《I Was Contracted By The Empress As An S Rank Familiar》


 Chapter 16 - I Don鈥檛 Wish To See Her Again Tomorrow

    Sensing the murderous intent, Pan Liang opened his eyes. After checking the levels of the people around him, he closed his eyes again. However, his spiritual power had already spread.


    Shirley acted as if she did not notice anything.


    "Pan Liang, you''re so heavy. Can''t you get up and walk on your own?"


    How could walking on his own be as comfortable as having a beauty carrying him? Moreover, he got to earn Grievance Points this way.


    From the way the old perverts nearby looked at Pan Liang, it was as though they were about to eat him up.


    It was almost noon. It was finally Shirley''s turn to carry out the awakening ceremony.


    Upon their arrival at the Blessing Temple, Shirley placed Pan Liang on the ground before she went up to the stage to carry out the awakening ceremony herself.


    At this point, Pan Liang stopped pretending to be asleep. He sat up and watched Shirley perform the awakening ceremony. He was quite interested in this.


    When he was summoned, he was in an unconscious state and knew nothing.


    "I wonder what kind of skill Shirley will awaken. I hope she won''t awaken a speed-type skill. Otherwise, it''ll be hard to fight with her for food in the future."


    As Pan Liang was looking for a comfortable position to watch Shirley awaken, he heard her scream.


    "What? It actually costs 200 gold coins? Isn''t 100 gold coins enough? Why has the price increased?"


    "Hi, Princess Shirley. This is the uniform price in the country. However, it''s specially set for princes and princesses."


    A look of surprise washed over her face. "Why did you increase the price for princes and princesses? Are you discriminating against us?"


    "Princess Shirley, please don''t make things difficult for us. This is an order from the imperial city. The entire empire has to double the price for all princes and princesses."


    Although Shirley could afford this price, she felt distressed. She had just received a few hundred gold coins, yet she had to spend half of them now.


    Pan Liang, who was watching Shirley''s performance, almost broke into laughter. "This is so fun. I didn''t expect Shirley to be a money-grubber. It seems that I have to work hard in this area in the future. Maybe she can contribute more Grievance Points to me."


    Distressed, Shirley took out 200 gold coins. "You must awaken a powerful skill for me. If the skill is not good, boo-hoo..."


    "Hahaha. This is so fun. Fine, I''ll just look at the results later. Let me look at my current data first. Until now, I haven''t looked at it. Apparently, I''m too lazy."


    "System, check my stats."


    [Host: Pan Liang]


    [Level: 17]


    [Skill: Sword Control Technique]


    [Template: Immortal Sword]


    [Mana Point: 99,999]


    [Magic Attack: 99,999]


    [Physical Attack: 99,999]


    [Rank: SSS ]


    "System, are you slacking off? Why are my points all 99,999?"


    However, the system ignored Pan Liang''s question, leaving him speechless.


    "I didn''t expect myself to have infected the system. It''s even lazier than me. The stats are all made up. Forget it. I shall sleep first. Maybe when I wake up, my Grievance Points will be enough for the lucky draw."


    When Shirley awakened, the city lord''s mansion had already received the news.


    "City Lord, according to the news from my subordinates, Princess Shirley, who has obtained an SSS-rank familiar, is awakening in the Blessing Temple. Do you want to take any action?"


    The city lord waved his hand. "As far as I know, Shirley probably hasn''t received any support from the nobles. These nobles are too cowardly.


    "They''re afraid of being targeted by the other princesses and princes. Also, they''re afraid that Shirley will harm them when she grows up. Let me be the bad guy.


    "Kronin, I''ll leave Shirley to you. I don''t want to see her again tomorrow. Bring her familiar back to me."


    Kronin bowed to the city lord and said, "I assure you that I''ll complete the mission."


    A soldier next to him asked, "Doesn''t a familiar die after their contract owner is killed? Why do you want to kill Princess Shirley and bring her familiar back?"


    "Tsk, you don''t understand. The contract between the contract owner and the familiar can be temporarily blocked. You just don''t know how to do it.


    "After blocking the contract between the contract owner and the familiar, the contract owner''s binding power to the familiar is still there. However, if the contract owner dies, the familiar will be fine.


    "This blocking technology was invented to snatch other familiars."


    The soldier next to him nodded and said, "Oh, so there''s such a technology. I''ve never heard of it before."


    "Don''t spread it. While many people know about this technology and are able to make use of it, it''s prohibited in the country and can only be used in private."


    "I know, I know. You don''t have to tell me."


    Pan Liang was bored during his wait, so he exchanged a bag of popcorn and a bottle of coke. He ate while waiting.


    In this world, productivity was relatively low, which explained why many things could not be done.


    When Pan Liang took out a bag of steaming, fragrant popcorn, it immediately attracted everyone''s attention in the Blessing Temple.


    "It smells so good. What is Princess Shirley''s familiar eating? This smell..."


    "Ah, this smell can penetrate deep into one''s soul. It smells so good."


    "Look at what he''s drinking. There are water droplets on it. It must be ice-cold."


    "Previously, I heard that the Blessing Temple deliberately raised the price to make Princess Shirley retreat and choose not to awaken. By the look of things, her wealth is unimaginable."


    "That''s right. Look at the bottle in the familiar''s hand. It''s so clear that it looks like a crystal."


    "Damn, I wouldn''t have noticed the drink if you hadn''t mentioned it. It really looks like a crystal."


    Everyone in the Blessing Temple looked at Pan Liang with a complicated gaze.


    Deep down, Pan Liang was bursting with joy.


    "This is wonderful. I have to provoke the public to gain more Grievance Points. If this goes on, I''ll be eligible for the lucky draw in less than five minutes.


    "This bag of popcorn and a bottle of coke have brought such a huge profit."


    As the fragrance spread, someone could not stand it anymore. He then came to Pan Liang to make a deal.


    "Hi, Sir. May I know what you''re holding?"


    Pan Liang looked up at the man. "Are you talking about this?" He then took out a few pieces of popcorn and tossed them into his mouth.


    Looking at Pan Liang''s mouth, the man gulped in spite of himself.


    "Yes. I want to buy the package in your hand. I hope you can name a price."


    Considering the man''s good attitude, Pan Liang felt that he could sell it to him. However, he had to ask the man to keep this a secret from Shirley.


    Anyway, the growth rate of Grievance Points had already begun to slow down. There was no need to rely on this stuff to attract grievances.

 Chapter 17 - The Blazing Phoenix

    "You can have this, but name your price first."


    Judging from the man''s clothes, Pan Liang thought he should be quite rich. Therefore, Pan Liang decided to let him name his price first.


    "Um, I''ll suggest 300 gold coins for this bag of yours. What do you think?"


    Pan Liang''s eyes lit up. Wow! He was actually a rich man.


    Pan Liang felt the need to cheat him to get more money.


    "Hmm, the price you suggested is a bit too low. For your information, you won''t be able to find something like this in the entire empire. I''m the only person who has it.. Who knows you might never see it again."


    The man was in a dilemma for a moment.


    "It''s normal for good stuff to be priced higher. I''ll pay more, but there''s a condition. You have to sell me the bottle of drink in your hand."


    The idea sounded good to Pan Liang. He thought he should not be too ruthless.


    "I still have a new bottle of this drink. I can give it to you as long as you offer the right price."


    The man was delighted by Pan Liang''s words. He originally wanted to buy the coke in Pan Liang''s hand, but he was a little hesitant when he noticed that there was hardly any coke left. Since Pan Liang claimed that he had another new bottle, the man could not help but feel overjoyed.


    "Okay. In that case, I''ll give you 400 gold coins for the bag in your hand. I can''t smell the drink, so I''ll give you 300 gold coins. What do you think?"


    Pan Liang clapped his hands. "Deal. Come, come. Pay first."


    Then, he pretended to take out a bottle of drink from his arms.


    The man in front of him knew that Pan Liang did not take the bottle out from his arms.


    Anyone who was not blind could clearly tell that.


    A treasure with the ability to store items might be very precious, but it was not uncommon. It was not worth paying so much for it.


    However, this was meant for the people with power and influence. For the poor, it was very likely that they had never heard of it.


    "Here you are. Here are exactly 700 gold coins. I''ll pay you once I get the goods."


    Pan Liang smiled. "I didn''t expect you to be so cautious. Let''s make friends. In the future, when I have something good, I will sell it to you."


    "Okay. My name is Water Tupelo. What about you?"


    "My name is Pan Liang. As you can see, I''m the familiar of the person on the stage."


    After receiving the food from Pan Liang, Water Tupelo ate it happily. The look of pleasure on his face disgusted Pan Liang.


    Pan Liang felt like laughing at the man''s name. "I didn''t know there would be someone with the name ''Water Tupelo''. What a great name."


    Shirley was already at the most important moment of the awakening ceremony. The Rainbow Light had already begun to appear on the stage.


    When the crowd below the stage saw the Rainbow Light, they immediately yelled in surprise.


    "As expected, she was the contract owner of an SSS-rank familiar. She has outstanding talent. She managed to summon the Rainbow Light even during the awakening ceremony."


    "Although she has summoned the equipment''s light this time, the brightness of the light is relatively low, and the range of the light is relatively small. Did you notice that?"


    "Yes, that''s right. The familiar has a SSS-rank. Since the news came from the imperial city, it should be right."


    "Stop guessing. The skill level that she awakened this time is an S."


    "An S-level? What? I awakened a C-level, and that''s already very powerful. She can probably kill me right away."


    "Drop the word ''probably''. She can definitely kill you right away. Even people who are ten levels above you can instantly kill you."


    Pan Liang had no idea which level the light represented. Even if he knew Shirley''s skill level, he probably would not care too much about it.


    No matter how high her skill level was, it would not be as high as the level of his Sword Control Technique.


    "System, what level is my Sword Control Technique?"


    [It has exceeded the limit of this world''s level. No rating can be given.]


    Look. Based on the response to his question, none of the skills in this world could compare with the Sword Control Technique.


    With the Sword Control Technique, he could control items as he wished, but the prerequisite was having sufficient magic power.


    Seeing the temperature of the awakening platform become higher, Pan Liang nodded his head in satisfaction. "It looks like I''ve awakened a fire-type skill. It''ll be more convenient to cook in the future then."


    A phoenix''s voice sounded from the awakening platform. All the light disappeared with only a fiery red glow left.


    Everyone took a few steps back, unable to stand the scorching heat any longer.


    However, when the scorching heat encountered Pan Liang, it automatically bypassed him as if it possessed consciousness.


    "Wow. It seems that I''ve awakened a powerful fire-type attack skill. Not bad. From now on, the little witch will be my full-time hatchet woman."


    In the next instant, the scorching heat in the air disappeared so abruptly that it was as though it had never appeared before.


    Shirley hopped down from the awakening platform.


    "Pan Liang, I''ve awakened an S-level skill. It''s the Blazing Phoenix, which has a super powerful group attack skill."


    Pan Liang nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, it''s pretty good. From now on, you can be a full-time hatchet woman."


    Shirley snorted. "You always make me do the work. What a terrible guy! Why don''t you do it yourself? I''ve never seen you pull out your sword. It''s not that you can''t do it, right?"


    How could Pan Liang bring himself to hear that? He directly reached out to his sword and drew it.


    "See? It''s easy for me to draw my sword. But I''m afraid you can''t do it, can you?"


    The sword in Pan Liang''s hand probably had the lowest Immortal Sword level. Since he could not check its level from the system, it meant that the sword''s level was beyond the limit of this world.


    There must be a sword spirit in such a sword. Although Pan Liang did not sense the sword spirit, the sword had already recognized him as its master.


    "Could it be that the sword spirit is ignoring me because it thinks that I''m too lazy?"


    Unconvinced, Shirley took over the sword in Pan Liang''s hand. "I don''t believe it. You can easily pull out the sword, but you think that I can''t pull it out, huh?"


    Pan Liang was also unable to pull out the sword before he received the Sword Immortal Inheritance. It was only after he received the inheritance could he do it.


    Knowing that Shirley would not be able to pull out the sword, he still asked her to do it so that he could get some Grievance Points. Currently, he had a total of 12,000 Grievance Points, which would enable him to participate in the lucky draw.


    However, by earning additional Grievance Points, he would not panic when he was in trouble. In that case, he could exchange items in the system to help himself at any time.


    If the worst came to the worst, he could save some Grievance Points to exchange delicious food. Indeed, he did not wish to eat the food in this world anymore.


    "Ahhh, why is this sword so tight? I can''t even pull it out."


    Shirley continued to exert her strength. There were even faint traces of flames on her body. Evidently, she had used the S-level skill that she had just obtained.

 Chapter 18 - Standard Magic Staff

    When Shirley used her skill to draw Pan Liang''s sword, the surrounding temperature rose rapidly. The people in the Blessing Temple had no choice but to stay away from the direction.


    Pan Liang could naturally feel the temperature on Shirley''s body, but it did not matter to him at all.


    He was now a little confused. "The heat wave automatically bypassed me just now. Why wouldn''t it do the same now?"


    Actually, the heat wave bypassed him just now due to the effect of the contract. The skill that Shirley released unconsciously was controlled by the contract, so the heat wave automatically bypassed the familiar.


    Now that Shirley was controlling it herself, her ability to control was much worse than automatic control.


    "Fine. If you can''t pull it out, just don''t do it.. Otherwise, the Blessing Temple will be on fire later. Look at the people around you. They''re going to chase you out."


    Shirley put down the sword in her hand awkwardly. "What''s wrong with your sword? Why can you pull it out so easily yet I can''t?"


    "Of course. This sword will recognize its owner. I''m its owner. You''re trying to pull out this sword when you''ve never even used a weapon. You must be joking."


    If it had not been for Pan Liang''s aura of the Immortal Sword, he would not have been able to pull out the sword despite being its owner.


    If he obtained the approval of the sword spirit, he would be able to pull out his sword even if he was weak.


    After Shirley gave up, Pan Liang was glad to receive Grievance Points from her.


    "This skill of mine has also awakened. Let''s go out of the city first. I have a feeling that something is not right here."


    Pan Liang was surprised that the little girl could sense danger. He was glad about it.


    When they came in, the murderous aura in the vicinity was already close to them, yet the little girl did not feel anything. Surprisingly, she could feel that something was not right at this moment. This was such a great improvement.


    "You''re right. There''s something weird about this city. We''d better leave first."


    This time, Pan Liang did not let Shirley carry him on her back. Instead, he followed behind her.


    According to the information provided by the system, the people in the vicinity were around Level 20. Nevertheless, no one knew if any of them had special skills. As such, it was better to be careful.


    As soon as Pan Liang left the door of the Blessing Temple, he noticed that there were people surrounding the two of them. Seemingly, these people did not want to make a move yet.


    After checking their levels, Pan Liang was relieved as the highest level of these people was no more than 25. As long as they did not have any special skills, he would let Shirley deal with them alone. All he would do was secretly offer her some help.


    "Shirley, let''s go out of the city. I''ll show you something good when we get out of the city."


    Upon hearing that, Shirley was excited. "Sure. Is it delicious?"


    "Don''t worry about that. You''ll know when we get out of the city."


    For the first time, Pan Liang did not lie down when he got into the carriage. He pulled out his sword and slowly wiped it.


    The sword kept trembling as if it had sensed his mood at this moment.


    Pan Liang glanced at the people around him who were constantly contributing Grievance Points to him. "Sigh. They''re such a great tool for me to get Grievance Points. I don''t know if I should kill or keep them.


    "Forget it. I shall stop dwelling on this matter. Just kill them first. I shall talk about the rest once we''re out of the city."


    Pan Liang''s eyes swept over those people, causing them to shiver collectively. It appeared as if they had suddenly fallen into an ice cave.


    "What''s with that person''s gaze just now? Obviously, he didn''t mean to kill anyone, but his gaze was so scary."


    "Brother, did you feel it just now?"


    He then saw that his brother beside him was shivering non-stop. There was also water dripping down from the bottom of his pants.


    "Damn, brother. Was it that scary? It was just a gaze, wasn''t it? Every day, you say that your level is higher than mine, yet you''re behaving like this?"


    In fact, it was precisely because his brother''s level was higher than Pan Liang that he could feel the murderous intent in Pan Liang''s eyes. That was the most terrifying murderous intent he had ever seen. That kind of murderous intent pierced straight into his heart, and there was no way to avoid it.


    After wiping his sword for a while, Pan Liang put it away. "Since I''ve already decided to let Shirley wipe the sword, why am I still wiping it? I should go to sleep."


    As much as he wanted to sleep, he could not fall asleep.


    When they arrived in the forest outside the city, Shirley could not wait to stop the carriage. He wanted to see what Pan Liang could bring for her.


    The seasoning and beer that he brought out earlier had already captivated her. Because of that, she did not even have the appetite for what she used to think was a feast.


    "Pan Liang, where''s the treasure that you said you wanted to show me? Show it to me."


    Pan Liang smiled and said, "Why are you so desperate? Some people are still not here yet."


    "There are still people not here yet? Where are they? Why don''t I see them?"


    Then, Shirley heard applause coming from nearby. "Sure enough, you''re an SSS-rank familiar. Although your level is average, you''re as alert as a first-rate expert."


    Pan Liang waved his hand and said, "Actually, this is nothing to you guys. By the way, are you interested in learning more about the item that Shirley mentioned just now?"


    At this moment, Shirley was already on guard. No matter how stupid she was, she knew that these people were definitely up to no good.


    "Of course, I''m interested in the treasure brought up by an SSS-rank familiar like you. I wonder if you''re willing to let us take a look at it."


    "Shirley, come here." Pan Liang waved his hand at Shirley. "Here''s something for you."


    Shirley walked to the back of the carriage and looked at Pan Liang who was there.


    "Stop joking around. You''d better think about how to deal with these people."


    "Why are you rushing? When you get my treasure, you''ll know that these people are just buffoons."


    "What are buffoons?" Shirley had never heard of this term before, so she was bewildered at that moment.


    "How would I know? Figure it out yourself," Pan Liang said with disappointment, "Just tell me if you want my treasure or not."


    Shirley made up her mind. "I want it. Anyway, I''m surrounded by these people. I''ll just take it."


    "Okay, but let me tell you in advance that it''s not free for you to use. When the time comes, you have to pay according to the market price."


    "It turns out that you''ve been eying the money I''ve just earned, you terrible man."


    Pan Liang smiled disdainfully and said, "With that little money of yours, I won''t even take it to heart. Once I take out this treasure of mine, you definitely won''t be able to put it down. You have to consider it carefully."


