Chapter 101: Maintaining Harmony
Queen Medusa's words instantly quieted the scene. The four Grand Elders all turned their cold gazes toward her, clearly not expecting her to say such things.
Yao Yan was also slightly surprised as he looked at Queen Medusa. He didn't believe their relationship warranted her speaking on his behalf. Even if she feared his mysterious background, it shouldn't warrant such a decisive stance—unless she already intended to break ties with these old fellows.
The leading Grand Elder spoke in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, do not forget that you are the leader of the Snake-People Tribe!"
Queen Medusa snorted coldly and said frostily, "Hmph, if that's what you think, then you shouldn't have disobeyed my command!"
The atmosphere was truly awkward... Yao Yan watched the clash between Queen Medusa and the four Grand Elders and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Once both sides had finished arguing, he spoke slowly, "I am not a member of the Snake-People Tribe. Your rules don't apply to me. I am only here because of Cai Die. If you have any objections, now is the time to raise them."
His pitch-black eyes calmly swept across the room. Those Douhuang-level experts meant nothing to him.
Douhuang… were nothing more than slightly larger ants.
If he truly wished, wiping out the entire Snake-People Tribe would only take a blink of an eye. Ultimately, he simply didn't want to become a heartless monster. He could kill, but not indiscriminately.
As his voice fell, he stepped forward gently. The violent force crushed the ground beneath him, and cracks spread out in all directions.
"…As long as you're not afraid of death."
Compared to Queen Medusa, Yao Yan's tone was far more domineering and sharp—leaving no room for negotiation.
With Yao Yan's declaration, the hall instantly fell silent. The four Grand Elders stared at Yao Yan in shock. Even Queen Medusa looked at him with surprise, clearly not expecting him to speak with such decisiveness. If talks broke down now, their relationship with the Snake-People Tribe would be completely severed.
Was Yao Yan afraid of breaking ties with the Snake-People Tribe?
He had never held them in any regard. The only reason he was even considering easing tensions was out of respect for Queen Medusa and her sister.
"You human, you're too arrogant!"
"Insolent!"
…
With Yao Yan's words, the four Elders immediately changed their stance, glaring angrily at him and speaking in deep tones, as if their dignity had been challenged. Those in high positions always acted this way—they could trample on others but wouldn't tolerate disobedience.
That might work on other Snake-People, but it clearly didn't affect Yao Yan.
"Want me to get rid of those four old geezers for you?"
Yao Yan ignored their reactions and calmly looked at Queen Medusa, speaking softly.
The four Elders' expressions turned icy as they glared at Yao Yan, wanting to speak but were interrupted by Queen Medusa's cold chuckle, "That's not out of the question. If they can't behave, I wouldn't mind replacing a few elders~"
She shrugged casually, clearly indifferent to their lives.
The Elders' expressions shifted at her words. They glared at her but swallowed their words in front of Yao Yan, resorting only to silent protest—which was clearly meaningless to Queen Medusa.
"Elders, this is our stance. Whether you accept it or not, the outcome won't change."
Yao Yan smiled as he calmly addressed the four Elders on the high platform.
They were just four old Douhuangs. Showing them respect meant calling them Elders. If he didn't, sending them to their graves wouldn't be hard. With his alchemy skills, it wouldn't take long to nurture new Douhuang-level fighters for the tribe.
Queen Medusa also looked calmly at the Elders. When it came to her sister, her stance matched Yao Yan's.
"…"
Looking at the united front between Yao Yan and Queen Medusa, the Elders remained silent, exchanging glances. For a moment, they didn't know how to respond. Their initial plan had been to pressure the human alchemist into giving them some benefits and then let the matter go. But neither he nor Queen Medusa were cooperating, leaving them unsure how to proceed.
It was clear they couldn't tear things apart completely.
A seventeen-year-old sixth-tier alchemist was worthy of their respect and even indulgence. But how could they preserve their pride? They couldn't just kneel and beg, could they?
"Ahem, we meant no harm. If you and that girl truly have feelings for each other, we support it—as long as Her Majesty has no objections."
The Fourth Elder coughed to ease the tension and said with an awkward laugh. Clearly, he was more pragmatic and didn't want the situation to worsen. Queen Medusa's attitude forced them to reconsider. They couldn't really start a civil war over this.
The older you live, the more cautious you become.
This has always been true.
"Her Majesty naturally has no objections."
Yao Yan raised an eyebrow and looked toward Queen Medusa's alluring figure. Her perfect curves could make any man linger.
After a pause.
He continued, "If the four Elders have no objection, then please refrain from interfering with Cai Die's freedom in the future."
"We mean her no harm. But since she is Her Majesty's identical twin sister, they share a unique emotional connection. If she were to get too close to you… it would undoubtedly affect Her Majesty. And that, indirectly, could lead to the downfall of our tribe…"
The Grand Elder spoke slowly after a moment of silence. His aged voice was heavy.
Yao Yan was slightly taken aback and looked at Queen Medusa. He understood most of the Elder's words, but one part left him puzzled—what did they mean by a shared emotional link? Could it be some kind of telepathic connection?
Thinking of this, he glanced again at Queen Medusa. Her expression hadn't changed at all—cold, proud, and indifferent as she met his gaze.
