“Since that’s the case,” Leo extended his right hand towards Maggie, “Maggie, take the Divine Moon Bead and go to Sandnola Mountain behind the villa to cultivate. Try to make some noise with it.”
Maggie received the Divine Moon Bead with both hands, her face beaming with joy. “Yes, Master.”
“Maggie, you don’t need to call me Master anymore. It sounds weird. We’re in modern times now; we need to keep up with the times, you know?”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Just call me Mr. Bloomer.”
“Yes, Mr. Bloomer.”
Maggie transformed into a wisp of green smoke and vanished from the villa.
Leo’s gaze returned to Hannah and the black fox.
A little girl and a black fox-more precisely, two fox spirits, one in human form and the other half-intelligent.
Hannah dared not meet Leo’s strange gaze, while the black fox, having forgotten its previous injuries, met Leo’s eyes with dissatisfaction and wariness.
As a fox, it never trusted humans.
Its mother had often warned it when it was young that humans were bad.
“Little girl, where do you plan to go after I help you deal with the snake demon?”
Leo asked with a purpose; he wanted to know if Greenmount still existed and where it was.
The little girl shook her head, her eyes full of confusion. “I don’t know.”
“If you don’t know where to go, you can stay at the villa for now.” The house had been empty for a long time, and after he left the capital, it would be better for the little girl to help look after it.
“Staying at your villa won’t be free, will it?” Hannah had already figured out some of Leo’s quirks.
“Consider it free. I probably won’t come back often, so you can help me clean and tend to the flowers and plants.”
“I’m so young; can you bear to make me do that?” The little girl put on a pitiful look.
Leo chuckled playfully. “What you see isn’t always real. Hannah, I know your real age isn’t small.”
Hannah was slightly surprised but quickly returned to normal. “I just turned nine this year.”
“Really? Let me calculate.” Leo closed his eyes and moved his fingers as if calculating.
“I’ve got it.” Leo opened his eyes.
Hannah was curious. “What did you calculate?”
“Your actual age is 30!” Leo said firmly.
“Ah, nonsense! I’m only 18!” As soon as she spoke, Hannah quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had slipped up.
Leo laughed. “So you’re not a little girl anymore. But your acting is good; if you auditioned, you might get picked by a director and become a child star.”
What kind of person is this? Hannah was speechless.
Leo continued, “You said earlier that your weak body greatly hindered your cultivation progress. Now it seems that was also a lie.”
“Although your cultivation is low, the demonic aura on you is connected to the Divine Moon Bead’s aura. It seems you’ve been restricted somehow. Once that restriction is broken, your cultivation will surely advance rapidly.”
Hannah’s speechless expression turned into one of astonishment. The guy sitting on the sofa was indeed smart and hard to fool.
“Big brother, you’re smarter than I thought. What else did you figure out?” Hannah asked cutely.
Leo leaned back on the sofa. “Actually, I know you deliberately gave me the Divine Moon Bead.”
“The Divine Moon Bead is a treasure of your Spirit Fox Clan, and since you have a special connection with it, even if it’s in my hands, you can summon it back, right?”
“Since you know everything, why did you pretend to accept the Divine Moon Bead and agree to help me?” Hannah frowned cutely.
“The answer is simple.” Leo spread his hands. “Because I was bored.”
“… Hannah.”
“Oh, by the way,” Leo stood up from the sofa, “I ordered some chicken for delivery. Let’s eat.”
Three bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, one person, and two foxes began eating chicken.
Foxes loved chicken. Leo only got one drumstick; Hannah and the black fox devoured the rest, leaving not even the soup.
Poor foxes; they must have been hungry for days.
Rubbing her small belly, Hannah also sat on the sofa in a relaxed posture.
“Big brother, besides dealing with the snake demon, I have another favor to ask. Are you interested?” Hannah squinted her eyes; being a fox, it looked like she was smiling.
“Tell me the benefits first.”
When dealing with foxes, regardless of their age, it’s better to be cautious.
“Big brother, have you heard of secret realms?” Hannah sat up straight and blinked her eyes.
Leo’s heart stirred. He shook his head. “No.”
Hannah rolled her eyes in disbelief. “With your cultivation level, how could you not know about secret realms?”
“I really don’t.”
Although Leo had heard of secret realms many times, his understanding of them was minimal.
“Alright then, I’ll tell you. A secret realm is a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has accumulated since the beginning of creation. It’s filled with various opportunities and treasures.”
“Finding a secret realm and entering it is every cultivator’s dream.”
“I know of a secret realm, but my current cultivation level is too low. Entering it would be very risky for me, so I want to find a helper. Are you interested in going with me?”
“The secret realm you’re talking about-is it in Greenmount?” Leo’s pupils contracted as he asked directly.
Hannah didn’t beat around the bush. “Yes, it’s the Greenmount Secret Realm.”
Leo fell silent.
The secret realm sounded impressive-opportunities and treasures seemed very tempting.
But Leo knew very well that it must be dangerous inside; otherwise, the little fox wouldn’t ask him to accompany her.
“Let me think about it.” Leo was indeed interested in opportunities and heavenly treasures.
“The Greenmount Secret Realm will open at noon tomorrow,” Hannah said with a hint of temptation in her voice. “It opens once every three hundred years; it’s a rare opportunity.”
“Besides me, have you invited anyone else?”
“No one else. Besides you, there’s only an elder from my Spirit Fox Clan. But I don’t feel secure about that elder, so I want you to protect me.”
“You don’t trust your own clan but trust a human like me?”
“I’ve just learned face-reading skills and can tell from your face that you’re not a bad person.” Hannah put on a serious look but still seemed funny.
Leo showed a dissatisfied expression. “Give me another reason.”