Chapter 333

Chapter 333: Qi Yan Is the Devil Qilin

Shang Qing and Shi Yi were relieved they had muddled through. They accepted the order and went to their patrol posts.

Ever since he sensed that the Radical Faction meant to attack, Ling Hu Min had laid out a plan and assigned patrol areas to every Conservative Faction Elder to tighten security.

He did not assign the two men to key zones. He was still wary of them.

After they left, Ling Hu Min sat across from Shen Sang Ruo and Immortal Maiden Azure Luan on the stone stools.

He did not circle around. He asked her directly: “Do you have something to tell me?”

“I do have something to tell Leader Ling Hu,” Shen Sang Ruo said, pausing as if unsure, “but I do not know if this is the right time.”

Ling Hu Min’s look sharpened: “I only want to know why you came to Shadowmist Ravine, whether you will harm the Conservative Faction, and if you have ties to the Radical Faction.”

He seemed certain she had not come just to practice devil arts.

“I do have another goal. To be honest, my true purpose in coming to Shadowmist Ravine is for the Cultivation World.” With things at this point, Shen Sang Ruo chose to be frank.

She did not want her relationship with Ling Hu Min to break. That would hurt her later plans.

And if she hoped to work with him, she had to show some sincerity so he could trust her.

Hearing the truth, Ling Hu Min relaxed a little, though his confusion grew.

“The Cultivation World? What does that have to do with the Cultivation World?”

The Cultivation World and Shadowmist Ravine almost never crossed paths. They were practically two separate worlds.

Even if the Cultivation World was in trouble, why come to Shadowmist Ravine?

Shen Sang Ruo gave a brief version, hiding some details and highlighting the core:

“We discovered that for the past ten thousand years, a Heretic Cultivator group has been plotting in secret to take the entire Cultivation World. Ten thousand years ago, Heretic Cultivators joined hands with Radical Faction Devil Cultivators to do evil. The Radical Faction Devil Cultivators may still know some clues, so I came to investigate.”

“Please rest assured, Leader Ling Hu. I will not harm the Conservative Faction. My target has always been the Radical Faction.”

Her tone was sincere and steady.

“I can vouch for her,” Immortal Maiden Azure Luan added, “and you know I would never stand with the Radical Faction.”

When the Azure Luan Clan was destroyed, Ling Hu Min had not yet been born, but the tragedy was common knowledge in Shadowmist Ravine.

Even if the whole world stood with the Radical Faction, Immortal Maiden Azure Luan would not. He trusted her.

Only then did Ling Hu Min lower his guard toward Shen Sang Ruo.

But what about last night? His gut told him that her earlier hesitation was tied to it.

She would not stand with the Radical Faction, so why had the Radical Faction entered the Conservative Faction’s lands for her?

The matter behind this was likely more complex than he had thought.

“I can tell you are not ordinary,” Ling Hu Min said, changing tone, “to come straight into Shadowmist Ravine to investigate. But the clash between the two sides is about to erupt. This is not the time for your investigation.”

“When fighting starts, we will not be able to take care of you. You and Azure Luan should leave while you can.”

Shen Sang Ruo smiled: “Leader Ling Hu and I already agreed I could stay in Shadowmist Ravine for ten days. After ten days, Leader Ling Hu can decide whether I must leave.”

Her voice carried confidence, as if certain that ten days later Ling Hu Min would choose to let her stay.

“Anyway, the fighting will not start within ten days, right?”

Ling Hu Min paused. That was probably true.

“Do as you wish,” he said, and then stressed, “but my bottom line is that you must not harm the Conservative Faction. If you do, even with Immortal Maiden Azure Luan here, we will not be gentle.”

“There is no need to worry about that,” Shen Sang Ruo said. “To thank you for your trust, I will share one piece of information I know.”

Ling Hu Min looked at her, waiting.

“Shang Qing and Shi Yi cannot be trusted. Please guard against them.”

“How do you know this?” Ling Hu Min understood at once what she meant.

She gave the same answer as before: “Give me ten days, and I will tell Leader Ling Hu everything.”

Ling Hu Min’s sharp eyes stayed on her for a long moment before he said: “I will be more careful.”

“But to avoid alerting them, I will not change their posts for now.”

He would slowly sideline them later. Thankfully, he had not given them an important patrol zone.

That was exactly what Shen Sang Ruo wanted.

With that finished, she asked: “Leader Ling Hu, do you know Qi Yan?”

As she spoke, she watched his face. His expression made it clear he knew Qi Yan.

Shen Sang Ruo knew more than he had expected.

Ling Hu Min even felt a strange hunch: [Maybe she could be the turning point in this crisis for the Conservative Faction.] He quickly pushed the thought away. [Do not be foolish.]

Her voice drew him back: “Would you tell me who Qi Yan is?”

“Qi Yan is the Devil Qilin.”

Those few words explained why the Radical Faction had suddenly decided to move against the Conservative Faction.

No matter how people ranked Demonic Beasts, the Five Divine Beasts always stood at the top of the pyramid: Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and above them, the Qilin.

The Five Divine Beasts are special. Only one of each exists in the world.

Rumor says they are near-god beings, tied to the order of all things. They almost never appear.

With Qi Yan’s help, the Radical Faction’s arrogance would soar, and the thought of swallowing the Conservative Faction would grow.

What shocked Shen Sang Ruo was not only that Shadowmist Ravine had a Qilin, one of the Five Divine Beasts, but that Qi Yan’s title was Devil Beast.

How could a Qilin, one of the Five Divine Beasts, become a Devil Beast?

After being tainted by Devil Qi and becoming a Devil Beast, how would that affect Qi Yan’s heart and mind? The Five Divine Beasts clearly represent light and justice. From the looks of it, the change must have been great for Qi Yan to be persuaded by Radical Faction Devil Cultivators.

This showed how hard the Conservative Faction’s situation had become.

“Qi Yan seems to have been in Shadowmist Ravine since birth,” Ling Hu Min said. “He was young before and did not want to show himself. We only discovered him in the last thousand years.”

“As time passed, he was influenced by Devil Qi to some degree and became the way he is now, half righteous, half wicked, impossible to read.”

“Before, he did not want to deal with either side. We treated him as if he were not there, kept our distance, and did not offend him. He did not change the balance.”

“But some time ago, the Radical Faction used some method and actually persuaded Qi Yan.”

Ling Hu Min let out a long sigh, worry written across his face.