    "Alright, I want it. All I need to do is pay, right? I''m still a contract owner now. It''s not as if I won''t be able to earn money in the future."


    As Pan Liang waved his hand, he said, "Please take a look at this standard magic staff."

 Chapter 19 - The Blaze Cannon

    Shirley stared at the standard magic staff as soon as it appeared in Pan Liang''s hand.


    The snow-white magic staff was half a meter long, and its tip was inlaid with a golden gemstone.


    The entire magic staff was carved with beautiful patterns. At the top of the staff was a goddess statue with wings that was seen holding a gemstone in both hands.


    Shirley could not wait to snatch this beautiful staff from Pan Liang''s hands.


    Pan Liang had exchanged this staff from the exchange store of the system, and it was of the lowest grade.


    According to the system, this staff was a mass-produced product in another world. It belonged to the lowest class of people.


    However, this staff was already a very high-level item in this world. Having been living in the lowest class, Shirley had never seen such a beautiful staff.


    She could feel the gentle magical waves from the staff. It seemed that it would fit her once she held it in her hand.


    "This is for you. When the time comes, go and appraise it. You''ll have to pay me according to the appraised value."


    Pan Liang was quite distressed at this moment. This was a weapon that he had spent 1,000 Grievance Points exchanging for. He had just earned the last batch of Grievance Points in the Blessing Temple, and now he had spent a thousand.


    After the lucky draw, he had only two hundred left.


    Shirley took the staff and held it in her arms. A bright smile spread across her face.


    "I''ve wanted a magic staff for a long time, but I don''t have enough money. Also, the magic staff that I wanted to buy can''t compare with this. That staff is too ugly. It''s like a tree branch."


    Pan Liang smiled and said, "I told you that you''d certainly love it. Since you''ve gotten the staff, I''ll leave these people to you. From now on, you must get stronger as soon as possible."


    Upon hearing what he said, Shirley instantly grasped his point. How could this guy be so kind as to give her a magic staff? In fact, he just wanted her to be his hatchet woman.


    This time, she was willing to be his hatchet woman because she had been bribed with the magic staff in her hand.


    "What do you guys want? Now that you''ve seen the treasure that Pan Liang took out, hurry up and leave."


    Kronin looked at Pan Liang. "Oh, this gentleman is Pan Liang. My master would like to invite you to his house as a guest. I wonder if you''re willing to come."


    Pan Liang raised his eyelids to look at Kronin. He then slowly lay down and closed his eyes.


    Although his eyes were closed, his perception had already spread. In this kind of battle, his perception was much more useful than his eyes.


    Many of the surrounding leaves had now straightened and were ready to attack. The moment Shirley was in danger, Pan Liang could control these leaves to join the battle with merely a thought.


    When Kronin saw Pan Liang lying down, it clearly indicated his refusal. Kronin was not angry as he had no intention of taking Pan Liang away.


    He thought that he would have to deal with Pan Liang when dealing with Shirley. According to the conventions of this world, familiars were stronger than their contract owners. Now that the familiar was lying down and the contract owner was the only one battling, this was exactly what Kronin wanted.


    "Pan Liang, since you''re acting this way, please don''t blame us for being rough. All of you, attack him."


    Amid his speech, Kronin secretly retreated.


    After all, the two of them were SSS-rank characters. One was an SSS-rank contract owner, while the other was an SSS-rank familiar.


    Those people were aware that Shirley had awakened an SSS-level skill, so it was right to be careful.


    Seeing one of them charging toward her, Shirley raised her hand and threw out a fireball.


    She was stunned to see how the fireball was cast.


    When she cast the fireball back then, it was the size of a fist. Now, the fireball she cast had increased to a huge fireball with a diameter of nearly one meter.


    More importantly, the fireball she used to cast fluttered, whereas the fireball now was shot out with a whoosh.


    The fireball was at the lowest-level skill because it was not powerful. However, the main reason was that it was slow.


    In actual combat, it was almost impossible to hit the enemy unless it was a multiplayer battle. The overwhelming fireballs would make it impossible for people to dodge and would be used to clean up the miscellaneous troops.


    Shirley''s current fireball had become one meter in diameter, and it was as fast as a cannonball. No one could react in time.


    The person who was charging forward was directly hit by the fireball. Subsequently, a loud explosion was heard.


    The shock wave even made Shirley lose her balance. The people who were charging forward were instantly pushed back several steps by the shock wave.


    By the time those people stood still and looked at the center of the explosion, they could only see a piece of charred land. Even the corpses were no longer visible.


    Pan Liang, who was lying on the ground, naturally felt the power of this move. He secretly nodded and said, "Well, this move is quite powerful. It seems that I don''t need to intervene in this battle. Let''s call this move the Blaze Cannon."


    Shirley looked at her masterpiece in disbelief. She hugged the magic staff in her hand and kissed it. Then, she pointed at the people around her and shouted, "Come to me again, and I''ll send all of you flying."


    She thought that the person who charged toward her had been sent flying just now. In fact, he had been burned into ashes. Not even any of his bones were left behind.


    A hole had also been blasted into the ground. If she were to fill the hole with dirt, it would mean that she killed and buried him.


    At the sight of the scene, Kronin was astounded. Despite being at Level 25, he knew that he would not be able to take that move just now. Considering the fast speed of that huge fireball, he might not be able to dodge it too.


    "All of you pay attention to your positioning. The fireball can only be cast in a straight line. Assassins, get close as soon as possible."


    "Once the fireball approaches the mages, they''ll lose their effectiveness."


    "Other mages put on protective shields for the warriors mainly to prevent fire."


    Kronin, who served as the head knight, did a pretty good job of commanding.


    When the warriors saw how powerful Shirley''s fireball was, all of them took out their shields and held them up as they tried to get close to Shirley.


    At this time, the warriors'' bodies were already glowing with a layer of fiery red light. The shields were meant to protect against fire. As the assassins were hiding in the shadows, Shirley could not confirm where they were.


    The mages that Kronin had brought with him began to chant spells. They were ready to attack Shirley from afar.


    Pan Liang was also prepared. All the leaves around Shirley were under his control. Even if the mages'' long-range attacks came, he would be able to control the burst of sword energy to block those attacks.


    Seeing the light from the mages in the distance, Shirley could instantly gauge the attributes of her opponents'' skills.

 Chapter 20 - Can鈥檛 You See That They鈥檙e Trying To Snatch Your Money?

    According to the colors produced by those mages'' skills, these skills were all targeted at Shirley''s fire-type skill.


    Seeing that those mages'' skills were about to be completed, Shirley had no way to deal with the situation.


    Pan Liang could only control the leaves to attack the mages, but it was difficult to prevent Shirley from finding out that he had made a move.


    Seeing the mages standing still, Pan Liang had an idea. He controlled the leaves to hit the mages'' crotches from the bottom.


    After the leaves pierced the mages'' crotches, the sword energy exploded slightly. The mages could not take it anymore.


    The spell that had already been condensed in his hand was like an exploding water balloon. Half of it leaked out with a puff.


    The group of mages was leaking something at the same time. Their pants were yellow and steaming.


    At that moment, those mages wanted to die so badly.


    Upon noticing that the spell had not been cast, Kronin could not help but turn his head to look. He saw that the mages were all fleeing in a panic. There was also liquid falling out of their pants.


    He was so infuriated that he wanted to chop these mages into pieces. "What''s wrong with you guys? As adults, can''t you hold it?"


    When Shirley caught sight of the mages'' behavior, she frowned in spite of herself. She was not the only one frowning at that point.


    Several mages were simultaneously leaking liquid, which made it hard for people in the area to breathe.


    Pan Liang was smart enough to protect himself with his sword energy. Hence, all kinds of unpleasant smells did not affect him.


    He was playing with the sword energy.


    Shirley pointed her magic staff at the warriors in front of her. The fireballs were about to be released. These warriors did not know whether they should continue to charge forward as they did not have any protective shields on their bodies. The second they were hit by the fireballs, they would definitely die.


    Kronin snorted from behind. "Everyone, attack! Those who dare to retreat will die!"


    These warriors had no choice but to charge forward. With that, Shirley hurriedly changed her skills.


    The Fireball Skill was very powerful indeed, but its range was quite small. The fireball would not be able to deal with so many warriors at the same time.


    Then, Shirley spread out her hands. "I''ll let you guys witness the S-level skill that I just awakened today. Prepare to die."


    Hearing her words, Pan Liang could not help but say with a laugh, "I didn''t expect this little witch to be so witty. She actually knows how to scare people."


    As she spread out her hands, a pair of fiery red wings appeared on her back, and the temperature instantly rose.


    The warriors who were sprinting could not stand the temperature, so they all retreated.


    Only after they retreated for some distance did they notice that part of their armor had turned red. As a result, they did not dare to move forward anymore.


    Kronin cursed angrily, "You guys are trash. I have to deal with her on my own."


    He patted his horse and directly rushed toward Shirley. He felt that as long as he quickly dealt with her, the high temperature would not be a big deal as it would at most burn him a little.


    If Shirley was alone, she might not be able to solve this situation. Luckily, Pan Liang was behind her.


    She roared and began to condense a fireball as fast as she could. For this kind of straight-line sprint, the speed of the fireball condensation was the fastest. Moreover, her current fireball was so powerful that it could handle this kind of situation.


    However, she underestimated the speed of Kronin''s mount. When her fireball was only halfway formed, Kronin had already rushed to her.


    Shirley was frustrated to see Kronin in front of her. The fireball could not catch up at all.


    However, in the next moment, invisible sword energy rose up from the ground and directly flipped Kronin''s mount over. Kronin was also sent flying after that.


    The fireball in Shirley''s hand had also been successfully formed. She pointed at Kronin and asked, "What are you trying to do?"


    Kronin got up and was about to charge at Shirley again. Pan Liang was angry when he saw the scene.


    He sat up in the carriage and glared at Kronin.


    Initially, Kronin was sweating profusely from the heat on Shirley''s body. However, when Pan Liang glared at him, Kronin instantly felt as if he had been thrown into an ice cave.


    After a quiver, Kronin took two steps back.


    One of his subordinates walked over and said, "Knight leader, the opponent is too strong. We are completely no match for him. Why don''t we go back and look for the city lord first?"


    From Kronin''s uncertain expression, the subordinate had no idea what was on his mind.


    "Knight leader, the opponent is an SSS-level genius anyway. It''s normal that we''re no match for her. Furthermore, she has awakened an SSS-level skill."


    At last, Kronin sighed and said, "You''re right. After all, the opponent is an SSS-level genius. Let''s retreat."


    Seeing that the people in front of her had started to retreat, Shirley let out a long sigh. "Pan Liang, you''re such a horrible guy. Why didn''t you get up and help me? I''m pissed."


    Pan Liang, who was lying in the carriage, responded with a smile, "If I have to do everything, why do I need you?"


    "Hey! Are you clear about who the familiar is and who the contract owner is?"


    Pan Liang shook his head and said, "I''m the familiar, but who said the familiar has to listen to the contract owner? Besides, I''m the only SSS-rank familiar in the world. Can''t I ask for better treatment?


    "Look at the other princesses and princes, then look at yourself. If I were to follow them, I would be enjoying myself and eating good food every day instead of eating barbecue with you."


    His words made Shirley lose her temper. She drove the carriage and ignored him.


    However, they met another group of people after traveling three to five miles. Lying in the carriage, Pan Liang could not help but laugh when he sensed these people.


    "These people actually came. That guy seems to be quite rich. I shall rake in money."


    Those people blocked Shirley''s carriage. At this moment, Shirley was still angry, and the people in front of her did not look like good people.


    All of them had their faces covered and were holding knives. They were accompanied by a bunch of familiars.


    Pan Liang felt a little strange when he saw this. Then, he remembered that the knights did not bring any familiars earlier.


    It seemed that the knights had looked down on their strength. They did not even bring any familiars with them, yet they wanted to stop him and Shirley.


    Shirley, who was angry, raised her hand and threw two fireballs. "What are you guys trying to do?"


    The group of people witnessed the two fireballs resulting in a huge crater in front of them. After that, they looked at Shirley''s gloomy face and did not dare to move.


    Pan Liang slowly climbed out of the carriage. "Shirley, you''re still inexperienced. Can''t you see that these people are trying to steal your money?"


    Through this period of interaction with the little witch, Pan Liang already knew that she was a money-grubber. If someone wanted to steal her money, it would be as if they wanted her life.

 Chapter 21 - Could She Have Awakened An Amazing Attribute?

    At this point, Pan Liang had already recognized Shelly who was hiding in the crowd. He deliberately pretended not to know that it was Shelly. He then walked to the group of black-clothed people.


    "How dare you guys rob the princess. Who instructed you to do so?"


    Only then did Shelly learn that this beautiful little witch was actually a princess. He was so scared that his legs turned to jelly.


    When he recalled the events that happened earlier, his legs did not feel like jelly anymore. He remembered who this witch was.


    According to the legends, Princess Shirley had summoned an SSS-rank familiar, but there were rumors that she and her familiar were trash. The only thing her familiar could do was sleep all day long. He even fell asleep on the ground the minute he was summoned..


    At this thought, Shelly laughed, "Don''t be afraid, everyone. This person is indeed a princess, but she''s useless. I believe everyone has heard of it. She''s the legendary Princess Shirley."


    "She has a useless SSS-rank familiar. This piece of news is probably going to spread to the demons. By the way, I''ve messed around with so many women but not a princess."


    After hearing Shelly''s words, these people felt more confident and even forgot about Shirley''s two fireballs just now.


    Pan Liang giggled at the scene. This was the situation he wanted. Otherwise, it would not be easy to blackmail them, or rather, rake it in.


    "Shirley, someone is calling you trash. Can you endure this?"


    Seeing that Pan Liang had gotten up, Shirley did not want to care about anything else.


    "They''re even calling you trash. They look down on you. Are you really an SSS-rank familiar?"


    Provoking Pan Liang was useless. He climbed onto the carriage and slowly lay down. "It''s good to be trash."


    Shirley''s anger immediately flared up. "Ahhhh, I''m so pissed. You b*stards, go and die!"


    The fireballs in Shirley''s hands kept being thrown out, causing the group of people to flee in all directions. However, not a single one of them was injured in the end.


    It was not until Shirley''s mana ran out that they had a chance to catch their breath. At this moment, they no longer had the energy to think about escaping.


    When these people were exhausted, Pan Liang stepped up to deal with them.


    He pulled out his Immortal Sword and walked up to Shelly. "Hey, you look familiar."


    Upon hearing this, Shelly hurriedly touched the mask on his face. When he felt that the mask was still there, he was relieved.


    Shirley who was standing at the side, heard Pan Liang say that Shelly looked familiar. She carefully sensed Shelly, only to detect a familiar aura.


    After a moment of thought, she immediately knew that Shelly was the one who wanted to buy her in the city previously. She picked up her magic staff and walked over in fury. "Well, it''s you, you b*stard. How dare you block my way here. I''m going to beat you to death."


    While saying that, she smashed the staff on Shelly''s head. In the end, the staff added a heavy strike array in a very humane manner.


    This was to allow him to survive even after his mana was exhausted.


    As the staff fell, Shelly felt as if he was in hell. Just as Shirley was about to hit him again, Pan Liang extended his hand to stop her.


    "Don''t hit him anymore, or he won''t be able to survive."


    Shirley snorted and put away her staff.


    Pan Liang stood in front of Shelly and rubbed his fingers. He smiled and said, "How do you plan to solve the problem today?"


    Seeing Pan Liang''s gesture, Shelly said, "Whatever you say, I''ll listen to you."


    After that, Pan Liang did not say anything else, and Shelly took out a money bag straight away.


    "Here are 200 gold coins. Is this okay?"


    Pan Liang took the money bag and placed it in his hand before stuffing it into his arms impassively. However, a small hand reached into his arms and snatched the money bag.


    "This is my money. I''m the one who defeated these people."


    Pan Liang flashed a smile without saying anything. Then, he turned his gaze to Shelly.


    Shelly took out another money bag with a bitter face. "This is all I have. Here are 300 gold coins."


    Shirley took the money bag when Pan Liang was off guard just now. This time, Pan Liang did not reach out, but the money bag just disappeared from Shelly''s hand.


    Then, Pan Liang turned his head to look at Shirley, only to find that her hand was already halfway out. She noticed that the money bag was gone.


    Shirley was so exasperated that she directly pressed Shelly down. "How much money do you have? Take out all of it. Otherwise, I''ll smash you to death."


    Pan Liang could not help but nod when he saw this scene. "Well, you''re learning fast. This is the way."


    Shelly''s whole body was almost stripped off, leaving only his pants. How pathetic!


    The rest of his subordinates did not escape from Shirley''s grasp either. They were all robbed by her.


    "Why didn''t you guys bring more money when you came out to rob others? Look at how generous your boss is.


    "Not only did he bring 500 gold coins, but he also brought so many valuable things with him. How could you poor people have the nerve to come out?"


    Pan Liang could not help but frown when he saw this scene. "Could it be that this little witch has awakened an amazing attribute? What should we do in the future?"


    After robbing them, Shirley happily drove the carriage away and prepared to go to the next city to sell the stolen goods. If she returned to the city to sell the stolen goods, she would definitely be blocked by the people in the city.


    Moreover, the city lord had already sent the head knight to capture the two of them, so they must leave the city.


    "Shirley, where do you plan to take me next?"


    Shirley thought for a moment and said, "Let''s continue to move forward and head to Seth City. I heard that the city lord of Seth City is very nice. He won''t send people out to steal people like the city lord here."


    Pan Liang did not understand this world at all. Anyway, he just let Shirley bring him anywhere she wanted.


    "I hope you''re right. Don''t get chased by people again."


    Shirley scoffed. "If you hadn''t been lazy, you would''ve been stronger than me now. It''s because of your laziness that you can only lie in the carriage.


    "All the familiars improve faster than their contract owners. I reckon there''s no other familiar like you in the entire empire."


    Without raising his head, Pan Liang said, "I remember that before you summoned me, there was a prince who summoned a pig. Did that pig improve faster than that prince?"


    "How can you compare yourself to the pig?" Shirley fumed at him.

 Chapter 22 - Avatar

    After infuriating Shirley, Pan Liang pretended to be asleep, leaving her to sulk by herself. He secretly smiled as he watched his Grievance Points increase.


    After some time, he fell asleep in the carriage.


    When he woke up again, he smelled roasted meat. He got up and snatched a piece of it. Then, he nibbled on the meat while the little witch pouted angrily.


    "Mm. Your roasting skills have improved recently. Not bad."


