Chapter 81 – The Dangerous Fate of Qian Renxue
Qian Renxue's expression flickered with confusion.
How could someone like her—a mere Soul Emperor—evoke a sense of danger in two powerful soul beasts?
But as the Three-Eyed Golden Lion finished speaking, Gu Yuena's gaze sharpened. She began circling Qian Renxue, her eyes carefully scanning for hidden threats.
"We won't leave," Gu Yuena said after a moment. "Have someone bring it here."
She didn't sense any threat herself, but she trusted the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's intuition. If it perceived danger, there had to be a reason.
"…Alright."
Qian Renxue nodded helplessly.
This woman and the beast were far too cautious.
Reverting to her disguised identity as Xue Qinghe, she exited the imperial study and quietly summoned several imperial guards who had been standing by. Whispering a few brief instructions, she turned and quickly returned to the study.
Of course she had considered escaping. But she could feel it—Gu Yuena and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion were monitoring her every movement with powerful spiritual force. If she even thought of fleeing, they would strike without hesitation.
As she stepped back into the room, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion scoffed coldly.
"At least you're smart enough not to play any tricks."
Qian Renxue gave it a calm glance, then sat down wordlessly to continue reviewing official documents.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion shrank down again and perched back on Gu Yuena's shoulder. Gu Yuena, meanwhile, began flipping through some of the ancient scrolls on display in the imperial study, appearing quite at ease.
Time passed.
Eventually, five or six imperial guards entered, carrying a heavy iron cage draped in black cloth.
Qian Renxue waved them out and then turned toward Gu Yuena.
"The thing you're looking for is inside this cage. If you want it, take it."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion immediately leapt from Gu Yuena's shoulder, landed atop the cage, and ripped away the black cloth with its sharp teeth.
A pale girl was revealed within the iron bars—curled up, fast asleep.
Her skin was almost translucent from long confinement, her body frail and emaciated from prolonged malnutrition.
The sight made the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's expression darken.
"Human! Did you destroy her dantian?"
It turned and glared at Qian Renxue with fury.
Qian Renxue remained composed.
"Do you really think a mere iron cage could hold a hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast?"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's eyes gleamed with rage. It raised a paw, pointing at Qian Renxue as though ready to strike.
"The only reason I'm being civil to you is out of respect for your master—not for your sake!"
"You're not qualified to speak to me like that," Qian Renxue said coldly, unfazed.
Indeed, she feared Gu Yuena—but not this three-thousand-year-old soul beast throwing tantrums.
[Note: The Three-Eyed Golden Lion, after ten thousand years, would only possess fifteen thousand years of soul power. By current estimates, it has only cultivated for three thousand years.]
"You insolent—!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion growled, trembling with fury.
Qian Renxue, however, ignored it entirely and turned to Gu Yuena. "I've given you what you came for. You can leave now."
Gu Yuena smiled faintly. "Of course. We keep our word."
She lifted a finger and released a thin silver beam of light. It sliced cleanly through the iron cage. Then she reached out and touched the girl inside.
But the moment her hand made contact, the girl vanished—absorbed directly into a separate spatial storage.
"Little guy, let's go," Gu Yuena called lightly.
With a snort, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion leapt back onto her shoulder.
"Human… we'll meet again."
Qian Renxue merely smiled, her true emotions hidden beneath a cold mask.
Only when their figures fully disappeared did her expression shift.
That girl—the hundred-thousand-year transformed Soft Bone Charm Rabbit that Qin Chuan had risked everything to capture for her—was gone.
Stolen by someone else.
Her fists trembled with unwillingness.
Outside the imperial city, Gu Yuena asked,
"Little one, earlier you said she had a dangerous fate. Were you mistaken?"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion replied calmly,
"No mistake, Sister Gu Yuena. You know unraveling fate is my specialty—I wouldn't be wrong."
"But she's only a Soul Emperor. How can she possibly pose a threat to me?"
Gu Yuena frowned, clearly puzzled.
"Maybe it's something that will happen in the future," the Three-Eyed Golden Lion answered after a pause.
It had clearly been thinking about that very possibility.
Fate was an enigmatic force—danger could manifest in the present or unfold much later.
"So, she may one day become an enemy of our soul beast clan…"
Gu Yuena muttered. Her eyes darkened with killing intent.
Since the fall of the ancient Dragon God, soul beasts and humans had always been on opposing sides. True reconciliation had never been possible.
Peace had only lasted thanks to a treaty signed between the Dragon God and the Human King: soul beasts would remain in their forest, and any humans entering would be at their own risk.
But now, both those legendary figures were gone.
And the ancient pact they left behind had become meaningless.
High-ranking soul masters now regularly led their disciples into the forest to hunt soul beasts. At the same time, many soul beasts—unable to bear isolation—took human form and ventured into the world, violating the ancient accord.
"Then why don't we go back and kill her now?"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's golden eyes gleamed with aggression. It harbored deep hostility toward that woman in the palace—one whose beauty rivaled even Gu Yuena's.
"No," Gu Yuena said flatly. "She's still the ruler of an empire. Killing her outright might trigger a war between humans and soul beasts."
Her tone was conflicted.
Even though soul beasts currently held the upper hand thanks to recent awakenings, the sudden reappearance of the Human King was troubling.
Even if fleeting, it had shaken the foundations of the soul beast world.
"Then shall we return?" asked the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, curling back up on her shoulder.
"But it wasn't a wasted trip. We reclaimed the first hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Charm Rabbit."
"…How should I eat it?"
Gu Yuena rolled her eyes with a helpless sigh.
"You glutton. You can't eat this one. Even though her dantian was destroyed, Bi Ji might still be able to save her."
"Aw… then this trip was a waste."
The lion pouted.
As they walked, they unknowingly arrived back near the royal prince's mansion.
Suddenly, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion froze in shock.
"What is it?" Gu Yuena asked quickly.