The night passed without further words. At the stroke of six in the morning,
as the first light of dawn spilled across the boundless yellow earth from the east, the rhythmic, undulating calls of the night watchmen rose and fell across the streets. The dormant Zhenxi Prefectural City gradually stirred back to life.
When Xu Yuan crawled out of bed, Li Junwu sat cross-legged on the inner side of the mattress in her brocade coat, deep in meditation.
Jiayi leaned against the window, the big yellow dog sleeping at her feet. With an indifferent expression, she watched the scattered pedestrians below, a faint hint of weariness lingering beneath her eyelids.
The Divine Maiden's cultivation had only reached Soul Condensation, which meant she could not yet run continuously around the clock without rest.
Even so, ever since Xu Yuan lay down the previous night, she had gotten up and sat stiffly on a wooden stool throughout the dark hours.
Sensing his gaze, the Western Regions girl knitted her delicate brows, rose, and turned back with a frigid stare.
"What are you staring at me for?"
Xu Yuan got up, smoothed his slightly rumpled inner garments, and pointed out toward the azure sky.
"It's already morning. Naturally, I want to hear the answer you spent all night pondering."
Jiayi gave a soft humph, her voice clear and cold as a silver bell.
"Regardless of what schemes I might harbor, do I have any other choice right now besides agreeing to cooperate with you? Whether I work with you or choose to collude with the sects and stab you in the back, Linlang must first be brought into the city."
Xu Yuan retrieved a dark brown low table carved with dragons and phoenixes from his Sumeru ring, set it before the bed, and said with a light chuckle,
"You certainly don't bother concealing it."
"I despise pointless nonsense."
"What a coincidence. I hate it too, so I won't waste words either."
Xu Yuan tossed three prayer mats to the sides of the low table, took a seat, and placed a compact spirit-inscribed stove stand upon the tabletop, saying softly,
"To guard against any possible backstabbing on your part, I need to take a few precautions in advance."
With that, he set a blue-and-white porcelain pot containing dragon meat stew onto the stove stand and added in a mild tone,
"You shouldn't have any objections to that, right?"
"As a prisoner, I hardly have the leverage to object."
Jiayi watched his hands fiddle with the porcelain pot, her brows furrowed. "If you want to plant a restriction, do it quickly. Don't drag your feet."
"Don't be in such a rush."
Xu Yuan cast a glance at her while continuing to tend to breakfast. In a quiet voice, he said, "I only want to ask you a few questions."
Jiayi's brow furrowed deeper.
"What questions?"
Xu Yuan replied softly,
"About Linlang. After all, if you choose to cooperate with me, intelligence regarding Linlang naturally must be shared."
Hidden within her wide sleeves, Jiayi's hands clenched tight for a split second before relaxing.
"Fine."
Xu Yuan smiled at that.
"Before I ask, let me make something clear in advance: based on the veracity of your answers, I will determine which side you truly lean toward."
As he spoke, he tilted his head and leaned down slightly to activate the stove stand. Watching strands of blue flame begin to lick the blue-and-white porcelain pot of dragon stew, he met the girl's eyes once more and smiled faintly.
"I hope you exercise caution. If the information you provide contradicts what I already know, I might get the wrong idea and assume you chose the sects."
"And what if I did choose the sects?"
"Then you're useless, and I'll kill you on the spot."
"......" Jiayi glanced at the woman meditating with closed eyes on the bed.
"......" Li Junwu slowly opened her eyes, but said nothing.
"Hmph."
With a soft scoff, the chest hidden beneath Jiayi's loose robe rose and fell slightly. She said coolly,
"Understood. Ask away."
"Why is Linlang so strongly bound to the Divine Maiden?"
"......"
Jiayi had not expected him to touch upon such a sensitive subject right off the bat.
The connection between Linlang and the Divine Maiden was classified even among the highest echelons of the Dachao.
Her quiet gaze lingered on his refined features for several breaths, yet all she saw was that placid smile.
Drawing a deep breath, Jiayi murmured,
"The Divine Maiden—or the Divine Son—is the most perfect incarnation vessel for Linlang."
Glancing at the big yellow dog sound asleep by the girl's feet, Xu Yuan let out a noncommittal chuckle.
Jiayi was likely telling the truth.
