"Lory, what's wrong?" Bei Li Yan peeks from behind.

Lory clean the dagger with a clean cloth then smile "The experiment successful, the new weapon would kill the demon parasite"

​​

"That's good news" Bei Li Yan grinned.

"Indeed…" Lory sheathed the dagger on her wrist.

"Should we go now, it's a stink in here" Bei Li Yan crinkle his nose in disgust. Who could have thought the beast's blood would be smelled worse than the rotten meat and carcass around them.

"Yeah, we also need a long bath after this…" Lory sniffed her own arms and grimaced, she wondered how many baths she should take before she could get the smell off her body.

Not long after Lory left with Bei Li Yan and Mong Yi. They peek outside before they opened the door and sigh in relief because of the man that they were knocked before still unconscious. But all of the sudden from they startled by deafening sounds in a distance then follow with bright orange light and grey smoke.

'Fire?'

Lory remembers the other group was still out there "Do they got caught?" Lory's eyebrows knitted closely as she watches to where the orange light is.

"Probably…" Bei Li Yan shrug.

Gradually the orange light becomes larger and more orange light appear then followed with the sound of big explosion one after another,

"I have a bad feeling about this?" Bei Li Yan narrowed his eyes.

"You got damned right…."

Lory, Bei Li Yan, and Mong Yi stunned as they look behind them simultaneously, they are greeted with a tall man wearing dark robes with golden flame embroidery in his collar and long sleeves, his long dark hair fall neatly like waterfalls on his chest, his flawless but cold countenance made him looked like a person cane from the painting. His hair fluttered as the wind blows and the man smiles devilishly.

His awe-striking appearance made Bei Li Yan screamed in fright just like twelve years old girls "AAHHHHHHH!"

Lory and Mong Yi bewildered they stare at Bei Li Yan with shocking eyes 'Is that you?'

Bei Li Yan cover his mouth with both his hands, he looked at Lory with an embarrassed look, he wanted to cry but he didn't have tears, what should he do? is not his fault that his Lord is so scary, he wants to beg Zhao Li Xin not to appear from behind and smiled like that again, in fact, please don't smile at all!

The brave princess who didn't afraid with blood and Beast now shrank her head in fear "Li…..Li Xin"

Lory didn't expect Zhao Li Xin would catch up with her so fast, she thought she would wait for her at home and reprimand her later like he always did, but who could have thought he would be so anxious he came to the island by himself and brought Hei Shen members to destroy the pirate's den and probably the whole island too, what a destructive Demon Lord he is.

Bei Li Yan and Mong Yi immediately knelt on the ground, they didn't dare to raise their head, while Lory was stood there and froze like a statue.

Zhao Li Xin didn't bother with anyone else, in fact, his eyes fixed on Lory since the beginning. He pointed his finger at Lory then beckoned her to get closer. Lory bites her lips nervously, there are only two men she feared in both worlds, one is her Father and the second is Zhao Li Xin.

Even though she likes to push Zhao Li Xin bottom line sometimes but once he really got mad Lory will be the first one to hide.

"Lory, do you want to come to me or shall I come to you?" he warned her coolly.

She reluctantly plodded towards him as she lowered her head like a punished child, because of that she missed the faint smile on Zhao Li Xin's face.

Actually, Zhao Li Xin wasn't angry, he was a worry or anxious to be precise, whatever negative feeling he had all vanished when he found Lory safe and unharmed, however, to teach her lesson he adamant to punished the naughty Princess after he make him stressed.

Zhao Li Xin raised his hand then open his palm and say: "Hand…"

Like an obedient child, she reaches Zhao Li Xin's hand but then she stops in mid-air "I smell really bad…." Lory looks woeful.

Zhao Li Xin hold her hand without hesitation "It's okay, I'll help you to wash"

Lory was perplexed, she felt there something wrong with his words but she couldn't pinpoint them.

Just before they left Lory nudged Zhao Li Xin's arms "Uhm…don't punish them, they're just followed my orders." she speaks for Bei Li Yan and Mong Yi who still kneeling on the ground with their head bowed.

Zhao Li Xin shifted his gaze to his two subordinates, of course, he didn't blame them since they protected Lory well however Zhao Li Xin's cold expression wasn't easy to read so no one dare to assume.

"Cleaned up this place," Zhao Li Xin said.

Bei Li Yan and Mong Yi knew what 'clean up' means, they cupped their fist and answer in tunes "Yes, Milord!"

