In the sky, Qin Zi was flying.
Suddenly, someone called out to him. He instinctively grew cautious and hid in the trees below, then turned to look.
When he saw the familiar figure of the golden-robed youth, his joy was beyond words, and he exclaimed, "Senior Brother Jin?!"
Whoosh!
He dashed straight over.
He could tell that Senior Brother Jin was doing quite well—seemingly living off someone else's wealth, or perhaps even... living the dream! Since that was the case, what was there to fear?
Soon, Qin Zi successfully boarded the luxurious flying boat and excitedly embraced Jin Zhi, who had come forward to greet him.
"Junior Brother Qin!"
"Senior Brother Jin!"
It was heartwarming to meet an old acquaintance in a foreign land, especially since the two had always had a great relationship—one forged through life-and-death experiences!
"Big Brother Jin, is this your junior brother?" A beautiful young woman in a feathered dress standing nearby asked with a gentle smile, her gaze soft and kind as she looked at Qin Zi.
"Yes," Jin Zhi nodded.
"You mentioned you came from the human side of the world. Does that mean your junior brother is also human?" The young woman's smile was teasing but friendly.
Qin Zi's face paled slightly!
Jin Zhi took a deep breath, then solemnly said to her, "To be honest, my junior brother is indeed human. I hope you can keep this secret. I would be deeply grateful."
The girl's bright eyes stared at him silently for a moment before she suddenly broke into a radiant smile, like a blossoming flower.
"Hehe, look at how scared you are! It doesn't matter whether he's human or from the Beast Clan—your junior brother is my junior brother too!"
She glanced back at the three gray-robed elders standing behind her, smiling as she said, "You three didn't hear anything, right?"
Whoosh!
The three old men stood there expressionless, motionless, as if they were wooden statues—they had heard nothing!
Seeing this, Qin Zi finally breathed a sigh of relief and tried to show a shy smile. "Is this... sister-in-law?"
"This!!"
Jin Zhi froze, his face suddenly flushing red.
The young woman was also momentarily stunned, but then her smile grew even brighter, and her gaze toward Qin Zi became even warmer.
This remarkable young woman, whose identity and background were extraordinary, suddenly exuded a refined and gracious air.
"Junior Brother Qin, please don't say such things lightly. My name is Bai Lu, and your Senior Brother Jin and I... are not quite at that point yet," she said with a smile.
Seeing the shy yet sweet expression on her face, Qin Zi immediately knew—there was hope!
Following the principle of "friends are meant to be sold," Qin Zi decided to push the situation further.
He smiled and said, "Ah, I see. My apologies for being presumptuous."
"But honestly, I've never seen anyone as perfectly matched for Senior Brother Jin as you two. You seem made for each other by the heavens. I don't think it's wrong to call you sister-in-law a bit early."
Jin Zhi's eyes widened, and he shot a sharp look at Qin Zi!
However, Qin Zi pretended not to notice, maintaining a polite smile as he continued to chat with the wealthy "sister-in-law."
"Junior Brother Qin, you really are full of sweet talk. You're making me embarrassed," Bai Lu playfully chided, giving him a sidelong glance. Then, she took out a blue crystal bottle and handed it to Qin Zi.
"This is our first meeting, and I didn't prepare a proper gift. This is the Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Water. It will make your aura identical to that of a Beast Clan member, even fooling a Martial Emperor."
Qin Zi's eyes lit up!
He had been somewhat worried before, especially when this young woman noticed something about him earlier, which made him nervous.
If he entered the Beast Clan's Holy Academy and was instantly recognized as a human by a Martial Emperor, wouldn't that be walking straight into a trap?
This item had eliminated his biggest concern.
Senior Brother Jin had fetched a good price for him!
And this was just the deposit—if he played his cards right, he might score a hefty bonus afterward...
"Thank you, sister-in-law! You are truly considerate. Senior Brother Jin is so fortunate to have met you—he must have accumulated eight lifetimes of good karma."
Qin Zi said, beaming as he flattered her.
Jin Zhi tilted his head and gave Qin Zi a look as if to say, You know what I'm thinking. Figure it out.
Qin Zi, however, felt no pressure. In fact, he wasn't even burdened by guilt.
He was, after all, helping Senior Brother Jin assess this woman's character.
From what he could see so far, this woman might, probably, possibly, truly care about Senior Brother Jin.
And knowing Senior Brother Jin as well as he did, Qin Zi was certain that his senior wasn't someone who would shy away from romance. After all, the way he carried himself was proof enough.
Jin Zhi's problem was that he was simply too thin-skinned. He liked many things, but his strong sense of pride made him fear rejection, leading him to constantly tell himself, I don't like it. I don't like it. I don't like it!
And after repeating it to himself enough times, he had actually started to believe it.
Someone like him might throw a fit if dragged into a marriage ceremony, even trying to run away. But once he'd spent a night in the bridal chamber, come morning… well, he'd surely think, This isn't bad at all!
"Junior Brother Qin, why have you come to the Beast Clan's territory? Has something happened with the humans again?" Jin Zhi asked after a while.
"Uh, no major events on the human side. I just offended some enemies and had to flee here to lay low," Qin Zi said vaguely.
"Then why are you headed to the Holy Territory?" Jin Zhi pressed.
"I want to join the Beast Clan's Holy Academy."
Qin Zi didn't hide this but didn't reveal his true intentions either. He added, "I need to improve my strength quickly, and the Beast Clan's Holy Academy is one of the best places to train."
"You're quite bold—a human wanting to join the Beast Clan's Holy Academy. If you hadn't met us, you'd be walking straight into danger."
Bai Lu laughed.
"Uh, well, after entering the Beast Clan's lands, I wasn't discovered, so I thought there wasn't much difference between us."
Qin Zi scratched his head awkwardly.
"There is a difference, just not a big one. Beast Clan warriors with lower bloodline levels can't sense it, but those with higher bloodlines can tell at a glance that you're not one of them," Bai Lu explained.
"Sister-in-law, do you have a high bloodline?" Qin Zi immediately latched onto this information, never missing an opportunity to flatter her.
"Yes, the Beast Clan's bloodlines are divided into five levels. I just barely qualify as... the highest level," Bai Lu said with a "humble" smile.
Qin Zi took a deep breath. He finally realized he was standing before a powerful figure, someone who not only had influence but also came from a high lineage.
Seeing Qin Zi's awe-struck expression, Bai Lu covered her mouth and laughed. "As it happens, your Senior Brother Jin and I are also heading to the Beast Clan's Holy Academy. You can come with us... and skip the trials."
"What?!"
Qin Zi gasped.
They could skip the trials? Just like that?
He had heard that the Beast Clan's Holy Academy had an extremely strict selection process, and only those who survived the harsh trials could join.
But now...
"Don't be so surprised. Rules are only for ordinary people. Privilege always exists and will never disappear."
Bai Lu smiled as she explained, "Many people think privilege doesn't exist simply because they aren't high enough to encounter it."
As she spoke, her gaze grew distant, revealing an innate sense of pride and nobility.
Qin Zi suddenly realized something.
This woman wasn't as gentle as he had initially thought. It was just that he had happened to see her kind side.
Or rather, because of her feelings for Senior Brother Jin, she treated him kindly by association.
People have many sides.
Someone you see as gentle and kind might appear cold and intimidating to others, even instilling fear.