Chapter 76: The Confrontation (Continued)
Ji Ma lay back in the lounge chair, lazily crossed her legs, with a shameless and provoking expression that seemed to say, “I’m the big bad guy, what will you do about it?”
However, George was not particularly angry; instead, he felt a sense of predictability and said, “I knew it would be like this. You had no good intentions from the start.”
“People should believe in magic. The alignment detection says I’m in the evil camp, so I am in the evil camp. As an evil person, what’s the harm in a little deception?”
“It’s still rare to see someone openly claim to be evil. Even the most evil people usually talk about great justice.”
“That just shows our relationship is good; after all, you won’t chop me up,” Ji Ma said, narrowing her golden eyes to look at George, “I just like to poke fun.”
George had gotten used to Ji Ma’s off-color jokes and was no longer embarrassed by them.
“Let’s get back to business.”
“Alright,” Ji Ma said, “Next, we go find Gregory, right?”
“Right.”
“Will you tell others about my secret of having the memories of the Demon King? What if your superiors demand you to reveal everything?”
“I won’t. I would refuse to answer.”
“Then, how do you plan to speak to Gregory with me in tow?” Ji Ma asked. “I don’t want to say anything negative about him in front of you. After all, he has done you a favor, but you understand his character.”
“He will face it sooner or later. Even in the worst case, I have the ability to protect you.”
“Presumptuous. Do you have some misunderstanding about my ability to escape?”
“No, I have already thought it through,” George said. “One day, we will hold a wedding.”
At the mention of the word “wedding,” Ji Ma’s head began to ache. If the word “marriage” were to be thrown into the mix, she could nearly roll on the ground in despair.
To her, weddings were bothersome and thankless affairs. God knows why people love to celebrate with a wedding before stepping into the grave.
The only thing worth seeing at a wedding was the pure white bridal gown—of course, based on the premise that the bride was attractive.
“By the Dawn God, the Four Gods of Darkness, Sigma, and the Lake Goddess, why are you so obsessed with this?” Ji Ma said. “It sounds as if you’re the bride. Once the wedding takes place, it would be terrible. Some things are different when they are done publicly versus semi-publicly. I don’t want to play the ‘lovers who transcend racial boundaries to break societal prejudice’ true love game. I neither believe in love, nor do I want to prove it through suffering and bleeding.”
“We can invite some friends and family and hold it semi-publicly,” George said. “Gregory will definitely be invited. I’ve thought this all through.”
“You misunderstand my point,” Ji Ma said. “There shouldn’t be a wedding in the first place.” Except for playing dress-up in wedding dresses with the maids and putting a green hat on the groom.
“I don’t want you to be my lover for life.”
“Is the title of ‘wife’ that important?”
“Very important. For example…”
Ji Ma simply squatted on the lounge chair, covering her ears with her hands and said, “I won’t listen, I just won’t listen! I absolutely don’t want any wedding or marriage. If you keep going, I’m going to throw up.”
George helplessly stopped and said, “Alright, you’ll change your mind eventually.”
“Almost got distracted by you. Discussing irrelevant things all the time—let’s talk about business.” Ji Ma said, “Your confidence in me is not something Gregory will have. If you insist on bringing me, he’ll definitely find an excuse to sideline you, and in the end, we’ll just be going through the motions: you won’t gain any achievements, and I won’t even see the extraordinary materials.”
Without thinking, George blurted out, “No way.”
“Why?”
“Because the situation is very serious,” George said. “When the battle gets tough, we must use our best swords.”
“Sometimes I really envy your unwarranted confidence,” Ji Ma said. “But I’m willing to believe you.”
Working alongside George toward the same goal felt very reassuring.
“So for the upcoming fierce battle, we need to prepare the following,” George said as he took out his notebook, “First, you need to bring the battle report along with the bodies of fallen soldiers back to the chapel, while requesting some resources.”
Ji Ma yawned; George’s voice always reminded her of long, tedious meetings.
“…White City has already prohibited your entry, but with my credentials, you can bypass the entry restriction. This is not illegal… The credentials and battle report are all in the chest… To avoid any accidents, I suggest you find a middleman…”
“The spoils of war also need to be exchanged for resources… You can trade them for points…”
Ji Ma had already lain back in the lounge chair, shutting her eyes.
A hand shook Ji Ma: “Ji Ma? Ji Ma? Wake up, do you understand?”
“Have you finished? How long has it been?”
“Only ten minutes.”
“It feels like a year. Do you really like making things feel like a meeting?” Ji Ma said. “I don’t need to remember. Just write down what I need to do on paper.”
“I’m worried something unexpected might happen.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t mess things up.”
But even so, George’s serious and responsible demeanor was quite appealing.
George handed Ji Ma a prepared outline and asked, “Is there anything you would like to add?”
