Chapter 84: The Ancestor’s Belated Rebellion (11)

Ling Qiong toyed with the dagger as she asked Lou Xingluo, “Are you being hunted?”

“Yes.”

“Who’s after you?” she pressed.

Lou Xingluo’s hand stilled as he ate. He lowered his gaze to the fire, burning bright before him, and remained silent for a long time.

Just as Ling Qiong thought he wouldn’t answer, he finally looked away from the flames and uttered two words: “My kin.”

Ling Qiong was speechless.

How tragic was that?

She surreptitiously pulled out her compendium to check Lou Xingluo’s character profile.

...

Lou Xingluo was the legitimate eldest son of the Lord of Vankong City. However, the Lord favored the younger son born to his second wife and disliked both his first wife and her children. During a training expedition, the younger son falsely accused Lou Xingluo of hoarding treasure for himself. Upon returning, he further claimed Lou Xingluo had conspired with outsiders to seize the Lord’s position. Not long after, the second wife died under suspicious circumstances, and the blame fell squarely on Lou Xingluo. Forced to flee, he was eventually captured and tortured to death in order to extract the location of the treasure.

Ling Qiong was silent.

So tragic. Truly miserable.

But she was in no position to pity anyone—her own lot was just as bleak.

No one’s life was much better than her own.

...

Night deepened and dew settled. Mist crept through the forest, thickening the damp chill in the air.

Lou Xingluo sat quietly, his gaze drifting to the young girl sleeping soundly against a tree trunk.

“You used me to test for poison!” The inky-black snake furiously berated Lou Xingluo’s vile behavior.

Lou Xingluo pinched the snake just below its head. “If I hadn’t stopped her, you’d be snake soup by now.”

The snake writhed, unable to free itself, and could only curse, “Despicable! Shameless! Base!”

Lou Xingluo was no saint himself. Craving its body!

But in that moment, had it denied the accusation, the little girl would likely have killed it.

Now the snake was full of regret. It had only just escaped while Lou Xingluo was unconscious, but tempted by the spiritual aura clinging to the girl, it had tried to get closer and ended up dooming itself.

Lou Xingluo looked down at it. “If you don’t form a contract with me, I’ll tell her you’re not my contracted beast. Guess what she’ll do to you.”

The snake fell silent.

Snake soup was a real threat.

Twisting itself almost into knots, it finally surrendered.

When a snake is under the eaves, it must bow its head!

It had no desire to end up as soup. That girl was nothing short of ominous.

Clearly, it had seen her run with terrifying speed before, yet she turned out to be so fearsome!

Lou Xingluo was cunning enough—he’d absolutely sell it out if it refused to comply.

Recalling what it had seen in the Demon Suppression Tower, the snake shivered. Why were humans so ruthless these days?

...

Snap—

Ling Qiong jerked awake, sitting up in alarm.

The fire had burned out, leaving only a wisp of smoke. Mist hung thickly in the woods, obscuring vision.

Ling Qiong glanced around but didn’t see her “cub.” Her heart skipped a beat.

When did he disappear? Had he run off?

Wouldn’t that mean her rescue was all for nothing?

Just as she was about to go searching, a figure emerged through the fog.

The youth walked slowly, his purple robes brushing dew from the grass, picking up traces of moisture. The haze softened his features and silhouette, making him appear like an immortal stepping out of the mist, untouched by the mortal world.

Her “cub” was truly beautiful...

Lou Xingluo carried a leaf, folded to hold some berries. He approached, his tone both polite and gentle. “You’re awake. I found some berries over there.”

His face was still pale, clearly weakened.

Ling Qiong took a berry and said, “You shouldn’t wander off when you’re hurt. This place feels dangerous.”

“I didn’t go far, just stayed nearby.”

Ling Qiong nodded thoughtfully and shared the berries with him for breakfast.

Having found a water source yesterday, Ling Qiong went to wash up.

Lou Xingluo waited in place.

“Despicable!” the black snake poked out its head to curse again.

This wretched man had clearly tried to run. But he hadn’t gotten far—his own poison was still in effect. His wound had only been treated with some unknown herbs to prevent infection.

As for why he didn’t feel too unwell after waking, Lou Xingluo suspected the girl had used her spiritual power to suppress the poison. That required periodic reinforcement.

After weighing his options, he’d returned.

“You’ll get your comeuppance!” the snake continued, “Even that little girl isn’t safe from you!”

Lou Xingluo’s expression didn’t change. “You were trying to mess with her first. That’s how you got caught, wasn’t it?”

The snake chose silence.

...

When Ling Qiong returned, Lou Xingluo noticed she had changed clothes.

She hadn’t brought any luggage—where did the new clothes come from? Did she have a storage artifact?

“You changed clothes?”

“No,” Ling Qiong replied.

Lou Xingluo thought she was lying—different colors and patterns, how could she say she hadn’t changed?

“I just took off my outer layer. It was dirty and I didn’t want to wear it anymore. Anyway, we need to find Jiang He soon.”

Lou Xingluo was speechless.

Girls’ undergarments were this ornate?

“Where do you plan to go next?” he asked.

“To find someone to cure your poison, of course,” Ling Qiong replied naturally. “Otherwise, you’ll die.”

She glanced around. “Right now, I’m broke, so this is the best I can do…”

Her eyes brightened cunningly as she leaned close. “Cub, do you have any money?”

Lou Xingluo hadn’t expected her to offer to find someone to cure him, so he was momentarily stunned. When she suddenly leaned in, it startled him further, and he latched onto the word “money.”

“A little,” he admitted, shrinking back slightly.

“Give it to me,” Ling Qiong said with shining eyes, obediently reaching out her hand.

Lou Xingluo was puzzled. “What do you want money for? There’s nowhere to spend it out here.”

“I saved your life, didn’t I? It’s only fair I charge you a little. I can’t work for free!” Ling Qiong asserted.

He couldn’t argue with that.

Lou Xingluo handed over his money.

The continent’s currency was similar to gold coins, but silver in color, with a texture like polished stone, almost like jade, and a faint sense of spiritual energy within.

He didn’t have much; just thirty coins.

Previously, top-ups had been handled by Shanshan, directly debiting from a bank account. But now...

How was she supposed to spend these?

With only thirty coins, how many draws could she even make?

“Just put them somewhere out of sight,” came a message only she could see, “I’ll handle the rest.”

Ha! You only appear when it’s time to take my money! Where are you the rest of the time?

“As long as you’re happy,” the message replied.

Ling Qiong stowed the coins. Within seconds, the balance on her private lottery page increased by a long string of numbers.

She realized those thirty coins were quite valuable—almost five million in real-world currency.

Wait a minute!

She checked the spot where she’d put the coins. Empty.

That damned system hadn’t left her a single one!

Curses!

———A Note from the Fairy———
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