Chapter 899: Relationships
The village at the foot of the mountain.
Hua Yuchi and the other two martial practitioners of Sky Mender Palace waited for Qin Lie to arrive. The trio glanced frequently towards the caves where the Dark Shadow Race lived and speculated about Qin Lie's identity.
"This Yao Tian should not be someone that Sky Mender Palace sent," Hua Yuchi suddenly said.
His two followers, Hong Zhong, and the old disheveled man called Fan Yongfu nodded silently.
The three all knew this.
It made no sense for Qin Lie to be from Sky Mender Palace. If Sky Mender Palace knew Hua Yuchi was being imprisoned in Boluo Realm by Sun Palace, his grandfather and the palace master, Hua Tianqiong, had many ways of forcing Sun Palace to give him back.
Moreover, Sun Palace would pay a painful price for this.
Also, there were no grudges between Sky Mender Palace and Lunar Temple. Qin Lie didn't need to destroy Lunar Temple as well.
In the end, Sun Palace and Lunar Temple's two secret realm entrances had both been destroyed. The destruction of Lunar Temple meant that Qin Lie had blocked their escape to Spirit Realm.
Connecting the dots, Hua Yuchi realized the truth—Qin Lie was just a random passerby that happened to rescue him along the way.
"Why is he so close to the Dark Shadow Race?" Hong Zhong frowned and said, "Almost all the human forces friendly with the Nether Continent had been uprooted by Sky Mender Palace back then. If he really is a descendant of those forces, rather than save you, he should have tortured you to death."
"Then what's his identity?" Hua Yuchi was also puzzled.
"Who knows." Hong Zhong shook his head.
As the three talked, Qin Lie walked out of a cave and flew down.
He had adjusted to Boluo Realm's tenfold gravity. After breaking into the Fragmentation Realm, he could easily fly in the sky.
Looking at Hua Yuchi below, Qin Lie's eyes were slightly complicated. He thought for a while and decided he would continue to conceal his identity.
He would still face Hua Yuchi with this fox skin mask as Yao Tian.
The present Qin Family was far from being one of the nine top Gold rank forces. He had "died." He believed that his grandfather would not want him to prematurely reveal his status.
If Hua Yuchi knew his identity, if he accidentally spilled something when he returned to Central World, it would create a disaster for Qin Lie.
"Many thanks, Brother Yao, for saving me." Hua Yuchi bowed deeply.
"How did you know I am here?" Qin Lie asked curiously.
"Sky Mender Palace is one of the eight top-tier Gold rank forces in Central World. One of the six human forces in Boluo Realm is an ally of ours." Hua Yuchi smiled. "I found them, and asked around a bit. That’s how I got to know who you are. However, I concealed that you were in Sun Palace.”
"Which one is your ally?" Qin Lie asked.
Hua Yuchi hesitated and said, "The Yuan Family."
Qin Lie's eyes flashed and he said in surprise, "The Yuan Family? The bloodkin of the Demon Dragon Race?"
"Yes." Hua Yuchi nodded.
"You are allies with the Yuan Family?" Qin Lie had an astounded look.
"Our relation with the Yuan Family... is slightly complicated." Hua Yuchi thought for a while. He said, "Because, three hundred years ago, the Yuan Family was one of the dozen subordinates of the Qin Family."
"After the Qin Family was removed from the top nine forces, the other Gold rank forces allied together to kill the Qin Family's subordinate forces."
"These forces suffered great losses, many of them perished. However, some forces escaped to unknown domains to survive."
"The Yuan Family chose to side with Sky Mender Palace under my grandfather's invitation."
"When they came together to Sky Mender Palace, the Yuan Family finally escaped the suppression of the top Gold rank forces and survived."
Hua Yuchi explained.
Qin Lie gaped with wide eyes.
Three hundred years ago, the Yuan Family had been one of the dozen forces subordinate to the Qin Family. Because of the death of the Qin Family, they had been forced to join Sky Mender Palace to avoid the persecution of the top Gold rank forces.
"Three hundred years ago..." he murmured mentally.
In this moment he finally knew he "died" three hundred years ago. However, in his memories, he was just twenty something years old.
"Since the Yuan Family was once the Qin Family's subordinate force, do they know the person that asked Sky Mender Palace on behalf of the Dark Shadow Race is from the Qin Family?" he asked again.
"The patriarch of the Yuan Family, Yuan Liting, should know. However, the second generation, Yuan Wenzhi and the others, may not," Hua Yuchi said. "Not long after the Yuan Family became blood kin with the Demon Dragon Race, the Yuan Family said there was a branch of the Dark Shadow Race in Boluo Realm living together with the Demon Dragon Race, and asked for Sky Mender Palace's opinion."
"Due to Grandfather Shan, we did not intend to drive the Dark Shadow Race extinct, so we allowed this branch of Dark Shadow Race to live in Boluo Realm."
"This is why the Demon Dragon Race dared to accept the Dark Shadow Race."
Hua Yuchi's narration made Qin Lie speechless, and great waves stirred in his mind.
Just as he was thinking hard with a frown and a bent head...
...the demon dragon Barett, Yuan Wenzhi and his two brothers, flew in from the outside and landed.
Multiple demon dragon prescences came from outside the village and pushed on Qin Lie's mind.
"Why did you change your appearance?" Barett glared at Qin Lie when he arrived and snorted. "You look sneaky, and bad!"
Qin Lie's fox skin mask could fool others but not this old dragon.
"Brother Yao, your present appearance is altered?" Hua Yuchi was surprised.