Naturally, she wasn't about to tell him that she and Cai Die shared a sort of empathic resonance. Instead, she glared at the Elders and said coldly, "If you have nothing else to say, then this matter is settled!"
The four Elders exchanged glances. Faced with Queen Medusa's strong stance, they were helpless. If it were just her alone, they might dare to pressure her. But with Hai Bodong and Cai Die outside—and Yao Yan, this powerful and mysterious young man—they didn't dare act rashly.
As Queen Medusa said nothing more, she shot Yao Yan a glance, then swayed her hips and flicked her enchanting purple snake tail, leading him out of the underground palace.
She wasn't surprised by the Elders' caution—they had always been spineless.
Watching the two leave…
The four Elders looked at one another, feeling a bit helpless. They wanted to push harder, but Queen Medusa stood by Yao Yan's side, and Yao Yan himself clearly wasn't someone they could easily intimidate. With no angle to pressure them, all they could do was let her take him away.
"Who knows if this is a blessing or a curse."
The Second Elder finally spoke after a long silence, his aged voice carrying a hint of resignation as the two walked out of the palace.
This generation of Queen Medusa consisted of two individuals—identical twins who shared a unique emotional connection. That made them unfit to rule. If one's emotions influenced the other, it could spell the tribe's doom.
That's why they once pushed Queen Medusa to eliminate her sister.
But now, everything had changed. No one knew what consequences Yao Yan's appearance might bring.
The Grand Elder closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before speaking in a serious tone, "Her Majesty is firm in her stance. We'll observe for now. If this truly harms the tribe, I will act!"
"Then so be it."
The Fourth Elder said calmly. His expression was the most indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about the outcome.
The others remained silent.
There was one thing Queen Medusa wasn't wrong about—these four had indeed lived long lives, and with age came caution. They never made hasty decisions.
…
Outside the palace.
Yao Yan looked at the leading Queen Medusa and said softly, "Thank you. I didn't expect you to speak on our behalf."
"She is my sister."
Queen Medusa's cold and seductive purple eyes glanced at Yao Yan as she replied flatly. For her sister, she was willing to do far more than Yao Yan could imagine.
Yao Yan nodded, then slowly said, "I've located the Green Lotus Core Flame. I need a large amount of Ice Spirit Cold Spring to weaken it and refine it!"
After a month of training, his Dou Qi was ready for the next breakthrough. With a few breakthrough-enhancing pills, he could advance to Dou Ling, then refine the heavenly flame, and upgrade the Flame Mantra to high-rank Xuan level.
At that point, his strength would surge again, potentially reaching peak Dou Ling.
He even considered saving this opportunity until he broke into Dou Wang. The Flame Mantra upgrade could push him directly into Dou Wang without side effects.
"Are you sure?"
Queen Medusa looked at him seriously and asked in a deep tone.
She was no stranger to heavenly flames. But the ease with which Yao Yan found one surprised her. With their rarity, how could a mere map fragment be enough?
She was clearly skeptical.
"No need to lie to you. You'll see it yourself soon enough."
Yao Yan answered sincerely. He understood her doubt and responded with a calm attitude. Until he had the strength to act arrogantly, he would keep a humble posture. True arrogance requires strength—otherwise, it's just foolishness.
Queen Medusa nodded without questioning further and said, "As long as you fulfill the promise you made to me!"
"Of course. Once I refine the heavenly flame, I will fulfill our agreement."
Yao Yan nodded and replied.
"Sometimes, I truly wonder if you're a liar."
Queen Medusa paused and said in a serious tone, clearly still distrustful. Not everyone was as trusting as Cai Die.
"Time will tell."
Yao Yan smiled calmly.
Then he continued, "I already know the location of the Green Lotus Core Flame. I plan to take Hai Bodong and you to accompany me. With your strength, you should be able to help me refine it. If I fail, I can only blame bad luck."
"With the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, you won't die."
Queen Medusa wasn't buying into his act, replying coldly. She knew well how effective the Ice Spirit Cold Spring was at countering heavenly flames—especially one like the Green Lotus Core Flame.
"Hard to say."
Yao Yan shook his head and played the victim. "Where's Cai Die? Before I leave, I want to see her."
"You're not dead yet."
Queen Medusa gave him a sideways glance and said coldly. Clearly, she didn't enjoy seeing her sister get too affectionate with him.
"Can't we just have a chat?"
Yao Yan frowned and said seriously.
"Fine."
Queen Medusa responded bluntly and turned to lead the way, clearly unwilling to engage in further conversation. Still, her composed exterior didn't hide the internal ripple she felt when she saw Yao Yan and Cai Die together.
Yao Yan casually held Cai Die's small hand and turned to his sister-in-law. "Can Cai Die move freely now?"
"She'd best not leave the palace!"
Queen Medusa warned coldly. She didn't want to completely break ties with Yao Yan—but she also wouldn't tolerate him going too far.
"Alright."
Yao Yan nodded sincerely. He also had no desire to fall out with the Snake-People Tribe. At least for now, there was no benefit in doing so. Besides, the tribe was like his in-laws anyway.
(END CHAPTER)
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