Song Wanníng accepted it with satisfaction. The inner core was pitch black, gleaming with a metallic sheen. The beast power inside was unmistakable. The corner of Song Wanníng's lips lifted. She had been fretting over the lack of beast qi, and now someone had delivered it to her door. She sent She Yi to wait in the corner, then swallowed the core and began absorbing its power.
Crouched in the shadows, She Yi watched her cultivate, confusion rising. Song Wanníng was human, yet there was a faint trace of beast qi about her, a trace that grew heavier as time passed.
The longer he watched, the more his worldview crumbled, because the beast qi around Song Wanníng only grew denser.
Denser, and denser still.
Until the aura on her body became entirely that of a beast.
She Yi stared, dumbfounded, rubbing his eyes hard. Had he not witnessed the entire process, he would have believed Song Wanníng was born of the beast clans. Mouth agape, he silently thanked his own quick decision. That was how he still had his life.
At last, several days later, Song Wanníng opened her eyes. Her qi signature was now identical to Ninth Brother's.
At a glance, anyone would assume she was snake clan.
She Yi swallowed and hurried over, waiting for her command.
"I want to hear the general situation in your snake clan and among the beast clans."
Song Wanníng called She Yi over and questioned him in detail. She planned to move through the beast clans under a snake identity. Going in blind would be asking for trouble. So She Yi told her the current state of the snake clan. When she heard the name Gong Ye again, curiosity flashed in Song Wanníng's eyes.
Gong Ye was no ordinary figure.
Most importantly, the Bai Yao Palace he had established was exactly where the intruder was located. Could he be the intruder among the beast clans?
"You said your clan is preparing to talk to Gong Ye?" Song Wanníng smoothed her skirt, her tone meaningful.
"Yes. The clan elders regret what they did. They have discussed several times about bringing Gong Ye back to hold up the clan's face.
But they are held back by pride and have not acted. After all, they were the ones who personally drove him out. Now to invite him back…"
The higher one stood, the more one cared about face. Even if those elders were drowning in regret, they could not put down their old pride. Lately, they seemed to have come around and decided to invite Gong Ye back to the snake clan.
That was why Ninth Brother had become so anxious. If Gong Ye returned, Ninth Brother's standing would plummet. He could not accept that life.
Hence, the two had come here.
"Then do you have a way to get me into Bai Yao Palace?" Song Wanníng smiled slightly, and her words turned She Yi pale with fright.
"Go to Bai Yao Palace? Are you mad? I heard Gong Ye is a Mahayana peak cultivator now. If we go, it is as good as walking to our deaths."
She Yi shook his head like a rattle drum, terrified.
"This is not up to you. Consider this your chance to prove yourself." Song Wanníng's expression cooled. An oppressive aura surged like a tidal wave, making She Yi tremble.
In that instant he sobered. He was a beast pet. He had to obey every command. Song Wanníng had simply been courteous. He had almost forgotten his place. She Yi hurried to say he had a way. Only then did the pressure fade.
He exhaled in relief and immediately sent a message to the snake clan, stating that he and Ninth Brother were heading to Bai Yao Palace to deliver a letter of invitation in person, inviting Gong Ye to return to the clan for talks.
She Yi's status in the clan was not low. Coupled with the highly regarded Ninth Brother, no one doubted them, and the task was handed over without question.
Soon after, they received a letter of invitation through remote transmission.
"Master, this is the invitation."
The letter floated in the air, steeped in the snake clan's aura. It bore a snake-only seal that none could imitate.
"Good."
Song Wanníng put the invitation away and gave She Yi another thoughtful look. It seemed these two snakes were of decent standing. If she impersonated Ninth Brother, other beasts might recognize the ruse at a glance.
After a few more questions, she chose to pose as an ordinary snake cultivator instead.
The two then set off toward Bai Yao Palace.
Beast clans were fiercely territorial. When Gong Ye built Bai Yao Palace, he had to choose a remote site. Reaching it would take time.
Seated on the flight artifact, Song Wanníng absorbed beast qi while sensing for the aura of the Senior's descendant.
But that aura was faint and elusive, impossible to lock onto.
Song Wanníng frowned. A response meant there truly was a descendant here. Yet for the aura to be so weak, either the person was in perilously poor condition, or the bloodline was thin. It was clearly not as simple as she had hoped.
…
Half a month later, their flight artifact was intercepted.
"Senior of the snake clan, please lend aid. This junior is of the fox clan. I encountered a leopard spirit while out training…"
A beautiful woman suddenly appeared, blocking their path. Tearful and pale, she carried a cool aloofness beneath her stubborn refusal to yield, a pitiable sight. Her eyes fixed straight on She Yi, as if he were the one in charge. After all, Song Wanníng's apparent cultivation looked lower than She Yi's.
At her words, She Yi instinctively glanced at Song Wanníng. Catching that reaction, the fox demon let a tear slip from the corner of her eye. "I am sorry, Sister. I did not mean to offend.
I am only desperate and begged this Senior for help. If I have affected your relationship, I deserve ten thousand deaths.
I will leave right away. I will not trouble you further." With that, she ran off in tears. That mix of fear and despair would have been hard for most men to resist.
Even She Yi felt a tug of pity and the urge to protect her. But he could not even protect himself.
She ran and ran, waiting for a call to stop her that never came. Annoyance nearly made her blurt a curse. Red-eyed, she cast a seemingly casual glance back, hoping to squeeze out a little more sympathy.
To her shock, the flight artifact was already gone. Its passengers had vanished without a trace. Stunned, she halted. The pitiful mask fell away, leaving only cold malice and killing intent.
"Unbelievable. They did not take the bait. That damned snake, pretending to be a proper gentleman." Hands on her hips, she decided to find another way to catch up.
She had escaped empty-handed. If she did not find a way to get something soon, once those people came looking, she would be finished.