Eddie glanced at the still unconscious Falling-Flower Master and wondered whether to seize the opportunity for some mischief.
Or rather, to provide artificial respiration and heart massage.
As he approached her, the Six-Tailed Spirit Fox suddenly woke up and protectively hopped back to her side.
It seemed to understand Eddie's intentions and watched him with intelligent, human-like eyes, showing no hostility but clearly vigilant.
After witnessing Eddie's respectful behavior, the Bloodthirsty Queen, who had been crying earlier, seemed slightly moved, her expression changing subtly. It was unclear whether she was surprised or pleased by his conduct.
Suddenly, Eddie's Silver Grimoire emitted a golden light, and a golden shadow briefly appeared before disappearing. His Disguise Talent, which had never upgraded or shown any reaction before, mysteriously leveled up. Eddie was puzzled by this development, wondering if deception could lead to an upgrade and how many times he would need to deceive to advance further.
After completing his act of kindness, Eddie stealthily touched the Falling-Flower Master's hand, marveling at its smoothness and contemplating the delight of touching more of her.
However, his thoughts were interrupted by a scream from the Bloodthirsty Queen.
The burning aerial pavilion had collapsed partially, reminding Eddie of the Falling-Flower Master's quest for the "Demonic Temptress Fragrant Flower."
"I need the Demonic Temptress Fragrant Flower, understand?" Eddie shouted, hurriedly hoisting the Falling-Flower Master onto his back and enjoying the softness of her body.
He yelled at the Bloodthirsty Queen, who responded in the Demon Abyss language, which he couldn't understand.
In desperation, Eddie grabbed a handful of herbs from the mountainside: "I need flowers and herbs, the most precious Demonic Temptress Fragrant Flower. Bring it to me!"
As he carried the Falling-Flower Master to safety, Eddie anxiously waited for the Bloodthirsty Queen to retrieve the coveted flower, knowing well the dire consequences of returning empty-handed from this perilous mission.
Thunderous rumbling filled the sky as the burning aerial pavilion slowly tilted and began collapsing, sending a shower of debris plummeting to the ground.
Eddie, prioritizing his own safety, hoisted the still unconscious Falling-Flower Master onto his back and dashed away, followed closely by the now-reverted Three-Tailed Snow Fox and the Barbarian Bull Shadow, who clumsily carried the Demon Blade Butcher's giant blade and Eddie's crescent blade.
Fortunately, the Bloodthirsty Queen, understanding the value of the Golden Dragon-slaying Dagger and the Ashen Blade, swooped in to collect them for Eddie.
Eddie wasn't worried about the Bloodthirsty Queen fleeing; she was, after all, his life-protecting beast and had nowhere else to go.
As he dodged falling rocks and flaming debris, he savored the moment's perilous thrill, relishing the soft sensation of the Falling-Flower Master's body against his back.
His roving hands stealthily caressed her, exploiting the chaos to indulge in the pleasure of her touch.
Just as Eddie was getting comfortable with his audacious act, the Falling-Flower Master stirred and woke up, catching Eddie off guard.
He instantly switched from a mischievous rogue to a gallant hero, pretending not to realize she had regained consciousness and continuing his hasty escape.
"What's happening?" the Falling-Flower Master gasped in shock, initially frightened by being carried.
Recognizing Eddie's distinct masculine scent, she relaxed, relieved that it was him who had rescued her.
She looked up at the collapsing pavilion and mistook the situation as a chase by Marion, feeling deeply moved by Eddie's thoughtfulness in carrying her to safety.
"The pavilion caught fire; I had no choice but to carry you away," Eddie explained, deliberately avoiding mentioning the failure to obtain the Demonic Temptress Fragrant Flower.
Despite knowing he should set her down, he couldn't bear to part with the delightful sensation of her body against his.
"It's alright; you did the right thing by prioritizing our lives," the Falling-Flower Master reassured him, touched by his concern for her safety.
Once they reached the foot of the mountain and she dismounted, she looked back at the summit, puzzled by Marion and the Demon Generals' absence. Little did she know that Eddie had already dealt with them.
Her doubts about Eddie's strength dissipated as she saw the Bronze Level Five Barbarian Bull Shadow, now a life-protecting beast, trailing behind.
