The Succubus and the Winged Woman were truly dumbfounded. In all their lives, they had never encountered people like this. Having just watched his display outside, they had truly believed this leader surnamed Lei was some utterly depraved scoundrel. Who would have thought he simply wanted to save them? It was embarrassing that the Winged Woman, out of fear of assault, had immediately offered a generous pledge to ransom herself, even mapping out an entire strategy to persuade him. Not a single word of it was needed.

Ding Wanyan, having grown up alongside Lei Dong, instantly grasped the meaning behind her husband’s actions. Covering her mouth with a laugh, she pulled Xiao You along: “Little You, look…” (Shu Shu Wu)

“Sister Wanyan, I’m not being nosy, I’m just worried!” Xiao You pouted, sounding slightly aggrieved. “A Succubus and a Winged Person suddenly appearing in the Abyss Domain—it just feels too suspicious. If we just let them go without asking questions, what if they…”

“Right! How could I not have thought of that?” Lei Dong deliberately adopted an expression of sudden realization, stroking his chin. “It seems I should tie them up again, give them a thorough interrogation, and perhaps take some liberties along the way.”

The Succubus and the Winged Woman immediately tensed. Had this man changed his mind? Not good. If he changed his mind, the two of them might not be a match for him…

“Brother, that’s not what I meant at all,” Xiao You whined, stamping her foot while clinging to Lei Dong’s arm. “Brother, you’re so mean.”

“Heh heh.” Lei Dong affectionately scratched her hair, then turned to the two female God Transformation experts with a smile. “We were just joking. We mean you no harm. Take these pills to heal your injuries and restore your vital essence. After nightfall, I will send someone to escort you back to the Bright Domain. Oh, and you can’t forget what you promised me—a promise made is harder to recall than a swift horse. Heh heh, unexpected wealth, thank you very much.”

Unexpected wealth? The Winged Woman nearly fainted. Did this man genuinely only intend to save them? He hadn’t even asked for a ransom? And here she was, eagerly offering two hundred billion in resources and five bottles of Life Divine Water before he even had a chance to speak.

As the Winged Woman stood speechless, Lei Dong added, “Alright, although both the Winged Woman God Transformation expert and the Succubus God Transformation expert are quite rare, let’s not make a spectacle of it. Come on, let them rest properly.”

Lei Dong tugged Xiao You along, leading a group of wives and consorts who were glaring at him, and took his leave.

Once inside Lei Dong’s private courtyard, the restrictions sealed, they began to speak freely. First, Tian Mo, regarding Lei Dong with a half-smile, remarked: “Listen, Lei Dong, have you suddenly decided to go vegetarian? With my eyesight, I can tell that the God Transformation Succubus and the God Transformation Winged Woman are both virgins—rare treasures. You capture such quality goods, have them bound before you, and then just let them go? What sort of game are you playing? Is this some ploy of 'playing hard to get'?”

Ding Wanyan felt a similar suspicion arise in her heart, Xiao You suddenly understood, and even Dongfang Fu and Jing looked thoughtful.

Lei Dong smiled helplessly, his face etched with a bitter expression. “Mu Yanmei, is that truly the image I hold in your mind? I can tell you clearly that I have absolutely no ulterior motives regarding them.”

“Tsk, who would believe you? If you weren't lecherous, how many women have you entangled yourself with over the years?” Tian Mo sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know your little schemes. You’ve even been flirting and scheming with that Empress of the Underworld Phoenix Clan—are you really going to deny that?”

Lei Dong felt utterly wronged and on the verge of tears. “When it comes to these matters, I have always strived to maintain self-control and keep myself pure. Wanyan, you must vouch for me here!”

“Regarding this point, I actually agree with Sister Mu’s assessment,” Ding Wanyan said, covering her mouth with a light laugh. “Our husband is certainly no vegetarian; he must have an ulterior motive concerning these two women.”

“Yes, yes! Brother is a big bad wolf. Look at how hard he was trying to curry favor just now—it’s suspicious just thinking about it,” Xiao You giggled.

Lei Dong raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, you win, I surrender. I confess, I confess, alright? Actually, you all know me. I usually don't do favors unless I commit fully. That Winged Woman just now, although she was reaching the end of her rope, upon closer inspection, I realized she was at least a mid-stage God Transformation expert. Mid-stage God Transformation is a significant step up from early-stage; she might be a newly promoted expert. Everyone knows there's a vast distance between early-stage and mid-stage God Transformation. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Winged Woman is someone of long-established fame.”

“Oh, you mean you know her identity?” Tian Mo asked with a slight frown of confusion.

