VAP - Chapter 68
Chapter 68: The Supreme Sage Hopelessly Obsessed with Beauty (27)
The Silver Wolf Emperor was sitting cross-legged on a golden-leaf birch tree of medium height.
Its wolf form was too large and ill-suited for stealth, so the Silver Wolf was currently in a near-human form—indistinguishable from an ordinary human, save for the wolf ears and tail.
This was a requisite skill for high-level magical beasts.
A snow-white wolf tail was unconsciously coiled around a branch, and two pointed wolf ears were hidden beneath a hood. The youth’s posture as they gazed at the sky held an indescribable sadness, making them look nothing like the Beast Emperor who had ruled the magical beasts for two hundred years.
In fact, before defeating the previous Beast Emperor, this silver wolf had always been an oddity within its pack.
Despite being a wolf, it loved to perch in trees like a bird. Not even the leopard clan loved climbing trees as much as it did!
Even though the pack was close-knit, everyone still found this young wolf to be exceedingly strange.
Of course, no wolf thought that way now.
After all, it was the noble Emperor.
At this moment, the golden birch swayed as the silver wolf gazed at the moon. The scene was so beautiful it felt a shame to disturb it.
…However, this pleasing sight was destroyed by Nai Yin about half a minute later.
The silver wolf caught an unusual scent on the wind, its ears perking up alertly. Unfortunately, its reaction speed was no match for the First Dharma Saint’s forbidden spell.
Being bound by ropes of darkness seemed to happen in an instant. The only way it fared better than the Snow Bear King was that it at least managed a counterattack, though the effort was useless.
“Sneak attacks are shameful!” the silver wolf, now bound tightly and having fallen from the branch, protested. It tried to revert to its original form, but failed.
It—or rather, she—gritted her sharp teeth and glared hatefully at the person who had suddenly appeared beside her. “Who are you? If you have any guts, face me openly!”
Though its appearance was that of a young man, the Silver Wolf Emperor’s voice was the gentle, melodious tone characteristic of an adult female.
In other words, she was, in fact, a she-wolf.
Yue Du: “…”
Nai Yin was more direct, asking bluntly, “So you’re a female.”
The Silver Wolf Emperor retorted angrily, “What, is it my fault I’m flat-chested in my human form?”
After speaking, she seemed to realize that this was not the most appropriate topic for the moment and immediately turned her head away, saying no more.
Beneath her unwilling exterior, the mind of the magical beast leader was racing.
Where did this person come from? Human, or a magical beast in human form? Why can’t I sense her racial aura?
Even catching me off guard, how many on the Ayers Continent could render me completely powerless in such a short time!
Nai Yin, wearing that seemingly casual mask, said leisurely, “I just came to ask something. Look at you, accusing me of a sneak attack right off the bat. Slander isn’t very nice.”
The Silver Wolf Emperor’s expression was one of grief and indignation.
But she was clearly a wolf who could assess the situation. After comparing their difference in strength, she took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, “That was just said in anger. You are stronger than me; you could have fought me openly.”
Nai Yin said, “Do I have to announce a fight beforehand? That’s too much trouble.”
The silver wolf took another deep breath, swallowing her pride. “You are right.”
Nai Yin said approvingly, “Good. Maintain this attitude.”
The silver wolf: “…”
Seeing that the Beast Emperor was about to fly into a rage, Yue Du said helplessly, “Nai Yin—”
Nai Yin replied, “I know, my dear.”
She reined in her wicked humor. The deep black eyes behind her mask stared coldly at the Silver Wolf Empress, though her tone remained nonchalant. “I’m very curious. What made you decide to go to war with the humans?”
This was clearly an important question. The silver wolf clamped her mouth shut, determined not to speak.
“Tsk.” Nai Yin quickly redeemed a truth talisman.
This was where cross-world items proved their worth.
The truth potions concocted by alchemists on the Ayers Continent only worked on ordinary people and low-level practitioners, whereas the truth talismans from the System Store were something even Saint-level practitioners couldn’t resist.
