Mira Ming shook her head after her aunt urged her to leave. "My father told me to run before, too. But now there's still no news from him. I won't abandon you."
"Silly girl, if you leave now, you'll have a chance to find your father. As for me, I have my own ways to escape," her aunt replied.
"But..." Mira hesitated. Her aunt continued, "Your father entrusted the Demon Tiger to me so I could remove the control spell on it. The process is already underway. Give it a bit more time and the control will fade. By then, these people won't be able to hold the Demon Tiger. It will come find me on its own, and I'll take it to go look for your father."
"Is that really true?" Mira asked suspiciously.
Her aunt nodded. "Of course it's true. You need to leave now, and quickly."
"Alright then." Mira said, and left through the secret tunnel with Liam Yang.
After a short while, once her aunt saw the barrier was about to fail, she soared into the sky. Everyone saw a flash overhead as the figure disappeared, and no trace of anyone remained nearby.
"What just happened?" Terry Tian asked, puzzled, as an explosion rang out inside the barrier but nothing was left behind.
"No idea," Mira replied, equally confused.
Terry Tian frowned. Logically, Liam Yang and the others shouldn't have left yet—so why were there no traces of them? They'd just had several people surround the space, and aside from that flash, nothing else escaped.
Damn it, they've escaped again! Terry Tian said angrily.
Young Lord Tian, I suggest we return. Once I carefully examine my Demon Tiger, I'll be able to track them. Xander Xu said.
Oh? Why? Terry Tian asked curiously.
My Demon Tiger recovered by consuming that boy's blood and still carries his aura. If I use a secret technique, I'll be able to locate him. Xander Xu explained.
Great, excellent, let's do that! Terry Tian said with a smile.
Liam Yang didn't know Xander Xu had such abilities. He was still on the mountain with Mira Ming, discussing their next steps.
"Where do you think my father went?" Mira Ming asked.
"I don't know," Liam Yang replied, shaking his head.
"Now I've lost contact with my aunt, too. Suddenly I feel so useless," Mira Ming sighed.
"Don't worry, it'll be alright." Seeing Mira Ming's helplessness, Liam Yang silently called out to Evan Yang several times in his heart, hoping his father would appear and help them.
"I hope so, too," Mira Ming sighed.
After waiting several days, Mira Ming stood up and said, "No, we can't just sit here waiting for death. Let's split up and search."
"Split up to search? Do you know where they are?" Liam Yang asked, frowning.
"I don't know, but we can try to look," Mira Ming replied.
Liam Yang knew Mira Ming was stubborn; if he didn't let her go, she'd go crazy. So he said, "Alright."
"Okay, you search near my aunt's direction, I'll search near the Demon Mask Sect. If we hear anything, use this to contact each other—these are Twinbond Stones, they let us know each other's location and talk," Mira Ming told Liam Yang.
Liam Yang nodded, "Alright, got it. Let's head out."
Liam Yang took the stone and parted from Mira Ming.
Sigh, I wonder how Sect Master Ming and Mira Ming's aunt are doing. Liam Yang muttered, searching for traces around Mira Ming's aunt's mountain.
He didn't find anyone, but realized he was trapped.
"Kid, I've been waiting for you for a long time. You finally walked right in." A laugh rang out—Xander Xu was the speaker.
Liam Yang hadn't expected Xander Xu and his group to be here, including Terry Tian.
"How did you know I'd come here?" Liam Yang asked suspiciously, seeing his surroundings.
"Don't forget, the Demon Tiger ate your blood—I can naturally track your aura," Xander Xu laughed.
"So that's how it is. Looks like you came prepared," Liam Yang said.
Xander Xu smiled, "You can't escape today. Just be obedient and come back to me."
"Elder Xu, what's so good about this guy? Let me teach him a lesson first, then hand him over to you." Terry Tian said, his hatred for Liam Yang undiminished.
Xander Xu was worried Liam Yang's body might get damaged, so he quickly said, "No, his body is a great tonic. If you ruin it, it'll be a waste."
"A great tonic? With a body like his?" Terry Tian sneered.
"That's right. My Demon Tiger eats his blood, and it's tens of thousands of times more effective than anyone else's—maybe even hundreds of thousands. It's incalculable," Xander Xu said.
Is that so? That's really bizarre. In that case, I want to see how he's tortured—being the Demon Tiger's food? Interesting. Everyone, bind him! Terry Tian sneered.
Five people stepped forward and each threw out a chain. The five chains were specially made; they quickly bound Liam Yang, forming an iron sphere around him.
