"Do you still remember what I told you back then—that I could help you, help the Snake-People tribe, escape the Tager Desert?!"
Yan Qingshan saw Queen Medusa listening intently. He tightened his arms, shifting the beautiful woman into a new position, pulling her against the headboard. One restless hand seized her pale purple serpent tail, caressing it delicately.
"Mmm! Lighter..."
Queen Medusa was captivated by his topic. She cast him a faint glance, not pushing him away. However, her sensitive serpent tail was being played with like this, and Yan Qingshan was even using the experience he gained from Hua She'er and Yue Mei on her.
How could the inexperienced Queen endure it? She wanted to tell him to be gentler, yet it felt a bit like pouting, so she stopped herself mid-sentence. She simply leaned against him, silently enduring, finding a reason for herself deep down: This is for the tribe's major affairs.
Queen Medusa's feelings for Yan Qingshan were complex. On one hand, back at the temple, Yan Qingshan's intentional or unintentional coldness made her want to capture his attention, fostering a certain fondness.
When Yan Qingshan left the temple, he left behind many things for the Snake-People tribe and did many beneficial deeds. Although some of them were quite absurd... but the fact that he succeeded in that matter was due to her arrangements before she, the Queen, went missing. So, she was still grateful to him.
Furthermore, Yan Qingshan's subtle influence and 'training' of the little colorful snake along the way had actually affected Queen Medusa's soul. Her cold demeanor just now wasn't a turn from love to hate, but rather a jealous annoyance!
"Can't you just talk properly...?"
Queen Medusa was exasperated by his actions. She gently bumped her head against his forehead, which he had lowered, her face flushed with a charming pique.
"Hehe, talking business, talking business..."
Seeing that he had appeased the beauty, Yan Qingshan didn't dare to go too far. He smiled, leaning his head closer, and this time, he wasn't pushed away. Then he began, "Now, you have successfully broken through to the Dou Ancestor realm and evolved into a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. Ordinary Dou Ancestors are no match for you at all.
However, the Snake-People tribe was suppressed in the Tager Desert by several empires, including the Jia Ma Empire. If you want to leave, no matter which direction you go, you will most likely face joint resistance."
"They wouldn't dare. Before, I spared those old fellows because I wasn't confident I could kill them in one blow. Now, if they dare to obstruct us again, I will certainly not hold back."
A cold glint flashed in Queen Medusa's eyes. In her previous battles against the powerhouses of various nations, she had indeed held back considerably. Before, it was due to a lack of certainty, but now that she had broken through, if anyone dared to obstruct her again, she would absolutely show no mercy.
"I know your strength is extraordinary, but this matter can actually be handled in a different way."
Yan Qingshan's fingertips brushed Queen Medusa's long hair, tidying it slightly for her. Then he said softly, "Before I came to the Tager Desert, I arranged for Ya Fei to go to the Sacred City and negotiate with the imperial family. I exchanged something for the imperial family's promise."
"What did you give? The Jia Ma Imperial Family might agree to a common promise from you, but the Snake-People tribe is a matter of great importance. Our tribe's overall strength is even stronger than all the forces in the Jia Ma Empire combined. They most likely wouldn't agree to that kind of demand."
Queen Medusa understood Yan Qingshan's meaning, but she wasn't very optimistic. In her opinion, Yan Qingshan exchanging something for the imperial family's promise wasn't reliable. Such major powers cared more about benefits, and turning their backs on agreements was common.
Yan Qingshan smiled faintly, "Of course, they wouldn't agree to such a promise for ordinary things, but what if it was a Dou Ancestor?"
"I gave the imperial family's guardian a spiritual insight into breaking through to the Dou Ancestor realm, as well as a Grade Six Zong Breaking Pill, giving him a chance to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm. This grand gift is enough for the imperial family to owe a huge favor, and for this, they might even cede a piece of their land."
"What?! You have Zong Breaking Pills and..."
Queen Medusa was first astonished, then her gaze changed. Her slender, jade-like hands unceremoniously began to strike Yan Qingshan. She had gone through countless hardships, narrowly escaping death, to break through to Dou Ancestor, and this scoundrel had good stuff and sent it to the Jia Ma Imperial Family!
"Aiya, aiya, spare me, my Queen..."
Yan Qingshan jokingly wrestled with Queen Medusa, rolling her around on the large bed and pinning her beneath him. He poked her exquisite upturned nose with his finger, saying softly, "I didn't do it on purpose. Back then, I didn't know you, and going to the temple was just a spontaneous decision.
Moreover, do you think that Zong Breaking Pill and spiritual insight are good things? The Zong Breaking Pill was stolen by me from the nest of a Seven-Star Dou Ancestor old monster in the Black Corner Region. That old monster is still looking for someone everywhere!
As for that spiritual insight, I found another even older monster back then. That old fellow is a true thousand-year-old fox (qian nian hu), and his eyes were strange when he gave me the thing. Although using that thing can help break through quickly, I don't believe that old fellow didn't leave any contingencies."
Yan Qingshan briefly explained. Generally, the conventional means of breaking through to Dou Zong were Pills the Zong Breaking Pill and some secret techniques. However, some powerhouses could also split their insights into spatial power in the form of soul fragments.
If these soul fragments were absorbed by peak Dou Emperor powerhouses nearing the Dou Ancestor barrier, combined with a Zong Breaking Pill, the probability of breakthrough would be very high.
