Anwen hadn’t expected this. “I see, that’s a surprise. But what are you worried about now that I’m here? At least for now, no one can hurt you.”

His words were extremely bold, but they did nothing to ease the girl’s nervousness. On the contrary, she took a step back while shaking her head.

Anwen said helplessly, “Are you afraid of me perchance?”

The girl nodded immediately.

Anwen opened his arms. “Look, where else will you find a better demonkin? What’s there to fear?”

“You,” the girl replied.

“Me…” Anwen grabbed his hair in exasperation, but he simply had no way to deal with this girl. He tried explaining, “Fine, perhaps I do have some power… yes, let’s say I’m fairly powerful. But whatever power I have will be used to protect you, not to harm you. So, the stronger I am, the happier you should be.”

The girl just looked on at Anwen without any sign of happiness.

The demonkin finally raised his hand in defeat. “Fine, do whatever you like! Now can you tell me why you’re here? This place is too dangerous without me around. After all… you can’t be considered one of our people.”

Anwen was fairly tactful and indirect, trying hard not to make her unhappy.

“I came to see you.”

“See me? Don’t tell me…” Anwen’s expression brightened up, unable to conceal the excitement in his heart. He rubbed his hands in excitement but couldn’t find the words he wanted to say. In the end, he clenched his teeth in self-loathing and said, “You’re willing to follow me now?”

The girl widened her eyes, but she merely gazed on at Anwen until the latter went from antic.i.p.ation to calmness, and then to restlessness. She wore a confused expression as she slowly removed the b.u.t.ton on her cloak.

Anwen was both delighted and nervous. He reached out to stop her but then withdrew his hand midway.

The girl removed her cloak to reveal that unchanging white dress. However, instead of undressing, she drew the large cleaver from her back and bent forward slightly like a wild beast. She was ready for battle.

Anwen had never imagined such a s.h.i.+ft. Surprised, he took two steps back to prevent getting injured from her eruption of power. Anwen was rather cautious of that large cleaver as it was a highly destructive weapon in her hands.

“What’s the meaning of this? There’s no need for this even if you’re not willing.”

The girl hesitated for a moment before the killing intent on her blade lessened somewhat. “Many people have asked me the same thing before. I don’t know what they want, but they will start attacking whenever I say no.”

Anwen felt both happy and sorry. “I’m the great demonkin young… that… no matter what, I’m still from a famed demonkin clan. How can I be the same as those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds? Who are those people? Tell me and I’ll cut them up one by one!” At this point, Anwen’s killing intent surged wildly. He seemed absolutely furious.

The girl shook her head. “I’ve killed them all, no need for you.”

Anwen felt his heart ease up. “That means they’ve never touched you?”

The girl thought back. “One of them did.”

Anwen’s expression darkened.

The girl continued, “He was quite powerful, I had to take a blow in order to kill him.”

Anwen heaved a sigh of relief, his heart itching with hatred. That suspense from just now was too much, even for a demonkin young lord.

Anwen opened his hands to indicate that he had no evil intentions. “Relax, I’m different. I won’t force you if you say you’re not willing, the same goes for everything else.”

“Really?” The girl seemed hesitant.

Anwen replied quickly, “Of course.”

The young girl slowly lowered her cleaver. Thinking back, that cleaver in her hand was quite fear-inducing.

“Then why are you here?”

The young girl pointed toward the remains of the holy mountain. “I want to go in.”

“The Great Maelstrom?” Anwen was surprised.

The young girl nodded. She then pointed at the demonkin, saying, “I came because I knew you were here. Let’s kill our way in.”

“Wait, did you say kill our way in?” Anwen couldn’t react immediately.

“Yes.”

“Why must we kill our way in?” Anwen didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

“I feel there are great benefits in entering that place. Yes, we’ll grow stronger. That’s why I came to find you, let’s fight our way in.”

“You mean you came here because you want me to grow stronger as well?”

The young girl nodded.

Anwen found the notion amusing yet inexplicably touching. “La.s.s, you only need to say it if you want to go into the Great Maelstrom, let’s go in together.”

“Didn’t I say it just now? This is for you.” The young girl shook her cleaver, and from it sprung a fine sword, which she pa.s.sed to Anwen.

The grade-seven blade was fairly high in quality, but that chopstick-sized tip made Anwen speechless. “This isn’t suitable for me.”

