As Xiao Xun opened his mouth, the woman in black stood up as if sprung from a coiled spring. She slowly raised her leg and gracefully stepped out of the coffin, a smile gracing her lips, revealing a pair of not-so-small 'fangs'.
"His Highness Swain, I have come today to claim what you promised our Lord yesterday."
Xiao Xun suddenly understood. He drew the demonic sword from his waist, "Are you referring to this sword?"
The woman in black walked over, appraised the sword before her, and replied, "Indeed."
Xiao Xun directly handed it over, but the woman in black not only refused to take it but also stepped back.
Just as Xiao Xun was feeling suspicious, the woman in black produced a black leather box from goodness knows where. Its length was identical to the demonic sword. Upon opening it, a red velvet lining was revealed.
"Please place the sword in this box, Your Highness."
Xiao Xun carefully placed the sword into the box, and the woman in black just as meticulously closed it.
The instant the box was fastened, Xiao Xun's spiritual power plummeted, as if something vital had been drained from his body.
But before Xiao Xun could ask, the woman in black turned and bid farewell.
She leaped back into the coffin, and the lid closed once more.
Two hooks descended from the sky, attached to pitch-black chains. Two gargoyles, gripping the other ends of the chains with their feet, carried the coffin away into the moonlit night.
Simultaneously, the sky-obscuring black bats also vanished, as if they had never appeared.
Bai Yang watched Xiao Xun in silence, but he could sense a significant difference in Xiao Xun compared to before. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.
With the demonic sword gone, Xiao Xun felt a void in his heart. Without a weapon on his person, he didn't feel like a warrior. Though he hadn't used it much before, he had made it a habit to grip the sword's hilt with his left hand. Now that it was gone, he could only ask Bai Yang to find him an ordinary treasure sword as a replacement.
Returning to the castle, Xiao Xun recited an incantation and tore through the void, arriving in his original world.
To his surprise, it actually worked, and he had arrived precisely where he intended: Mu Jiahe's villa.
At this time, Mu Jiahe had not yet returned.
Xiao Xun first prepared some food for himself and then for Mu Jiahe.
After eating, he checked the time, feeling that it was about time.
Carrying the tray upstairs to the master bedroom, he saw Mu Jiahe stretching and waved at her, "Hello!"
Startled by the sudden greeting, Mu Jiahe rolled over and conjured a fireball with her hand. Upon seeing it was Xiao Xun, she clenched her fingers and crushed the fireball, "Why is it you?"
Xiao Xun placed the tray on the bedside table, "Why wouldn't it be me? Don't you remember, I have this ring?" He said, turning his left palm back and forth.
Mu Jiahe responded with a dismissive "Oh," her demeanor very cold. She told Xiao Xun, "I understand. Since you can travel freely between the two realms, it will be quite convenient for whatever you need to do."
Xiao Xun clapped his hands together with a smile. Suddenly, he felt a warmth in his nose, and a drop of blood dripped from his philtrum onto the back of his hand.
Mu Jiahe was shocked, "Why are you bleeding from your nose?"
Xiao Xun looked down at the back of his hand. The blood instantly began to flow uncontrollably, like a faucet turned on.
Terrified, he quickly tilted his head back, "What... what's happening to me?"
Mu Jiahe immediately used light magic to envelop Xiao Xun, probing for any injuries.
What she saw almost made her faint. She exclaimed in surprise, "How did you sustain such severe internal injuries?"
Xiao Xun recalled leading the charge of the Spear of Vengeance in a siege battle, but he hadn't personally engaged in combat.
After racking his brain, he suddenly looked at Mu Jiahe, "Could it be a curse?"
Mu Jiahe looked at Xiao Xun with suspicion, "What curse? A curse from the undead, or a curse from the shamans of the Orcish tribes?"
Xiao Xun said languidly, "Perhaps a curse from the heroes of the Radiant Flame clan."
Mu Jiahe's expression became complicated, "What do you mean by that?"
Xiao Xun scratched his head sheepishly, "To annihilate the Scourge Legion, I bombarded one of Jet Age's central buildings. Sancho desperately tried to stop me, saying it contained your gold..."
Mu Jiahe's eyes widened, "You... you bombed the Soul Suppression Hall of Saint Roman?"
Seeing Mu Jiahe's reaction, he realized he had caused trouble, "I... I didn't know it was... I'm sorry."
