Chapter 461: No Choice, Beili’s Rules

Seeing this, Chi Rui charged forward without hesitation.

Ji Qingwu was stopped before she could even reveal the object in her right hand.

Chi Rui roared, "Protect Miss Ji!"

Several tall soldiers immediately formed a circle around Ji Qingwu, shielding her behind them.

At the same time, Gao Zhao Yue’s fingers danced nimbly, and dozens of Black Eagles suddenly dove from the night sky.

The raptors’ eyes glowed a sickly yellow-green, and scraps of flesh torn from some unknown source clung to their sharp talons.

The flock of eagles circled overhead. Chi Rui slashed at them with his sword, only to discover he had merely cut through two black shadows.

Facing the aerial assault, the soldiers couldn’t discern the Black Eagles’ direction of attack. The birds were too fast, their talons too sharp. For all their strength, the soldiers had no way to apply it.

A Black Eagle’s talons grazed past Chi Rui’s ear by a hair’s breadth, leaving a bloody scratch. His eyes widened in fury. Staring intently at the birds circling above, he could only focus on defense, using his sword to parry their relentless attacks.

Meanwhile, Gao Zhao Yue brought her wrists together again, seemingly summoning even more ferocious beasts.

In the darkness, her lips were so dark they looked black. "I had no intention of hurting you," she said coldly, "but you refused to do this the easy way. Don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

Even as the soldiers around her fought desperately against the Black Eagles, Ji Qingwu showed not a single trace of fear.

Instead, a smile touched her lips. "What do you mean you didn’t want to hurt me? Did you summon all these ferocious beasts just to put on a show for me?"

Gao Zhao Yue’s hands moved faster as she replied with disdain.

"Such a sharp-tongued little brat!"

Soon, three ferocious tigers with pale foreheads appeared. They smashed through the gate’s crossbar and positioned themselves behind Gao Zhao Yue, baring their fangs viciously at Ji Qingwu.

Ji Qingwu frowned. The tigers’ roars were so loud her ears were ringing.

Gao Zhao Yue jeered, "A little late to be scared now, isn’t it?"

Hearing a noise, Ji Qingwu turned toward the camp’s perimeter fence. A wolf darted out and came to her side.

But the little wolf didn’t nuzzle against her skirts as it usually did. Instead, it crouched at her feet, forelegs partially collapsed.

Ji Qingwu’s frown deepened. She saw that the little wolf’s silver-gray fur was stained a glaring red. A ragged gash on its left ear was still steadily seeping blood.

’The fight with the rest of the pack must have been even more brutal.’ Ji Qingwu carefully knelt to inspect the little wolf’s wounds.

Seeing that Ji Qingwu was ignoring both her and the three tigers to tend to the wolf’s injuries, Gao Zhao Yue snapped, "You have time to worry about whether it lives or dies?"

Ji Qingwu stood up, her gaze steady. "Since you know who I am and came here to capture me, why involve these innocent animals?"

Her tone shifted. "Actually, there’s something I want to discuss with you, too."

Gao Zhao Yue looked slightly surprised. "Oh?"

She swayed her wrists gently, and the roars of the distant beasts gradually subsided. The Black Eagles, however, did not cease their attack.

Chi Rui and his men were spread too thin to spare a moment for Ji Qingwu.

With a subtle flicker in her eyes, Ji Qingwu lowered her head and took a few steps forward, all while watching for any change in the tigers behind Gao Zhao Yue.

Seeing her apparent cooperation, Gao Zhao Yue’s tone softened considerably.

"See, little girl? If you had just been this compliant from the start, things would have been much easier. I merely wish to invite you to Xijin as a guest and, in the process, discuss a partnership with the Emperor of Beili."

Ji Qingwu subtly rotated her right wrist inside her sleeve. The vertical pupils of the tigers near Gao Zhao Yue changed color, shifting from a dark red to a clear amber.

Gao Zhao Yue, however, failed to notice.

Ji Qingwu drew closer, looking at the stunning face before her. "So this is how you negotiate a partnership. You plan to capture me to threaten the Emperor. What is it that you want?"

Gao Zhao Yue laughed. "A threat? I simply want a stronger bargaining chip for our negotiations. When Tianqing was allowed to return to Xijin alive, the Emperor of Beili showed he wouldn’t hunt us to extinction. For that, I respect his magnanimity."

"But when it comes to strategy, I’m not confident I can best him. I just want an ace in the hole."

Ji Qingwu’s lips curved into a smile as well. "But we in Beili," she said slowly, "do not negotiate under duress."

Gao Zhao Yue waved her crimson fingertips. "You have no other choice now," she said with contempt.

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow, her tone feigning surprise. "Who says I don’t? You’re the one without a choice."

Gao Zhao Yue sneered. "It seems you still don’t grasp the situation."

She narrowed her eyes and began to move her overlapping hands, intending to command the tigers to advance on Ji Qingwu, but they didn’t move.

Gao Zhao Yue glanced at the tigers, her expression turning to one of shock. Her face grew grave as she spread her arms, attempting to summon more beasts.

But Ji Qingwu was already standing before her, looking directly into her eyes and enunciating each word clearly.

"If you want peace talks, you will follow Beili’s rules!"

Then, Ji Qingwu raised her right hand. With a flash of silver, she twirled a silver hairpin in her fingers, and the tigers instantly began to tremble, dropping to the ground in prostration.

The tigers’ gold and black stripes glistened in the moonlight. Several small, red spiders could be seen crawling off their bodies and scurrying fearfully into the sand.

Gao Zhao Yue stared at the object in her hand, the composure on her beautiful face cracking.

"Where did you get that?!"

Seeing that Gao Zhao Yue’s expression was dominated by fear, Ji Qingwu grew more confident. Instead of answering, she posed a question of her own.

"Do you genuinely want to negotiate for peace?"

Gao Zhao Yue demanded, "That thing—who gave it to you?!"

The more agitated Gao Zhao Yue became, the calmer Ji Qingwu seemed.

She said in a measured tone, "Why don’t we sit down and have a proper chat?"

Suddenly, Gao Zhao Yue bit her fingertip, intending to drip blood behind the tigers’ ears, but her wrist was seized in a grip she could not break.

Ji Qingwu had been on guard. She had witnessed the power of the Alien Clan’s blood before, from both Yu Wen Tianqing and Su Daiyue’s birth mother.

It was either poisonous or imbued with a superpower—not to be underestimated. Ji Qingwu wasn’t about to give Gao Zhao Yue another chance to act. She tightened her grip on her wrist.

"I’d advise you to save your strength."

No matter how she struggled, Gao Zhao Yue couldn’t break free. Instead, Ji Qingwu twisted her arms behind her back. "You’re just a young girl!" she said angrily. "How can you be so strong?!"

Ji Qingwu was about to call for Chi Rui to bring rope when Li Yuzong rushed out from a corner, binding Gao Zhao Yue’s hands and feet with iron shackles.

"Miss Ji, you scared this old servant half to death!"

Even as he exclaimed in fright, Li Yuzong locked the shackles tightly.

Ji Qingwu said, "First, remove the Gu from the beasts."

Gao Zhao Yue sneered. "And why should I listen to you?"