Xiao Dong had black lines running down his face. This was going too far! "Eh, uncle, can't you see I'm a child?"
Jin Ling smiled, a trace of regret mixing into his expression. "Indeed. As I said, you're a bit young for this. But look, I even have a few human wives. They might look older than you but they're still younger. So I don't really mind your age. In the worst case, we could wait a bit. How long will you need till you're becoming an adult? A hundred years? Two hundred? Waiting that long is not a problem."
"Your age is the problem!"
Jin Ling smiled even more. "Oh? So it's just my age that concerns you? Don't worry about that. You won't notice the difference when you're lying in my bed."
Xiao Dong froze. Shit! When had this guy come so close? And why did it sound as if he was seriously considering this instead of just teasing him? "You …"
Jin Ling only continued to smile. "You wouldn't think I jest, now, would you? I'm serious. I feel like the two of us would make a good couple. In fact, I feel like you should have a special place in my harem." He gently combed through Xiao Dong's hair, his gaze growing distant.
Thinking back now he could hardly believe there had been a time where he could just touch his beautiful hair like this. It really was a pity he had lost him like this.
Xiao Dong sensed his enemy becoming absent-minded. He lashed out, struck Jin Ling's chest and tried to hurry away. Who knew the demon king would have held his hair so tightly? He just yanked him right back. Thanks to Xiao Dong's effort, his smile had become unpleasant, too.
"It's really frustrating to see how you want to run away from me. I'm afraid I can't allow that." Bloodlust permeated the air around him. He wouldn't let him get away!
Xiao Dong's eyes widened. This guy changed his mood way too fast! He had to get away now or it would be too late.
Just when Jin Ling reached out again, Xiao Dong unsheathed his sword. He cut off his hair, leaped away and turned into the form of a small golden dragon. Without a look back, he flew off into the sky and vanished in the clouds.
Jin Ling cursed and looked at the golden hair in his hand. He had actually let that little one get away. Well, this might at least get him a few answers from Xin Lan. Jin Ling went back to smiling and gently tied the hair into a knot before putting it into the space connected to his earring.
Now, the question was should he return to the demon realm immediately or should he go and have a look at the fun things that would happen at the emergence of that secret realm?
Ah, he really wanted to see Qiu Ling's stupid expression when his beloved died right in front of him! But his presence might tip him off and if the gods investigated and found out that he had been nearby, then things might turn ugly.
With a sigh, Jin Ling vanished from the grounds of the Yun Zou Sect and returned to the demon realm. He'd have to live with just the imagination of how Qiu Ling would react at losing that person.
Soon after Jin Ling left, the other Elders had already brought their chosen disciples over to the Sect Master's palace. Qiguan Cheng Da had naturally gone back too so the only one missing was Xiao Dong who didn't dare to try to go back to the sect.
His Master was livid when everything was waiting for his disciple. "This boy! How dare he let everyone wait like this?!" He turned to Yuchi Bing Xia, cupped his fists and bowed. "Sect Master, let me go and have a look where Xiao Dong has vanished to. He only wanted to say his farewell to a fellow brother from our peak. Who knows what is taking him so long?"
Yuchi Bing Xia looked at the other disciples. He really wanted for as many disciples as possible to have the opportunity to go to the secret realm to try their luck but time was of the essence. "I'm afraid we can't wait that long."
The Elder deflated. This promising seedling … now he would miss out on such a great opportunity just because of his sentimentality. He should teach him how to be cold-blooded when he found him!
Grandmaster Zhangsun furrowed his brow. The boy they were talking about was the one he had ascertained to be a dragon. The way he had behaved before hinted that something was wrong with that man who had come over to look for Qiguan Cheng Da. Maybe something had happened? Something that concerned his disciple or the man in the special dimension? After all, that person seemed to have vanished.
Zhangsun Xun Yi turned to the Sect Master. "The situation is indeed unfavorable but it would be a pity to have a disciple miss out when we clearly had the capacity to take another person along. How about this? I'll bring the other disciples over and Elder Nong may go and search for his disciple. When he finds them that boy can just follow us. Even if he's slightly late, it shouldn't be a problem. A lone practitioner traveling won't attract much attention anyway."
Yuchi Bing Xia nodded in relief. This was indeed a good solution. Grandmaster Zhangsun really knew what he was doing. "Then we'll do as you say."
The Elders once again reiterated their warnings for their disciples and finally, the group set out toward the Leyuan region.
At the same time, Yuchi Bing Xia's message made its way over to the Hei Dian Sect. As the Sect Master and since the one he wanted to message was his favorite disciple, he had sent it over on the best and fastest way available to him: Instead of sending a paper crane imbued with his spiritual energy he actually sent a spiritual beast carrying a letter. Thus the message reached the three disciples a few hours later already.
Qiu Ling was naturally ecstatic when he heard that they wouldn't have to stay at the Hei Dian Sect. He grabbed Jing Yi around the waist and with Yu Jin flying a bit further in front to show the way, they hurried over to the Leyuan region, too, coincidentally meeting up with Grandmaster Zhangsun and the disciples of the Yun Zou Sect who had also just arrived.