Legacy World 3.10 Partner In Crime

When the sun began to set, LongFei was still quietly sulking at top of the mountain that was closest to FengJiao's village, until a vague shadow against the sun caught his attention. With his superb eyesight, it did not take long for him to identify it. A black phoenix flying towards FengJiao's village, from the same place that BaiXue had came from.

/He must be the one.../ LongFei's expression turned dark and gloomy.

MengYao had visited FenFang within the past month. So, he had already heard of news of another village coercing and manipulating a mystical one into protecting them. /What deceitful monsters./ The thought of them using an innocent mystical being like a slave, for their benefits, made him sick to his stomach.

He had been all ready to attack on sight, but the villagers' unusual reaction upon seeing him made him think twice. They seemed to treat him like a star, or a deity. They called everyone out to the center of the village and stood in awe. He could hear their indistinct but lively and excited chatters. Some young children were even clapping in excitement.

MengYao dealt with his befuddlement by trusting his experience. It was impossible for them to hold pure intentions. They must be trying to lure him in. He admitted that these people were good at their craft. They actually managed to stump someone as seasoned as him. Now that he was back in his right mind, he mentally thanked them for making his job easy. His aura changed into black flames that got sent flying towards the villagers. 

The crowd belatedly realised that MengYao was not friendly. They screamed and scattered in different directions, but it was far too late.

Suddenly, golden flames shot out and countered the black flames. FengJiao appeared in the nick of time before any villager was severely wounded.

"Who are you?! Why're you attacking us?!"

"To save you."

"What?"

"I've heard of your plight. You may feel that everything's all perfect and peachy but don't fall prey to their schemes! Wake up!" 

"What schemes?! They're normal and kind villagers! Did you get the wrong village?!"

"Why're you protecting them?"

"Because I want to."

"They made you think you want to. You're being manipulated. You just can't see it!"

"How am I being manipulated?!"

"Then tell me, what makes you want to protect them?"

"I love my village and the people who live in it!"

"What makes you love them?"

"They treat me well and they're very nice people!"

"Do you really think they're sincere in treating you nice?"

"Of course! It's been the case since I was a baby!"

"That's the thing! Their schemes start from the moment we're born and unaware! You can't judge their sincerity like that."

"Then let me prove it to you! Live here!"

"No, let ME prove it to you." He said darkly as he shot flames out and towards the village. FengJiao tried her hardest to stop every attack but MengYao overpowered her by a lot. The village was soon consumed in black flames.

"Why're you doing this?!" FengJiao cried in horror. "STOP IT!"

"Witness for yourself how they'll look once you fail to protect them!" MengYao exclaimed. He saw a family running out from amidst the flames and shot flames at the youngest looking boy.

"NO!!!" FengJiao shot out her flames but it traveled too slowly. So, she dived down with the intention to cover and protect the family. 

A loud explosion echoed throughout the forest.

A pale blue flame had shot out with a speed and ferocity that easily countered MengYao's flames. MengYao looked up to see a silver dragon floating above everyone present.

"Another mystical one protecting this village? This is the most cunning village I've ever seen." MengYao commented gravely. 

FengJiao could tell that MengYao truly believed that her village was evil, and wondered what he could have experienced that had warped his view of people so much.

LongFei had been intensely observing MengYao to guess the purpose that BaiXue had for calling MengYao. More importantly, he wanted to know her relationship with him. MengYao seemed bent on destroying the village. Meanwhile, BaiXue calmly watched it all happen before her. /She wants to use his strength to destroy villages?/

He recalled the times when he saw her infiltrate the villages among the mountains. She seemed so natural doing it that he knew she had to have done it many times before. Linking all that he knew of BaiXue, with his deductions, he guessed that her purpose was to destroy villages.

