"Since Fellow Daoist has considered so much for this Hu Qingwu, surely you have a way to enlighten me?"
Hu Qingwu suppressed the rising emotions in her chest, cupping her hands toward Liu Yuqing in a respectful gesture.
"I dare not say 'enlighten,' merely a few suggestions for the Clan Leader to consider," Liu Yuqing replied with a charming, narrowed smile. She knew the fish had finally taken the bait.
"Pray, speak freely," Hu Qingwu said softly.
Liu Yuqing took a step forward, gazing out at the boundless sea, and sighed. "What I have said to the Clan Leader thus far is merely speculation. In truth, the reality could be far worse. No one knows exactly how terrifying the strength of the Blood Sovereign Domain truly is. It is possible that even Niu Wuba and the others will be helpless against them. At that time, even if Clan Leader were to offer yourself for protection, would Niu Wuba even dare to accept?"
These words were somewhat cold. Only moments ago, they had joyfully established the Blood Extermination Alliance, yet Liu Yuqing already displayed a lack of faith in the other leaders. However, her words were grounded in harsh reality.
Hu Qingwu shuddered at the thought. If the Blood Sovereign Domain was truly that powerful, and if they set their sights on her, what then? Her own life was secondary; what mattered was the safety of thousands of her kinsmen.
"Though I may not be as senior as the Clan Leader, I have tasted much of this world's bitterness and sweetness. I, Liu Yuqing, only trust my own family. As for the so-called Council of the Alliance, it is merely a formal gesture," Liu Yuqing finally showed her hand, leaving Hu Qingwu stunned.
Despite being older and having achieved fame long before her, Hu Qingwu found her resolve wavering under Liu Yuqing's rhetoric. From the moment she stepped onto the Dream Immortal Ship, her heart had not known a single moment of peace.
Liu Yuqing looked down at the water and continued with a smile, "The ancients had a saying: 'It is better to give a man a fishing rod than a string of fish.'"
"If the Fox Clan is targeted in the future, even if the Jiao Clan or the Heavenly Demon Academy provides aid, that is merely 'giving fish.' It satisfies the immediate hunger but does not fundamentally resolve the threat, does it not?"
Liu Yuqing's analysis was airtight, leaving no room for rebuttal. Hu Qingwu and the other women could only nod in agreement. Even if this was just personal deduction, the logic was sound. In matters involving the survival of an entire race, Hu Qingwu would rather believe even the smallest possibility of danger.
"In that case, does Fellow Daoist Liu intend to give the Fox Clan a 'fishing rod'?" Hu Qingwu no longer wished to beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"Naturally. Not only will I give you a 'fishing rod,' but it also comes with a lifetime guarantee," Liu Yuqing joked lightly.
"And that would be?" Hu Qingwu took a deep breath, her cherry lips parting.
Liu Yuqing's gaze suddenly turned solemn. She stared directly at Hu Qingwu, her words striking like a thunderclap:
"I can help you, the Clan Leader, break through to the Rank 8 Spirit Beast Realm within a single year! I can enhance your innate talent manifold, with absolutely no side effects!"
Hu Qingwu and Hu Yuyan were shaken to the core, their breath catching. Finally, they understood what this "fishing rod" was. If the Fox Clan relied on the Heavenly Demon Academy for rescue, they would be forever indebted and beholden to Niu Wuba. But if Hu Qingwu herself became a powerful Rank 8 Spirit Beast, she would be a sovereign presence. The Blood Sovereign Domain would have to think twice before attacking, and she could settle her own debts without external aid. Was this not the highest quality "fishing rod" imaginable?
Though the rules forbade Rank 8 and Tribulation Transcendence experts from interfering for one year, they were planning for the long term. Everyone knew this war would be a marathon.
If anyone else had promised to help her reach Rank 8 and boost her talent, she would have dismissed them with a look of disdain. Are you delusional? she would have thought.
But the one speaking was Liu Yuqing, the current Matriarch of the Harem, second only to Lan An. Witnessing the terrifying growth rate of the Harem, Hu Qingwu had no reason to doubt her. She believed she truly could break through.
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What price would she have to pay?
