132 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

### Chapter 132: The Curtain Falls Qi Xuanqing gave a subtle nod to the four people behind her, standing lazily in place. Zhou Leng immediately took charge and brought out his weapon. However, as soon as they moved forward, they found the Qilin with a grave expression, letting out a fierce growl towards them. The Qilin recognized people, only allowing Qi Xuanqing to approach. Qi Xuanqing chuckled, stepped forward, and slowly extended a hand. The Qilin closed its eyes and nudged its head towards her. She gave its head a gentle rub. From a distance, Yan Jue watched and was taken aback. An inexplicable surge of intense ire welled up inside her. It was quite unsettling. Qi Xuanqing approached the seedling and pulled it out. Accompanied by the plant was a spirit stone glowing with green light. Seeing Qi Xuanqing retrieve the clue, Yan Jue's heart burned with urgency. If Qi Xuanqing’s team submitted the spirit stone first, what would become of the bet between her and Qi Xuanqing? It would be over before it even began. The Qilin seemed delighted in Qi Xuanqing's presence, playfully rolling over to expose its soft belly, inviting her to pet it. Yan Jue gritted her teeth in frustration. Whether it was because Qi Xuanqing had touched the Qilin or because she had obtained the materials first, she couldn't say. In her anxiety, she suddenly noticed the small black bundle in her Qiankun pouch starting to wriggle restlessly. Loves to consume souls... a divine beast... cherished by the Demon Lord… Yan Jue's heart skipped a beat, seizing her with a bold idea. Could it be that this black bundle was indeed the Qilin, the guardian beast of the Wulong Gate? With everyone’s attention on Qi Xuanqing’s side, she saw an opportunity to reveal the small black bundle! Yan Jue scanned her surroundings, and seeing no one was watching her, she took out the little black bundle from the Qiankun pouch. After being fed spirit pills for a few days, the small black bundle had grown a bit, no longer appearing as immature as before, with a coat of fluffy fur now covering it. The little black bundle stretched out its plump little paws, attempting to crawl toward the other side. In a flash, Yan Jue followed the sketch in her memory and swiftly arrived at the other side of the snow mountain. She found the green bean seedling nestled in the grass. The Qilin had been summoned by the Wulong Gate's upper echelon to protect the green beans. Just as Yan Jue expected, when she cleared away the weeds and prepared to pull out the seedling, a dark blue silhouette darted over. “Roar—” The Qilin's eyes flared with fury, charging directly at her. Yan Jue reacted quickly, leaping back several meters and landing on the ground. The Qilin glared at her fiercely, then charged like a whirlwind. Yan Jue swiftly drew something from her Qiankun pouch. The Qilin halted abruptly in its tracks. The small black bundle nestled in Yan Jue’s palm raised its head to timidly gaze up at the giant Qilin, letting out a soft, delicate whimper. This sound seemed to touch something deep within the Qilin. It stood motionless for a while, its eyes suddenly softening. Divine beasts are known for their intelligence; many of their emotions mirror those of humans. For a fleeting moment, Yan Jue glimpsed astonishment, anger, surprise, and disbelief in the Qilin’s eyes. Then, the Qilin raised its burning gaze towards Yan Jue and flashed across the sky with lightning speed. As a Divine Beast of the seventh realm, its power and speed were astonishing. Yan Jue was no match for it, and before she knew it, she was knocked back and crashed against a nearby cliff wall. Debris tumbled down from the cliffside. Dazed, Yan Jue watched as the enraged Qilin charged towards her. With the looming iron-like head approaching, she instinctively shut her eyes. From afar, a faint whimper suddenly arose. The Qilin abruptly halted its charge, turning to look at the small black bundle on the ground. The small black bundle sat there, its striking azure eyes wide open, shaking its head. Confusion clouded the Qilin's expression, and its gaze towards Yan Jue became more complex. It staggered over to the small bundle, tenderly licking its fur. Seeing this, Yan Jue let out a sigh of relief. She had made the right gamble. As the guardian Divine Beast of Wulong Gate, the Qilin was incredibly rare, the only one on all of Wulong Mountain. This large Qilin was a female. If the black bundle she held was indeed a young Qilin, it undoubtedly had an inexplicable connection with the larger one. Yan Jue's heart raced with a mixture of surprise, shock, and a touch of relief. The black bundle, though small, conveyed its thoughts effectively. Chirping and cooing, it conversed with the Qilin, whose gaze towards Yan Jue grew increasingly complicated. Exhaling slowly, Yan Jue moved carefully to the seedling and pulled it out. The pulled seedling revealed a vibrant green bean from beneath the earth. Smiling faintly, Yan Jue cast a grateful glance at the black bundle, which seemed oblivious to her gaze, continuing to snuggle with the Qilin. Initially, Yan Jue had questioned the mysterious egg she'd found in the Demon Lord’s lair. So, it was the egg laid by the Qilin of Wulong Mountain. It was a reunion of mother and child; Yan Jue chose not to interrupt, turning to leave when suddenly a commanding growl stopped her. She paused, turning to see the larger Qilin gently nudging the black bundle back to her, a troubled look upon its face. At first, Yan Jue didn’t understand its intention until the Qilin pushed the black bundle towards her. She finally realized—it wanted her to take the black bundle away. Yan Jue was puzzled, meeting the Qilin's azure gaze, feeling as though this majestic creature harbored a hidden fear. Did the Qilin believe that its child's safety lay with her, rather than at its own side? After a moment's hesitation, the sound of approaching footsteps made her decision for her. "Yan Jue!!!" Duan Luxi’s voice startled her, making her quickly stow the black bundle back in her Qiankun pouch. The Qilin gave her a lingering look before