/I'll show her that I'm a far better candidate as a partner then./

At the same time he made the decision, he saw FengJiao dive down to save a family from being hurt. Only now did the nagging feeling appear with great intensity. He spewed out ice cold flames, both intentionally and reflexively. Then, he engaged MengYao in a fight, which looked more like bullying. Even when MengYao went all out against LongFei, his flames were weaker. MengYao stayed on the defensive and slowly got pushed back. He eventually suffered a critical hit. LongFei's flames had hit and broke a wing. MengYao fell from a great height onto the ground, toppling several trees that were under him. 

LongFei was prepared to deal the final blow when FengJiao cried out to him. "LongFei! Enough! He wasn't trying to hurt me!"

"I don't care." LongFei was about to spit out his flames again when he caught sight of BaiXue dashing away.

"LongFei! Stop!" FengJiao had screamed at the same time that he noticed BaiXue's departure. 

He stopped.

FengJiao flew to MengYao's side and changed into her human form to stand in front of him, placing herself between the two men.

MengYao was conscious but unable to move. Sharp and intense pain throbbed wherever he was injured. His muscles were worn out. His energy was completely spent. He could only grit his teeth in frustration. 

LongFei glanced at the pair with cold eyes then flew away. He easily caught up with BaiXue and found her returning to her cave to cultivate. So, he returned back to the cherry blossom tree outside his house as well.

BaiXue had turned to leave the moment she witnessed MengYao's fall. Thanks to the world book, she knew how things would end, so she did not bother staying on. She now had another month to cultivate, before she had to return to FenFang to report MengYao's failure. The time for BaiXue to exact her revenge was coming closer. There was no time to waste.

For the next month, BaiXue did not suspect anything wrong with LongFei nor did she know of his thoughts, because he did not do or say anything different. He still cooked and fed her, then stared at her in silence while she ate. She used to feel slightly uncomfortable with his constant staring, but she had eventually grown used to it.

/Do I look that funny? Interesting? Is there something wrong with the way I look?/

She had asked BaoBao several questions about LongFei's staring before. However, they both knew that if BaiXue had no idea about a person's intention, BaoBao was likely worse off. Asking BaoBao served more as a distraction. 

/I don't remember LongFei being acquainted with BaiXue in the book. Is this normal?/

[I don't remember it either... But it should be alright as long as it doesn't affect the main progress of the story.] BaoBao said while thinking back to the previous world's result. The second male lead of that world became much stronger than he was supposed to be but it had been fine.

At the end of the month, BaiXue went back to FenFang's dwelling and reported to her every detail of the fight from the moment MengYao arrived.

"MengYao's badly injured?!"

BaiXue nodded.

"And a DRAGON?!" FenFang bit on her thumbnail while her mind raced. She really wanted to go to MengYao's side but he would dislike it a lot. She would not only face his wrath, but also risk encountering the dragon. She was used to being in power so she would hate to encounter someone that much stronger than her. The only person she would willingly be subservient to is MengYao.

Unbeknownst to them, LongFei was up in the sky above them, watching BaiXue interact with FenFang. He did not like how BaiXue seemed so subservient to someone else. She deserved to hold her head up high like she does around him.

FenFang decided that she had no choice but to let MengYao stay there without her. However, she was slightly worried about the conversation MengYao had with the other phoenix. She was afraid that the phoenix there would cause his heart to waver. She could not let that happen. They have always been together.

Knowing what FenFang was thinking of, BaiXue suggested, "How about we support MengYao with his intention to create trouble for the village? I think that was what he was trying to do to break everyone's facade." BaiXue did not have the patience to wait for FenFang to come up with a strategy when the eventual result is the same.

An idea popped into FenFang's mind with BaiXue's prompt. "Good idea." She said with a light smile. MengYao just needed to be reminded of how the villagers only depended on and made use of mystical ones to survive to fuel his hatred.

"Don't tell me you're sending the little foxes? They'll probably end up loving that friendly village instead. They won't cross the mountains for you either." BaiXue used this chance to rub salt into her wound. There was no one who truly and sincerely served this second female lead.

