Heroines, I'm Really not the Devourer
Chapter 49: You come and ignore me?

Chapter 49: You come and ignore me?

All eyes turned to Qing Long. Slowly, deep black horns, veined with a bluish glow, emerged from his forehead, an undeniable sign of his draconic lineage. An invisible yet crushing pressure descended upon the tent, suffocating, making the air almost tangible.

For the first time, Guan Yushen felt a shiver of apprehension run down his spine. He knew Qing Long was powerful, but he had never witnessed such a manifestation of his Qi.

Qing Long was known for his benevolence and calm, a rarity among the elite cultivators. He treated everyone the same: if they were of his generation, they were his martial brothers; if they were older, he respected them as his elders. Immortal Clan, Ancestral Families, mortals... Regardless of their status, he accorded them the same courtesy.

But there was an unspoken rule that everyone knew.

Abusing his kindness and, worse, disrespecting him while wasting his time, was the last thing to do.

In a way, BaiShe, who had just arrived, might have saved Yushen’s life.

"You may continue, Prince."

BaiShe’s voice resonated, calm and steady. He neither raised his tone nor lowered himself.

Qing Long simply nodded, regaining his serene expression as the oppressive aura gradually dissipated.

"Good. As I wanted to remind you, the situation is grave."

His gaze swept over the assembly, lingering for a moment on each person present.

"The Devourer has killed nearly a hundred cultivators in the mountains. So, it must be nearby."

A murmur ran through the tent. Some were not surprised, but others seemed to finally grasp the magnitude of the danger.

"I don’t know if any of you have another proposal, but I think forming squads to search the entire area is a good strategy."

"Certainly, it’s interesting, but there are still monsters, Prince. We can’t let our guard down." Ruoxi Feng crossed her arms, her tone reflecting both caution and skepticism.

"Especially since we can’t trust everyone here."

Yin Mei had just taken her seat, her voice soft yet sharp, her gaze sweeping the assembly with a hint of indifference.

"I know that well."

Qing Long paused before continuing, his features imbued with rare solemnity.

"But our true enemy is the Devourer. So, I think a temporary truce would be the best solution."

He paused, letting his words sink into everyone’s mind.

"Let’s work together to hunt down and eradicate this vile being. Heaven and Earth will reward us."

A heavy silence fell.

No one liked the idea of cooperating with rivals or enemies, but all knew the Devourer was a threat far beyond clan and sect disputes.

After the meeting, BaiShe stepped outside under the watchful eyes of many cultivators still present. His face remained impassive, but he knew this fragile alliance wouldn’t last long. They had reached an agreement: hunt down the Devourer first, then settle their personal affairs afterward.

Barely had he crossed the tent’s entrance when he spotted Zhulan, arms crossed, waiting patiently.

"What do they intend to do?"

"Hunt it down." BaiShe adjusted his coat without even looking up. "But they’ll probably take their time. Let’s go."

Zhulan nodded without asking more questions. They were about to leave when a cheerful voice interrupted them.

"But who is she?"

BaiShe slightly furrowed his brows before suddenly feeling a pair of hands cover his face, blocking his vision.

"You come and ignore me?"

"Ruoxi?"

He turned to see Ruoxi Feng, the heiress of the noble Vermillion Bird Family, flashing him a radiant smile.

"Why are you ignoring me?" She repeated, a faux-offended look on her face.

"I didn’t notice you."

"You’re lying!"

"Obviously..." BaiShe sighed, looking weary.

Zhulan watched the scene in silence, intrigued by this sudden closeness between BaiShe and such an influential figure.

"Anyway, Ruoxi, this is Zhulan. She’s..."

"I’m his servant." Zhulan said hastily, not wanting to raise suspicion.

"A servant?" Ruoxi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

Before Zhulan could understand the situation, BaiShe sighed lightly and murmured:

"And this is Ruoxi, my fiancée."

Zhulan’s eyes widened, surprise evident on her face. Then, realizing the etiquette to respect, she bowed deeply before the Feng heiress.

Ruoxi, true to her playful nature, shook her head with an amused smile.

"It’s not necessary. It’s rather I who should apologize."

BaiShe and Zhulan exchanged a perplexed glance.

Ruoxi leaned discreetly toward Zhulan’s ear and whispered conspiratorially:

"I apologize for BaiShe. He can sometimes be quite... shameless."

"Shameless?" Zhulan narrowed her eyes, trying to understand.

"He didn’t force you to—"

"Ruoxi!" BaiShe interrupted sharply. "I told you she’s just a cultivator I saved a few days ago."

Ruoxi stepped back slightly and gave him a playful look before turning to Zhulan.

"Is that true?"

"Yes, young lady. Without Master BaiShe, I wouldn’t be alive."

Ruoxi nodded, crossing her arms with a thoughtful smile.

"So, you’ve grown stronger... But that, I didn’t expect at all."

BaiShe slightly averted his gaze.

The truth was, he had deliberately ignored his fiancée for several reasons.

The first and most obvious: he didn’t remember her. His last memories of her probably dated back to their childhood, before his mother nearly beat him to death. After that event, he had no recollection of that time and had never seen her again, nor had she ever tried to contact him. At the moment, he only knew Ruoxi by name and had no idea about the relationship they once had.

Given his own reputation, he assumed she hated him, like most members of the great families, or was indifferent to him, like Hu Qinling.

But strangely, she seemed happy to see him.

This immediately aroused his suspicions.

In a world where even his own mother could seek to kill him at any moment, why would his fiancée, whom he had betrayed time and again in the past, show such affection?

He first thought she was unaware of the rumors about him, but after talking with Zhulan, he realized she was perfectly informed.

’Is she following someone’s orders who doesn’t want to annul the engagement?’

He analyzed the situation silently, but Ruoxi, on her side, continued to smile at him, as if nothing was wrong. And the second reason, the most important. Her Omnis ability to detect danger had activated. It had nothing to do with power, as this ability hadn’t activated in front of PanGu, the sect leader. This ability had only activated three times: his mother, Qing Long, and her.

BaiShe sighed inwardly.

"Anyway, good to see you again, Ruoxi, but I must—"

Suddenly, he abruptly turned his head toward the mountain’s summit.

A shiver ran down his spine.

’Damn, I shouldn’t be here right now!’

He knew it was already too late to escape.

’I wasted too much time because of Ruoxi!’

Without hesitation, he drew his sword in a swift motion.

"Get ready! They’re coming!"

"Who?" Ruoxi and Zhulan asked simultaneously.

BaiShe narrowed his eyes, focusing his energy to scan the surroundings.

"A surge of enraged monsters is charging straight at us..."

The wind began to howl in the valley, kicking up a cloud of dust. A bestial roar tore through the air, followed by a deep rumble, as if the earth itself trembled under the weight of an approaching hor血horde.

The other cultivators, still scattered around the camp, immediately felt the approaching danger.

In the distance, the first monstrous shadows appeared atop the hills.

Massive beasts, with black fur striped with red, their scarlet eyes burning with uncontrollable rage.