Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1351 - 1344: The Blessing of the Qi People

Chapter 1351: Chapter 1344: The Blessing of the Qi People

Leaving Linglan and her party behind, Luo’er walked alone on the way back. Throughout the journey, he frowned, contemplating Linglan’s words.

Upon reflection, as weapons and equipment improved—particularly with the formation of special phalanx infantry—the role of the Beast Head Tribe seemed to become less important.

Indeed, in the battle with the General, the vanguard of the Beast Head Tribe played a crucial role, but that shouldn’t overshadow the cooperation of others.

The position of the Beast Head Tribe within Abisien was contradictory. On one hand, they were very capable fighters, but on the other, they were quite unsociable. Because they were still the most powerful presence in Abisien, their calls for retreat during meetings were always particularly jarring.

Unlike the Beast-Ear Race, the Beast Head Tribe didn’t consider the land of West Outer Heaven as their own at all. Their reason for deploying troops was solely to respond to the call of the tribal alliance of Abisien.

In some respects, the Beast Head Tribe could indeed be considered a factor of instability within Abisien. It was no surprise why Linglan planned to bypass them and integrate the Southern Yao Race alone.

With a formidable enemy at present, the Demon Clan could still maintain the most basic stability internally. But despite this, the various Leaders argued incessantly every day. Once the Dongsheng Empire withdrew from West Outer Heaven and peace was restored, it was really unimaginable what would happen within the Demon Clan.

It was precisely because of this that Linglan was taking advantage of the invasion by the Dongsheng Empire to begin integrating the Demon Clan. If she succeeded, once the Dongsheng Empire withdrew its forces, the Beast-Ear Race would be integrated into the Southern Yao Race. At that time, the still scattered Beast Head Tribe might not really be a match for the Southern Yao Race.

"Luo’er!" Just as he was immersed in thought, a familiar voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw Zisu approaching quickly.

"Uh," Zisu hesitated for a moment with an evasive gaze as she reached him, then pursed her lips and said, "About today, I hope you can keep it a secret, not tell anyone, okay?"

"Was it Linglan who sent you?" Luo’er immediately understood.

"This is, I’m asking you as a friend..." Zisu lowered her head, not daring to make eye contact.

"I can promise you, but I have a question I don’t understand." Luo’er said.

"What question?" Zisu asked.

"You’re the Leader of the Maoyou Clan, so why are you so willing to listen to Linglan? She is the Leader of the Qingqiu Clan," Luo’er asked, puzzled.

"Okay, since you’ve asked, I’ll explain a bit," Zisu nodded and walked beside Luo’er, keeping pace with him.

"First off, your understanding isn’t completely accurate. I’m not the Leader of the Maoyou Clan; as I’ve told you before, my sister is the Leader. I’m only participating in Abisien’s discussions as a representative."

"Does your sister look like you?" Luo’er couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"No, she’s prettier than me." As she said this, Zisu cast a meaningful glance at Luo’er.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I was just asking," Luo’er said with a wry smile.

Luo’er found it hard to imagine what a cat-girl prettier than Zisu would look like. Admittedly, in his many years of wandering, he found that in his eyes, Zisu was only above average, not particularly beautiful.

But as a cat maiden, she possessed an innate allure of a different kind that irresistibly drew people to her. This allure was called charm, and unlike that of the Qingqiu Clan, it was a kind of enchantment that could pierce through most people’s defenses.

Legend had it that in ancient times, due to the war causing a severe gender imbalance within the Maoyou Clan, it was commonplace for Maoyou maidens to venture into neighboring territories seducing Humans with their charm, and once they captured a man and returned him to their tribe, that man would become the husband of several cat maidens.

If Humans did not concern themselves with cultivation, such a situation could be considered an utmost blessing. In fact, the Maoyou Clan, like the Southern Yao Race, were hardly ever of pure demon blood, as they often carried Human blood in their veins. This rendered their beauty even more diverse.