    Shirley continued to roast meat in exasperation. Pan Liang did not return to the carriage after he finished eating the meat..


    Besides sleeping, he could gain Experience Points by lying down. He sat next to Shirley and looked at the information in the system.


    "With my Grievance Points, I can already join the lucky draw. I''d better do it first.


    "If Shirley contributes another 1,000 Grievance Points to me, I''ll exchange it for a pot. It''s time to improve my meals.


    "System, get the lucky draw started."


    [Ding! The lucky draw has begun. Congratulations on obtaining a skill book called Avatar.]


    "Wow! Avatar is wonderful. When I encounter a monster that Shirley can''t deal with next time, I''ll directly release my avatar. This is great."


    [Do you want to start learning avatar?]


    "Sure. Why not?"


    Pan Liang quickly mastered the avatar. Even so, he still needed to practice it himself.


    "I should find a place to practice the avatar. Otherwise, it''ll be embarrassing if I''m not proficient enough when using it."


    When he stood up and was about to leave, Shirley looked at him curiously.


    It was typical of Pan Liang to lie down in the carriage after eating. Why did he go for a walk?


    "Pan Liang, what are you going to do?"


    He answered cleverly, "I''m going to take a dump. Do you want to come with me?"


    After hearing his words, Shirley instantly felt that the roasted meat in her hand was no longer fragrant. "Hurry up and get lost. I''m eating."


    Pan Liang left with a laugh. This little witch was awesome. He could earn Grievance Points from her just by saying a few words.


    After running to a place far away from her, Pan Liang sat on the ground and began to carry out the cultivation technique of his avatar.


    During the process, he clearly felt that a part of his soul had been separated.


    When the cultivation technique was completed, he felt that he had become a little smaller. While controlling his avatar, he opened his eyes and then moved his body.


    "Hmm, there''s no problem. It feels alright.


    "But why does this angle make me seem slightly short?"


    From his current angle, he felt that he was only as tall as the knees of his original body when he sat cross-legged.


    Pan Liang opened his eyes and nearly cursed in the next moment.


    "Damn it. No wonder it''s so short. I f*cking didn''t expect it to turn into a puppy."


    There was a little poodle in front of Pan Liang. It was staring at him with its round eyes.


    Pan Liang was not used to feeling two bodies and two perspectives at this point.


    His original body stood up and adapted to his current perspective. Then, he began to move. At the same time, he controlled the little poodle to move with him.


    He was currently focusing on his original body. The poodle behind him was walking even more stably than his original body.


    Just like that, the man and the puppy slowly moved to the side of the fire. Pan Liang, who was sitting on the ground, began to focus on controlling the poodle.


    The poodle ran and jumped around the fire, trying to adapt to its body.


    Although the poodle''s body was tiny and it did not seem to have much combat power, he could still use the Sword Control Technique using its body.


    Considering that the little poodle seemed harmless without any magic fluctuations, it was the best way for him to hide.


    Shirley''s eyes lit up when she saw the little poodle. "What a cute puppy. Did you just find this?"


    Pan Liang nodded. "When I went to take a dump, this puppy was waiting to eat my hot poop. After it finished eating, I brought it back."


    Shirley grabbed the little poodle and was about to kiss it. Then, she pushed it away and spat a few times.


    She looked at Pan Liang with resentment. "You actually let such a cute puppy eat that kind of thing. What a terrible guy you are."


    Pan Liang laughed. "I was just kidding. I came across the poodle on my way back. I didn''t give it anything to eat."


    Shirley was terrified. Although Pan Liang said so, she carried the little poodle to the river and began to wash it.


    In particular, she washed its mouth over and over again. She continued washing it even when Pan Liang had started to feel the pain in his original body.


    Pan Liang had no choice but to exchange a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush.


    "Use this to brush the poodle''s teeth. If you continue to wash the poodle like this, you''re going to kill it."


    He could tell that Shirley was really fond of the puppy. When Shirley held the puppy, he also felt it.


    After she finished washing it, Pan Liang felt a chill coming from the other half of his soul. He quickly took a piece of cloth from the carriage to dry his avatar.


    He then felt a hot wind drying the little poodle.


    Pan Liang noticed that Shirley''s palm turned red. With a wind blowing past her palm, the hot wind was formed.


    "Oh, she knows how to use magic. This idea is pretty good. It''s as good as a dryer."


    As time passed, Pan Liang had slowly adapted himself to his two bodies.


    At least, he was able to walk properly now, unlike when he just summoned his avatar. Anyway, it was good to let Shirley look after his avatar while he kept his original body lying down.


    The thing was that it was not easy for a poodle to carry a weapon. If he met a powerful opponent, he might not be able to win by just controlling the nearby plants.


    Pan Liang turned his gaze to Shirley. Although the poodle could not carry a weapon, Shirley could. He wanted to trick her into carrying a flying sword.


    He began to look for a flying sword in the exchange store of the system. After looking at it, he was speechless.


    The lowest price of the flying sword was worth 50,000 Grievance Points, which caused him distress.


    "Forget it. I''ll let Shirley carry the Immortal Sword. Even if the sword spirit ignores me, the sword control is much more powerful than the plants."


    He took out the Immortal Sword from the carriage. "Shirley, carry this sword from now on."


    Shirley refused to carry the sword. "No way. You carry your own sword. Also, I don''t know how to use it."


    Of course, Pan Liang had a way of making Shirley fulfill his request. He smiled and said, "Shirley, if you carry my sword, I''ll treat you to delicious food."

 Chapter 23 - Showing Off His Culinary Skills

    Shirley''s eyes lit up when she heard about delicious food. She had been living a hard life since she was a child. One of the reasons why she was so short was that she lacked nutrition. Considering that she was still young, she could still grow taller.


    "What delicious food are you going to give me if I carry your Immortal Sword?"


    Pan Liang thought for a moment before he replied, "You carry it first. I''ll see how you perform before I consider giving you any delicious food."


    Shirley pouted and went silent. Then, she obediently took the Immortal Sword with her.


    After eating and resting, she continued to head to Seth City with Pan Liang.


    In the evening, Shirley began to feel drowsy while driving the carriage..


    After Pan Liang was awake, he woke her up.


    "Shirley, where are we now? How far are we from Seth City?"


    Shirley raised her head and glanced around. Then, she took out a simple map and looked at it.


    She looked at the map and then looked around in confusion. She scratched her head.


    Seeing Shirley''s look, Pan Liang knew that she was lost. It seemed that she had napped for quite a while.


    "Forget it. You must be lost. Let''s continue traveling. Maybe we''ll meet someone later, and we can ask for directions."


    Shirley put away the map. "How can I be lost? If we go in this direction, we''ll definitely arrive at Seth City."


    However, when she saw Pan Liang''s gaze, she became less confident.


    "Fine. I''m really lost."


    Pan Liang shook his head and said, "We''d better stop here. It''s already late. The sky is going to be dark soon. Let''s rest here."


    After listening to his words, Shirley got out of the carriage and began to prepare the barbecue.


    Pan Liang felt a little nauseous as he watched Shirley prepare the barbecue.


    Ever since he transmigrated here, he had been eating barbecue every day. It left him wondering how the people in this world survived.


    If he ate barbecue every day, the chances of him developing cancer must be very high.


    He waved his hand to stop Shirley from barbecuing.


    "I said I''d let you eat delicious food. I''ll get it for you now."


    He exchanged a pot and a bottle of soybean oil. When he was in the city earlier, he found out that the culinary skills in this world were very backward.


    He could not find cooking in this world, so he decided to show Shirley his skills.


    Shirley looked curiously at the item that he took out. Of course, she knew what a wok was, but she had never seen it before.


    "Your wok is so shallow. What can you cook with it?"


    Pan Liang just smiled in the face of her question. "Watch carefully from the side. You''ll be handling this task in the future."


    He took the meat that Shirley was preparing to roast, then he pulled out his Immortal Sword. With a few strokes, the meat was sliced. After adding a few more strokes, he turned the meat into smaller slices.


    Seeing Pan Liang slicing the meat, Shirley became anxious. "Why did you cut the meat into slices? How are we going to eat the meat?"


    Pan Liang pressed her head down to prevent her from messing things up. "As I said, you just have to wait before eating it. There''s nothing else you need to care about."


    With that, Shirley sat quietly and watched Pan Liang cook.


    Pan Liang bought some spices from the exchange store, including green onion, ginger, garlic, and chilli.


    After a while, the shredded green pepper meat in the pot immediately made Shirley drool.


    "Wow, this smells too good. Why do you have so many spices?


    "What kind of world were you in before I summoned you? How blissful it is to be in your world."


    Pan Liang did not pay attention to her question. He recalled his past life and smiled self-deprecatingly without saying anything.


    "Since you''ve been so obedient these past few days, I''ll add two more dishes to the meal today."


    Pan Liang had lived alone in the past, so he was quite good at preparing home-cooked dishes.


    The ingredients that he exchanged did not need to be cleaned at all, which saved him a lot of work. Given that he was now an Immortal Swordsman, cutting vegetables was an easy task for him.


    20 minutes later, four dishes and a bowl of soup were ready. Two plates of meat and two plates of vegetables appeared in front of Shirley.


    Shirley was already impatient. However, Pan Liang took out a new pot and began to cook the rice with firewood.


    Afraid that the cooked dishes would get cold, he asked Shirley to use her Blazing Phoenix to keep them warm.


    Actually, Pan Liang purposely made her stare at the delicious dishes but did not let her eat them. Consequently, she fixed her resentful gaze on him.


    Seeing the notification from the system, Pan Liang beamed with joy. He was very satisfied with the rate at which his Grievance Points were increasing.


    After the rice was ready, Shirley could not control her saliva any longer.


    The aroma of the food also spread far away.


    In fact, Pan Liang cooked for a long time with reason. He had already sensed that there were people around.


    Nevertheless, these people were some distance away. In this kind of dense forest, it was possible to not see the flames here.


    The aroma of such food that came from another world could easily attract other people''s attention.


    Based on his perception, those people had already begun to approach in this direction.


    Otherwise, he would not have made such a big pot of rice.


    The two of them would not be able to finish so much food.


    Pan Liang deliberately did not allow Shirley to start eating the rice until some people appeared beside the carriage. Then, he broke into laughter.


    "Shirley, there are some guests here. Go and greet them."


    Since those people were already so close to her, she could feel it. She was on guard at first, but when she saw some old and young people, she let down her guard.


    Her behavior caused Pan Liang to shake his head. "We must be wary of others, but Shirley is too young. That''s okay. Apparently, I wasn''t as good as her at this age either."


    A girl, who looked to be about 12 or 13 years old, fixed her eyes on the food in front of Pan Liang and kept swallowing her saliva.


    A middle-aged man, who was the leader, smiled and said to Shirley, "I''m really sorry. We smelled something from there, and the children around us were clamoring to come over. We had no choice but to bring them over."


    Pan Liang did not believe him. Obviously, the man just wanted to eat the food.


    Before Shirley could say anything, Pan Liang waved his hand and said, "You''re a guest anyway. Come and sit down."


    Since there were more people here, more dishes were needed. However, Pan Liang would not show off his culinary skills in front of these people.


    He directly exchanged a bowl of pickled vegetables from the store of the system and placed it in front of the man.


    The middle-aged man''s eyes froze.


    "Although I can''t tell how powerful this young man is, his power seems extraordinary. He actually has a piece of spatial equipment."

 Chapter 24 - Spiritual Spring

    "Hi, Sir. We''re mercenaries from Seth City. My name is Dennis."


    After Dennis introduced himself, the mercenaries around him also began to introduce themselves.


    The young man next to the middle-aged man bowed slightly and said, "I''m Roy."


    A girl around 20 years old behind him bowed and said, "I''m Judy."


    The little girl introduced herself while staring at the food. However, she almost drooled when she opened her mouth.


    "I''m Wendy."


    Pan Liang said with a smile, "My name is Pan Liang, and I''m just a familiar. This is my contract owner, Shirley."


    "Come and take your seats."


    The middle-aged man sat down opposite Pan Liang despite his fear.


    The hungry little girl obediently took her seat as well.


    Shirley had heard of the mercenaries from Seth City, but she had never come into contact with them before. Now that she met these people, she could ask for directions.


    After Pan Liang nodded, the mercenaries started eating crazily as if they had not eaten in years.


    Initially, he thought that the large bowl of pickled vegetables would be enough for everyone. Who knew they even took the gravy on the bottom of the bowl until nothing was left.


    Shirley was not any better.


    After finishing the meal, the three girls cleaned the place. Since Shirley did not do the cooking, it was naturally her turn to do the cleaning.


    Dennis rubbed his stomach and said in satisfaction, "Thank you for your hospitality.


    "I can''t eat your meal for free. I have some news that you should be interested in."


    As far as Dennis remembered, such a meal would probably cost thousands of gold coins.


    In this world, all kinds of spices were costly. Many ordinary families would only use a bit of them to cook a meal during the New Year.


    Without caring too much about Dennis'' words, Pan Liang signaled for him to continue.


    "A few of us found a small spiritual spring in a valley ahead. However, there are some monsters guarding that place. With the ability of the four of us, we can''t enter at all.


    "Originally, we planned to return to Seth City to look for other mercenaries to help. However, we bumped into you here and even ate the food you prepared. I think we can try and enter that place with you."


    Pan Liang thought for a moment and said, "What''s the use of that spiritual spring?"


    "The effect of the spiritual spring is very great. It can improve one''s physique and rank.


    "Although I can''t see through your rank, I think you''ll also need this kind of thing."


    After learning the use of the spiritual spring, Pan Liang hesitated for an instant before nodding in agreement.


    He might not need the spiritual spring, but Shirley did. He made the decision without being bothered about her view.


    After Shirley finished cleaning everything, Pan Liang told her about it, and she happily agreed.


    "The spiritual spring is great. Even a small spiritual spring can probably help me level up by three to four levels."


    Pan Liang nodded. "Alright. Since you agree, we''ll go there tomorrow morning."


    The next morning, they got up early and set off in the direction of the spiritual spring. However, Pan Liang felt that something was wrong with Roy, who was following behind the carriage.


    Shirley was still the one driving the carriage. The two female mercenaries were sitting together with Pan Liang in the carriage.


    Roy secretly asked Dennis at the back, "Dennis, do you feel that these two people are somewhat like what the rumors have been circulating?"


    Dennis nodded and said, "Did you just realize it? They''re the legendary Princess Shirley and her SSS-rank familiar."


    "Sure enough, it''s these two people. I can''t believe I didn''t notice their background."


    Dennis put his hand on his forehead and said, "Last night, these two people introduced themselves to each other. Only now did you come to your senses, huh?"


    Roy was a little embarrassed after hearing what Dennis said. Then, he shifted his jealous gaze to Pan Liang who was in the carriage.


    "I''ve wooed Judy for so long, but I can''t even touch her. Now, Pan Liang has just met her and they''re already sitting together. I''m so pissed."


    Technically, they were not sitting together at this moment because Pan Liang was lying down. Judy was sitting next to Pan Liang, and Wendy was sitting opposite her.


    Fortunately, they were not far from the spiritual spring. Otherwise, no one knew what Roy would do.


    Soon, they arrived at the valley where the spring was situated. Seeing Judy get off the carriage, Roy let out a sigh of relief.


    Along the way, Pan Liang chatted happily with those girls, especially Judy. This made Roy glum.


    After they got off, Pan Liang remained in the carriage. He closed his eyes and went to sleep instead.


    He had not slept the whole of last night as he was watching them. At this moment, he was a little sleepy.


    Fortunately, he could temporarily cut off his connection with the avatar and let it follow Shirley to protect her.


    Roy saw that Pan Liang was sleeping, so he asked Shirley, "Is your familiar not coming along with you?"


    Shirley looked at him and responded, "He''s a lazy familiar. I''ll carry him on my back. It won''t affect my magic usage."


    Then, they watched Shirley take out a gorgeous magic staff.


    When Wendy saw the magic staff, she could not help but exclaim, "Wow! This magic staff is too beautiful. I really want a magic staff like this."


    Wendy and Judy were both mages, so it was normal for them to wish for a beautiful and powerful magic staff.


    Dennis looked at the magic staff from behind and sighed. "Sure enough, you''re a princess. Ordinary people like us can''t even compare with a princess with the lowest status."


    Nevertheless, Roy did not think so.


    He thought to himself, ''Princess Shirley''s familiar is trashy. If we get rid of Princess Shirley, this magic staff can be sold for at least 100,000 gold coins.''


    After that, Roy looked at Shirley with a different gaze. The moment Roy changed his mind, Pan Liang felt the malice in him.


    However, he was asleep right now. He poked Shirley''s back and remained motionless again.


    Although he was asleep, the little poodle could sense the malice. The poodle turned around and bared its teeth at Roy, but it became obedient after Shirley gave it a kick.


    It acted like a normal poodle without Pan Liang''s control. What Pan Liang instructed the poodle to do was to attack when Shirley was in danger.


    He also taught the Sword Control Technique to the poodle. He believed that the Sword Control Technique would manage to deal with all kinds of monsters in this area.


    After walking for a while, Shirley saw some monsters guarding the entrance of the valley and said, "Are these monsters in front the ones stopping you from entering?"


    Wendy moved forward and pointed to a giant white ape in front of them before she said, "It''s that ape."

 Chapter 25 - The Black Statue

    "It''s that ape. It''s very powerful and agile. With my sister and my magic level, we can''t even fight it."


    Shirley noticed the giant white ape. It had the strongest magic wave among the monsters.


    "I think the two behind are swordsmen. Can''t they handle this ape?"


    Wendy glanced behind and said in a low voice, "The two of them can''t catch up with the ape at all. The ape even chased after them and hit them with rocks."


    Shirley laughed. "It seems that the giant ape is really agile. Let me see if I can restrict its movements.."


    "Do both of you know water spells? A basic one is enough."


    One could learn all kinds of magic in this world, but their magic level would be very low.


    Judy shot a look at the sky. "It happens to be cloudy now. It should be pretty easy to summon some rain. What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to freeze the ape. As long as I can control it for a while, I can release other spells to control it for a long time."


    "The freezing spell is the fastest, but you need a water spell to work together. Otherwise, it''ll take a long while to activate."


    If Shirley had awakened an ice spell, the magic she learned would have been different.


    "I haven''t learned an ice spell, so I''ll leave it to you to freeze the ape. Wendy and I will summon the rain, but the rain that we can summon probably won''t be too heavy."


    Shirley nodded and responded, "It doesn''t matter as long as you can make the ape''s body wet. This way, you can cast the freezing spell successfully before the ape can react."


