Cheater

The abrupt turn of events rendered the cave so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Feeling a wisp of yellow sand trickle onto his head, Xu Yuan furrowed his brow and slowly raised his gaze. Dragon Concealment Cavern was nestled at the bottom of the valley, beneath a loess cliff several hundred zhang high. Weathered by years of relentless sandstorms, the earth had long been packed rock-solid, yet the impact just now had caused a structural deformation. As far as his eyes could see, fissures spiderwebbed across the cavern roof, and sand and grit cascaded downward like a sheer veil. The Dragon Burial Karst Cave seemed perched on the verge of collapse. The thick barrier of earth prevented Xu Yuan from sensing what had happened on the clifftop, but a single glance at the grim look on Tianyan's face beside him told him everything. But... why? The Hungry Ghost Chasm spanned a vast domain, and they were only at its outer fringes. How could it be such an absurd coincidence that something had landed right above their heads? Yet if it wasn't a coincidence, how had the intruder sensed them? The only reason Tianyan had detected the disturbance deep in the chasm was because the violent fluctuations of qi dynamics there were so ferocious that the ripples had reached all the way here. And what about the other party? Even if the intruder were a Saint, they couldn't possibly sniff out people keeping absolute stillness across hundreds of li. What had given them away? A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, but the only thing that could have exposed their presence was that Dragon Transformation Essence. In Cangyuan, as long as a player carrying the Dragon Transformation Essence was on the same map as the Little Dragon Maiden, she would seek them out of her own accord. The trouble was that the Little Dragon Maiden was currently in the hands of that mysterious Saint, struggling to save her own skin. How could she have come looking for him? Amid the creeping silence, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh and muttered with a self-deprecating chuckle, "Tsk... what kind of rotten luck is this?" Tianyan instinctively looked back at him. Xu Yuan shrugged at her and said helplessly, "Running into two hostile Saints in a single month... With luck like mine, if I kicked a stray dog on the street, I'd probably end up kicking a desert Linlang in the head, wouldn't I?" Tianyan acutely sensed that his state of mind might be fraying. She wanted to offer a word of comfort, but Xu Yuan seemed to have already anticipated her thoughts. He shook his head and waved a hand. "I just think my luck is outrageously foul. Just venting." With that, he drew the willow ghost blade and leapt down from the elevated platform with the iron pool, murmuring with a wry smile, "I was just trying to do a simple treasure hunt, yet this nonsense keeps happening. If I'd known, I would have brought along a few top-tier powerhouses." As the words left his mouth, Xu Yuan couldn't help sighing inwardly. It was just loose talk. As massive as the Prime Minister's Manor was, that was only when compared to a single sect. If one looked at the balance of power across the Great Yan empire today, the Prime Minister's Manor, the imperial family, and the Sect Alliance stood roughly at a ratio of three to two to seven. To say nothing of hidden sects like the one backing the Qin family, lurking in the shadows. Once the chaos on the Northern Border came to an end and the resources and industries there were fully digested, that ratio might close somewhat, but the sects would still hold an overwhelming advantage over the imperial court. This was the confidence underlying the sects' stance toward the court. A thousand years of accumulated rot could not be overturned in one stroke by a few decades of restorative rule. Yet the Prime Minister's Manor and the imperial family possessed something the Sect Alliance did not: the formidable command, mobilization, and coordination that came with centralized authority. Only, that advantage came at a price. The imperial family had it better, as their centralized rule enjoyed the powerful inertia built around the imperial bloodline. The Prime Minister's Manor was a different story. Most of its centralized power rested upon the immense personal prestige of Xu Yinhe. In other words, if Li Yaoxuan died and a new emperor took the throne, the imperial family would remain the imperial family. But if something happened to Xu Yinhe, the Chancellor's Manor might cease to be the manor that held the realm in its grip. At present, the Prime Minister's Manor had directed most of its focus toward the Northern Border and Di'an; the Western Desert was entirely beyond its reach. On this trip, if he wanted absolute security for himself, even having Eldest Brother along wouldn't have been enough—only Uncle's personal accompaniment could suffice. The trouble was that Uncle dared not leave at such a critical juncture. With the fighting on the Northern Border drawing to a close, relations between the imperial family and the Prime Minister's Manor had plunged to freezing point. Uncle had to stay within Di'an to safeguard his father's life and guard against any decapitation strike Li Yaoxuan might launch before breathing his last. Then again, to be fair, having two peak Grandmasters—Ran Qingmo and Bai Muxi—by his side on this secret westward journey was already quite a lavish escort. After all, who could have anticipated in advance that Thousand Thorns