He pressed against Wang Cang Hai’s chest and abdomen, pushing down again and again, desperately trying to restart his breathing.
The man beneath him was silent.
For the first time, Qilin’s eyes turned red.
It was strange—
Just earlier, he had been debating whether he should kill Wan Bao himself.
But now, seeing him lying lifeless, his heart twisted in agony.
He regretted it.
He hated it.
Leaning closer, Qilin drew in a deep breath—
He was about to breathe air into Wang Cang Hai’s lungs—
Their noses almost touching—
And suddenly, a wave of déjà vu struck him.
A memory, faint yet vivid, flashed through his mind.
A scene from some distant time, some other place—
He had done this before.
He had pressed his lips against this man’s, saving him with his own breath.
The feeling was so real, so familiar, that it sent a shiver down his spine.
His fingers trembled—
A single tear slid down Qilin’s cheek, falling onto Wang Cang Hai’s lips.
At that very moment—
In the boundless darkness, Wang Cang Hai saw a glimmer of white light.
The shape of a Qilin, glowing faintly.
He felt a presence, warm and close.
His lips moved slightly—
And then, with a barely audible whisper—
“Qilin…”
He slowly opened his eyes.
And the first thing he saw—
Was the masked Qilin, staring back at him.
“Wan Bao, you scared me to death—I thought you were gone.”
Qilin straightened up and wiped his eyes.
“You… were you crying for me?” Wang Cang Hai asked.
Qilin replied, “If you had died saving me, I really would have cried my heart out with guilt.”
Wang Cang Hai suddenly smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with crying. No matter how old you are, if you want to laugh, then laugh. If you want to cry, then cry.”
Qilin was amused by his words and chuckled. “You’re right.”
The surrounding Zhang family members gathered around, bombarding Qilin with questions.
Some asked how the Clan Leader had suddenly returned. Others were concerned about whether he was injured.
Only Zhang Hai Wang moved closer to Wang Cang Hai and asked, “Wan Bao, why are you with our Clan Leader?”
Wang Cang Hai had just been dusting off the vines, leaves, and dirt from his clothing. Upon hearing the question, his expression shifted from focused to dazed.
He rubbed his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice took on a clumsy honesty:
“I got lost just now and accidentally fell into the Ghost Wife’s Cave. Luckily, the Clan Leader rescued me. Then, just now, he saved me again. I’m truly grateful!”
As he spoke, he bowed repeatedly toward Qilin in thanks.
Qilin frowned internally.
Wang Cang Hai clearly knows that I’m not their Clan Leader…
So why is he deliberately reinforcing their misunderstanding?
Yet after today’s life-and-death struggles, Qilin’s trust in Wang Cang Hai far outweighed his suspicion.
Even though he had no idea what Wang Cang Hai’s intentions were, he decided to play along and responded, “No need to be so polite.”
Wang Cang Hai, now taking the initiative, asked, “Hai Wang, Hai Xing, why are you all here?”
Zhang Hai Wang and Zhang Hai Xing began recounting what had happened with Vice Patriarch Zhang Pei Shan.
The two took turns speaking—half of their words grumbling about Zhang Pei Shan, and the other half relaying serious matters.
The general story was this:
Zhang Pei Shan had traveled to Peng Lai in the East Sea and Wu County in Changsha, supposedly searching for Clan Leader Zhang Qi Ling.
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