As Mo Han saw the black-clad figures remain motionless, he spoke coldly, “It seems you have no desire for your Saintess to return alive. I suspect you are deeply dissatisfied with her, thus wishing for her to perish by my hand so you can easily find someone else to serve as your Saintess?” Hearing Mo Han’s words, the black-clad men were greatly alarmed and quickly protested, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Mo Han stated calmly, “Oh, am I speaking nonsense? Then your inaction speaks volumes.”

The Dark Saintess, hearing Mo Han, tried to interject, “Never mind me, first deal with them…” She stopped abruptly, as Mo Han had already employed his Dou Qi to seal her throat, momentarily preventing her from speaking.

Mo Han leaned close to her ear and whispered, “If you don't behave, don't blame me for not being gentlemanly.”

With that, he slowly reached his other hand toward her armpit, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “Say that again, and my hand might become uncontrollable. If anything happens then, don’t blame me. Also, if this seal on your throat remains too long, I can’t guarantee there won't be complications.”

This terrified the pitiable Dark Saintess, who nodded repeatedly, afraid to speak, signaling Mo Han to release her restraint.

Seeing this, Mo Han released the seal on her throat. Prolonged strangulation could indeed render her mute, and Mo Han bore no true enmity toward the Dark Saintess; there was no need to permanently silence her.

At this point, one of the men, who seemed to be the leader, spoke up, “We’re leaving. If you dare harm our Saintess, we will never let you go.”

Mo Han assured them, “Rest assured, I keep my word. Once you leave, I will naturally release your Saintess.”

Hearing Mo Han, the black-clad men exchanged glances, nodded in unison, and under the guidance of their speaker, vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Once they were gone, Shui Ling'er approached Mo Han, about to speak, but Mo Han anticipated her words and quickly stopped her. “I know what you want to ask. I’ll find an opportunity to explain everything to you later. Don't ask now.”

To Mo Han’s surprise, Shui Ling'er obediently refrained from arguing and simply nodded.

Mo Han continued, “Where are your people? I’ll escort you back; I wouldn't feel safe leaving you alone otherwise.”

Shui Ling'er was deeply moved by his words and replied, “Thank you. I apologize for earlier.”

Mo Han smiled and said, “What happened earlier? I’ve already forgotten, hehe. Besides, I was also at fault. Let’s call it even.”

Shui Ling'er heard him, nodded again, and fell silent, turning to lead Mo Han toward the city.

As the three approached the gates of Fiji City, the gates suddenly swung open, and torches were lit all around. A group of people emerged from within, led by a strong, middle-aged Paladin clad in golden armor. He differed from the others, whose entire suits, including helmets, were gold; this man’s helmet was black.

A sharp glint occasionally flashed in his eyes, signaling to Mo Han that his cultivation was certainly not low.

The Knight approached Shui Ling'er, bowed respectfully, and said, “Your Holiness, where have you been? We were beside ourselves with worry. We searched the entire city and were just preparing to venture out to look for you.” His tone was laced with concern.

Shui Ling'er was delighted to hear him and exclaimed, “Uncle Lyle, why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to still be handling matters in the Holy Capital? Ling'er missed you so much!”

The man named Lyle grinned happily, “I couldn’t rest easy regarding the Saintess, so I rushed to finish my tasks and came straight here. Who knew that upon arrival, I’d hear news of your disappearance? I was terribly anxious! You must let us know next time you plan to go out.” He then cast a slightly reproachful glance at Shui Ling'er.

Shui Ling'er surprisingly lowered her head and murmured, “I’m sorry, Uncle Lyle. I intended to go out to handle a few things, but something delayed me. I made you worry.”

Lyle sighed in relief, “As long as the Saintess is unharmed, that’s all that matters.” He then noticed Mo Han and the other person behind Shui Ling'er and asked curiously, “And who are these two?” Mo Han’s posture was peculiar; he was holding a woman completely dressed in black, while also wearing a cleric's robes, creating a strange impression.

Shui Ling'er turned back and quickly replied, “Mr. Mo Han helped Ling'er. And this person next to him is…” Before she could finish, Mo Han interjected, “She’s my girlfriend, hehe. She’s very shy and self-conscious around strangers because she’s ugly, so… well, she hides behind me. Please forgive the sight.”

Hearing Mo Han’s explanation, Lyle let out a knowing smile.

After making that claim, Mo Han was sweating profusely. He whispered to the Dark Saintess in his arms, “Hey, I only did that so they wouldn't recognize you. I sacrificed my reputation! And you keep pinching me! Are you being fair?”

The Dark Saintess lying in Mo Han’s arms was only restricted by his Dou Qi; otherwise, she was a normal person. Hearing Mo Han claim she was ugly, she couldn't help but pinch him a few times.

She retorted, “I don’t care! Who told you I was ugly? I’m going to pinch you!” As soon as the words left her mouth, she was startled, unsure why she had spoken in such a manner, which sounded almost like pouting. She felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest in this man’s embrace, yet she strangely enjoyed the sensation.

Mo Han let out a wry chuckle upon hearing her, deciding it was best not to provoke her further lest he suffer more physical punishment. This young woman’s grip was far beyond ordinary; he was likely already bruised in several spots.

Seeing Mo Han holding the Dark Saintess, a pang of sadness struck Shui Ling'er. She said, “Uncle Lyle, let’s ignore him and head back.” She then walked away without looking back.

This left Mo Han utterly bewildered. He thought to himself, What a strange woman. Not only does she not thank me for bringing her back, but she gets angry too. A woman’s heart is truly an unfathomable sea.

Lyle offered Mo Han a slight smile and a nod before following Shui Ling'er. The members of the Church of Light also followed them back into the city.

Once everyone had departed, Mo Han pushed the Dark Saintess away from him and announced, “Alright, you can leave now.” He noticed she made no move to go and asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Aren't you leaving? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me, hehe.” He then slapped his own forehead. “Ah, I almost forgot. Let me undo the restraint for you.”

Just as he was about to do so, he suddenly paused again.

He jumped towards...