Hidden genius: Black belly snake

"Little snake, wait. If I am correct, then something very valuable is there underground."

"Huh? What are you talking about old man? This is not the time for it." 

Tang Yue hurriedly retorted back. "We can come back stronger and loot this place all we want."

"No little snake. Now. You shouldn't miss this opportunity." 

"Hmmm… Are you sure? We don't have much time."

"It's too good. Get down and you will understand." The old man was quite persistent.

Tang Yue furrowed her brows but she didn't continue to argue with him. 

She decided to first head downstairs and check out what was there.

But if what the old man assumed was correct, then this time she wasn't too sure that Xander would still keep quiet with her messing around in the dungeons.

Either way, Tang Yue told Yana to stay put at the entrance and slithered back downstairs.

As she headed deeper and deeper underground, the air felt heavy and the entire place was extremely dark, devoid of any light or hope.

The cell rooms were made of pitch-black stones and bricks and they had additional security guards.

"This is going to be difficult." Tang Yue frowned.

"Go to the last cell, little snake." The old man's voice reached a feverish pitch and he was visibly excited about this.

"Ok. Ok. I am going."

Tang Yue carefully slithered towards the cell at the end of the corridor on the bottom-most layer of the underground dungeons.

Before she could even observe what was in front of her, a pair of eyes flashed open from within inside, looking directly at her.

Tang Yue was currently invisible but still, the unrecognizable creature, which sort of looked like a bird but clearly was not a bird, looked right at her.

It saw through her disguise completely.

"Old man, what is this?" 

Tang Yue shuddered as she silently morphed into her human form and observed closely the creature in front of her.

"Not what little snake. Who… This here is a harpy, a spirit beast like yourself but an extremely rare one."

Tang Yue gulped. This was someone like her?

"Harpies are nature's fortune-tellers. Fate magic was derived from them, learned from them."

"You wanted to know more about that bloodbath, more about anything? She is your answer."

"Your lovers are truly exceptional treasure troves, little snake."

"One is ready to die for you while the other is decked out of gold from top to bottom." 

The old man chuckled in amusement, but Tang Yue's thoughts were different.

She gazed at the creature inside the cell who was neither alive nor dead. 

The poor thing was forced to remain barely alive, without even letting it die in peace.

"Similar to me huh?" Tang Yue lightly chuckled.

Was this the fate that awaited her if Xander ever came to know her truth and her secrets?

Would she be chained and experimented on just like this? Held as a prisoner until the end of her life?

Tang Yue clenched her fists without realizing that her knuckles had turned pale.

"Why is she being kept like this?" She asked.

"Oh, that? It must probably because of all the rumors swirling around about Harpies."

"Some people believe that the creature has the power to predict the future and some believe that the creature is so powerful that it can bend the will of the heavens itself, capable of making whatever comes out of its mouth true."

"This is why it has probably been imprisoned like this, stopped from ever speaking or thinking about anything."

"It does look vicious but it is not done without reason. I would have probably done the same thing." 

The old man continued rambling on. He was very clearly a fan of the way Xander dealt with things.

Tang Yue, however, was not on the same page. She could see herself in that same position.

If she had ever been careless if she had even shown the smallest of weakness, would she have ended with the same fate?

She couldn't think past this image.

She silently paused a while before asking. "Old man, can I form a contract with this one? The same beast contract as Little Blue."

"He He He. Yes, little snake. Finally, you have begun to think like me."

"If you form a contract, then you can exploit the harpy to the fullest extent."

Tang Yue rolled her eyes. She just wanted to free the creature from the predicament it was in.

But at the same time, she didn't want to put herself in more danger.

So she gazed at the creature and once again asked the old man.

"Under the Master-Slave contract, it absolutely has to obey my orders right?"

"Yes, little snake. She might not take a liking to you like your wolves because you contracted both the wolf and the elemental while it was still young."

"But she definitely cannot plot anything that will harm you or even hinder you."

"Her soul will dissipate and she will die before doing so. Those are the binding terms of the contract."

"Little snake, you know this means fighting against your man right?"

Tang Yue nodded. She already knew that. Taking Yana out of the prison was one thing but taking this creature out of the prison was a whole another thing.

Perhaps if she had asked nicely, he might have even agreed to it, but she didn't want to do so.

She wanted to pick a fight with him. Even though it was not she who was imprisoned currently, she felt betrayed.

"Can I use the lucky sticker if it comes to it?" Tang Yue hissed.

"Sure. You know the price. You would lose some of your soul strength."

"I would rather have you face the training grounds in your best possible condition but this harpy is well worth the risk."

Tang Yue pondered for a few more seconds before nodding and making her decision.

She slithered into the dark and cramped cell and hurriedly scribbled a few runes on the floor.

The harpy's eyes followed her every move as her eyeball was the only body part that she could move freely at the moment.

She watched Tang Yue with an unfathomable glint hidden under the veil of the darkness.

Tang Yue, of course, sensed the creature's gaze on her but she continued, hairs steady and fast.

Only after finishing the runes, she gazed back at the battered figure and spoke to her face to face.

"You will be mine but you will be free."

She did not ask her permission. She did not ask her willingness. 

She also did not wait for a response and right in front of the harpy, punctured the tip of her index finger.

A glistening drop of thick blood seeped out of it and dropped onto the center of the rune formation, making it thrum alive instantly.

Tang Yue felt a small tug in the depth of her body and the contract was signed.

"It's done. Now let's get the hell out of here."

She raised her hand, materializing several tongues of flame, and burnt down all the restrictions binding the harpy.

She then physically removed the huge metallic shafts running into the woman in several places, freeing her finally from all the agonizing mind-numbing pain.

Without anything to support her, the harpy immediately fell down with a thud, her body limp and drained.

Tang Yue clicked her tongue and impatiently offered her a health potion to recover at least some of her strength, enough to move out of here. "Drink this."

She helped the woman dunk the liquid into her throat and then unceremoniously tossed her on her shoulders.

"I am sorry. We don't have time." 

Tang Yue then used an invisibility rune because her 'Hide' illusion spell couldn't yet be cast on others and quickly hurried out of the dungeons.

She ran without pausing using the full strength of her cultivation base, crossing the entire twenty layers of the dungeon in a single breath.

She then dragged along Yana who was still patiently waiting for her, holding her breath, and exited the dungeons altogether.

But they were not completely out of danger yet. 

They were still standing within the confines of the Eldorian royal palace and within Xander's grasp.

Tang Yue paused for a second and then hurriedly threw Yana over her other shoulder as well.

She then inhaled deeply and dashed out of the royal palace with the two prisoners, one on each of her shoulders.

She was probably the first and the last person to have accomplished something like this right under the noses of the elven royals.

Tang Yue shot forward like an arrow and stealthily maneuvered in the night. She did not want to raise anyone's suspicions.

She dashed out of the royal palace using a convoluted route and then headed right into the forests.

However, she failed to notice a shadow following her at a distance hidden under the cover of the darkness…