“Li Qingshan, oh Li Qingshan. Haven’t you heard that a tall tree falls easy? Do you really take yourself to be a ‘king’ and think you can run about recklessly? You’ll be lending me your head tonight.”
Within the whispers, the deep-blue eyes blinked again, and the figure drifted away with the wind under the moonlight.
She flew over mountains and rivers and a boundless sea of trees. When the moon dipped towards the west, she had arrived outside Savage mountain. She drifted around it and praised inside.
No wonder even Myriad Poison can’t force his way in. These formations aren’t particularly special, but the way they operate can be truly described as the peak of perfection. If I want to infiltrate this place without alarming anyone, it’ll really be quite troublesome.
But that was all it was, troublesome.
Very soon, the Shadow Queen traversed the mist and arrived in the valley. The towering tree in the valley stood out very much, which took her by surprise. Why does this tree look so familiar? And it seems to be guarding the heart of the formation! Surely not. Since when did the old tree king handle something like watching a person’s yard for them? Don’t tell me this is just another banyan tree daemon that resembles him?
Curious, the Shadow Queen approached the Great Banyan Tree King, wanting to investigate a little closer. However, the sight beneath the tree left her even more surprised.
It was currently the middle of the night, the time when night roamers were active. Night roamers of all ages and genders bustled on the city streets that were beginning to take shape. The adults handled everything quietly, producing absolutely no sounds between their dealings.
The young adults and children were much more lively, drinking under the moon and playing on the streets. If it were not for their dark-blue skin and pointed ears, if it were not for the fact that the children moved like black panthers as they played, they were basically no different from humans. It seemed like a paradise isolated from the world, free of conflict.
The Shadow Queen slowed down and made her way down the streets. She was extremely puzzled. Is this really Savage mountain? Why are there so many clansmen here?
A few children passed by her as they giggled, disappearing round the corner of the street. Their laughter continued to ring out. She shook her head slightly and was confident that she had not fallen into some kind of illusion. Probably only the old daemon from the South sea could create such a realistic illusion and fool her sense, but that old daemon never left the South sea, so it would never appear here.
As the Shadow Queen ventured into the depths of the city, she became more and more surprised. There were not just a lot of night roamers here. Their cultivations exceeded her expectations too. Within her senses, the night roamers that had undergone the second heavenly tribulation amounted to four, and there were even more that were close to that realm, only stuck at the bottleneck. If they were provided sufficient resources and correct guidance, they could become mainstays of the Shadow palace.
I’ve really made the right decision in coming here. Compared to some arcane treasure, this is what is most precious!
The Shadow Queen was rather excited. After all, the greatest limitation of otherfolk was their population. They were restricted by the ancient principles of nature, where the stronger their bloodline was, the harder it was to procreate. As a result, every single clansman was extremely important. Even if they were not powerful, they could add to the future expansions of the race.
She approached the Great Banyan Tree King, and her eyes suddenly narrowed, It really is that kid!
The third cave master of Savage mountain, Ghost Shadow, stood on a damaged, stone altar under the canopy despite his usual secretive and silent behaviour. He loudly spoke about something, and a group of male night roamers gathered around him, listening closely.
His voice drifted over with the breeze. “We might be men and our talent might not be as great as women, but that doesn’t mean our status is lower than them! Without our efforts, the night roamers would have gone extinct long ago. If seeds are not sowed, is the earth supposed to sprout with plants by itself?”
There was a series of cheers from below!
“In particular, as cultivators, that’s even more reason for us to be treated as equals. And actually, our talent is better than most humans and daemons, so don’t give up on yourself. You have to work hard on cultivation and change your status. Isn’t the King of Savages who rules over us right now a male? Everyone, repeat after me, we have to become strong!”
“We have to become strong!” the male night roamers waved their arms and called out.
“Men should all unite! We aren’t tools for procreation!”
“Men should all unite! We aren’t tools for procreation!” Some younger night roamers even shed tears of emotion, looking at Ghost Shadow vehemently.
In the surroundings, many female night roamers glanced over, but none of them stood forward to stop this. After all, Ghost Shadow’s strength was still a thing, and everyone benefited from the cultivation method he passed on. He could say whatever he wanted to say.
“Has this kid lost his mind after spending a few years in the south? Don’t tell me he even wants to copy humans and preach something like male chauvinism? Let’s take a look at what he’s thinking!”
The Shadow Queen made her way over and stared into Ghost Shadow. She was skilled at mind-reading, which was particularly effective on fellow clansmen.
For the sake of convenience, Ghost Shadow had even removed the mask he wore at all times, revealing a handsome face unique to night roamers. He was filled with satisfaction, feeling even more delight than assassinating a powerful enemy.
He had fled from the Shadow palace, but as an otherfolk who had grown up among his clansmen, he still cared for them. Humans could not understand this feeling of being connected by blood. In front of human cultivators, he was a cold assassin, but he yearned for the recognition of his clansmen.
Recently, he served as a teacher and passed on knowledge to the night roamers, earning him great respect. His injured heart of the past received deep satisfaction, and he became determined to change the status of males among night roamers.
This was not merely for his ideals. It was also the first step to assisting his clansmen. He thought, I’m much stronger than Ye Liusu. If I ever undergo the third heavenly tribulation one day, it’s fine if I don’t become some King of Savages. Becoming the king of night roamers is fine too. I’ll call myself the ‘Shadow King’, and I’ll let that old woman the Shadow Queen understand my power!
Thinking up to there, Ghost Shadow suddenly shivered. The night breeze felt a little chilly. He glanced around and felt like something horrible was about to happen for some reason.
Hmph, old woman! You better get ready to die in bed from old age! the Shadow Queen thought viciously before raising her head. Though, this tree really does seem more and more like him!
“Weiyang, is it you?” An ancient voice suddenly rang out in her mind. Ye Weiyang sighed. “Tree king, it really is you!” If it were someone else, they would have never discovered her existence.
“Hehe, only you can enter this valley silently. Why don’t you give up on the assassination, take a seat, and have a talk with him instead?” the Great Banyan Tree King said. Li Qingshan leapt down from the main peak.
“Just what benefits did Li Qingshan offer you to make you favour him so much? Not only are you controlling the formations for him, but you’ve even given me away!”
Ye Weiyang was rather discontent. If the Great Banyan Tree King had not told her about so many night roamers here because he was holding to his principles, then she could understand, but he had gone too far this time. He had betrayed the basic principles he had upheld the entire time.
“Don’t get mad. I didn’t tell him about your arrival. And, I think both of you will benefit from this.”
