BTTH : genius planner

In the Tagore Great Desert, there is an oasis where a powerful member of the Serpent People resides in seclusion.

Yue Mei passed through several quiet paths and finally stopped in front of a bamboo house hidden deep within a bamboo forest.

"We've arrived, the elders' place of seclusion."

Looking at the exquisite building before her and thinking of the Serpent People's heritage, Yue Mei's heart, which had been tense since receiving the colorful scales, finally began to settle a bit.

Respectfully adjusting her appearance, Yue Mei gently knocked on the door.

"Elders, regarding the Queen, Yue Mei has urgent matters to report; please grant me an audience."

"Come in."

As soon as the knocking sound faded, an aged voice came from within the bamboo house, and the door opened in response. Yue Mei bent her body and respectfully walked inside.

Upon entering the room, four figures exuding a subtle yet extraordinarily powerful aura appeared before Yue Mei, each one at the peak of the Battle Emperor level.

"Seeing you so anxious, what exactly happened to the Queen?" One of the elderly women, noticing Yue Mei's obviously flustered expression, asked seriously.

"Elder, the details are as follows..."

Yue Mei began to recount everything she knew in detail.

"What? The Queen was defeated and captured, and was forced to consume what seems to be a poison pill? You were also forced to take it? How could this happen? Third Elder, you are the most knowledgeable about poisons; come and check the situation."

After hearing Yue Mei's account, the Great Elder was filled with astonishment, not expecting so many changes to occur in such a short time.

The Third Elder stepped forward, placing a hand on Yue Mei's wrist, and a stream of battle energy penetrated deeply as he carefully examined her condition.

"How is it, Third Elder? Is it poison? Is it difficult to handle?" the Great Elder asked.

The Third Elder sighed and shook his head, his tone filled with distress: "It is poison, but not ordinary poison. The person who administered it is extremely knowledgeable about pharmacology, and if I am not mistaken, he is both a poison master and a high-level alchemist. The way he skillfully combined the properties of the medicinal materials with the essence of fire poison is beyond my ability to handle."

After a moment of silence, the Great Elder slammed his palm down, shattering the table beside him, his voice emanating a chilling aura: "A transaction, a transaction! We must go and meet this mysterious powerhouse. I want to see who is targeting our Serpent People and what kind of transaction he wants to discuss."

Before long, five streaks of light rushed from the oasis towards the location of Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa.

By a water pool in the oasis within the desert.

Lin Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged not far from the unconscious Medusa (who had been knocked out several times before waking up), opened his eyes, stood up, and looked into the distance.

Soon, several streaks of light appeared in the sky above Lin Yuan, rapidly descending and creating a gust of wind that pressed down towards him. However, these gusts naturally parted before Lin Yuan, only ruffling his hair without causing any disarray.

"Let's skip the pointless probing and get straight to the point. Let's talk about a transaction or cooperation," Lin Yuan said with a light smile as he looked at the five figures, raising his right hand and making a downward motion, dispersing and calming the chaotic air around him.

With a calm demeanor and exquisite control of battle energy, this person was certainly not simple; caution was warranted. The four who had been together for years exchanged glances, silently understanding each other.

The Great Elder glanced at the unconscious Queen Medusa, whose clothes were tattered but crucial parts were still covered, and her aura was present. It seemed nothing irreparable had happened, and he breathed a sigh of relief, realizing there was still room for negotiation.

"Yue Mei, you go guard the perimeter. Don't let anyone approach here and disturb my conversation with these esteemed elders," Lin Yuan instructed Yue Mei.

Looking at Lin Yuan, who naturally gave her orders, Yue Mei felt a bit at a loss and glanced at the Great Elder. The Great Elder nodded slightly, "Go ahead, Yue Mei. We indeed need to have a good talk with this young friend."

"Yes, Great Elder." Yue Mei cupped her hands and flew to the perimeter to begin her watch.

"Second Elder, go check if Her Majesty the Queen is alright," the Great Elder said to the Second Elder beside him. The Second Elder nodded and walked towards Queen Medusa.

The Great Elder turned to Lin Yuan, trying to muster a friendly smile, and asked, "Is there some misunderstanding or grievance between our clan and you, young friend?"

"There is none; I have no grievances with the Serpent People," Lin Yuan replied sincerely.

Upon hearing this, the Great Elder seemed somewhat puzzled and asked, "Then why did you injure our Queen Medusa and poison her and Yue Mei?"

Lin Yuan smiled lightly.

"Queen Medusa wanted my 异火 (strange fire), so I fought her fairly. She lost, and I did not take her life; she naturally needs to pay another price. In other words, her life is now my bargaining chip, and if the Serpent People want her back, they need to negotiate with me and offer what I desire."

"To ensure you can communicate properly, I specifically placed a seal on her and fed her poison. It seems to be quite effective; you are now very patient in discussing with me," Lin Yuan said, looking at the people before him with a satisfied expression.

"Impudent! You underestimate our Serpent People!" A sharp shout came from the Fourth Elder, who looked at Lin Yuan with a hostile gaze, her tone completely dismissing the authority of the Serpent People.

Lin Yuan was unfazed by her anger and chuckled, "Raising your voice won't make your words more persuasive. I specifically had Yue Mei take the poison pill so you could try to handle it, and the result is that you cannot, right? So now you need to have a good conversation with me."

"You brat, are you not afraid that the four of us will join forces and take you down directly?" The Fourth Elder's eyes were filled with danger, and the battle energy at her fingertips seemed to be stirring.

"Oh?" Lin Yuan looked at the four with interest, confidently smiling, "Shall we gamble on this? With Queen Medusa's life as the stake. A friendly reminder: I have not used my full strength in the battle with Queen Medusa, and the fight was not satisfying. If you are inclined, I would be more than happy to oblige."

Seeing Lin Yuan's confident and tough attitude, the Great Elder took over the conversation, smiling, "Young friend, you misunderstand. This is our Fourth Elder, who is rather straightforward and has a fiery temper; please do not take offense."

After a pause, the Great Elder candidly said, "Since it is a transaction, how shall we proceed? Young friend, please state your terms directly. If there is anything you need from our Serpent People, please speak freely."

"Very well, this is the attitude a conversation should have. There are three conditions." Ignoring the interplay among the four, Lin Yuan prepared to state his terms for the transaction.

"First..."

Just as Lin Yuan was about to state his conditions, a soft moan attracted everyone's attention. It turned out that the unconscious Queen Medusa had also woken up with the help of the Second Elder.

She pressed her forehead, as if driving away the chaos in her mind, and then focused her gaze, "Elders, weren't you in seclusion? How could you be here? It's you!!!"

Upon seeing Lin Yuan, Queen Medusa's tone shifted from confusion to shame and anger in an instant, her eyes filled with a violent killing intent. After encountering this person, she had experienced the most humiliating moment of her life: defeat, being sealed, being knocked out, being knocked out, and knocked out again. In the blurred memories of this time, only the hands that had knocked her out were vividly clear.

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(End of Chapter)