Zi Yan felt the warmth of Xiao Tian's embrace, and for just a moment, her heart softened. She shook her head fiercely. *No. I'm angry right now. How can I give in this easily? Absolutely not allowed!* She began to struggle, thrashing like a New Year's pig, nearly impossible to hold down.
"Alright, alright. I know I was wrong. Don't be angry anymore. I've prepared a gift for you." A jade bottle appeared in Xiao Tian's hand, faint glimpses of colorful pills visible inside.
"What gift?" Zi Yan stopped struggling instantly, her eyes sparkling as she fixed on the object in his hand. Then, realizing she was being far too obvious, she forcibly suppressed her desire and turned her head away. "No gift will work. I'm not that easy to forgive."
"Is that so? What a pity. Such excellent pills—and they're even fruit-flavored." At those words, Zi Yan's eyes grew progressively wider. She couldn't help but secretly swallow, though she still resisted turning around. Xiao Tian caught every tiny movement. He knew Zi Yan's weakness inside and out. This trick never failed.
"Well, if no one wants them, I'll just throw them away."
"Don't! On account of you bringing a gift to beg forgiveness, I'll temporarily let this slide. But this matter stays between you and me. No one else can ever know." She snatched the jade bottle from his hand, poured out a pill, and chewed it with undisguised relish. Even as she ate, she found herself nestling into a more comfortable position in his arms.
Xiao Tian watched her adorable display and gently stroked her twin ponytails. This trick worked on Zi Yan every single time—though, of course, only for him. Anyone else who tried would have been punched to death long ago.
Xiao Huiying, still flying, had a strange glint in her eyes. *I already know everything. I watched the whole thing from beginning to end. I only asked earlier to put your mind at ease. If you knew I'd seen it all, wouldn't it have been even harder to coax Master?*
*Zi Yan: Sisters are supposed to be heart to heart, and you're playing mind games with me?*
---
After half a day of flight, Xiao Tian and the others had crossed into the Jia Ma Empire. As expected of the Heavenly Thunder Dragon's speed—a journey that would have taken anyone else four or five months had taken her only half a day.
"Hui Ying, head to the Snake-People Tribe first."
"Yes, Master."
"Hmm? Are we almost there?" Zi Yan, who had fallen asleep in Xiao Tian's arms, slowly opened her eyes at the sound of his voice.
"Yes. Nearly. We're going to the Snake-People Tribe first."
"Is it Sister Cai Li's tribe? I thought we were heading straight to the battlefield. Should we call Sister Cai Li out?" Zi Yan was instantly alert, brimming with curiosity about Medusa's people.
"Not yet. We'll assess the situation when we arrive. If there are no enemies, we'll proceed directly to the battlefield." Xiao Tian shook his head gently.
Zi Yan's energy surged. "When we get there, I'm fighting ten Dou Kings. I can even take on Dou Emperors. I'll let them taste the power of my fists."
"Alright. I'll leave it all to you." He rubbed her purple hair affectionately. *As expected of a warmonger. The mere prospect of battle and she's fully charged.* He scooped her up with one hand and moved to the edge, gazing at the distant scenery. Zi Yan studied the landscape of this empire—Xiao Tian's homeland—with undisguised fascination.
---
Heishan Fortress.
Yun Shan—no, the Cloud Sky Emperor—and Jia Xingtian stood atop the city wall, staring at the dense encampments in the distance. Their eyes were filled with both vigilance and deep unease.
"Fortunately, Young Friend Xiao Yan happened to return at this moment. Otherwise, things would have been dire." Jia Xingtian frowned and let out a heavy sigh. Had Xiao Yan not intervened earlier, severely wounding the enemy's Three Elders of Mulan, Heishan Fortress might already have fallen.
"According to our intelligence, the three great empires are moving, but Yan Luotian still hasn't appeared. Is he planning something?" Jia Xingtian's voice was low and grim.
Yun Shan shook his head. He didn't know either. Truth be told, he wasn't particularly worried. He was simply waiting for reinforcements. If it truly came to it, he'd just play the coward for a while. How could his face—the face of the dignified Cloud Sky Emperor—bah, the Cloud Mist Sect Master—possibly matter more than his life?
Below the wall, a man and two women stood together. One, clad in black armor, periodically checked the military situation and periodically glanced at the man. A woman in a light green dress leaned against the same man, her eyes occasionally flicking toward the armored woman with open wariness. The man wore a black robe, a giant ruler strapped across his back, his eyes closed in apparent rest. In truth, he dared not open them. He had sensed the atmosphere grow distinctly precarious. The armored woman was Yao Ye. The woman in green was Nalan Yanran. As for why Xiao Yan was here—he had come to propose marriage, and then stumbled straight into this mess. As a hot-blooded young man, he had followed Marshal Lionheart directly to Heishan Fortress. Nalan Yanran had quickly realized that Yao Ye seemed to have taken an interest in her man. If she wasn't careful, her man might be stolen right out from under her. The more she brooded, the angrier she grew. She reached out and twisted the soft flesh on Xiao Yan's side.
Xiao Yan felt the searing pain of armor-piercing fingers and his expression flickered. Yao Ye caught the shift in his face. She observed what had transpired and let a slight smile play across her lips. "Mr. Xiao Yan, are you feeling unwell? Would you care to rest in my tent? I possess some modest healing techniques and could assist you."
"No need. I was merely lost in thought." Xiao Yan offered Yao Ye a polite smile.
"Very well. Should Mr. Xiao Yan require anything, you may find me at any time." Yao Ye turned and departed, resuming her direction of the army's deployment.
"What's this? Have you taken a liking to her? Would you like to go sample her healing techniques?" Nalan Yanran fixed Xiao Yan with a razor-sharp stare.
Xiao Yan groaned inwardly and shook his head with desperate, frantic energy.
---
Snake-People Tribe. Snake-People Holy City.
A battle was raging—and it was utterly one-sided. Ten against one, and the side with the greater numbers was losing badly.
"Yan Luotian! You may be a Dou Zong, but the Snake-People Tribe is not a place where you can run rampant!" The three elders of the Snake-People Tribe glared at the middle-aged man before them and roared.
The man was none other than Yan Luotian, Sect Master of the Golden Geese Sect of the Falling Geese Empire. "I came merely to see for myself how beautiful your queen truly is. If she satisfies me, I intend to make her my concubine. I will even extend my protection to your Snake-People Tribe."
"Courting death!" The eight great leaders and two great elders of the Snake-People Tribe erupted in unified fury. They threw themselves at Yan Luotian as though their very lives meant nothing.
"Eight Snake Poison Seal—Activate!" The eight leaders joined forces and summoned a colossal serpent. It was clearly far more formidable than the Five Snake Poison Seal and struck directly at Yan Luotian. The two great elders unleashed their signature techniques at the same time.
"Falling Geese Soaring Sky!" Yan Luotian threw a single punch at the three converging attacks. A massive golden goose materialized and collided with them head-on. The three techniques shattered on impact, scattering into countless particles of light. The golden goose, its force undiminished, surged forward like a tidal wave and blasted all ten combatants off their feet. They tumbled helplessly through the air, blood spraying from their mouths, and crashed far away in a broken, disheveled heap.
"I advise you to hand Queen Medusa over to me. Otherwise—"
Yan Luotian's threat died in his throat. The ten people he had just sent flying were now suspended in midair, held aloft by an unseen force. A cold voice drifted down from above.
"Oh? Otherwise what? I'm rather curious."