After accepting it, Ji Ma said, “Of course, there is! It’s quite serious.”
“What is it?”
Ji Ma put her legs down, propped her face with one hand, and said, “Say thank you to me quickly.”
“Ah? Why?”
“Because I graciously chose not to continue deceiving you but decided to believe in you, which is quite rare for an evil person.” Ji Ma pointed to her smooth skin, alluring body proportions, and her tail, saying, “And that evil person happens to be a beautiful succubus…”
“… without asking for a house, bringing my own palace, being good at cooking, being able to fight, sleep, and entertain…”
“Most importantly, she’s a virgin succubus, a rare species that has not been with any other man.”
Ji Ma sighed and flicked her hair aside, saying, “Even the Demon King doesn’t have this fortune. The Goddess of Fate has bestowed you this gift for free; shouldn’t you express gratitude for this gift and say thank you?”
George’s eye twitched as he replied, “Even if you boast like this, I do think that meeting you is the luck of my life.”
“Good, as expected of a paladin; you have awareness and gratitude.” Ji Ma’s smile became increasingly proud as she lifted her leg clad in patterned white silk, pointing at her toes, saying, “Come on, I’m granting you the right to hold my foot and kiss the top in thanks.”
With that, she wiggled her foot and nudged George.
George fell silent for a moment, lost in thought about how Ji Ma could be so incorrigible.
“Oh? Don’t like white?” Ji Ma extended her black silk stockings. “Black is also fine; I permit you to tongue kiss the soles of my feet to express your trivial gratitude.”
Suddenly, George moved, pushing her legs apart and pressing down, saying, “I really want to smack your butt hard.”
“Is the paladin’s way of expressing gratitude through violent threats?” Ji Ma laughed, “Anyway, I’ve gained weight now, so I’m not afraid of a beating.”
“Then I’ll give it a try.”
George picked up Ji Ma and walked toward the bedroom.
While in his arms, Ji Ma said, “Weren’t you asking me if absorbing ‘heather-flavored’ liquid was active or passive? I’ll tell you, as long as I haven’t lost consciousness, it can happen. But do you have that capability? Today I want to teach you a lesson, don’t always be so self-righteous or think about marriage.”
With that, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Ten minutes later, the large bedroom echoed with the sound of “smack smack” from spankings.
Ji Ma clutched the bed sheets tightly, teasingly saying, “What’s wrong? Didn’t have dinner tonight? No strength at all.”
“How disappointing, and you’re a melee extraordinary, platinum and all.”
“Is that all?”
Five minutes later.
“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
After a brief night, dawn arrived.
Ever since Ji Ma reached platinum, she could easily accommodate three people in the Dream Palace for a good night’s rest.
“Get up.”
“Don’t bother me.”
George pushed Ji Ma awake, “We have to march in half an hour.”
Ji Ma crawled out of the soft mattress; her hand touched a wet and cold spot. She looked and found a large wet area on the bed. The bottle of water on the bedside table was nearly empty.
Ji Ma stepped down, barefoot on the carpet. Beside her lay a torn black stocking and other similar clothing.
In a trance, Ji Ma had a fleeting sensation of returning to the past, recalling the intense night spent with her maids. There was a time when each morning she would find more discarded garments on the carpet.
The only difference was that the roles had switched, but the experience was rather similar.
Ji Ma straightened up, snapped her fingers, and the damaged clothes floated up automatically, the messy blankets tidied themselves, and the soaked mattress dried out.
So convenient; the maids used to complain the most about tidying up after battles.
At that moment, Ji Ma felt an ache in her waist and fatigue wash over her.
Last night was an intense and long battle.
With the two armies facing each other, Ji Ma commanded her troops, trying to consume George’s “White Knights.” If his “White Knights” were exhausted, then even if his army’s soldiers were never tired, their defeat would be sealed. This was also the only way to triumph over George.
Ji Ma, as a commander with the keen senses of a wolf, was adept at seizing every opportunity.
Last night, George’s “White Knights” were completely annihilated. In just one day, even if they replenished quickly, there wouldn’t be much left.
Yet, as Ji Ma provoked, challenged, and stimulated George with her offensive words and high skills, she did not expect the waves of White Knights to keep coming, the numbers far exceeding her expectations.
The anticipated decisive victory turned into a draw.
George also got up, and the two headed to the bath to wash up, taking separate showers as they couldn’t afford to waste time.
Ji Ma emerged from the bath wrapped in a towel and ordered, “Lianxi, Lianxi, come help.”
“Master, I’m coming.”
Lianxi ran over, her maid outfit not as proper as before, with the hem reaching her knees. Ji Ma believed that now that Lianxi had improved her looks, she didn’t need to cover her twig-like legs with a long skirt anymore.