After a few seconds of futile struggle, the Silver Wolf Emperor spilled the entire story from beginning to end, all while wearing an expression that said she wanted to tear a chunk of flesh from the person opposite her.
The reasons were the usual ones: the long-standing conflict between the two races, the hatred born from humans hunting magical beasts for resources, the suppression of the beasts’ warlike nature…
If one were to list them all, they could be numbered one by one like the answer to a history exam question.
“Get to the point,” Nai Yin said.
The point was the direct cause, the trigger for this war.
“…The human empire’s Dharma Saint, Nai Yin Galor, has lived for several hundred years. Human lifespans are limited, so perhaps her strength has declined by now. I, on the other hand, am still in my prime. I might not necessarily lose to her.”
Nai Yin, the one who had lived for several hundred years and whose strength had supposedly declined, raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”
A flash of hatred crossed the Silver Wolf Emperor’s eyes, but her mouth continued to speak uncontrollably. “What’s even more hateful is that humans dared to harm a magical beast queen!”
Harm a magical beast queen?
Yue Du immediately made a connection. She and Nai Yin exchanged a look, the answer on the tips of their tongues.
Nai Yin then pulled a large chair out of her storage space, wrapped an arm around her lover’s waist, and sat down with her. After a moment’s thought, feeling something was still missing, she took out a basket of small, sweet biscuits.
Once she was ready, she said to the Silver Wolf Emperor, “Alright, tell us your story.”
Yue Du: “…” She silently picked up a small biscuit.
And indeed, the facts were just as they had suspected.
The truth talisman had a side effect: it made the target reveal their true emotions. At this moment, anyone could feel the bone-deep, bloodthirsty hatred and sorrow in the silver wolf’s words.
The Silver Wolf Emperor and the Bird Queen, Lorins, had played together since they were cubs. Because she had a bird for a friend, the silver wolf learned to climb trees when she was still just a ball of fur.
From cubs to sub-adults, to maturity, and finally to becoming the strongest in their respective clans, this wolf and this bird had almost never been apart.
The silver wolf recalled how wonderful their past had been. She also mentioned Nai Yin through gritted teeth, saying that the humans’ First Dharma Saint was no good.
Nai Yin smiled.
The silver wolf didn’t notice anything amiss. She had only seen the legendary Galor once.
When this First Dharma Saint had come looking for a fight with the previous Beast Emperor, both the Silver Wolf Emperor and Lorins were sub-adults in their beast forms. The passing silver-haired woman had glanced at the two of them and muttered, “This bird’s feathers are nice. I could pluck them to make a fan.”
What a terrifying thing to say!
The half-grown wolf cub and the half-grown fledgling were terrified. They huddled together, trembling for a long time, and finally came to a conclusion: they had to become stronger.
Otherwise, they would be captured and have their feathers plucked. Even the Beast Emperor couldn’t defeat that human!
Later, the silver wolf became the Beast Emperor, ousting the golden-spotted tiger who couldn’t defeat the human.
It seemed that no one could possibly harm them anymore.
However, just over a decade ago, Lorins left the magical beast settlement in response to a distress signal from a young bird of a rare bloodline. After that, there was no news of her.
At that time, the Silver Wolf Emperor was nearly driven mad with worry. The golden feather Lorins had left with her clan lost all its light. It wasn’t until many days later that a faint glimmer tremulously returned, so dim it looked almost gray.
During this time, the magical beasts dispatched by the Silver Wolf Emperor found information about a Saint-level bird-type magical beast—a human summoner had attempted to tame her but failed, and the bird’s whereabouts were now unknown.
There was no news of Lorins, and the golden feather retained only a sliver of life, which meant that although she was alive, she was not living well. She might even be on the verge of death, her soul ready to be claimed by the goddess of the underworld at any moment!
That was why the Silver Wolf Emperor, after searching for her friend’s trail everywhere to no avail, beat all the other clan kings into submission and forced them to agree to declare war on the humans.
