Shirley continued, "However, there is one family that moves in the dark and does not govern any cities or places, almost like assassins. They're the Burnwinds, a very small group of around a thousand or so people, but they consist of nothing but feys like people who have turned into feys by fusing more burning phoenix blood."

"Oh?" Davis became a bit interested as he decided to ask a stupid question, "What about pure feys who're born between humans and magical beasts? Do they still exist?"

"Well, they have gone extinct because an offspring between a human and a magical beast could not be conceived unless the two parties reach the Immortal Stage, or so the legends say, so I could not be sure."

"I see..." His doubts were swiftly confirmed, but considering that Immortals existed here way before the Fifty-Two Territories came into essence, he could understand why they no longer exist.

Probably, only their descendants were lurking somewhere in this world, and some of the Burnwinds also might truly be a descendant of a union between a human and a Burning Phoenix.

"Nevertheless, these ten families are rather overly complicated with so many characters and personalities in them, so even if someone from the Strom, Stein, Bach, and Burnwind families obstructs you, it could also mean that they are secretly in cahoots with the Rein Family. You don't need to show any mercy towards them."

"I know..." Davis's expression was a bit cold, "I will just warn them once if I feel like it, and if they don't heed it, it will become their fault for hindering me because I probably wouldn't have the luxury to care about wasting lives."

He already had seen a Burnwind who had turned coat, working for the Rein Family. He was that fey whom he had enslaved but was quickly killed by Grand Elder Valerian, so it was a given that not all people from the Weiss camp were his temporary allies.

Afterward, Esvele explained more about the things Shirley didn't know, such as the relationships between the Grand Elders, the enmities they possessed with each other, and a lot of other things. As if preparing for a practical exam to kill, Davis listened patiently.

It was a strange sight if one viewed with the modern perspective.

"Good! Just find a way to survive and escape after the deed is done. It would be all good by then...!"

Shirley cheered and clenched her fists, raising her hands as she smiled at him.

Davis just smiled, not providing an answer.

"Alright, the chat is over. Go back to your cultivation room and start cultivating..."

"Geh~" Shirley uttered a sound of reluctance before her shoulders drooped.

"Okay~"

She went back to her room, leaving him and Esvele behind.

"You're not gonna run away this time...?"

Davis's voice echoed, causing Esvele's face to blush imperceptibly.

"I would like to apologize again for my rudeness a while ago..."

"I'd like to say that there's no need for an apology from you as I was aware of what I was doing, but if it makes you feel better, then your apology is accepted. Just don't mind it and cultivate by using the vial."

"Thank you~"

Esvele bowed towards him one eighty degrees before she left. He watched her leave, his gaze subconsciously landing on her swaying butt. She became immensely popular with her mature body and status in the Burning Phoenix Ridge now, a delectable target as much as Verona Stein, so he couldn't help but feel worried about her a bit.

Likely, she wasn't even looking at her own safety, enough to even sacrifice herself to him so that she wouldn't betray Shirley again.

What kind of loyalty was that? It was practically self-harm that he couldn't help but look at her with a bit of tenderness.

'She would make a perfect protector for Shirley with her character, but it's a pity that she's not powerful...' He inwardly sighed.

Davis was about to close the door while Esvele hadn't even crossed the corridor yet when a small silhouette suddenly pounced on her.

"Ahh~!"

Davis shook his head, knowing that Freya had ambushed Esvele's bosoms again. Magical Beasts sure had it easy, absorbing energy and sleeping all day long that they would become bored to do things like these with their personalities.

Nevertheless, he hoped that Esvele wouldn't get attacked like this by someone else if she went outside for some errands.

======

Time passed.

The next few hours were filled with silence in the crimson palace.

However, messengers from the eight families, Weiss, Strom, Stein, Burnwind, Bach, Rein, Schatz, and Rayn, arrived shortly at this moment.

Davis inwardly fumed at the sight of the eight messengers dressed in auspicious red robes. While the two Grand Elders allowed the Weiss's side to go through first to have an advantage, Davis raised his hand and instantly used his soul force to burn all eight of the letters they had in their hands.

"What!?"

"Are you out of your mind!?"

Grand Elder Erich Weiss and Wolfram Bach bellowed, their expressions seemingly becoming unfriendly.

"All marriage proposals are banned. Shirley is cultivating, and she doesn't want any disturbances to her state of mind. I'll just say a word, leave..."

Davis dropped these words and headed inside as he turned back. They looked at his back angrily, wanting to tear him apart into pieces.

