The image of a bloodied Zhi Rui with a blackish ghostly figure behind her was too strong, the couple dazedly nodded to her words.

Zhi Rui patted the snake, it lowered it's head, putting Zhi Rui on eye level with the couple. She extended her hands a two-pill floated over to them.

They smelled the common healing pill and swallowed it.

Nodding Zhi Rui spoke. "What was your objective with the fortune?"

The couple stood there, the effects of the pill worked fast, the body healed and the blood cooled down. Although the fatigue was there. The man stood calmly. they both close the eyes and while holding hands they analyzed everything as one. a second later, they opened their eyes and looked at Zhi Rui more relaxed than before.

They both clasped their hands and bowed. "Miss Zhi Rui, us husband, and wife would be glad to work for you."

Zhi Rui's eye shined with interest and she looked up towards the tree top. "You also saw them doing this before?"

Following her eyes, the couple saw atop the tree Hilda standing beside an enormous ape twice her size. The woman paled, while the man's eye twitched

Hilda nodded.

Zhi Rui smiled and looked at the couple. "That's good to hear, but not what I asked." She said.

After a few seconds of silence, the man spoke. "We planned on growing strong. And eventually built a small city and live there as nobles."

"A lie." Zhi Rui said with a wide smile.

The couple didn't move and the man showed no physical response"It's our dream." He said.

Laughing Zhi Rui motioned in the wife's direction. "I want to hear it from your mouth, What was the intention for the fortune?"

The woman spoke with a firm voice, portraying her conviction. "We only wanted a place to live quietly."

"Another mouth, another lie." Zhi Rui spoke with a smirk, her eyes shining blood red.

The couple became tense, and they clasped their hands together, ready to die.

The red faded from Zhi Rui's eyes, she sighed. "Fine, Swear to follow my lead and to not betray me and we can move on."

"I Bai Hui, swears to follow Zhi Rui and to never betray her, should I ever do otherwise, My soul would extinguish!" The middle-aged man said.

"And I Yu Yan swears to follow Zhi Rui and to never betray her, should I ever do otherwise My should would be extinguished!"

As their words sounded, bolts of lightning flashed through the sky.

Zhi Rui's cold green eyes stared at them through the light flashes.

'For now, that'll do." Zhi Rui thought 'They already shown the will to die, on the least sign of trouble. If I demand they to become my slaves, they'll kill themselves and I'll lose a potential asset."

Zhi Rui narrowed her eyes. 'Though they were feeling elation while making the oath...'

Some things come to her mind and Zhi Rui smirked 'One more reason to keep them by my side.'

Slapping the snake'head Zhi Rui led the way while the others followed the 7-meter snake's tail.

Bai Hui followed through their forest fifty meters away from where they hid the ambush, was a camp. he saw as Zhi Rui stepped off from the snake and entered the biggest tent.

Yu Yan, his wife, held his hand and they stood by the side. As Izaya, Shizu, Hilda, Zhun Xuying , Entered the tent.

They were all alone, "We must run away. the woman whispered." the man simply shook his head, "We can not run away for now. If we fail and they catch us, we wouldn't even be able to suicide. her power messes with our energy movements."

Yu Yan frowned, and Bai Hui sighed.

-----

-----

-----

Zhi Rui looked a the people seating in a circle in front of her. When Zhun Xuying and herself went away from the sect, it was afternoon, they walked away into the forest, Zhi Rui needed to tame the maximum of animals possible and do some small formation training with the brothel slaves.

By the other day, everyone was gathered. But it's the first time they're talking instead of working.

Zhi Ru smiled and looked with warmth at them. 'Izaya was loyal as long as his daughter is loyal, Hilda is a slave, so is Azula. Shizu is indifferent and fickle, her motives for betraying the prince is that he became 'negative' in her view. And Zhun Xuying is currently in love. With everything summed up. Zhi Rui started to speak.

"I called all of you from the empire because I'll need your strength. in consequence, you have to become stronger. I brought the resources and cultivation methods that I'll deliver for each of you tomorrow. Any questions?" Zhi Rui asked with a smile

"Aren't the sects, forbidden from act on the mortal empire's issues?"

Zhi Rui nodded, "We won't be taking side or fight in the frontlines.

There's a lawless city formed due to the war-"

"The refugee's epitaph!" Hilda exclaimed abruptly.

Zhi Rui nodded and noted Hilda's restlessness.

"We'll form a community center, focusing on the victims of war. Izumy, you'll be in charge of these people."

Izumi nodded. And hesitantly spoke, "The comunity center on the empire will you give it up."

"No, we won't." Zhi Rui said. "But you can only go back there if we win the war."

Izumi looked at Zhi Rui with water in her eyes. "W-War?"

Zhi Rui looked at everybody, her eyes firm. "To barely qualify to fight the enemy, I'll need each one of you to be as strong as possible in this half a year. We'll be entering the underworld gate."

Nobody said anything. they mind still processing the words.

"You can come to me with any issue. but for now, except for Izaya and Hilda, you can leave." Zhi Rui said.

Izaya stared at Zhi Rui' eyes coldly as the people went away.

Once they were left alone Zhi Rui smirked. "Angry?"

"My daughter won't be going," Izaya said.

"If she wants, she will." Zhi Rui retorted.

Seeing he was ready to turn away in anger. Zhi Rui's eyes turned cold. "I didn't allow you to leave."

He sat there with a stern face, bare-chested. The sweat and the now dry blood from the earlier fight was still on him.

Zhi Rui narrowed her eyes and slowly put a grape on her mouth. licking her slightly red lips. She got up and walked to his chair. His face scrunching up.

She circled to his back and reached her hands over his shoulders. and leaned in. Her breath seemed like moan on his ear.

"Are you very angry?" she whispered.

He didn't answer.

But Zhi Rui could feel the blood pumping on him. She slowly reached down with her hands to his slightly hairy chest. Putting her head right beside him.

She could smell the swea with a tinge of blood, like a cat she caressed her face with her own. She licked his cheek lightly. "If you're angry, then you should vent." like a devil, Zhi rui smirked.

Izaya couldn't take it, he grabbed the equally bruised and bloodied woman and sat her in his lap. He ripped her robes to shreds.

"Seeing the bloodlust red eyes on her eyes, and her newly revealed body that could ensnare gods and dragons. His blood boiled and his beastly nature ran wide. He snarled, grabbed her by the legs he threw her like rag doll towards the bed. He walked towards her sternly, like an immortal.

Zhi Rui felt the chill in her spine and laughed in expectation.

As the battle started, Hilda to the side sighed.