what happened with big brother, I doubt second brother will plan anything else for a while. If you’re bored here, you can come find me at the princess’s residence, it’s just…”
Qin Yi interrupted, “I’m not bored. I can stay alone at home for a month without going out. I just read books and refine medicine. By the way, help me find some books and some herbs and a pill furnace, you promised…”
Li Qingjun choked a bit, getting angry. “Let someone from the Wang residence help you find them!”
With that, she flicked her sleeve and left.
Qin Yi was stunned. Is that all you have to say after I asked someone to step aside?
Did he say something wrong? Qin Yi was quick-witted, and he felt like he could hear Liu Su’s laughter. He quickly hid the wolf tooth club under the bed.
Liu Su was both amused and speechless. It was the first time she saw the usually cautious and calm Qin Yi act so foolishly, including hiding the club under the bed as if he was trying to cover up something. This was very uncharacteristic of him.
Usually, she would laugh at him, but this time, for some reason, she stayed quiet, lost in thought about something far away.
Before long, Ye Ling reappeared.
This time, her gaze at Qin Yi was a bit strange, as if she couldn’t figure out his relationship with the princess.
Qin Yi pulled his thoughts back from feeling embarrassed and looked at Ye Ling in front of him, speechless.
She really stayed here naturally, as if she truly considered herself his guard?
“If I remember correctly, I said no. You’re not my guard,” Qin Yi sighed. “You’re a powerful shapeshifting monster, can’t you have a bit of pride? You just accept being a guard? I almost hurt you earlier, and you didn’t get angry?”
“Pride?” Ye Ling replied indifferently. “I awakened in confusion, responding to a call from my heart, and ended up in Dong Huazi’s demon refining array. When I saw a pile of demon bones, I understood my purpose for being born. What pride is there?”
Her serious and cold words, combined with her youthful appearance, felt a bit eerie and out of place. Qin Yi became interested. “What’s going on?”
“I was just an ordinary little snake, born from Dong Huazi’s demon refining poison. I don’t know why I grew wings. He set up the demon refining poison to create little monsters to obtain demon cores, which he refines and consumes for cultivation and longevity. That’s our purpose for being born.”
There was a hint of hatred on her young face, but more than that, there was indifference towards both others and herself. Qin Yi pursed his lips, feeling that her birth was a tragedy, no wonder she didn’t act her age.
At her age, she should be carrying a school bag and going to school, not talking about slaughter and bones like an adult.
He sighed softly.
So, Dong Huazi’s purpose for the demon refining poison was not to cause chaos in the world or build power, but to kill demons for their cores for his own cultivation. This matched what Ming He said; Ming He believed Dong Huazi was ruthless in killing demons, and that was certainly true.
Ye Ling continued, “I don’t know why I broke through so quickly. The demon refining array couldn’t trap me; I fought my way out, but I was left with only a breath left. It was His Highness who saved me. Even my name was given by him at that time, saying it was like a tender feather, revealing a frightened blood color in the night.”
Qin Yi was surprised. “I didn’t expect Li Qinglin to be so poetic.”
“What does poetic mean?”
“Oh, I mean he actually feels sympathy for monsters.”
“It’s not sympathy; I actively swore loyalty with my blood in exchange for him saving me. And His Highness found out I escaped from Dong Huazi, thinking I could be useful to him…” Ye Ling looked a bit sad. “Just now… your peach wood sword was going to kill me, and he just stood by. Maybe it would be better for him if I died now…”
Qin Yi vaguely understood why Li Qinglin didn’t stop it because it was likely that Ye Ling dying would indeed be better than living.
The romance of a snake being saved and repaying its debt was gone just like that. Qin Yi felt a sense of something shattering, shaking his head slightly. “You were born from Dong Huazi’s methods, so you must have something he can control. Can you deal with him?”
“Yes, but my abilities awakened in confusion, and I don’t have much understanding of cultivation, nor do I know the principles of many things, so His Highness is very disappointed.”
