Chapter 171: On the Eve of the Grand Finale

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Perhaps drawing on spiritual power had consumed too much of Qin Sheng’s mental strength. Not long after her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.

In her dream, Qin Sheng was blissfully happy. She had found her grandfather and her younger brother, Qin Nuo, and thwarted Listening Wind Pavilion’s sinister plot. She even dreamed that, dressed in a phoenix crown and crimson bridal robes, she had been carried in an eight-bearer sedan and formally married to Song Qing’an.

It was a day Qin Sheng had never dared imagine.

Song Qing’an wore a red wedding robe, his white hair bound up neatly. He bent down and lifted her into his arms, like a victorious general returning from battle.

The traditional wedding in her dream was exactly as Qin Sheng had imagined: magnificent and splendid, with the character for double happiness everywhere she looked. Her bridegroom reached up to lift the red veil from her face.

Yet just as she gazed at her beloved with a heart full of joy, a dagger plunged into Song Qing’an’s left chest. Blood stained both his wedding robe and hers, turning the two scarlet garments an even deeper red.

Red—like the bloodshot eyes with which Qin Sheng stared at the scene in disbelief.

“No!”

Her tears burst forth like a breached dam. She screamed hysterically, only to watch the life slowly drain from Song Qing’an.

“No!”

Qin Sheng awoke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. Once she recognized the room around her, she let out a long breath of relief.

Thank goodness. It had only been a dream. It had not really happened.

The scene from the dream remained seared into her mind, and Qin Sheng was still shaken by it.

“Clan Leader, are you awake? Your friends have been waiting in the front hall.”

Ayan’s voice came from outside the door, and only then did the cold sweat gradually fade from Qin Sheng’s skin.

“All right. I’ll be there shortly.”

After answering, Qin Sheng rose and walked to the wardrobe.

The clothes inside had evidently been prepared at her grandfather’s instruction early that morning. Every piece had been handmade, stitch by stitch, by the finest tailors in the capital. The fabric was soft and light. Qin Sheng casually chose a simple blue-green outfit and headed toward the front hall.

“Shengsheng!”

Seeing Qin Sheng hurry in, Jiang Miaomiao, dressed in a peach-red robe, sprang up delightedly and went to greet her.

Qin Sheng smiled faintly. Judging by their expressions, they had already learned of her identity.

“Great-aunt, guess what? We’re all from the Otherworld Continent after all.”

Lin Xing himself had never imagined that, after living through the apocalypse as an ordinary university student, he would come to this unbelievable Otherworld Continent and unexpectedly discover that he was descended from the Fire Spirit Clan.

Moreover, he was the only surviving heir of his generation.

When he had been taken to the Fire Spirit Clan, Lin Xing had assumed he must have done something wrong. From the moment he entered, he had been cautious and nervous, until the former clan leader appeared—the very grandfather who shared his blood.

Only then did he accept the truth that he was a descendant of the Fire Spirit Clan.

“So am I! So am I!”

“And me!”

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu declared that they were in exactly the same situation as Lin Xing. They were still so shocked that they had yet to recover.

Qin Sheng understood them perfectly. After all, when she had learned that morning that she was the clan leader of the Wood Spirit Clan, she had reacted in much the same way.

It seemed that from the very beginning, the four of them had been destined for extraordinary fates. They also carried responsibilities beyond anything ordinary people could imagine.

Qin Sheng had already emerged from the initial delight of learning the news. Her mind was now filled with thoughts of how to oppose Listening Wind Pavilion and lead the Otherworld Continent toward a better future.

For now, however, her spiritual power had only just settled within her and remained extremely unstable. She would not be able to stop Listening Wind Pavilion’s atrocities directly in the short term. She could only resolve matters one step at a time.

Qin Sheng drew a deep breath and briefly told Jiang Miaomiao and the others what her grandfather had explained that morning about Listening Wind Pavilion and the Five Great Clans.

After hearing it all, the three of them felt the weight of the pressure and responsibility as well.

Being clan leaders of the Five Great Spirit Clans was certainly enviable, but they also had to recognize the responsibilities they bore.

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“Since our spiritual power has yet to recover, we need to consider this matter carefully. We must not act rashly.”

Qin Sheng once again repeated her grandfather’s instructions to Jiang Miaomiao and the others.

The three of them nodded solemnly.

“Now that you’ve all become clan leaders, there must still be plenty of matters within your respective clans. If anything comes up, call on me at any time. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

Qin Sheng curved her lips gently as she offered her friends these words of encouragement.

Though their identities continued to change, they were still themselves. Nothing between them had changed.

“Don’t worry, Shengsheng. We need to grow stronger too, so that we can help you more.”

Jiang Miaomiao took Qin Sheng’s hands and smiled as she spoke.

Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing also nodded, showing that they shared Jiang Miaomiao’s resolve.

After dinner, Jiang Miaomiao and the others each returned to their own clans.

After visiting her grandfather, Qin Sheng slipped into her personal space and changed into night clothes. Not long afterward, she left the house and headed straight for Spring Garden.

As expected, Song Qing’an was in Spring Garden. Tonight, however, he was not drinking.

The night had grown deep. Song Qing’an rose to close the window, only to find Qin Sheng sitting on the windowsill. When she saw him, a sly smile appeared on her face.

The moment Song Qing’an saw that smile, he knew Qin Sheng was plotting something mischievous again.

“Handsome, the night is dark and the wind is high. Why don’t you come with me and do something interesting?”