This was even more true for Elder Jia of the imperial family, who was already a half-step Dou Ancestor and would break through to the Dou Ancestor realm on his own a few years later. Now, Yan Qingshan's items were merely helping him break through ahead of time.
The spiritual insight into spatial power that Yan Qingshan held, of course, came from Yao Lao. That old fellow had roamed the continent for at least several centuries and had countless good things in his possession. Yan Qingshan had merely 'scraped' a few small items from this 'thousand-year-old fox'.
"Even if you help the imperial family's guardian break through, they will indeed owe a great favor. But with a Dou Ancestor, the Jia Ma Imperial Family will be able to integrate the entire empire's forces, and they might become even tougher on the Snake-People tribe. So, what exactly are you thinking?!"
Medusa stared at Yan Qingshan with a strange look, as if saying, Are you messing with me right now? I finally broke through to Dou Ancestor, and now you're trying to balance things out, right?
Originally, the Jia Ma Empire, a place with only three to five Dou Emperors, would have been a great breakthrough point for the Snake-People tribe. With Yan Qingshan's meddling, there was now an additional Dou Ancestor-level powerful enemy. Didn't this just make it harder for the Snake-People tribe to leave the Tager Desert?
"Under normal circumstances, the imperial family might indeed go back on their word for greater profit, as you thought. But now they wouldn't dare, because I have the Queen's backing. If they dare to renege, I'll make them spit out what they've taken from me."
Yan Qingshan smiled fawningly at Queen Medusa. His hands seemed to be gently massaging the Queen's fragrant shoulders, but in reality, he was shamelessly taking advantage, lingering up and down.
Queen Medusa was not as optimistic as Yan Qingshan. "Although my current strength allows me to rampage through Jia Ma Sacred City, it wouldn't help the situation or the matter itself. If they are unwilling to agree, even killing that old man Jia Xingtian wouldn't solve the problem."
"Under normal circumstances, that's true, but now the Jia Ma Empire faces internal strife and external threats. As long as I show enough strength, the imperial family wouldn't dare to renege, nor would they dare to act recklessly."
Yan Qingshan smiled coldly, pointing towards the Misty Cloud Sect outside the Sacred City.
"Currently, the Jia Ma Empire's imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect are constantly engaged in covert struggles. The Misty Cloud Sect, utilizing its disciples spread throughout the empire, competes with the imperial family for power and benefits in various provinces.
This isn't even the most crucial point. The most crucial point is that the old sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, has secretly broken through to the Dou Ancestor realm, but he hasn't publicized it.
And the number of Misty Cloud Sect disciples who have entered important positions in the empire has been increasing over the years. What do you think this implies?"
"The Misty Cloud Sect isn't trying to make the Jia Ma Imperial Family bow down; they want more. They want to change the heavens and earth, directly controlling the empire."
Queen Medusa was quite sharp and quickly thought of this layer.
"Exactly!"
Yan Qingshan smiled faintly, "The conflict of interests between the Misty Cloud Sect and the imperial family is too deep, with constant overt and covert struggles, almost irreconcilable. The imperial family is unwilling to back down, and the imperial family was also one of the instigators in the historical decline of the Misty Cloud Sect.
And Yun Shan, after breaking through, didn't widely publicize it but chose to endure and accumulate strength. This clearly indicates his intention to uproot these opposing forces of the imperial family in one fell swoop. If I hadn't interfered, there would inevitably be a battle between them in the future.
I was the one who conveyed and confirmed the news of Yun Shan's breakthrough to the imperial family. Furthermore, I even offered an opportunity to achieve Dou Ancestor, giving them a chance to turn the tables. In this situation, the imperial family owes me an enormous favor.
While the Snake-People tribe is powerful, you cannot take everything from the Jia Ma Imperial Family. But the Misty Cloud Sect can and is putting it into action. One is a potential external ally, and the other is an internal threat with a grudge. Tell me, how will they choose?"
"Although what you say makes a lot of sense, there's also a possibility that the imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect might put aside their past grievances and cooperate to jointly resist our Snake-People tribe. In that case, our resistance would be even greater."
Queen Medusa's beautiful eyes swirled as she smiled charmingly at Yan Qingshan, "However, I believe you can handle these matters, right? How do you want me to cooperate, Master?!"
The beautiful snake intentionally pouted, and that one word "Master" made Yan Qingshan's body go half-numb. He lowered his head and directly seized her luscious red lips.
"Mmmph..."
Queen Medusa struggled slightly, but this time, she didn't resist Yan Qingshan's intimacy too much, because Yan Qingshan's plan was beneficial to the Snake-People tribe, and her heart was already wavering.
Yan Qingshan chuckled as he lowered his head, "You don't need to do anything. You just need to obediently follow my arrangements, and be compliant. Like right now, I want to have a good, in-depth exchange with my Queen."
"You little pervert, do you really think the Snake-People tribe's Myriad Snakes Devouring Body Punishment is a joke?!"
Queen Medusa gave Yan Qingshan a charming glare, then kissed his cheek. Her body shimmered with colors and once again transformed into the colorful little snake. The Queen was quite clever; she wouldn't let him succeed so easily!
"This woman, she really is..."
Yan Qingshan somewhat dejectedly looked at the little colorful snake in his hand. He indignantly played with it, bending it into various shapes for a while, then could only pull the covers over himself, hugging Ya Fei, and falling into a deep sleep.