Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 409 - 279: Watch Together?_2

Chapter 409: Chapter 279: Watch Together?_2

The supplies extorted from the Sects and Li Junqing were now all within his Sumeru Ring; even if there weren’t any here, he could transport a whole set out from the Sumeru Ring.

The moment he stepped into the hall, Xu Yuan’s gaze was immediately drawn to the sculpture at the deepest end of the palace.

It was a ferocious ghostly creature.

As he observed, the sound of Li Qingyan’s voice, laced with laughter, suddenly rose beside him:

"I’ve noticed that when you speak, you seem quite fond of pointing at women’s chest?"

Xu Yuan came back to his senses and looked at her indifferent gaze, unconsciously asking with a smirk,

"If Qingyan feels jealous, I can also point at you..."

"Manners."

Li Qingyan scoffed lightly, "Although I have witnessed your character, Changtian, I don’t think you would make such an unnecessary offense. Is it because of the gemstone on her chest?"

Xu Yuan shamelessly bowed, chuckling as he said:

"Princess is indeed astute. Without evidence, one must produce some proof to show I can take her out, what I did earlier was just to remind her, to prove that my words are true."

Upon hearing this,

Li Qingyan walked slowly to the edge of the large bed and sat down, slipping off her black robe to reveal curves wrapped in reddish-brown mushroom armor, her two slender legs intertwined as she propped up her chin to look at him:

"How did you come to know about that Jade Pendant?"

"The Saint’s Remnant Soul in the Soul Ring," replied Xu Yuan, passing the buck once more.

Before Li Qingyan could speak, he preemptively changed the subject, pointing towards the ghostly sculpture in the depths:

"This palace looked rather unclean before, with the ghostly sculpture and those strangely carved beasts on the stone pillars. It’s downright a site for sacrificial rites."

"From what the governor said earlier, we can discern that this place has undergone a coup."

Li Qingyan spoke in a flat tone, swinging her legs crossed in ’Erlang’s posture’, her voice soft, "Sacrificing two hundred people from each city every year, one could barely cling to survival. Amidst such desperation, these ’sacrifices’ likely involved revering malevolent beings to stabilize rule, much like how the snowfield barbarians proclaim that souls of their warriors fallen in battle return to their ancestral gods."

As she spoke,

Li Qingyan gently tapped her fair cheek with her slender index finger, squinting her eyes with a smile, she asked,

"Changtian, have you... thought of something?"

"...."

In a silent stare, they exchanged smiles.

Xu Yuan took a seat beside Li Qingyan, unhurriedly saying,

"A coup is either for power or to realize one’s ideals.

"The ghostly creatures in the Blood Demon Nest are overwhelmingly powerful compared to the humans in this Underground City, initiating a coup for the former reason could lead to their annihilation any moment."

"The newly appointed governor either has some clues to leave,

"Or she’s noticed some changes at the ghostly creatures’ lair, and without change, this so-called ’Seven City Alliance’ will be slaughtered by the ghostly creatures!"

Pausing, Xu Yuan wrapped his arm around Li Qingyan’s shoulders, looked at her sideways, and smiled,

"Qingyan, am I right?"

Li Qingyan leaned against his shoulder and smiled gently,

"You sly man, turns out you’re quite clever."

Xu Yuan, however, shook his head as he regarded Li Qingyan:

"But a woman too clever isn’t likable."

Li Qingyan pursed her lips, her phoenix eyes fluttering,

"Then... shall I play the fool before you, Changtian, from now on?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes,

"I told you, cute expressions don’t suit you."

Having said that,

Xu Yuan glanced at the sculpture deep inside the palace:

"If it’s the former, then the information the governor holds is likely limited and uncertain; otherwise, she wouldn’t have addressed me with that attitude just now.

"If it’s the latter, then we’re her only lifeline when she’s drowning."

"....."

Li Qingyan stopped joking around and sat up straight, looking at Xu Yuan earnestly,

"Tell me honestly, how confident are you in your plan?"

Seeing the seriousness in her expression, Xu Yuan instantly knew what she wanted to do:

"Do you want to use the seven thousand Cultivators from this Underground City to train soldiers within the Underground Palace?"

"....."

After a moment of silence, Li Qingyan finally spoke,

"Too clever men aren’t welcomed either."

Considering for a moment, Xu Yuan replied,

"Alright, let’s hear your thoughts."

Li Qingyan nodded and whispered,

"Our Sumeru Rings are full of supplies. With a minimum of three months, and at most half a year, we should have the strength to fight. By then, I can break through the entire Underground City with military formations."

"No good, it takes too long," Xu Yuan rejected her idea.

"The risks of your plan are no less than mine," he explained.

Li Qingyan lowered her eyes and her voice deepened,

"The Barbarian King?"

"Yes," Xu Yuan nodded, locking eyes with Li Qingyan, "The uncertainty the Barbarian King brings is too great. With the Northern Border Army separated from you, and your deputy commander and Mr. Zong from the Black Scale Guards moving southward, we can afford to wait, but the Barbarian King will certainly do everything possible to leave. With such a powerful being rampaging through these caverns, it’s very likely he will discover this peripherally located Underground City."

With that, the hall fell into silence.

After a while,

Li Qingyan said in a low voice,

"I’ll listen to you."

"Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to get us out of here," Xu Yuan reassured her.

Then he raised his hand to pat her head in a gesture of comfort, only to have the princess brush it away promptly.

She glared at him,

"I don’t like others touching my head."

Xu Yuan rubbed his wrist, teasing,

"Not even the commander’s orders?"

Li Qingyan didn’t respond, instead she sighed softly,

"It’s a pity about the seven thousand Cultivators in this Underground City, I’ve investigated, and their foundations are not bad, their auras are exceptionally robust for their levels."