Luo An is understandably not in a good mood.
Xiao Ning Er cannot help but blame herself for his predicament. She knows just how much he dislikes getting involved with the city's affairs. It was literally the very first rule he made her agree to when he agreed to her request to teach her what he knows. Despite him claiming that his talent as a cultivator is just above average, it is obvious that his cultivation rank is high enough to warrant him attention even from the likes of their City Lord. Demon Spiritualists of Luo An's level is rare to find even if she cannot tell just how high his rank is, only knowing enough to recognise that even the City Lord wouldn't come out from a deathmatch with Luo An unscathed.
And this is all her fault. If she had heeded his advice not to be rash, he wouldn't have needed to get involved and helped to defend the city against his will. He wouldn't have caught Ye Zong's attention.
It soon became obvious to everyone that Luo An wasn't from Glory City, because a demon spiritualist of his calibre couldn't have possibly hidden himself from everyone's radar if they were born and bred in Glory City. She can tell that Luo An was seriously contemplating if he should just make a run for it and she knows he can do it because he has a chameleon demon spirit from what she had observed in the fight earlier. Disappearing from view and hiding in plain sight is what chameleons do.
However, for reasons unknown to her, he decided not to do so. He accepted Ye Zong's invitation and followed him back to the City Lord's Mansion. He gestured for her to follow and that is what she did.
And when Ye Zong invited him as an esteemed guest into the hall of his mansion, agreeing to Luo An's request that the contents of their conversation be limited to just the three of them and ordered everyone else that were trying to listen in to get out of the room, hearing Ye Zong asking questions on who he is and where he's from, Luo An was surprisingly frank.
"I was from the Dark Guild."
That got Ye Zong's immediate attention and Xiao Ning Er flinched when she saw how he sat up agitatedly in his chair and how his spiritual pressure flared. She started to find it hard to breathe until she felt a hand gently patting her on the back and the presence of a familiar soul force gently coaxing her, relieving most of the pressure released by Ye Zong.
"I would appreciate it if you could listen carefully. I said was, as in past tense."
"Explain." Ye Zong all but demanded, his eyes steely cold. Luo An scoffed but acquiesced in his request, giving Ye Zong a quick rundown about his history and where he came from.
"I know what you want to ask. Yes, I do know a thing or two about their scale of operations within Glory City and where they are hiding and I don't mind trading that information with you. Just remember, it's been seven years since then. A lot of things might have changed."
"How would I know that you are telling the truth? For what reason would I believe you? For all I know you could be a spy sent over by the Dark Guild."
"For what reason?" Luo An openly laughed as if he had just heard the funniest thing in the entire world, then he shocked both her and Ye Zong when he suddenly vanished before reappearing behind Ye Zong's back with a dagger pressed to his neck.
"This is why I'm not a spy."
Ye Zong tried to move. She had seen how his fingers twitched but Luo An was faster as he increased the pressure of the dagger pressing against Ye Zong's neck, forcing her City Lord to abort his actions.
"I'm stronger, way stronger than anyone in this pathetic place. If I wanted to I could have killed you anytime I wish, so why would I waste my time playing the role of a spy? I've never wanted to involve myself with the affairs of this city and there's only one reason I accepted your invitation in the first place."
Luo An slowly lowered the dagger and stepped away from Ye Zong once he was certain the City Lord would not be attacking him anytime soon. He walked back to stand beside Xiao Ning Er and gently pushed her forward.
"I'm sure you know of her. She told me that she used to be good friends with your daughter."
"That's true."
"Ning Er is my student. She has been learning under me for eight months now and already, she will be reaching Gold rank soon."
Xiao Ning Er subconsciously did a gulp when she saw how Ye Zong looked at her as if that is the most preposterous thing he had ever heard. She would too if someone had told her eight months ago that she would be on the cusp of reaching Gold rank just eight months after meeting him. She's only twelve, and already she is nearly reaching the rank where many adults have failed to reach in their lifetimes.
All of it is only possible because of Luo An's teachings and the Lightning Dragon cultivation technique he taught her. She owed everything to him. She is who she is now only because of him.
"And naturally, I am concerned about anything that vexes her. You know of her arranged marriage to Shen Fei?"
"I do."
"Annul it. I don't care how you do it and at what cost. Annul it, and I will tell you everything you need to know about the Dark Guild to the best of my ability."
