Chapter Seventeen: Signs of Auspiciousness and Disaster

After some casual chit-chat, the waiter who successfully led the conversation and earned a tip quickly left, leaving behind the three girls, Vilyric included, who exchanged glances and seemed deep in thought due to the recent information.

“So, what exactly is the holy beast Qilin? Have you all heard of it?”

Miss Ling Feng was still pondering something, while Bai’er sitting beside her nodded eagerly.

“Can you believe that people from outside the domain don’t even know about the holy beast Qilin? But it’s a well-known legend in the Ancient Spirit Realm! The four holy beasts and the four holy rulers—they are partners and also have a mentor-student relationship. You could say that the four holy beasts share half the credit for bringing peace to the chaotic world.”

“That’s right… The White Tiger of the East, the Black Bird of the South, the Pi Xiu of the North, and our Western Ling Nation’s holy beast Qilin are collectively known as the four holy beasts.”

Miss Ling Feng continued, her white fingers lightly stroking the ceramic cup’s wall, staring into the tea that gently swayed within, seemingly lost in thought.

“Legends say that the four holy beasts possess incredible powers, like moving mountains and calming seas, turning decay into wonder. The bloodline inherited by the current four holy rulers is originally derived from the blessings granted by the four holy beasts.”

“Not only has Lingyin Fairy Island appeared early, but the holy beast Qilin is also resurfacing after a millennium… If this is true, then disaster is likely to befall Yangyuan City.”

“Huh? Why do you say that?”

The Priestess looked somewhat puzzled.

“Isn’t the holy beast Qilin a symbol of auspiciousness? Why would its appearance signal impending doom?”

Ling Feng let out a soft breath, her gaze distant.

“Fortune relies on misfortune, and misfortune conceals fortune. The Qilin indeed represents good luck, but because of this, when it appears, disasters arise as people fight to seize this opportunity. It’s said that it chose to withdraw with the West Saint precisely to avoid this kind of turmoil.”

“Moreover, the Qilin would never reappear for no reason; its appearance must signify that some things are about to happen, or have already happened. The tides in the depths of the valley… Could it be…”

At this moment, the girl suddenly fell silent, and alongside Vilyric and Bai’er, who had also sensed the subtle clues, they turned their gazes toward the large cloud of dust gradually rising in the distance.

“Clear the way! Clear the way! Move quickly!!!”

On the official road, a large group of riders clad in luxurious attire and with long swords by their sides—at least several hundred—dashed by, kicking up dust and forcing pedestrians to quickly step aside, not daring to utter a single curse at their brazen behavior.

Only after they had left did people gather again, pointing at the dissipating dust in the distance, looking more confused than dissatisfied.

Similar expressions were also evident on Ling Feng’s and Bai’er’s faces.

“Lady, they…”

“Yes, gray silk robes, capes with phoenix designs, wielding Yang Spring swords and wearing Qilin boots—there’s no mistake, that’s the standard attire of the Ling Wei Army. They are the Ling Wei.”

Ling Feng withdrew her gaze from the window, seeming perplexed and bewildered.

“The Ling Wei… Why are they appearing near Yangyuan City at this time?”

Adhering to her excellent habit of asking when in doubt, Miss Vilyric immediately responded.

“Are you talking about the forces specifically tasked with protecting Princess Ling? I heard that Princess Ling is currently leading a holy hunting expedition. If the Ling Wei Army is here, doesn’t that imply…”

“Absolutely impossible.”

Seemingly finding the suggestion overly presumptuous, Ling Feng paused for a moment before adding.

“Princess Ling’s hunting route has already been established; it wouldn’t change significantly at the last minute. The strong figures under the Yin-Yang Division have been clearing the way for a long time. At this moment, they should be at least a thousand miles away from Yangyuan City; how could they possibly be here?”

