Rick was feeling quite happy that Scarlet was incapable of fighting against the effects of the drug and was about to lose her rationality to her lustful desires, which would have been a glorious sight to behold.
She wasn't just a beautiful young girl that any man would want to have his way with; she was also the daughter of an influential person within the Twilight Mist Sect, meaning that bedding her would bring him many benefits.
He also had a thing that would make Scarlet his obedient woman for the rest of her life—the Heart Binding Gu.
It was a type of insect that could be planted in the body of a woman after sleeping with her, forcing her to submit to a man forever, ensuring that she would never betray him or go astray.
In other words, she would be his property and would be unable to resist any commands from him.
This was a prized possession of Rick Cutler that he intended to implant in Scarlet's body tonight. It would have made his status within the Twilight Mist Sect soar sky-high, as well as boosting his chances of becoming the sect leader in the future with the help of Scarlet's background.
Cecil's thoughts were similar to Rick's.
After witnessing how easily Scarlet got drugged, she was confident that Rick would have succeeded in claiming her body soon, thus gaining many benefits. It would also elevate her own status within the sect as well since she was the lover of Rick Cutler.
Although she liked Scarlet, she also desired the high position that came along with being a part of such a prestigious family.
She was always looked down on by other seniors because of her ordinary background. They often mocked her and bullied her just because she lacked resources.
Her mother had died when she was very young, leaving her alone in this harsh world where only the strong thrived while the weak were trampled under their feet.
When she joined the Twilight Mist Sect, many seniors insulted her, calling her a leech and a parasite, as she couldn't keep up with their cultivation speed despite possessing decent talent.
"What the hell just happened here?!" Rick shouted out in anger while his mind raced to process what was happening around him.
'How could that bitch suddenly disappear into thin air like that? That is impossible, unless...' Suddenly, realization dawned upon him, making his eyes widen further as his hands shook with fear.
"Wait... It can't be... There is only one possibility left... This can only mean that Scarlet must have some kind of teleportation treasure on her that we weren't aware of." His voice trembled as he spoke, his heart racing faster and faster as he turned to look at Cecil, who still stood frozen beside him with a confused look plastered across her face.
"Teleportation treasure?! How could Scarlet possess such a thing?! I didn't remember hearing anything about her buying an artifact like that before." Cecil exclaimed in shock.
"What the hell do you mean you didn't know?!" Rick yelled out at Cecil in anger and frustration, "Did you even bother to check what she had on her when you took away her space ring earlier? How could you be so careless about this?! Do you realize how fucked we are right now? This is a fucking disaster that will cost us both our lives if we don't find Scarlet as soon as possible!!"
His voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the surrounding area as Cecil flinched at the sheer intensity of his emotions.
"I... I'm sorry! I didn't realize..." Cecil stammered in terror at being blamed for such a critical oversight, knowing full well how much trouble they were both in right now.
Rick gritted his teeth, and said, "Enough talk! There isn't much time left now. We have to find Scarlet before anyone else does! If any of this gets out, we're dead meat for sure."
Shortly, Rick took out an artifact from his space ring and used it to scan the surroundings, searching for any clues that could lead them towards Scarlet, and it wasn't long before he got the results that made him a little relieved of the current situation.
"It seems that it wasn't a very high-grade teleportation artifact, as it left behind the aura of the direction in which it teleported. It also shouldn't have teleported to a long distance." He narrowed his eyes and then looked towards the east side of the forest and added, "If we hurry up, maybe we can catch up with Scarlet before she can meet anyone and tell them about what happened here."
"Yes... I think so too." Cecil nodded her head, still feeling numb from the shock of her failure, and started running in that direction along with Rick.
Both of them sprinted through the dense forest at full speed with their hearts gripped with fear, hoping that they could catch up with Scarlet before any harm came their way.
Unfortunately for them, however, their worst fears would come true soon enough, as Scarlet had already met with someone who would change their fates forever.