Gorge was a hornet's nest of Saints? Muttering silently to himself, Xu Yuan stepped into the passageway. Just as he was about to head outside, he felt a hand suddenly grab his wrist. Looking back at the golden-eyed maiden beside him, Xu Yuan asked softly, "What is it?" Tianyan knitted her brows and countered, "What do you mean, 'what is it'? I should be asking you: what are you going out for right now?" Xu Yuan cast a slightly odd look back at her and pointed toward the ceiling. "They clearly know we're in here. But after making such a racket, they haven't barged straight inside, which means they have no intention of striking immediately. Rather than huddling in here like turtles with our heads pulled in, we might as well go out and talk to see what their attitude is." Pausing, Xu Yuan glanced at the other three women in the karst cave and lowered his voice. "Right, Muxi, use your earth arts to take the others and leave first. If the one outside is a Saint, staying won't do you any good." "Then what about you, Xu Yuan?" Ran Qingmo asked abruptly, her grip tightening hard around her ink sword. Xu Yuan raised the willow ghost blade and flicked it lightly, replying with a grin, "What do you think? To meet that Saint, of course. After all, Madame Wan gave me the information, so they should show me a bit of face, more or less." With that, Xu Yuan turned and waved his hand. "All right, be good. Follow Muxi and get out of here first. I'll come find you." He took several paces forward, only to find the palace-dressed maiden still trailing right on his heels, refusing to leave his side. After exchanging a brief glance, Tianyan sent an intent soul transmission, her tone complicated. "What if that Saint attacks you straight away?" "What then? Then I'll just drop dead to spite him." "Xu Yuan! I'm not joking with you!" "..." Musing for a moment as he looked at the anxiety in the girl's eyes, Xu Yuan refrained from joking this time and slowly uttered two words: "Tianye." "..." Tianyan's pupils contracted. "..." Tianye. Taking one last deep look at the girl, Xu Yuan reached out, ruffled her hair, and whispered, "Sorry about that. For lying to you before." Tianyan's small canine bit lightly into her lip. Looking at him, her tears gave way to a smile. "Hmph... I'm used to it anyway. You've always been a big liar." With that, golden light flickered in Tianyan's eyes. Sniffling, her lovely gaze swept across her surroundings, and she sent a transmission using a method unique to the Heavenly Derivation Technique: "Dead enchantress, I knew you'd never stop haunting him. But this time, I hope you protect him well. Don't go making me look down on the 'Tianyan' from twenty thousand years ago." "..." Tianye. Above Dragon Burial Valley, the narrow strip of sky between the canyon walls was dyed yellow by the sandstorm. Emerging from the long, narrow cave passage, Xu Yuan was about to call out to summon the other party when the corner of his eye immediately locked onto a slender figure. Turning his head, Xu Yuan found himself looking straight into a pair of dragon eyes. It was a young woman—a completely naked young woman—clutching her side as she sat slumped beneath a boulder outside the cave. Her snowy skin flushed like rosy dawn against the bewitching yellow sand, curves steeped in blood cascading with unrestrained radiance. Yet the ferocity and frenzy in her gaze threatened to devour anyone who dared look into her eyes. The two small dragon horns on her forehead allowed Xu Yuan to confirm her identity in an instant. The Little Dragon Maiden... After transforming into her dragon form, her clothes had blown apart, and after returning to human shape, she hadn't put anything on. She looked heavily wounded. Then again, it made sense. No matter how formidable a dragon's physical body was, her cultivation at this point in time should only be around the Origin Realm. He just didn't know whether she had already burned that trump card of hers. The moment their gazes locked, the Little Dragon Maiden made no effort to cover her body. A flash of hostility flickered in her magnificent dragon eyes, baring white, razor-sharp teeth as she demanded in a hostile tone: "Hey. Is my brother's Dragon Transformation Essence on you?" Xu Yuan didn't pay her any mind, instead calling out in a clear voice toward the yellow sand before him: "Since Your Excellency has come all this way, why not come out and have a word?" His voice faded into the howling gales. The yellow sand fell quiet, and for a moment, not a sound answered him. Xu Yuan wasn't in any rush at the sight, standing quietly at the entrance to the passageway and waiting patiently. In this silence, before any sound came from the whirling sand, the Little Dragon Maiden behind him struggled to her feet instead. Her long, slender, flawless legs were stark naked, faint blue veins visible on her ankles, each toe glistening like crystal. Clutching her flank, she stepped across the yellow sand toward Xu Yuan, speaking as she approached: "Human boy, I'm asking you a question! I felt it—my brother's Dragon Transformation Essence is on you." Cangyuan never lied to me. She's as ill-mannered as ever. I really don't know how I put up with this attitude of hers back when I was playing the game to become a dragon rider. With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan still didn't turn around, continuing to wait silently for the mysterious Saint concealed within the yellow sand. As she spoke, the Little Dragon Maiden had already