This was actually very risky. After all, no one knew if the First Dharma Saint’s strength had truly declined. What if it hadn’t?
But the Silver Wolf Emperor felt she could wait no longer.
She had already waited for over a decade, watching helplessly as the golden feather grew dim, unable to tear up the treaty and leave the forest. It was torture.
“I’ve thought about it before. It would have been nice to just be idle beasts in the clan together; then this would never have happened,” the Silver Wolf Emperor said sorrowfully. “But on second thought, I realized it’s better to have power… It’s because I have power that I can declare war on the humans now, for the future of the magical beast race, and to save my friend!”
“I used to suspect Lorins was with the humans’ First Dharma Saint. Her feathers are so beautiful; could she have been plucked bald by that perverted woman?”
As the Silver Wolf Emperor spoke, her expression grew more sorrowful and indignant.
“But, just a while ago, that perverted woman seemed to have found her true love and kicked all the magical beasts out of her castle. I asked them. Not a single one had seen Lorins there.”
Where on earth was Lorins, and what terrible ordeal was she enduring to be constantly in such peril?
Although the light of the golden feather seemed to be slowly strengthening, it was still in a near-death state.
The Silver Wolf Emperor found the thought unbearable. Her worry for her childhood playmate weighed on her more heavily than her responsibilities as Emperor.
—This was the true cause of the war.
After hearing the story, Yue Du, the “perverted woman’s” true love, fell into deep thought while holding her small biscuit.
This didn’t seem to be the same story she knew.
Lorins had indeed had a near-death experience, but afterward, she had lost her memory, regressed to a childlike state, and been adopted. She was now happily serving as the vice-captain of a mercenary group.
The reason her golden feather had lost its brilliance was because she was currently only a high-level warrior. Compared to a Saint-level being, the life-light of a high-level practitioner would indeed appear dim and faded.
…A war sparked by a misunderstanding.
Beside Yue Du, the “perverted woman” herself was completely unmoved and continued her interrogation. “Is that all? Nothing else?”
The silver wolf replied, “What else could there be.”
She took a breath and suddenly said fiercely, “You’re human, aren’t you!”
Nai Yin denied it. “I am not.”
“If you’re not human, why would you come here asking these questions and use such methods on me? Are you trying to intimidate me?”
The silver wolf raised her head, her sharp wolf eyes staring straight at her. “But I will not give up! I have been indecisive for too many years. This time, no one can stop me—”
Nai Yin said to Yue Du in her mind, She’s so determined. I sound like a villain trying to stop a spirited young wolf from saving her friend.
Yue Du glanced at her. “Aren’t you?”
The final boss blinked, her expression innocent and pure—a look that was not easy to achieve with her stunningly beautiful face.
Nai Yin turned to the Silver Wolf Emperor and said sincerely, “I’m really not human. Watch closely.”
Before the words had even left her mouth, she demurely lifted her small cape, revealing the mark of a red moon.
“A summoning contract…?” the silver wolf murmured.
Who could place a brand representing submission on a Saint-level being? It could only be another Saint.
But Nai Yin smiled and shook her head. She turned and lightly kissed Yue Du’s hair, demonstrating with her actions just who the mark belonged to.
Nai Yin didn’t conceal the aura on the mark, an aura that was clearly connected to the black-haired young woman beside her.
A summoner could only form a contract with a species outside their own race, and this black-haired young woman was human.
The Silver Wolf Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, for a fleeting moment, she had secretly suspected that this uninvited guest might be Nai Yin Galor.
She had quickly dismissed the thought herself. Human lifespans were short; if it really were Galor, how could she have maintained such immense power?
And now, that thought had lost all meaning.
Galor is a human, after all, the Silver Wolf Emperor thought, and couldn’t help but relax.
…
Wait, what was she relaxing for!
This Saint of some unknown race had already signed a contract with a human, so didn’t that mean she was on the humans’ side?
What was the difference between this and Galor showing up in person???
