"Thank you," Dongfang Huaizhu said softly to Xiao Se.
The group then walked out of the inn together.
Just as Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan were about to summon their magical artifacts and fly off on their own, Xiao Se's voice echoed in their ears.
"You're too slow like that. Let me take you flying."
Before they could react, Xiao Se wrapped an arm around each of their slender waists. In the next instant, the Evil God Wings burst forth from his back, vast and dark, radiating a faint, ominous aura. With a powerful flap, the three of them shot into the sky like a streak of black lightning, vanishing from sight in a blink.
Dongfang Huaizhu's breath hitched.
She could clearly feel the warmth of his hand at her waist. The closeness was… intimate. Too intimate.
"Young Master Xiao Se… are these black wings your magical artifact?" she asked softly, deliberately turning her gaze toward the enormous wings on his back to avoid looking at him. A faint blush crept across her fair cheeks.
This was the first time she had been held so closely by a man.
"They're not a magical artifact," Xiao Se replied casually, though he did tighten his grip slightly to steady them mid-flight. "My cultivation system is different from yours. I don't cultivate Taoist techniques or demonic arts. I cultivate Qi—more precisely, Dou Qi. Once one reaches a certain level, Dou Qi can condense into wings for long-distance flight."
"Qi cultivation?" Dongfang Qinlan echoed, her own face faintly pink from the unexpected embrace. "I've never heard of that before. But it sounds incredible! No wonder you could kill the Spider Demon King at such a young age."
Xiao Se chuckled. "Before calling me young, maybe you should think about yourself first, little brat."
"I'm a child! Not a little brat!" Dongfang Qinlan protested loudly.
"Qinlan, stop arguing," Dongfang Huaizhu said gently, though there was a hint of amusement in her tone. "Young Master Xiao Se, we're almost there."
…
Moments later, the three landed in a forest clearing.
In the center stood a towering, ancient tree. At its base, an elderly man and a young boy were tied tightly to the trunk, both unconscious.
Dongfang Huaizhu surveyed the surroundings. A faint scent lingered in the air.
"There's poisonous smoke in the surrounding grass," she said, summoning Pure Yang Flame to disperse it.
Xiao Se nodded. "It's likely a toxin spreading through the roots of the grass. Miss Huaizhu, go rescue your attendants and that old man. I'll deal with the brat behind this."
"Be careful," she replied.
He smirked faintly and vanished from his spot in a flash of movement.
The next instant, he reappeared beside a nearby haystack—holding a small girl by the back of her collar.
"Ah! Let me go! You despicable human! I'll poison you to death!" the child shrieked, struggling violently. Poisonous gusts of wind burst from her small hands, but before they could spread, Xiao Se's strange flame ignited, incinerating the toxins instantly.
The girl was small and adorable, with delicate features and a pair of furious, tear-bright eyes.
"Little sister," Xiao Se said with a teasing grin, "you must've left that challenge letter. How about this? If you shout 'Brother, I'm sorry!' three times, I'll let you go."
"So what if I did?!" she snapped fiercely. "Do you even know who I am? I am Princess Huan Du Luo Lan of the Southern Kingdom! If you dare touch me, my father will kill you!"
Smack!
Before she could finish, Xiao Se's hand landed squarely on her bottom.
A crisp sound echoed through the clearing.
"Ow! That hurts!" Huan Du Luo Lan cried out, face flushing crimson with humiliation and fury. "You human! How dare you treat me, the princess of the Southern Kingdom, like this?! I'll have my father kill you!"
Smack!
Another resounding slap.
"Still threatening me?"
"You—you brute!" she sputtered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Smack!
"This guy is way too violent…" Dongfang Qinlan muttered from nearby. Without realizing it, she covered her own bottom protectively and turned to her sister. "Sister… I offended him before too. Do you think he's planning revenge on me?"
Dongfang Huaizhu covered her lips and chuckled softly. "Then perhaps you should behave yourself in the future."
Meanwhile, Huan Du Luo Lan's bottom had already turned a bright red under Xiao Se's relentless discipline. Tears streamed down her face, but she stubbornly refused to beg for mercy.
Watching her tremble in his arms, Xiao Se paused.
"Was I a little too harsh?" he muttered under his breath.
Inside his mind, Long Kui's gentle voice sounded.
"Brother… you really went too far. How could you hit a girl like that? And there of all places…"
Xiao Se cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Alright, alright."
He turned toward a shadow not far from the haystack.
"You can come out now. Take your princess away. And remember—don't go around kidnapping people again. If you need something, come to me directly. Otherwise…" He raised his hand meaningfully. "I'll spank her again."
With that, he tossed Huan Du Luo Lan lightly into the air like a small chick.
A massive panda demon instantly dashed forward and caught her carefully in its arms.
"You wretched human!" Huan Du Luo Lan shouted, though her voice trembled as she clutched her aching bottom. "I, Huan Du Luo Lan, will definitely get revenge someday! Ouch…"
"Princess," the panda said gravely in human speech, "this man is very strong. We should not act rashly."
"…Then I'll wait," she muttered resentfully.
Xiao Se waved dismissively and stepped back toward Dongfang Huaizhu.
"They've been poisoned," he said, handing her a small jade bottle. "I refined these antidotes earlier. Give them one each. They'll wake soon."
"Thank you, Young Master Xiao Se." Dongfang Huaizhu accepted the bottle and carefully fed the medicine to the old man and her attendant.
Nearby, Dongfang Qinlan stared at Xiao Se's hand thoughtfully.
"Hey, Xiao Se… I actually wanted to ask yesterday. What's that ring on your finger? You keep pulling things out of it. Where are they coming from?"
"This?" Xiao Se lifted his hand slightly. "It's called a storage ring. It's made from extremely rare Na Stone. Inside is a small independent space. You can store anything in it—except living beings."
Dongfang Qinlan's eyes sparkled instantly.
"That's amazing! No wonder you never carry luggage!"
She looked at the ring with unconcealed envy.
Xiao Se's lips curved slightly.
Without a word, he clasped his hands together and retrieved a low-level storage ring from his system inventory. He held it out before her, palm open.
"Want one?"
Dongfang Qinlan blinked.
"Really? For me? You're not joking?"
"Of course not," Xiao Se said calmly. "But there's a condition."
Her expression turned suspicious.
"What condition?"
He smiled faintly.
"Call me 'brother' again."
She froze.
"Again?!"
"Not just once," he added leisurely. "Call me properly."
Dongfang Qinlan hesitated only for a split second.
Then—
"Brother! Brother! Brother Xiao! Brother Xiao Se!"
She called out in rapid succession, her voice sweet and clear, as if afraid he might change his mind.
"There. I called you! Give it to me!"
She stretched out her hand eagerly, eyes shining brighter than the stars above.
Xiao Se looked at her impatient, excited expression and couldn't help but chuckle.
For a moment, the tension from earlier battles and conspiracies faded.
Perhaps… traveling with these two sisters wasn't such a bad thing after all.
(End of Chapter)
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