“Nie Li, why did you give this to me?” Ye Ziyun lifted her head, her bright eyes blinking as she looked at Nie Li.
“Because I like you,” Nie Li said with a smile, gazing at Ye Ziyun.
“Then I definitely can’t accept it,” Ye Ziyun replied, her cheeks flushing at Nie Li's bold confession.
She had already received so much kindness from him, and if she accepted this as well, she wouldn’t know how to repay him in the future.
“How about this? Just consider it as you owe me a favor. I’m sure there will come a time when I’ll need your help,” Nie Li suggested, realizing that it wouldn’t be easy to get this stubborn beauty to agree quickly.
“What could I possibly help you with?” Ye Ziyun said, lowering her head, her face still warm.
“You can definitely help me. You are the City Lord’s daughter, and so many people want your assistance, including me! I’ve already fused with a demon spirit, but this Wind Snow Queen doesn’t match my own attributes, so it’s of no use to me,” Nie Li said, watching her shy demeanor, thinking how charming she was becoming.
Hesitating for a moment, Ye Ziyun finally nodded, “Alright, but whatever you ask me to do, it absolutely can’t be anything bad!”
“Of course! Have you ever met anyone more honest than me?” Nie Li replied with a serious expression.
At his words, Ye Ziyun suddenly burst into giggles, her laughter ringing like a tinkling bell.
What Nie Li said was simply too amusing, considering he was the one who had just toyed with the members of the Divine Sacred Family.
“Nie Li, I’ll accept this Wind Snow Queen. I want to see what your divine-level, growth-type demon spirit is really like. Even though I owe you a favor, you can only ask me to help you with one thing, and it absolutely can’t be anything bad, or else I’ll just ask my father to buy this demon spirit from you!” Ye Ziyun said, raising her hand playfully and darting ahead like a butterfly.
Unbeknownst to her, she had gradually started to regard Nie Li as someone very close to her.
If someone else, like Shen Yue, were to gift her something, she would certainly refuse.
Watching Ye Ziyun's graceful figure getting farther away, Nie Li smiled to himself and murmured, “We won’t have to wait long to meet again! In this life and the next, our fates are tied together; even if we tried to cut the bond, we couldn't sever it.” After saying this, Nie Li slowly turned and left.
Before long, news spread like wildfire about how Nie Li had overwhelmed Shen Xiao, a Golden One-Star Demon Spirit Master from the Divine Sacred Family, at just thirteen years of age.
Glory City was shaken; after so many years, such an amazing talent had not arisen.
The Heavenly Mark Family was once again in the spotlight, with visitors flocking to pay their respects daily.
However, Nie Li seemed to have disappeared, going into seclusion where no one could see him.
Those who wanted to meet him were all blocked by the Heavenly Mark Family.
With the spread of this news, the city guards began to uncover the activities of the Dark Guild throughout Glory City, capturing and killing dozens of its members.
To ensure Nie Li's safety, City Lord Ye Zong decided to bring Nie Li into the City Lord's Mansion for cultivation.
After learning this, the activities of the Dark Guild began to subside.
If Nie Li had stayed at the Heavenly Mark Family, the Dark Guild would have definitely not let him off, but with Nie Li now protected in the City Lord's Mansion, they didn’t dare to strike there.
After all, the mansion was guarded by legendary demon spirit masters, several Black Gold Demon Spirit Masters, and countless powerful martial artists.
Besides Nie Li, he had also brought Nie Yu into the City Lord's Mansion, as he decided to teach her how to cultivate properly.
As for the Heavenly Mark Family, no one dared to touch them.
As long as he remained away from there, the Dark Guild would never attack their house, for it would be meaningless.
Everything unfolded just as Nie Li had anticipated.
He had planned for this moment when he revealed his strength during the talent battle.
It was said that when Shen Yue from the Divine Sacred Family heard about Nie Li’s golden-level abilities and that he had now entered the City Lord's Mansion to reside, he was filled with grief and spat blood in fury.
He had had a glimmer of hope regarding Ye Ziyun, but now he understood he was entirely out of luck.