In truth, few Humans could resist such seduction, and in times without war, the proportion of intermarriages between Humans and the Demon Clan was staggeringly high. Fengyu, the neighboring country in particular, absorbed a large number of demons, resulting in a considerable number of mixed-blood individuals.

But the growth of the Dongsheng Empire changed everything, as the Empire was gravely concerned that the infiltration of demon blood could jeopardize the nation’s very foundation, and thus it strictly prohibited Humans from associating with the Demon Clan. As a vassal state, Fengyu naturally had to comply strictly with these orders.

Yet Fengyu was not the Dongsheng Empire, and within its borders, there remained many of mixed heritage. As previously mentioned, the offspring of demons are inevitably demons, just like the Elf Race, so these individuals could also be regarded as members of the Demon Clan.

Since these individuals were Fengyu citizens, they were spared from persecution by the Dongsheng Empire. Before the war outbreak, numerous families of both Humans and demons took refuge in Fengyu. Consequently, the Dongsheng Empire that followed initiated a large-scale massacre targeting the Demon Clan.

The decision-makers within the Dongsheng Empire believed there was a basis for viewing the Demon Clan as a threat to the empire’s foundation. The foundation of the Dongsheng Empire was cultivators, and demons were incapable of cultivation. If demon blood were to spread across Kyushu, it would undermine the Empire’s very core.

It was precisely for this reason that the Dongsheng Empire, as well as the previous dynasties of Kyushu, waged wars against the union of Humans and demons, in order to prevent what they saw as abnormal practices from persisting.

Turning back to Zisu, she exuded an enchantment that inspired a protective instinct in others. It was a charm deeply embedded in the marrow, reducing those bewitched by her to spinelessness, unable to even clench their teeth.

Because of her charm, Luo’er for a time overlooked her appearance. Now hearing her say that her sister was even more beautiful, one could only imagine the impact this had on a man. Merely the thought of it made Luo’er anxious with restlessness.

"Although my sister can be quite stern, she’s actually very approachable in private. If you meet her, I’m sure she will like you a lot," Zisu said, gazing at Luo’er until her eyes began to soften.

"Why?" Luo’er asked, startled.

"Because you’re beautiful," Zisu said with narrowed eyes.

Hearing her words, Luo’er couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. He seemed to have forgotten, being of mixed Elf Race blood, that he himself possessed a distinct beauty. His smooth campaign in West Outer Heaven was greatly related to his good looks.

In fact, if Luo’er were the philandering type, he could easily take a harem for himself in West Outer Heaven should he wish. Regrettably for him, he was the serious type, especially shy when it came to emotions; one could hardly expect him to make the first move.

"Cough cough," Luo’er coughed awkwardly, then said to her, "Let’s not talk about that anymore, back to the matter at hand."

"Yes," Zisu withdrew her dreamy gaze, collected her thoughts, and continued in a more serious tone, "Secondly, regarding Sister Linglan, there’s something you need to understand. She isn’t just the leader of the Qingqiu Clan, but also the de facto leader of Abisien. Although Abisien is an alliance of tribes, there is still a leading figure. One major reason the Northern Three Clans are always dissatisfied and wish to withdraw is because they can’t gain the actual leadership of Abisien."

"Hmm," Luo’er nodded in agreement, "Judging by her way of handling things, she is indeed the best fit to be the leader of Abisien."

That was Luo’er’s genuine thought because in his eyes, no matter how domineering the Beast Head Tribe could be, none of those three leaders were qualified to lead Abisien. The reason was simple – they were no match for Linglan.

He still remembered the first time they made contact with the Demon Clan, the first leader they met was Linglan. And rather than being hostile towards strangers and maintaining a distance from them, Linglan showed considerable warmth to them as guests.

Unfortunately, such grandeur was not something the three leaders of the Beast Head Tribe possessed. Their demeanor confirmed Luo’er’s preconceptions of barbarians – crude, irrational, savage. Although their tribes were strong in combat, no one wished them to be in charge of managing Abisien.