Chapter 566: Chapter 551: The Whimpering Little Taotie

However, Pei Yan had no recollection of these scenes, but he was very sure that the person in the images was him.

Qin Yun looked at him innocently and asked, "Pei Yan, we’ll always be together, right?"

He saw himself nod and then hugged Qin Yun tightly.

The scene flashed again, surrounded by raging flames, he was chained up and completely immobile. Qin Yun desperately crawled to his side, using her teeth to bite through the chains that bound him, then collapsed into his arms.

He saw himself frantically holding Qin Yun, defeating gods if they blocked him, defeating Buddhas if they blocked him, fighting his way out.

But the person in his arms was already on the brink of death, beyond saving.

Pei Yan’s head hurt terribly. He couldn’t keep calm. Clutching his head, he gritted his teeth and asked Wuwei, "What on earth is going on here?"

Wuwei sighed and handed Pei Yan a cup of tea, "Have some tea, you might feel a bit better."

Pei Yan harshly pushed away the cup of tea, "No need."

"Your Highness, have a bit."

The cup was handed over again, Pei Yan’s head was splitting with pain, and he was helpless but to take a sip. The tearing pain seemed to actually ease a bit.

"How do you know so much?"

Even he had no memory of these images. Who exactly was Wuwei to know so clearly?

"Your Highness, you once saved me."

Wuwei’s gaze became distant, falling into memories, yet he did not speak of what he recalled, only growing more respectful towards Pei Yan.

"Your Highness, I mean no harm."

He only wanted to help Pei Yan, to repay his kindness.

"Do you want to know the real story behind the Pixiu pendant?" Wuwei poured Pei Yan another cup of tea. "Back then, when you were injured, this segment of your tailbone broke. Later, for Qin Yun’s birthday celebration, you carved it into a Pixiu with your own hands and gave it to Qin Yun. In return, Qin Yun broke off her own horn and gave it to you. This matter stirred quite a commotion in the Heavenly Court."

"Everyone knew that the tail of a Pixiu and the horn of a Taotie are extremely fragile and secret parts, yet you two used them so casually as tokens of affection. It shocked many."

"Even now, your legend is still circulating up there in the heavens."

Pei Yan frowned deeply, a flash of an image of Qin Yun breaking off her horn and handing it to him crossed his mind.

But the image was fleeting, too fast to grasp.

However, such a bold manner and character was definitely something Qin Yun would do.

Pei Yan frowned and asked, "Why don’t I remember any of this?"

"Perhaps the time hasn’t come yet. Once it does, you’ll surely remember everything." Wuwei wanted to say something, but under Pei Yan’s deep gaze, the words were swallowed back, leaving them unsaid.

Pei Yan took some time to digest the scenes from the images.

However, it was of no use; he still couldn’t remember.

Wuwei, however, had to leave due to some business, called away by a little monk.

Pei Yan also left the small courtyard, taking Zheng Qian with him as he left White Cloud Mountain.

On the way down the mountain, Pei Yan fell into a daze and drifted off to sleep.

He began to dream.

Dreaming that Qin Yun woke him up, but the monsters pursuing them relentlessly continued to chase them, refusing to let go.

With Qin Yun’s meager skills, she was no match for the monsters. Pei Yan had to throw himself over her, using his body to shield her, and they barely escaped death.

Pei Yan’s tail was bitten off a segment, and the pain made him want to eat someone.

But he could only endure it, putting on a stoic face as he took Qin Yun, the little Taotie, back to his own cave abode, where the little Taotie tearfully took out a piece of bone, saying it was his.

"Wuwuwu, Pei Yan, I risked my life to save your bone, can it be reattached? Wuwuwu, I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."

The little Taotie cried mournfully, tears and snot covering her face, yet her red, tear-stained eyes stared blankly at him, leaving him unable to get angry.

He recalled why he ended up in the Barbaric lands.

It was because someone tricked Qin Yun, saying there was delicious food in the Barbaric lands, and Qin Yun, the fool, went without a second thought, stumbling upon him as he was passing by. Moved by her pitiful, fleeing figure, he stepped in to help.

But he never expected that Qin Yun would stir up trouble in the lair of a Barbaric monster, resulting in hundreds and thousands of monsters pursuing them relentlessly. Even the most formidable Immortal couldn’t handle such a situation, and they battled while fleeing, both exhausted, eventually overtaken by the monster that bit off his tail.

"Pei Yan, Pei Yan?"

Qin Yun cried bitterly, feeling miserable. She even secretly vowed never to be greedy for food again.

Pei Yan took his tail bone, expressionless, and in a cold tone said to Qin Yun, "In the future, don’t believe everything people say to you, understand?"

Qin Yun nodded repeatedly, trailing behind Pei Yan, walking dejectedly.

Pei Yan blocked Qin Yun, "Get out."

"Hmm?"

Qin Yun looked at him innocently.

"I don’t welcome strangers here." Pei Yan’s tone was particularly low and his gaze cold. Usually, when he spoke like this, no one dared disobey.

But facing him was Qin Yun, a Divine Beast not very bright.

"Then I’ll visit often, so I won’t be a stranger!"

Qin Yun treated him like a life-and-death friend, coming three times a day, each time sneaking away a lot of delicious food, and each time getting tossed out by her tail.

But she acted as if she couldn’t see Pei Yan’s rejection; she kept coming, kept sneaking food, causing quite a stir among the Heavenly Court.

The usually aloof and proud Pei Yan actually associated with the gluttonous Qin Yun, something no one had anticipated.

Moreover, some even noticed that their relationship seemed pretty good.

Back when the Immortal who tricked Qin Yun into going to the Barbaric lands for food got into a fight with her, Qin Yun, still young, was no match. The arriving Pei Yan grabbed her by the tail and tossed her aside, and he himself, without a change in expression, kicked the deceitful Immortal out. That person was laid up for years before daring to show their face again.

Since then, Qin Yun clung even tighter to him. Sometimes she didn’t feel like going back to her own place, so she secretly slept over at Pei Yan’s, sneaking to his side once he was asleep, curling up into a ball, sleeping with all four feet in the air, her belly exposed.

Pei Yan felt a headache and wanted to throw her out, but the little creature, sleeping soundly, called him ’daddy’ while clutching his leg.

Perhaps it was the beast’s instinctive protective nature, or maybe subconscious reluctance, Pei Yan couldn’t bring himself to chase her away, choosing instead to turn a blind eye and indulge her.

And the little Taotie, too, grew day by day, maturing.

Somewhere along the way, Pei Yan realized that Qin Yun was no longer a little creature but had become a grown girl.

And Pei Yan’s attitude towards her gradually changed, from the viewpoint of raising a child, to an uncontrollable stirring even within himself.