Chapter 120: The Demon's Covenant

The slightly trembling tone of her voice made Ji Linmo frown involuntarily.

"You... know Qin Feng very well?"

For a fleeting moment, the woman's expression looked unnatural, but she quickly smoothed out her tone.

"Just a little, but that little is enough for me to help you."

After speaking, Liu Xiao looked at Ji Linmo earnestly and held out her hand, her tone sincere.

"Next, this is the second thing I want to tell you."

"Please join forces with me."

"As long as you promise to be my teammate, you will receive the protection you deserve, and the Abyss Guild will become your solid backing, ensuring your safety."

Ji Linmo felt somewhat surprised by such a sudden proposition. At the same time, he found the woman's suggestion amusing.

"You think I'm teammates with Qin Feng? Sorry, I'm not."

"Besides... I don't need anyone else's protection. Or rather, once we become teammates, wouldn't it become me protecting you?"

However, Liu Xiao did not show any embarrassment at being caught in a slip-up; instead, she nodded with utmost seriousness.

"That's right. I need your protection, and you need mine."

"Only by working together can we escape this place."

Having said this, Liu Xiao grasped Ji Linmo's hand. But the next second, sharp spikes sprouted from her arm. The woman's arm swelled up violently, like a pufferfish, and even her face transformed, covered in scales and protruding thorns. Blood streamed from her eyes, and her body even began to hover, eerie as a vengeful ghost.

"You are not human..."

Ji Linmo's pupils constricted sharply. The woman before him, like himself, had already lost her flesh-and-blood form and had become a monster of this world.

"How did you become like this? Does Lin Bufei know?"

The woman did not answer him; instead, she looked at him nervously, waiting for his reply. Right now, Ji Linmo did indeed have an extra path.

—Qin Feng was a bomb that could explode at any moment. If he joined forces with Liu Xiao, given their abilities to turn into monsters, they would have the strength to fight back if there were any future conflicts with Qin Feng.

"Mr. Ji Linmo, there isn't much time. He's coming back soon. Don't you think he's dangerous?!"

Seeing the woman looking anxious and sniffing the air, Ji Linmo took her hand and nodded.

"I agree."

The woman let out a sharp sigh of relief. She lowered her voice and spoke to Ji Linmo.

"Mr. Ji Linmo, I will stay here. Please be careful. I am very fast, and I will help you from the shadows if needed."

Ji Linmo pondered for a moment and tossed the "Mom's" phone he had obtained to Liu Xiao.

"Fine. I've saved my number. You can contact me with my phone—"

The woman's complexion turned ghastly, pale as paper, as she stared at something behind Ji Linmo. A bone-chilling cold crawled up Ji Linmo's back, and he immediately stopped mid-sentence. That terrifying chill deepened, as if the very air had frozen solid.

"Mr. Ji."

When the boy's voice drifted softly from behind him, Ji Linmo finally couldn't help but curse his own bad luck internally. Why was it that every single time, he was caught red-handed?

"What is it?"

Ji Linmo turned to look at the boy, acting as if nothing were wrong. The boy narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him, his gaze so sharp it felt as though it could pierce through his body.

"Oh~ you're sweating, Mr. Ji. Why do you suddenly look so nervous?"

"You're mistaken."

Ji Linmo averted his gaze from Qin Feng with an expressionless face, but the boy stood before him and gently raised his hand.

"Haha, Mr. Ji, after what just happened, I thought our relationship had improved a little~"

"What a pity, was I wrong after all?"

Ji Linmo's whole body went rigid, ready at any moment to ward off a sudden attack from the boy. But Qin Feng only smiled and reached out to straighten his collar.

"However, I can understand Mr. Ji."

"After all, with so many things happening, it's only natural for you to be on guard against me. So, conspiring with others is also to be expected, isn't that right?"

After saying this, Qin Feng pinched Ji Linmo's cheek with a brilliant smile.

*Click!*

"Sorry, Mr. Ji Linmo, he will kill me, but you... I believe you will definitely find a way!"

Standing a few paces away, Liu Xiao finished these words and, without the slightest hesitation, turned and ran.

Damn it! So much for the promised cooperation; the woman had just vanished like that!? This Liu Xiao wasn't even as loyal as her sister!

Seeing Liu Xiao disappear in an instant without a trace, Ji Linmo felt his temple throb.

"Mr. Ji~ she ran away. Don't you have anything to say?"

The boy before him looked past the fleeing Liu Xiao and tilted his head at the man with a smile, looking as if he were waiting for some sort of excuse.

"I..."

Ji Linmo suddenly felt his broken arm begin to throb with pain again. He had to say something... but caught red-handed, what more could he say? He couldn't just drop the facade now, could he?!

"Qin Feng, I..."

"Oh my~ Mr. Ji, look, why are you so nervous?"

Qin Feng watched Ji Linmo with amusement, smiling as he took the man's only remaining right hand.

"You forgot, we reached an agreement—it's a relationship of non-interference. So, I won't interfere with what you do; that would be very impolite~"

A cold fountain pen was pressed into Ji Linmo's hand. Ji Linmo frowned at the boy and saw a golden piece of paper appear out of thin air in the boy's hand.

[Devil's Contract]
[Item Quality: High (S-Rank)]
[Item Description: A contract from hell; it is the perfect tool for dealing with slippery, deceitful people.]
[Effect: Once Party A and Party B sign the contract, neither side can violate the written terms. Violators will face punishment from the other party.]

"Mr. Ji, according to our agreement, I have already written it out. Would you like to check it again?"

Looking at the boy's smiling face, Ji Linmo picked up the seemingly ordinary piece of parchment. The contract written on it was simple:

Party A promises to provide Party B with three opportunities for assistance within this instance. When Party B uses the third opportunity, they will immediately become Party A's slave, selling themselves to Party A and obeying them unconditionally.

On the parchment, Party A's name had already been signed: Qin Feng.

"A friendly reminder, Mr. Ji has already used up two of those opportunities~"

"I'm truly curious, Mr. Ji, will you use up your third opportunity in the two and a half days remaining?"

Qin Feng pointed to the line for Party B's name on the parchment, smiling as he gestured for the man to sign.