Chapter 257: Just a Gift for Her

Chapter 257: Chapter 256: Just a Gift for Her

Feng Qiwu wore an expression of childlike satisfaction, but Chu Liangyu merely glanced at him before turning away.

With her instructions given, she wasted no more time. Black wings unfurled from her back, and she flew straight toward the mountain hollow.

The wind from her beating wings whipped at the corners of their clothes. It was then that the Beastmen from the surrounding tribes arrived, just in time to witness Chu Liangyu leaving in her beast form.

“Black wings… and that sun totem on her forehead… Could she be the new Beast God, the leader of the Xihe Tribe?”

Though phrased as a question, the man spoke with absolute certainty.

“That’s right. She is the new Beast God, and she is also the leader of our Xihe Tribe.”

“Are any of you interested in joining the Xihe Tribe?”

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Yu Tu seized it. He immediately stepped forward to state his purpose and began recruiting the other tribes.

____

Meanwhile, Chu Liangyu reached the area near the mountain hollow at incredible speed.

The moment she arrived, she spotted Lou Sang.

“How are the repairs on the Barrier coming along? And have the cubs inside come out yet?”

Beads of sweat trickled down Lou Sang’s temples, his expression uncharacteristically grave. “The Barrier’s damage here is too severe. I’m not even halfway done.”

“As for the cubs, there’s been no sign of them at all.”

Chu Liangyu frowned but said nothing critical. Instead, she joined him in repairing the damaged Barrier.

While they worked, Chu Liangyu contacted her clone again.

The clone had successfully lured Jiang Li away as ordered, but being a mere clone, its power was lacking. It wasn’t long before it was captured.

The cubs, unaware of any of this, were still running for their lives.

“So you really didn’t die. Tell me, why did you fake your death? Were you afraid I’d find you again?”

The clone was held tightly in Jiang Li’s embrace. His tone was a mixture of anger and the relief of recovering something precious. He was clearly displeased by her constant struggling to escape.

“I don’t look that scary, do I? Why are you always trying to run away from me?”

The clone opened its mouth to speak, but Chu Liangyu suppressed the urge from afar.

Taking control of the body, Chu Liangyu stopped struggling. Her voice was unnaturally calm. “You aren’t scary, Lord Demon King. I simply have no interest in being by your side.”

Jiang Li scoffed. He said nothing, but leaned in closer, meeting her eyes. “Then do you prefer to be by your master’s side?”

His words weren’t without reason. Back when she had faked her death, he’d noticed that Li Jingxuan had shown no signs of grief.

The only explanations were that either Li Jingxuan had no feelings for her, or he knew she was faking her death.

If Li Jingxuan had no feelings for her, it wouldn’t make sense for him to come looking for her.

“I don’t want to be by anyone’s side. So please, let me go. Or don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Worried he would see through her ruse, Chu Liangyu grew more desperate to break free from his embrace.

“Fine,” he said. “Let’s see if you can break free.”

Jiang Li just smiled, not taking her threat seriously.

He glanced down, noticing she wasn’t wearing the red robes he had given her. “Clever Little Crow,” he said. “To think you refined an Immortal Artifact Level vestment robe so quickly. But why aren’t you wearing such a fine garment?”

“Oh, I see. Were you worried I’d use the robe to track you down?”

Hearing that the robe was at the Immortal Artifact Level, Chu Liangyu was stunned. ‘Why would he give me something so precious?’ she thought. ‘We knew each other for less than a month.’

‘Even in the Cultivation World, items of the Immortal Artifact Level aren’t easy to come by, yet he gave one away so casually.’

“From your expression, I must have guessed right. But don’t worry, I’m not that devious.”

“The robe was just a gift. It has no tracking function.”

Chu Liangyu suppressed her complex emotions and asked, “Why would you give me something so valuable?”

Jiang Li’s expression seemed to wander for a moment, and he was silent for a long time. Who knows what he was thinking. Finally, he said, “I gave it to you because I wanted to. You, on the other hand, accepted my gift. Shouldn’t you give me something in return?”

“It’s not much. Just answer two questions for me.”

“Fine.”

He was surprised by how quickly she agreed, and a smile touched his lips. “The first time I saw you, I couldn’t help but wonder… have we met before?”

This first question left Chu Liangyu at a loss for words. After a long moment of thought, she shook her head. “I do not know the Demon King, but I do know Jiang Li.”

Her words were cryptic, but anyone who knew the truth would have understood her meaning instantly.

Jiang Li’s brow furrowed. He didn’t understand what she meant, but he didn’t dwell on it. He immediately asked his next question. “Where are you really from?”

Chu Liangyu’s pupils contracted. ‘Why would the Demon King ask something like that?’

‘She was certain she hadn’t acted abnormally back in the Cultivation World. So for him to ask this… could it be the cubs let something slip?’

‘Thinking it over, that had to be the only explanation.’

‘Great. My own cubs have sold me out again.’

“Why would you ask such a thing, Lord Demon King? I am merely a minor demon wandering the Cultivation World.”

Jiang Li’s hand caressed her cheek. His tone wasn’t stern, but it carried a weight that was impossible to ignore. “Minor demon? Then how do you possess the same Golden Crow Bloodline as me? In this entire world, you are the second one besides myself.”

Now, Chu Liangyu was truly at a loss for words.

But silence was an answer in itself, and Jiang Li clearly understood something from it.

“Even if you don’t tell me, I have my ways of finding out where you’re from.”

Jiang Li’s gaze shifted to the direction the cubs had fled. With one arm still wrapped around her, white wings unfurled from his back, and he shot off after them at incredible speed.

Her expression changed at the sight. “You’ve already caught me! Where I’m from shouldn’t matter anymore!”

“How could it not matter?” Jiang Li glanced down at her, a laugh escaping his lips. “Besides, you’re just a clone right now. How could this possibly count as me having ‘caught’ you?”

“You… How did you…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Li, already knowing her question, cut her off. “You want to ask how I knew?”

She looked at him without another word, quietly waiting for his explanation.

“Because I can create clones, too. I’ve played this game so much it’s boring. How could I not see through your little trick?”

“The only reason I didn’t realize it immediately was because…”

He trailed off, but Chu Liangyu understood what he left unsaid.

‘He must have been so overjoyed at seeing me that he didn’t pay attention to anything else.’

Seeing that he was about to catch up to the cubs, Chu Liangyu had to find another way to stall him.