"This is not a snake." Liu Su slowly started the conversation. "I didn't expect that such a strange creature could exist in this remote little country of Nanli. It's quite interesting."
"Not a snake? Are you saying the wings are not a mutation caused by the demon miasma, but something it had naturally?"
"Of course. A fierce tiger might grow wings from the miasma, but a snake with wings is something else entirely..."
"Don't tell me it's a dragon."
"It's a Teng Snake," Liu Su replied lightly. "This kind of snake is an ancient species, not inferior to dragons. However, its bloodline is thin, so it falls short... If it had the right opportunity, it might evolve further, but I don't think it will get that chance. Nanli is just too small, so small that it's like... well, like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well. In such a tiny place, having a practitioner like Minghe and someone like Li Qinglin... that's already quite a gathering of talent."
Qin Yi suddenly thought of the Yelang Kingdom. Although the comparison was not quite right, it did have some meaning. But interestingly, a place like Yelang had Liu Su. He chuckled and said, "If having Minghe is already a gathering of talent, then what about Liu Su?"
Liu Su replied calmly, "When I was around, Nanli didn't even exist. It was... many, many years ago. So it's not that Liu Su appeared in Nanli, but rather that Nanli is lucky to be near Liu Su."
Her tone was a bit different from usual, and Qin Yi felt a sense of being looked down upon, like the distance of a galaxy hanging in the sky.
The calmness of Minghe and the wickedness of Liu Su indeed came from the same essence, a perspective that looked down on the world.
After pondering for a while, he suddenly asked, "Since it's a strange species, does that mean Ye Ling's speed is innate?"
"That's a talent. She was awakened by the demon miasma. At such a young age, she successfully transformed and even escaped from the demon refining formation. This is precisely because her bloodline is extraordinary. Unfortunately, she lacks proper training and is all over the place, relying entirely on her innate abilities. Otherwise, even without mentioning her bloodline, as a transformed demon, she shouldn't have been nearly cut down by a simple wooden sword with a spell."
"What about her... attack methods?"
"I don't know since I haven't seen them. So, are you hinting at something? Do you want me to say that the prince probably sent her to kill?"
Qin Yi fell silent.
Liu Su continued, "Li Qinglin was dawdling on the way and even had time to accompany his sister to investigate. Didn't you find that puzzling? It seems he was just waiting for this incident to explode; otherwise, returning to the capital too early wouldn't do. So why wait for me to say it when you already had your own judgment?"
Neither of them had expected the case to be solved so quickly.
This resolution wasn't due to their keen observation but rather because Li Qinglin seemed to have no intention of hiding anything from him. Qin Yi felt that if he had asked directly, Li Qinglin might have explained everything clearly.
Because they shared a common goal and a common enemy, everything else could be set aside.
After a long while, Qin Yi finally said, "No matter what schemes he has, he has treated me fairly." It was as if he was trying to convince himself as he whispered, "After all, I'm just cooperating with him to deal with Dong Huazi. Everything else is none of my business."
Liu Su coldly asked, "Really none of your business?"
Qin Yi didn't answer, but the memory of Li Qingjun's crying when he learned of the prince's death surfaced in his mind.
Even when going to Xianji Mountain to seek immortals, Li Qingjun was merely a tool for her brother.
He truly didn't know how to evaluate Li Qinglin. No matter how much of it was for show, Li Qinglin had indeed treated him well, making it hard for Qin Yi to feel any resentment. Yet these matters clashed with his worldview, leaving him with increasingly complicated feelings the more he thought about it.
He stood by the window, quietly gazing at the bright moon in the sky, and after a long time, he softly said, "You were right; one must go through the world to truly understand."
Liu Su asked, "Have you understood?"
"Not yet. What about you? How do you feel about this matter?"
"In my eyes, every wave that rises and falls represents the birth and death of a world. A mere power struggle in a small country doesn't stir much in me. Even if it's bizarre, it only makes me find it a bit interesting." Liu Su said, "I actually hope Li Qinglin can be a bit more interesting, leaving behind some stories worth savoring in my long years."
Qin Yi wanted to complain about how someone so impressive could be easily provoked by a simple challenge, but he couldn't find the words. He knew Liu Su's words were sincere.
That was the weight of countless years condensed into one.
...
