God-Tier Villain

Chapter 38: Chapter 38

On the panel, Absolute Loyalty had already begun to flash.

The speed made Soren sweat, her soul was too clean, no twisted thoughts anywhere.

He’d never planned to kill them, and conquering Ethel hadn’t been in the plan either, but an unexpected windfall had no downsides.

"From today on, I will willingly follow all of the Demon Emperor’s arrangements."

"If the Demon Emperor doesn’t find me lacking, I can also, at any time..."

"Can warm the Demon Emperor’s bed."

She glanced up at him, then dropped her gaze just as fast, jade hands kneading the hem of her clothes.

Soren looked into those nervous, gem-pure eyes and found he couldn’t do it, she was genuinely too innocent.

Even Soren, the demon who could kill a hundred thousand cultivators overnight without blinking, felt vaguely reformed under that gaze.

What was this inexplicable sense of guilt?

He decided to keep her at his side for now, let her see how sinister the Azure Spirit World really was, lucky for her she’d met him, anywhere else, a woman this pure would be eaten alive.

Soren didn’t consider himself a good person, but he had principles in certain places.

Lysara had meant to lead a crusade against him, so he spared her feelings nothing. Victoria’s fastest strategy was to seize her heart by force, so he was domineering.

Ethel was different, he wouldn’t push her into anything she didn’t truly want.

"Follow me." He turned and walked.

Ethel looked back at Jared, who was being fed spiritual fluid by Bruce, once sure he was out of danger, she jogged to catch up.

She didn’t dare speak, she kept her head down and followed in silence, sneaking glances at the tall, broad back ahead of her.

At the top floor of the fortress, Soren opened the formation on the door, Ethel peeked out from behind him, pure eyes roaming the room.

A flick of his finger drew the golden bed curtains open, a large bed appeared.

Lysara lay sprawled across it, Ethel’s heart broke into a sprint, she clapped her hands over her eyes, glossy lips starting to tremble.

Has Lysara already warmed the Demon Emperor’s bed? Is it my turn next?

She was hopelessly innocent, her heart sat in her throat, from fear that she would do a bad job, she had zero experience.

"Your figure is about the same as hers."

"I suppose you can wear her clothes." Soren signaled Lysara to fetch a clean set, then pointed at the crystal bathtub.

"Go wash yourself, then change."

"Once I finish what I left unfinished earlier, I have some questions for you."

Ethel froze. "Ah? You don’t need me to warm your bed?"

"Mm, no need."

She managed a soft oh and looked at Lysara.

Lysara’s tier sat at Obedient and Submissive, and she didn’t dare neglect a command, without a word, she took out a clean dress and floated it into Ethel’s hands on a thread of spiritual energy.

Soren decided this blank slate needed a proper lesson, a little shock, courtesy of a great demon.

Direct and unmistakable, so she would understand to stop talking about warming beds, it was neither easy nor fun.

If she ever ran into a man as brutal as himself, her fate would be miserable.

So Soren gave Ethel her lesson.

The teaching material was Lysara, and Lysara suffered miseries no words could describe.

Dawn was close, and Soren was already drinking tea.

"Ethel, I have a few questions for you, answer truthfully."

"I will tell you everything I know." She looked ready to swear an oath on the spot, afraid he wouldn’t believe her.

"No need to be so nervous."

"I’m not going to eat you."

"Hehe..." Since last night, Ethel had known Soren wouldn’t hurt her.

"How many Spirit people are left in Black Dragon Mountain?"

"Over fifty thousand."

Fifty thousand Spirit in a place only slightly smaller than the Endless Demonic Domain, a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, no wonder no one found a trace of them.

"And their strength?"

Ethel thought it over. "My Clan Chief is the strongest, he is already an Upper-Tier Spirit Venerable."

"Then there are ten Middle-Tier Spirit Venerable elders."

"The rest vary. There are Spirit Venerables and Spirit Kings, Spirit Kings are the largest share, about twenty thousand."

Tallied up, a respectable fighting force.

"Your branch has hidden in Black Dragon Mountain a long time, yet the Clan Chief hasn’t broken through to Lower-Tier Spirit Emperor."

"Why?"

"Does the mountain lack resources?"

The strange sonic wave kept demons, humans, and beasts from venturing deep, there should be no natural enemies inside.

Ethel shook her head, she hesitated, then asked carefully, "Is the Demon Emperor... going to attack Black Dragon Mountain?"

"What do you think?"

"I... I don’t know, the Demon Emperor didn’t even hurt me, so you probably won’t hurt the other clansmen either, right?"

Soren narrowed his eyes and put on a look of keen anticipation. "Spirit blood fetches a very high price, you know."

Ethel nearly cried on the spot, she was simple, not stupid, that could only mean he intended to attack the mountain.

He prodded further. "Your brother bears a curse, the clan must have ostracized you both plenty, yes?"

"Are you unhappy that I’m going to kill them?"

"My brother and I have been orphans since childhood, our parents disappeared, no one knows why, the clansmen shunned us, but the Clan Chief never drove us out, I am already grateful for that."

"If I attack Black Dragon Mountain, will you betray me and stand against me?"

Ethel shook her head. "I had a hard life growing up, but I don’t want to see my clansmen killed either, still, I have promised to follow the Demon Emperor, I will not betray you."

"Besides, I... I don’t have the power to betray the Demon Emperor anyway."

She clearly couldn’t handle teasing, Soren shrugged. "I was joking."

"As long as the Ice Heaven Alluring Fox clan understands the situation and submits, I won’t kill them."

Her eyes lit like a fresh candle flame, she hurried to wipe away the tears gathering with the back of her hand.