Eh?

"Aiya, don't play deaf. Why don't you tell me why you came? That way, we can wrap this up quickly and go to bed early. I'm a growing lady—you can't be so callous as to deprive me of my beauty sleep, right?"

The lilting voice was full of mischief; neither loud nor soft, neither fast nor slow, a sound so innocent and harmless that it can cause the listener to feel good…

… and yet the childish laugh that accompanied those casual words caused the person with the alias Yi to be covered in cold sweat.

"Why don't you remove your mask? Or do you want me to do it?"

In a blink of an eye, Yi was several mu away, both legs bent liked a tightly coiled spring, a small ice sword held in front of him in defense. His entire back was drenched in sweat, and though he tried to be as silent as possible, his heart was thundering inside his chest.

He is Yi, Number One, for a reason. He is the right-hand of the Purple Plume General. He is a man on the third stage of the Nascent Divinity Realm, which meant he has a patriarch-level cultivation.

To be called Yi means he is acknowledged as one of the greatest, strongest and most dangerous elites serving under the Qing Imperial Family.

So… why was he so freaking afraid?!

Why was it that his basest instincts screaming at him to run—and never, ever look back?

There wasn't even a killing intent targeting him. No, not even a hint of suppression was sent towards his direction. However, every single cell in his body was urging for him to abandon his mission.

If not for his strong will, his body would not have only jumped several mu away; he would be many li away, probably back in the guest courtyard given to them by the Ye Sect, with him kowtowing in front of his master.

To be frightened by a handful of words from a little girl…

No matter how one sees it, his reaction was outrageous!

'Since when had I been such a coward?'

Slowly, he lowered his stance. No matter what, he was still part of the rivers and lakes for many years. He could calmly analyze the situation despite his fear.

Besides, the little girl only wanted to talk. So what if her cultivation is high? How cunning could a five-year-old girl be? Maybe if he acted like a good uncle, he could fish out useful information from her.

With that line of thought, Yi managed to quiet his heart. A question suddenly popped in his head.

How did that little girl find him?

As a spy, in addition to his depth of cultivation, stealth was his strongest point, his expertise already considered at the peak within these lands.

Why was his cover blown?

What gave him away?

He never recalled any instance where he became reckless and let out his aura.

He did not even dare to thoroughly stretch out his divine sense and cover the courtyard, only listening to the sounds and voices using his sharp hearing in order to not alert whoever expert might be inside.

Could it be that this little girl has a rare treasure that allowed her to find him?

That's highly possible! After all, a toddler like her who is about to sleep wouldn't realize an approaching intruder. She is just a little girl. A senior of his might had left it for her protection.

Wouldn't that also mean she could have a protective offensive talisman with her that she could use if he manages to annoy her?

He then remembered the news that came from Ming Yue Sect. According to the spy planted there, it was verified that the entire main peak of the sect became a frozen no-man zone. The explosion managed to destroy the Main Hall despite its source being inside a pocket dimension.

If the explosion occurred in the main peak itself, then wouldn't the entire Ming Yue Sect be ruined and frozen in ice right now?!

Yi decided to remove his mask. Having his identity known is better than losing his life.

The little girl obviously had a frightening background; she wouldn't be so bored as to squash an ant like him, right? It would be dirtying her hands.

From what he had gathered so far, this girl was a female hooligan, but she wasn't that kind that had no regard for human life. As long as he did not piss her off more than what those idiots did earlier when she met the little prince, he would be fine.

Just as Yi touched the white cloth covering his face, the little girl's sweet voice rang out once again.

"Miss is surely a beauty. It will be a shame to keep the mask on."

Miss? Beauty?

Yi wasn't a burly man. Maybe he could be considered thin, but he sure as hell had no curves that would give a person the impression he is a daughter body.

He… he discreetly looked down at the bulge in his white pants. He could feel that it was still there, but he had to make sure.

Well, he is still a man.

How come she called him 'miss'?

Eh?

Eh…?

All of a sudden, a slim figure stepped out from the shadows a yard from Yi. It was a person clothed fully in black.

A monotonous female voice spoke from beneath the black mask.

"Little girl sure is gutsy. Are you not scared?"

Yi felt a chill deep down his bones. He never felt this female's existence... how strong is she...?

The female continued, "How about you follow this older sister out of this nasty place? Hmm?"

K-Kidnapping?!?