"You're right." FenFang's smile turned stiff.

"Then, who can you send?" BaiXue pretended to be worried and asked.

A cold glint flashed across FenFang's eyes and she said, "Don't worry. I have my means." FenFang took out a creamy white flute and passed it to her. "There'll be attacks on the village. Whenever it's a failure, blow this and I'll receive the signal. Keep this a secret."

BaiXue nodded and kept the flute.

LongFei felt displeased when he saw her keep yet another flute. /Didn't she already see and accept that I'm stronger than that black bird? How can this puny woman be any stronger than that black bird?/

He followed her and realised that she was not heading back to her cave but straight to FengJiao's village. He frowned and flew to intercept her path.

BaiXue did not want to miss the first attack, so she had decided to camp closer to the village and cultivate there, while waiting for the first wave of bandits to arrive. However, BaoBao warned her of LongFei flying towards her. Sure enough, he reached within seconds of BaoBao's warning and landed in her path.

"Why're you going back to that village?" LongFei inquired.

BaiXue ignored him and dashed past him.

LongFei was momentarily surprised. Suddenly, he changed into a dragon and scooped her up in her rabbit form. Although peeved, he mindfully ascended the mountain in a gradual manner. He could feel BaiXue's feeble attempts at breaking free but his hold on her was firm. BaiXue then firmly told him twice to put her down but he ignored her. When she said it the third time, he finally replied, "You'll die."

She looked down and saw how high she was above the ground. She raised one eyebrow. /This is quite the lame comeback./

After putting BaiXue down in front of his house, they both changed back into a human. LongFei repeated his question that he asked her earlier. However, BaiXue ignored his question to tell him to bring her back down.

He frowned. "Are you going to find that black bird? I'm stronger than him. Didn't you see?"

Upon seeing her slight confusion, he continued, "Or are you now working with that puny woman hiding in the rocks? I'm far stronger than her too. Work with me instead. Tell me what you want to do to the village, I'll do it."

She raised an eyebrow. "So if I told you to destroy it, you would?"

He nodded.

Her expression fell flat. "The phoenix woman is there you know."

With her reminder, his face changed to a scowl as if he just remembered. "Tch, I'll burn down everyone and everything else, except her."

"Why?"

"I... I just can't." LongFei answered with great difficulty. He truly did not understand his own condition either.

"Bring me down."

"Why can't you let me help you? I'm stronger than the other two you're working with now."

"I can do it perfectly by myself."

"You're not strong enough against her. Are you picking another fight you can't win?"

"I'm not fighting her. I told you I have something personal to accomplish. This can only be done when I help others do what they want. On my part, I'm just watching the village. Something I don't need anyone's help in." She hoped that explaining everything would ease his stubbornness.

"You just have to watch the village?"

BaiXue finally frowned a little. "Yes. So bring me down."

"As long as you can see the village, you don't have to be close to it? Then I have a way for you to watch from here." LongFei was really adamant about not letting her get close to the village if he could help it. The thought of how close she would be with the black bird displeased him.

For the first time, the second male lead really ticked BaiXue off. She thought that by explaining her task, he would give up using his strength as a reason to help her. She had told him several times to bring her down but he had not done so. She really did not have anything to offer him in this world, so she did not want to accept things from him if she could help it. Yet, he kept pushing her to accept his help.

/Could it be that his true intention is to protect the village and FengJiao from me? His role is to protect FengJiao after all. Nothing else can explain how obstinate he is being with 'helping' me and keeping me away from the village./

[Is that it? That's it?!] BaoBao felt cheated. He had not considered the second male lead's actions from this point of view. He really took everything that LongFei said at face value.

[BaiXue, you're really amazing to have read his true intentions.] BaoBao sincerely thought.

/I'll have to fight him then./ BaiXue looked at the edge of the land that the house was built on. It ended with a sharp drop. /I'd just die if I jump off the peak./

She changed back into her rabbit form and prepared to change his mind by force.