Volume 3, Chapter 64 – The Elixir

“Miss Yu, oh… no… I should call you Miss Blood Butterfly instead.”

Xue Tian’ao spoke with a smile, his tone brimming with a teasing quality and a heavy sense of self-confidence.

The initiative in the conversation seemed to have fallen completely into Xue Tian’ao’s hands, and upon hearing how he addressed her, Miss Yumo couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned as a look of deep confusion surfaced in her azure eyes. She had never come into contact with Xue Tian’ao while acting under the identity of ‘Blood Butterfly’, and she was even concealed by the Veil of Deception. How had he seen through her?

‘Could this Chosen Son possess some other special ability?’ the young girl couldn’t help but wonder.

At that moment, seeing the black-haired girl looking somewhat startled, Xue Tian’ao couldn’t resist flashing a smug expression.

“Hehe, your Blackrose Family isn’t the only one with a powerful intelligence system. I’ve investigated quite a bit of your background, Miss Blood Butterfly.”

“Background?”

“Hehe, it was quite a surprise. To think the eldest daughter of the Blackrose Family has actually become a new demon king tier existence. If word of this got out, the reputation of the Blackrose Family would probably vanish into thin air, wouldn’t it?”

A hint of threat seemed to creep into Xue Tian’ao’s tone.

As expected, Miss Yumo’s brow furrowed tightly upon hearing this. She hated being threatened.

At the same time, the black-haired girl’s gaze turned peculiar after hearing the words ‘eldest daughter’.

‘Blood Butterfly? It seems he doesn’t know much after all, still taking me for a newly ascended demon king tier. That’s fine; no one would ever suspect something like the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons… but to put on such an air of having everything under control when he only understands the barest surface level… I’m truly speechless.’

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While Yumo complained inwardly, Xue Tian’ao leaned even closer to her side until his face was only about two fists away from her lovely features. Seeing that Yumo remained silent, Xue Tian’ao began to solemnly admire her peerless countenance.

“Ah, an Abyssal Demon? It’s truly hard to believe that such a beautiful lady could be one of those bloodthirsty, violent creatures. Moreover, you even possess a human form? Miss Blood Butterfly, you truly are a unique existence.”

Facing Xue Tian’ao as he continued to sigh with admiration in her ear, Yumo gave him an impatient look.

“No matter how unique I am, I am still an Abyssal Demon. Your Majesty, you’ve come so close and exposed my identity. Aren’t you afraid I’ll simply tear you to pieces?”

“Fear? Why should I be afraid?” Xue Tian’ao asked back with total indifference. “I know very well that you are different from other Abyssal Demons. You, Miss Blood Butterfly, do not follow the instincts of an Abyssal Demon; otherwise, you would have made a move long ago when you were with Miss Mengxi. Besides, I know that you won’t hurt me, Miss Blood Butterfly.”

“Why… are you so confident?”

“Hehe, for many reasons, I suppose?” Xue Tian’ao tilted his head as if playing a guessing game. “But the main reason is because I know your goal, Miss Blood Butterfly.”

“My… my goal?” Miss Yumo’s delicate brows knit slightly. “What is it? You know?”

“Naturally. You underestimate me far too much, Miss Blood Butterfly.”

The messages Pelochi’s communication device sent back from Windward City didn’t just contain the Blood Butterfly’s appearance; they also included part of her conversation with the Cult Leader of the Divine Punishment Holy Church.

“Miss Blood Butterfly, isn’t your goal to crush the Abyssal Demons, destroy the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, and return the world to peace and tranquility?”

“You… how did you…?”

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“You needn’t worry about exactly how I found out.” Xue Tian’ao raised a hand with supreme confidence and pointed to his own head. “I have many trump cards. But… to be honest, I am quite relieved. Even after becoming an Abyssal Demon, you haven’t forgotten your identity as a human. You’ve maintained your sanity and haven’t gone mad, and you’re even fighting for the sake of human forces.”

“Relieved? Have you forgotten that your brother died at my hands?”

“My brother? Bernard? Hehe, he was simply seeking death by provoking you.”

“Heh. It seems there really wasn’t much affection between you and your brother.”

“Never was, from childhood until now.”

“Is that so…” Yumo tilted her head and cast an indifferent glance at Xue Tian’ao. “But looking at it this way, Your Majesty, your invitation for me to enter the palace surely wasn’t just to exchange pleasantries as you claimed? Now that you’ve directly exposed my identity, what exactly do you want to do? Do you want to make everyone hostile toward our Blackrose Family, just like you did with the Duke Family?”

“Hahahaha, you’re very direct, Miss Blood Butterfly.” Xue Tian’ao’s hearty laughter echoed through the dining room. “Fine, since you’re being so direct, I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t want to target Blackrose. My goal is simple: I want to cooperate with you!”

