As the young demon-born An Wen appeared atop a peak dozens of kilometers away from the valley, shimmering light and shadow swirled around him, forming intricate networks of countless black lines. Four elder demon-born simultaneously materialized, led by the old Marquis of the demon clan. The Marquis’ expression was stern, his gaze coldly fixed on An Wen.
An Wen raised his hands in exasperation, “You don’t think there’s danger here too, do you?”
“The girl was already dangerous, and you handed over our clan’s treasures and secrets to her. This is hardly appropriate,” one of the elder demon-born spoke coldly.
An Wen retorted, “It’s just an ordinary secret technique, and that ring can only be used once. We have plenty of such things; no need to get so worked up.”
“But, Young Master, those are still our clan’s treasures. Handing them over to a lowly human…”
An Wen’s face darkened, his sunny smile vanishing, his tone turning icy, “Your duty is to protect me, not to lecture me. I, An Wen, do as I please, and it’s none of your business!”
As An Wen’s anger flared, an inexplicable aura emanated from him, making the other elders waver. All but the Marquis took involuntary steps back, some retreating a few paces, others even five or six.
The elders were immediately on edge, reminded that An Wen was favored by the Sovereign and ranked nearly as high as the Succubus. Yet, he was usually mild-mannered, almost appearing weak, which had led to their growing audacity.
The Marquis stepped forward, matching An Wen’s aura, providing some relief to the others. His mustache and hair bristled, his aura rising like a tiger, countering An Wen’s ancient, mysterious presence. An Wen, however, remained calm, standing leisurely without any effort, clearly superior.
“Young Master, we are bound by our duties. Please forgive us. Additionally, your bloodline is truly exceptional. There’s no need for you to take risks. You will naturally ascend to the rank of Prince, and perhaps even Lord. Why risk it then?” the Marquis asked slowly.
An Wen looked up at the sky, silent for a long while, then said, “My ambitions extend beyond the title of Lord.”
The Marquis and the other elder demon-born fell silent for a moment. The Marquis then said, “It’s rare for the Young Master to have such aspirations. We have been overly concerned. Where do you intend to go now, Young Master?”
An Wen waved a hand, calmly stating, “I’ve finally reached the neutral lands; how could I not explore and broaden my horizons? I’ll wander about and check on the girl’s progress. Don’t worry, I’m safe here. I’ll need only a day. Meet me here tomorrow at this time.”
The Marquis bowed, “In that case, we wish the Young Master well. We will wait with our flagship here tomorrow. However, even if this ship isn’t fortified, staying here too long might draw the ire of the Blood Throne. Therefore, please be punctual.”
An Wen smiled, “Rest assured, when have I ever broken my word?”
The Marquis nodded, waving his hands, weaving heavy black magic lines into several multi-faceted grids, enveloping the elders and vanishing.
After they left, An Wen’s smile widened, and he laughed heartily, leaping off into the distance.
In an instant, An Wen reappeared in the nameless valley. The mercenaries were busy with their tasks, wary of each other. An Wen’s figure flickered, passing through the crowd unnoticed, as they continued chatting and eating.
An Wen approached the bonfire, pausing. The fire was still burning, but the roasting meat was gone, and the girl was nowhere to be seen.
Smiling with a hint of pride, An Wen thought, if something as trivial as this could stop him, he wouldn’t deserve to be the Young Master. He touched his brow, and two multifaceted crystals appeared in his eyes, slowly rotating. His gaze, like a tangible force, pierced through the crystals, scanning all directions.
In no time, An Wen sensed the direction of the ring. Placing tracking methods on the ring was easy, but his skill lay in doing so undetected. He hadn’t placed any special means on the ring, relying instead on his innate abilities to track its aura. Such a mysterious ability was unmatched among his peers, even the Succubus lacked such a power.
Soon, An Wen pinpointed the general location of the ring, and was surprised. In mere moments, the girl was already dozens of kilometers away. Even if she was running at full speed, her pace was astonishing. Clearly, she had fled without hesitation, showing no intention of keeping her promise.
An Wen’s smile widened, finding it intriguing. His form flickered, disappearing from the valley, chasing after the girl. To others, her speed might seem extraordinary, but to An Wen, it was merely decent. He estimated he would catch her in half an hour.
An Wen sped along, his form appearing and disappearing, each flash covering a hundred meters, like a fleeting shadow.
The girl, unaware of An Wen’s pursuit, slowed down after a hundred kilometers, moving in a small area, seemingly searching for something.
An Wen’s smile grew more pronounced. He had a feeling the girl would bring him many surprises. This trip to the neutral lands seemed to be the right choice. Qian Ye was of no concern to An Wen, much like an eagle never gives a second glance to a sparrow.
He was now within ten kilometers of the girl, who appeared to have stopped moving. An Wen slowed down, his form becoming indistinct, gradually closing in. He found this increasingly amusing, fully focused on the girl, cautious not to be detected. This was the first time An Wen had encountered someone so innocent yet ruthless in killing.
He discovered, for the first time, that spying was immensely entertaining.
From a distance, An Wen moved slowly, not choosing a specific route. Unnoticed by him, a person lay slanted in a dead tree a kilometer away, invisible to An Wen’s senses.
“Hmm? What’s sneaking around out there?” Thousand Night suddenly opened his eyes, gazing at the seemingly empty wilderness.
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