Anwen’s own sword was in his spatial gear, a tyrannical grade-nine weapon with a two-meter long edge. He just couldn’t find any interest as he looked at the blade in his hand. What irked him the most was the reason behind this gift—did she think he was only worth this much?

The girl said, “This is the best thing I could rob.”

Anwen’s mood changed immediately. He put the sword away carefully, saying, “Very well, I’ll try using it. But, we don’t need to kill our way in. I’ll make arrangements for it, you just follow me back now.”

“We don’t need to kill our way in? Why? Won’t everyone fight over it?”

For some reason, the more puzzled she was, the more delighted Anwen became. He said pridefully, “People do have to fight for it, but others can’t outfight me. No one can stop me if I want to bring you in.”

The girl hesitated briefly before saying, “I trust you.”

“You won’t be disappointed. Let’s go back now, it’s too cold here.”

The two walked down the mountain side-by-side, much like a pair of ordinary humans. They chatted along the way, most of which involved Anwen talking about his past.

Along the way, Anwen asked all of a sudden, “What will it take for you to be with me?”

The girl lowered her head. “I heard those who fall in love will be willing, but I have no idea what love is.”

Anwent looked up at the sky and laughed, “Yes! That’s good. I’ll make you fall in love with me!”

The girl was puzzled as to why he was so happy.

Anwen laughed with increasing cheer as he brought the girl to Tidehark where he pointed at the sky. Immediately, an airs.h.i.+p landed before the two and a group of demonkin walked out in a single file. They bowed toward Anwen and said at the same time, “Young Lord!”

Anwen replied calmly, “We take off, I wish to see His Majesty.”

The guards shot the young girl a glance, and then lowered their heads once more. Apparently, they didn’t dare question Anwen’s decision to bring this girl along despite her questionable origins. Before stepping onto the airs.h.i.+p, the girl looked back hesitantly—it almost seemed as though she was afraid of something.

From this angle, no one could see the clarity and determination in her eyes.

…

An old demonkin was sitting cross-legged at the center of the swirling clouds. There wasn’t a tangible object supporting him, but rather a complicated polyhedron weaved from countless dark threads. If one were to observe closely, they would find that those threads were actually beams of light—black-colored light.

The old man’s body was hidden beneath the cloak and none could see his face. A closer look and one would see that his figure was slightly distorted, almost as though he was shrouded in raging flames.

The airs.h.i.+p rose up from below and stopped a hundred meters away. Anwen brought the young girl to the deck, but instead of flying up, he bowed toward the elderly man. “Your Majesty.”

The young girl tried jumping up but found that she would quickly fall back to the deck like an ordinary person.

The old demonkin made no movements, but an inexplicable feeling covered the entire airs.h.i.+p. His gaze and attention had locked onto the place.

Even Anwen could feel his face tensing up. He shot a glance at the young girl beside him, seemingly gaining a burst of courage, and said, “Your Majesty, I wish to bring her into the Great Maelstrom. Also, her const.i.tution is fairly weak, so I hope you’ll grant her some protective equipment.”

The old demonkin remained as calm as a still lake. He s.h.i.+fted his focus onto the girl and said in a raspy voice, “Your name.”

“Bai Kongzhao.”

“Is that your real name?” The demonkin elder’s ethereal flame began to expand.

“Yes,” the girl replied in all honesty.

The elder spoke and moved very little. A beam of black radiance shot out from the polyhedron below and spun into an ankle chain that latched itself onto the girl’s left foot.

“Bring her in once the pa.s.sage opens tonight.”

Anwen hadn’t expected the old man to agree so quickly, nor that the matter would go so smoothly. But this was a good thing! He said to the girl, “Why aren’t you thanking His Majesty?!”

The young girl’s lips moved somewhat. In the end, she bowed slightly in a gesture of thanks.

Anwen heaved a sigh of relief. This matter had been settled with her expression of grat.i.tude. Someone of the Eternal Flame’s station wouldn’t go back on his words.

It was just that, why had things gone so smoothly? Anwen still didn’t dare to believe it.

The Eternal Flame said, “It’s not so bad for the young to explore.”

His sudden words shocked Anwen out of his wits. The latter looked back only to find that the old demonkin was once again silent, his gaze far away.

Anwen ordered the airs.h.i.+p to descend and leave the area, lest the Eternal Flame changes his mind.

Anwen felt somewhat puzzled after leaving. What exactly was the Eternal Flame looking at? What did he see?

At the base of a distant mountain, two young people were in a heated argument, and the atmosphere around them wasn’t so friendly.