Bai Feng let out a sigh as he spoke, his expression full of envy.
Hua Kongque, already frustrated, grew even more irritable when she heard him. She'd always felt the clan elders valued her eldest brother far more, while nothing she did ever seemed to please them. Now that her second brother said this, the rebellious streak in her heart flared up again.
"Why should I always do what he says? I'm already grown, he's not my father, so why does he get to boss me around? He told me not to touch Song Wanníng, but I'll go after her just to spite him. I'll make sure he sees for himself how I make Song Wanníng submit!"
The more she thought about it, the more Hua Kongque felt she had to prove herself, to slap Bai Ye in the face.
"This won't do. Big Brother already gave the order for us to watch you closely," Bai Feng said, suddenly looking anxious as he grabbed her hand.
"You should just listen to him. After all, the elders say he's steady and reliable. Doing what he says won't go wrong!"
Hua Kongque's face darkened.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Now leave! I want to rest."
She muttered as she shoved Bai Feng out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
"Hmph, give up? Not a chance! I'll kill Song Wanníng and then let's see what kind of face Big Brother makes!"
With that, she began preparing in secret. She'd originally let go of her grudge against Song Wanníng, but now she was determined to kill her. After all, this was the best way to prove herself.
Outside the room, Bai Feng's figure quickly slipped into the night. No one knew he had gone to meet Hua Kongque, and no one would ever connect her actions to him.
After all, in broad daylight he had gone out of his way to stop her, even quarreling with her fiercely over it.
Thinking about how Hua Kongque actually thought she could take down Song Wanníng, Bai Feng almost laughed out loud. He'd had enough of this stupid idiot. Just because she was the Patriarch's daughter and possessed extraordinary talent, the clan had raised her with special care since she was a child.
Now there were even rumors the clan planned to hand over clan affairs and leadership techniques to her…
That meant they were already preparing to entrust the entire Peacock Clan to her hands.
Bai Feng's dissatisfaction burned.
The position of Patriarch should belong to Big Brother!
Only Big Brother deserved it. Hua Kongque? What right did she have? Other than causing trouble, she was useless. Utterly stupid!
Suppressing the gloom in his eyes, Bai Feng turned back to his room.
The next morning, when he led people to knock on her door, they discovered Hua Kongque was gone.
"Where's the young miss?"
"Where did she go?"
The other beast cultivators panicked and tried contacting her.
But Hua Kongque didn't answer any of their calls, vanishing into thin air.
Bai Feng immediately contacted the Peacock Clan, but since they were busy with matters concerning Bai Yao Palace, the only response he received was to search for her right away.
Even the Patriarch personally tried to contact Hua Kongque, but she didn't reply.
In the end, the task fell into Bai Feng's hands.
Of course, he had no intention of actually searching for her. He deliberately went in the complete opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Hua Kongque had no idea she was being played. Her mind was fixed on finding Song Wanníng, proving her strength, and settling the score for being humiliated before. After learning Song Wanníng's whereabouts, she threw herself into pursuit with all her strength. To avoid being recognized by her own people, she even disguised herself. She was determined to make this work.
…
"Wanníng, we're already so close, but it's been too smooth. I can't shake off this uneasy feeling."
Liu Lanyi voiced her concern.
The closer they got, the heavier her anxiety grew.
Gong Ye's methods shouldn't be so easily brushed aside.
She felt this calm surface must be hiding a storm.
Song Wanníng frowned slightly. "You think Gong Ye's deliberately waiting for us to come for that thing?"
With his personality, that was entirely possible. She'd been keeping track of Gong Ye's movements through her avatars, so she felt confident enough to follow this far. But her Martial Uncle's worry wasn't baseless. What if this was all just a smokescreen?
If the item ended up in Gong Ye's hands, the loss would be too great. She quickly thought it through. If that was the case, then they should lure him out first.
If they were overthinking, they could still safely retrieve the item.
She immediately discussed it with Liu Lanyi.
After listening, Liu Lanyi nodded seriously. "That could work. Better safe than sorry. Let's do it."
Once they decided, the two started planning the details, especially how to trap him once he appeared.
The inheritance of Feng Jiuxiao came in handy here. Liu Lanyi had great talent with formations, and after refining that inheritance, her skills became even sharper. She loved it so much she practically buried herself in studying day and night.
Because of that, Song Wanníng decided they'd stay longer in the city to give her more time. Aside from formations, she couldn't think of any other way to restrain someone of Gong Ye's level.
One day while out shopping for medicinal ingredients, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure, none other than Hua Kongque. What was strange was Hua Kongque was in disguise and had no guards with her. She appeared alone.
Song Wanníng watched her for a moment, then kept it in mind. After buying what she needed, she returned to the inn.
That night, she discovered Hua Kongque had checked into the same inn.
She told Liu Lanyi about it.
"She's not here for us, is she?"
Liu Lanyi's brows twitched. This couldn't be a good sign.
"I think so too…"
Song Wanníng nodded. Hua Kongque's actions were too suspicious, too much of a coincidence.
"If she really is here for us, then we…"
Hesitation flickered in Liu Lanyi's eyes.
If they killed Hua Kongque, it might provoke the Peacock Clan.
But Song Wanníng's gaze hardened. "If she's here for us, then she won't be leaving alive."
"That Beast King Map interests me anyway."
She sneered coldly. If someone delivered themselves to her door, she wouldn't show mercy.
Liu Lanyi stayed silent after that, silently agreeing. She wasn't the type to back down either. If Hua Kongque went too far, then they'd fight it out. Even if it meant going to hell together, they'd never let their enemy get away unscathed.
So in the following days, the two rarely stepped outside. Song Wanníng focused on alchemy, while Liu Lanyi immersed herself in formations. Their days were full and steady.
But Hua Kongque was running out of patience.