Reincarnated and Regressed Villain - Make heroines beg for forgiveness

357  Chapter 357- Ryuk's Preparations

In conclusion, he needed someone who was truly strong and capable of cultivating internal energy with a body far superior to his own to synthesize it.

However, the only one he could think of was the Empress of the Jade Dominion, who was clearly not in a state to even move her own body for long or have any means to ensure her loyalty.

Considering that, just like Dristi, it was not applicable to use the Grimoire against her, as it was possible for her to simply die and then be reborn while not being under the effect of the Enslavement Grimoire, she could easily betray him, which was a major issue that stopped him from turning to her for help.

"Ahem, so, um... are you not going to tell her that?"

'.….'

Came a female voice from behind him. Clearly recognizing it, he remained standing there with his eyes settled towards the horizon.

'Hm, why does he wear that...' Yao Lian, who had just finished a very long conversation with the twins and left them gasping for breath, finally got a chance to talk to this man alone.

She searched for him and arrived at the edge of the cliff, where she saw him standing there with those same eyes beneath his mask reflecting the enormous sky, making her heart flutter with returning memories. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Yet, there was a pang in her heart as she saw that black mask over his face, preventing her from seeing him clearly.

Her eyes, looking at him, averted and then reflexively fell on his face, on his jawline and cheek, which seemed to trigger memories of last night. His hair, fluttering in the breeze, distracted her as she moved forward.

"The weather is nice, right?" Yao Lian added, her finger brushing over the ring, feeling warmth as her memories surged back.

Though it could not be said that she had fallen for him, there was indeed a tingling sensation in her heart, making her find him slightly worth falling for.

When he first spoke to her, he was rude and seemed to look down on her. She tried to retaliate, but he was undeniably strong.

During their journey here, she saw a different side of him. Among all of this, he appeared strong and truly cared for at least those whom he deemed important.

Yet, all the while, he kept ignoring her, seemingly not caring about her presence. Until the very end, last night was unexpected; it was as if she had seen a new side of him.

And she didn't know why, but the way his eyes held a hunger for her body and how he looked at her seemed to drive her mind crazy. Just now, he had given her a ring.

She thought, what if there are many more sides to him, just like the one from last night when he seemed completely different from how he was in front of others?

To be more blunt, from the conversation she had with Esme, she was 100% sure that she was the one who first saw his dead side and no one else.

"Though, Rui Ke, I—"

"Yao Lian, you need to work hard," Ryuk finally spoke, interrupting her in the middle. As his eyes turned toward her, her body halted; with a slight flinch, she looked at him, blinking.

"Huh?" Yao Lian kept looking into his eyes. Although he seemed near her, he appeared distant, clearly not sharing the same feelings in that moment. It somewhat triggered something in her as she just remained static.

"Prove your worth, Yao Lian," Ryuk stated again, noticing her body language. From the start, he was aware of her eyes settled on him, holding a clear emotion—soft and without malice.

"Wh-what—!?" Yao Lian saw the seriousness in his expression, unable to fathom what he meant by this, but before she could finish her words, she suddenly found her lips sealed as he muffled her with a peck.

"Work hard on learning those manuals inside that ring, and I will give you another kiss," Ryuk whispered, coming close to her ear, the edge of his mask brushing over her cheeks, arriving there like a devil. His warm breath reached her ear.

'!?!'

'Eh?' Her body stood frozen in place as he breathed fast; soon enough, he moved away, leaving her all alone, pressing her lips together due to that sudden startling moment, with his words still echoing in her mind.

Thump, thump.

'....' Her heart thumped as she lifted one hand, placing it over her lips, feeling that touch.

It was warm yet sweating, slightly irritated due to him acting cold, but at least she had become accustomed to it.

Hearing him mention something about manuals in the ring, her gaze was drawn to her finger where the same ring he had given her lay.

"He said there were manuals in it," Yao Lian recalled his words before, channeling internal energy into the ring. As she did, it was as if a surge of treasures passed through her mind.

All the things inside the ring were on display to her. As it appeared, she stood in the middle of several cultivation books, treasures, and artifacts hovering around her.

"This?" Her eyes widened as she realized that the ring she had was not just a mere accessory but a storage ring holding the treasures needed for her cultivation.

Now understanding what he meant, her gaze swept in his direction; though there was no one there, she felt a warmth.

In the end, she had always wanted to become strong, and now, with enough resources at her disposal, it appeared she had finally decided to choose this man who offered her most of it.

Of course, it was just a reassuring thought of hers to hide the warmth spreading near her heart, trying to camouflage her newly born feelings as just a means to have him as a sponsor.

----

"Liege, we have made all the necessary preparations, but is there a reason for us to use those people?" Regina came forward as they looked towards Ryuk, inquiring about why he had asked to use the people from the Phoenix Order as soldiers.

He had sent a few members of the Devereaux battalion to instruct all the people to go towards the edge of Lower Town, and to add authenticity, he had even sent the matriarch of the Phoenix Order with them.

"Regina, right now we are at a disadvantage. We could be strong, but the number of enemies at a time can be overwhelming, which is why meat shields are important," Ryuk definitely had faith in the soldiers of the Devereaux family, considering they themselves were very strong.

However, he didn't want to have any loose ends on his side, especially since they would soon be engaged on two fronts: one from the side of the vampires who would arrive in Lower Town and the second from the main city.

Understanding his current weaknesses in the upcoming war, he was going to use all available resources, including members of the Phoenix Order from Lower Town, Upper Town, and Middle Town, considering they were cultivators with strong fighting instincts—the ones actually fighting the vampires, holding them off until he found either what he needed and left the continent or let Diana collide with those vampires.