"What did you say?" Ryan Ling was a bit stunned when he heard the little girl say this, but after thinking it over, he realized she might actually be right. With his own concealment skills, there was no way the enemy could find him so easily—it had to be because of the intense Da Luo Golden Immortal aura radiating from the girl. She was born with it, and with that kind of aura, the Count's Manor people could track them down in no time!
"I'm telling the truth. It's all because of me. Big brother, I don't even know if you like me or not, but I'm definitely not marrying that Count. If you still want me, just take me now—then we won't get found so easily. Otherwise, sooner or later we'll be exposed..." The little girl hurriedly blurted out, her voice especially earnest!
Ryan Ling was honestly speechless. To be real, he knew better than anyone that this little girl was a walking treasure—and to get this treasure, you had to get close to her; there was no other way. Now that she'd brought it up herself, this was a chance. Plus, the girl was actually pretty cute, her looks extra sweet—he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel anything for her.
But doing something like this in a situation like this—yeah, it kinda felt like forcing things. Ryan was honestly a bit uncomfortable about it.
"They must be hiding nearby. We have to find them—the Count's orders are clear: bring them back alive or dead!" Right at that moment, voices rang out nearby. They hadn't found Ryan and the girl yet, but they knew they were close. If Ryan slipped up even once, he'd be in deep trouble. Besides this lake, there was literally nowhere else to hide in the whole Count's Manor.
"Big brother, there's no other way out—just hurry up! I'm doing this willingly, no matter what happens, I won't blame you!" The little girl was freaking out now, basically begging him. Clearly things were getting worse by the second; if he didn't block her aura soon, the consequences could be seriously dangerous.
"I get it, but isn't this a bit... wrong?" Ryan was still kind of resisting inside, but at this point, neither of them had any way out. So really, there was nothing else to do but go through with it.
"What's there to be wrong about? Big brother, you're way too indecisive!" The little girl clearly wasn't hesitating anymore—she just threw herself into Ryan's arms at this critical moment.
Ryan's heart skipped a beat. As the girl's emotions fluctuated, her Da Luo aura grew even stronger, making it seriously hard for Ryan to hold back. After all, that aura was crazy useful for his cultivation—if he could absorb it now, his strength could rocket straight to mid-stage Golden Immortal. Add in that finger, plus the pearl, and all the Immortal Qi Primeval Heavenwood had stored up lately... with all that combined, Ryan might even hit late-stage Golden Immortal!
If he reached that level, then even if they were discovered, he'd be able to escape with the girl no problem.
At this point, things had already gone this far—so Ryan didn’t hesitate for a second. He wrapped his arms around the little girl, pulling her close!
In an instant, the whole bottom of the lake was thrown into chaos—the fish scattered, freaked out by the noises coming from the pair.
"Big brother, please be gentle with me... It’s my first time..."
The little girl couldn’t help but cry out, her voice trembling—and beneath them, the water was tinged with red.
......
"Huh? Weird—her aura just vanished all of a sudden. How is that even possible?"
"That little girl’s Da Luo Golden Immortal aura shouldn’t just disappear—what the hell happened?"
"Go report to the Count immediately—move it!"
......
After Ryan ‘devoured’ the little girl, her aura was totally gone—almost all of that Da Luo Golden Immortal power had poured straight into his own body. He felt insanely full, like his strength was about to explode. But Ryan forced himself to hold back; this was still the Count’s Manor, and even if they hadn’t been found yet, one slip-up here could mean instant death. The place was crawling with experts, tons of Da Luo Golden Immortals, and Ryan could even faintly sense the Northslay Gang’s presence. Clearly, the Immortal World and Demonic World factions had already teamed up in secret!
"Are you okay? Can you still walk?" Ryan supported the little girl beside him.
"I'm fine, seriously!" The little girl gazed up at Ryan, eyes full of affection. She was hurting, yeah, but she looked totally satisfied.
"Alright, then let's wait for the perfect moment and make a break for it!" Ryan steadied himself, suppressed every trace of his aura, and waited for the right chance to escape.
Time ticked by, and night fell fast. The lake had been packed with people, but nobody sensed a thing—most of the Count's Manor experts had cleared out, clearly widening the search. Some even left the estate, thinking their targets were long gone. As it got darker, Ryan knew their shot to escape was finally here!
"Go!" Ryan didn't hesitate—he grabbed the girl and shot out of the lake at lightning speed. With his aura masked, it was like a breeze blowing past; in a blink, they'd busted out of the Count's Manor!
"Ryan, what took you so long? I sensed a huge commotion inside—I almost went in myself, but the place was locked down tight!" As soon as Ryan and the others burst out, Lady Melody hurried over.
"No time for chit-chat—let's move! I rescued her inside, and we're still being hunted. Let's go!" Ryan knew even outside the Count's Manor, danger was everywhere. They needed a hiding spot, fast.
"Big brother, big sister, follow me—I know the perfect spot to hide!" The little girl was sharp; out of the Count's Manor, she was like a bird out of its cage—her whole vibe changed!
"Alright, we're with you!" Ryan didn't hesitate. He and Lady Melody didn't know Demon-Dragon City at all, and with the chaos, they could stumble into trouble any second. Letting the little girl lead was their best bet.
The little girl led them on—three people darting through alleys and side streets, crossing who knows how many blocks. She knew the city like the back of her hand, dodging patrols every time. Even with the whole place on lockdown, nobody spotted them.
"Here we are—this is the spot!" The little girl stopped at a rundown Western-style temple, with a busted Zeus statue inside. She slipped in, hit a hidden switch, and bam—a secret passage opened under the statue!
"That’s some next-level engineering!" Lady Melody said, eyes wide with amazement.
"Head inside—nobody’s finding us here!" The little girl said, lighting up the torches around them.
Ryan and Lady Melody both nodded and walked in. The second they stepped inside, the entrance sealed up tight—not a single crack left. You’d never guess there was a massive tunnel behind that statue. The three kept walking, the space opening up wider and wider. Just as they exited the passage, a bunch of voices rang out nearby.
"Little sis, how’d you get here? How’d you escape? Holy crap, I can’t believe it!"
"Let me get a good look at you—you’re even prettier than before! What happened?"
"Who are those two?"
......
Ryan was floored—everyone here was a woman, and every single one was drop-dead gorgeous...