When Yang Xin heard this news at the Alchemist Association, she understood why Nie Li had been so confident.
He must have anticipated he would be taken into the City Lord's Mansion.
It seemed she would have to visit him there after all.
Finally, after a period of seclusion, the head of the Divine Sacred Family, Shen Hong, emerged.
His cultivation had advanced significantly, but he still hadn’t reached the legendary demon spirit master level.
This level was incredibly difficult to achieve, and the higher his cultivation climbed, the more aware he became of this fact.
He couldn’t help but feel anxious every time he thought of that old man Ye Mo and how he had broken through.
The older Shen Hong got, the more he noticed signs of decline in his cultivation, stirring unrest within him.
Upon hearing about the bet, he flew into a rage.
Shen Ming usually operated very cautiously, which was why Shen Hong had trusted him, but now he couldn’t believe Shen Ming had made such a massive blunder, losing a staggering forty-five million demon spirit coins! With that much money, how many pills could he buy, or how many future generations of the family could he nurture?
“Shen Ming, do you realize your crime?” Shen Hong sat high in his chair, looking coldly down at the quivering Shen Ming who knelt before him.
Feeling that intimidating gaze, Shen Ming trembled in fear, quickly begging, “Please forgive me, Family Head! We never expected that such a young boy from the Heavenly Mark Family would already possess golden-level cultivation. We let our guard down, and that’s how they outplayed us. I urge you to consider my past dedication to the Divine Sacred Family…”
“Enough!” Shen Hong interrupted, his face darkening as he glared at Shen Ming.
Shen Ming immediately fell silent, not daring to speak further.
Shen Hong fell into deep thought, realizing that this loss of forty-five million demon spirit coins wouldn’t shake the foundations of the Divine Sacred Family.
However, the pressure he felt was due to how, during his seclusion, the Divine Sacred Family and the Heavenly Mark Family had come to a point of extreme hostility.
Normally, the Divine Sacred Family wouldn’t have bothered with such a small family, but the emergence of Nie Li made it impossible for him to ignore.
A thirteen-year-old boy possessing golden-level strength? This talent made him envious.
Who could imagine how far such a young man could grow in the future? Once this boy matured, he would pose a huge threat, not just to the Divine Sacred Family but also to the Dark Guild.
This threat had to be crushed in its cradle.
If Nie Li stayed on friendly terms with the Divine Sacred Family, Shen Hong might let him be, but since Nie Li had always been at odds with them, he had to be eliminated.
Now that Nie Li was under protection in the City Lord's Mansion, taking him out would be quite difficult.
“I don’t believe you can stay in the City Lord's Mansion forever!” Shen Hong thought coldly, casting a glance at Shen Ming on the ground.
He said, “Shen Ming, you know our family rules. According to the laws of the Divine Sacred Family, for such a grave mistake, the punishment should be severe. However, considering your long-standing service to our family and your major contributions, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself…”
Upon hearing Shen Hong’s words, a glimmer of hope flashed in Shen Ming’s lifeless eyes, and he looked up to ask, “As long as the Family Head commands, I will venture through fire and water without complaint!”
“Very well. I want you to kill Nie Li. Once you succeed, I will have someone take you out of the city and give you a position among the Dark Guild as a deacon!” Shen Hong declared.
“But, Nie Li is in the City Lord's Mansion…” Shen Ming knew the intricacies between the Divine Sacred Family and the Dark Guild; he could either kill Nie Li or die—he had no other choice.
“He will eventually come out!” Shen Hong said flatly.
“I understand, I will do as the Family Head commands!” A cruel light flashed in Shen Ming’s eyes; he knew this was his only chance! Otherwise, with Shen Hong’s methods, he would surely be left with nothing but bones.
“Shen Ming, I have treated you fairly; do not let me down!” Shen Hong twirled his fingers, his deep brown eyes glinting with a chilling light.
Hearing Shen Hong’s deep voice, Shen Ming felt a sudden chill run through him.
Besides himself, the lives of his family rested in Shen Hong’s hands, and he had no choice but to risk it all!
(End of Chapter)