Ji Ma sat in a chair, and with a wave of her hand, several outfits floated in the air, rotating around her, along with a full-length mirror reflecting her figure. She lazily pointed to one outfit and said, “That one.”
“As you wish, Master.”
Lianxi dashed to fetch the outfit. Ji Ma simply needed to raise her hand and foot to don the clothes. Lianxi helped Ji Ma tidy her shiny black hair, saying, “Master, you truly are becoming more and more beautiful. Poets have said that joyful bed affairs make women more beautiful. I never imagined what could be more beautiful than you.”
“That’s just what poets say to entice young girls.”
As Ji Ma spoke, she and Lianxi exited the changing room, and the remaining outfits flew back into the wardrobe.
The master and servant encountered George, who had finished bathing.
The red-haired Lianxi glared at George, showing a poor attitude toward the man.
George asked, “Who is she?”
“I declare that she is now my personal maid,” Ji Ma said. “As a dignified platinum, I should have someone to serve me, right?”
George lowered his head for a moment, then said, “I see how you deceived me initially.”
“Oh?”
“She’s actually that orange cat,” George said. “As long as I asked you questions, that orange cat would quietly ask you questions, and you would answer it. So you made me wear that bucket helm so I couldn’t hear the cat talk.”
Denying was a lie. Therefore, Ji Ma dismissed the idea of denial, saying, “You would make a great detective; that’s right. Her name is Lianxi.”
“Lianxi, good morning.”
Lianxi replied with a poor expression: “I’m called Lianxi. Only the Master can call me Lianxi. I warn you, don’t bully my Master or make her swallow your dirty things, or give her a beating. Otherwise, if you really anger the Master, you will be in agony, and I won’t let you off either.”
Ji Ma’s face turned red, a rare sight.
“Shut up, go obediently to the back.”
“As you wish, Master.”
…
…
The army continued to march. Despite the good quality of the troops, they were few in number and marched quickly. For Ji Ma, the marching speed felt as slow as a snail.
After agreeing with George on the time, they directly used “Dream Walking” to rush to the White City chapel to handle some affairs.
Outside White City, there was a courtyard enclosed by a stone wall, converted into a tavern. Passersby rested there, sitting at tables in the courtyard, enjoying river water, cheese, and sausages while chatting, while animals drank water and ate grass nearby.
At the entrance of the courtyard, a bulletin board stood out with a picture of Ji Ma’s head and shoulders nailed to it. The title read: “Extremely Dangerous Demon. Anyone who sees her in White City has an obligation to report.”
Below were filled with Ji Ma’s “great feats,” and at the bottom, there was a small note: “Stealing this paper is prohibited. Violators will be sentenced to fifteen days of labor.”
Nearby, travelers eating bread discussed it.
“This portrait is really well done.”
“In my opinion, the clergy over there are too stuck in their ways. They should depict succubi as sharp-toothed and ugly, looking like old hags. After all, most common folks only look at faces,” said a man wearing a feathered hat.
“You don’t understand. Because the succubus Ji Ma is involved with the next successor to the Pope, George, that former brave one; I heard he has been completely bewitched.”
“Oh? Is it true?”
“Absolutely, everyone says so.” The man continued, “Speaking of succubus Ji Ma, she has been with many others; anyone who is of help to her, she seduces them into bed. I once saw a ‘slime’ sculptor; poor man got everything taken away by the succubus Ji Ma and treated her like a goddess. He hasn’t even been with her and now regrets it, telling everyone around.”
“Right, men shouldn’t act like tail-wagging dogs.” The feathered man said, “Otherwise, they can easily be toyed with by a slut.”
“If it were me, if I encountered a succubus, no matter what she said, I would just say I want to do it with her, and after it’s done, I wouldn’t care about her anymore.”
“Good afternoon to you both.” A pleasant female voice chimed in: “May I ask where that ‘slime sculptor’ is?”
The two men turned around to see a beautiful woman with black hair, radiating an enchanting aura of a succubus, making it difficult to look away. She only needed a slight smile to charm anyone.
When the man regained his senses, he rushed to reply, “I found him in the adult market in the eastern district of White City; you can inquire around and find him.”
“Okay, goodbye.”
“Wait a moment, may I have the honor of knowing your name, milady?”
The man in the feathered hat stood up nervously, smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
The black-haired beauty pointed at the bulletin board at the entrance and said, “It’s written up there.”
With that, she left.
The two were momentarily stunned, and after the figure of the black-haired beauty disappeared at the entrance of the courtyard, they glanced at each other, shocked, “Succubus Ji Ma?”
——————
Chapter 72 needs revision.
On the night of the 24th, I will put the complete version into the book group.
Group One: 743411371
Group Two: 1106573800
