Chapter 930: Chapter 930: Xiaolan’s True Identity
Inside the Lingxiu Village clinic.
Gu Yu and Mo Chengfeng looked around, both utterly puzzled as they turned to Liu Zixuan: "We’ve been all over the village these days, and we’ve come to this clinic countless times, but there’s simply no treasure like you mentioned!"
"Brother Zixuan!"
At this moment, little Doudou suddenly ran out and jumped into Liu Zixuan’s arms.
"Almost twenty and still clinging to me like a little girl. Aren’t you afraid those handsome guys chasing you will get jealous?" Liu Zixuan teased as he tapped Doudou’s nose.
When they first came to Lingxiu Village, Doudou was just a little girl, but now she had blossomed into a grown woman.
Doudou pouted: "No man in the world can compare to my brother Zixuan!"
"Doudou, what you said hurts my feelings. I’ve been buying you delicious food every day!" Gu Yu said in mock anger.
"No matter how much you buy me, you’re no match for my brother Zixuan." Doudou held Liu Zixuan’s arm and asked, "Are you here to find Xiao Lan?"
"Yes. But all the villagers are at the manor, why did you come back alone?" Liu Zixuan asked as he walked inside with Doudou.
Doudou replied, "My mom and I came back to fetch some things and bring some food for Xiao Lan. Brother Zixuan, can you take Xiao Lan to the manor this time? Even if it stays in the underground space, I feel terrible leaving it alone in the village."
Liu Zixuan pinched Doudou’s cheek: "Alright, I’ll listen to you!"
With that, Liu Zixuan pointed to Xiao Lan at the side for Gu Yu and Mo Chengfeng: "This is the treasure I wanted to show you!"
"Stop joking, Brother Xuan. We’ve seen Xiao Lan before, it’s just a slightly unusual leopard!" Gu Yu laughed.
Mo Chengfeng also nodded: "Yeah, we’ve even taken it to the mountains to hunt these days!"
Liu Zixuan stroked his chin, shook his head, and walked up to Xiao Lan. He took out a Silver Needle and gently pierced it into one of Xiao Lan’s acupoints, twisted it for a moment, and withdrew the needle, which carried a trace of blood. Through his comparison, Liu Zixuan was completely certain that Xiao Lan was the Qilin cub that the Profound Sword Sect lost four hundred years ago.
As to why the Qilin cub had turned into the form of a leopard, Liu Zixuan couldn’t figure it out yet, and besides, it wasn’t important.
A Qilin that protected the Profound Sword Sect for a thousand years, keeping the sect prosperous and ever-growing. Previously, taking Xiao Lan as a mutant leopard was one thing, but now that its true identity was known, Liu Zixuan naturally couldn’t treat it as a leopard anymore.
The Qilin Divine Beast had protected the Profound Sword Sect for a thousand years, and Xiao Lan was merely over four hundred years old. If they could harness its potential, it would undoubtedly protect Lingxiu Village.
After all, the Grand Array was inanimate, it could protect everyone as long as they stayed within, but if they left, there would be no assurance. Xiao Lan, however, was a living being, capable of handling difficulties encountered during travel through its might!
This return to Lingxiu Village was precisely for Liu Zixuan to unleash Xiao Lan’s potential.
Having confirmed it, Liu Zixuan no longer kept them guessing and explained: "It’s not just any leopard. It’s an ancient Auspicious Beast, a Qilin!"
"Come on, whether the Qilin exists or not, even if it did, it couldn’t possibly look like a leopard!" Mo Chengfeng exclaimed in disbelief.
Gu Yu, on the other hand, showed a peculiar expression: "Brother Xuan, are you sure Xiao Lan is a Qilin?"
"I’m sure." Liu Zixuan nodded.
"Then I suddenly remember a legend from the Earth Book." Gu Yu said, stroking his chin.
"Tell us about it," everyone showed keen interest.
"According to the Earth Book of the Great Wilderness, there was an ancient fierce beast called Qiongqi. This Qiongqi was born with the body of a white tiger, hooves of a horse, tail of a bull, and a pair of white wings. During ancient times, it fed on beasts, wild animals, and even humans, being fiercely savage. Not even many ancient powers could subdue it, so it was labeled a fierce beast."
"After the ancient war, the Qiongqi became scarce. It is said that in the Secret Realm of Yudu, there was a hermaphroditic one, which died after giving birth to its offspring. A compassionate ancient power, unfamiliar with rearing such creatures, placed the Qiongqi cub in a horse stable."
"Coincidentally, a foal was born at that time, and the mare was made to feed the Qiongqi. However, when it grew up, it lost its original appearance, resembling a horse’s body with deer antlers, retaining only the wings as a vestige of its origins as Qiongqi."
Gu Yu laughed lightly at this point: "Brother Xuan, do you guess what this mutated Qiongqi was later called?"
"The Sibei-like creature!"
Liu Zixuan chuckled: "That story is widely circulated among the people. They even say that the Sibei-like creature was Jiang Ziya’s steed during the Conferred God War, right!"
"That’s right, so coupled with your revelation that Xiao Lan is a Qilin cub, I wonder if it was unwittingly left in the mountains as a cub, and naturally took on its current form in a leopard lair?"
Listening to Gu Yu’s words, Liu Zixuan found some logic in it.
Though the story of the Qiongqi turning into a Sibei-like creature is mere legend, the Qilin itself is no less legend to people.
This world is rife with unsolved mysteries, and given the Star Sea Totem being a dragon, surely it would mean dragons existed at some point; otherwise, merely imagining would not depict them so accurately.
"Story or not, it doesn’t matter, Xiao Lan is certainly a Qilin. In the Profound Sword Sect, I encountered an aged Qilin and learned a bit about handling them. I plan to invest time in unlocking Xiao Lan’s potential. Having such an Auspicious Beast around us is undoubtedly nothing but beneficial."
"Yes, in terms of feng shui, the Dragon Vein is the most powerful existence, and for luck, nothing compares to the ancient Auspicious Beast Qilin. With such a Divine Beast guarding us, it boosts our confidence for future battles against the Celestial Dao Alliance!" Gu Yu and Mo Chengfeng echoed together.
"Wow, so Xiao Lan is the legendary Qilin!"
Their conversation completely amazed Doudou. Already deeply fond of the Qilin, she now regarded it as a treasure, rushing over to hug Xiao Lan’s neck in wonder.
Liu Zixuan chuckled, looking at Xiao Lan and said: "Who would have thought that retrieving the Profound Thunder Needle back then and bringing you along would lead to such a delightful surprise!"
Without exception, whenever Liu Zixuan spoke to Xiao Lan, it always looked at him with eyes full of disdain.
This time, it’s evidently scornful that Liu Zixuan kept treating it like an ordinary leopard...
