Chapter 24: Princess Ling and the Holy Beast

After Murong Yun finished recounting that complicated adventure, a thick silence enveloped the room.

It wasn’t that they doubted the truth of his story; rather, those present, all experienced and powerful individuals, were pondering the significance of the events he described from their own perspectives.

Ultimately, it was Miss Vilyric who spoke up first.

“So you think that beast is the legendary Holy Beast Qilin? You’re sure about that, right?”

This time, Prefect Wen Fu nodded in affirmation.

“I have asked an artist to draw the appearance of that beast based on Mr. Murong’s description, and compared it to the image of the Holy Beast known in our Western Spirit Kingdom; they are at least seventy to eighty percent similar.”

Sensing something from Murong Yun’s recount or perhaps already knowing certain things, Ling Feng had been frowning tightly since earlier. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke in a slightly cautionary tone.

“Mr. Murong, Prefect, if the appearance of the Holy Beast Qilin is, indeed, such a process, it seems to me that perhaps we should not disturb it any longer.”

Wen Fu didn’t seem surprised by her attitude.

“What you mean, Miss Ling Feng, is that the Holy Beast Qilin did not appear intentionally in front of us, but rather, it was Mr. Murong’s inadvertent intrusion that disturbed its rest, thus it had no choice but to act in defense… Am I correct?”

Seeing the gray-haired girl remain noncommittal in her response, Prefect Wen Fu’s previously gentle demeanor shifted, and he solemnly shook his head.

“Initially, I shared the same viewpoint as you, thinking that we mere mortals should not disturb the resting place of the Holy Beast, even hesitating to publicize Mr. Murong’s encounter…”

“But what you may not know is that just a few days ago, I received an urgent message from above, inquiring whether any peculiar phenomena or disturbances by evil spirits had occurred in Yangyuan County recently.”

“There have indeed been phenomena, such as the inexplicable golden light that shot up from the western part of our county on the last day of the year, or coincidentally, the encounter with the Holy Beast Qilin reported by Mr. Murong at almost the same time. Although it is baffling, I could only report the situation back to the capital truthfully, and quickly received a new decree.”

The Prefect’s sharp gaze swept across the room, especially landing on the three newcomer ladies, as he enunciated each word.

“The upper authorities have ordered me to immediately investigate the Tidal Deep Valley situation and deploy manpower to find and confirm the specific details regarding the Holy Beast Qilin, with a seriousness that could almost be described as resolute.”

“The reason for issuing a recruitment notice and publicizing the Holy Beast’s appearance in Yangyuan County is precisely due to the clear directives within the decree.”

“I believe the upper authorities must possess some more detailed information to issue such precise orders; hence, we need only to act accordingly.”

“The upper authorities’ strict orders…”

With a slight frown, Ling Feng exchanged glances with Vilyric, then turned towards the three men.

“Prefect, may I ask who exactly issued this decree? The Six Yuans of the capital, the three elders, or… the current Holy Monarch?”

Wen Fu raised an eyebrow, surprised at her question, stroking his short beard.

“Miss Ling Feng seems particularly familiar with the structure of our Western Spirit Kingdom, though you’ve guessed wrong. While the urgent message from above is swift, direct communication with the capital is no simple task; therefore, I reported to a prominent figure who is closer to Yangyuan County.”

After a brief pause, the Prefect sighed lightly.

“Never mind, those who use others do not doubt them, and you should know that there’s a noble from the capital who is currently touring the world on behalf of the Holy Monarch to celebrate the millennium of our Ancient Spirit Realm.”

“You mean… Princess Ling?”

“Precisely; to be honest, that noble is currently on her way to Yangyuan County.”

…

After wrapping up the discussion about the Qilin or perhaps after testing the waters from various aspects, Prefect Wen Fu finally took his leave with Murong Yun and the nearly silent Yin-Yang Envoy, Qin Xuan.

To prepare for the inquiry into the Tidal Deep Valley and to search for the Holy Beast Qilin, Vilyric and her two companions would temporarily reside in the specially arranged shared quarters provided by Yangyuan City, just like other recruited strong warriors, ensuring that officials could reach them anytime.

According to Murong Yun, the tidal periods of the Tidal Deep Valley are not fixed; for instance, last month there could have been a rise at the month’s beginning and a fall at the end, while next month, the opposite might happen. He hadn’t figured out the specific rules, so he couldn’t determine when they could next enter that place.

But, overall, it wouldn’t take more than a month.

Recruitment was still ongoing, and it was said that at least a hundred strong warriors were to be gathered. If time permitted, even the elite of Princess Ling’s Ling Wei Army might be involved, but Wen Fu clearly could not provide a definitive answer regarding how the lady thought about this matter.

Soon, dusk began to settle in.

As the host, Prefect Wen Fu had naturally arranged accommodations for the recruited warriors, and the dwelling for Vilyric and her companions was especially luxurious, likely to ensure that the Priestess, a great figure of “same age,” would be pleased and lend more strength later.

“Princess Ling, the Qilin…”

This Princess Ling must know something, and… so does Ling Feng.

Changing into soft sleepwear, lying on the plush bedding in a spread eagle position, the Priestess absentmindedly wiggled her smooth little feet, wrapped only in short socks, while murmuring the names of the two presences she was currently most concerned about.

Although she had merely gotten involved out of boredom, as she delved deeper into the matter, Vilyric increasingly felt that the rumors of the Holy Beast’s appearance concealed extraordinarily complex secrets.

This was no mere coincidence with the Qilin’s emergence.

That Holy Beast… might very well be actively attracting certain individuals to search for it, and perhaps the upper echelons of the Spirit Kingdom already knew the Qilin was hidden here along with some deeper secrets.

Furthermore.

“What is Ling Feng’s true identity?”

From the moment Wen Fu mentioned Princess Ling, Ling Feng’s expression distinctly changed, and although she and Bai’er clearly both came from the capital’s Yin-Yang Envoy, the Yin-Yang Envoy guarding Yangyuan County, Qin Xuan, didn’t seem to recognize them.

Although Vilyric had long seen through that they hadn’t been entirely truthful, the purpose behind such an act was understandable. Still, now that it was glaringly obvious, it was hard not to be concerned.

If only Xiao Guang were here.

Though that girl was silly and couldn’t provide anything of real value, at least she was more trustworthy than anyone else, and in moments like this, she could be a sounding board to avoid bottling up thoughts.

Oh no, that makes it seem like it’s really a matter of who relies on whom…

At this thought, the Priestess sprang up from bed like a fish leaping out of water, forcefully patting her smooth, tender face to invigorate herself.

“Alright! Given the circumstances, let’s set aside the boring worries and go out for a stroll to see if we can discover anything interesting!”

   

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