Volume Two: A Bandit's Life - Chapter 78: Poor Little Sisi

PS: Seven updates totaling over twenty-three thousand words, the explosive release is finally complete. My fingers are completely numb from exhaustion, but my heart is filled with joy. Just in this very month last year, the sequel began its publication. Over the course of two full months, it has gained everyone's support, ultimately shaping the author I am today. Here, I wish to express my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all the brothers who were there in the past, who are here now, and who have consistently followed along. Thank you all, I bow to you.

The Purple Mystery Alliance once again shocked the entire Divine Realm with an absolutely formidable posture. Compared to the commotion caused by the previous annihilation of the Pengliu Sect and the Three Courts Pavilion, the news that the Heavenly Water Pavilion had been completely wiped out and its pavilion master, Wu Long, killed carried far greater shockwaves and deterrence, catching all factions holding a wait-and-see attitude utterly unprepared and deeply alarmed.

What shocked the major factions of the Grand-Meng Divine Realm even more was the news that the Paragon of the Purple Mystery Alliance had, during the battle, disregarded the dissuasion of four other Paragons, acted out of righteous fury, killed Wu Long, and then vanished. The Paragons were filled with both shock and anger. For countless eons, apart from Lin Meng, who had long since become a legendary myth, no one had dared to challenge the authority of the Paragons, let alone someone who was a Paragon themselves.

Among the Paragons, there existed a set of rules restricting their actions and preventing them from participating in the struggles of the mortals and divine beings. This regulation was established for the sake of the safety and balance of the Grand-Meng Divine Realm. It had long since become an unwritten iron law implicitly followed by all Paragons, and every Paragon silently observed it.

Yet the Purple Mystery Alliance, a faction that was previously unknown and had now risen to fame in a single battle, had openly defied this iron law, taking matters into their own hands and shattering the balance that forbade Paragons from acting. This caused a collective uproar among the Paragons.

For a time, across the Grand-Meng Divine Realm, the powerful divine senses of Paragons swept through every corner at intervals, filling all factions with profound terror. At such a moment, no one was foolish enough to actively provoke these Paragons, who were already harboring suppressed rage. Regardless of how massive a faction might be, they all cautiously hid away in their headquarters, and no one dared to show arrogance ever again.

For the Purple Mystery Alliance, this situation was undoubtedly the best scenario to consolidate and expand their strength. The battle against the Heavenly Water Pavilion had resulted in the total destruction of the Watersnipped Sect, and the Purple Mystery Alliance had suffered heavy casualties, severely weakening the foundation they had spent so long building and nurturing. If any other faction had participated in the campaign to seize the six major cities at that time, it would undoubtedly have dealt a devastating blow to the Purple Mystery Alliance.

Yet precisely at this moment, out of anger toward the Paragon behind the Purple Mystery Alliance, the Paragons sallied forth in search of the culprit, hoping to apprehend them and hand them over to the Council of Elders for punishment. With the divine senses of Paragons flying wildly across the heavens, all factions obediently retreated into their nests, and no one dared to court disaster. Qin Si was practically ecstatic.

Purple Water Manor, originally the headquarters of the Heavenly Water Pavilion, was located on the southeastern side of Purple Water City, occupying nearly one-fifth of the city's area. Countless buildings stood within, guarded by arrays left behind by Wu Long. It had now been renamed Purple Water Manor by Qin Si to commemorate the Watersnipped Sect, which had been entirely wiped out for the sake of the Purple Mystery Alliance.

This place had become the brand-new headquarters of the Purple Mystery Alliance. Qin Si and Qin Shuang exerted great effort, utilizing all the array formations taught to them by Qin Yu to completely remodel Purple Water Manor. Over the span of three years, Purple Water Manor had been transformed into a heavily fortified stronghold that even God Kings could not enter or leave at will. Qin Si believed that even if a Paragon were to arrive, it would take a considerable amount of effort to break through successfully.

Over the past three years, the five major cities had provided the Purple Mystery Alliance with five hundred God Kings and countless deities. While this left Qin Si and Qin Shuang deeply startled, it also tremendously boosted their morale. Never had they imagined that the Heavenly Water Pavilion possessed such a deep foundation in reserve. These individuals were undoubtedly the reserve forces of the Heavenly Water Pavilion; had Wu Long triumphed over the Purple Mystery Alliance that day—even a pyrrhic victory—the Heavenly Water Pavilion would have been able to restore its vitality in the shortest possible time with the strong support of these God Kings.

Wu Long's ability to lead the Heavenly Water Pavilion to become one of the top ten bandit factions in the Divine Realm was indeed no mere fluke. This realization filled the two Qin brothers with both excitement and a sense of having narrowly escaped disaster. Now, through the temptation of divine artifacts deployed by Qin Si, all of these God Kings had become fresh, vital forces for the Purple Mystery Alliance.

"Have the other factions made any moves recently?" Qin Si asked with a smile, looking at the God King standing before him straight as a javelin.

Kou Bin—the talent discovered by Ziyan, who had comprehended time standstill, excelled in concealing his traces, and was a master at gathering intelligence—had now become a God King second only to the Six Heavenly Kings within the Purple Mystery Alliance.