    Judy looked at the distance and asked, "Is the distance enough for you to cast the spell?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s definitely enough."


    With that, Judy and Wendy began to cast the spell.


    Dennis smiled and said, "Since you can deal with the giant ape, we''ll handle the other monsters."


    After Judy cast the spell, a drizzle appeared in front of the valley. In order to successfully freeze the giant ape, Shirley deliberately waited for a while until the giant ape was wet before she cast the spell.


    During the process, the tip of her magic staff lit up with a silvery-white light. The staff then pointed at the ape.


    The ape was targeted, and it began to freeze. Its body was covered in ice within two seconds.


    Shirley immediately rushed forward and cast another spell. The wood spell resulted in entanglement.


    The freezing spell could only control the ape for a few seconds, but the entanglement was different. It would take the ape some time to break free from the vines.


    Judy and Wendy had already started casting their attack spells while Shirley cast the entanglement spell.


    However, their spells did not work well on the ape. Instead, they aroused its ferocity.


    Shirley''s huge fireball shot out following their spells. With a loud explosion, the giant ape fell to the ground.


    The fireball could destroy a corpse earlier, yet it did not have the same effect on the giant ape now. The ape''s defense was still much higher than that of a human.


    Shirley turned to the three people, who were shocked, and made a victory gesture. "The giant ape is settled. We can go and soak in the spiritual spring now."


    All of them looked delighted, but no one noticed that there was a hint of grimness in Roy''s eyes.


    Shirley pulled Pan Liang up from the ground and carried him on her back. Then, she followed the rest into the valley.


    The two swordsmen led the way. Their journey was smooth without the giant ape''s obstruction.


    When they reached the valley, they saw a small pond of a few square meters. It was more than enough for them to soak in.


    The four mercenaries summoned their familiars one after another. None of their familiars were humanoid.


    Humanoid familiars usually only appeared above A-rank. The rest were usually in beast form.


    Even if there were occasionally humanoid familiars below A-rank, they had extremely poor talent.


    Shirley placed Pan Liang beside the spiritual spring. She was hesitating if she should wake him up and soak in the spring with him.


    Since the others had summoned their familiars, she did not have any scruples anymore.


    "Pan Liang, quickly get up. Come and soak in the spring with me. We can level up."


    Pan Liang slapped her hand away and turned his body to face the spring. After that, he remained motionless.


    "Hmph, you don''t even want this kind of opportunity to level up without having to work hard. You''re really pissing me off."


    Roy snorted and thought to himself. ''This is expected of a useless familiar. I haven''t heard of anyone who can summon a talented humanoid familiar.''


    He ignored the others and directly jumped into the spring with his wolf-like familiar.


    Seeing Roy jump into the spring, Wendy shouted, "Ah, Brother Roy, wait for me." With that, she jumped in as well."


    Without further ado, the rest of them jumped into the spring to absorb the energy in the spring.


    Of course, they were incomparable to Shirley. Among them, Shirley absorbed the energy from the spiritual spring at the fastest speed.


    Roy glanced at Shirley and secretly cursed, "Sure enough, she has the highest talent. She absorbed the energy so quickly. It seems that I can''t hide anymore. If this continues, I won''t be able to compete with her."


    He took out a black statue from his arms and poured some magic power into it. A dark light enveloped him, and consequently, the speed of his energy absorption instantly increased.


    At this time, his energy absorption was even faster than Shirley''s.


    Upon noticing that, other mercenaries opened their eyes to see what was going on.


    They saw the black statue in Roy''s hands. They did not know what this statue was, but Dennis did.


    Dennis thundered, "Roy, you actually have something to do with a cult."


    Roy said with a laugh, "Dennis, don''t be so agitated. I just got this statue by chance. It has nothing to do with a cult."


    With that, Dennis had no reason to get mad. Even so, he was no fool. He knew very well what this statue represented.


    Despite not knowing what this statue represented, Shirley knew what a cult was.


    Judy and Wendy looked at Roy differently.


    "Roy, tell me honestly whether you have anything to do with a cult."


    In the face of Judy''s question, Roy sneered and said, "You said that I''m related to the cult, but do you have any evidence? If you''re making this claim solely based on this statue, you''ve gone a bit too far."


    At the sight of Roy''s disappointed expression, Dennis said, "Roy, we''ve been teammates for so long. We won''t do anything to you. Put away the statue, and we''ll part ways in the future."

 Chapter 26 - Cult

    After listening to Dennis, Roy did not put the statue away. He even increased the intensity of the statue as if he was going to plunder the entire spring.


    The speed at which Roy absorbed the energy from the spring was getting faster. The green energy in the spring began to fade.


    Affected by Roy, the others could no longer maintain their original speed of absorbing the energy.


    Dennis did not deal with him, considering that he had been his teammate for many years. However, he would probably never team up with Roy again in the future.


    During the absorption of energy, Roy stared at Shirley and smiled maliciously. This scene made Dennis and the others frown.


    However, they did not intend to help Shirley.. They had only known her for one night and were not very familiar with her.


    Although they had no intention of helping her, it did not mean that no one was going to help her. The strong malice instantly woke Pan Liang up.


    Pan Liang opened his eyes and understood what was happening. Then, he saw Roy plundering the energy.


    After letting out a contemptuous laugh, Pan Liang stretched out his hand and dipped it into the spiritual spring. The entire spiritual spring''s energy instantly disappeared as though he had pulled something out of the spring.


    In the eyes of others, Pan Liang pulled out a piece of dark green cloth from the spring.


    In fact, it was not a cloth but all the energy in the spring. He washed his hands clean in an instant and left nothing behind.


    After seeing this scene, Shirley looked at Roy provocatively.


    "Hmph, so what if you used something from the cult? You''re still not as good as my familiar. Crooked ways still don''t work."


    They left the spiritual spring since the energy was already gone.


    Shirley used the Blazing Phoenix to evaporate the water on her body and continued to stare at Roy provocatively.


    She was not afraid of Roy at all. Previously, the knight leader, Kronin''s level was higher than hers, which was why she could not react in time.


    Nevertheless, Roy''s level was about the same as hers.


    The others stood beside Shirley after they went ashore. When they were in the spring, they caught sight of Roy''s gaze and knew that he wanted to attack Shirley.


    What was more, Roy''s eyes were still fixed on the magic staff in Shirley''s hand, so they were aware of Roy''s motive.


    "Roy, it''s not too late to stop now. Don''t make the same mistake again."


    Roy sneered. "Why should I stop now? Since you''ve already decided to abandon me, what gives you the right to care about me?"


    He saw that the people in front of him were all protecting Shirley, so he turned around and left. Even if he was related to a cult, he knew his own limits. Everyone here was at the same level as him, except for Wendy, not to mention Pan Liang whom he could not see through.


    Only after Roy left did Dennis finally relax. Dennis turned around and apologized to Shirley.


    "I''m really sorry. We didn''t know that he joined a cult."


    Shirley had rarely come into contact with things like this. At this point, she really wanted to know what a cult was.


    "Can you tell me what a cult is? I''ve only heard of it before."


    Dennis explained to her, "A cult, as its name suggests, is an evil cult. In order to increase their strength, cult members do all kinds of evil things, which are worse than what demons do.


    "To put it another way, the demons and humans only have wars because of their different races and standpoints. Wars are caused by the fight for resources.


    "But cults are different. The teachings of a cult are evil. There have even been cases where cult members sacrificed a whole city in order to increase their strength."


    Upon hearing this, Shirley could not help but furrow her brows. "In that case, cults are really horrible. How is Roy related to the cult?"


    "Cult members are everywhere. They are usually no different from ordinary people, so not everyone can distinguish them. Only people with light attributes have the means to differentiate them.


    "Of course, that''s not necessarily the case. Those with some special skills can also differentiate them. Cult members have an evil aura, so once they use the cult''s skills, they will be discovered."


    Pan Liang, who was beside them, listened attentively to Dennis'' explanation because he did not realize that Roy was a cult member at first.


    If he could learn the method to identify cult members, he would be much safer in the future.


    Unfortunately, Dennis did not have any good methods to identify cultists.


    "Princess Shirley, do you want to come with us? It''ll be safer this way." Judy wanted her to come along.


    When Shirley was considering whether to join them, Pan Liang got up and said, "We won''t come with you. We have other things to do, so it''s not convenient."


    After hearing what he said, Shirley just rolled her eyes at him without saying anything.


    Dennis was older, so he understood Pan Liang''s concerns. Hence, he did not continue to persuade them.


    "Since we''re not going the same way, we''ll take our leave first. See you later."


    Wendy waved at Shirley and shouted, "Goodbye, Sister Shirley."


    Shirley grinned and waved goodbye to them. As soon as they were out of sight, Shirley turned to look at Pan Liang.


    "What do you want to do? They''re all nice people. Why did you reject their good intentions?"


    Pan Liang said with a smile, "Did you know that Roy was a bad person before he was exposed?"


    "You''re too trusting of other people, you little girl."


    Shirley curled her lips. "You call me a little girl when you''re only a few years older than me?"


    Pan Liang did not know if Shirley paid attention to what he said, but he could not let her off just like that.


    "What? Even if I''m older than you by one day, I''m still older than you. Besides, you don''t know how old I am. I might be an old monster who has lived for thousands of years."


    Shirley looked at him with disdain before walking out of the valley.


    With that, Pan Liang had no choice but to follow her outside.


    At the same time, he controlled the little poodle to follow behind him.


    Shirley turned around to glance around. Then, she picked up the poodle.


    "Puppy, I''ll call you Little Liang from now on, okay?"


    How could Pan Liang let a puppy have such a name? He quickly controlled the poodle to shake its head non-stop.


    Nevertheless, Shirley seemed to be tricking Pan Liang on purpose. She insisted on naming the poodle ''Little Liang''.


    Pan Liang eventually gave in. After all, this was only his avatar and not the real poodle. When his avatar became proficient later, he could make another avatar.


    In fact, he could directly change the appearance of this avatar by then. This meant that the avatar would have its own transformation skill.

 Chapter 27 - 100,000 Gold Coins

    The first thing Pan Liang did when he went outside was to look for the carriage. Only when he saw it did he heave a sigh of relief.


    "Fortunately, that guy named Roy didn''t steal our carriage. Otherwise, I would have nowhere to sleep."


    Shirley glared at him. "This carriage is mine, isn''t it? You''ve been sleeping in my carriage during this period and making me sleep in a tent."


    Pan Liang said earnestly, "I''m doing this for your own good. Look, this carriage doesn''t have a cover, so you might easily catch a cold. Moreover, it''s easier to attract monsters because it''s high.


    "I stay in the carriage every day for the sake of your safety."


    Shirley pursed her lips. "I won''t believe you. You''re such a liar."


    Pan Liang quickly climbed into the carriage and began to sleep. As he had not slept all night, he was now very sleepy.


    Shirley asked about the directions of Seth City last night, so she would not get lost again this time.


    After all, Seth City was a city, so its area was quite big. It would not matter even if she drove the carriage in the wrong direction. Once she reached a certain range of the city, she could see Seth City.


    After lunch, she saw Seth City from afar. Pan Liang had slept for a long time and was no longer sleepy.


    He stretched his head out and looked at Seth City in front. "Do you remember what I said to you before?"


    Shirley looked puzzled. "What did you say?"


    "When I gave you the magic staff, I told you to have the magic staff appraised when we get to the city. Then, you have to pay me according to the appraised price."


    Shirley was heartbroken at the mention of money. Having to pay made her feel more miserable than losing her life.


    However, Pan Liang was always by her side, so she would not be able to go back on her word. She had no choice but to nod in agreement. "Alright, I''ll get someone to appraise the magic staff once we reach the city."


    When they reached the city, the two of them attracted a lot of attention as usual. During this period of time, their names had spread throughout the empire. After all, the appearance of an SSS-rank familiar was a big deal. Even the demons had heard about it.


    Anyone who saw the two of them would guess that they were the ones in the news.


    Pan Liang did not care about how other people viewed him, but Shirley could not stand it.


    Most of these people were attracted by Shirley''s beauty. They were not concerned about the fight among the princesses and princes nor the SSS-rank familiar.


    They just wanted to feast their eyes on Shirley''s beauty. There were also people who wanted to see what kind of person such a beautiful woman brought along.


    Pan Liang stuck his head out and said to Shirley, "Go and check where we can sell this carriage later. Then, get a new carriage."


    After hearing his request, Shirley shook her head and said, "No, no. I don''t have money. I won''t buy it."


    "You don''t have to pay for it. I''ll buy it. You can see the sky when you sleep in this broken carriage at night. If it rains one day, I''ll drown."


    As soon as Pan Liang said that he would be the one paying for the carriage, Shirley brought him to the place where carriages were sold.


    Shirley had raised this horse from a young age. The horse was quite big, so there was no need to change it. She just needed to change the carriage.


    In the end, she changed to a carriage that Pan Liang was satisfied with. She would be able to turn over whenever she slept in the carriage in the future. Moreover, the carriage would not be blown away by the wind.


    Pan Liang lay in the carriage contentedly with a soft and comfortable blanket beneath.


    The next destination was the appraisal center where they had to queue as well. A handling fee would be charged for appraising items.


    Quite a number of people took out items found in the wild and ruins to appraise. In fact, some of those items were really valuable.


    However, the appraisal workers had only seen items worth a few hundred gold coins so far. Some of them began yawning.


    "Hey. How dare you take out such a sword that''s broken and embroidered like this."


    The man glanced at the person who asked the question. "It''s none of your business. In any case, I don''t need you to pay the handling fee."


    Pan Liang wanted to find out the level of the item that he had exchanged for, so he followed Shirley into the queue.


    Beautiful women were stared at wherever they went. What was more, there were many desperados here, all gazing at Shirley unscrupulously.


    "Hey, this little witch looks really pretty. I wonder what kind of treasure she''s going to take out."


    Someone heard this and said, "Tsk, what can this little girl take out? She doesn''t seem to have a familiar. It''s already good enough if she can take out a D-rank item."


    A person, who seemed to recognize Shirley and Pan Liang, smiled and said to the other party, "Well, this little girl might really have a treasure. Do you want to bet with me?"


    "I''ll bet. Come on. I bet that¡­ the item that she''s going to take out won''t exceed a C-rank."


    That person was not angry when the other party changed his mind. "Alright. I bet that her item exceeds a C-rank. I''ll bet ten gold coins."


    "Alright. Ten gold coins it is."


    Pan Liang heard the conversation. He even wanted to join the bet and make it big.


    However, these people seemed poor. If they could not afford to pay, they might run away. Therefore, he did not participate in the bet in the end.


    When it was Shirley''s turn, she took out the magic staff. The entire white staff was engraved with complicated patterns. Its magic wave was almost greater than that of the items in everyone else''s hands.


    After picking up Shirley''s staff carefully, the worker took out a magnifying glass to observe it.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t appraise your magic staff. Please wait a moment. I''ll ask my master to come out."


    Then, the young male worker ran inside.


    Pan Liang hurriedly shouted, "Don''t go. Leave the staff here."


    The young man paused for a moment. He ran back to put down the staff before heading back inside again.


    Soon, a white-haired old man came out. He walked to the counter and picked up the staff to observe it. He even injected some magic power into it to slowly feel it.


    Finally, the old man gave the result.


    "This magic staff is a S-rank. May I know whose staff this is?"


    Shirley raised her hand. "It''s mine. Please name your price for it."


    The old man thought for a moment before he said, "It''s difficult to make such a magic staff. The materials used are very exquisite. It''s actually considered an artwork."


    "I suggest a price of 100,000 gold coins."

 Chapter 28 - Mercenary Union

    Upon hearing the price, Shirley was petrified. Then, she muttered to herself.


    "100,000 gold coins? How long will I take to pay the amount back? Doesn''t that mean I have to pay it back for the rest of my life?"


    Pan Liang kept laughing behind Shirley. This little girl actually wanted to pay back the money. That was good anyway. With such pressure, she would go out to hunt more monsters and progress very soon.


    Shirley took back her magic staff with a look of despair.


    The old man continued to ask, "May I know if you''re willing to sell this magic staff?"


    Shirley shook her head. "I''m not selling it. If I sell it, I won''t have anything to use.."


    Pan Liang was thinking about how to earn more Grievance Points. This item worth 1,000 Grievance Points turned out to be so valuable. If he needed money in the future, he could directly exchange his Grievance Points for a bunch of things to sell and become rich.


    Shirley felt a little fuzzy, not knowing how she left the appraisal counter.


    For some reason, she felt that those who were now looking at her wanted to snatch her magic staff, so she wrapped it cautiously and put it away.


    She had yet to take Pan Liang''s Immortal Sword out for appraisal. If she took it out, the old man would probably snatch it away.


    Having said that, the old man might not be able to tell what was so special about this sword.


    Their next destination was the mercenary union.


    Shirley and Pan Liang wanted to register at the mercenary union. The main reason was that Shirley wanted to take on missions and earn money.


    Pan Liang fully agreed with her decision. He would be fine as long as Shirley worked actively and all he had to do was lie down.


    Once they arrived at the mercenary union, they became the center of attention again. In order to protect Shirley, Pan Liang had no choice but to follow her there.


    With so many people in the mercenary union, he was afraid that his avatar would be too slow to react.


    Moreover, many people had followed Shirley here after the appraisal. Pan Liang could tell at a glance that these people had bad intentions.


    For these people, having 100,000 gold coins would mean that they did not need to work hard for a lifetime. Even a few ordinary people who had no magic power tagged along.


    They were just typical pickpockets, who wanted to come over to try their luck.


    However, it was clear that they would not have a chance to steal Shirley''s things. Even if Shirley was alone, they could not possibly do it.


    Pan Liang followed Shirley to the mercenary union counter to register as a mercenary.


    For the mercenary registration, only the contract owner needed to register. In this case, Pan Liang did not need to register. The information of the familiar was recorded together with the contract owner.


    Distressed, Shirley paid ten gold coins and received an F-rank mercenary token.


    The mercenary union''s mission was quite good as there was no level restriction. If one insisted on taking on a high-level mission, no one would be bothered about them.


    Of course, there was no limit to the number of people for high-level missions that did not have a level restriction. One mission could be accepted by multiple mercenary teams.


    There were some missions that could not be taken on by multiple mercenary teams at the same time.


    The receptionist who was handling the procedures for Shirley looked at her in surprise. Despite knowing Shirley''s identity, she did not expect Shirley to register as a mercenary.


    As far as the receptionist knew, a princess would have the noble''s backing and lead a rich life no matter how lousy she was.


