"Ha-ha! That's my boy! I know Pearl has always wanted to kill you, but if you chose to hand her out as revenge, I surely will despise you for it," said the Evil Emperor, who laughed out loud upon hearing Ricky's answer.
The Oriental Emperor also nodded his appreciation for Ricky. He believed that he would decide like a real man, and he was rather happy that Ricky fulfilled his expectation. After all, Pearl was from his college, and he didn't want to entrust his college to some greedy coward.
"That's settled then. Don't worry, as long as you mean to protect her, I will help you as much as I can." A kind smile bloomed on the Oriental Emperor's face. "But there is still one problem left—you need to persuade Pearl into approving your plan first."
"Got it. I will try my best," Ricky replied. He bowed slightly to the Oriental Emperor to show his gratitude before heading directly into the Devourer Zone.
His destination was unbeknownst to anyone else, of course. The Oriental Emperor and his warriors only saw him vanish. For all they knew, Ricky could have simply entered his spiritual space tool rather than the Devourer Zone.
"Just wait here for Ricky's return. I will go out and buy some time for him. Someone has to talk with the Luxurious Emperor as quickly as possible. I'm afraid he's getting impatient. Who knows what he will do once he's run out of patience," the Oriental Emperor said to the Evil Emperor before leaving.
"How long are you going to keep me in this dirty place, Ricky? Or do I have to spend all of eternity in here?" The chill in Pearl's accusatory questions greeted Ricky as soon as he arrived.
She didn't conceal her anger at all, safe in the knowledge that Ricky wouldn't kill her no matter how annoying or harsh she was. If he had meant to take her life, he already had the chance. Imprisoning her seemed futile for that goal. What was more, she knew very well what Ricky wanted from her. She'd seen the look in his eyes on numerous other men before. He wanted her and hoped to make her his woman. That was why he was willing to spare her life.
Despite his clean-cut image, Pearl believed Ricky still craved for women like other men. To a certain degree, every man was possessive of the woman he had sex with. Since they already had intercourse, it was just natural that Ricky would want to make her his own.
"I think you already know the answer, Pearl. That's right. I want you to become mine, like so many other men would. You have seen right through me, haven't you?" Ricky answered in a mild tone. It was hard for him to be angered by her difficult demeanor when Pearl was only speaking the truth.
"Dream on, you brat!" Pearl snorted, stressing every syllable until they hurt him.
"Well, if you refuse, then I'm afraid you will have to spend the rest of your life in this place." There was a teasing lilt in Ricky's voice and he shrugged his shoulders. He was the very picture of nonchalance.
"Good! Then what are you even doing here? Did you drop by just to laugh at me, huh?" The coldness was written on her features, her mouth in a thin line as she talked back to him.
"Of course not,"
ld give: the source of feminine.
She was used and mutilated. Compared to ten million gold coins and valuable cultivation resources, she was nothing. In this situation, other men would have handed her over without a second thought. Her thoughts and her life would be the last thing they cared about.
It was true that she was honored as the top beauty of the younger generation. But she knew well that her pretty face contributed little to her value. People flattered her mostly because of the powerful organization behind her and her strength.
This cruel martial world was filled with beauties. Someone as famous and excellent as Ricky could win the hearts of as many women as he wished. The reason why he would choose Pearl against the tempting treasures could only be that he cared about her as a woman. Pearl was bright, and she was astonished the moment she realized this fact.
'How is it possible? No, it can't be. I'm worthless unless he exchanges me with the Luxurious Chamber of Commerce for the treasures. Someone like him would never have a crush on me!' With a shake of her head, Pearl tried hard to convince herself.
At the same time, she did her best to suppress her feelings of gratitude for Ricky, even as they threatened to overwhelm her.
Ironically, the more she tried to hold them back, the deeper the feelings became until she finally surrendered to them.
"It looks to me that it's hard for you to speak out. I will take that as a 'no' then. Rest assured, I won't let you fall into the clutches of the Luxurious Emperor. So next time, I hope you can understand and cooperate with me," Ricky concluded. He got the answer he needed from the lines of worry that marked her face, even if Pearl didn't say anything.
Then, Ricky broke the runic power that he used to suppress Pearl. He met her eyes as he said, "This is, in fact, one of my zones. It's called the Devourer Zone. You can learn to master the devouring power in here."
When he finished, he turned and left the Devourer Zone without looking back. He left the blank-faced Pearl to take in the turn of events.