The Silver Wolf Emperor’s sudden shift in mood did not escape Yue Du’s eyes. She thought for a moment and said, “I’m from the East.”
The silver wolf looked up at her.
Yue Du continued, “The grudges between the magical beasts and the empire have nothing to do with me. You should know, in the East, we and the spirit beasts live in harmony for mutual benefit.”
The Silver Wolf Emperor was silent for a moment. Seemingly understanding something, her expression relaxed.
“Then, what race are you?” she asked Nai Yin.
Nai Yin answered without hesitation, “Vampire.”
The silver wolf’s gaze immediately filled with doubt and shifted to the top of her head.
Nai Yin pointed to an inconspicuous bump on top of her mask and lied through her teeth. “My horns are inside the mask. They’re rather small and positioned low.”
The silver wolf reluctantly believed her.
Her curiosity satisfied and having gotten some juicy gossip, Nai Yin cheerfully expressed her desire to return to the castle.
“Or, would you like to stay here a while? I remember there’s a rather tasty fruit over there…”
Yue Du happened to see the look of utter despair on the silver wolf’s face and felt a pang of guilt. She coughed lightly. “Never mind, let’s go back.”
They packed up the chair and the biscuit basket, taking care of the environment, then turned and left.
The Silver Wolf Emperor called out in alarm from behind them, “Your forbidden spell, aren’t you going to release it?”
Without turning back, Nai Yin replied, “It’ll disappear on its own in about half an hour. Don’t worry.”
The silver wolf felt a lump of frustration in her chest. “…”
How could I not worry!
Lord Nai Yin walked along, holding her lover’s hand, a thoughtful expression on her face the entire time.
Yue Du asked, “Weren’t you curious before? Now that you know the reason, how do you feel?”
Nai Yin said mournfully, “She said I’m old and my strength is failing.”
Yue Du replied, “According to the life cycle of humans in this world, you should indeed be old and weak. But since you’re not human, there’s nothing more to say.”
“Ah, you’re calling me old too. I’m not happy.”
Nai Yin leaned in, her body practically plastered against Yue Du’s, and said in a drawn-out tone, “Am I really old? Come and feel for yourself, see if I’m old or not.”
Yue Du said, “…Don’t you dare use this as an excuse to take advantage of me.”
But after saying that, she realized it wasn’t quite right. Since she would be the one doing the touching, it was hard to say who was really taking advantage of whom.
Nai Yin took advantage of her lover’s moment of contemplation to amuse herself for a while, only pretending she hadn’t done anything when Yue Du finally reacted.
Yue Du: “…”
Yue Du asked, “You want to touch me?”
Nai Yin nodded, her eyes looking up at her from below in a particularly alluring way. It was a mystery how eyes so dark could express such a wealth of emotion.
Yue Du sighed. “Do whatever you want. We’re a couple, not strangers.”
Nai Yin’s eyes lit up. “Whatever I want?”
Yue Du chose her words carefully. “…I still advocate for a step-by-step approach.”
“Mm,” Nai Yin hummed.
She decided to first put that step-by-step approach into practice.
Practice complete, thanks to the wonderful utility of a spatial barrier.
In truth, it was impossible for Nai Yin’s direct confrontation with the silver wolf to have no subsequent impact.
Although the war between humans and magical beasts would not cease because of this, the Silver Wolf Emperor would become more cautious.
The two didn’t return to the castle immediately, instead making a trip to the city of Valdo first.
This was the last city on the border that had not fallen, and it was guarded by Leo.
From the moment the magical beasts began their attack, this Lion God of War had not left the front lines, not even for a moment’s rest.
He had to hold back the magical beasts’ elite forces to prevent them from inflicting mass casualties on the city’s defenders. But as human reinforcements from the rear couldn’t keep pace with the arrival of more magical beasts, this task became increasingly difficult.
Another spray of blood erupted from his opponent, splashing toward Leo’s already bloodshot eyes before being blocked by his weapon.
