“Don’t worry, I won’t harm your family,” Chu Tian said.
His voice was steady, yet it carried an absolute authority that brooked no argument.
He looked down, gazing at the beautiful face of the girl in his arms, which had grown pale with fear.
A hint of softness he hadn’t noticed himself flickered in the depths of his eyes.
“I will also bring the most precious gifts and play the role of one who will leave them completely satisfied…”
His words trailed off, the corners of his lips curving into an aggressive arc.
Every word felt burning hot, like a brand searing against Su Nian’s eardrums.
“A perfect son-in-law.”
In private, he had already sent people to secretly protect the Su family, especially Su Nian’s parents.
Lately, several factions had been investigating her family’s information, either wishing to control the Star-Moon Saintess or seeking her magic circles.
Now, using the Energy Gathering Circle as a pretext, it was the perfect time to pay them a formal visit and clear out those “uninvited guests” while he was at it.
Hearing the Horned Demon’s shameless words, Su Nian looked at the sky, speechless.
She looked up, her gaze meeting the man’s eyes.
This Horned Demon bastard wanted to go before her parents and play the role of her… partner.
‘Talk about shameless. He even claims to be a perfect son-in-law? My parents are more likely to see him as a suspicious person who kidnapped their daughter.’
However… there might be an exception.
Su Nian’s gaze refocused involuntarily as she carefully studied the man before her.
A confident smile hung on that flawless, handsome face, looking as though he controlled everything.
His deep eyes were unfathomable whirlpools, and beneath his straight nose were well-defined, thin lips.
There was certainly nothing wrong with his face; her parents probably wouldn’t reject him based on looks alone.
Coupled with his bottomless wealth…
If he truly played the part of a gentle, considerate, and high-born “perfect son-in-law” in front of her parents…
Perhaps… he really could “buy off” her parents with his acting and his riches.
‘I hope my parents are smart enough to see through the surface to his true nature!’
“What? Not satisfied?”
Chu Tian keenly caught the complex emotion flickering across her face, and his deep eyes narrowed slightly.
“Or do you think your Master isn’t good enough for you?”
He reached out, his warm thumb gently stroking the girl’s smooth chin.
The movement was intimate, yet his gaze carried an undeniable pressure.
That familiar, aggressive aura enveloped her instantly.
Su Nian’s body trembled instinctively.
She did not dodge, sitting obediently on the Horned Demon Lord’s lap and allowing him to hold her.
Continuous defeats had already carved the instinct of submission into the very marrow of her bones.
“No…” she whispered, lowering her eyes.
Her long eyelashes cast a fragile shadow over her cheeks as she said, “The Horned Demon Lord is… naturally a good match for Nian’er.”
“Good.” Chu Tian nodded with satisfaction.
Excellent.
Even so, she couldn’t hide her stubbornness and pride.
It gave him an extreme thrill of conquest.
Since he was playing the role of a suitor, he naturally had to show some sincerity.
“Tell me, what do your parents… like?”
Su Nian narrowed her beautiful eyes.
‘This guy… is really getting into character.’
Her mind raced.
Should she lie?
Should she tell him the wrong preferences so he would send the wrong gifts and make a fool of himself in front of her parents?
The thought flashed through her mind for only a second before she crushed it.
‘No. With this man’s methods, finding her parents’ true preferences would be easy.’
If he caught her playing tricks on something like this, the consequences…
She didn’t dare think about it.
She would be punished by the Horned Demon Lord!
He might even involve her parents, which would be even worse.
She couldn’t gamble with their safety.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the sob in her throat, and began to help the man refine his deception.
“Father… he likely likes weapons and wine,” she said softly, her voice carrying a numb calm.
“As for weapons, he mostly prefers the longsword. He used to be… a powerful swordsman, but he suffered an injury later, and his strength dropped significantly. He still loves longswords, though. As for wine, the stronger, the better. Mother… She likes researching plants and flowers, and…”
She paused, her voice tinged with a complex emotion.
“Of course, what she likes most are potions that can delay aging.”
Su Nian didn’t dare lie, instinctively helping the man cheat.
“Very well,” Chu Tian nodded to himself.
This information matched his secret investigation perfectly.
It seemed this little wildcat truly didn’t dare take any chances when it came to her family.
Following that, a faint blue light screen appeared before him—the System Shop interface.
The light from the screen reflected in his deep eyes, shimmering with color.
His slender fingers slid across the screen as a dizzying array of treasures flashed by.
Treasures that could drive an entire kingdom mad were just rows of cold data beneath his touch.
Quickly, his fingertips stopped on two items.
[Frostfall Fang: A longsword forged from the tooth of an ancient Frost Giant Dragon. The blade carries an innate aura of extreme cold that can freeze souls when swung. (Value: 300,000 Annoyance Value)]
[Morning Dew of the Spring of Life: A small bottle of dew condensed from the essence of the Spring of Life. It is said to bring dead wood back to life. When used by humans, it can significantly delay aging and restore youth. (Value: 300,000 Annoyance Value)]
“These two will do.”
Chu Tian confirmed the purchase, treating the 600,000 Annoyance Value as a trivial number.
Of course, these were just the two main high-quality gifts from the System.
There would be other gifts bought with gold coins.
Items others might see as treasures, but to the current Chu Tian, anything purchasable on the market was mere mediocrity.
With a flash of light, the two items, condensed with the power of laws, lay quietly in his storage space.
***
For the next three days, Su Nian thought of nothing but going home.
She felt flustered and nervous, yet she also felt this was an opportunity.
She was flustered because bringing a man to see her parents felt embarrassing… and she feared exposing her “true” situation under their concerned eyes.
At the same time, she worried that the man might hurt them.
The opportunity, however, was that compared to her situation at Shadowmoon Manor—where she had to wear specific clothes and welcome her Master every day—going to her parents’ house should be an improvement.
To play the “perfect son-in-law,” the Horned Demon Lord would have to act somewhat gentle and respectful in front of her parents, wouldn’t he?
He might even treat her better!
Perhaps, to show off in front of her parents…
‘Wait, what’s wrong with me?! Why am I looking forward to him treating me better…’
Even if he did, she wouldn’t hesitate to strike once she gathered 100 million Humiliation Value and became a god.
Business was business.
‘Hmph!’