As he spoke, Xue Tian’ao extended his index finger and pointed it at the exquisite black-haired girl before him.

“Cooperate with me? Why?”

“Hehe, it’s simple. I am the Chosen Son! What I want to do is unify the entire Ancheka Continent! In the future, there may be conflicts with the Sadik Empire. If I can be on good terms with your Blackrose Family, the pressure of those future campaigns will be greatly reduced. Furthermore, if you are on good terms with me, I can guarantee that the Blackrose Family will remain a first-rate power on the continent in the future, perhaps even taking a step further. Additionally, Miss Blood Butterfly, you are a demon king tier existence. A demon king tier Abyssal Demon can command countless ordinary Abyssal Demons. With your help, defeating the Abyssal Demons will be much easier.”

“…”

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“Most importantly, by cooperating with me, your wish to expel the Abyssal Demons and destroy the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons can be realized. Working together, we will bring peace and stability to the entire world! Why not take this win-win choice?”

Xue Tian’ao’s words were filled with wild arrogance. Every word he spoke radiated thick confidence.

Combined with his powerful aura, his confident words would likely leave an ordinary person feeling their blood boil with excitement. However, when these words reached Miss Yumo’s ears, they only caused a suspicious expression to cross her face.

“Defeating the Abyssal Demons? It will be easier? …Your Majesty Xue Tian’ao, you… seem quite confident. Aren’t you underestimating the Abyssal Demons too much? They are terrifying monsters that have threatened the continent for centuries, yet you speak as if you can defeat them easily. Have you forgotten that just recently, the defensive line at the Snownight Empire’s border was easily destroyed by them?”

“Hahaha, that…” Xue Tian’ao maintained his look of disdain. “That was only because the army in Windward City was too weak and backward. Ordinary Abyssal Demons are nothing more than a bunch of bloodthirsty, mindless beasts. Before an army equipped with new types of weapons, they are nothing more than paper tigers. You’ve seen it yourself, haven’t you? The power of the Magic Fission Bomb? With just one shot, thousands of Abyssal Demons can be turned to ash. Will it really be difficult to defeat them?”

“…”

“As for those demon king tier existences, they are indeed strong, but they are not invincible! Not long ago, didn’t I defeat that overbearing Flame Demon? There are only a few demon king tier beings in existence. Once the forces on the continent are integrated under my leadership, eradicating the Abyssal Demons will be no idle dream! The times have changed…”

After letting out a long torrent of grand declarations, Xue Tian’ao looked excitedly at the black-haired girl. “Miss Blood Butterfly, cooperate with me. That way, your long-cherished wish can be fulfilled.”

With that, Xue Tian’ao reached out his hand toward Miss Yumo in an inviting gesture.

In Xue Tian’ao’s view, his proposal was absolutely full of appeal! Accepting it would not only help her complete her own wish but also protect the secret of her demonization and safeguard the reputation of the Blackrose Family.

However, after extending his hand, Xue Tian’ao found to his surprise that after all he had said, the black-haired girl’s face didn’t show a hint of being moved. She maintained that same indifferent, emotionless expression, and the way she looked at him was like frozen ice in a black abyss—biting cold, enough to freeze one’s soul.

After a moment of silence, under Xue Tian’ao’s strange gaze, the girl couldn’t help but let out a sneer.

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“Your Majesty, you are… truly naive… terrifyingly naive…”

The girl’s voice was full of mockery and utter disdain, as if she had just heard some sort of joke.

As those words reached his ears, Xue Tian’ao’s smile vanished at a visible rate, and his extended hand was slowly withdrawn. Such contemptuous words dealt a severe blow to the self-esteem of Xue Tian’ao, who had enjoyed smooth sailing for a long time. However, these words also made him realize the deep loathing the other party felt toward him.

Although he wasn’t sure why her favorability toward him was so low, if it was at this level, he couldn’t expect to win her over in the short term. In that case, he would just use his original plan.

Thinking of this, the corners of Xue Tian’ao’s mouth curled up again.

“Hehe. It seems you still don’t quite understand the power I hold, Miss Blood Butterfly. Forget it, I can’t be bothered to explain any further…”

As he spoke, Xue Tian’ao slowly raised his hand, spreading his five fingers toward Miss Yumo as a faint golden light rippled in his palm.

“Whatever the case, for now, you have no choice but to cooperate with me.”

“Just what… makes you so confident?”

“What makes me? It’s the elixir of mine that you’ve already drunk…”

Before his voice had even faded, Xue Tian’ao suddenly mobilized his power, triggering the effects of the medicine within Yumo’s body.