Chapter 1679. Valeria’s Confusing Feelings.

After discovering that the thing below the valley was something dangerous, the girls didn’t rush to undo the seal. They had to prepare in case something popped up out of it and attacked them. Tatyana used the Abyssal Human’s formation as a base to layer yet another suppressing formation on top of everything they’ve been building over the last few years.

Since the creature was clearly related to Life, Valeria had the most contributions this time around. If anything happened, she and Kali would be the main protagonists this time around.

Even then, the rest prepared deeply.

In the meantime, though, things were getting interesting. Shang Qinqin’s mindset, after meeting with Tatyana, solidified. Therefore, she was not shy about expressing her feelings toward Yasenia and trying, to put it bluntly, to get under her skirt.

Usually, this would’ve been yet another situation that had already happened plenty of times. The only difference this time around was Valeria.

Each time Shang Qinqin approached Yasenia, Valeria couldn’t help but feel a touch uncomfortable. It was just a lingering afterthought. Something like: ‘Why is that child being so persistent?’

It didn’t take all of Valeria’s thoughts, but it popped up from time to time. This was something that had never happened before, though. Previously, Valeria wouldn’t even bat an eye about these matters.

Valeria sat alone in the middle of a large garden, her emerald-colored dragon tail with golden rings swishing behind her. Because of sharing blood, helping her evolution, and many other previous situations, Valeria’s form had taken a deep resemblance to Yasenia. It was a path that the Nature Spirit Queen had never tread before, so she was quite expectant about what she would become.

For her, a new path for life to develop, even if it was her own, was very well welcomed.

As she glanced at the sky and passing clouds, Yasenia’s face popped up in her mind once more. “Hm… I wonder what she is doing?”

She could expand her Spiritual Sense to check, but she didn’t. She didn’t even really care that much what she was doing. She just… had that question. It was a meaningless question, not expecting an answer.

Valeria tapped the ground with her dragon tail, leaning back onto the tree trunk behind her. That tree was a powerful spiritual plant that grew fruits that could aid cultivation. These fruits were better used in alchemy to create [Energy Gathering Pills], which is why they grew them.

The girls, to keep up with Yasenia’s monstrous growth, had to rely not only on their talent but also on pills and other beneficial treasures. This didn’t mean that Yasenia didn’t consume them. She did as well.

Nevertheless, the energy requirements for each of them were different. So, what helped Yasenia advance 1% of her cultivation would influence over 5% of the girls’ cultivation.

To put it simply as a visual example. One side took a water bucket to fill a bathtub, and the other side took the same water bucket to fill a small pool. The effects for each were vastly different.

Valeria looked around and, suddenly, saw Shang Qinqin walking around the garden. Her green, slit eyes focused on the woman who had been bothering her somewhat. ‘What is she doing now?’

She didn’t even realize that she had already branded whatever she was doing as something troublesome even before knowing. A clear negative bias due to the unknown feelings gently and gradually brewing deep in her soul.

Shang Qinqin, unaware of that, approached a flower and tilted her expression. “Peculiar… I’ve never seen this type of medicinal herb before.”

As someone from a merchant family, she dealt with all types of items. Even when she was just a merchant, her knowledge of Spiritual Herbs was deep and profound enough to rival that of a well-trained alchemist. For her not to know about a Spiritual Herb was incredibly rare.

And yet, plenty of the herbs in this garden were unknown to her. “When Lady Yasenia opens the valley, they can gather plenty of resources with just these herbs. The alchemist alliances will go crazy over new Spiritual Herb seeds.”

Valeria agreed with that remark. ‘Well, at least her merchant senses are sharp.’

Shang Qinqin finally noticed the woman camouflaged among the other plants on the side. “Oh, Senior Valeria. I didn’t see you there. Your aura is truly resemblant of nature and difficult to distinguish.”

Valeria nodded simply. Regardless of her feelings, Valeria would not act snobbish to a junior. That was just not in her nature to love all living beings. Even then, her sentence came out as interrogatory. “What are you doing here, Shang Qinqin?”

She didn’t really intend to sound so brusque, so Valeria showed a touch of confusion. Still, she didn’t correct herself. Shang Qinqin blinked and answered cautiously. “I was asked by Lady Yasenia to come here and evaluate the Spiritual Herbs. Since I am knowledgeable of the central area’s prices, I have been tasked to create a jade slip with estimated prices for each item in their possession.”

Valeria blinked and hummed. “I see.”

Then, she became silent, creating a strange, awkward silence. Shang Qinqin pondered for a bit and asked, her tone full of caution. “Um, Lady Valeria, may I ask something slightly rude?”

Valeria tilted her head for a moment and nodded. “Go ahead, child.”