Mu Jiahe slumped onto the bed, "It's over, this is going to be a major problem."
Xiao Xun panicked, "Oh my Empress, don't scare me. What major problem are you talking about?"
Mu Jiahe looked at Xiao Xun, "Do you know why the Four Great Demon Kings, despite their immense power and unmatched strength on the planet, ended up attacking Saint Roman?"
Xiao Xun seemed to guess, but he mechanically shook his head.
Mu Jiahe stood up abruptly, pointing at Xiao Xun, "That's because our ancestors fought against the undead armies long ago and knew their tactics. Therefore, at the cost of countless ancestral spirits, they built Soul Suppression Halls in six locations within Saint Roman. These six halls are guarded by the six Great Dukes."
Xiao Xun looked aggrieved, "No one told me! What should we do now?"
Mu Jiahe sighed, "Forget it. It's destiny, and it's not your fault. I'll heal you first!"
Mu Jiahe's entire body was enveloped in a golden light, so brilliant it made Xiao Xun unable to open his eyes. Yet, he felt warmth throughout his body, and an indescribable sense of comfort in his internal organs.
At this moment, Mu Jiahe said in a cold tone, "I can tell you clearly, the damage to your body has nothing to do with the destruction of the Soul Suppression Hall."
Xiao Xun took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, looking at Mu Jiahe, "Then what is the reason for my current condition?"
Mu Jiahe thought for a moment, "Perhaps, maybe... I don't know. Who knows what you've been up to all day to damage your body like this."
Xiao Xun cried out his innocence, "I'm busy fighting battles every day. Besides fighting, what else could I be busy with?"
Mu Jiahe scoffed, "Then explain to me, what's the situation with the mermaid by your side?"
Xiao Xun was momentarily speechless, "If I told you I blew up her ship, then sold the ship and bought a railway that goes directly to the capital, and now she's my biggest creditor, would you believe me?"
"I believe you, why wouldn't I? However, have you thought about it, Xiao Xun, this is a Di Ren, and her background is not simple."
Xiao Xun looked bewildered, "You haven't even met her, how do you know her background is not simple?"
"I haven't met her, but I sensed her aura as soon as she entered the castle. Moreover, the butler and the captain of the guards have both spoken to me. Even with a little thought, it's clear this person is not ordinary."
Xiao Xun nodded in agreement with Mu Jiahe's statement, "Indeed, thinking about it now, she is indeed not simple."
As dawn broke, Xiao Xun received a message from his cousin, Liu Shijia, stating that they had boarded the train back to their hometown and he shouldn't worry.
Xiao Xun replied with a simple acknowledgment. He was now preparing to move against the Gu Corporation, with his entry point being Gu Yingxiong's mother, Old Mrs. Yu.
This matter needed to be handled discreetly; Mu Jiahe must not know, nor could he involve the Gate Guardians.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do, a scene from a movie suddenly flashed in his mind, and a plan began to form.
Mu Jiahe no longer had to go to work. She was either exercising in the basement gym or soaking in a bath and binge-watching shows, feeling more like a shut-in than the former Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun watched Mu Jiahe, who was sweating profusely, "I'm going to work then. How will you handle lunch?"
Mu Jiahe dismounted from the stationary bike and wiped off her sweat, "You're still worried about my meals? Hurry up and go! I can manage to get something to eat."
Xiao Xun was very concerned, "How about I prepare it for you in advance, and you can just heat it up in the microwave when you're hungry?"
"As a rich woman like me, eating leftover microwave meals? What are you thinking? Go to work! Don't worry about me."
Xiao Xun looked back at Mu Jiahe with lingering concern, "Then I'll be going."
Mu Jiahe almost laughed in exasperation, "If you don't want to leave, then stay and exercise with me. It's quite boring for me to be alone anyway."
Xiao Xun quickly waved his hands, "No, no thanks."
Saying that, he opened the door and left without looking back.
Driving, he arrived at Longtan Group. Although Secretary Fan was at Saint Roman Group for the past two days, everyone in the company recognized their top executive. Upon seeing him, they stopped to greet him.
Xiao Xun did not nod. He was now the CEO of the largest network company in the country. His status dictated that he could not be too 'approachable.'
He asked the assistants who followed him, "On which floor does Lu Qiaoya have her office?"