Since Miss Vilyric had openly stated her identity as an outsider, during their travel over the past few days, she had already learned that these two belonged to the Yin-Yang Division of the Western Ling Nation, though they hadn’t specified their exact titles.

Given that even Ling Feng, a notable figure within the Yin-Yang Division, had said so, the Priestess didn’t refute it, merely nodding and awaiting further explanation.

Sure enough, after a moment’s thought, Ling Feng continued.

“Yangyuan City is indeed on the hunting route; perhaps the news of the Qilin’s appearance reached the princess’s ears and she dispatched the Ling Wei to investigate. However, the true headquarters of the Ling Wei Army and the princess’s retinue… They should still be several days away.”

Bai’er, who was also privy to many details, nodded in agreement.

“That seems to be the only possibility.”

Having concluded the topic, Ling Feng turned her gaze to the Priestess sitting across from her.

“I wonder what plans you have, Vilyric-senpai?”

“Me?”

The black-haired girl rested her chin on one hand, thinking leisurely.

To be honest, Vilyric had initially intended to quickly gather information about Lingyin Fairy Island and its location, meet up with Hen, figure out her situation and the backstory, and then decide their next course of action.

But if, as Ling Feng and Bai’er said, the island’s whereabouts were unpredictable, and they would only have a chance to visit after it reemerged in half a year, then rushing into action would seem rather pointless.

Perhaps… this was also part of Hen’s considerations, to let herself learn more about this continent?

With this thought in mind, the girl finally spoke.

“What else can we do? We can just stroll around the Ancient Spirit Realm and kill some time, waiting for your so-called Four Saints Selection Tournament to commence. After all, I definitely want to get onto that fairy island, and while a few months may seem long, I can wait.”

“…”

It seemed that Ling Feng and Bai’er had already anticipated such a response from the black-haired girl, exchanging glances before Ling Feng took the initiative to extend an invitation.

“Since that’s the case, we two happen to wish to travel around as well. Although I’m not particularly skilled, I would be willing to serve as your guide, how does that sound?”

“A guide, huh…”

The other’s intentions were already clear and explicit, and there was no attempt to hide them.

On one hand, as Ling Feng said, seeing that Vilyric was unfamiliar with the area, she wanted to extend some hospitality; on the other hand, it was also to supervise—or rather, keep an eye on this mysterious outsider.

If it were an ordinary outsider, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Miss Vilyric’s strength had already been unmistakably demonstrated when dealing with that Seven Day Demon Lord, Misty Veil. A powerful and unpredictable outsider like her would naturally make someone like Ling Feng, a prominent figure in the Western Ling Nation, want to keep her within sight, just in case.

However, it didn’t really matter, so long as the Priestess wasn’t a malefactor with ulterior motives and a duplicitous nature—this journey would simply be mutually beneficial.

She nodded.

“Fine then, in exchange for the information provided, I’ll travel with you until Lingyin Fairy Island reveals itself. If circumstances change, we can part ways without any debts to settle. Does that sound okay?”

“Vilyric-senpai speaks very directly; it’s settled then~”

Seeing the black-haired girl extend her delicate white hand, Ling Feng understood this was some symbolic ritual and smiled, lifting her arm to respond.

As she shook the girl’s slender hand, which felt almost boneless, a flash of brilliance seemed to appear in the Priestess’s palm before she quickly withdrew it, her expression becoming more relaxed and casual.

“Alright, now that we’ve decided to act together, don’t bother calling me ‘senpai’ anymore; we’re clearly the same age~ So where to next? Are we heading to Yangyuan City first?”

Seemingly oblivious to someone’s subtle movements, Ling Feng, having retracted her hand, also smiled and then nodded slightly, the expression on her face becoming slightly serious.

“First, let’s meet with the governor of Yangyuan City, Wen Fu. Our top priority is to confirm the source of the news regarding the Qilin. If even a waiter at a tea house knows so much information, this matter… Perhaps it has already caused quite a stir throughout Yangyuan County.”

   

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