turning away. Du Ming rushed over to Yan Jue, panting, “Where did you run off to just now?” "Just when the Qilin was over by the senior sister, it vanished without a trace. We thought it had come for you." Duan Luxi remarked in confusion, “But we didn’t see the Qilin anywhere.” Yan Jue replied, “Maybe it had something urgent to attend to…” Naturally, Yan Jue chose not to disclose the matter of the little black bundle, subtly shifting the topic away. With the last material in her possession, victory would hinge on who delivered it to the elder first. As this thought crossed her mind, she discreetly retrieved something from her Qiankun pouch, nodding subtly at Duan Luxi and Du Ming. The two hurried to join her. ... Yan Jue dashed into a nearby grove, squinting up at the dark purple fruits hanging from the trees. She knew the Wulong Gate’s elders wouldn’t set up an insurmountable challenge. For a normal team to divert the Qilin's attention, there had to be another tactic aside from Qi Xuanqing's innate advantage. It would be unwise for Yan Jue to reveal her association with the small Qilin. Climbing up, she picked several fruits and tossed them to the patiently waiting Qilin below. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure striding quickly towards her. Qi Xuanqing, unable to rest easy with Yan Jue out of sight, had noticed the Qilin heading towards that direction with malice. After cleverly distracting her team, she followed to check on Yan Jue. Seeing that Yan Jue was unharmed and had seemingly secured the green bean, Qi Xuanqing felt relieved. The once menacing Qilin was now leisurely pacing not far away. Qi Xuanqing initially found it odd. A thought crossed her mind—Yan Jue's Qiankun pouch contained that black bundle. The origins of that black bundle had long intrigued Qi Xuanqing. It showed an interest in the sect master's soul and enjoyed feeding on spirit pills... Divine beasts were rare on Wulong Mountain, and a connection between the small black bundle and the Qilin wouldn’t be surprising. However, even if it was indeed a Qilin, it still came as a surprise to Qi Xuanqing. Why Yan Jue climbed that tree quickly made sense to Qi Xuanqing. Qilin's fondness for purple flame fruits wasn’t common knowledge. Those very fruits were abundant on the tree. By picking them up there, Yan Jue wouldn't draw suspicion from the Wulong Gate elders. Yan Jue stood there, her dark hair flowing in the breeze, her expression serene. Qi Xuanqing watched this scene, her heart softening. Her little fox always managed to handle things herself, often without needing her to worry. No sooner had Qi Xuanqing thought this than Yan Jue sharply turned her gaze, leaping gracefully to land in front of Qi Xuanqing. Looking up, Yan Jue declared, “Senior Sister, you broke the rules!” Qi Xuanqing raised an eyebrow, her tone involuntarily gentle, “How did I break the rules?” Yan Jue insisted, “You've already gotten too close to the Qilin regularly. In its presence, it isn't even guarding the green beans. Isn’t that breaking the rules?” Listening from the side, Du Ming’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Indeed, her audacity before Qi Xuanqing was quite something… Despite Yan Jue's unreasonable demeanor, in Qi Xuanqing’s eyes, she only appeared more endearing. If not for the others around, she would have loved to embrace Yan Jue and give her a good squeeze. Qi Xuanqing leaned closer and whispered, “Using the bundle to make the Qilin leave, wouldn’t that be considered cheating as well?” Next to them, Du Ming watched, slightly bewildered. Why were the two suddenly so close when they were just speaking normally moments ago? Qi Xuanqing was in the midst of talking to Yan Jue when she noticed something off about her demeanor. Yan Jue’s eyes were typically full of life. Yet, the person standing before her now seemed almost vacant. Previously, when she spoke simply, Yan Jue could respond normally, but anything more complex left her unable to reply. Something was amiss. Qi Xuanqing, ever vigilant, recalled something and reached out to pinch Yan Jue’s shoulder. Instantly, Yan Jue turned into a little monkey, sticking out its tongue playfully before dashing away. Qi Xuanqing’s hand, hanging by her side, instinctively clenched. This rascal. --- Yan Jue, riding the Ice Flowing Sword, soared across the Wulong Secret Realm's skies, quickly reaching its exit. Though it was a bit unscrupulous, Just stalling Qi Xuanqing for even a short while would be enough. As Yan Jue ran, she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Apologies to Meng Hang Jun. No worries—at worst, she’d just have to attend to Qi Xuanqing for a few days. Exiting the secret realm, Yan Jue traveled via sword flying swiftly to Jin Gang Sect. The great hall. Leaping off her sword, her robes fluttering wildly in the gusts, Yan Jue promptly approached the elder in charge, offering a respectful salute. The Jin Gang Zong Elder looked at Yan Jue with surprise. “Are you the first to collect the materials?” This mission was notably challenging, with the design of clues and barriers crafted meticulously by the Wulong Gate’s upper echelons. All elders believed the team event wouldn’t conclude so swiftly. Should anyone manage to swiftly solve the puzzle and gather all materials, that person was expected to be Qi Xuanqing. The elder’s skeptical gaze fell on Yan Jue, who smiled slowly as she drew two spirit stones from her sleeve. The elder lowered his head to examine the goods, frowning slightly. “Very well, I’ll register your accomplishment.” Standing with her hands behind her back, Yan Jue watched contentedly as the elder recorded her team's name, her face relaxing into a gratifying smile. Elder: “Your team is ranked first.” At long last, she had won. This victory granted her the opportunity to make a request of Qi Xuanqing. Yan Jue had been planning this for over a month. With the registration complete, Yan Jue, in high spirits, turned to leave the great hall. Just as she stepped outside, she saw Qi Xuanqing flying towards her on the flickering Shadow Candle Sword. Qi Xuanqing landed in front of her, gazing at her quietly.