He returned to the main hall, sitting along with Freya, who poked his face with her delicate-looking finger that was actually strong enough to rip a hole in his face inside out.

"Master, don't be angry..."

Davis looked at her as he gave her a side-eye before he chuckled. He had purely wanted to look at what was up with the commotion outside, but he didn't expect there to be an entourage from the eight families in a formal manner, all having their wedding proposals ready.

Of course, it seemed that they only came to deliver these letters and not talks, but still, he burned them all before they could even step into the crimson palace.

'While Sect Master Lea Weiss is burning the wedding proposals from other powers, I am burning the local ones...'

He couldn't help but laugh, feeling wicked.

Shirley was his already, so why would he let other proposals make their way to her? It was an insult to him if even one made it to her.

If Shirley had to reject these proposals herself every single time, then he had no need to call himself her man, of course, unless he was absent.

'But as expected. None of them have the courage to intrude the crimson palace. After all, the orders from Sect Master Lea Weiss for those two Grand Elders were to kill anyone, no matter who it may be, if they forcefully enter Shirley's Crimson Palace without her invitation or consent.'

Yes, it wasn't a restraining order but a kill order. If they weren't invited by Shirley or let in by the Sect Master, they were to be killed. It was such a throat-slitting approach that was rarely adopted in a sect because matters would be taken by the Disciplinary Hall to be given a verdict, but this kill order was something straight from the Sect Master herself, overturning any authoritative bodies that may be present here.

While everything became normal again, the wretched Top Disciple came back again, this time with three more Elders from the various families on Rein Family's side.

"Shirley! I'm back!"

Top Disciple Azzuren Rein's voice echoed, causing Davis to place his hand on his forehead.

'Is it finally time...?'

He stood up, heading towards the entrance again. Strangely, there was no sound as if Top Disciple Azzuren Rein seemed to be waiting for Shirley to truly come.

'He hasn't just sat there in the entrance, had he?'

Davis's soul sense hadn't reached that spot because he didn't want those two Grand Elders to overly examine his soul sense if theirs were to be in contact with it. Although he doubted if they could garner anything, he didn't want to needlessly underestimate.

He arrived at the entrance but was stunned to see Top Disciple Azzuren Rein be engaged in a dispute with another man, a rather familiar man that Davis's eyes couldn't help become wide.

Surprisingly Elder Karlheinz Strom was also here. He was none other than the person Davis first met when he entered the Burning Phoenix Ridge Territory.

Elder Karlheinz Strom and Top Disciple Azzuren Rein seemed to be engaged in insulting each other. It was almost like a slugfest of words to see who could outwit and humiliate the other party more, but it was so low-level that Davis felt mortals would win this hurl of insults.

'As expected of people born and brought up in a sect...'

Of course, with only their ability to use their mouths, Davis also felt mortals were pitiful beings because they could be easily erased with a single wave of these cultivator's hands.

How could these mortals win if they weren't even there to speak?

In the end, Top Disciple Azzuren Rein had been overly insulted that his slightly thick face shattered. A fight almost began to break out, but Top Disciple Azzuren Rein seemingly suppressed his anger, turning around and leaving.

'What...? It didn't escalate into a fight again...?'

Davis became confused, looking at Top Disciple Azzuren Rein leaving again. Even if they're civilized as a sect, their violent heart could not be curbed.

Nevertheless, looking at Elder Karlheinz Strom, he guessed that he had arrived because of Grand Elder Claus Strom.

To deal with the opposing Elders, it was appropriate to deal with Elders of their own. This way, the Grand Elders could be saved from insults. Otherwise, there was a chance that they might go berserk and kill from being unable to hold back.

He understood this but just turned around, went back in, and waited.

Night fell.

The next day came, and Azzuren Rein appeared early morning. If that was the end of it, Davis would've been happier, but at noon, the evening, and even before midnight, Top Disciple Azzuren Rein arrived every freaking time, even with Grand Elders in tow the last two times!

However, they always ended up leaving without a fight!

Even before this point, Davis's mind clicked, but at this moment, he practically confirmed it.

'This pattern... Damn, it feels like they're plotting something...'

Davis rubbed his chin, feeling like playing a game himself along with them, but since it was his woman they wanted, he understood that he had to keep calm and not let her come under any danger.

Early morning, both Shirley and Esvele had come out of seclusion, having stabilized their foundations to a healthy degree. He had been engaging with them in chat as he was bored when that irritating voice echoed out.

"Shirley, come out!"

This time, the tone was overbearing instead of pleasing, making Davis's lips curve into one of a knowing smile.

"They're ready to commence their plot, huh..."

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