Qin Sheng curled her lips and nestled closer into Song Qing’an’s arms.

Song Qing’an raised his brows in surprise. “Oh? I wonder whether the interesting thing you have in mind is the same one I have in mind.”

Looking into his foxlike, soul-stirring eyes, Qin Sheng could not help recalling the blush and pounding heart she had experienced the day before.

A little embarrassed, she gently pushed against his chest. “Be serious.”

Knowing that she was shy, Song Qing’an’s smile grew even brighter.

“Go on, then. What mischief are you planning this time?”

He wrapped an arm around Qin Sheng’s waist and carried her inside, closing the window behind them.

Qin Sheng obediently sat on his thigh and leaned lightly against him.

“I want to go to Listening Wind Pavilion.”

Song Qing’an did not seem surprised that she was curious about Listening Wind Pavilion.

“May I?” Qin Sheng slipped her arms around his neck and asked in a coaxing, almost coquettish tone.

“You may,” Song Qing’an murmured.

Qin Sheng gave a soft laugh. She had known he would never be able to resist her deliberate coaxing.

“You’re not planning to take me there tonight and blow the whole place up, are you?” Song Qing’an did not believe Qin Sheng lacked the nerve to do so.

Besides, Qin Sheng was now one of the Five Great Spirit Clans and naturally harbored resentment toward Listening Wind Pavilion.

That little menace had always acted decisively and ruthlessly. It would not be surprising if she were simply waiting for nightfall to blow the pavilion apart.

Hearing his suggestion, Qin Sheng pouted. “That’s not a bad idea. We could try it.”

Song Qing’an fell silent.

Qin Sheng was naturally teasing him. To begin with, she did not have any explosives. If she had, though, she really might have gone and blown up that ridiculous Listening Wind Pavilion.

“When shall we leave?” Song Qing’an asked directly.

Qin Sheng pressed her lips together and glanced at Song Qing’an in his white robes. Then, as though she had suddenly thought of something, she said, “Before we go, we’ll certainly have to get ready…”

As the night lamps were first lit, the two of them arrived at Listening Wind Pavilion.

Dressed in black and concealed in a large tree beside the pavilion tower, Song Qing’an and Qin Sheng watched the building in silence.

To be honest, Song Qing’an had no idea why Qin Sheng had insisted on hiding in a tree. But since it had been her decision, she must have had her reasons.

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“I used to hide in trees back in the Safe Zone.”

Song Qing’an let out a helpless laugh. It seemed that her choice had nothing to do with any special strategy. She simply had a habit of hiding in trees.

Qin Sheng conducted a brief survey of the area. Listening Wind Pavilion was under extremely strict guard. The entire tower was riddled with mechanisms; anyone who tried to force their way inside would probably be turned into a sieve.

“These are all traps,” Qin Sheng murmured.

Song Qing’an glanced at the magnificent, towering structure, his expression extraordinarily complicated.

“Do you have any way to get inside?” Qin Sheng asked, looking toward him.

Song Qing’an shook his head. “I’m only the pavilion’s nominal young master. I don’t have clearance to enter restricted areas.”

Qin Sheng pursed her lips, feeling a pang of sympathy for him. He was the dignified young master of Listening Wind Pavilion, yet even he needed permission to enter the building.

“I have a way.”

Qin Sheng raised her brows, moved closer to Song Qing’an, and whispered into his ear, “Close your eyes and count to three.”

Song Qing’an gave a soft laugh and obediently closed his eyes, silently counting to three.

Once his eyes were shut, Qin Sheng wrapped her arms around him and flashed into her personal space. Using the space as a passage, she brought him into the heavily guarded Listening Wind Pavilion.

“All right. You can open your eyes now.”

Song Qing’an slowly opened his eyes. When he saw the scene before him, a look of delighted surprise appeared in his gaze.

“I told you I could bring you inside.” Qin Sheng smiled at him with unmistakable pride.

Song Qing’an lifted a hand and stroked her head, his eyes filled with affection. “All right. I believe you.”

Qin Sheng laughed softly and looked up at him. “You’re familiar with the inside of this place, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

Song Qing’an tightened his grip on Qin Sheng’s hand and led her into Listening Wind Pavilion.

He was indeed familiar with every corner. Clearly, however, he had never possessed the freedom to come and go as he pleased. Still, very little inside the pavilion had changed.

The first floor held military texts, the second medicinal herbs, and the third was where pills were refined.

Each floor served its own purpose. Like a connoisseur introducing a cherished collection, Song Qing’an led Qin Sheng through every corner.

There were no traps inside the pavilion itself, only patrols.

Qin Sheng and Song Qing’an kept themselves well concealed, avoiding several groups of patrolmen.

Qin Sheng searched the entire pavilion but found no place where anyone might be held captive. Could it be that her younger brother, Qin Nuo, had not been imprisoned after all?

“Song Qing’an, does Listening Wind Pavilion have anywhere for prisoners?” Qin Sheng stopped and asked him.

Song Qing’an shook his head slightly. “There are only two kinds of people who enter Listening Wind Pavilion: members of Listening Wind Pavilion, or the dead.”

Qin Sheng froze, finding the implication difficult to accept.

She clenched her hands tightly, steadying herself so that she would not be overcome by what she had just heard.

Could it be that she would truly never have the chance to see her younger brother, Qin Nuo, again?

Qin Sheng asked herself that question again and again.

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