Chapter 2557: Deceiving the Little Miss

A Lian tilted her head, her pitch-black, large pupils clear and flawless, giving no sign of whether she was thinking.

Just as he had said earlier, she does not like to speak.

This is quite troublesome, the guard maintained patience with a smile, shaking the nine-linked rings in his hand: "Here, I ask you one question, you only need to answer 'I agree' or 'I am willing,' and this nine-linked ring will be yours, plus I'll give you lots of delicious food. How about it?"

A Lian placed the cloth tiger on the ground: "What question?"

These few words were spoken in a childish, milky voice.

The guard then repeated in full the words Xiao Ping had instructed him to say:

"A Lian, do you agree to serve as the vessel for Helo Heaven?"

As he spoke these words, the guard's left hand, behind his back, made a light stroke, and a spirit contract appeared in midair. With each word he spoke, a character appeared on the contract out of thin air, until the entire question was written, word for word, from beginning to end.

Though there was no paper, every character glowed.

He Lingchuan, seeing this, already understood: the little girl in the garden likely had a better relationship with the guard than Xiao Ping did, which is why Xiao Ping had the guard act as her substitute.

This spirit contract was also taught to the guard by her.

The spirit contract was behind him, A Lian could not see it, but she shook her head like a rattle drum.

This universal gesture expresses only one meaning:

Refusal, no way!

Her stance was so decisive that the other guard beside her had to grit his teeth hard to barely suppress the upward twitch of his mouth.

He could not laugh; losing composure before Master Xiao would have dire consequences.

The guard holding the nine-linked rings felt a prickling on his back, for Master Xiao stood behind him, his expression unpleasant.

He was also anxious: "Didn't you just agree earlier?"

"I understood." A Lian continued in her milky voice, "but I do not agree."

"Why not!"

"What is Helo Heaven?" A Lian's large eyes were filled with intense curiosity, "What is a 'vessel'?"

He Lingchuan's gaze, however, fell upon A Lian.

What did he see? Was it the signing ritual of a deity's descent vessel?

In He Lingchuan's own mind, there originally was a glowing mark, proving he was the designated exclusive vessel of Naraka Heaven. Later, as he grew stronger, Naraka Heaven withdrew the mark on its own. But he does not fully understand how his original self obtained this mark in the past, because his memories are very vague.

Unexpectedly, he could witness the entire process firsthand in the Spirit Essence Palace.

When a demon king first enters the human world as a vessel, it must obtain the owner's consent. This "I am willing" on the spirit contract has the effect of a signature, etched into the vessel, making it difficult for them to resist the demon king's descent.

Not impossible, but difficult. When the vessel itself becomes strong enough to a certain degree, even the descending demon king finds it hard to control or match, and this mark naturally loses its effect. This is called, the strong are not bound.

The reason Naraka Heaven so generously withdrew the divine mark from He Lingchuan's mind back then was precisely because it saw through this point.

This surnamed Xiao, trying to trick A Lian into nodding agreement with just a small nine-linked ring, is mostly bullying a little girl who has never seen the world and never possessed anything good.

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more curious.

Does the Helo Heaven deity actually want a six- or seven-year-old little girl as a vessel?

Leaving aside other matters, a child this small has not yet grown physically, let alone cultivated, can she bear the power of a deity, even if it is just an incarnation?

Dong Rui then said: "Look at the red line on the ground—even Xiao Ping dares not step over it. Her cultivation is already high, yet she must be this cautious; what she fears surely cannot be the banyan tree in the garden?"

Speaking of which, A Lian's appearance is prettier than that of ninety percent of human little girls.

The vessel occupied by the demon king Wu Yao, whose face is like covered with a thin film, not only are the features blurred, but it can also reflect light; no matter who looks, it does not look human.

The guard here also encountered trouble—how should he explain to the little girl before him?

Deity, vessel—these are not concepts a four- or five-year-old girl can understand. Moreover, Xiao Ping intends to deceive, so how could he let her know the truth? Yet, the spirit contract requires her to pronounce each word clearly and correctly before it can record this sentence.

At this moment, Xiao Ping could not help but speak:

"Helo Heaven is very powerful; your father works for Him. If you do not nod, your father will also be blamed, scolded, and beaten—do you want that?"

A Lian immediately shook her head.

"Then just say 'I agree.'" Xiao Ping returned to the point, "Say it, and afterward I will decide to let you out to play, alright?"

She is the only one with the authority to let the child go out; the guard does not. The little girl also knows this.

Going out? A Lian pointed to the red line on the ground.

"Yes, just from here you can go out without being trapped in this garden anymore."

The little girl seemed moved, blinking her eyes repeatedly.

On this side, Dong Rui said to He Lingchuan: "We cannot let Helo Heaven change vessels."

Ling Jinbao then had a sudden idea: "Or, while it is changing vessels, we dismantle the Yun Tai?"

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly.

On this side, the little girl A Lian suddenly spoke again: "No."

Why! Why why! Xiao Peng did not get angry but laughed: "How come you want nothing today?"

She knows, dealing with this little thing, stubbornness is useless.

"You are not a good person." A Lian pouted her small mouth, "I want my father!"

"Your father is not here today."

"Then I will wait for my father to come back." The little girl is very alert, "I will just stay here, no need to go out."

Xiao Ping's smile slowly faded, he sighed: "Again like this, alas, toast not eaten, penalty wine drunk."

After speaking, she said to the guard beside her: "Release the calming incense."

The guard immediately pressed the mechanism on the wall, and a wisp of pale green smoke was released from the brick joints of the garden.

This is the medicinal incense He Lingchuan brought earlier, vaporized through a special device and then released.

The mist in the garden gradually thickened, but the red line is an intangible barrier, blocking the green mist inside, not a single thread escaping.

A Lian stared at Xiao Ping, her eyes round and large. The latter muttered: "Look at this expression, she hates us so much! Yet he just can't see it—blind or what?"

The guards didn't notice either; the little Miss clearly looked pitiful, but he didn't dare to speak up.

He Lingchuan and the others watching the spectacle on the side were guessing, "Who does 'he' refer to?"

Is it the "Father" that A Lian mentioned?

The little Miss suddenly grabbed the cloth tiger and threw it at Xiao Ping in one motion.

Well, now everyone can see she's unhappy.

The cloth tiger struck the invisible barrier with a "pa" sound; a bolt of lightning came from nowhere, shattering it into charred powder, with wisps of smoke rising.

It's a thunder barrier, and a strong one.

This shouldn't be used to imprison a great demon, right? Why is it only used to trap a little Miss?

In the garden, the mist grew thicker; A Lian yawned, swayed, and collapsed.

Soon after, she closed her eyes, as if asleep, her chest rising and falling regularly.

(End of Chapter)