"Even as a City Lord, I cannot carelessly meddle in the affairs of another major fam-"
"That's your problem, not mine, or would you rather I assassinate them all in their sleep? Nobody can stop me if I choose to do so. Not even you."
"Luo An." She whispered in a harsh voice as she tugged on his shirt to grab his attention which he pointedly ignored. He had done enough for her, she doesn't want him to go against the City Lord for her sake.
"I will be taking my leave now. If you want to find me, go find Yang Xin, the Director of the Alchemy Association. She knows where I am staying. If you wish to cooperate, good for all of us. If you want to get rid of me, then I suggest that you bring your strongest experts over before doing so because any less would result in a very one-sided massacre. I don't like to make enemies, but that doesn't mean I cannot be the worst nightmare to those who have angered me."
Luo An showed the most predatory and evil smirk Xiao Ning Er had ever seen him expressed in the eight months she had known him.
"Especially the Sacred Family. A word of advice to you, City Lord, don't trust them if you know what's good for you. I'm saying this from my past experiences with the Dark Guild, if you know what I mean."
With that, Luo An turned on his heels and made his leave, pulling her along. Nobody stopped them on their way out. She finally managed to snap herself out of her shock when they exited the City Lord's Mansion.
"Luo- Luo An!"
"Yes?"
"You… I…"
She was interrupted when his large hand rested on the top of her head and gently ruffled her hair.
"There's no need for you to say anything, Ning Er. I did everything I did just now of my own accord. Better than anyone else, I understand the feeling of being shackled down to the point you felt like you are unable to breathe. I understand the longing to be free, to be able to make choices of your own free will. Exchanging outdated information I have about the Dark Guild to help you get your freedom? That's a small price to pay and I will do so again willingly."
"B-But-! You now have no choice but to get yourself involved with the affairs of the city! The last thing you wanted to do! I know you wanted to leave Glory City as soon as possible and the only reason you are staying is because of me! I, I-!"
"So what? I can leave anytime I want, nobody in this city can stop me." Luo An replied with a grin. "And now that I have declared you to be the official student of the strongest individual in the whole of Glory City nobody would dare to carelessly touch you, even your own family. Now that you proved yourself to be a true genius at the age of twelve you will be given the highest form of treatment wherever you go. No longer will you be shackled down against your will, no longer will Shen Fei and the Sacred Family be able to torment you for much longer. Consider this my last gift to you before I inevitably leave the city one day."
She could not hold it in any longer. She buried her face in his shirt and bawled out loud with him gently rubbing soothing circles on her back. What had she done to merit such kindness from him?
It was at that moment that she made a vow to herself.
He had been doing all he could to protect her, so she would do her utmost best to grow into the strongest existence in Divine Continent to protect him from anything and anyone who might be a threat to him, even if it's the Dark Guild.
She will pledge her life, body, and soul to him and only him. For the man who had saved her from the pits of hopelessness and shined a ray of hope into her life, she would follow him to the ends of the earth and even down to the depths of hell itself if need be.
That is her promise.
"Interesting, I never thought that inscriptions can be written in this manner."
"Inscriptions are merely a set way of lines which soul force flows. All you have to do is to change your perspective and you will see and understand inscriptions in a whole new light."
"A set way of lines in which soul force flows?" The Demon Lord asked the little boy curiously.
"Have you ever wondered why certain inscription patterns work but others never? Have you ever wondered why a change in a single stroke can result in the failure of the invocation of an inscription pattern? The way I see it, the lines that we drew on the parchments is like how a city planner would draw the roads on the map to design the best way for people to commute within a city that would result in the least congestion while maximising convenience. It's the same for inscriptions. Of course, there will be recurring patterns found in similar types of inscriptions because some tried and tested designs just work better than others in achieving certain results."
"So inscriptionists are people who find the easiest way for soul force to flow to obtain the results we expect from the inscriptions, is that what you are saying?"
"Yes."
The Demon Lord smiled as he digested the novel perspective the little boy had shared with him regarding inscriptions. Inscriptions being nothing more than pathways to allow the flow of soul force to activate the inscription patterns is a point of view he had never considered before. That means that as to how those pathways are designed and used, that is up to the skill and experience of the inscriptionist to optimise the results based on how they design the inscriptions.
Interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
AN: Finally had time to edit and post a chapter.