"Your cousin, the head of the Evil Extreme Sect, a good friend of Niu Batian."
After saying this, he removed the Nine-barreled Mask from his head, revealing a face as fair as jade, handsome and magnificent, like a celestial being descending to the mortal realm.
At this moment, Su Mengyao's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, her crimson lips parted; she was utterly astounded! "Good heavens! Can a human being really be this attractive?" she exclaimed. "Is he the reincarnation of an immortal?"
After a long, long time, Su Mengyao finally snapped back to reality.
Suppressing her quickened heartbeat, she cautiously made her way towards Lin Xiao on her long, snowy-white legs. "Young Master..." she asked, "do you truly know my cousin?"
"Certainly." From the change in her attitude, Lin Xiao gradually realized the usefulness of his good looks. He gazed at her gently, his handsome eyes full of warmth. "So, Miss, would you be willing to trust me and leave this place with me to find your cousin?"
"I..." Being gazed upon by this handsome, god-like young immortal, Su Mengyao's face turned crimson, and she lowered her head. "I... I'm still somewhat scared."
Lin Xiao, of course, understood her meaning. In Nightfall Town, entertainment venues of Flower Moon House's caliber were often run by influential figures from both the righteous and demonic paths. To ensure the complete obedience of the trafficked semi-monsters and extinguish any thought of escape, these bosses typically used elite members of their own sects to enforce control through violence. The slightest misstep could lead to brutal beatings and various cruel punishments. It wasn't even uncommon for deaths to occur.
There was no other way. In the Cultivation World, the status of semi-monsters was only slightly better than that of various spiritual beasts and monster beasts.
Consider Niu Batian: despite having risen to become one of the leaders of the Eight Great Demon Sects, he was still constantly marginalized and undervalued. He wasn't even on the Sky Yin Blood Demon's initial list of targets! Updates are released by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"Miss, are you afraid I might be someone sent by Flower Moon House to deliberately test you?" Lin Xiao asked with a wry smile.
"Ah?" Upon hearing this, Su Mengyao's face grew even more tense. She nodded, then quickly shook her head.
Lin Xiao smiled wryly. "Miss Su, think about it. If I were from Flower Moon House, would I dare kill a valuable guest like Wu Tianqi?"
"That's true." Su Mengyao's beautiful eyes flickered, and she nodded emphatically. Then, she asked cautiously, "So... Young Master, what exactly is your background? Are you from the Evil Extreme Sect? Or... could you tell me your name?"
"That's not important, really." Lin Xiao suddenly stepped closer, taking her small, trembling hand in his.
The moment their skin touched, Su Mengyao let out a soft gasp, her cheeks flushing crimson. As her delicate body trembled, her fluffy fox tail, nestled between her snowy-white thighs and above her well-rounded buttocks, also perked up.
"Miss Su, do you know what time it is right now?" Lin Xiao gazed into her eyes, managing a gentle, scholarly smile.
Su Mengyao was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head and said, "Now... it's probably just past the third quarter of Hai hour."
"Could you be more specific, please?"
"Oh, alright..." Su Mengyao thought for a moment and said, "According to the Haotu Calendar, it should be the 3,581st year of the Great Path Era, the tenth day of the tenth month, the third quarter of Hai hour."
"Very good." Lin Xiao gently caressed the back of her hand. "The Great Path Era, year 3,581, the tenth day of the tenth month, the third quarter of Hai hour. I'm with you now, and because of you, I will remember this moment."
"Furthermore, from this moment on, we have been friends for this past quarter of an hour. That is a fact, because it has already passed, and no one can change it."
"And I also want to tell you, Miss," he continued, his voice earnest, "that because of you, I will forever remember this quarter of an hour."
"So, are you truly unwilling to trust me—this friend who will remember you?" Lin Xiao looked directly at her, trying his utmost to make his gaze appear sincere.
Their eyes met. After a moment of silence...
"Young Master, I believe you!" Su Mengyao gritted her teeth and proactively took Lin Xiao's hand. "I know where there's a secret passage in Flower Moon House!"
"We don't need a secret passage." Lin Xiao smiled. "As long as you're willing to trust me, we can walk out openly through the front entrance whenever we please."
"Ah? Why is that?" Su Mengyao's beautiful eyes widened again, her pretty face filled with astonishment.
"Because I possess the power of money." Lin Xiao's lips curved upwards. "Your freedom has been bought."