Back in *Cangyuan*, that slender-waisted vixen's fighting style often relied on drawing upon Linlang's power.
It felt somewhat inspired by the crown prince of a certain anime.
Still, the differences were substantial.
For one, Linlang was not sealed inside her; rather, it periodically deposited a portion of its power into her body to grant her a temporary burst of strength in critical moments.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan pressed on,
"Then what is Linlang's purpose in doing this?"
To this, Jiayi answered without hesitation:
"To evolve its origin source."
"Evolve?"
Before Xu Yuan could speak, Li Junwu's suspicious voice drifted over from the bed. "Evolve into what?"
"To evolve sapience."
Xu Yuan recalled the intelligence he had gathered from Mu Xingchen regarding ancient beasts and the Insect Saint. "They possess lifespans that are long to the point of near infinity, but their intellect is abysmal, driven purely by primal instinct."
Seizing this opportunity to explain things to his dear 'bosom buddy' while simultaneously pressing Jiayi, Xu Yuan weighed his words and said with deliberate ambiguity,
"Simply put, Linlang wishes to borrow the intellect of its incarnation vessel, because every time the vessel draws on Linlang's power, their constitution is subtly altered.
"As for whether this will ultimately take the form of possession to achieve the evolution of its origin source, we'd have to ask our little Divine Maiden here."
Listening to this unfamiliar man's words, a faint pang of dread welled up within Jiayi's heart.
She had initially assumed he was bluffing, but his grasp of Linlang seemed far deeper than she had ever anticipated.
Her eyes flickered for a fraction of a second before she said evenly,
"I do not know what exact form it takes. After all, past generations of Divine Maidens and Divine Sons never arrived at a conclusion either."
"Is that so? Then I'll take your word for it for now."
Xu Yuan baited her meaningfully, then changed the subject. "Third question: what is the relationship between Linlang, the Insect Saint, and the Dachao people?"
"This little sister probably wouldn't know the answer to that."
The moment Xu Yuan finished speaking, a bright, smiling voice suddenly rang out inside the modest guest room.
By the time the three occupants came to their senses, a young woman had already materialized within the room.
Her entrance was abrupt, without the slightest warning, as though she had appeared out of thin air.
*Rustle—*
A flicker of wary shock crossed Jiayi's eyes, while the dog dozing at her feet scrambled upright in an instant. Li Junwu even drew her sword directly. Only after both women noticed that Xu Yuan remained utterly unfazed did they begin taking in the newcomer.
A form-fitting black gauze gown wrapped the girl's lithe silhouette, and a faint, elusive smile rested upon her ethereal, heavenly countenance.
Glancing at Tianye's remarkably familiar attire, Xu Yuan asked with a bizarre expression,
"Coming over this early, and you even went out of your way to change clothes?"
Tianye beamed, twirling lightly before him.
"Tianyan said she didn't feel like coming out lately, and I don't care for her style of dress, so I made myself a new outfit last night. Isn't it pretty?"
Xu Yuan rubbed his chin and chuckled softly.
"It lacks a bit of charm."
Tianye giggled, her slender fingers tracing over her modest curves as she nodded in thorough agreement.
"Hehe~ True enough."
"Xu Yuan."
Listening to their banter, a strange prickle stirred in Li Junwu's chest. With a faint laugh, she asked, "Is this your new flame?"
Bearing in mind that Tianyan was watching, Xu Yuan gave only an ambiguous nod before promptly brushing the topic aside. "Regarding my earlier question, you're saying Jiayi doesn't know?"
"......" Li Junwu rolled her eyes in slight irritation at his evasive response.
Seeing this, Tianye's eyes fluttered as she cast a glance toward the long-legged woman on the bed. Turning back to Xu Yuan, a peculiar gleam danced within her deep golden pupils as she replied,
"How many ages ago was that? It would be a miracle if this little sister knew anything about it."
With a trace of restraint in his eyes, Xu Yuan asked, "So you chimed in because you plan on telling me yourself?"
"It's just some trivial scraps of history anyway. No harm in telling Brother Changtian~"
With her hands behind her back, Tianye stepped to his side, sank into a kneel, and leaned close to his ear, her breath fragrant as orchids:
"The Dachao people were once the incarnation vessels fought over by those two."
Chapter 626