The Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows, Searching for a Way Out
In the Qingyun Residence, Liu Qinghui and Qin Changqing sat facing each other across a chessboard.
"Changqing, the situation is more or less like this," Liu Qinghui said with a wry smile. "The Ten Sects have struck a deal with the Demonic Path these days. We're under pressure from the Myriad Demon Ancestor too, but for both sides, the pros outweigh the cons. It's just... you'll have to put in the work again."
Qin Changqing picked up a black stone, his gaze fixed on the board as he chuckled. "Sect Master, you're too polite. It won't make much difference to me. Just be cautious yourself—don't raise a tiger that turns on you!"
Breeding top-tier immortal seedlings for the Demonic Path would only bolster their strength. The righteous and demonic paths could never coexist in eternal peace; a falling out was inevitable.
Liu Qinghui nodded. "We understand that full well. That's why we've only told them we can produce Heavenly Spiritual Roots at most. I'm here today to confirm with you—can you control the aptitude of your offspring?"
Qin Changqing paused slightly, thinking to himself that these old foxes, having lived for over a thousand years, were no fools. He placed his stone and pondered before replying, "Controlling the offspring's aptitude should be feasible, but the woman has to have at least a superior spiritual root. And doing this sort of thing is incredibly taxing—mentally and spiritually. It could consume several times the normal amount of spiritual energy!"
Truth be told, he had no desire to do it. For one, he didn't want excessive ties to the Demonic Path. For another, even if he fathered children with their female cultivators, those would still be his kids.
And deliberately manipulating their aptitudes? It grated on him.
But under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to bow his head. He had little room to maneuver right now.
Liu Qinghui's face lit up at once. "No problem at all! As long as you can control the aptitudes, we can work with that. As for spirit stones, we'll charge the Demonic Path a million per woman they send—and every last one goes to you!"
That eased Qin Changqing's mind a bit. A Heavenly Spiritual Root normally cost him ten thousand stones; now they were offering a hundredfold compensation. Not bad at all.
"Hahaha, Changqing—you've lost!"
Liu Qinghui pointed at the board with a hearty laugh.
Qin Changqing glanced down and cupped his hands with a smile. "Your chess skills are masterful as always, Sect Master. This junior yields!"
Liu Qinghui waved it off good-naturedly as he rose. "You're a master yourself. You're the first in the entire sect to push me this far—playing with you is the most enjoyable. Elder Cao and the others are all terrible; I won't bother with them anymore. I'm heading back!"
Qin Changqing stood quickly. "Farewell, Sect Master!"
Watching Liu Qinghui vanish into the sky, Qin Changqing's expression gradually settled into calm indifference. He glanced at the board, then suddenly picked up another black stone and slap—placed it in a key spot. With that, he turned and left.
Had Liu Qinghui glanced back just then, he would have been stunned to see that single stone reviving what had been a hopeless position—and flipping the board to trap the white stones in a death trap...
Back in his room, Qin Changqing spread paper across his desk, grinding ink as he sank into silent thought.
It was a habit he'd cultivated over the years. Whenever faced with a problem, he'd write or draw, clearing his mind to razor sharpness.
Now the four great Demonic Sects had joined the spirit root breeding effort too. For Jing Kingdom's cultivation world—and for him—it had its upsides.
At least his children could develop in peace for a while, without him rushing everywhere to save them.
But it was a massive hidden risk. The Demonic Path were ruthless and venomous by nature; they could turn on you in an instant.
If the four Demonic Sects ever learned that the Ten Sects could mass-produce children surpassing Heavenly Spiritual Roots, it would enrage them. They might spark another righteous-demonic war.
And who knew if the Myriad Demon Ancestor would truly step in then? The outcome was unpredictable.
Liu Qinghui had told him about that terrifying figure—a Fusion Void Realm powerhouse of unimaginable might. Qin Changqing had zero interest in falling under his thumb.
The righteous path could be hypocritical at times, but they at least put on a show—and gave him due respect.
The Demonic Path had no such bottom line. If he ended up in their hands, life wouldn't be this free and easy. They'd likely force him to breed children nonstop, squeezing him dry of every ounce of value!
And he had no intention of his future children becoming little demons.
"Looks like I need to find myself a way out..."
Qin Changqing dipped his brush in the inkstone, pondered a moment, then wrote a single character on the paper.
Survival!
This "survival" meant a path to live—a path for himself, his children, and their mothers.
Qin Changqing had sensed the dangers looming in the future. He had to find an escape, for his women and his kids.
Even a crafty rabbit had three burrows. He had none.
He'd been content with his current setup before, but now he realized complacency would only lead to doom. This wasn't the stable society of his past life—it was a brutal cultivation world of eat-or-be-eaten!
Once the righteous and demonic paths tore into all-out war, he could teleport away easily enough. But his women and children? They'd have nowhere safe to go.
If he vanished, those desperate fools might hold their lives hostage to force his return. The temptation of spirit root breeding would make them capable of anything—even the righteous Ten Sects!
"My arrangements for Qiling and the others were too hasty after all," Qin Changqing murmured, eyes flickering as he sighed softly.
The Qingyuan Secret Realm had already woken him once. He'd only been able to randomly teleport away a few children for safety, but it wasn't stable. Sending them into the unknown to fend for themselves was too cruel.
What good was a father who couldn't provide true security or support for his kids?
He stared at that "Survival" character for a long while, then summoned a wisp of spiritual fire from his fingertip, burning it to ash.
Night fell. Two figures entwined fiercely in bed, thrashing for hours before finally stilling.
Guan Zilan clung to Qin Changqing's neck, slick with sweat, her eyes brimming with melting affection.
This woman was thoroughly conquered by him now. In public, their statuses kept things discreet, but alone, she melted into pliancy.
"Zilan, do you have a map of this world over there?" Qin Changqing's hand roamed restlessly under the sheets as he got to the point.
Guan Zilan parted her lips with a soft gasp, cheeks flushing as she asked curiously, "What do you need that for?"
Qin Changqing grinned. "Nothing much. You know I like writing stories in my spare time. But I'm trapped here, can't go anywhere—it limits my imagination. Thought I'd learn more about the world."
"Ah... you've suffered so much..."
Guan Zilan propped herself up halfway, sympathy in her eyes. She extended her lotus-root arm, her storage ring flashing as a jade slip appeared in her hand. "I traded for this from a down-on-his-luck cultivator during an outing once. It's pretty rough, though—lots of places are just vaguely marked. If you need a better one, I'll find a way later!"
"Perfect!" Qin Changqing laughed, planting a kiss on her forehead before flipping her back under him with a mischievous smile. "Now, how should I reward you?"
Guan Zilan's eyes sparkled as she pouted playfully. "Aren't you tired yet...?"
"After all these years, don't you know what I'm capable of...?"