"Such a proposal would move anyone; I am no exception," Hu Qingwu said humbly. "However, I fear the price Fellow Daoist Liu asks might be more than I can afford."
Liu Yuqing suddenly turned and took Hu Qingwu's soft hand in hers. Her eyes were filled with sincerity, her demeanor shifting instantly.
Hu Qingwu's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to pull her hand back, but her mind drifted to the fact that the woman before her was the mother of that "wicked man," and her resolve softened.
"As I said, I only trust family. The secret to rapid strength cannot be shared with outsiders. However, Little An has said that you, Qingwu, are already one of his own! Therefore, I trust you!" Liu Yuqing's tone became exceedingly tender, changing the address from "Clan Leader Hu" to an intimate "Qingwu."
Bai Sumei and Yan Yue Qi's eyes sparkled. Mother is truly formidable. Ji Ya, Mu Ziyin, and Nangong Yuan Rong exchanged looks, inwardly sighing. After all that talk, it turned out Mother was intentionally hunting for another daughter-in-law, dragging their husband into the scheme. Yet, they had to admit their mother-in-law was peerless. If they were in Hu Qingwu's shoes, could they resist such a temptation?
"Family? He sees me as... family?" Hu Qingwu's eyes were slightly dazed. She clearly didn't fully grasp Liu Yuqing's underlying meaning.
Being an unwed maiden, how could her experience compare to the sisters of the Harem? Even the younger girls like Yan Die Qing, Bing Lin'er, and Li Zhuluan understood perfectly, giggling behind their hands.
"Little An has mentioned many times in my presence how much he admires you, Qingwu. It's just that he hasn't had many opportunities to be with you," Liu Yuqing sighed, playing the role of a mother worried for her son's unrequited love.
Pfft...
The women struggled to hold back their laughter. When had their husband ever said such things? Mother was truly... something else.
But while the wives didn't believe it, Hu Qingwu's heart was in turmoil. She remembered the scene years ago—how that fool had held her, kissed her, and seen every inch of her body. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and with a trace of seductive bashfulness, she stammered, "He... he truly thinks of me that way?"
What the... it actually worked? A flock of crows seemed to fly over the Harem sisters' heads. Their expressions were priceless as they screamed internally: Don't tell us you actually believe her?!
They did not know the secret history between Lan An and Hu Qingwu; otherwise, they might have understood.
Liu Yuqing, seeing her tactic was working, nodded and lamented, "Little An is good in many ways, but his greatest trait is how much he loves his wives. He gives all the best cultivation resources to them, which is why his own strength sometimes lags behind. He had to enter secluded cultivation in a hurry; otherwise, he would have flown to the Fox Clan to find you long ago!"
Hu Qingwu's heart grew more chaotic with every word. She bit her red lip, her tails curling slightly. The "wicked" images of their brief encounter had haunted her through many long nights. As a woman, how could she forget a man who had burst into her room, carried her off, seen her naked, and kissed her? To forget such a thing would be truly strange.
As they spoke, no one noticed Hu Yuyan standing behind her master, her head bowed low, her heart filled with a sense of loss. So the one he liked from the beginning was Master?
"Enough, I shall not dally. Before Little An entered seclusion, he entrusted this to me, insisting I deliver it directly into your hands," Liu Yuqing suddenly produced a crystal jade bottle. Inside was a drop of blood as white as pristine snow.
HUUUU—!
A high-pitched cry pierced the clouds. In the sky above, a shimmering, beautiful phantom appeared, radiating an indescribable nobility and pride. It was a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, its nine snow-white tails swaying gently. Its eyes were sharp and intelligent, its stature elegant, and a crystal sigil glowed upon its forehead, adding to its regal aura.
"This is..." Hu Yuyan and Hu Qingwu gasped, their bodies swaying as if they might fall. The blood in their veins surged violently; they nearly fell to their knees.
The Monster Race revered bloodline hierarchy above all. These two were merely ordinary members of the Fox Clan who had cultivated many tails through specific techniques. How could they compare to the purest, most divine lineage of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox? A Celestial Fox born with nine tails possessed nine lives and was the most exalted species within the Fox Race.
