Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Gu Yuena had heard from Xiao Wu that Ao Tian used the identity of a seven-year-old at the academy. That's why she was able to recognize him so quickly.

Upon seeing Ao Tian's arrival, Gu Yuena didn't run away. With Senior Ao here, what was there to worry about? Senior Ao wouldn't just stand by and watch, right?

Seeing the Silver Dragon King, Ao Tian originally didn't want to pay attention. However, when he saw the pitiable look on both their faces, his heart softened a bit.

Regardless of whether he acknowledged it or not, they did indeed share the same bloodline.

At this moment when Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu stopped, the man who had been shouting to catch the thief had caught up.

He was a chubby man, appearing to be around forty, with a big belly and a small mustache on his lips. His appearance was far from commendable, emitting a sleazy aura at all times.

Although the man's clothes were extremely splendid - embroidered robes and jade ornaments - he had several jade rings on his fingers, and a pure gold necklace hung around his neck, exuding a strong nouveau riche vibe.

It wasn't surprising that Gu Yuena would choose this man.

The middle-aged chubby man panted heavily, his gaze fixed tightly on Gu Yuena. The way he looked at her seemed like he wanted to strip her of her clothes and devour her bit by bit.

"Give the purse back to him," Ao Tian said.

Gu Yuena held a purse in her hand, and it felt heavy. There should be quite a few golden soul coins inside.

She hesitated. After all, she had worked hard to earn this money. Was she really going to give it back?

Xiao Wu nudged her and whispered, "Sister, Ao Tian is very wealthy. Let's return the money to the man first."

"Alright, then let's give it back to you." Gu Yuena tossed the purse to the middle-aged man. However, she furrowed her delicate brows; she felt uncomfortable under the man's lecherous gaze.

Among the onlookers, many had similar gazes. She understood that these human males were surely attracted to her beauty and body, and they wanted to...

If it weren't for the fact that she was in the human world and didn't want to draw the attention of human soul masters, she would have eaten up these detestable guys long ago.

After all, she had decided to stay here and prepare for a long-term battle of attrition with Ao Tian. Naturally, she didn't want any trouble.

The middle-aged chubby man took the purse, his eyes narrowed with greed. He swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva and said, "Stealing my purse is a crime, you think it's fine just to give it back?"

"What else do you want?" Xiao Wu asked.

"Heh, stealing is a crime, you'd go to jail for it. But... if you serve me for a while, I might not report you," the man said, smacking his lips. The woman in front of him was just too tempting; she was like a goddess.

If he could spend a night with a goddess, he'd willingly shave ten years off his life.

Just as this man was indulging in his fantasies, waiting for Gu Yuena to yield, a somewhat youthful but unquestionably domineering voice rang out, "Scram!"

Ao Tian only said one word, but it was accompanied by a powerful soul master aura, causing the people around to shudder and hastily retreat.

Spirit masters were an extremely noble profession. In a place like Nuoding City, they were a rare presence, not someone just anyone could provoke.

Under this one-word command, the middle-aged chubby man felt as if he had been struck by an invisible punch. His body was sent flying, rolling several meters on the ground, groaning in pain.

At the same time, a terrifying murderous aura enveloped him, causing his soul to tremble, and he was almost trembling with fear.

This man dared not harbor any ill intentions towards Gu Yuena anymore. He swiftly disappeared into the crowd, fleeing for his life.

"Senior Ao, you're really imposing," Gu Yuena flattered, then, taking advantage of Ao Tian's distraction, she vaulted onto the horse and settled behind him.

Feeling the softness behind him, Ao Tian furrowed his brows and asked, "Why did you get on my horse?"

Gu Yuena didn't answer Ao Tian's question. Instead, she called out to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, hurry and get on the horse."

"Okay," Xiao Wu replied and leaped onto the horse, landing in front of Ao Tian. Now, Ao Tian was sandwiched between them, feeling quite awkward.

A cunning glint flashed in Gu Yuena's eyes as she pretended to be on the verge of tears. "Senior Ao, you made me lose the money I got. If you ignore us, me and Xiao Wu will starve to death on the streets. Could you bear to abandon us, two helpless women?"

Ao Tian was speechless. Could a dignified Dragon King really starve to death?

But considering the year he had to spend sharing a bed with Xiao Wu, he still couldn't bring himself to drive Gu Yuena away.

He squeezed the sides of the horse, and it continued on its way.

Gu Yuena, sitting behind Ao Tian, couldn't help but let a victorious smile grace her lips.

Over the past two months, she had carefully learned about Ao Tian from Xiao Wu and concluded that Ao Tian's weakness was that he was more lenient when dealing with Xiao Wu. As long as Xiao Wu acted a bit spoiled, Ao Tian would usually agree to whatever she wanted.

So, she decided that in the future "battle" with Ao Tian, she would adopt a "soft" strategy.

Whether or not she could win Senior Ao's favor wasn't important. What mattered was having Senior Ao help regain her cultivation and fulfill a promise to the spirit beasts...

Ao Tian was sandwiched between the softness in front and behind, and he felt quite uncomfortable. In addition to the inevitable jolting on the horse's back, the sensation...

Fortunately, the dragon horse was fast. In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the front of the Nuoding Hotel.

After dismounting, Ao Tian breathed a sigh of relief. He handed the dragon horse over to the hotel staff and entered the hotel.

Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu followed behind, gazing curiously at this magnificent hotel.

Ten days ago, they had set out from the Star Dou Forest to come to Nuoding City.

This kind of luxurious human hotel and top-tier service was something she had never experienced before.

With his wealth, Ao Tian easily booked two top-tier rooms and ordered some signature dishes.

Before long, in Ao Tian's room, Gu Yuena, her eyes sparkling, was gorging herself on the freshly delivered dishes, showering them with praise.

The two beautiful women, one big and one small, transformed into foodies, with most of the delicious food disappearing into their bellies.

After being fully sated, Ao Tian finally asked Gu Yuena about the reason for her theft.

Gu Yuena appeared a bit aggrieved. "The human world is too complicated. You need money to eat, money to stay, and even money to buy clothes. We don't have that kind of currency."

She glanced at Xiao Wu, causing Xiao Wu to blush and lower her head. She continued, "Later, this little troublemaker, Xiao Wu, suggested that I steal, targeting those wealthy individuals. That's how we managed to make our way here to Nuoding City with great difficulty. Senior Ao, I've experienced so much hardship just to find you."

Gu Yuena tried to make herself look even more delicate, adopting a pitiable look.

After all, in front of Senior Ao, a senior like him, she really was just a little girl. Doing this didn't make her lose face.

Ao Tian was a bit speechless. How had the esteemed Dragon King fallen to the point of resorting to theft for a living?

He couldn't help but glance at Xiao Wu, wondering if this little girl had also stolen her way to Nuoding City when she first came?

The effort Gu Yuena had put into coming to find him, Ao Tian could certainly understand.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "If you want me to help the spirit beasts, it's not impossible. But you'll have to give me some time. I'll find a way to resolve the issues for your spirit beasts."

Gu Yuena was overjoyed. "Is Senior planning to help us deal with the humans?"

Ao Tian shook his head. "I'll do it in my own way."