Chapter 328

Qing Lin's enthusiasm even startled Xiao Yan; he and his two brothers had originally worried she might prefer to stay in the Serpent Saint Mansion, since being the Holy Maiden there was entirely different from returning to the Xiao Clan as a maid.

Xiao Yan had merely remembered his promise to Qing Lin to come to the Serpent Saint Mansion, so he'd made the trip.

But this wasn't Xiao Yan's fault—he didn't understand: in Qing Lin's heart, that mercenary group's Third Captain who never cared about her tainted bloodline or lowly status, and who still showed her kindness, was her white moonlight.

The Serpent Saint Mansion had treated her well, arranging everything perfectly—food, lodging, travel, cultivation resources all provided—but Qing Lin wasn't foolish; she knew the Mansion's goal was the Qi San Hua Tong, not her.

Xiao Yan gently stroked Qing Lin's silken hair and whispered, "Enough now—your beautiful clothes will get all wrinkled."

At this, Qing Lin's face flushed crimson; she realized she'd overstepped, hurriedly stepped back—but in her panic, her right foot tripped over her left and she plopped straight onto the ground.

Seeing Qing Lin still as timid as before, Xiao Yan could only sigh and shake his head. How could her body and age have grown, yet her mind regressed?

Aware of her breach of propriety, Qing Lin quickly stood, head bowed, fingers fidgeting, daring not to look at Xiao Yan—how embarrassing!

Beside them, Bai Ya and Lv Man sighed inwardly; over these five years, even facing them, Qing Lin had never shown such an expression, let alone before the Mansion Master.

Five years of effort by the Serpent Saint Mansion couldn't match one minute of Xiao Yan's appearance.

The power of the white moonlight!

"By the way, would you like to return with me to the Jia Ma Empire?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Yes!" Qing Lin snapped her head up, answering almost before his words finished.

Hearing Qing Lin wanted to leave, Bai Ya and Lv Man's expressions immediately darkened.

Lv Man didn't know what to say; she knew Xiao Yan was from the Soul Sect, and though none of them fully understood how powerful the Soul Sect was or Xiao Yan's status within it, they only needed to know one thing: the Soul Sect came from Zhong Zhou.

"Um… Qing Lin, you can't leave yet," Lv Man said, forcing herself to speak—after all the resources and manpower the Serpent Saint Mansion invested, how could you just walk away?

Hearing Lv Man's words, Qing Lin nodded and said, "I know—I promised you I'd help open the Ancestral Inheritance Site of the Green-Eyed Snake Saint in exchange, but to open it, I must pass the Trial within Serpent Saint Peak and retrieve the token hidden in the stone tablet."

"But now the token has been taken—so you can't blame me."

At this, Bai Ya, Lv Man, and Jia Xingtian slowly turned their gazes to Xiao Yan's fingers—more precisely, to the green gemstone ring.

"Is this the token you mean?" Xiao Yan slowly raised his hand and removed the green gemstone ring.

So overcome with emotion, Qing Lin hadn't sensed it at all!

"Young Master, how did you get it?!" Qing Lin was stunned—the Trial required the Qi San Hua Tong and even then, only a Dou Zong could open it; how could a Dou Huang possibly do it?!

"I just reached in with my hand."

"With your hand?!"

Xiao Yan smiled, not answering directly.

Seeing her Young Master wouldn't answer outright, Qing Lin knew it wasn't that simple.

"Young Master Yan is still just as powerful," Qing Lin thought, her admiration for Xiao Yan rising further.

"Since this is needed to open the Ancestral Inheritance Site, I'll give it to you," Xiao Yan said, taking Qing Lin's soft, jade-like hand and placing the green gemstone ring gently into her palm.

"Young Master! Qing Lin can't accept such a precious thing!" Qing Lin panicked—this was the token to open a Demon Saint's inheritance; its value was beyond imagination.

Even the Serpent Saint Mansion had spent countless generations and immense effort without ever opening it.

"Take it," Xiao Yan said slowly, shaking his head. "What use is it to me? I can't enter the Demon Saint's Ruins anyway, and it's a beast's inheritance—probably unsuitable for me. Open it, repay your debt, and come back."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Qing Lin nodded and accepted it—repaying the debt early meant she could return to the Jia Ma Empire faster; after all, that was her homeland, and now she was like a student studying abroad.

Xiao Yan placed the Yin-Yang Xuan Long Pill down and said, "This was meant to be your banquet gift tonight. Since I've seen you now, I won't bother attending the banquet—take it."

Qing Lin opened her mouth to refuse, but Xiao Yan raised his hand to stop her, smiling: "All you need to say now is 'thank you.'"

After a moment's pause, Qing Lin broke into a delighted smile and said, "Thank you, Young Master, for your gift."

With Qing Lin's wishes now confirmed, Xiao Yan had no reason to stay in the Serpent Saint Mansion; he turned to Zi Yan, who was unceremoniously gobbling up spirit fruits.

"Let's go, Zi Yan."

"Just one more!"

As Xiao Yan, Zi Yan, and Jia Xingtian stepped out of the cave mansion, they were instantly locked onto by countless Soul Forces—not just from the Sky, but from the forests and lakes, where numerous powerful Snake Race members watched Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan even sensed two Dou Zong-level auras—stronger than Bai Ya and Jia Xingtian.