"Little An said this bloodline is specifically for you, Qingwu. He wanted me to give it to you without asking for anything in return. However, I saw how much he pined for you, which is why I took the liberty of saying so much," Liu Yuqing pressed the bottle into Hu Qingwu's hand.
Hu Qingwu's heart throbbed. So that wicked man still remembered me after all that. I thought he was just a wandering rogue who didn't care. For a moment, a warm current flooded her soul.
The sisters of the Harem nearly prostrated themselves in admiration. Mother's acting was truly "Grandmaster" level. In truth, while Liu Yuqing had added quite a bit of "spice" to the story, Lan An had indeed asked her to deliver the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox bloodline to the Fox Clan.
He hadn't forgotten the lovely "little fox" he had taken advantage of, nor Hu Yuyan, who had spoken up for him back in the Youyuan Continent. He wanted to use the bloodline to compensate the Fox Clan as a form of atonement. Lan An was a man of sentiment; he still felt a lingering connection to them and wanted to make amends.
But Liu Yuqing, as his mother, could tell her son felt a degree more affection for the Clan Leader than for the disciple. She simply seized the chance to play matchmaker.
Seeing Hu Qingwu standing there dazed, clutching the bottle as if lost in memory, Liu Yuqing stepped behind her and gently took the hand of the still-dejected Hu Yuyan.
"I often hear Little An mention Yuyan as well," she said warmly. "He said that when he was still weak and lost in the Youyuan Continent, Yuyan braved the prejudice between humans and monsters to speak out on his behalf!"
Hu Yuyan's body trembled, her lips trembling. "He... he actually remembers that?"
As the gap in status and distance between her and Lan An grew, she had unconsciously assumed he had forgotten her long ago.
The sisters watching from afar reached a final conclusion: they were about to have a new pair of Fox Sisters in the family.
"How could he forget? What I am most proud of regarding Little An is not his talent, but his loyalty and sentiment. Lately, the Youyuan Continent has secretly hired the Seven Killings Sect to assassinate him. He feared that if he visited the Fox Clan, it would put you both in a difficult position, which is why he hasn't come to thank you personally," Liu Yuqing lied with a straight face.
"Such a thing happened?" Hu Qingwu and Hu Yuyan exclaimed in unison. They had no idea the Youyuan Continent had sent assassins after him.
"We are witnesses!" the Harem sisters chimed in at once.
"Little An feared you would be forced to choose between him and your fellow monsters in Youyuan... so he only watched over you from afar... truly pitiful," Liu Yuqing sighed sorrowfully.
The Master and Disciple of the Fox Clan were now spinning like tops in Liu Yuqing's hands, completely caught up in her narrative.
"I have said all there is to say. The bloodline is yours, Qingwu. I have only one wish: when he returns, give him a chance to pursue you. In matters of the heart, Little An hates nothing more than force or transactions," Liu Yuqing said solemnly.
Hu Qingwu and Hu Yuyan glanced at each other. The jade bottle in Hu Qingwu's hand felt heavier than ever.
"You must use this bloodline. If anything were to happen to you, Little An would never forgive himself," Kun Mingyue added, understanding Hu Qingwu's pride and fearing she might not accept it.
"Please... please tell him for us... we await his visit at the Fox Clan..." Hu Qingwu took a deep breath, finally gathering the courage to speak.
"That won't do. Refining such a bloodline takes a long time and requires our Time Acceleration Formation. If you want the strength to protect your clan, you should stay with the Harem for the time being!" Liu Yuqing shook her head.
Hu Qingwu found this logical. She turned to leave, pulling Hu Yuyan along, her fragrant voice lingering in the air: "I shall return to the Fox Clan to settle matters. I will be back shortly!"
As their silhouettes vanished, Liu Yuqing glanced smugly at her group of daughters-in-law, who were looking at her with pure worship. She sighed with mock regret:
"If only Little An had left a few more types of bloodlines, I might have even brought Ai Xi Chen back with us. What a pity..."
Hearing this, Xin'er immediately rushed over and grabbed Liu Yuqing's arm, encouraging her enthusiastically: "Auntie Liu is so amazing! You can definitely trick Mother into marrying Brother Lan An! Keep going!"