Over the three years, for the convenience of management, Qin Si had appointed Ziyan, Zhao Yongkui, Pingtian, Cui De, Jiang Zheng, and Xuanmiao as the commanders of the six cities respectively, while also serving as the Six Heavenly Kings of the Purple Mystery Alliance, as a reward for their reckless courage in accompanying the three Qin brothers during the battle against the Heavenly Water Pavilion.

Under Qin Si's reorganization, the Purple Mystery Alliance gradually grew strict and orderly, with clear rewards and punishments, winning the heartfelt submission of all deities and God Kings. Although in three years many undertakings had not yet been rolled out, a vibrant momentum had already emerged, and everyone cultivated diligently, looking forward to the day when they could once again fight alongside this matchless and brave Alliance Master.

Hearing Qin Si's question, Kou Bin bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Those Paragons still have not given up their search for 'that person.' Their divine senses pervade the entire Grand-Meng Divine Realm, and nowadays the major factions are struck with terror, hastily consolidating their forces and not daring to provoke them at this time."

Qin Si laughed heartily and said, "Just as I anticipated. Over the past three years, we truly owe it all to these Paragons. Without them, defending Purple Water City alone would likely have been extremely difficult for us, let alone holding all six cities as we do now. By your estimation, how much longer will they continue searching?"

"This subordinate believes that while the current situation is extremely advantageous to us, it also harbors disadvantages. With 'that person' currently missing, the anger of the Paragons remains unquenched. If they fail to find anything after some time, I fear they might vent their wrath upon us, which would place us in a very passive position," Kou Bin said with undeniable worry, clearly possessing a deep sense of identity with the Purple Mystery Alliance and proving himself utterly loyal.

Qin Si fell silent for a moment, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. These stubborn, ossified old fogies clung stubbornly to that damn iron law day in and day out; holding onto it themselves was one thing, but they actually tried to impose it on others.

In his heart, he thought of a day when he would erase this rule entirely from the Grand-Meng Divine Realm. Yet reason told him that only by keeping the Paragons from acting could the stability of the Grand-Meng Divine Realm be maintained. After all, there were simply too many Paragons in the realm; if any random one decided to interfere recklessly, it would affect the layout of the entire Divine Realm, which naturally would not benefit the Purple Mystery Alliance either.

An invisible pressure emanated from Qin Si, making Kou Bin feel somewhat uncomfortable. The silent Qin Si appeared far more majestic and domineering than he had three years ago—an aura unique to those who issued commands over long periods and held positions of absolute decision-making authority, a trait Qin Si now fully possessed.

Seeming to notice Kou Bin's discomfort, Qin Si smiled wryly at himself, slowly withdrawing the pressure he had unconsciously released, and shook his head. "'That person' is currently in seclusion and won't be showing their face anytime soon. Since those Paragons are willing to search, let them search. When they fail to find anything, they won't easily vent their anger onto us. After all, our Paragon is not under our control. If they insist on venting their anger on us, humph, the Purple Mystery Alliance is no pushover either; even if it's a Paragon, I will fight them when the time comes."

Kou Bin's eyes shone with reverence as he looked at Qin Si. In recent years, Qin Si, having comprehended the inner and outer spaces of the Grand-Meng Divine Realm, had grown increasingly formidable. Presently, even if Qin Shuang and Li Yang attacked simultaneously, they would be unable to do anything to him unless they resorted to their ultimate techniques.

The boost in confidence brought by a massive leap in cultivation was natural. Qin Si believed that even facing a Paragon now, he had the strength to put up a fight, even if the odds were heavily against him winning.

Just as he was about to speak after a brief contemplation, he suddenly heard a clattering commotion from outside, followed closely by an exquisitely graceful figure accompanied by a crisp, soft voice reaching his ears: "Little Sisi... Fei'er has come to find you."

A stillness settled over the main hall. Kou Bin stared blankly at the breathtakingly beautiful woman standing right beside Qin Si, her fair arms shaking his shoulder while her cherry lips pouted high. A strong wave of amusement welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Alliance Master, if there is nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave now." Stealing a glance at Qin Si, whose face revealed a strange expression, Kou Bin felt an overwhelming surge of laughter bubbling up from within. Without waiting for Qin Si's reply, he covered his mouth and quietly slipped away.

Stepping outside the doors of the main hall, Kou Bin pictured in his mind how Qin Si's jaw had dropped slightly the very first time he laid eyes on that peerlessly beautiful woman, his face displaying an expression of shock, delight, and helplessness all at once, and a wave of amusement washed over him. Holding his hand over his mouth, he stood outside the door chuckling for a long while before shaking his head in amusement and departing amidst the perplexed gazes of passing God Kings. He thought to himself, so even the Alliance Master has moments of utter mortification.

Meanwhile, Qin Si gazed at Zhou Fei'er's sparkling eyes, suddenly feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion within his chest. His lips parted and moved for a long while before he finally squeezed out a single sentence: "You... why have you grown even prettier..."

Zhou Fei'er's pretty face stiffened as she bit her lip and drew a breath. "Could it be that I wasn't pretty before?"

Qin Si pondered the question earnestly for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Uh, I didn't notice..."

"Little Sisi..." Zhou Fei'er drew out her voice for a long time, her face adopting a grievance-filled expression that would make any man's heart ache as she muttered unfairly, "And here I've been missing you every single day these past few years, yet this is how you treat me. Humph."