Xu Qingfeng did not reveal anything about Qiao Ci to anyone.
He only frequently advised Danrong, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a good relationship with Qiao Ci and Dan Qing in the future, and avoiding any conflict with them. He believed these valuable connections should be cherished. Given Danrong’s impetuous nature, Xu Qingfeng hoped that after Danrong and Dan Min passed away, Qiao Ci would, out of consideration for Dan Qing, offer assistance during critical moments.
Danrong, who already doted on Dan Qing and admired Qiao Ci, readily followed Xu Qingfeng's repeated hints. With a grand gesture, she bestowed the title of King of Different Surnames upon Qiao Ci, granting her the authority to lead troops in battle or to live a life of leisure, according to her preference. With Qiao Ci's presence, the Dan Kingdom enjoyed continuous peace and prosperity.
Danrong passed away at less than seventy years old due to overexertion, while Qiao Ci and Dan Qing lived to be over ninety.
On the day Dan Qing passed away, he insisted on cooking a meal for Qiao Ci himself. Having eaten his cooking for two lifetimes, he worried her palate had become accustomed to his style, and she might struggle to find delicious food after he was gone.
Looking at Qiao Ci, who was still in good health, Dan Qing couldn't help but sigh, "A'Ci, I am truly content to have had your companionship in this life. It's just a regret that I didn't leave you a daughter or son. After I'm gone, you must take good care of yourself, eat on time, and don't be picky…"
As he spoke, Dan Qing's eyes welled up.
Qiao Ci put down her chopsticks, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away his tears. "Don't be afraid, I will always be with you."
To her surprise, Dan Qing, seeing that she had perceived his deepest fear, became teary-eyed. "A'Ci, I'm afraid. I'm afraid you'll be heartbroken after I die, and I'm afraid I won't meet you in the next life."
The cute, white-haired old man cried and acted spoiled towards the stern and dignified old woman. Little Spoon, who had been watching this from within the space, couldn't help but burst into laughter until Qiao Ci confined it to the small black room.
It couldn't help but slap itself twice. 'Serves you right! Serves you right! Now you're locked in the small black room again~'
Qiao Ci continuously comforted Dan Qing. After promising him they would meet again in the next life, Dan Qing departed with a smile.
'We agreed, you must find me in the next life. My Empress, my wife, my A'Ci.'
"Congratulations to the Host for successfully completing the mission! Mission completion level: SSS. Reward: 100,000 points. Current points: 300,000. Host is amazing, Little Spoon is head over heels for you!!!"
Upon returning to the system space, Qiao Ci felt as though she had lived through an epoch. As dazzling fireworks bloomed within the space, the big golden spoon happily ran over, treating her like a pole, twisting and kicking as it danced.
After its performance, Little Spoon looked up seeking praise, "How was this hot and provocative pole dance? Did it make Host’s blood boil?"
Qiao Ci nodded, "Very useless!"
"Heh heh, Host, Little Spoon will work harder~"
"Host, do you wish to enter the next plane?"
"Wait a moment."
Qiao Ci pulled up her screen panel, set it to anti-peeping mode, and her fingers flew across the screen, typing rapidly.
"Host, what are you doing?" Little Spoon asked curiously.
Qiao Ci did not reply. She quickly finished her operations. "Next plane."
This was a beastman plane.
Here, beastmen could transform into human forms, and the transformed males were all exceedingly beautiful. The more handsome and strong they were, the more attention they garnered from females, possessing greater mating rights. The transformed females, on the other hand, were mostly plain-looking. As they were primarily responsible for procreation, they possessed more choices and did not need to attract males with alluring appearances.
With the pairing of males and females, and the harmony of yin and yang, the beastmen of the beastman world lived peaceful and harmonious lives.
Until one day, Nan An, the leader of the Tiger tribe, carried back a woman named Lu Yan, who could not transform into her beast form, disrupting the peace. That woman was petite and clearly not suited for childbearing. However, her skin was fair and tender, unlike the women of this land. Her voice was delicate and soft, making males' legs go weak upon hearing it. Any high-quality male who had contact with her was irresistibly attracted to her. Gradually, the males in the tribe became exceptionally picky with their own females, spending their days fawning over the weak woman who couldn't transform.
This was not all. Lu Yan, though appearing delicate, was exceptionally troublesome. Today she would provoke the leader of the Lion tribe, tomorrow she would seduce the leader of the Teng Snake tribe, and the day after she would bring back the leader of the Spider tribe. She was like a leader-harvesting machine, collecting as she went, regardless of species. As long as they were tribal leaders, she could charm them.
As tribal leaders, they had the priority choice of mates. A leader could have three females simultaneously without sharing them with other males. Although these leaders were infatuated with Lu Yan, they were unwilling to share a woman with other males. Consequently, large-scale battles frequently erupted between the tribes, resulting in countless casualties.
Lu Yan would stand there, tearfully weeping, and call out in her childish voice, "Stop fighting, please stop fighting. I will be sad if any of you get hurt." Her words only made the two tribal leaders fight more ferociously.
Every time a large-scale war broke out, Lu Yan would sigh regretfully, thinking about how she shouldn't have provoked so many male beasts. Yet, after a cheap display of tears and repentance, the sight of a handsome man would still tempt her to get acquainted with him.
The males who fought over her both loved and hated her ability to attract men. However, the greatest punishment they could inflict upon her was to make her cry and beg for mercy in certain aspects.
This was a war between leaders, and other beastmen who were caught in the crossfire or died were suffering immensely. Especially the original consorts of the leaders, none of whom had a good ending. Death was the easiest fate; some were even gifted to their subordinates by the leaders while pregnant, leading to gruesome outcomes. This was all because of Lu Yan's statement: she would not share men with other women. If they wanted to possess her, they had to cleanly settle their personal relationships. She also hinted that she wanted to see those leaders show no affection for their original consorts. The implication was that the more miserable the original consorts were, the better.
Finally, after fighting amongst themselves, the beastmen tribes lost more than half their population. Females and young beastmen were displaced. Only then did the beastmen realize they could not continue fighting, or the beastman race might face extinction. They believed their love for Lu Yan was no less than that of any other beastman, and none were willing to give her up.
Therefore, the leaders signed an agreement: to possess Lu Yan simultaneously. They could live with her together, or take turns bringing her to reside in their respective tribes. For fairness, Lu Yan bore a young beastman for each leader. Through the efforts of various leaders, her lifespan was extended to a thousand years, living a blissful life.
The original host was named Qiao Ci, the Saintess of the Tiger tribe.