Regardless, dealing with Dong Huazi was not only Qin Yi's own wish but also the last obsession of the original owner of this body. It affected him to the point that he felt sick at the mention of the title "National Master." Qin Yi knew he had to resolve this matter, and Li Qinglin was undoubtedly the best collaborator for it—besides, Li Qinglin was actually the main force; Qin Yi was just an assistant.
Everything else was secondary.
To be honest, after a bit of understanding, it was clear that Dong Huazi was a practitioner with genuine skills, not the fraud the Li siblings had claimed. Since he was a real practitioner, regardless of his level of cultivation, he was above Qin Yi, who hadn't even started cultivating yet.
Even if he were to start cultivating with Liu Su now, it would be too late. The only thing he could rely on was Liu Su's vast knowledge of cultivation, which might help him deal with Dong Huazi's methods as an assistant, and that would be enough.
So, while Li Qinglin was busy establishing himself as the prince and had no time to make any arrangements, Qin Yi had no intention of going out. He stayed in the courtyard, focusing on learning some knowledge about Taoism from Liu Su.
He studied harder than he did in Xianji Village, not stepping out at all.
Of course, another reason for not going out was that he didn't want to run into Minghe.
Even if the prince was killed by Ye Ling, looking at the little girl sitting in front of him with her big eyes blinking, Qin Yi really felt he couldn't bear to let such a little sister be exposed to Minghe's demon-slaying.
Maybe Liu Su was right; the trip to the farm really didn't help him much. He thought he understood that the skin was just a surface, but when a little girl sat in front of him, he naturally felt a sense of pity. He couldn't escape his own perceptions, which honestly reflected in his heart.
And Liu Su didn't seem to want to advise him against being deceived by appearances; she seemed to want him to experience it for himself.
"This thing is called Enlightenment Pill. As the name suggests, it's used to awaken intelligence." Qin Yi held a pill and gently guided, "Open your mouth, ah~"
Ye Ling sat on the floor, looking at him with a hint of distrust. "I've already transformed; why do I need to be enlightened?"
"Don't you think you're a bit foolish and need to become smarter?"
"You are the foolish one."
"Okay, actually, this is similar to the effect of the demon miasma but at a higher level. It might cover the effects of the miasma, allowing you to face Dong Huazi without being restricted by his demon arts."
Ye Ling immediately stretched her neck, trying to grab the pill from his hand.
Qin Yi pulled back his hand, and the little girl fell forward onto the ground, looking up at him with indignation.
"Foolish." That was Liu Su's voice.
In fact, the phrase "she's a bit foolish and needs to be smarter" originally came from Liu Su.
Because Ye Ling really lacked common sense... or rather, she lacked the awareness of behaving like a "human." Just like now, she was sitting on the floor instead of a chair, stretching her neck to take the medicine instead of using her hands.
In Liu Su's eyes, a transformed demon still holding onto primitive habits was simply ridiculous. Yet Qin Yi found it quite cute; if he placed a bowl in front of her and she licked the water directly, it would be even cuter...
"I'm just joking; this pill isn't for eating." Facing Ye Ling's annoyed gaze, Qin Yi smiled as he weighed the pill, pressing it against her forehead.
A wisp of light flickered, and the pill slowly shrank and disappeared.
"How is it? What do you feel?"
Ye Ling looked at him in confusion and after a while said, "I don't know. It feels like I've forgotten something, but it also feels like nothing has changed."
Qin Yi pretended to be profound. "That's right; you can go back now."
He was eager to ask Liu Su what this "forgotten something" meant.
"I won't go back." Ye Ling sat on the ground and refused to get up. "I want to hear about the monkey."
Qin Yi held his head in pain. Not just Ye Ling, but recently Li Qingjun also came every day just to hear stories. Did these two fools even realize how precious these days were? He barely had time to learn things, and they were wasting time on storytelling...
"Go away, go away! I have important matters today." Qin Yi picked her up and tossed her outside.
He really did have something to do. For instance, there was a formation being set up halfway in the backyard, and Minghe's peach wood sword was the heart of the formation.
He felt that Dong Huazi couldn't possibly only kill demons without any intention of recruiting or controlling them. If the other side secretly had a team of demons, then with Minghe's sword and Liu Su's formation, the power they could unleash would likely exceed anyone's imagination.
(End of Chapter)