With such a formidable companion and his own battle skills, Eddie's ability to defeat the Demon Generals seemed plausible.
Respecting his privacy as a warrior, she chose not to pry into his secrets.
As they stood at the mountain's base, a flash of golden light streaked across the sky, catching their attention.
The Blood Queen gracefully landed in front of Eddie, holding a small silk pouch instead of the legendary Fairy Charm Flower. When Falling-Flower City Master noticed the contract mark on the Blood Queen's forehead and her aura closely connected to Eddie, she was so astonished that she couldn't close her mouth: "Little thief, did you really contract the Blood Queen? No way!" She hadn't noticed the contract glow when Eddie contracted the Blood Queen because she was concentrating on accumulating spiritual energy. She never thought Eddie could contract a Golden King Beast; such a feat seemed almost impossible.
"She contracted me willingly. She was about to die. If she didn't contract, she would have died," Eddie briefly explained.
"Sounds reasonable. Congratulations, little thief. With a Golden King Beast, even Old Master Yue will be overjoyed, boosting his face tremendously," Falling-Flower City Master said, showing her understanding of the Yue family.
Upon opening the silk pouch, Falling-Flower City Master screamed with joy, "Ah! Fairy Charm Flower seeds, so many! My room, my windows, my garden, I can plant them everywhere! Thief, you are a lucky star!"
Eddie found her reaction a bit over the top for some flower seeds. But her excitement was beneficial; she even kissed him in her elation, something she would never do in her normal state. Planning to obtain more precious plants in the future, Eddie fantasized about the possibilities.
The Blood Queen, silent, hung the Dragon Slayer Dagger at her waist and held Eddie's Ashen Demon Blade. Eddie, seeing this behavior, ordered her to hand over the blade, asserting his ownership over the treasures. Hesitantly, the Blood Queen returned the Ashen Demon Blade but stubbornly kept the Dragon Slayer Dagger. She spoke in the language of the Demon Abyss, which Eddie couldn't understand.
Falling-Flower City Master, who knew a bit of the language, tried conversing with the Blood Queen but soon turned to Eddie with a headache, "We need a translator. The Demon Abyss is vast, and I barely understand a fraction of it. There's someone I know who can translate, although he's a bit annoying."
As they spoke, a golden light shone from the sky, signaling the Blood Queen's return. She brought not the Fairy Charm Flower but a small silk pouch. Falling-Flower City Master's excitement at finding the seeds inside was palpable, and she joyously hugged Eddie, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Eddie thought about finding a translator for the Blood Queen's language, considering the vastness of the Demon Abyss and the complexity of its languages. He needed someone knowledgeable, though perhaps a bit irksome, to bridge the communication gap.
"Who's that?" Eddie couldn't believe there was someone more deserving of a thrashing than the fatso from the sea.
"It's Shane, the guy you beat up at the first floor of the Warrior's Guild in the honor section. He used to be a wandering bard, having traveled across the entire Dragon Teng Continent, proficient in many languages, including over a hundred kinds of Demon Abyss languages. If he can't translate it, then there's no need to look for anyone else," chuckled Lord Falling-Flower. "He's quite stubborn. You've beaten him up, so he's definitely holding a grudge. It might be difficult to ask him for a translation. We need to think of a good strategy."
"Don't worry, I have my ways with stubborn people," Eddie felt he was best at dealing with mule-like characters. They just needed a good thrashing!
"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go and ask the Bloody Queen what she really wants to say. It might be very important!" Lord Falling-Flower saw Eddie lingering a bit at the sight of the collapsing floating pavilion and comforted him, "Don't worry, Iron Fist City will send someone to clean up. They'll keep anything useful for us. It's our honor, and they wouldn't dare embezzle anything. Maybe they'll just ask for a little reward. So, what do you think the Bloody Queen really wants to say?"
After such a long period of interaction, Eddie learned the name of Falling-Flower Master: Laura.
Laura's curiosity was piqued, signaling Eddie to use the teleportation scroll immediately to return to the third floor, and then teleport back to the first floor to find that "White Robe Brother."
Eddie was also curious. What secret did the Bloody Queen hold?