Lu Qing Wan finally could not stand it anymore and yanked the Teng Snake up, asking coldly, "Do you think that because we have a contract, I can't do anything to you?"
The Teng Snake continued to hiss suggestively, "Master, I was wrong. Please forgive me. I'll never lie to you again!"
Hearing it deliberately evade the issue, Lu Qing Wan took out a piercing needle and gestured towards her own chest.
"An ancient mystical beast recognizes its master. For the master to dissolve the contract, they need heart's blood as a medium, is that correct?"
As she spoke, she plunged the needle into her chest without warning.
The Teng Snake was caught off guard by this move. Its earthworm-like body continued to enlarge, and its tail wrapped around Lu Qing Wan's wrist.
The snake's body flexibly twisted, blocking Lu Qing Wan's chest.
The sharp piercing needle dug into the snake's skin, causing it to writhe in pain.
It hissed, a sound of intense and unbearable agony.
Liu Xun Ran was also startled. "If the Teng Snake is disobedient, just don't use it. Why hurt yourself so much? Are you really doing this?"
The Teng Snake was also frightened by Lu Qing Wan. Even though it trembled in pain, it dared not move.
It was afraid that if it didn't block, Lu Qing Wan would really take her heart's blood to break the contract.
But Lu Qing Wan was far more indifferent than it had imagined.
She remained unmoved even when hearing Liu Xun Ran's words. "Once disloyal, never to be used. Moreover, it delayed things at such a crucial moment without even offering a proper explanation, only trying to muddle through. How can I trust it to stay by my side with such carelessness?"
Liu Xun Ran understood Lu Qing Wan's words, but the Teng Snake was not a subordinate that could be discarded at will after betrayal. It was the guardian beast of the Reincarnation Hall, one of its treasures.
Seeing Lu Qing Wan's resolute attitude, Liu Xun Ran grew anxious. "Teng Snake, why don't you tell her what really happened? Do you really want to break the contract?"
The Teng Snake did not easily recognize a master, but once it did, it would follow its master with all its might until the master's natural death. This was because if the master forcibly dissolved the contract, the Teng Snake's cultivation would also be greatly affected, leading to a mutually destructive outcome.
Upon hearing this, the Teng Snake hesitated for a long time before hissing.
Lu Qing Wan's eyes narrowed slightly. "There was an aura that made you uncomfortable in the northwest. Why didn't you say so then?"
The Teng Snake continuously hissed, lowering its head, looking both guilty and cowardly.
Seeing this, Liu Xun Ran sighed. "No need to ask. It's definitely the fragile pride of an ancient mystical beast acting up again."
After saying that, he suddenly looked surprised. "That's not right. There shouldn't be any ancient mystical beast in this world with a purer and nobler bloodline than yours. What kind of mystical beast in the northwest could make you so cowardly that you'd rather lie to your master than go out?"
Lu Qing Wan tilted her head curiously. "You two seem to be talking about something I don't understand. Am I misinterpreting something?"
The Teng Snake's guilty expression intensified, and its head drooped so low it looked like it might fold in half.
Then Lu Qing Wan heard Liu Xun Ran say exasperatedly, "You don't know how peculiar these ancient mystical beasts are. Each one has immense pride, but the bloodline suppression between mystical beasts is also very powerful. Once they encounter a mystical beast with a higher bloodline, they can only kneel and worship. So, if it senses a mystical beast with a higher bloodline in an environment, it will flee without a second thought, completely disregarding the consequences of its actions. Avoiding the mystical beast with a superior bloodline was the only thing it could think of at that moment."
Lu Qing Wan looked at the guilty Teng Snake and then at the resigned Liu Xun Ran. She silently held up a banana.
"Here, my esteemed Hall Master, please tell your story."
Liu Xun Ran dismissively pushed away the Teng Snake, which was rubbing against his hand begging for mercy, and said with an unnervingly calm tone.
"When I was about your age, it was the pet of the previous master of the Reincarnation Hall, your maternal great-grandfather. Your maternal great-grandfather was a restless man. He concealed his identity as the Reincarnation Hall Master and served as a general in Southern Qi. To be able to appear in the world, he sealed away seventy percent of his power, which resulted in him not being constantly victorious in battle. The worst time was when Southern Qi clashed with Great Qin, and he was trapped in the waters off Yue Zhou. He encountered giant waves and was almost dragged to the seabed. Normally, with the Teng Snake's strength, it could have easily brought your maternal great-grandfather and his soldiers to shore, but because there was a pure-blooded mystical beast in the sea at the time, it refused to come out of the beast-pet space. That time, your maternal great-grandfather's entire army was annihilated, and he also suffered from a cold affliction. Not long after, he could no longer remain in the Southern Region's court and returned to the Hall to live in retirement."
Lu Qing Wan's expression involuntarily turned disdainful. "And you still keep it? Are you waiting for the New Year to eat snake soup?"
The Teng Snake was overcome with shame. Upon hearing this, it yelped and fled.
Lu Qing Wan was extremely surprised. "It actually knows shame?"
Liu Xun Ran let out a cold chuckle. "That's because, thanks to it, your maternal great-grandfather's lifespan was shortened by at least ten years. And to this day, it still doesn't know the true form of that mystical beast!"
Lu Qing Wan felt her worldview challenged. "Even so, you kept it? Aren't you people here to accumulate merit and overcome tribulations?"
Liu Xun Ran shook his head and smiled wryly. "The Teng Snake is related to the defensive formation of the Reincarnation Hall. Moreover, as long as it doesn't encounter a more powerful ancient mystical beast, it's quite reliable. After all these years, what else can be done?"
Having eaten so much gossip that she almost choked to death, Lu Qing Wan felt she had had enough.
"No, I need to find someone to vent my anger on, otherwise, I'll be so angry I die tonight from this useless snake! I'm leaving!"
She turned and waved, leaving without a trace, leaving Liu Xun Ran with his hand outstretched, the words of retention finally unspoken. She arrived in a flurry and departed in haste.
Cheng Yi escorted Lu Qing Wan and her party down the mountain. After presenting the treatment Lu Qing Wan requested, she asked in confusion, "Why is the Saintess in such a hurry to leave? Can't you even stay here for a night? The Hall Master has been waiting for you every day since he knew you were coming!"
Li Su also looked at Lu Qing Wan curiously. She could feel that her mistress, although seemingly cold, was actually very soft-hearted towards those who treated her well. Why was she so indifferent to the Reincarnation Hall Master? Li Su did not understand, nor did she dare to ask.
Lu Qing Wan's footsteps did not pause upon hearing this, nor did she even look at Cheng Yi. "I am surrounded by wolves. Forget staying a night, even just a quick visit like this will still attract plenty of eavesdroppers eager to pry into my relationship with the Reincarnation Hall. This will bring endless trouble to both me and the Reincarnation Hall. After I descend the mountain, you should release some news when the opportunity arises, saying that I refused to return the Blood Crow Token to Liu Han Yan and that after injuring Liu Han Yan, I angrily descended the mountain. You don't need to worry about anything else; the Hall Master will handle it."
With that, she mounted her horse and rode towards Cang Wu City without looking back.