Before Xiao Yan could speak, Bai Ya flew swiftly into the sky and said sternly, "Elders, Guardians, please return—the token of the Green-Eyed Snake Saint is now in the Holy Maiden's possession. This man is our benefactor; your actions damage the Serpent Saint Mansion's reputation."

Hearing Bai Ya's words, many Snake Race members exchanged glances—how had things turned 180 degrees? How had the token ended up with the Holy Maiden?

Xiao Yan paid no mind to the Snake Race's thoughts; as long as Qing Lin obtained the Green-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance, it was as good as his own—after all, he was the one who profited most.

This man of cunning would never take a loss—he might earn a little, but he'd never lose.

Not long after Xiao Yan and the others left the Serpent Saint Mansion, the Mansion publicly announced that the Holy Maiden was unwell and could not attend the banquet.

Xiao Yan understood: the real challenge was still ahead.

Late at night, in the Mansion Master's cave residence, She Tianhao sat at the head, with the Serpent Saint Mansion's top officials below him—including Bai Ya, totaling six Dou Zongs, stronger than even outside rumors claimed.

"Hahaha, truly heaven favors our Serpent Saint Mansion!" Upon hearing Bai Ya report that Xiao Yan had transferred the token to Qing Lin, the Mansion's Guardians all wore satisfied smiles.

"Indeed, we thought Qing Lin would need years to reach Dou Zong before passing the Trial—now, we believe the Serpent Saint's inheritance won't take long to open."

"Yes, even though our ancestors were only Half-Sages, their inheritance will surely enable our race to unify the Northwest Region and return to Zhong Zhou within reach!"

"Hehe, which Faction did this man come from? If his Faction is strong enough, we might allow them to merge into our Serpent Saint Mansion as a powerful vassal."

Watching his Guardians chatter about the future, only She Tianhao, seated at the head, kept his gaze sharp as a venomous snake, sweeping over every serpent present—finally settling on the silent Bai Ya.

"Bai Ya."

"Yes, Mansion Master," Bai Ya immediately rose and bowed deeply.

Though She Tianhao had fully transformed using the Transformation Pill, he still retained his yellow serpent eyes; under their cold, piercing gaze, even Bai Ya broke into cold sweat, daring not to breathe.

For in the Serpent Saint Mansion, She Tianhao was the Supreme.

"Where is this Alchemist from? What is his name?" She Tianhao asked, his voice as cold and venomous as a serpent's.

Hearing She Tianhao's question, Bai Ya's heart sank—he hadn't expected to be discovered. Bai Ya had deliberately concealed Xiao Yan's name, reporting only that the token was in Qing Lin's hands, nothing more.

"Mansion Master… it's the Yan Alliance. Xiao Yan."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Bai Ya finished speaking, all the Elders present fell silent; just moments ago they had been chatting and laughing about the future, but upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, they all fell quiet.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, She Tianhao curled his lips into a cold sneer and said, "Xiao Yan. Hahaha, then his purpose in coming to the Tian She Mansion must be to take Qing Lin away."

Upon hearing She Tianhao's question, Bai Ya dared not speak; the other Guardians present frowned deeply, some even showing visible displeasure.

"Hmph, Qing Lin is our Tian She Mansion's Holy Maiden—how could he simply take her away?"

"What Yan Alliance? I've never even heard of it. They're just here to seek benefits. Given their past contributions, we'll give them a single Po Zong Pill and be rid of them."

Many Guardians sneered, utterly disregarding the Yan Alliance.

An old woman asked slowly, "What of Qing Lin's own wishes?"

After a moment of thought, Bai Ya answered honestly, "Qing Lin intends to return to her homeland after awakening the heritage."

Instantly, all the Guardians frowned; if someone had come to take Qing Lin away, they could still argue—but if Qing Lin herself wished to leave, they had no excuse.

After all, they had originally promised Qing Lin that as long as she awakened the heritage, she could go.

But five years have passed, and Qing Lin's Qi San Hua Tong has grown ever stronger, causing many here to value it more and more, and they now regard Qing Lin as Tian She Mansion's own strength.

All eyes turned toward She Tianhao; Qing Lin's matter had always been the greatest dispute within the Tian She Mansion.

She Tianhao narrowed his eyes slightly and said gravely, "Qing Lin is our Tian She Mansion's Holy Maiden—this is beyond dispute. She has merely been deceived."

"If I recall correctly, the Yan Alliance is also participating in this Sect Grand Meeting, isn't it?"

Bai Ya nodded and said, "Yes. It is a newly formed alliance, united by the Snake People Empire, Jia Ma Empire, Yun Lan Sect, and Xiao Yan's family, and they will attend this Sect Grand Meeting."

"Qing Lin simply does not yet understand reality—she believes that this insignificant alliance can compare to the Tian She Mansion. The Sect Grand Meeting is the perfect opportunity to make Qing Lin see the truth." She Tianhao sneered coldly and waved his hand. "The Sect Grand Meeting will proceed as scheduled. Afterward, our Tian She Mansion shall awaken the Sage Emperor heritage and unify the Northwest Region!"

(End of Chapter)