reached him from behind, extending a slender hand tipped with sharp claws toward his shoulder. The movement was very slow. Clearly, rude as she sounded, she had no real intention of forcing Xu Yuan. Seeing this, Xu Yuan was just hesitating over whether to use Void-Treading Slash to evade when his vision blurred, followed instantly by the deafening clash of metal on metal detonating right beside him. Clang—! A slender, chitinous blade-leg thrust out from the depths of the sandstorm toward the Little Dragon Maiden beside Xu Yuan. The Little Dragon Maiden's fair arms transformed into dragon limbs in a flash, clamping her scaled claws onto the incoming strike from the depths. The instant they locked strength, sparks flew in all directions. Immediately overwhelmed, the Little Dragon Maiden went flying backward, smashing a crater into the loess cliff. The billow of dust that rose was swept away by the wind and sand in a heartbeat. Xu Yuan maintained an impassive expression, but his heart skipped a beat. An insect... Could that ghost infant really have been sired by Madame Wan and a demon beast? As the thought flashed by, the long, thin blade-leg of the giant insect had already retracted. Then, before his eyes, a human figure gradually took shape in the sand-shrouded open ground. The figure was somewhat slender, walking toward him in an unhurried, measured pace. Because of the raging gales, Xu Yuan couldn't hear footsteps, but as the figure drew closer, he felt an escalating sense of familiarity. A few breaths later, looking at the man whose silhouette had fully emerged, Xu Yuan knitted his brows and murmured, "Xingyi?" The figure in the yellow sand seemed to smile faintly, and a familiar, serene voice drifted over: "Brother Zhou, it has been a long time." And as those words fell, the pale, sickly man stepped completely into Xu Yuan's line of sight. Mu Xingyi maintained that placid smile at the corner of his lips as if it were carved in stone. "Meeting Brother Zhou here in this chasm after parting at Zhenxi Manor caught me somewhat by surprise, which kept you waiting for a moment." "Heh, surprised?" Hearing this, Xu Yuan's expression remained calm as he stared at the absolute madman who had gotten a female ghost pregnant. "You sure know how to make a joke, Xingyi. Rather than being surprised, wouldn't it be more accurate to say you were trying to gauge my cultivation?" Having his motive laid bare to his face, Mu Xingyi's expression didn't waver in the slightest. He replied gently, "Truly, nothing escapes Brother Zhou. Indeed it was so." "And did you figure anything out?" Xu Yuan asked. Mu Xingyi shook his head. "I could not." Xu Yuan chuckled and gave his head a small shake. "And I didn't see that Brother Mu possessed such cultivation either. Though by that logic, does that mean the infant in Madame Wan's belly is your offspring?" Mu Xingyi shook out his robes and bowed respectfully. "My humble wife caused offense. I hope Brother Zhou can find it in his heart to forgive her." With that, Mu Xingyi straightened up and said softly, "However, back at Zhenxi Manor, I did not deceive Brother Zhou. My cultivation then was indeed exceedingly humble. It was only through certain experiences over the past month that it skyrocketed to this level." Xu Yuan stared at the slender man for several breaths, then lowered his voice with a chuckle. "Since you put it that way, Xingyi, I'll take your word for it. But why is it that I no longer see that death wish in you from back then? You know, after we parted ways, I felt sorry for you as a friend for quite a while." "People always change." Mu Xingyi still did not deny it. He glanced into the distance toward the direction of the nameless manor. "Once one has responsibilities, naturally one cannot die so easily." Xu Yuan shook his head and said wistfully, "I still preferred the you from back then." "Didn't Brother Zhou just say you felt sorry for me?" "It was precisely because you harbored a death wish that you were worth pitying. Now that you have ties holding you down, you've faded into ordinary mediocrity." "..." Silence. After a long while, Mu Xingyi smiled and said, "I truly did not misjudge Brother Zhou. You are indeed a fascinating individual." "We can cut the idle chatter." Xu Yuan gazed into Mu Xingyi's calm eyes, curving his lips as he spoke slowly, "It seems your humble wife hasn't given up on her designs on me, and you appear to want to help your child come into the world completely. So, you can state your purpose now." Mu Xingyi was silent for a brief moment before saying softly, "Wan'er is a yin ghost. Her temperament has always been extreme..." "That shouldn't be your purpose," Xu Yuan interrupted. Mu Xingyi smiled placidly. "Brother Zhou need not harbor such heavy hostility. I have no intention of making an enemy of you. From the very beginning, I came here to make a transaction with you." Pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan glanced at the Little Dragon Maiden in the crater and murmured, "Using this demon dragon?" Mu Xingyi nodded. "Naturally. Wan'er mentioned the matter to me, so I brought her along." Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "For such a precious gift, what do you want in exchange?" Mu Xingyi's smile remained unchanged, his voice detached and gentle: "Originally, I intended to trade for the elixir you refined from a yin ghost, as well as the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique. "But now, "I want the long blade in Brother Zhou's hand."