    The receptionist did not expect that Shirley would need her to do missions to earn money. She thought Shirley wanted to train herself through the missions.


    Shirley darted a glance at the mission board. Without the slightest hesitation, she chose the mission with the highest reward, which was also a high-level mission.


    The mission was to explore a secret realm. After the secret realm was discovered, no one could enter it.


    It was estimated that the secret realm would take at least three days to open. It was about 150 kilometers away from Seth City.


    Pan Liang reckoned that he would make it before the secret realm opened.


    When Shirley and Pan Liang were about to leave after registering for the mission, someone came to cause them trouble.


    A few people stood fiercely at the entrance of the mercenary union and blocked their way.


    "Little girl, I heard that you appraised a piece of equipment worth 100,000 gold coins just now. Why don''t you take it out and let us admire it?"


    At the sight of their malicious smiles, Shirley lost her temper.


    These people wanted to rob her of her money. How could she not be angry?


    "Get out of my way, or you''ll suffer the consequences."


    Pan Liang looked at her in astonishment when he heard this. He did not expect this girl to be so imposing when she was angry.


    The leader of the group laughed. "Look at where you are now. How dare you talk to me like this."


    "Brothers, surround this place. I want to see how this little girl is going to make me suffer the consequences."


    Shirley pulled out her magic staff with a gloomy face. "Don''t you want to see the equipment worth 100,000 gold coins? I''ll let you see it to your heart''s content."


    "Blazing Phoenix!"


    The sudden burst of high temperature caused the people around to take a few steps back. The minute the brawny leader saw the scene, he felt like retreating.


    His familiar was only a C-rank. He had heard of this little girl''s SSS-rank talent and her familiar of the same level.


    He shifted his gaze to Pan Liang who was beside Shirley, assuming that Pan Liang was her familiar. It seemed that the familiar did not intend to make a move.


    Could this familiar be thinking that he did not need to make a move because this little girl could deal with all of them on her own?


    Pan Liang did not know what was on the man''s mind at this moment. Even so, he could tell from the man''s hesitant gaze that the latter had retreated.


    He could not help but smile. "Alright, Shirley. Let''s go."


    Shirley held her staff and walked out the door. The people blocking the door made way for her.


    They did not dare to go head-to-head with Shirley as the security of Seth City was very strict.


    It was fine to scare Shirley and make her hand over the item. Nevertheless, if they really tried to snatch it, they would have to pay a huge price.


    Feeling unconfident, these people were smart enough not to make a move.


    After Shirley left, one of the brawny man''s subordinates came over and asked, "Boss, should we follow her?"


    The brawny man shook his head and said, "Forget it. We should be no match for that girl. You felt her aura just now, didn''t you? Although her level is similar to ours, her talent isn''t something we can compare to. She must have awakened a very powerful skill."


    After walking out of the mercenary union, Shirley wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was almost scared to death just now.


    She fixed her eyes at Pan Liang resentfully. "Why didn''t you help me just now?"


    Pan Liang shrugged his shoulders and pointed behind her. "Look, who''s over there?"

 Chapter 29 - Goblin Thief

    Shirley looked in the direction of Pan Liang''s hand and saw the law enforcement team.


    It turned out that the law enforcement team was patrolling nearby. If Shirley had known their presence, she would have shouted.


    "Hey, why didn''t you tell me that the law enforcement team was around?"


    Pan Liang smiled and said, "Why should I tell you? You''re just too timid. Those people have pretty much the same rank as you. Your rank is SSS. What are you afraid of?"


    Shirley turned around angrily and left, not wanting to bother with him anymore.


    Pan Liang was not angry. He directly climbed onto the carriage and lay down comfortably.


    His journey to the city with Shirley was the fastest way for him to earn Grievance Points. Upon arrival in the city, his Grievance Points kept refreshing when he did not need to do anything.


    These people were jealous that Pan Liang had a beauty accompanying him. Those who recognized Shirley and Pan Liang were jealous of their great talent.


    After Shirley finished her work, she rushed out of the city with Pan Liang because she could not stand the looks of these people. Another reason was that they were in a hurry.


    There were only three days before the activation of the secret realm. Although it did not seem far away, they might not be able to get there very soon since they would be driving the carriage in the forest.


    Pan Liang had to stay alert so that Shirley would not get lost.


    Only after they left the city did Pan Liang perceive that Shirley was not as nervous as before.


    There were many people in the city. She had always been afraid that someone would come and snatch her magic staff.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that your magic staff is so valuable? I''m sure we''re targeted by a lot of people now."


    Pan Liang broke into a smile. "So what if we''re targeted? Are you afraid of those people? How are you going to compete with the other palace masters for the throne?"


    He chuckled at this moment. ''If I didn''t give you any pressure, would you be willing to work hard to improve yourself?'' Pan Liang thought.


    However, those who wanted to snatch the magic staff were not what Shirley was most worried about. She was worried that she would not be able to return the money to Pan Liang.


    She was also a little afraid of what he would do to her if she did not return the money.


    Pan Liang controlled the little poodle to jump onto the horse''s back and look ahead. He wanted to see if there were any monsters so that he could attract them to train Shirley.


    It turned out that he did sense a monster after looking around carefully. The monster piqued his interest.


    The monster was carrying a cloth bag. From its sneaky look, it did not seem to be something nice.


    Pan Liang learned from the system that this type of monster was called a goblin thief. It had the ability to hide.


    The goblin thief''s cloth bag was filled with stolen treasures. Also, its cloth bag could control treasures despite having limited space.


    The cloth bag was used to make storage bags, and it could be sold at a high price.


    Pan Liang immediately commanded the little poodle to run out. Seeing the poodle jump out, Shirley instantly stopped the carriage and chased after the poodle.


    This goblin thief appeared here because it sensed the aura of a treasure.


    Evidently, it sensed the magic staff that was with Shirley. As for the Immortal Sword on Pan Liang''s body, the goblin thief was not powerful enough to sense it.


    After running for a while, the poodle suddenly stopped. Shirley ran up to the poodle and picked it up. Then, she saw the goblin thief hiding behind the bushes.


    The goblin thief was holding onto Shirley''s bag as if it was trying to find something from inside.


    This was a good opportunity. Shirley put down the poodle secretly and took out her magic staff. Then, she slowly condensed an icicle to ambush the goblin thief.


    She did not use the fireball because it was too powerful. She might not be able to grab the goblin thief''s bag by then.


    The speed of the icicle was already faster than the fireball. With the aid of the standard magic staff, the icicle would be even faster.


    However, when Shirley''s icicle was halfway formed, the goblin thief suddenly felt the magic wave behind it.


    It fled to the side straight away without turning its head around. From its skilled movement, it must have been ambushed many times.


    Sure enough, the goblin thief was the most cunning low-level monster.


    As soon as Shirley noticed that the goblin thief began to flee, she stopped hiding and began to chase after it.


    However, her speed was not as fast as the little poodle''s.


    At this moment, the little poodle was already under Pan Liang''s control. Rather than just relying on its four legs to run away, it used the Sword Control Technique.


    This time, the poodle controlled its own body even though it was usually not possible with the Sword Control Technique. However, it was Pan Liang controlling the little poodle''s body from afar.


    The poodle took the initiative to let Pan Liang control it, so there was no problem.


    "Little Liang, quickly chase after it and bite it. Hurry up."


    After hearing Shirley''s words, Pan Liang did not feel like making the little poodle continue chasing.


    Before he transmigrated, everyone he knew called him Little Liang. After he arrived here, Shirley named a poodle Little Liang, so he could not accept it.


    In order to let the goblin thief fight with Shirley, Pan Liang did not care too much.


    He instantly controlled the little poodle to rush to the goblin thief and block it as soon as possible.


    He then deliberately let the little poodle release a powerful magic wave that was targeted on the goblin thief.


    After weighing the pros and cons, the goblin thief turned its head to deal with Shirley.


    It was obvious that the goblin thief had lived for a long time. Otherwise, it would not have been so skilled in escaping.


    Moreover, its level was five levels higher than Shirley''s. This was a perfect practice target for Shirley, who had the aid of the standard magic staff.


    Shirley laughed when she saw that the goblin thief stopped escaping. She condensed magic while running. An icicle began to appear and instantly stabbed at the goblin thief at supersonic speed.


    When the goblin thief saw the speed of the icicle, its eyes narrowed. Before it could do anything, the icicle had already brushed past it.


    Deep down, Shirley cursed, ''Damn it. This speed is so fast that I can''t even control its direction. It looks like I have to aim properly.''


    The goblin thief did not care whether the little poodle was blocking the way. It immediately started running in a direction.


    Coincidentally, it was running toward the carriage.


    Pan Liang sat by the side of the carriage and focused on controlling the little poodle. He was unaware that the goblin thief was running in the direction of his original body.


    Only when the goblin thief was in sight that his original body detected it.


    After ordering the little poodle to come back, Pan Liang stood up with a smile.


    "Hey. I didn''t expect you to take the initiative to come to me. It''s good that you realize."

 Chapter 30 - Battle

    As Pan Liang looked at the goblin thief with a smile, an idea struck him.


    When the goblin thief saw the young man, it was not concerned about him at all since he did not have any magic power. It even threatened him with its teeth bared.


    Pan Liang instantly rushed to the goblin thief and teased, "Who are you baring your teeth to? Do you want to be beaten up?"


    Seeing that the situation was not right, the goblin thief immediately prepared to escape. However, when it turned around, Pan Liang appeared in front of it again.


    The moment it saw Pan Liang again, it knew that he was an expert.


    The goblin thief cleverly threw down its backpack from its body and prepared to escape.


    It had used this trick before as most people attacked it because of the backpack. In fact, the backpack was not of much use to it..


    The goblin thief simply had the peculiar hobby of stealing things. The things in the backpack were not useful to him. He probably had to remake another backpack in the future.


    Pan Liang continued to chase after the goblin thief without paying attention to the backpack.


    "Go on running. I''ll see where you can run to. With your speed, you''re not even as fast as the snail in front of me."


    At the realization that it could not escape, the goblin thief wrapped its hands around its head and squatted down to beg for mercy. "Don''t kill me. I can help you steal things. I''m very useful."


    "It depends whether my contract owner wants to kill you. But if you cooperate well, I can let you go when the time comes."


    Hearing that he had a chance of survival, the goblin thief hurriedly nodded. "I''ll cooperate well as long as you keep me alive."


    By the time everything was ready here, Shirley still had not arrived.


    Having lost track of where the goblin thief was, she walked back slowly with her head lowered.


    When she was close to the carriage, she was surprised to find the goblin thief waiting near the carriage.


    "Excellent! This goblin thief is really stupid. It seems that I''m going to become rich today."


    Pan Liang snickered at the side. "Rich? That''s not possible. I''ve already searched through this goblin thief''s backpack. How could I leave the good stuff for you?"


    However, this did not stop Shirley from being excited. Even if there was only one gold coin, she would probably be happy for a long time.


    "Don''t run, goblin thief!"


    The goblin thief felt a wave of bitterness in his heart. "I won''t run. If I dare to run, this big boss behind me might directly kill me."


    When Shirley was about to attack the goblin, she saw Pan Liang sitting beside the carriage.


    "Pan Liang, help me, and I''ll share the items in the goblin thief''s backpack with you."


    Pan Liang smiled and said, "If you can''t even catch this goblin thief, you''d better not go on the mission."


    "Ah, I''m so pissed. You''re actually not helping me. If you weren''t my familiar, I would..."


    "Oh, how dare you be pissed. If I weren''t your familiar, what would you do?"


    Shirley snorted. "Hmph, I''m going to ignore you. Let me catch this goblin thief first."


    Because of Pan Liang, the goblin thief did not run away. Instead, it took the initiative to attack Shirley.


    Pan Liang had told it that he would let it go as long as it successfully defeated Shirley.


    Clearly, he cheated the goblin thief. How could it defeat Shirley? He simply made it a target for Shirley.


    Although Shirley''s magic talent was great, she had very limited actual combat experience. In fact, she hardly had any experience.


    Her Fireball Skill might be very powerful, but she could only throw it without being able to judge the situation in advance.


    At this point, she did not dare to apply the Fireball Skill. She was afraid that she would break the backpack of the goblin thief and consequently fail to get the things inside.


    Shirley currently used icicles the most. There were five or six icicles floating around her, and she shot them out one by one.


    As the goblin thief dodged the icicles nimbly, it kept approaching Shirley.


    Shirley''s speed was slower than the goblin thief. Once the goblin thief got close to her, she would be in danger.


    Pan Liang, who was beside her, could not stand it any longer. "Can''t you use those icicles consecutively?


    "Just give it a hailstorm and see how it can dodge."


    "Do you think I don''t want to do that? I can''t do it."


    The goblin thief was getting closer to Shirley. If it took another step forward, it would be able to hit Shirley.


    At this moment, Shirley smirked. As soon as Pan Liang made sense of what was going on, he nodded in satisfaction.


    "Well, it''s not bad, but the trap is mediocre."


    A vine suddenly appeared under the feet of the goblin thief, who took another step forward, and wrapped around its feet.


    Shirley took a few steps back and said with a laugh, "Hahaha. Pan Liang, did you see that? I can still catch this goblin thief even without your help. You won''t get any of the treasures in this backpack later."


    Pan Liang shook his head. "Hurry up and deal with your prey, or it''ll run away later."


    Shirley turned around, only to see the goblin thief cutting the vine on his leg with a small knife.


    "Ahhhhh. You''re planning to run away, huh? Watch how I''ll be dealing with you."


    As a mage, Shirley subconsciously cast the fastest spell.


    A fireball whizzed past and hit the empty space beside the goblin thief. A loud explosion rang out and the goblin thief was rooted to the ground.


    Shirley easily snatched the backpack from the goblin thief. Then, she emptied the backpack before returning it to the goblin thief.


    "You can go. Come and find me after you steal more things."


    The goblin thief did not dare to leave right away. It turned around and looked at Pan Liang. Only after he nodded did it leave.


    Shirley rummaged through the items on the ground, but she could not find anything valuable.


    "What? It''s a piece of meat and a seasoning bottle. Wow, the seasoning is not bad. It''s very expensive."


    Shirley then realized something was wrong. The seasoning bottle was the same as the one Pan Liang took out earlier.


    "What''s going on? Did you put this in?"


    Pan Liang shook his head with an innocent expression. "How would I know? All these items belong to the goblin thief."


    Shirley was not deceived. She said in exasperation, "You b*stard, you''ve already taken all the good stuff and even made me beat the goblin thief up. What else do you want?"


    "I''m trying to train you." Pan Liang waved his hand. "If you don''t fight more, how can you deal with monsters that appear during your mission?"


    Shirley was furious. "You''ll be around when I encounter monsters, won''t you? You''re my familiar. As a familiar, how can you be so lazy? I''m really pissed."

 Chapter 31 - Dealing With The Mercenaries

    Pan Liang lay down in the carriage. "Ah, it''s comfortable. The new carriage is pretty good."


    Shirley was about to scold Pan Liang when she suddenly heard movement behind her.


    She turned around and saw that the people from Seth City were chasing after her. These people were coming for Shirley''s magic staff.


    "Pan Liang, hurry up and leave.. The people from the city are chasing after us."


    Pan Liang rolled over and said, "Get into the carriage then."


    Shirley quickly drove the carriage and started to escape. Many of the people behind her came on horses. Their speed was not slower than her carriage.


    Seeing that the people on horses were getting closer to them, Shirley was very anxious. She had never been chased after this way.


    When she fought with the head knight, Kronin, previously, it was her first time fighting with people. Back then, she had only fought with a few monsters before.


    Seeing that Shirley was at her wits'' end, Pan Liang got out of the carriage and said, "I''ll drive the carriage. You go and attack the people who are chasing after you."


    Shirley did not expect him to take the initiative to help her. This made her overjoyed. "Okay, I''ll go now."


    Then, she opened the door at the back of the carriage. When the people behind saw her, they began to gather magic in an attempt to knock her off the carriage.


    However, Shirley went to the back of the carriage to deal with them. Their casting speed could not compare with Shirley''s at all.


    "Although it''s not possible to perform the hailstorm as Pan Liang mentioned, I can still try to cast consecutive icicles."


    After saying that, Shirley began to cast icicles at a high speed.


    The icicles that were half a meter long were shot out like cannonballs. Anyone who was hit by them would be killed straight away.


    However, it was saddening to see the hit rate of the skill. Seemingly, more than a hundred icicles failed to hit a single person. Besides, her mana was rapidly decreasing.


    "Pan Liang, this won''t work. The consecutive attacks you mentioned aren''t easy to perform. I''m running out of mana very soon."


    Pan Liang shook his head and said, "This isn''t right. You have to make the icicles smaller and faster. Try it again."


    After hearing his words, Shirley tried to attack the people chasing after her.


    "Brothers, speed up. We''re about to catch up with this little girl. 100,000 gold coins are enough for us to live well in our hometown."


    Upon hearing that, Shirley flew into a fury. She bought this treasure on credit. How dare these people have the intention of snatching her treasure without contributing anything.


    After listening to Pan Liang''s words, Shirley learned her lesson. The icicles that were half a meter long had become small ice needles that were only two to three centimeters long.


    The densely packed ice needles were floating beside Shirley, yet the people chasing behind her could not see anything other than the blue area around her.


    Shirley pointed at the people in front of her and said, "Go!"


    Countless ice needles shot out without aiming at anyone. After being hit by the ice needles, the people at the back exploded into a bloody mist.


    Although the small ice needles were not very powerful, many people were knocked off their horses.


    There was a stampede before those people at the back could stop.


    "Hey, you did well. How''s the method I taught you? It''s useful, right?"


    Shirley returned to the front of the carriage and grinned. "The method you mentioned is really good. Now, those people behind won''t be able to catch up."


    Her words gave Pan Liang a sense of relief. "It''s good that this method works. 1,000 gold coins, please. Thank you."


    "What! You''re asking for money?"


    Pan Liang seemed as if it was a matter of course. "Of course. This is high-level knowledge regarding the use of magic. No matter where you learn this kind of thing, you have to pay a great price, okay? 1,000 gold coins is already the price offered based on our friendship."


    Shirley looked reluctant. "How evil of you! I defeated those bad guys chasing after me just now. Why don''t you give me a reward?"


    "Reward? How dare you ask for a reward. Those people chased after you, so what does it have to do with me?"


    Shirley knew that she could not win over Pan Liang, so she decided to ignore him.