Qin Yi felt that this little girl probably didn’t just lack understanding of many cultivation principles; she might not even understand many common sense things, probably learning them slowly in the Wang residence… Including her adult-like words and tone, he didn’t know how much was influenced by Li Qinglin’s style—definitely not cute at all.
But this time, he felt Ye Ling was useful.
At least now, he had a deeper understanding of Dong Huazi.
She also understood Li Qinglin well… and she had no loyalty or fear towards Li Qinglin, casually speaking his thoughts.
This was indeed a helpful assistant, not someone who would just stare blankly… but there were huge hidden dangers.
Qin Yi finally asked, “Do you know why I don’t want you to be a guard?”
Ye Ling replied with a hint of a cold smile, “I’m ugly. Compared to Princess Zhaoyang, I’m like a winged monster meeting a real phoenix.”
“You’re too young to understand this. Why compare yourself to others?”
Ye Ling didn’t answer, her face serious.
Qin Yi said, “It has nothing to do with that. I actually think your wings are pretty cool. I’d love to have a pair like that.”
“…” Ye Ling’s expression shifted slightly.
Then Qin Yi continued, “The real reason is that a very powerful cultivator has set his sights on you. If you really mix with him, even I would be in trouble. I suggest you run away…”
Ye Ling’s expression finally changed. “So you know.”
“So you know too!” Qin Yi laughed, surprised. “Looks like you all came to me today with another purpose.”
Ye Ling fell silent, looking down at her shoes, clearly a bit embarrassed. Qin Yi found it amusing; this little girl looked cold but was much more sensitive than Li Qinglin.
No wonder, she wasn’t a human-shaped aphrodisiac, so why would a powerful monster cling to her? It turned out it was for survival, mistakenly thinking she was impressive…
Qin Yi sighed, “Did Li Qinglin let you follow me just for this?”
“Not entirely…” Ye Ling said softly. “I feel His Highness really values you.”
Her feelings were too obvious; Li Qinglin’s attitude towards Qin Yi and towards her was like night and day.
“Is he so obsessed with Dong Huazi?” Qin Yi asked, surprised. “Would he really be willing to give you, such a powerful monster, just to win me over?”
“He would definitely be willing. Not to mention a monster with scales and horns in his eyes, he could get more if he wanted. Besides, I’m also a sworn enemy of Dong Huazi. No matter who I follow, it makes no difference when it comes to dealing with Dong Huazi.” Ye Ling said firmly, “Bringing Dong Huazi down from his pedestal is His Highness’s greatest obsession, more important than the throne.”
Qin Yi was even more curious. “Is it that serious? Dong Huazi wouldn’t have done something to him… uh, never mind.”
Ye Ling didn’t understand, her expression blank.
Qin Yi thought for a moment and finally said, “I say, there’s no need for you to be a guard. It’s inconvenient for a lonely man and a lonely woman. We can be friends. I’ll need to consult you more about Dong Huazi.”
Ye Ling didn’t know Qin Yi had many secrets of his own, so she didn’t dare to follow him. Hearing this, her gaze softened a bit, and she nodded. “I’m not really your guard; it’s more about cooperation…” She gestured with her small hand, “I have a little courtyard; you can come find me.”
Seeing her make a gesture about the size of the courtyard, she finally looked a bit childish, as if she was showing off something she was proud of. Qin Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “You can also come find me. When we talked about Journey to the West, I saw you listening very seriously. You probably like it?”
Ye Ling seemed a bit shy and suddenly disappeared.
Qin Yi thought to himself that Journey to the West was really amazing; it seemed like Li Qinglin, Li Qingjun, and Ye Ling all found different connections in it, seeing their own reflections.
The room was once again left with only Qin Yi. A wolf tooth club slowly rolled out from under the bed. Qin Yi looked at it, unsure of what to say. He had so much to express, but for a moment, he was speechless.
(End of Chapter)