They'd thought that they would have to at least knock out some guards first or something, but they discovered that they were being treated alright. As long as they didn’t leave a certain area, no one would come to stop them. That ended up saving them a lot of effort. The women thus began to carry out their respective tasks according to their plan.
Meanwhile, Zu An left the palace in disappointment. Many guards looked at him with mockery. Several of them had seen his angry conflict with the Monster Lord.
This guy really is daring. He actually dares to anger the lord!
However, they could all tell that he cared a lot about those women. This way, with them as hostages, he wouldn’t dare to betray them anymore at all.
When he heard their ridicule, Zu An’s furious and betrayed expression gave way to the slightest grin.
All of this was actually within his expectations. He'd always known fully well that since the Monster Lord already knew his real identity, there was no way members of the True Demon race would be considered useful as hostages against him. Meanwhile, Pei Mianman and the others couldn't be overlooked. Anyone in their right mind would use them to control him. Sure enough, the Monster Lord had acted just as he'd anticipated and brought the women into the palace.
The more furious he looked on the outside, the safer Pei Mianman and the others would be.
…
Just as Zu An returned to the edge of the True Demon territory, Salamay suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the way. “Young master, I just learned that the Monster Lord captured your women.”
Zu An shot her a cold look. “Are you here to make a fool of me?”
“Of course not. The Monster Lord seems to be very suspicious and is using them to threaten you,” Salamay said.
“I know that. Can you provide any constructive assistance? For example, helping me save them?” Zu An said coldly.
“Once my father returns, we will naturally be able to save them," Salamay said, looking embarrassed. However, she seemed to sense that her words didn’t carry much sincerity and quickly added, “There’s actually no need for you to be too worried right now. The Monster Lord likes men and not women, and right now, he… treasures you so much. Those women should be safe.”
Zu An nodded slightly. It was only because his previous investigations had uncovered that fact that he dared to carry out this plan. Otherwise, the risks would really have been too great.
“I can promise you that once I save my father, I will definitely help you save them.” Salamay knew that he could turn traitor because he was now under the Monster Lord’s control. That was why she had to confirm his loyalty.
Zu An sighed. This Salamay really wasn’t a good boss. She didn’t know how to provide any carrots. He feigned frustration as he replied, “What if you can’t save them?”
Salamay hesitated for a moment. She seemed to sense that he was a bit shaken and knew she couldn't afford to let him have any other thoughts. She quickly said, “If that kind of unfortunate situation really does happen, you can choose from all of the most beautiful women in the world…” As if sensing that her words were a bit too empty, she even added, “And I can even give myself to you in compensation.”
Zu An was speechless.
Why does this person just love to return favors with grudges?
In that instant, light flashed across Salamay’s head. A beautiful face with a lovable yet displeased expression appeared in front of Zu An.
Even though Zu An had seen his fair share of beauties, he was still a bit amazed in that instant. Salamay was actually this beautiful?
Of course, it could be partly because of the stark contrast this drew with her previous appearance, adding to the feeling of shock.
Sensing the shock in his eyes, a hint of pride appeared in Salamay’s gaze. With her beauty, wasn’t a playboy like him more than easy enough to deal with?
But soon, a bashful look appeared on her face as she said, “I ask for the young master’s forgiveness. The reason I met you with that other appearance is because it is my clan’s custom. The women of our clan only let their husbands see their true appearance, so that is why… The young master believes my sincerity now, right?”
Zu An immediately showed an extremely moved expression, as if he really wanted to take her hands. “Being able to receive the first miss’f avor is truly worth three lifetimes of this Donaire’s happiness.”
Salamay took a slight step back while turning around to avoid his touch before saying, “If the young master could help me save my father, that would be my good fortune. Once my father witnesses how courageous and brave you are, he will definitely agree to our marriage.”
Zu An patted his chest and replied, “I will take care of what I must. I will definitely save my father-in-law!”
When she heard him call the Lord of Slaughter 'father-in-law', Salamay’s eyes carried a hint of disgust, but she still quickly concealed it. “I believe that the young master will definitely be able to do it!”
Then, they discussed a few more details before Zu An left in high spirits.
When Zu An left, the pleasant smile on Salamay’s face disappeared, replaced by nothing but endless icy cold.
Mojard quickly appeared next to her. He exclaimed with a hint of jealousy, “That kid actually saw the first miss’ first appearance! He deserves death!”
Salamay said indifferently, “He does indeed, but not now. We still need his abilities. I had no choice either. All of his women were taken by the Monster Lord as hostages. I was worried that he would betray us, so I could only do this to rope him in.”
“The first miss has really suffered.” Mojard bowed.
Salamay said coldly, “That Donaire at least has slightly good looks. We can offer him as a sacrifice, as his reward when the time comes.”
“Understood!” When he learned of Zu An’s fate, Mojard’s displeasure immediately disappeared.
…
Meanwhile, Zu An had already walked quite far away. The enamored look on his face immediately vanished without a trace.
This first miss really does think too highly of herself. Even if she has some looks, does she really think other people will become hell-bent on helping her just by relying on that alone?
Forget about someone like him who had already seen the most beautiful people in the world, even the real Donaire wouldn't necessarily have been completely bewitched by her appearance alone. Besides, her dinosaur head really left people with too much mental trauma. Who knew what her real appearance was like?!
But he still found it a bit strange. Her appearance was mysteriously familiar somehow, but he couldn't really say how.
By the time he returned to the cave dwelling, Jiang Luofu was already running around in circles. When she saw him return, she asked, “So?”
Zu An led her back to his room. After setting up a soundproofing barrier, he said, “Everything went smoothly.”
Jiang Luofu also said, “When I heard that I wasn’t going to be taken with the others, I secretly gave my portion to Manman.”
They hadn’t known who would be taken by the Monster Lord as hostages, and thought at first that all of them would be taken; that was how they'd been given their respective missions. Of course, for the sake of guarding against this kind of situation, they also had contingency plans. Who would have thought that those plans would actually come into use?
“Alright, you’ve done well. The Monster Lord was probably worried that I would be angered too badly, and made sure to leave you as a female servant to take care of me,” Zu An said with a smile.
When she recalled what they had experienced not too long ago, Jiang Luofu blushed a bit. She harrumphed and said, “You really don’t have any decency at all. By the way, will they really be safe?”
Zu An calmly said, “Don’t worry, the Monster Lord isn’t interested in women. With their cultivation, they should be able to protect themselves. Furthermore, they still have their magic weapons and alerting devices. If something does happen, I'll be notified immediately.”
When she heard what he said, Jiang Luofu calmed down. She looked at the dusky underground city. “If we calculate the time, the transport formation should be finished tomorrow. Everything will be over then.”