    Pan Liang could not help but giggle at Shirley''s distressed look. "In that case, I''ll give you a 20% discount then. But you have to prepare lunch today, just like I did last night."


    Shirley was happy to hear that she could get a discount. She even felt that she had taken advantage of it.


    "Okay, okay. I''ll learn how to prepare lunch today."


    With the speed of their carriage, they could barely reach their destination before the mission started. Hence, they did not stay for long.


    In addition, they had to take turns driving the carriage.


    Soon, it was noontime. They stopped to prepare lunch.


    Nevertheless, they were unaware that a group of people were waiting for them in front.


    Roy was one of them. He said to Pritt, who was also a member of the cult, "Boss, those two people took a mission in the mercenary union. They''ll definitely go this way because other routes take a longer time. Let''s just wait here."


    Pritt smiled and patted Roy''s shoulder. "You did well this time. I''ll definitely recommend you to the Pope."


    Roy rubbed his hands and said, "It''s good that I could help you. The recommendation isn''t so important."


    The situation in the distance was beyond Pan Liang''s range of perception. At this moment, he looked at the things in the system, thinking about what to exchange for his meal.


    Pan Liang, who was indecisive, ended up choosing something average. He only took out some leftovers from last night and let Shirley process them.


    "Let''s just have some simple food. The location of the mission is still far from here, so we shouldn''t waste our time."


    Shirley was fine with his idea. These dishes were considered delicacies to her. In fact, they were much better than the unseasoned grilled meat that she had earlier.


    After eating, the two of them continued their journey without further ado.


    In the evening, Pan Liang took the initiative to take the reins from Shirley''s hand. "You may go and rest. I''ll drive. I''ll call you when it''s time for dinner."


    Shirley nodded. "I didn''t expect you to take the initiative to help. It''s untypical of you to do this."


    The next moment, Pan Liang said, "I have to charge for helping to drive the carriage. 50 gold coins for half a day."


    Shirley was infuriated. "I''ll pay. I''ll pay however much you want."


    In fact, she thought, ''Since you''re my familiar, all your money belongs to me. You can name whatever price you want.''


    Pan Liang chose to drive because the group of people in front of him had already entered his perception range.


    Based on his perception, there was someone with a level much higher than Shirley''s. He was afraid that Shirley could not cope with the situation. Otherwise, he would not be so proactive.

 Chapter 32 - Ambush

    It was only after Shirley fell asleep that Pan Liang could get his own way. He deliberately exchanged tranquilizer incense from the store of the system in order to let Shirley sleep more soundly.


    He did not want to make a big commotion and wake her up again.


    He sensed that those people were getting closer. He stopped when he was about to meet them.


    Pan Liang seemed to be stretching casually, but at this moment, his avatar had already run out of his original body.


    No one would care about the little poodle. The poodle was heading toward the back of the ambushers.


    As the saying went, one could only win by knowing their enemies. Pan Liang made the poodle scout out the situation..


    With his perception ability, he could only sense the human aura and determine the strength of the aura. However, he could not accurately identify the level of the people coming here.


    Hence, he thought it would be better to get the poodle to take a look.


    Pan Liang had seen Shirley use magic before, and he was very envious of her. He had tried it, but he could not release magic as Shirley did.


    He reckoned that the only skills he could use were the skills he obtained from the system.


    He took out his Immortal Sword and activated it.


    The radiance of the sword was not something that the standard magic staff in Shirley''s hand could compare to. As soon as one looked at it, one would be deeply attracted to it.


    Pritt, who was hiding in the distance, gazed at the sword in Pan Liang''s hand with envy.


    "This sword looks like a very powerful weapon. Judging from the workmanship, the sword doesn''t seem to exist in this world. It must''ve been brought here when the familiar was summoned."


    He was right. It was Pan Liang himself who brought it here. However, it did not belong to Pan Liang. Rather, he obtained it from the system.


    It could be a weapon that came with the Immortal Sword Template, or it would not seem like an Immortal Sword.


    Roy looked from behind and said, "Why don''t I see Princess Shirley? When I met her earlier, this familiar was so lazy that he did not even bother to soak in the spiritual spring."


    Pritt did not believe Roy''s words. He only gave a smile while listening to what Roy said.


    "Brothers, the sword in that man''s hand appears to be worth more than 100,000 gold coins. Everyone, attack together later. We must not let them escape."


    They were still waiting for Pan Liang and Shirley to take another step forward. If Pan Liang and Shirley did, they would be completely surrounded.


    Pan Liang did not move forward as if he knew that they were surrounded. At this moment, he was delighted to see his Grievance Points being refreshed in the system. He decided to wait a little longer at this place and let his Grievance Points refresh for a while.


    "Hey. I''ve accumulated over 8,000 Grievance Points. If they refresh for a little longer, I''ll be able to participate in the lucky draw. You guys have to keep up the good work."


    Not long after, those people stopped contributing Grievance Points to Pan Liang, which angered him as he almost qualified for the lucky draw.


    He stood out with his sword. "What''s wrong with you people? Why were you angry only for such a short while?"


    Roy looked at Pritt beside him in confusion. "Boss, did he notice our presence? What should we do now?"


    Disappointed, Pritt said, "What do you think we should do? We''ve already been discovered. Of course, we should go up and beat him up. He only has a sword in his hand. I don''t think he can deal with so many of us. Let''s attack him together."


    While speaking, he rushed out with his familiar.


    Pritt''s familiar was a fierce tiger, which was one of the best B-rank familiars. It was because of his familiar that he became the leader.


    Standing in front of the carriage, Pritt sneered and said, "Shouldn''t a familiar like you use such a good weapon? You''d better offer it to our God of Heaven Church.


    "Our God of Heaven Church will protect you."


    Pan Liang laughed and said, "You want my sword, huh?"


    Pritt could not help but burst into joy when he noticed how smart Pan Liang was. "That''s right. As long as you hand over the sword in your hand, our God of Heaven Church will protect you."


    Pan Liang pulled out the Immortal Sword and threw it at Pritt. Overjoyed, Pritt reached out his hand to catch the sword.


    However, the Immortal Sword turned around and flew back before Pritt could touch it.


    "Hey. It seems that this Immortal Sword doesn''t want to go to you guys. What do you think you should do?"


    Clearly, Pritt knew that he had been tricked. He pointed to Pan Liang with his finger. "Fierce tiger, attack."


    The tiger beside him rushed to Pan Liang in an instant, but Pan Liang did not panic at all. He swung his sword and deflected the tiger''s attack.


    "I''m afraid that your attacks are not enough."


    [Ding! Pritt''s Grievance Points were detected. Grievance Points +80.]


    Pritt glanced at Roy resentfully. Roy had told him that these two people were very weak and not worth being afraid of. Nevertheless, it turned out to be the opposite.


    Pan Liang turned to dart a look at Shirley, who was still breathing steadily and showed no signs of waking up.


    He shifted his gaze to the people in front of him. "Are you just going to stare at me like this? If you don''t do something, I''m going to leave."


    Pritt gave Roy a kick. "You go and attack him."


    Roy summoned his familiar, which was a giant python.


    In such a place, the giant python was slow and rather useless. If it had magic buffs, it might be stronger. From Roy''s appearance, he looked like a swordsman.


    Roy held his sword and was about to rush over. Pan Liang did not have a good impression of people like Roy.


    The sword flew around Pan Liang twice before it sped past Roy.


    Roy''s arm was taken away, and he subsequently screamed.


    His python was still rushing toward the carriage because of his order. The python''s target was the horse in front of the carriage.


    This made Pan Liang furious. If the horse was killed, he might not be able to make it to the location of the mission.


    At this moment, Pritt mocked from behind, "Your horse is going to die."


    Pan Liang controlled the Immortal Sword and said angrily, "I''m going to kill all of you today. I don''t want any Grievance Points. I won''t play with you anymore."


    As he spoke, the Immortal Sword shuttled among those people at such a high speed that they failed to catch sight of the sword.


    All they could see was a ray of light shuttling continuously.


    Meanwhile, people around Pritt kept screaming. These sounds came from all directions, which instantly made Pritt anxious.


    He turned his head to look at his subordinates who were falling down. He instantly knew that Pan Liang was not like what Roy had described. Pan Liang was actually a hidden expert.


    "Roy, you''re just trying to kill me, aren''t you? I''m going to take your life first."

 Chapter 33 - You Can Do It With Me

    While speaking, Pritt was about to kill Roy with one slash. At this moment, Roy was resentful of Pan Liang. With his Grievance Points being refreshed, how could Pan Liang bear to let Roy die?


    He activated his Sword Control Technique and blocked Pritt''s slash.


    "Why are you so angry? After all, he''s your comrade. Calm down and talk it out."


    Pritt was exasperated to see his saber being blocked. He raised his saber and charged at Pan Liang.


    Pan Liang saw the situation but did not do anything. His Immortal Sword moved quickly to the back of the carriage.


    A scream came from the back of the carriage..


    When Pritt heard the scream, his face turned pale. "How did you know? Is there someone behind your carriage?"


    Pan Liang was dumbfounded. "Don''t tell me that all of you have no perceptive abilities. Even the little witch has some perceptive abilities. Do you expect to succeed with such a low-level sneak attack?"


    Pritt was in complete despair when he heard this. The person who ambushed Pan Liang from behind was Pritt''s right-hand man. After Pan Liang killed his right-hand man, Pritt had no backup plan.


    "Since you''ve discovered my backup plan, you should make your move straight away."


    Pan Liang walked up to Pritt and gently patted his face with the scabbard. Every time he patted Pritt, Pritt would contribute Grievance Points to him.


    Pan Liang excitedly patted Pritt non-stop. In the end, both sides of his face were swollen.


    Unable to take it anymore, Pritt shouted, "What exactly do you want? A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. Just kill me."


    Pan Liang smiled and said, "It seems like you don''t want to die. If you did, you would''ve killed yourself long ago, You wouldn''t be waiting for me to do it."


    Roy looked at Pan Liang with resentment. "If you want to kill me, just do it. What are you trying to do now? If you''re capable of killing me, just kill me."


    It was easy to kill the two of them, but Pan Liang really could not bear to do it. In such a short time, the two of them had already given him 5,000 Grievance Points. It was more useful than provoking Shirley.


    "I can''t be bothered to kill people like you two. Get lost. Don''t let me see you again in the future, or I''ll release the dog again."


    As he spoke, he controlled the little poodle to come back to him.


    This was undoubtedly an insult to the two of them. Pan Liang believed that the two of them would continue to chase after him and Shirley to assassinate them.


    This was what Pan Liang wanted. It would be great if they continued to chase after him and Shirley. When he was with Shirley, he did not gain many Grievance Points from her.


    Pritt did not care about Roy at all. He left after Pan Liang let them go.


    Before he left, he did not forget to leave some harsh words. Unfortunately, he said those harsh words while running away, so those words did not sound threatening at all.


    Pan Liang looked at Roy. "Why aren''t you leaving? Are you really waiting for me to kill you?"


    Roy called the giant python back. "Pfft, obviously not. It''s because my legs are weak. Python, take me with you."


    Looking at the python in front of him, Pan Liang drooled. "It''s almost dinner time. I don''t know what to eat. I might as well eat the python''s meat tonight."


    The python could understand human language. After hearing Pan Liang''s words, it immediately sped up and fled.


    However, no matter how fast it was, it could not outrun Pan Liang''s sword.


    When Pan Liang cut off a part of the python''s tail, the python screamed and fled.


    "Eh? The animals in this world are all so strange. Even the python can scream."


    After he got the python''s meat, Shirley turned over in the carriage. Seeing that she was about to wake up, Pan Liang quickly drove the carriage away from this place.


    If Shirley saw the corpses on the ground, she would definitely think that Pan Liang did this. Shirley had always thought that he was very weak. If she found out about this, she would definitely ask him to help deal with the monsters in the future.


    "Shirley, you can rest a little longer. I''ll wake you up to eat when I''m done cooking."


    Upon hearing those words, Shirley got up at once. "I don''t want you to cook. You''ll definitely ask me to pay for it when the time comes. I''m not that stupid."


    Pan Liang was speechless when he heard this. How stupid of her to say such a thing.


    Shirley climbed out of the carriage, but the carriage had already moved so far away that the corpses of those people could not be seen in front of the carriage.


    "Pan Liang, what''s this? Why does it look so disgusting?"


    After Pan Liang picked up the python''s meat, he directly put it on the carriage. As he did not have time to deal with the python''s meat, it was still dripping blood.


    "This is the python''s meat. We''ll eat it tonight."


    Shirley patted her face to wake herself up. Then, she glanced at the python before looking at Pan Liang.


    "Where did this python''s meat come from? Did you kill it?"


    Pan Liang surely would not admit it. He quickly shook his head. "How could it be? I found it on the road. I didn''t kill it."


    "Oh, I knew it. With your power, how could you possibly have killed such a huge python? I''ll roast the meat for you tonight."


    Pan Liang, who was tired of barbecued meat, shook his head. "Forget it. I''ll teach you how to cook tonight. Don''t eat barbecued food anymore. Aren''t you tired of eating barbecued meat every day?"


    Hearing that Pan Liang was going to teach her how to cook, Shirley exclaimed cheerfully, "Yes, I can make delicious food in the future."


    Pan Liang found it a little funny. "Can you make delicious food without my seasoning?"


    Shirley scratched her head. "Didn''t you say that you made the seasoning yourself? Can you teach me how to cook?"


    "Why don''t you do it with me? I''m a fast learner."


    Pan Liang felt that something was not right when he heard that. "You want me to do it with you, huh?"


    Looking at Shirley''s flat chest, he thought, ''With your age, I''m afraid I''ll be arrested and put under house arrest.''


    Nevertheless, Shirley was very excited. "Yes, yes. You can do it with me so you won''t have to cook for me next time."


    Pan Liang shook his head. "This won''t work. The ingredients I need don''t exist in this world. Just forget it. I won''t do it with you."


    Then, he shot a look at her chest and thought, ''I like ample bosom, not something flat like yours.''


    Shirley felt very disappointed. "I shall forget it since we don''t have those ingredients here. Do you have more seasoning? Otherwise, we''d better save it and eat less in the future."


    Her words made Pan Liang sympathize with her. He had never met such a girl before.


    He took out a few bottles of seasoning and stuffed them into her hands. "Don''t worry, I have a lot more here."

 Chapter 34 - Winning Spicy Sticks

    After taking over the bottles from Pan Liang, Shirley jumped up excitedly. "Great! This amount of seasoning will be enough for our meals for half a year. I''ll roast the python''s meat for you tonight."


    Pan Liang''s face suddenly turned ghastly. "I said I don''t want to eat roasted meat. Why do you still want to roast the meat? It''s fine if you want to cook it with some vegetables, but I just don''t want to eat roasted meat."


    Shirley stuck out her tongue and said, "Okay, okay. I''ll listen to you. Bring me your pot, and I''ll cook for you."


    Pan Liang was quite worried about letting Shirley cook by herself. He did not know what kind of awful cuisine she would make in the end, so he went over to watch.


    While she was cooking, Pan Liang cooked the rice beside her. There was an electric rice cooker with its own energy source in the system, but that cooker required a lot of Grievance Points. Even the Immortal Sword did not require so many Grievance Points.


    Pan Liang could not bear to exchange something with its own energy source. The cooker he managed to exchange might not be able to work properly.


    After some thought, he continued to stare at the rice cooker. At the same time, he kept an eye on Shirley to prevent her from messing things up.


    Then, he spotted Shirley putting seasoning casually.


    He quickly advised her, "This is barbecue seasoning. Why are you putting it directly into the pot of stew? Although the seasoning tastes good, it doesn''t necessarily match with all the dishes.


    "Let me explain to you how to make it."


    Then, Shirley made the snake soup under his guidance. The two of them had snake soup and some pickled vegetables.


    Shirley ate half of the pot of rice. In fact, Pan Liang initially wanted to leave some leftovers to make fried rice with eggs tomorrow morning.


    She ate up the rice in the end.


    "Forget it. Let''s talk about it tomorrow morning."


    After packing her things, Shirley looked at Pan Liang and asked, "Do we still need to carry on with our journey tonight?"


    "Of course. Otherwise, we won''t be able to get to the entrance of the secret realm in three days."


    Shirley nodded and said, "That''s right. According to the mission, those who can''t make it before the secret realm is opened will fail. They won''t be qualified to enter the secret realm anymore."


    Pan Liang took the reins and said, "Go to sleep. I''ll drive. I''ll wake you up in the middle of the night. You''ve already slept for half a day, so it''s time to do some work later at night."


    Shirley nodded and said, "Okay, okay. Thank you for your hard work, Pan Liang."


    Pan Liang was not concerned about what she said.


    During the second half of the night, he felt very energetic. However, his Experience Bar remained the same after a long while, which upset him.


    "Shirley, get up quickly. It''s your turn to drive."


    After shouting a few times, Shirley turned over but did not respond.


    At this moment, Pan Liang realized how angry the people around him were when he just lay down.


    He pinched Shirley''s nose. Although her level was not high, she could hold her breath. She might not be able to hold it for too long.


    In the end, Pan Liang failed to wake Shirley up.


    He had no choice but to put the little poodle in the driver''s seat and let it bite the reins.


    The poodle could be him as long as he transferred his consciousness to it.


    If Pan Liang did not control it, the poodle would be like a fool. It would behave like him where it knew nothing apart from eating, drinking, and sleeping.


    The poodle controlled the carriage even better than Shirley. However, it was Pan Liang who was controlling the poodle at this time.


    He was not sleepy. He just wanted to gain more experience. Furthermore, now that he had earned enough Grievance Points for the lucky draw, he wanted to see what he could get this time.


    The lucky draw did not take long. If he gained any more inheritances, he would need to spend time to inherit them.


    "System, I want to take part in the lucky draw."


    [The start of lucky draw.]


    [The end of lucky draw. Congratulations on obtaining a consolation prize, which is a packet of spicy sticks.]


    "Damn, I only got a packet of spicy sticks. This is simply trash. Spicy sticks can be exchanged for only five Grievance Points in the exchange store of the system. Now, it ended up costing me 10,000 Grievance Points.


    "Sigh, I''m really unlucky. Let''s see what these spicy sticks can do first. I hope this packet isn''t just an ordinary snack."


    [Spicy sticks: You can level up by ten levels after eating the spicy sticks. It will last for half an hour. The consolation prize that you have won will appear in the exchange store of the system.]


    "Sure enough, it''s of use. If it''s used well, it should be pretty good.


    "Let me see how much it costs in the exchange store."