Not far away, a human reinforcement had his chest torn open and his heart crushed by a single claw. The leopard-like magical beast he had been fighting let out a long roar, its cruel gaze turning to the low-level practitioners below.
I can’t let it get down there!
Leo’s eyes widened in fury.
But just then, a long roar echoed from the distant forest. The magical beasts on the battlefield all paused. They growled softly to one another, as if confirming something.
The leopard-like magical beast let out an unwilling roar but still halted its attack on the low-level practitioners.
The magical beast army retreated like the tide, as suddenly as it had arrived.
Leo stood frozen, his mouth agape and his eyes wide.
“What… what’s going on?” he muttered to himself in disbelief.
The bewildered humans returned to the city for a meeting. Though they didn’t know why the magical beasts had suddenly retreated, that wasn’t the priority. The focus was on how to handle the next siege.
After the meeting, Leo returned to his room, utterly exhausted in body and mind.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” he called out.
He had expected a servant bringing food, but when he forced himself to look up, he saw the very same lord he had met two years ago.
Leo immediately shot to his feet, his back ramrod straight. “My Lord, My Lady!”
Nai Yin expressed her approval. “A good memory.” After a moment’s thought, she seemed dissatisfied and corrected him, “Next time, don’t call me ‘Lord.’ Just call me Mistress Yue.”
Yue Du turned her head. Nai Yin winked playfully at her. “I like this feeling. Everyone knowing I’m yours.”
Someone else might have hesitated, but Leo had always been a straightforward man. He said very bluntly, “I knew it. No wonder those magical beasts suddenly retreated. It must be thanks to you, Mistress Yue, right?”
Mistress Yue said, “You’re mistaken. The matter with the magical beasts has nothing to do with me.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely unrelated. The first thing the Silver Wolf Emperor did after breaking free was, of course, to recall the magical beasts and inform the leaders of the various clans about the masked person and her summoner so they could discuss countermeasures together.
Until they came up with a contingency plan, it was unlikely the magical beasts would launch an all-out attack.
Nai Yin savored her new title for a moment before getting down to business. “I need your help with something.”
Leo didn’t hesitate. “I’ve said it before. As long as it’s something I can do, you have only to ask.”
Nai Yin nodded and gave him a task that sounded both glorious and arduous. “Help me keep an eye on the Beast Emperor.”
Leo… Leo almost bit his tongue.
“I’m truly sorry, Mistress Yue. I can’t do it. I don’t even know where the Beast Emperor is right now—” Leo felt deeply ashamed of his inadequacy.
“Oh, here.”
Leo took a tuft of medium-length white fur from the First Dharma Saint’s hand.
“This belongs to the Beast Emperor. I’ve already treated it, so you just need to watch it,” Nai Yin instructed. “When it turns red, send me a message—that means the Beast Emperor is about to make a move.”
Hearing this, Leo’s expression turned serious. He patted his chest and said, “Leave it to me.”
He then took a cord, sealed the white fur tightly in a small, transparent box, and hung it around his neck, ensuring he could see it just by looking down.
With the task assigned, Nai Yin opened a spatial portal and took her lover home.
Yue Du asked, “Why don’t you hold onto it yourself?”
Nai Yin replied, “It won’t work if it’s too far away, and I have no desire to stay at the border.”
Her black-feathered crows were not enough to monitor the Beast Emperor; if the Emperor truly wanted to avoid them, it wouldn’t be difficult.
That was why Nai Yin had plucked a few of the Emperor’s hairs, which could serve as both a tracking spell and an emotion detector.
But giving this task to Leo was a huge waste of his talents. In truth, it was a task even an ordinary person could have completed!
“I remembered he still owes me a favor, so I gave it to him,” Nai Yin shrugged. “Besides, I have other methods. It won’t matter even if he messes up.”
Why waste a perfectly good source of exploitable labor?
Yue Du wanted to facepalm. “No, that’s not what I meant… Never mind, it’s nothing.”
In any case, as long as the host was happy.
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