“Duke, our operations in New Sea City have been completely wiped out.”
In the Imperial Capital, within a luxurious villa residence.
A young man, always dressed in a tailcoat and with a dignified appearance that resembled a butler, approached the throne steps in the hall, placed his hand over his chest, and reported respectfully to the ‘Duke’ seated on the throne.
On the throne, the ‘Duke’ rested his right fist against his cheek, looking lazy and unconcerned.
Upon hearing the ‘butler’ youth’s words, his expression didn’t change at all, his gaze remaining as calm as a still lake, as if he had long expected this outcome.
“No matter. The Demon Church had already served its purpose. Even if they’re destroyed, it won’t affect our plan in the slightest.”
“However…”
The ‘Duke’s’ expression turned more interested as he asked the ‘butler’ youth, “Was this the work of that little girl from the Bai Family?”
“Yes, sir. It was indeed Bai Shuanglian of the Bai Family.”
The ‘butler’ youth nodded, paused, then continued, “But according to the results of my investigation, Bai Shuanglian wasn’t the only one involved. There was also another Underworld Spirit whose identity remains unknown.”
“Oh? An Underworld Spirit?”
The ‘Duke’ sat upright, losing his lazy demeanor and becoming interested in the ‘butler’ youth’s words.
“To think that those who pride themselves as Exorcists would one day cooperate with what they call ‘evil.’”
“Should I say it’s the mark of the new generation? As expected, they lack the stubborn prejudices of those old fossils.”
Seeing the ‘Duke’ so intrigued, the ‘butler’ youth offered a reminder:
“Duke, should we take action against Bai Shuanglian and that Underworld Spirit to prevent them from tracing us through the Demon Church?”
“No need. The Exorcists have long held grudges against us. If we make too many moves, it will only arouse more suspicion.”
The ‘Duke’ waved his hand carelessly.
“Besides, Exorcists and those from the Underworld have always been at odds. Even if those two cooperated this time, it won’t be long before they part ways, or even become enemies.”
“I’ve seen too much of this in my years in Eastern Radiance—nothing worth worrying about.”
With that, the ‘Duke’ seemed to lose interest in the two, returning to his lazy posture, and asked the ‘butler’ youth:
“What about the situation in the other cities? How is the progress in collecting materials?”
“Reporting to the Duke. Other cities have seen the rise of Exorcists acting righteously as well, but since their abilities are mediocre, they haven’t managed to interfere with our plans.”
“The materials needed for the plan are almost completely prepared. However, to prevent unexpected incidents, the collection is still ongoing.”
The ‘butler’ youth reported to the ‘Duke.’
“Very good.”
The ‘Duke’ nodded.
“Then it’s time we prepare for the Xuantian Martial Tournament and await its commencement.”
***
“A new day, and I’m starting it on the floor?”
At this moment, Ling Xiaoyou hugged her small blanket tighter, her entire loli form resembling a giant caterpillar as she lay on the floor, deep in thought.
She pondered, while her sleeping posture wasn’t particularly bad, it shouldn’t have been so terrible as to land her on the floor, right?
After thinking for a moment, Ling Xiaoyou came up with an answer she found very reasonable.
Yes, it’s all because of that hateful Bai Shuanglian!
If she hadn’t been thinking about Bai Shuanglian’s affairs the past two days, she wouldn’t have stayed up so late, slept restlessly, and ended up on the floor.
As for those little game breaks in between—those were entirely necessary relaxation after too much thinking.
What? If I thought for so long, what did I figure out?
Humph, obviously…
I didn’t figure out anything!
After all, she had no idea why Bai Shuanglian’s Happiness Points seemed to have no upper limit and kept accumulating endlessly.
She only understood one thing: Bai Shuanglian is a complete pervert!
Every time she gained Happiness Points, it was during Bai Shuanglian’s conversations with her, physical contact, or other interactions!
Getting happy just from interacting with me, Bai Shuanglian, and you still say you’re not a pervert?!
However—cough, cough—even if Bai Shuanglian is a bit of a pervert, the Happiness Points she provides are abundant, which Ling Xiaoyou found quite satisfactory!
Of course, if she had to take the initiative to interact with Bai Shuanglian just to gain Happiness Points, Ling Xiaoyou would be ten thousand times unwilling!
So what if Bai Shuanglian’s Happiness Points have no upper limit?
At worst, I’ll work harder and get Happiness Points from others!
Hmph, I’d never try to please Bai Shuanglian just for Happiness Points!
Absolutely not!
“Gulu gulu gulu~”
Ling Xiaoyou made a series of mysterious noises, and the ‘caterpillar’ rolled back onto the big bed in a way that would make Newton turn in his grave.
Then, she slowly crawled out of the blanket, the friction between her pajamas and the quilt exposing large areas of snowy skin.
But she didn’t care, and simply took off her pajamas, walked to the wardrobe, and changed into a light yellow dress.
“Uu~”
Yawning, rubbing away the tears at the corner of her eyes, Ling Xiaoyou stretched comfortably, then got ready to head out.
After all, she’d promised Hong Lingyan today that the latter would help her absorb the Nether Spring Ghost Crystal and advance to the Soul Gathering Stage.
No matter how much of a slacker Ling Xiaoyou was, she knew that even a slacker’s confidence was built on strength, so when it came to growing stronger, she was more than eager.
That’s why she set her alarm early, planning to get to the Ghostly Resentment Office and advance to the Soul Gathering Stage sooner, so she could use Happiness Points earlier and maximize the benefits.
Of course, waking up on the floor was not part of her plan.
Leaving the complex and arriving at Ghost Street, it was still bustling as always, as if people here never rested.
Ling Xiaoyou strolled through the crowd, ignoring the amazed gazes others gave her—she was already used to it.
Suddenly, her steps halted as she felt something wrap around her little belly.
She looked down.
And once again, Ling Xiaoyou saw that thin little girl she’d encountered before.
The girl looked up, big eyes blinking.
“Big sister, I’m hungry. Can you give me something to eat?”