They promptly went to carry out their Lord's commands. Leaving only Lory and Zhao Li Xin left behind, Lory looked at him nervously, Lory has learned the more you give excused for your mistakes the more guilty you become so she closed her mouth and accept whatever punishment he gives to her, suddenly his warm hands touched her cheek "Are you hurt?" he softly asked, he narrowed his eyes when he saw few scratches on her cheek.

Lory shook her head "No, Li Yan and Mong Yi protect me well" Lory hopes Zhao Li Xin will not blame them.

"They have done well, I will reward them later…" he reassured her.

Lory smile in relief that means he's not as angry as she thought but her joy is short live, Zhao Li Xin raised her chin with his finger "But you, young madam, you dare to sneak behind my back and made me chasing you this far, you know I can't let it slide without proper punishment"

"But…but I send you a note, I'm not sneaking around" she refuted.

"You deliberately delayed the message so I have no time to stopped you, as I remember you have a bad habit to leave a noted before you left which is not helped at all…" Zhao Li Xin brought up the matters with Tang Mei Yi.

'Someone is holding a grudge'

"It's different, at that time I don't have a choice but now I', not left alone beside you already have a lot on your plate so I don't want to add more problem for you, and this was an urgent matter too!" she gesticulated wildly as she tries to explain herself.

What she didn't know Zhao Li Xin was holding his smiles, maybe because it's too dark or she's too busy talking she didn't notice his endearing eyes when he looking at her, for Zhao Li Xin she looks very adorable when she desperately tries to explain herself, if only she knows what kinda punishment he prepared for her later.

Zhao Li Xin flicked the stubborn woman's forehead lightly "You know how miserable a man when his woman left only a noted before she left, do you know how stressed and worried I am? You should understand how important you are for me, nothing is too much for you so I don't want you to let me be the last to know ever again, understand?"

Lory rubbed her forehead and weakly nodded "Yes…."

"Good…" he stroked her head dotingly then he ask again "So what this is important matter anyway?" he holds Lory's hands and they walk side by side leisurely, unlike before Lory feel completely safe when Zhao Li Xin around.

Lory lifts her head and smiles brightly "I found where my fifth fragment is!" then she startled by the sound of an explosion and screamed from afar, she wanted to ask what was that? but Zhao Li Xin seems not to bother even the slightest actually rather than the commotion out there he more interested in what Lory said.

"It's that true, where is it?" more fragments mean increased Lory's chance to survive so of course he got excited even though is hard to see based on his bland expression.

"It's on the northern island where the spirit stones were…" her eyes crinkle with joy, she can't wait to break free from Lazarus claws. As long she bore the cursed her soul would never escape Lazarus even if she dies, the only way she could save her soul was to completely destroy her soul completely and that meant she will never be reunited with her loved one in the afterlife.

"Should we go there now?" he asked.

"Don't you have other things to do, what if I go alone? I'll bring Mong Yi and Bei Li Yan again…." She smiles flirtatiously to coaxed him.

Usually, it would work but today he already overwhelmed by Lory's sudden departure so today he won't compromise. Zhao Li Xin pressed Lory's head and frowned "Don't try to seduce me, my dear, your only option takes me with you or you won't go anywhere at all"

"Find…" Lory blows her cheek in upset not because he didn't let her go alone but because her tricked is not working anymore, she worries they already enter a saturation period.

They finally reach the shore, there already a small boat and two shadow guard waiting for them, they cupped their fist when they saw Lory and Zhao Li Xin. Lory look behind her worriedly then asked "What about the pirate?"

"We took some of them for interrogation but the other….they knew too much, whether with our blade or Lao Min Na's their fate was sealed" Zhao Li Xin says calmly.

Lory knows it means the Hei Shen will kill all the pirate, Zhao Li Xin was right they know too much and they can't report them to the authorities because Lao Min Na's position as Sanguan family honored guest and the Queen dowager benefactor made her untouchable so there's no point to announce this matter to the government either because no one dares to pick up this hot potato.

On the other hand, the pirates had committed atrocious crimes, including kidnapping, torturing and murder of many men and women they must be held accountable for what they've done, perhaps killing them is the only justice she can give to comfort the victims and their family.

"You have already done what you can, I'll handle the rest" Zhao Li Xin stretch his hand to help her to enter the boat.

Lory held Zhao Li Xin's hand and smile "I know you will…"