    Pan Liang opened the exchange store and saw two packets of spicy sticks. The packaging of these two spicy sticks was different. The expensive one was red, and the cheap one had a dragon logo.


    "Hmm, this red one looks very spicy, but it''s not considered too expensive. It costs only 100 Grievance Points, and it''s quite worthwhile."


    After that, Pan Liang lay down in the carriage and slept. He did not sleep much during the day, so he felt a little sleepy now. Nevertheless, he did not feel sleepy when he was driving just now.


    The next morning, Shirley woke up first. She was shocked to see a person lying next to her.


    After realizing that it was Pan Liang, she was relieved.


    "Aren''t you driving? Why are you sleeping?"


    Then, she stuck her head out, only to see the little poodle driving. "Wow, I didn''t expect the poodle to be able to drive. I''ll leave this task to you from now on."


    She returned to the carriage and looked at Pan Liang who was sleeping soundly. She could not help but prank him.


    She took out a pen and drew on his face.


    After she went to the front of the carriage, the little poodle stopped driving and ran into the carriage to sleep.


    "Why are you so lazy like Pan Liang? Fine. It''s getting late. Let me cook something."


    After the fragrance of the food spread out, Pan Liang woke up immediately.


    "Hey. I didn''t expect you to learn so quickly. I only taught you once and you''ve gotten the hang of it."


    Shirley looked up proudly and said, "Of course, I''m a genius with SSS-rank talent. I can learn things very quickly."


    Pan Liang nodded in agreement. "That''s great. I won''t have to cook by myself in the future then."


    Actually, Pan Liang thought, ''If the language of this world hadn''t been different from the language of our world, I would''ve gotten you a cookbook. That way, I wouldn''t have to teach you personally.''


    In fact, he did not go through the system carefully. If he did, he would find out that the cookbook produced by the system would change the language according to the world.


    After breakfast, they carried on with their journey. Nothing special happened throughout the day as all they did were eat and travel.

 Chapter 35 - The Mysterious Woman

    "Pan Liang, why don''t we just let Little Liang drive? Won''t that save us some trouble?"


    Pan Liang frowned. "Look at how small it is. How much stamina does it have? Are you trying to tire it out by making it drive all the time?"


    "That''s true. Little Liang is too small. How great it would be if it could become bigger."


    Actually, Pan Liang had the ability to transform Little Liang. However, he was too lazy to do it.


    If Shirley knew that Little Liang could transform, she would definitely make it work in the future. He must not let Shirley live so comfortably.


    Shirley carried Little Liang to her lap and pulled the reins with both hands..


    "Little Liang, if you see me dozing off, you can take the reins and help me drive, okay?"


    With a low voice, Pan Liang answered on behalf of Little Liang, "No."


    Nothing much happened the next day. On the third day, they arrived at the secret realm.


    Currently, Shirley was a little excited. It was already late at night, but she could not sleep.


    "Pan Liang, if we find valuable treasures in the secret realm, do you think someone will come and snatch them from us?"


    Pan Liang sneered and said, "It''ll be good enough if you can survive there, yet you''re thinking about searching for treasures. You''d better not shout for help there."


    Shirley turned over and ignored Pan Liang, who was driving alone.


    He was waiting for her to fall asleep before making Little Liang drive. He was upset that he could not gain any Experience Points while driving.


    He bumped into a woman in the middle of the night.


    The woman was barbecuing meat by the roadside. After seeing Pan Liang''s carriage, the woman stared at the carriage and laughed.


    The laughter frightened Pan Liang a little. He did not know how to deal with this situation.


    He had no choice but to drive away. As the woman''s cultivation could not be seen through at all, he thought it was better not to provoke her.


    When Pan Liang spotted the beauty from afar at first, he intended to take a few more glances. However, after hearing the laughter, he did not dare to continue looking at her.


    Even Shirley was woken up by the laughter. She opened her eyes, which were slightly teary.


    "That laughter just now sounded so familiar. I think I''ve heard it before. I don''t know why but hearing the laughter makes me want to cry."


    Upon hearing Shirley''s words, Pan Liang turned his head in surprise. She did not wake up even when he shouted at her earlier. Little did he expect her to wake up after hearing the laughter.


    If only he had exchanged a phone to record her laughter.


    "Go back to sleep. We''ll arrive at noon tomorrow. We''ll still need you to show off your skills."


    Shirley nodded. "Tomorrow, you can''t slack as much as before. You have to get up and help me."


    Pan Liang smiled. "We''ll talk about it tomorrow, but I''ll promise you now. What if I fall asleep tomorrow and can''t get up? Just go to sleep first."


    Shirley pouted and ignored him.


    The next morning, Shirley woke up on time. She was surprised to find that Pan Liang was driving by himself instead of asking Little Liang to help him drive.


    "Ah, I didn''t expect you to drive all night. I thought you''d make Little Liang drive and that you''d sleep next to me."


    While uttering the sentence, Shirley slightly blushed. For some reason, she looked forward to Pan Liang sleeping next to her.


    In fact, she knew deep down that she was not in a romantic relationship with Pan Liang. She wanted him to sleep next to her just so she could feel safe.


    Pan Liang sneered internally and said, "If I let Little Liang drive, how can I slack today?"


    Of course, he could not let Shirley know about it. Then, he said to her, "We''ve almost arrived at the secret realm. It worries me to let Little Liang drive. After all, it''s not as smart as a human."


    In fact, it was the little poodle that drove the whole night. Pan Liang just got up and took over the job when it was almost dawn.


    After Shirley got up, she looked at the surrounding scenery and compared it with the map. "Since we''re almost there, we don''t have to rush. Why don''t we stop and have some food?"


    "Okay, let''s stop and have some food. I''m hungry after driving all night."


    While Shirley was cooking, the woman she met last night was here.


    "Oh, the couple is cooking. I''m so jealous."


    Shirley looked at the woman in front of her curiously. She did not know that the laughter from last night came from this woman. However, Pan Liang recognized her.


    The woman was observing Little Liang, but the two of them were unable to see through each other''s levels.


    Shirley waved at the woman. "Do you want to sit down and eat together?"


    The woman gave a laugh and left.


    After hearing the laughter, Shirley recognized the woman because her laughter was special.


    The laughter was very presumptuous and arrogant. From the moment Shirley heard the laughter, she would never forget it for the rest of her life.


    Pan Liang looked in the direction the woman had left. "The woman left in the direction of the secret realm. If you meet her in the secret realm, try to avoid her."


    He reminded Shirley, but Shirley seemed dumbfounded. "Why?"


    "This woman is very powerful. If you meet her, you might not be able to defeat her."


    Shirley smiled and said, "I feel that this woman doesn''t have any magic power, so she shouldn''t be very powerful. I can definitely defeat her. Don''t worry, I''ll protect you at that time."


    Pan Liang ignored her arrogant remarks. After looking at the food in the pot, he told Shirley to heat it up.


    Soon, they were done with dinner. Shirley was still thinking about that mysterious woman.


    After the meal, Shirley drove the carriage while Pan Liang slept in the carriage.


    Before he fell asleep, he thought that he would not get up from his sleep even if Shirley shouted at him.


    Anyhow, he did not plan to make a move in the secret realm.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the secret realm, Shirley saw that there were already so many people blocking the entrance. She was glum.


    She thought that not many people would carry out the mission, so she did not expect so many people to show up here.


    She did not know how big the secret realm was, nor did she know if it could accommodate so many people.


    Not long after, she spotted a familiar face among those people. The person was Roy, who had one of his arms chopped off by Pan Liang.


    Roy was talking to someone beside him sneakily. Shirley was a little puzzled when she saw Roy.


    "Why is this person missing an arm? He could''ve offended someone or his identity as a cult has been discovered."


    Actually, Roy had spotted Shirley''s carriage. He was telling the person beside him that Shirley had a magic staff worth 100,000 gold coins and there was an even more valuable sword on the carriage.


    He was still hoping to get the sword in Shirley''s hand. The person he found was even more powerful than the one from the cult.

 Chapter 36 - Entering The Secret Realm

    Shirley did not know what Roy was doing, nor did she know that Roy and Pan Liang had already fought once.


    Upon noticing Roy''s glare, she glared back without hesitation.


    Roy thought to himself, ''You can be arrogant now. When we get to the secret realm, you''ll suffer.''


    Although he did not dare to openly provoke Shirley, someone was brave enough to do so.


    A sturdily-built, middle-aged man walked to Shirley''s carriage.


    With a smile, he said, "Little girl, if you get off your carriage and have fun with me, I''ll protect you when we get to the secret realm. Otherwise...."


    Shirley snorted coldly. "With your looks, how dare you provoke me. Why don''t you look at yourself in the mirror first?"


    She had the audacity to speak harshly to the man in front of her because she sensed that his magic power was very weak. She felt that he was no match for her.


    However, she might have forgotten that not everyone in this world learned magic. There were also some people who practiced body refinement and swordsmanship...


    The middle-aged man laughed sinisterly. "This is the first time in my life that I''ve met a girl like you who doesn''t respect me. I like your character. It''s only fun to be with sassy girls like you."


    Roy was a little anxious when he saw this. He thought that Third Brother Wolf was also coming for the magic staff in Shirley''s hand.


    He quickly said to the expert beside him, "Do you want to make a move now? Someone has already gone to cause trouble for Princess Shirley."


    The expert asked with a smile, "Do you think that Princess Shirley or Third Brother Wolf is easier to deal with?


    "Let them deal with each other. It''ll be better if Third Brother Wolf could do away with Princess Shirley. In that case, it''ll be more convenient for us to snatch things from Third Brother Wolf."


    Seeing Shirley''s disrespectful attitude toward him, Third Brother Wolf immediately pulled out the sword on his back to attack her.


    It was too late for Shirley to take out her magic staff to conjure a spell at this moment. However, Pan Liang, who was in the carriage, received a notification from the system.


    [Ding! Your contract owner has been detected to be under attack. Please assist your contract owner immediately.]


    Being forcefully awakened by the system, he instantly opened his eyes.


    His perceptive ability instantly enveloped the entire scene. With a thought, the grass sword energy burst out from under Third Brother Wolf''s feet and pierced through the soles of his feet at once.


    Third Brother Wolf felt pain under his feet and lost control of the sword in his hand.


    As soon as the sword fell to the ground, he hugged his feet, wailing in pain.


    Shirley took the opportunity to take out her staff and cast a spell without hesitation. More than ten icicles surrounded Third Brother Wolf. If Third Brother Wolf planned to attack her, she would not hesitate to shoot the icicles at him.


    The boss next to Roy saw the situation and chuckled. "Roy, did you see that? An SSS-rank character is not so easy to deal with. When we get to the secret realm, we might have to resort to sneak attacks to take down Princess Shirley."


    After getting ready for the attack, Shirley glowered at Third Brother Wolf, who was under the carriage. "What are you trying to do? Hurry up and leave."


    Third Brother Wolf knew that someone was helping Shirley, so he left the place and went to find someone to heal his feet.


    He still needed to conserve his strength to look for treasures in the secret realm.


    Just as Third Brother Wolf turned around, a channel of strong magic power came from the entrance of the secret realm.


    This was the sign that the gate of the secret realm was about to open. The mercenary union set the exact timing. When it was noon, the gate of the secret realm was ready to open.


    At the sight of the scene, Shirley hurriedly went into the carriage and shouted to Pan Liang, "Quickly get up. The gate of the secret realm is about to open. We have to go in quickly."


    Deep down, Pan Liang sneered. Given that the secret realm was so easy to enter, there must be a trap at the gate. He should not enter first, but he could not be the last to enter either.


    He decided to stall on the carriage for a while to watch the situation inside before making a decision.


    Nevertheless, Shirley was not aware of it. All she thought was that Pan Liang was lazy to get up from the carriage again.


    Hence, she carried him on her back and entered the secret realm. At this time, many people had already rushed in. Those people were treated as cannon fodder.


    The real bigwigs were all watching outside.


    Shirley, who was carrying Pan Liang, could not walk fast. Therefore, she did not go in too early. She just got in slightly faster than those who were watching.


    Of course, Roy was watching from behind. He would definitely wait for Shirley to go in before he did.


    "Boss, Shirley went in. Should we go in now?"


    The boss rolled his eyes. "Let''s go in too. Shirley took out her magic staff just now. There must be a lot of people who saw the staff and are eyeing it. Let''s go in and grab the staff. Then, we''ll leave this place immediately."


    Roy was a little hesitant. "Boss, what about the things in the secret realm? Should we search for treasures inside?"


    The boss looked disappointed. "Why do you only care about treasures? Will you be able to find any treasures worth 100,000 gold coins?


    "Aren''t 100,000 gold coins enough? Those gold coins are more than enough for you to live your whole life."


    Roy muttered in his heart. In fact, he did not see eye to eye with the boss. He had already planned to ambush the boss to steal the magic staff.


    Inside the secret realm, Shirley was stunned by the scene in front of her eyes.


    Half of the people who had entered earlier had turned into corpses. Indeed, those people had helped the rest to explore the way by triggering all the traps at the entrance.


    At this moment, Shirley felt a lingering fear. "Fortunately, I wasn''t the first to enter. So many people died in this trap. If I was the first to enter, I might not have survived. Could Pan Liang have a foresight?"


    Then, she turned around and saw Pan Liang who was sleeping soundly. She shook her head. "This guy is still sleeping like a log. He definitely doesn''t know what''s going on inside. Forget it. I''ll just continue moving forward."


    Shirley did not bring Little Liang in, thinking that it was merely an ordinary puppy.


    Pan Liang was now sleeping on Shirley''s back. In fact, his consciousness had begun to exist in the little poodle''s mind.


    He controlled the poodle to come in to find that mysterious woman.


    He knew that the woman must have come in as well. The trap at the entrance was absolutely no threat to that woman.


    Shirley continued to carry Pan Liang on her back. Soon, she arrived at a fork in the road and had no idea where to go.


    "Pan Liang, hurry up and help me see which road I should take. There can''t be a trap here, right?"


    Pan Liang was speechless when he heard this. How would he know what was going on here? He would just choose any road.

 Chapter 37 - Brandon鈥檚 Heist

    In the end, Shirley chose a fork that she felt was the safest because this fork had the weakest magic power.


    Shirley was afraid that there would be powerful monsters at the fork that had very strong magic power.


    Pan Liang controlled the little poodle to search around but did not find the mysterious woman. Not planning to continue searching for her, he controlled the poodle to follow behind Shirley.


    Suddenly, someone threw a spell from behind Shirley, which directly hit Pan Liang''s back.


    This gave Shirley a shock. After the spell hit Pan Liang''s back, it immediately dissipated as though nothing happened.


    Pan Liang did not even bat an eyelid. These two people had been following them since they entered the secret realm, so Pan Liang had been paying attention to the two of them.


    When that person cast the spell just now, Pan Liang unleashed his sword energy. That spell might seem very powerful, but it had already been destroyed by the sword energy.


    That person was overjoyed to see what happened. "I didn''t expect a familiar to be wearing a magic defense suit. What an easy task."


    Shirley was not stupid. Upon hearing his words, she immediately knew why these two people were here.


    She pulled out her magic staff and said, "Roy, I didn''t expect you to find help after you left last time. Have you been trying to snatch my magic staff for a long time?"


    "Hmph, what gives you the right to have such good conditions? Ordinary people like us can''t get such good cultivation resources. Some of us don''t even have enough food. It''s unfair!"


    Roy shouted at her, but she was nonchalant. She knew that Roy''s level was about the same as hers. With the support of her staff, she was confident that she could deal with him without being ambushed.


    However, the person next to Roy did not seem to be easy to deal with. He did not look surprised when he noticed that the spell was ineffective.


    Shirley looked at the middle-aged man next to Roy and asked, "Who are you? Why are you hanging out with a cult member? Are you also a member of a cult?"


    The man tilted his head and looked at Roy. "You''re a member of a cult? Why haven''t I heard about it before?"


    Roy wanted to explain, but the man waved his hand and said, "Forget it. I don''t care whether you''re a member of a cult. It has nothing to do with me.


    "Today, you just have to cooperate with me to get what I want. I''ll give you what you deserve."


    Then, the man looked at Shirley and said, "You must be Princess Shirley, who has been in the limelight recently. I''ve heard so much about you, and I finally met you in person today."


    Shirley responded coldly, "Yes, I''m Shirley. Who are you?"


    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Princess Shirley, you can call me Brandon. I''m a nobody whom you''ve never heard of, but it doesn''t matter. I believe that you''ll remember me in the future."


    Shirley turned around and was about to put Pan Liang aside. With Pan Liang on her back, she could not fight at all.


    Just as she bent down, the two men moved.


    Roy''s right arm had been cut off, so he was holding a sword in his left hand at that moment. Brandon condensed a spell behind Roy, trying to cast a skill to attack Shirley.


    However, a burst of unbridled laughter suddenly came from behind. Brandon''s expression changed drastically when he heard the laughter.


    "Hurry up and leave this place!"


    However, in the next moment, the laughter grew further away. Brandon wiped the cold sweat off his face.


    "Luckily, that lunatic has left. Otherwise, we would all die here today."


    Shirley was a little puzzled. "I''ve met this person before. She''s not as scary as you said. I think she''s pretty."


    Pan Liang, who was beside her, could not help but sigh. "I''m afraid that only you think she''s pretty."


    Brandon continued to conjure the magic in his hand. "Hand over your magic staff and sword, and I''ll let you go. Otherwise, I''ll attack you today."


    Shirley snorted coldly. "Come on. Do you think I''m afraid of you? The two of you are no match for me."


    Pan Liang was speechless. "Can you stop saying such a thing? In truth, you can''t beat the man. Don''t you know how much higher his level is than yours?"


    Unable to stand the situation, he opened his eyes. "Shirley, I have something good for you. Come and try it."


    Brandon stopped his magic the minute he saw Pan Liang. He had heard from Roy that Pan Liang was a very powerful person.


    Pan Liang had single-handedly defeated dozens of people without getting injured at all.


    Above all, what frightened Brandon was that his spell had no effect on Pan Liang.


    Brandon immediately summoned his own familiar. His familiar was a giant bear, which matched him perfectly.


    The giant bear''s defense and attack power were extremely strong. It charged at the front while Brandon cast magic at the back.


    "Although magic is useless against you, I believe that the physical attacks of the giant bear will have an effect on you.


    "Giant bear, charge! Kill that person!"


    Pan Liang did not panic when he saw the giant bear charging at him. He tore open the packaging in his hand and stuffed a spicy stick into Shirley''s mouth.


    Shirley was desperate when she smelled the aromatic spicy stick.


