Lanqi gazed down at Xigelei's small figure and exhaled a faint plume of mist.
"Head back to the Polant Empire."
He remained as gentle as ever.
If they pressed onward, it would be no place for her.
Reaching into the inner pocket of his coat, he produced six distinctly different badges.
Earlier, when Grand Lord Algom had seen him off at Little Stone City and reluctantly wished him all the best on the journey ahead, he had presented Lanqi with a commemorative badge symbolizing their friendship.
Only later did Lanqi learn that it was the grand lord's family crest, signifying that he would forever be an ally and an honored guest. The lords of every subsequent city-state had each given him one as well, explaining its meaning to him.
If he gave these badges to Xigelei, she would surely be well cared for along the way.
Before he could finish speaking, a voice cut in.
"Luoqi McCarthy... That little wolf girl was already marked by my tracking magic during the battle... Sooner or later, the Fourth Progenitor will find her... Hehehe..."
Count Gregory's sinister, broken laughter still echoed across the snowy plain. Even muffled by the swirling blizzard, it lingered like an unbreakable curse.
"If you have what it takes, just keep dragging her along with you..."
As a Blood Clan count, he could not be killed anyway. In two weeks, Duke Eduardo, the Fourth Progenitor, would arrive in the Demon Realm. When that time came, he would certainly discover this wolf girl and settle the score.
This wolf girl was the one prey the Blood Clan could never let go.
One day, she would grow even stronger than her father. Coupled with the hatred etched into the depths of her soul, she would pose an unpredictable catastrophe for the Blood Clan.
"My Lord!"
Upon hearing this, Officer Luka immediately raised his hand to signal his men to pin down the count's head, preventing him from madly provoking and offending the great demon any further.
He then turned his gaze toward the little girl behind Lanqi.
Even though the little girl and the great demon seemed to share a decent relationship, in the end, it was merely a great demon indulging her in a human game.
Duke Eduardo, the Fourth Progenitor, was a Blood Clan sage whom even the Fall Lord could scarcely contend with. A little girl possessed no value whatsoever that would warrant a great demon forging a blood feud with such a Tier 9 Blood Clan powerhouse on her behalf.
"..."
Xigelei showed no reaction.
She only gripped Lanqi's coat with all her might.
With her head lowered, she pressed her forehead firmly against Lanqi's back.
It was like her final act of stubbornness, silently conveying a message to him.
"Then there's no helping it."
Lanqi let out a soft breath and looked back at Xigelei.
"We might need to modify our contract a little. Would you be willing to accompany me on a trip to the Demon Realm?"
Even though he had transformed into a demon, his emerald eyes eerie and ominous, the look deep within them still seemed to say: leaving you all alone would truly leave me uneasy.
Xigelei stared blankly at Lanqi, a glistening sheen welling up in her eyes.
At last, she threw back her head and burst into tears like a child.
Ever since losing her parents, she had never cried like this. It was as if all the accumulated grievances, terror, and despair buried in her heart could finally be released.
Tears streamed relentlessly down her cheeks. Her sobs were thick with unspeakable sorrow and an indescribable sense of relief—gratitude that life would go on, and a farewell to the horrors she had endured.
"At your age, cry whenever you want. I thought you acted far too mature before."
Lanqi squatted down and gently patted Xigelei's beret.
Xigelei's hand still clung tightly to his other sleeve, as though it were her sole stable anchor amidst the raging storm.
Reflecting on the fact that she was merely an eleven-year-old child, Lanqi felt an ache in his heart for how difficult her life had been, and how heartbreakingly sensible she was forced to become.
"You've endured so much misfortune up until now and had to make yourself strong. Even so, you were pursued day in and day out—but none of that is your fault,"
Lanqi said with a smile.
She gasped for breath several times, trying to speak and agree, but her chest felt as though it had frozen stiff, rendering her utterly unable to utter a word.
"Xigelei, you are just a child. From beginning to end, you did nothing wrong,"
Lanqi repeated, his tone firmer by half.
"Wahhh..."
Within Xigelei's moist, hazy eyes, the desire to live had rekindled, yearning for a gentler future.
After an unknown stretch of time, she seemed to have exhausted herself from weeping. Already worn to the bone, she gradually closed her eyes beneath the soothing cadence of Lanqi's voice, her arms wrapped around his neck as she drifted into dreamland.
Lanqi could only lift her into his arms, turning his gaze through the wind and snow toward Lieutenant Colonel Luka.
"I'll have to trouble Mr. Luka to guide me into the Demon Realm. Furthermore, please keep my identity a secret. I am merely a visiting demon merchant. As for handling the border credentials, I will have to rely on you as well."
There was still a Blood Clan count on the ground, requiring porters to haul him back to the Demon King's Castle.
"Of course. It is my honor to be of service to you,"
the demon officer said, bowing respectfully to Lanqi.
Even setting aside Lanqi's status as a great demon, the six badges from the orc city-states he had produced earlier were enough to fill Luka with awe. For a demon merchant, possessing safe-passage privileges from the orc city-states of the Land of Evernight granted an authority and convenience that would make numerous merchant guilds across the Demon Realm bend over backward to curry favor with him.
...
In the mortal realm's Northern Continent, the Protos Empire.
Inside a private penthouse residence atop a high-rise in the heart of Herrom, the owner of the house appeared to be sleeping in, even though noon had already arrived.
"Mmh... haah..."
The mildly warm midday air brought comfort to her body. Moaning softly, she shifted beneath the blanket.
Sigrid was by no means someone who liked lounging in bed, but her recent dreams had been so vivid that waking up proved difficult.
"I had another bizarre dream."
Sigrid rubbed her half-opened eyes and yawned, muttering in a sleepy daze.
She must miss him too much to keep dreaming about him like this.
This time had felt like a nightmare at first, leaving her drenched in a cold sweat. Yet upon careful reflection, the dream held magical moments that not even the sweetest dreams could rival.
In the dream, she had been a little child who could act spoiled with him without the slightest reservation.
"Let me have a lucid dream! Just let me have a lucid dream!"
Sigrid poked her temples, silently vowing that if she ever turned into a child and dreamed of Lanqi again, she had to regain some awareness, even if only for a brief moment, so she could play a prank on him.
After committing every detail to memory for a few moments, she walked over to the window and pushed it open. The crisp midday breeze of Herrom gently wafted into the bedroom.
The refreshing sensation brought a bright smile to her face. Resting both hands on the windowsill, she leaned her upper body out.
Before her lay a landscape both familiar and dear.
The sky was still a gentle amber, the midday sun bathing Herrom in warmth. Skyscrapers gleamed amidst the golden radiance, while the silhouettes of ancient cathedrals and extra-dimensional floating roadways appeared all the more magnificent.
"I wonder what kind of dream I'll have tomorrow,"
she murmured leisurely, basking her cheeks in the golden light without the slightest hesitation.
Chapter 562