Just as Luo Ge and Nanahoshi were brutally beating this little girl in broad daylight, right there in the street.
More and more people gathered to watch from both sides of the street, and the commotion grew louder and louder.
Passersby stopped to watch, some pointing and whispering, some laughing uproariously, and several children squatting nearby, watching with great interest.
But not long after, the people who were watching the commotion suddenly scattered.
Luo Ge was wondering what was going on.
Then a squad of guards clad in heavy black armor rushed up and surrounded the area.
The black armor gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the sunlight. Dozens of demon guards moved in perfect unison, their footsteps landing with a dull thud, clearly indicating that they were well-trained elites.
Seeing that the group seemed to be coming with hostile intent, Luo Ge quickly shielded Nanahoshi behind him, his hand already on the Phoenix Elegant Dragon Sword at his waist.
At this moment, an old man stepped out from the ranks; he was none other than the captain of these guards, Muya.
He had a gaunt face, gray hair, and a pair of blood-red eyes that were both steady and sharp.
"Please... wait a minute!"
"We are the personal guard of Lord Atofe, the Undying Demon King of the Gasro region. Young human... Could you please hand over Lady Kishirika to us?"
What if I say no?
Luo Ge gave a casual reply.
The moment the words were spoken, the surrounding Atofe guards instantly became tense and ready to draw their swords.
The sound of metal scraping came from beneath the black armor as dozens of hands simultaneously reached for the weapons at their waists.
Muya waved his hand, signaling the people behind him not to make any rash moves, then took off his helmet, revealing a face that looked somewhat old, and his attitude was very proper.
"I've heard about your search for Lady Kishirika along the way."
"Now that you've achieved your goal, Lady Kishirika should be of no use to you anymore, right?"
"You want to arrest her?"
"Yes... Lady Kishirika stole Lady Atofe's wine, and Lady Atofe was furious when she found out. In fact... she's been wanted by the authorities for quite some time now."
Muya's tone was calm and neither humble nor arrogant, "This time, we were able to find Lady Kishirika thanks to you... so please, you must give us face and hand over Lady Kishirika so we can return and report back."
"Yeah?"
"Oh, I see."
Luo Ge muttered to himself, touching his chin as if deep in thought.
That being said, since it was Kishirika who stole the wine from the immortal demon king Atofe, logically speaking... this is their own private feud, and it really has nothing to do with me.
to be honest.
There's absolutely no need to meddle in other people's business and needlessly offend an immortal demon king.
Furthermore, the other party's attitude wasn't condescending, but rather appropriately respectful, which made it even harder for Luo Ge to find fault with them.
"You're right... absolutely right!"
" Kishirika is indeed useless to me now, so handing her over to you is no problem at all."
Just as Luo Ge, his only lifeline, was about to abandon him and leave, Kishirika suddenly grabbed the hem of his clothes from behind.
She looked up with her dirty little face upturned, her big, bright eyes wide open, her lips trembling slightly, looking utterly pitiful.
She stammered, as if saying... "Don't abandon me, I'm begging you on my knees."
However, Luo Ge coldly turned his back and left with Nanahoshi.
Seeing that Luo Ge really didn't intend to meddle, Nanahoshi hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which... are we really just going to leave like this?"
"Otherwise what?"
Luo Ge continued walking, "Going to war against the Undying Demon King for a complete stranger? A thankless task? Hmph... I'm not stupid."
"Wasting extra time at this crucial moment? Please! My time is precious... not a single minute can be wasted."
Seeing this, Nanahoshi naturally wouldn't offer any further advice.
After all, if we consider the issue from Luo Ge's perspective...
Choosing to help a now useless Kishirika in order to offend an unknown and powerful immortal demon king doesn't seem like a worthwhile deal at all.
Moreover, Nanahoshi was fully aware of Luo Ge's purpose in coming to the Demon Continent this time.
He didn't come here to challenge the Demon King, to make a name for himself, or for gold and silver treasures.
From beginning to end, Luo Ge had only one goal: to find clues about his mother.
Now that the two-year journey has come to a successful end, the most important and reasonable choice at present is to hurry back to the Millis Continent and bring back the known intelligence.
The Nanahoshi are clear.
Luo Ge knew it even better.
Even though he had already made up his mind, he still hesitated when Luo Ge was about to leave.
Seeing this, Nanahoshi's lips curled up slightly, as if he had already guessed that this would be the outcome.
With his back to the crowd and Nanahoshi, Luo Ge couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
"Ugh, I really am a busybody and a pushover. These kinds of things are fine if you just leave them alone... Ugh... But I just can't help it."
After saying that, Luo Ge turned back and stood in front of the departing guards, blocking them all by himself.
"Wait a moment!"
One sentence caught the attention of Atofe's personal guard.
Muya had the already bound Kishirika placed aside, then looked at Luo Ge, who had stopped not far away, with a questioning gaze. "May I ask... is there anything else, Your Excellency?"
Luo Ge took a deep breath and said, "Whatever you plan to do, no one is taking Kishirika away today."
"I'll protect her."
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this, Kishirika's eyes lit up, and the lifeless light in her eyes was rekindled, burning with hope.
Muya frowned, seemingly not understanding Luo Ge's intentions either.
"Your Excellency... didn't we already agree that you would hand over Lady Kishirika to us and that we would not interfere with each other?"
"I did say that, but... I regret it."
Seeing that Luo Ge intended to interfere with them, some of the guards couldn't help but want to make a move, but Muya gave a look, signaling the people behind him not to act rashly.
Then they continued to proactively engage in negotiations and communication.
"I understand what just happened. You traded food for information; it was a fair deal."
"To be honest, you don't need to feel guilty. You don't owe Lady Kishirika anything."
It must be said that Muya, despite being a demon, speaks with remarkable maturity.
Anyone else might have been swayed by him, but Luo Ge shook his head. "I admit... you're right, absolutely right. You're spot on the pros and cons."
"At first, I also thought it was fair. It was a transaction after all, and besides... I didn't have a very deep relationship with Kishirika."
Whether she lives or dies is none of my business.
"But thinking about it carefully, to get such important information in exchange for a meal, I've hit the jackpot, I've fucking hit the jackpot!"
"So... I'm sorry... I can't let you take Kishirika away today."
"There's no room for negotiation?"
"Hmm... no discussion."
In an instant, the atmosphere became tense and the tension froze.
" Muya! Why are you wasting your breath talking to him? He's just a mere human! What's the point of all this talk? Just kill him!"
At this moment, a female demon who had been standing behind Muya finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She had an extremely ferocious and terrifying face, with yellowish scales covering both sides of her cheeks, hair standing on end like needles, and a prominent nose. She looked more like an insectoid than a demon.
"My name is Karina! King Rank swordswoman of the North God Style, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Atofe Royal Guard, known as 'Karina the Wind'."
She drew her sword and pointed it at Luo Ge, roaring, "Human boy! State your name too!"
In an instant, Luo Ge drew his sword, the Phoenix Elegant Dragon Sword from his waist, and pointed it at his opponent.
The blade gleamed with a cold, silvery light in the sunlight, and a chilling sword aura emanated from him, spreading outwards. "My Luo Ge Greyrat, also known as— the Demon Sword King."
The atmosphere at the scene instantly froze.
A conflict over the ownership of Kishirika has reached a point where it is inevitable, and a major battle is about to erupt.