Qin Lie's expression was grave. He looked at Yuan Wenzhi and the others, thoughts passing like lightning through his mind.
Last time when Yuan Wenzhi and the others had come, he had faced them with his original appearance. The three brothers had not reacted in any special way.
This meant the three did not recognize him.
According to Hua Yuchi, the Yuan Family had been subordinate force of the Qin Family. Then ... the three brothers should have recognized him.
Unless his present appearance was greatly different from the him of three hundred years ago!
He organized his thoughts.
He knew that his present presence was completely different than in the past. After the awakening of his god race bloodline, his appearance had changed dramatically. He hadn't just grown taller, his previous handsomeness had turned into roughness and masculinity. This caused Yuan Wenzhi and the others to not recognize him.
Also, and most importantly, in the minds of the Yuan Family, he had died.
Due to all this, he realized that even if he went back to his true appearance, Hua Yuchi may not recognize him!
As he thought this, he put away the fox skin mask and faced Hua Yuchi with his true appearance.
As expected, Hua Yuchi examined him seriously with puzzlement on his face. He clearly did not know the person in front of him was the "Big Brother Qin" of three hundred years ago.
"Why have you come?" Qin Lie said coolly.
Hua Yuchi also looked towards Yuan Wenzhi.
Yuan Wenzhi had a grimace and said, "I just learned of some matters."
"What?" Qin Lie was stunned.
Yuan Wenzhi looked at Barett.
Barett snorted and said, “The first time the patriarch of the Yuan Family came to see me in Boluo Realm, he asked me to take care of the Dark Shadow Race. Three thousand years ago, the person who begged on behalf of all races of Nether Realm was the old patriarch of the Qin Family which the Yuan Family owed great favor!"
"Even we did not know this," Yuan Wenzhi said awkwardly.
"You helped look after the Dark Shadow Race? Just previously, didn't you abandon the Dark Shadow Race?" Qin Lie was still puzzled.
"I just wanted them to have a taste of bitter medicine! Those people don't know what is good for them!" Barett roared. Then he grumbled and said, "The Rank Nine Vermillion Bird of the Ancient Beast Race wants me to send the Dark Shadow Race to the volcanic area where she cultivates. She clearly wants to settle previous grudges. Boy, I don't know where you come from, don't know what force is behind you. I've come this time to send the Dark Shadow Race to Spirit Realm!"
"I know you did not come through Sun Palace and Lunar Temple's secret realm entrance. You must know the location of the last passageway out of Boluo Realm! I've come to help you send the Dark Shadow Race to that place!"
"Otherwise, you and the Dark Shadow Race will be killed by the Ancient Beast Race!"
"Sun Palace and Lunar Temple's secret realm entrances have been destroyed. the situation of Boluo Realm has completely changed. Right now, the strongest are the Ancient Beast Race, the Giant Race, and the Black Jail Race. If you do not immediately leave, you will all die here!"
Barett shouted impatiently.
He had once promised the patriarch of the Yuan Family, Yuan Liting, to protect the Dark Shadow Race if he could.
He had originally thought that he would have the Dark Shadow Race ally with Yuan Family and have the Yuan Family send them back to Spirit Realm.
He knew Yuan Liting always admired and respected Qin Shan so he believed the alliance between the Dark Shadow Race and the Yuan Family was the best outcome for both.
He didn't know Qin Lie who came in halfway and formed an agreement with the Dark Shadow Race had been sent by Qin Shan.
He thought Qin Lie came from another force.
So he had been angry, and said he would abandon the Dark Shadow Race to Sun Palace and Lunar Temple.
Anger had gone to his head.
After the matter and after he had calmed down, he intended to help the Dark Shadow Race again.
Yet when the secret realm entrances of the Sun Palace and Lunar Temple were destroyed, his original plans were completely ruined.
When the Rank Nine Vermillion Bird demanded he give up the Dark Shadow Race, he also did not know that Qin Lie had an agreement with the Ancient Beast Race. He thought the Ancient Beast Race wanted to settle old grudges.
So when he came, it was with intention of doing his last bit and sending the Dark Shadow Race away, not to give them up to the Ancient Beast Race, not to send the Dark Shadow Race to the Ancient Beast Race. He hoped to send the Dark Shadow Race away from Boluo Realm through the last secret realm entrance Qin Lie held before the Ancient Beast Race could react.
"There's another secret realm entrance?” Hua Yuchi looked with joy at Qin Lie.
Qin Lie looked deeply at the demon dragon Barett and the Yuan Family with a complicated gaze.
He hadn't expected at the last moment, this demon dragon was still prepared to help the Dark Shadow Race due to Yuan Liting's request.
He also hadn't expected that Yuan Liting would respect his grandfather Qin Shan’s wishes even after the Qin Family had perished, and asked this old dragon to look after the Dark Shadow Race.
"The place the Rank Nine Vermillion Bird told you to send the Dark Shadow Race is the place I came from. That is the position of the last secret realm entrance." Thinking for a moment, Qin Lie said with a smile, "I have an agreement with the Ancient Beast Race, they will not make trouble for us. If you can send the Dark Shadow Race there, we can return to Spirit Realm."
When he said this, the demon dragon Barett, the three Yuan brothers, and even Hua Yuchi yelled in surprise.
"Boy, what force is behind you?" Barett glared.
Yuan Wenzhi and Hua Yuchi looked dazedly at him.
Looking at the group, Qin Lie was silent for a moment before he said with a complicated expression, “The Qin Family."