"How is it, kid? Can you hear me? You'd better cooperate. Where's Mira Ming?" Terry Tian asked.
"I'm not telling you—dream on," Liam Yang snorted.
"So that's how it is. I'll lock you up first and see if you talk," Terry Tian snorted.
"Do whatever you want," Liam Yang said.
Terry Tian and his group escorted Liam Yang back to the Tian Clan. In the Tian Clan, Liam was thrown aside, surrounded by guards.
Xander Xu looked at Terry Tian: "Young Lord Tian, can I have this person?"
"No, I still want to use him as bait. I want to see if Mira Ming really cares about him," Terry Tian said, then called for drinks in the hall.
After searching for days with no news, Mira Ming checked on Liam Yang but found he'd lost contact. This made her worry for his safety. She thought for a moment, then took out the Twinbond Stone to check, discovering Liam was at the Tian Clan. She frowned, "Was he captured?"
Mira Ming headed toward the Tian Clan. Upon reaching the outskirts, she took out the stone and sent another message: "How are you doing?"
"It's you?" Liam Yang was surprised the stone responded.
"Yeah, what's your situation?" Mira Ming asked.
"They want to use me to lure you. Don't come; I'm fine. They still need my blood," Liam Yang said with a smile.
"No way. I won't leave you there. I'll find a way to rescue you," Mira Ming said.
Liam Yang shook his head. "It's useless."
"I don't believe it," Mira Ming said, worried for Liam Yang's safety, and began thinking of solutions.
Terry Tian's scouts reported Mira Ming's presence. He was glad she came, but disappointed—since she came for Liam Yang.
"Alright, let's move out," Terry Tian said.
As Mira Ming searched for solutions, she was suddenly surrounded by Tian Clan members. She was startled, and Terry Tian slowly flew out, smiling: "Hello."
"Terry Tian, you destroyed my sect and attacked my aunt. What are you trying to do?" Mira Ming asked angrily.
"You should know, after your father and you tricked me, I said I'd destroy the Demon Mask Sect, take you, and deal with your father. Too bad I haven't found him yet. Otherwise, I'd have words for him," Terry Tian sneered.
"You're so unreasonable!" Mira Ming said angrily.
"One word: surrender, or I'll kill your lover immediately." Terry Tian didn't want to hurt Mira Ming, so he used Liam Yang's life as leverage.
Mira Ming was furious, but at least she could try to reach Liam Yang and find a way to escape. "I want to see him," she said.
"Oh? Alright, let's go," Terry Tian said, smiling.
Terry Tian brought Mira Ming into the Tian Clan. Upon seeing Liam Yang inside the iron sphere, Mira Ming exclaimed angrily, "You beast!"
"Don't talk to me like that. You'll soon be my wife. Now you have a choice: follow me and I'll release him, or he dies—your fate is your own." Terry Tian sneered.
"Of course, I choose the second one. Only an idiot would choose the first," Liam Yang said.
Mira Ming couldn't possibly choose the second option. After spending time with Liam Yang, she'd developed feelings she hadn't realized. "Then I choose the first," she said.
"If you had said so earlier, why would I have destroyed the Demon Mask Sect? Well, that's great. We'll get married the day after tomorrow. Come with me now," Terry Tian said, smiling.
"You have to release him first," Mira Ming said.
"He'll attend the wedding, so don't worry. He'll be released," Terry Tian said, smiling.
Liam Yang was furious: "Don't listen to him. I'll be fine."
"Will you really be fine? You're stuck in there," Terry Tian said, smiling.
Mira Ming said, "Last time you saved me, this time I'll save you. We're even."
"That's not an excuse. You must choose the second option," Liam Yang said angrily. He didn't want Mira Ming to follow Terry Tian because of him.
"There's no choice," Mira Ming said, holding back tears.
Seeing Mira Ming and Liam Yang like this, Terry Tian was bitter and wished he could kill Liam Yang right away.
"You..." Liam Yang was speechless. No matter what he said, Mira Ming had made her decision. Mira Ming left with Terry Tian and his men.
"Don't go, don't go!" Liam Yang shouted, but they didn't turn back. Liam Yang calmed down and said, "Dad, if you're awake, please come help me. I'm begging you."
Mira Ming was placed somewhere to rest by Terry Tian, who went to arrange the wedding. On the way, Xander Xu asked Terry Tian, "Are you really going to release him?"
"Is that possible?" Terry Tian sneered.