Chapter 109: The Ancestor's Belated Rebellious Phase (36)

The man to the right of the City Lord barked toward the entrance, "What is going on? Why was there no announcement?"

Guards had been stationed outside. How could a Demon Lord barge in with such fanfare without a single warning?

"Don't get so worked up. At your age, it's easy for something to go wrong."

Ling Qiong walked to an open space and sat down, crossing her legs with natural, graceful ease. She rested her chin on her fingertips and spoke lazily.

"Your disciples are all sleeping soundly outside. Rest assured, we Demon Lords have our principles; we don't slaughter the innocent."

The crowd: "..."

They certainly didn't say that when they *were* slaughtering the innocent!

The City Lord, a man of the world, used his eyes to calm the others. Someone, still uneasy, went out to check. Jiang He and the others didn't stop them, letting the person pass.

The man soon returned and nodded to the City Lord. The Demon Lord had told the truth; all the disciples were alive, merely unconscious.

The City Lord felt no relief. They were so close, yet all the disciples outside had been neutralized without them noticing a thing. The strength of this Demon Lord was...

The City Lord steadied his mind and assumed the bearing of a leader. "Clan Leader Yue, you have broken in late at night. What is your business?"

Ling Qiong countered, "What business do you have, sneaking around in the dead of night to summon Lou Xingluo?"

You’ve ruined my sleep. And now I have to get up and work overtime! Is my darling something you’re allowed to touch?

The City Lord replied, "Clan Leader Yue, this is a family matter."

"Ah..." Ling Qiong raised an eyebrow. "Is the City Lord's family matter to coerce his own son into handing over a divine beast?"

The City Lord’s expression darkened. "Clan Leader Yue, that doesn't seem to concern you, does it?"

Ling Qiong said, "City Lord, I’m actually here to help you."

The City Lord’s eyes flickered. "Help me? How does Clan Leader Yue intend to help me?"

"You just want the divine beast, don't you?" Ling Qiong said with a smile. "That’s simple enough."

"...What does Clan Leader Yue mean by that?" Simple? How could it be simple?

"I’ll just have Lou Xingluo give it to you," Ling Qiong said with complete indifference, as if she were discarding unwanted trash.

"..."

Why would Lou Xingluo listen to you?

"Lou Xingluo," Ling Qiong called to him, standing in the center.

He glanced at her, then walked over after a few seconds. Ling Qiong crooked her finger, signaling him to lean in. Lou Xingluo obediently bowed his head.

Warm air, carrying her unique scent, drifted over. His ear felt itchy and hot. Lou Xingluo wanted to pull back, but he ultimately held his ground and listened to what she had to say.

...

The two whispered to each other while the rest could only watch. The City Lord’s men looked at one another in confusion. Could this Demon Lord really make Lou Xingluo obediently hand over the divine beast?

Lou Xingluo slowly stood upright and looked down at the girl. She had set her legs down and folded her hands in her lap, sitting with a demure posture. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling, as if he were her entire world. No one could bear to refuse such a gaze.

Lou Xingluo: "Okay."

The City Lord and his men: "..."

He actually agreed?

Ling Qiong said happily, "I’ve convinced Lou Xingluo. Now it’s up to your sincerity."

The City Lord struggled to keep up with her pace. "What sincerity?"

Ling Qiong flipped a spirit coin into the air and smiled sideways. "This kind of sincerity."

The City Lord: "..."

Why does a Demon Lord need so much money?

"I’ll count to five. If you don't trade, then forget it." Ling Qiong counted on her fingers, "Five, four, three, two..."

"We'll trade!"

Ling Qiong spoke so quickly that the City Lord barely had time to react. Who counts like that?!

Ling Qiong pinched the spirit coin and kissed it. "Pleasure doing business."

The City Lord: "..."

After some haggling to finalize the transaction amount, Ling Qiong waited for the City Lord to deliver the coins. Only then did she take Lou Xingluo's arm to stand up and rummage through her sleeve.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, she produced a small, golden dragon. The little dragon hung limply like a piece of rope, completely motionless.

The City Lord: "..."

No, why was the divine beast on her person? They had been talking for so long, and the divine beast wasn't even here?

Ling Qiong tossed it to the City Lord as if throwing away trash. "Here, it's yours."

The City Lord caught it instinctively. The Ink Snake, which had been fast asleep, was suddenly airborne. It jolted awake and uncontrollably began to grow in size.

*Boom—*

"City Lord!!"

"City Lord..."

The Ink Snake pinned the City Lord beneath it, and the crowd scrambled forward in a panic.

Ling Qiong ducked under Lou Xingluo’s arm and into his embrace. "Let's go back to sleep."

The Ink Snake, having regained its senses, heard exactly that. "What are you two up to again!!" Its tail whipped around, sweeping the people surrounding it away and sending them crashing into the surroundings.

Ling Qiong turned to look at it. "Don't be so irritable. They are your new masters now. Behave yourself, respect your elders, and be kind to the young. Look at how you've batted them around—naughty."

Ink·Naughty·Snake: "???"

The Ink Snake realized what was happening and roared, "Did you sell me out?!"

Ling Qiong immediately denied it. "Not at all!"

She watched the people sent flying by the snake, sighing and shaking her head with feigned sympathy.

"The divine beast has a terrible temper; you must serve it well." Ling Qiong pursed her lips in a demure smile, her voice soft and sweet as she offered a blessing, "I wish you good fortune with your dragon."

Ling Qiong led Lou Xingluo away. If they didn't leave now, the divine beast would lose its temper.

The Ink Snake gnashed its teeth, expressionless. It had thought Lou Xingluo was shameless and despicable enough, but it never expected that after this woman appeared, they could become even more shameless.

...

After they had walked some distance, they heard the sound of buildings collapsing behind them, accompanied by human shouts.

Ling Qiong leaned her head against Lou Xingluo and laughed, then hummed softly. "With that little bit of skill, they wanted to play with a dragon."

Lou Xingluo was still worried. "Are you sure it's fine?"

"Of course." Ling Qiong patted her chest in reassurance. "I spent so much gold for a reason." If the "Dog System" hadn't woken her up in the middle of the night to draw cards, would she have bothered?

"What?" Lou Xingluo didn't quite understand.

"Nothing." Ling Qiong patted his chest, telling him not to worry. "I guarantee they won't be able to snatch your dragon."

Is the stuff belonging to my darling really that easy to take? Is this Daddy really so easy to bully?

"Do you really think it’s okay to give it to them?"

Ling Qiong said, "If that's what they want, let them have it. But whether they can handle it—that depends on their own ability, doesn't it?"

"..."

Since Lou Xingluo had chosen to trust her, he didn't ask further. If something went wrong in the end... he would just have to find a way to fix it.

Lou Xingluo said in a low voice, "Let's go back."

"Okay."

Ling Qiong leaned against him, putting most of her weight on his body. Lou Xingluo didn't dare move away, afraid she might lose her balance and fall. After a moment of hesitation, he raised his arm and tentatively wrapped it around her waist.