Having the genes of a demon king, I never intended to be a kept man.

......

On the other side, on the cliff.

A dozen or so demi-human warriors struggled to their feet, shaking their throbbing, dizzy heads.

Several people were still experiencing some aftereffects, unable to stop gagging and coughing, their eyes unfocused, and they needed their companions' support to stand.

"..."

Karl remained calm and composed. He glanced at the demi-human warriors who had emerged from their illusions, then turned back to Adam.

Adam's tall figure stood there.

His right hand was raised high, and his muscular hand, as strong as an iron clamp, was gripping the neck of the Zerg Empress, Dream Butterfly.

The Dream Butterfly had already fainted and lost consciousness. Her face was as pale as paper, blood was spilling from the corner of her mouth, and her whole body was covered with shocking wounds and bloodstains.

Even the pair of colorful butterfly wings on its back, which were originally dazzling and incomparably beautiful, now had one broken off from the root, drooping helplessly, its membrane shattered, and its dreamlike luster dimmed and dissipated.

“You’ve gone a little too far,” Carl said with a wry smile. “She still has a lot of value to the company in the future.”

Adam grinned, a disdainful smirk on his face. "Don't worry, I didn't cripple her. It's just a broken wing; it's not like it can't be reattached."

As he spoke, he loosened his grip.

"Bang!" The Dream Butterfly, like a puppet without its strings, crashed heavily onto the cold, hard rocky ground, unconscious.

“Speaking of which, Carl,” Adam turned his head, looking at Carl with a half-smile and a probing expression, “you wouldn’t really be so spineless as to intend to remain loyal to your chairman, would you?”

Upon hearing this, Karl showed no sign of offense or displeasure, maintaining only his impeccable, slightly formulaic smile.

He did not answer the question.

He bent down, took out a pill that shimmered with golden light, pried open the pale lips of the Dream Butterfly, put the pill into its mouth, and guided it smoothly down its throat with a wisp of energy.

“Let’s go.” He slowly stood up. “Next, we’ll get to our real goal.”

......

"Boom..."

Thanks to the efforts of Ye Ge and his team, all the insectoid monsters that came to ambush them were defeated and eliminated.

Okay, actually I didn't try very hard...

Ye Ge barely needs to lift a finger. With Ye Bing, Yan Ji, and Xia Xiyao present, it's basically a one-way street; no matter how many Zerg soldiers come, they'll be wiped out in no time.

"Lord Yege, you looked so brave as you killed monsters~ May I have your autograph?" Liu Ying slightly pulled up her collar, revealing a small blue shoulder strap: "Just sign here."

Night Song: "...I barely made a move, did I?"

Liu Ying: "The way you observed the battle from the sidelines, strategizing and commanding, was even more composed and wise, making you even more charmingly handsome!"

Night Song: "..."

"You...you've gone too far!" Xia Xiyao suddenly mustered her courage, raised her arms to block Ye Ge's path, and said seriously to Liu Ying, "You're not allowed to keep flirting with Xiao Ye!"

Liu Ying asked suspiciously, "What...is your relationship with Lord Ye Ge?..."

"I..." Xia Xiyao was taken aback by the question, her pretty face flushing even redder instantly. For a moment, she was speechless, and after a long while, she stammered in a voice barely above a whisper, "I grew up with Xiao Ye... our childhood sweetheart..."

"Childhood sweethearts?" Liu Ying pretended to think for a moment, then revealed a look of sudden realization mixed with a hint of mischief. "Oh~ I remember now, I've seen some of your human anime or novels... Aren't childhood sweethearts usually defeated by the unfortunate one who falls from the sky?"

Xia Xiyao: "......"

Liu Ying leaned closer and whispered in Xia Xiyao's ear with a half-smile, "And besides, little sister, how do you know... that your little brother Ye, deep down, doesn't he actually enjoy being teased and admired by other beautiful women? If so, doesn't it seem like you're making a big deal out of this?"

Xia Xiyao was stunned: "This..."

“Because you two grew up together, he definitely won’t say anything to you openly, but deep down…” Liu Ying smiled, “Men, especially childhood sweethearts who don’t have any real status, will definitely get annoyed and disliked if they interfere too much.”

"!" Xia Xiyao's delicate body trembled slightly.

She lowered her head, her eyes slightly red.

Will Saya...hate me...?

At this moment, a long but strong arm reached out from behind and passed over Xia Xiyao's shoulder.

Ye Ge flicked Liu Ying's forehead hard with one finger.

"Ouch!"

Caught off guard, Liu Ying cried out softly in pain, immediately covering her forehead where a small red mark had instantly appeared. She raised her large, watery eyes, filled with grievance and resentment, and looked at Ye Ge: "Lord Ye Ge, you..."

"Yaoyao is my woman, you are not allowed to offend her." Ye Ge looked at him calmly and said leisurely, "This is only a warning. If you do it again, don't blame me for not showing you any mercy, understand?"

Xia Xiyao turned her head to the side, tilted her small face up, and froze instantly.

The girl stared blankly at Ye Ge's profile, which was so close to hers, her mind seemingly stopping instantly, leaving only a blank.

"!!!" Nangong Qiuyue, who was standing to the side and also heard this, widened her eyes and opened her mouth slightly.

Liu Ying said aggrievedly, "Of course I know, I was just joking with her... Lord Ye Ge, you went too far."

"If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll cause chaos in my team sooner or later." Ye Ge said calmly, "Behave yourself and let's keep going."

Liu Ying pouted and didn't say anything more.

Xia Xiyao remained standing there, stunned, her face completely flushed.

Only Ye Ge's words kept playing on an endless loop in her mind, each word seeming to carry a burning heat, making her heart tremble.

'Little little little little... Xiaoye said... I am his... girl girl girl girl girl...'

Nangong Qiuyue then came over, grabbed Xia Xiyao's shoulders with both hands, and shook her vigorously, asking in a voice that was both bitter and angry, "When did you get together with him? Why didn't you tell me! You're so disloyal!"

"Huh?...Huh?" Xia Xiyao came back to her senses, her pretty face still as red as a ripe apple.

"Lord Yege!" A Ye family warrior who was examining the corpse of an insectoid monster rushed over and reported, "We've found quite a few valuable parts on these slain insectoid monsters, such as high-level venom sacs, rare glands, and energy crystals. If we collect them, they'll be worth a fortune. Should we clean up the battlefield and collect the spoils before continuing?"

"No." Ye Ge shook his head seriously: "Don't loot any spoils, no matter how valuable they are. The priority is to retreat from the Crimson Plains as quickly as possible!"

Night Clan Warriors: "Yes!"

"Shh-"

At this moment, Arthur, who was in charge of scouting ahead, returned. Like a light shadow, he fell from the high treetops and landed steadily in front of Night Song.

"Lord Nightsong!" Arthur's expression was unusually serious: "There's a situation ahead!"

Ye Ge raised an eyebrow slightly: "What's going on?"

Adam: "About two kilometers ahead, it looks like a battle just took place. There are many, many corpses of soldiers from the Allied Races, including Aquatic and Wind Clan soldiers..."

After listening to Arthur's report, Night Song's expression immediately became slightly serious.

Aquatic and Wind Aquarians...

"What's wrong?" Yan Ji stepped forward, looked at Ye Ge, and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Ye Ge was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "Go ahead and see, you'll find out." With that, he blurred into a blurry afterimage and sped off ahead.

Seeing this, Yan Ji and the others immediately followed suit.