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Cang Hai Plays with the Qilin — Chapter 20. The Eight Steeds of King Mu. Part 1


 Sure enough, upon hearing Qilin’s question, Zhang Hai Wang’s expression changed instantly. He drew his black-gold saber, pointed it at Qilin, and demanded, “Who are you, really? The Clan Leader would never be unaware of this lake’s secret. Are you truly Zhang Qi Ling?”

Qilin stepped forward, just about to answer—

But Wang Cang Hai gently pulled on his arm.

Qilin hesitated for only a fraction of a second, and in that brief pause, Zhang Hai Xing lashed out in anger:

“Hai Wang, what nonsense are you spouting?! We all saw the Clan Leader bless the black-gold saber with his qilin blood just now! How could Zhang Qi Ling possibly be fake? Do you think two people can exist in this world with qilin blood at the same time?”

Qilin’s heart skipped a beat—

With all the chaos from earlier, he had completely overlooked such an oddity.

In Wang Bai Mountain’s Eastern Xia Kingdom, the Zhang Clan Leader is always named ‘Zhang Qi Ling’ because the qilin blood is passed down through a single unbroken lineage.

Each time the previous Zhang Qi Ling passed away, Mu Wang (King Mu) would personally issue an order to find the next chosen infant among the Zhang clan.

That child would be taken to Cloud Palace, raised under Mu Wang’s direct tutelage, and when they turned twenty years old, only one among them would reveal the mark of qilin blood, along with a qilin tattoo.

From that moment forward, their aging would cease. They would forever remain a youth, granted the title "Zhang Qi Ling", trained to wield the black-gold saber, and serve Mu Wang for life.

For thousands of years, the lineage of qilin blood had always followed this single transmission—

Except once.

Ninety-seven years ago, an exception occurred.

That was Qilin’s father, the Thirteenth Zhang Qi Ling.

He had violated Eastern Xia’s laws by marrying a woman from the Great Yong Empire, Bai Meng, and fathered a child—

That child being Qilin himself, the Fourteenth Zhang Qi Ling.

For a long time after Qilin was born, both father and son carried qilin blood at the same time.

Decades passed.

Mu Wang had once told Qilin: His father, the Thirteenth Zhang Qi Ling, had died in a rebellion among the Zhang clan.

With his father gone, Qilin should have been the sole qilin-blooded individual left in the world.

But then—

Why does this Zhang Clan Leader from Ba Nai also have qilin blood?

Could it be…?

Qilin became lost in thought, unaware that Zhang Hai Wang and Zhang Hai Xing had begun arguing fiercely, their faces red with anger.

Wang Cang Hai suddenly interjected:

“What did the Clan Leader use to suppress the Nine-Headed Serpent Cypress just now? Will it come back to attack us?”

Hearing this, the Zhang clan members snapped back to reality and remembered that they were still trapped in a dangerous underground cave.

They quickly scolded Zhang Hai Wang, while Zhang Hai Xing took the chance to rebuke him further:

“Hai Wang, stop stirring up trouble, will you? We’re all trapped down here! Right now, we can only rely on the Clan Leader to lead us out!”

Zhang Hai Wang’s face turned red with embarrassment. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find any words to refute.

Wang Cang Hai seized the moment and asked:

“The path ahead is blocked by the serpent cypress. What about the way you all came from? Can we retrace our steps?”

Zhang Hai Xing sighed.

“We ran into too many Mi Luo Tu along the way,” he explained.

“To escape, we had to dig a narrow tunnel to slip through. Going back that way… isn’t an option.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Hai Wang—though still fuming in silence—kept glancing at Qilin, as if trying to see if their ‘Clan Leader’ had a plan to get them out.

Qilin scanned their surroundings.

Aside from sheer rock walls, there was nothing useful.

But then—

He tilted his head back, staring at the cavern’s high ceiling, and said:

“There’s something up there. Hand me a torch.”

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