    The spicy stick was a little too spicy, but Shirley found it bearable.


    In the face of a strong enemy, Shirley did not have time to carefully taste the spicy stick. She simply chewed a few times before swallowing it.


    The spicy stick had already taken effect when it entered her mouth. Shirley felt that her body was full of magic power.


    She had never felt so powerful before. She even felt that the magic energy in her body was starting to overflow.


    She could not wait to release her own energy. An even bigger fireball appeared in front of her.


    As the giant bear looked too fierce, she subconsciously released the strongest magic power she thought.


    A gigantic fireball hit the giant bear and caused a violent explosion.


    However, the giant bear was only blown to the ground instead of being killed there and then. Upon seeing the scene, Shirley noticed that things had become severe.


    She immediately activated the Blazing Phoenix. Once the skill was activated, the temperature on the road rose.


    Even the ice spell that Brandon condensed was melted.


    The spell that Brandon awakened focused on the AOE control spell.


    He had named that spell "Thousand Miles of Ice", but the spell was not as effective as the name sounded.


    To be able to freeze for more than ten meters was already good enough.

 Chapter 38 - Shirley Unleashed Her Ferocious Power

    After Shirley cast the Blazing Phoenix, Brandon immediately cast his Thousand Miles of Ice to counteract her spell.


    However, Shirley''s spell was not as simple as raising the temperature. When the temperature reached a certain level, a blazing phoenix flew out from behind Shirley.


    The small blazing phoenix hovered above her head. In this world, there did not seem to be such a creature as a blazing phoenix. Seeing the phoenix above her head, Brandon widened his eyes in disbelief.


    The Thousand Miles of Ice that he released melted immediately after the phoenix appeared.


    Brandon had always targeted its magic at the magic staff, so it was not right to say that his magic melted. Rather, his magic was neutralized by the high temperature.


    Pan Liang, who was beside Shirley, had already begun to control his sword energy to defend himself.. Otherwise, his clothes would be burnt to ashes.


    Shirley lifted her head and looked at Brandon. "Hmph, do you still want to snatch my magic staff now? Ahem..."


    Shirley coughed for a while, but her magic was not interrupted. At this moment, she felt that her entire chest was filled with flames as if she was going to vent the flames out.


    Moreover, she felt a burning sensation inside her windpipe, especially her lips.


    These sensations made her want to release all the magic power in her body as soon as possible. Seemingly, she would feel better after releasing it.


    Just as Brandon was about to answer her question, she released the phoenix that was hovering above her head.


    The phoenix grew larger immediately after it left Shirley''s head, and its wings spread out to a length of two meters.


    Pan Liang felt that it might have grown even bigger if this place were not this narrow.


    After the phoenix was released, it did not immediately attack Brandon. Instead, it turned around and glanced at Pan Liang.


    Pan Liang could sense hatred in the phoenix''s eyes. At this moment, the system sent a notification.


    [The blazing phoenix''s Grievance Points were detected. Grievance Points +150.]


    Upon receiving the notification, he was pleased and did not care whether the phoenix hated him or not. If he intentionally angered the phoenix a few times, it would not be long before he could join the lucky draw again.


    He looked at the phoenix and laughed. The fact that the phoenix could generate Grievance Points meant that it was a living creature rather than something formed with magic energy.


    Moreover, there was no creature like the blazing phoenix in this world. This meant that the phoenix had been summoned from another world.


    It generated Grievance Points toward Pan Liang even though it had never met him before. This indicated that the phoenix might have known him.


    Therefore, Pan Liang deduced that the phoenix was most likely summoned to this world because of him. Otherwise, it would not have nursed a grievance against him.


    "Since you''re already angry at me, don''t blame me for provoking you further. In that case, I might gain a lot of Grievance Points from you. Hehehe..."


    Pan Liang was pleased, but Brandon felt the opposite. Brandon''s giant bear had long started to run away as its fur had caught fire.


    The bear ran to him, asking for help. It wanted Brandon to use ice magic to extinguish the fire. Nevertheless, as soon as he used his magic, the magic vanished. There was not even a drop of water.


    Brandon had no choice but to summon the bear back.


    Seeing that the phoenix was getting closer, Roy immediately knelt down to Pan Liang.


    "Save me. I don''t want to die yet. Don''t let this blazing phoenix burn me to death."


    Pan Liang threw a glance at Shirley and remained quiet.


    He thought to himself, ''You''re such a bad guy. I''ve only let you go for a few days, yet you got someone to deal with Shirley. Is 100,000 gold coins more important than your own life? The thing is you know my secret. If Shirley finds out about the secret, it''ll be hard for me to slack off in the future. So you''d better go to hell.''


    Pan Liang decided to kill Roy just like that. Anyway, it served him right.


    Brandon was still struggling at this time. Shirley had not ordered the blazing phoenix to attack him. Apparently, she did not know how to do it.


    She thought that the phoenix could already attack by flying out because the high temperature at this time was already unbearable.


    Given this situation, Brandon grabbed the chance to escape. When he saw how powerful the phoenix was, he immediately ran away without hesitation.


    He did not even look at Roy, who was still on the ground.


    At this moment, Shirley seemed to have finally understood. She pointed at Roy, who was still kneeling on the ground, before saying, "Attack!"


    The phoenix swooped down and clawed at Roy''s head. Roy obviously would not sit still and wait for death. He rolled on the ground to dodge the attack.


    His dodge made the phoenix fly into a rage. It spread its wings and cried out to the sky before continuing to charge at Roy.


    This time, it did not attempt to grab him. Instead, it used its wings to slash at him.


    Before its wings touched Roy, it had already set off a flame as though a mark was left in the air.


    Roy did the same thing again. He rolled around on the ground, but he did not manage to dodge the flame this time.


    With its hot wings, the phoenix flew directly over his head. Although it did not touch Roy''s body, the water in his body quickly evaporated. In the blink of an eye, Roy was dried up.


    Shirley could not bear to look at Roy in such a miserable state. She turned to look at Pan Liang.


    When Pan Liang saw her current state, he burst into laughter in spite of himself.


    "Pfft, hahahaha...


    "I''m sorry, haha. I''m sorry, hahaha...


    "I really can''t help it. You look so funny."


    After saying that, Pan Liang took out a small mirror from his pocket. "Look at yourself now."


    Shirley had a sinking feeling, but she still had no idea what had happened to her.


    The moment she looked into the mirror, she broke down.


    "Ahhhh, you terrible guy. I''m going to kill you!"


    The phoenix was still around. When it heard Shirley''s words, it rushed toward Pan Liang without hesitation.


    It shocked Shirley to see the phoenix rush over. She quickly shouted, "Stop. He''s my familiar!"


    However, it was too late for the phoenix to stop. It scratched Pan Liang''s head with its sharp claws.


    Pan Liang did not dodge its claws. Shirley closed her eyes as she could not bring herself to watch the scene.


    In her eyes, Pan Liang was a bad guy who often slacked off and had limited strength. The phoenix''s attack could very well kill Pan Liang.


    However, the scene that she imagined did not take place. She heard the scream of the phoenix, and then she opened her eyes.


    Pan Liang was still lying on the ground. On the other hand, the phoenix was stuck on the opposite mountain wall while slowly disappearing.

 Chapter 39 - Sleeping While Walking

    Shirley was astonished when she saw the blazing phoenix disappearing soon. "Ah, what''s wrong with this blazing phoenix? Did you hit it?"


    Then, Shirley turned her gaze to Pan Liang. She did not believe that he was the one who hit the phoenix.


    Pan Liang collapsed on the ground and said, "Do you think I can hit the blazing phoenix with my strength?"


    Shirley shook her head and said, "I don''t think so. Since you''re already awake, let''s continue to explore. This time, you have to leave on your own."


    Pan Liang slightly regretted waking up. It would have been better if he continued to pretend to sleep. He could not resist Shirley''s sausage-like mouth.


    "Shirley, how does your mouth feel?"


    Shirley looked at her mouth through the mirror she was holding. She even poked it off and on.


    "You terrible guy. There must be something wrong with the food you gave me. Why didn''t you tell me in advance?


    "Believe me. I''m going to beat you to death?"


    Shirley raised her magic staff in an attempt to hit Pan Liang.


    Pan Liang dodged her attack. "What''s the big deal? Look at your mouth that swelled up like a sausage. It''s so sexy. Pfft, hahahaha..."


    Shirley chased after him. "I''m going to beat you to death. Since I''m sexy, why are you laughing? If you continue to laugh, I''ll turn against you."


    After chasing for a while, Pan Liang grabbed her staff and said, "Don''t worry. It won''t last long. You''ll be fine in a while. Pfft, hahahaha..."


    Shirley was speechless. "Stop laughing."


    Pan Liang covered his mouth and tried hard to suppress his laughter. "Okay, okay. I won''t laugh anymore. Let''s continue moving forward. Maybe we can find treasures inside."


    At the mention of treasures, Shirley nodded and said, "Alright. If you find any treasures this time, they''ll all belong to me. Otherwise, I''ll beat you to death."


    "Alright, alright. They''ll all belong to you. I don''t want anything."


    With that, she nodded her head in satisfaction.


    After walking forward for a short while, Shirley heard someone crying.


    The shrill cry made one''s hair stand on end. She turned her eyes to Pan Liang.


    "The voice is so scary. Is there anything bad?"


    Pan Liang nodded and said, "Of course, there are bad things. Otherwise, how can the secret realm be protected?


    "Don''t worry about the voice. Just walk straight in. Do you know what your mission is?"


    Shirley nodded. "The mission is to find the inheritance that belonged to the owner of the secret realm and bring it back to the mercenary union."


    Pan Liang chuckled. "The mercenary union has such a good plan. What will you get in return?"


    "The mercenary union will pay 100,000 gold coins, but they said that the inheritance of the secret realm needs a particular bloodline. Those who give out missions have this bloodline.


    "The mercenary union won''t stop us from trying to accept the inheritance, but what happens after we accept it has nothing to do with them."


    Hearing this, Pan Liang understood why no one wanted to simply seize the inheritance and run away. It turned out that the inheritance needed a special bloodline.


    Pan Liang pointed ahead and said, "There''s only one road ahead for the time being. Let''s just go straight. This place feels like a cave."


    Shirley rolled her eyes at him. This was clearly a cave. Why would he think that it felt like a cave?


    After walking for a distance, Shirley was faced with another difficult choice as she encountered another fork in the road.


    Given that Pan Liang was awake at this moment, she thought she did not need to make a decision on her own.


    She looked at Pan Liang, but he turned his head and looked elsewhere.


    It was useless to look at him now. His perception was not that strong, so he would not know what was in the cave.


    However, there were some footprints on the ground, which seemed to be left by the group of people who had rushed in at the beginning.


    Shirley looked at the footprints and said, "Let''s choose this road that fewer people have traveled on. If we choose the road that has been traveled a lot, I''m afraid that we won''t be able to keep any treasures even if we find them."


    Pan Liang nodded. "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    Just as the two of them walked into the passage, a person appeared behind them. This person was Third Brother Wolf, who teased Shirley at the entrance.


    At this time, Third Brother Wolf was not as reckless as he was outside earlier. His eyes revealed a sense of shrewdness.


    Third Brother Wolf touched his chin and said, "Since you just came in, there shouldn''t be any danger. If you go any further, it''ll be dangerous. Hehehe. When both of you are dead, I can take your corpses back to claim credit. I can also get an advanced magic staff. What a way to kill two birds with one stone."


    In fact, it was other princesses who sent Third Brother Wolf here, and he was not the only one who was sent here.


    Originally, those princesses and princes were evenly matched in the competition. Although some of them had a greater advantage, it was not impossible to defeat one another.


    The princesses and princes could not accept Shirley''s sudden appearance. If they let Shirley grow up, they might as well quit the game straight away.


    Shirley continued to walk in the front while Pan Liang kept dozing behind her as he only had a short sleep last night. When they almost arrived at the secret realm, Pan Liang stayed alert as he began to come across a lot of people.


    At this moment, he could not stand his sleepiness. Even in this gloomy place, he felt like sleeping.


    In the past, he would not have been able to fall asleep in such a situation. It might be because of the system that he could fall asleep no matter where he was.


    Pan Liang pulled Shirley and said, "Shirley, I feel so sleepy. Can I sleep for a while?"


    Shirley blushed and said, "I don''t think that''s okay. You''re my familiar. We shouldn''t do this."


    Pan Liang was confused. "What are you talking about? I''m saying that I''m sleepy and I want to sleep. At this age, your mind is already full of nonsense."


    He then looked at Shirley and thought, ''You have a flat chest, yet you want to sleep with me, huh? Dream on.''


    Looking embarrassed, Shirley said, "Go ahead and sleep. All you do is sleep. Can''t you see what we''re doing now?"


    "Fine. I''m not sleeping. I''ll go with you."


    Pan Liang then staggered forward with Shirley. Not long after, Shirley noticed that something was wrong with him.


    Why was he not saying anything? Why was his body swaying all the time?


    Shirley took a closer look, only to find that he had actually fallen asleep. What a fantastic guy! He was actually sleeping while walking. This was not something an ordinary person could do. She was ready to call him the god of sleep.


    She shook Pan Liang, but Pan Liang did not respond at all.


    "Could this be sleepwalking? I heard that one can''t wake the person who''s sleepwalking. Sleepwalkers can only wake up on their own."

 Chapter 40 - The Strange Stone Statue

    Shirley did not care about Pan Liang since he was able to follow behind her.


    After walking for a while, she saw a light in front of her. She thought that she had run across other people, so she carefully approached them.


    When she got closer, she realized that it was a room.


    After entering the room, she found a lot of scrolls inside. She put away all of them despite not knowing their purpose.


    She did not have a storage device, so she gave them to Pan Liang. Pan Liang subconsciously took over the scrolls and stuffed them into the system space.


    At this point, Pan Liang seemed to have turned on the follow mode, following Shirley all the time.


    Shirley wanted to see what Pan Liang could do now. She reached out to his face and said, "Give me the money."


    Pan Liang raised his hand slightly and then put it down again. Shirley felt as if someone was staring at her, so she looked up abruptly.


    She saw Pan Liang staring at her with wide eyes. She then withdrew her hand awkwardly.


    The next moment, she noticed that his eyes closed again.


    "You b*stard, you''re really infuriating. I didn''t expect you to be sleeping when you came in with me. What''s the use of having you as a familiar?"


    Shirley complained for a long while before she continued to collect the items in the room.


    Finally, she spotted a piece of parchment on the desk with a half-drawn pattern on it.


    She took a good look at the parchment, which seemed like a map. However, the map was so detailed that she could not believe that it was a map.


    There were some labels and a picture of a key on the map. Not knowing what those meant, Shirley handed the map to Pan Liang without bothering about it.


    Finally, she looked at the lamp on the desk. "This lamp has been on for so long. It must be a treasure. I shall take it away."


    After that, the light in the room disappeared.


    Third Brother Wolf followed her into the room. He glanced around but found nothing.


    "Is there nothing in the room? I guess so. Otherwise, the room wouldn''t be so clean. Let''s hurry up and chase after her. There seems to be a fork in the road ahead. If we don''t hurry up, we''ll lose her."


    After some distance, Shirley took a turn and met someone else.


    However, once she turned around, the road behind her disappeared.


    Pan Liang disappeared at the same time.


    There was only a wall behind her. She took two steps back in fear. After that, she tried to touch the wall to see what was going on.


    Pan Liang came out of the wall. Shirley pushed him away and touched the wall.


    "How can this be? The wall is real. Can we go back?"


    While Shirley was panicking, Pan Liang felt something strange here. He opened his eyes.


    He saw a huge space that was about the size of a football field.


    Many explorers were happily collecting the things on the ground. The golden light was so bright that it almost blinded their eyes.


    However, Pan Liang felt that something was wrong with these things.


    When Shirley walked over, her eyes instantly lit up. She wanted to run over to collect the gold and silver treasures on the ground, but Pan Liang stopped her.


    "Don''t go over. Something isn''t right there. Look carefully at the things on the ground."


    Shirley observed the things on the ground. Although they looked like gold, they were very similar to other things on the ground.


    They were actually rocks even though they were gold in color.


    If Pan Liang had not stopped Shirley, she would have immediately fallen into an environment like these people as soon as she touched the golden rocks.


    Although they were not in the environment now, they could not get out either. The entrance just now had become a wall. Despite having touched the wall for a long time, Shirley still did not manage to go back.


    "What should we do now?"


    She remained rational. Pan Liang had thought that a money-grubber like her would risk everything to snatch the gold on the ground.


    "Anyway, we''re not in a hurry now. Let''s see what''s going on with these things first. Don''t touch them. I just find these things creepy, especially the huge stone statue in the middle."


    Shirley was a little confused. "Stone statue? What stone statue? Why can''t I see it?"


    With that, Pan Liang was even more certain that there was something fishy going on here. There was a five-meter-tall stone statue in the middle of the space, but Shirley said that she could not see it.


    Pan Liang reached out and pulled her. "From now on, stay by my side and don''t touch anything here."


    Only when he saw many familiars screaming anxiously did he make sense of the situation.


    The environment inside could only confuse people from this world. None of the humans or animals from other worlds would be confused by the environment here.


    Apparently, these familiars had discovered the stone statue in this space. Quite a number of animals were roaring at the stone statue in the middle.


    At this moment, Pan Liang actually hated the fact that he was a human. If he were also an animal, he would probably be able to sense that something was wrong with this stone statue.


    "Oh, right. I have a little poodle. I wonder if its perception is the same as a human''s. I should summon it over."


    Initially, Pan Liang controlled the little poodle to look for the mysterious woman. When he could not find her, he asked the poodle to follow him. It should be outside the tunnel now.


    Soon, the poodle arrived here. Pan Liang''s consciousness shifted to the poodle. Then, he saw the stone statue emitting a strange red aura, which was connected to the people who were picking up gold.


    The statue seemed to be extracting something from those people.


    Through the little poodle''s eyes, Pan Liang saw that those people had become very weak. Their eyes were deeply sunken as if they were going to become mummies.


    When his consciousness returned to his original body, all these phenomena disappeared again.


    "It seems that I''ve also fallen into the environment. I don''t know which one is real."


    "Shirley, look at these people. What do they look like?"


    At this moment, Shirley had already fallen into a state of bewilderment. A red aura was constantly approaching her, but it was blocked by a white light.


    This white light came from the standard magic staff. According to the system, the standard magic staff had many functions, but none of them were very effective. Breaking evil was one of its abilities.


    Pan Liang decided to make the little poodle attack first.