Big Black chewed carrots with loud crunches, muttering in a low voice, "Hmm, a Celestial Sprite. There's an ancient saying that makes perfect sense: only a dead Celestial Sprite is a Celestial Sprite you can truly trust!"
Arushiman's face suddenly turned deathly pale. He drew a deep, deep breath, then squeezed his eyes shut. His body trembled violently, and a thread of sound, like the wail of a wronged soul from the depths of Hell, drifted softly through the crack between his lips. "Don't force me. Twelve Nebula Devouring Beast eggs can utterly destroy the world we are in right now. Don't force me!"
Lin Qi smiled brilliantly and lightly patted Arushiman's shoulder. "I'm a kind and benevolent man. I won't force you!"
Arushiman immediately opened his eyes. Looking at the spatial magic devices that had once belonged to him in Lin Qi's hand, he cautiously asked, "Then... can you return my private property to me? And while you're at it, can you return my armor and weapons as well?"
Lin Qi laughed. He gently patted Arushiman's enormous head, which looked so disproportionate to his relatively petite body, then took out a set of magical shackles from the Abyssal World, specially made for slaves such as goblins and Gnomes. Arushiman's face twisted as he watched in despair while Lin Qi picked up the shackles, far too heavy for him to bear, and firmly locked his limbs and neck into them.
"All right, you're my prisoner now!" Lin Qi smiled at Arushiman. "As a prisoner, I'll provide you with excellent living conditions! I hope your future performance will prove worthy of the living expenses I'm giving you!"
Donkey snorted, rose onto his hind legs, crossed his front hooves over his chest, and looked Arushiman up and down. Donkey felt as though