“Indeed. In the Bright Holy Domain, there are four female God Transformation experts: the Bright King, the Blazing Star King, the Flowing Moon King, and the Judgment King. The Bright King, Ajana, can be ruled out immediately. Among the remaining three Kings, only the Judgment King has reached the mid-stage of God Transformation. Thus, it is highly probable that she is the Judgment King. Of course, it’s not impossible that the Blazing Star King or the Flowing Moon King have also advanced. But regardless, since we have already offended Bailuo by intervening to save them, we must see the good deed through to the end. Otherwise, we offend Bailuo without gaining the favor of the rescued. That would not be beneficial.”

“Brother, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault for causing you to clash with Bailuo,” Xiao You also sounded a little worried. “This is the Abyss Domain, Bailuo’s territory. Do you think he might deliberately cause us trouble?”

“Heh heh, Xiao You, you’re not wrong. Although we are currently at odds with Bailuo, in reality, Bailuo serves the Lord of the Abyss, and he will inevitably become our enemy sooner or later. Even if we play nice with him now, that fact won't change,” Lei Dong shrugged indifferently. “Since that is the case, saving those two women and striving to unite them to our side is the superior strategy. Therefore, even if you had asked me not to save them, I would have done it anyway. As for Bailuo causing trouble, heh, that actually suits my intentions perfectly.”

“Lei Dong, even if your deduction is correct and she is the Judgment King of the Bright Domain, how could she possibly join our ranks and oppose the Holy Radiance King? Logically, she and the Holy Radiance King belong to the same faction,” Tian Mo frowned deeply.

“The Judgment King is an anomaly within the Bright Holy Domain. This woman is known for her uncompromising fairness and has always dealt ruthlessly and impartially with the ugly corruption within the Bright Holy Domain,” Lei Dong analyzed calmly, having studied the Bright Holy Domain extensively. “Because of this, the Judgment King has a poor reputation among the Kings of the Bright Holy Domain, having offended and been both feared and shunned by too many people. Consider it: with her character, which loathes evil, how could she collude with the likes of the Holy Radiance King and become entangled with the former Lord of the Abyss? Being in the same camp? Her sudden appearance in the Abyss Domain, falling into such a plight, perhaps suggests some special circumstances. Observing the state of her primordial spirit, it is extremely weak and withered, as if she suffered severe damage. It is highly likely she was imprisoned for a very long time.”

“Lei Dong, can you deduce what happened between her and the Holy Radiance King?” Ding Wanyan also began to show curiosity and a touch of gossip.

“Uh, I don't have that ability. I just find it strange. If the Holy Radiance King truly imprisoned her, then what would be his reason? Given the Judgment King’s temperament, imprisoning her to force her submission would be very difficult and quite illogical,” Lei Dong frowned slightly before relaxing his expression. “But regardless of the outcome, even if she doesn’t join our faction this time, it doesn’t matter. This favor has been granted, and if we need her help in the future, it will be much easier.”

“Yes, since this favor has been extended, let’s continue to be generous and stop prying into others’ private affairs,” Ding Wanyan strongly agreed. “It’s better than accidentally touching a raw nerve about their privacy and earning their enmity instead.”

While they were speaking, the Succubus and the Winged Woman on the other side had cautiously begun to rest and discuss among themselves…

Through fluctuations in spiritual sense, the Succubus anxiously whispered: “Sister Karina, what sort of background does that Lei Dong have? Are his actions a deliberate strategy of playing hard to get?”

From her address, it was confirmed that the Winged Woman was indeed the renowned Judgment King of the Bright Holy Domain, as intelligence suggested the Judgment King’s personal name was Karina.

The Judgment King’s expression remained unchanged as she distributed the pills to the Succubus. “I have inspected the medicine; it’s good stuff, no issues. The Hidden Dragon Army? Lei Dong? I have never heard of this person or this force, and those few women are all early-stage God Transformation experts, immensely powerful, yet I don’t recognize them. Among the Six Domains and Nine Continents, there are only so many known experts. Where did these people come from? However, from their conversation just now, it’s clear that regardless of whether he’s playing a trick, at least he harbors no great malice toward us. Offering such a straightforward and thorough favor was likely intended to make me owe him a huge debt.”

The Succubus remained somewhat worried. “Sister, from their conversation, it’s clear Lei Dong has allied himself with the Lord of the Abyss. Although Lei Dong has a capable force under him, allying with the Lord of the Abyss is like asking a tiger for its skin! Why is he so foolish? Has he never heard of the Lord of the Abyss’s terrible reputation?”

The Judgment King showed a slight hesitation but quickly composed herself. “Since this is the case, we must give him a warning to swiftly withdraw from this dangerous place. After all, neither the Lord of the Abyss nor that other one—hmpf—are easy to deal with. If Lei Dong rushes in rashly, he could be utterly destroyed by accident. Since he saved us, we cannot simply walk away. Mei’er, take the pills to heal first. Once we recover a bit, I will go speak with him properly.”

The two women ceased talking and sat down cross-legged to begin their healing.

…… (To be continued)