After hesitating for a bit, Shang Qinqin asked. “Have I… Um… Offended Lady Valeria with my actions in the past?”

Valeria showed a genuinely puzzled expression. “You have not. Why’d you ask?”

Shang Qinqin’s eyes flashed with a touch of confusion. While it was not clear, she was quite sensitive to gazes. Her profession demanded being sharp and intuitive about people, or you could get deeply hurt when you least expected it.

Therefore, she had noticed that Valeria occasionally, truly rarely, gave her conflicted gazes. They didn’t really carry malice, but Shang Qinqin could feel her gaze prickling her skin.

Yet, Valeria was speaking honestly. It was clear that she was not lying. This made Shang Qinqin doubtful. ‘Have I been imagining it?’

Among everyone present, Shang Qinqin visually liked Valeria a lot at first because of how much she resembled Yasenia. She had even thought that Valeria was some sort of big sister related to her. Only later did she learn that Valeria was Kali’s Spirit, and that her form was deeply influenced by Kali’s feelings, among many other things.

Nevertheless, because of those strange gazes, Shang Qinqin decided to not approach Valeria. Either way, no matter how much she resembled Yasenia in body, she was not her. Shang Qinqin was a visual woman, but once she made up her mind about someone, she was not a loose person who would wag her tail for a prettier individual.

“I understand. I had been wondering if I did something wrong. I am glad that’s not the case.”

Valeria nodded with a blank expression. For her, Shang Qinqin was supposed to be an unimportant existence. And yet, her gaze gravitated toward her from time to time. So, Valeria was also confused about how to deal with this woman.

In the end, she chose indifference. Do not approach her and do not interact. Each would go their way and live their lives.

Feeling that there was nothing much to speak about, Shang Qinqin excused herself and continued her work. Valeria glanced her way for a few more minutes before glancing at the deep blue sky once more.

‘So strange…’

Looking back at her long, long life, Valeria didn’t have any recollection of feeling anything similar. ‘A new experience after so long… Peculiar.’

She didn’t dislike it.

And, as she was thinking about it, she heard a mellow and charming voice. “Qinqin, how is it going?”

Both Shang Qinqin and Valeria turned to look at the source of the voice. There, Yasenia approached wearing a simple, one-piece dress that cinched just below her ample bosom. It was a typical summer dress. Nothing extraordinary. And yet, when Yasenia wore it, it made the hearts of those glancing her way pound heavily against their chest.

She looked just like one’s first love, but fully matured.

Valeria involuntarily gulped. ‘Wow. Such a pure dress can have that kind of effect…’

Her tranquil heart palpitated slightly faster, and her skin became slightly warm. Valeria felt warm and fuzzy as these strange emotions filled her. Yasenia is really beautiful. As expected of the woman I found for my next lineage.’

It was this one fact that caused Valeria’s gaze to be somewhat blocked from what she truly felt. After all, the feelings she had now, while more intense compared to other times, were not a unique experience.

Moreover, since those emotions happened so long ago, they were not too clear in Valeria’s mind, causing even more confusion in the poor spirit.

However, as she was dazedly looking at Yasenia, she also noticed Shang Qinqin fluttering over like a bird returning to her nest. Her good mood from seeing the dragon woman was immediately tinged with a touch of irritation.

‘That child is a bit rude.’

Meanwhile, Yasenia spoke with Shang Qinqin. “Have you explored the place?”

“I am almost done, Lady Yasenia! Hehehe. You promised to praise me, didn’t you? I really want to be praised!”

Yasenia sighed, her face carrying a trace of helplessness but also a touch of amusement. “Alright, alright. I will give you the praise you want. Still, nothing outside of what friends do to each other.”

After being together for so long, both Shang Qinqin and Yasenia knew that Qinqin was trying to woo her. So, Yasenia gave the woman incentives in the form of skinship at a very light level.

Allowing a light massage on the shoulders, fed her food from time to time, and patted her head occasionally. Those weren’t all, but every one of them was similar.

Speaking of the massage, Yasenia thought Shang Qinqin would ask her to give it, but who would’ve known she wanted to be the one giving it. Clearly, the intentions were not pure!

Valeria stood up impulsively, and with a single step, she appeared behind Yasenia. Yasenia blinked and looked back, only to be engulfed in a pair of green mountains. Remember that Valeria was three meters tall. Yasenia fit as Asterion would in her own arms.

“Have you been doing well, Yasenia?”

Yasenia blinked twice and looked up at the smiling Nature Queen. Her golden slit eyes curved slightly as she smiled. “I’ve been doing great, Valeria. What about you?”

Valeria hummed with delight when carrying Yasenia in her arms. She felt… how could she describe it? Complete? As if she had everything she wanted? It was a truly strange and mysterious sensation.

“Now that I am hugging you, I feel much better.”