Chapter 542: A Desperate Bargain

One minute later.

“What exactly are you trying to ask?”

“Or are you just lying to me?”

With a hint of cold disdain, Yenir furrowed his brows as he looked at Blood Nightingale, who seemed lost in her own troubled thoughts and relentless questioning.

Damn it—he was in such a rush that his pants were off, yet Blood Nightingale bombarded him with questions, showing no real intent to break the curse.

It made him wonder if she was deceiving him.

Noticing the chill in Yenir’s gaze, Blood Nightingale’s heart skipped a beat and she quickly began to explain.

She knew that with a guy like Yenir, even if he came to her rescue now, it was all a transaction. If he didn’t get what he wanted, that bastard would be the next Yinglong.

“I’m not lying to you!”

“I can lift the curse in here, but there are things that really matter to me!”

Struggling to maintain her composure and with a stubborn determination, Blood Nightingale locked eyes with him and repeated,

“Now that Yinglong is dead, what do you plan to do with the Bloodshadow Safe Zone?”

“What will you do about his subordinates?”

“Is the Military going to take over? Are they planning to reclaim the Far Frontier?”

“And can I meet the person who killed Yinglong?”

Listening to her barrage of questions, Yenir’s brow remained furrowed; he could sense that her concerns masked a deeper calculation.

Or perhaps…

“Do you want to seize the Bloodshadow Legion? Do you intend to replace Yinglong?”

“Are you here to negotiate with me? Or do you want to deal with the Authorities?”

He gave a half-smirk.

Reacting swiftly, Yenir laid bare what she was thinking as he tilted his head and stared at the young woman before him.

He had never underestimated Blood Nightingale.

A little girl who clawed her way from surviving the apocalypse alone to become captain of a Farming Team—she was far from ordinary.

Blood Nightingale was ruthless—more brutal than 99% of any man—and she harbored ambitions of her own.

It wasn’t surprising that she wanted to use the curse removal as a bargaining chip—or to reclaim the Safe Zone her father had founded.

She said nothing, simply pressing her lips together in silent acknowledgment after Yenir bluntly pointed it out.

Exactly.

Yinglong was dead, but what about the vast power he had built? It was all established by her father!

Everyone surviving the apocalypse knew the weight a mighty faction carried. Enduring unimaginable hardships from childhood, she craved strength more than anyone.

At the very least, she needed that final advantage to secure her future.

At worst, she’d glean the Military’s moves from Yenir. If the Military attacked the Far Frontier amid chaos, knowing early might let her assemble her own team!

“You have no right to negotiate with me.”

“Kill Yinglong and give me a way to break the curse. Then our deal is settled.”

“And the Military? No, they aren’t moving for now. I’m doing this on my own, and the Military won’t take over here either.”

“And meeting that mysterious figure—what if there isn’t anyone?”

With an indifferent expression, Yenir looked at the enticing figure before him, showing not an ounce of mercy.

If she really thought that merely lifting the curse would give her control, she was sorely underestimating him.

In fact, if not for the risk that turning her into an Otherworldly Ghost would screw up the curse removal, he would have struck the moment they met.

As his words died away, and as she felt the faint murderous intent in his tone, Blood Nightingale’s face went pale—she froze for a moment at his latter words.

What do you mean?

You did it on your own? The Military isn’t taking over? And there’s no one there!?

Recalling how Yenir’s battle prowess far exceeded his rank, Blood Nightingale’s pupils suddenly contracted.

She had always believed Yenir represented the Military, so whoever acted this time had to be a top-tier powerhouse from Huaguo!

In fact, she even knew some secrets about the Bloodshadow Legion! She planned to negotiate after meeting that top-tier figure.

But…

“Did you kill Yinglong!?”

“Was it you who struck in the Dungeon!?”

Unbelievable.

She had almost witnessed Yenir’s rise from a mere Second-Stage fighter to a Third-Stage Awakened—and now to the man before her—she could scarcely believe her eyes.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t test my patience. Hand over your method, or… I’ll force it out of you.”

He moved in aggressively.

Yenir grabbed Blood Nightingale’s chin and spoke in a cold tone.

But in the next instant, she flashed a myriad of emotions in her eyes, as if reeling from an unimaginable shock.

As if making up her mind, she ignored the pain from his grip and his growing lethal intent, and abruptly said:

“The way to break the curse is to sleep with me!”

“If I get pregnant, it’ll lift the curse!”

Yenir: ???

His heart pounded wildly.

Suppressing the erratic pounding in his chest, Blood Nightingale struggled to maintain her composure, her face betraying nothing.

Looking at the suddenly stunned Yenir, no one could guess what was going on in her mind.

From the moment she grasped the true extent of Yenir’s power, all her previous thoughts vanished. Somehow, she realized that locking this bastard down was her best option.

………………..

Two hours later.

Seeing Blood Nightingale astride him, her gaze dazed and swaying, Yenir’s eyes flashed as he suddenly spoke:

“Don’t think you can threaten me with a child; I’m not the sentimental type.”

“And requiring your post-pregnancy blood to break the curse? That sounds utterly unreliable.”

His expression was a strange mix of complexity and detachment.

To be honest, it did feel pretty good.

Feeling the lingering warmth of her efforts to please him, Yenir couldn’t shake the sensation of a small mouth on him—as if it were sucking the very essence from him.

But at that moment, all he cared about was when the damn curse would finally break.

Waiting for Blood Nightingale to get pregnant? That’d take months!

“No…it’s not necessary…ugh…”

Her voice came out breathless and flushed.

Trembling all over, Blood Nightingale struggled to answer him, feeling as if every fiber of her body was losing strength.

That damn bastard had forced her to take action on her own, even making her aim for him.

Doesn’t he know that a girl’s first time is both painful and embarrassing?

But unlike ordinary girls, with a steely resolve, Blood Nightingale decided to go all in—she was determined to tie up that bastard.

“Awakeners… have strong constitutions… if the union endures… pregnancy can happen, then… ugh…”

“At most one or two… days…”

It seemed she could take no more; trembling uncontrollably, Blood Nightingale finally collapsed onto him, her body shaking with a mix of fatigue and resignation.

“Come on… make your move…”

“Aren’t you in a hurry? Then you need to… let it out…”

Unable to resist any longer, she bit into Yenir’s shoulder—no one could fathom the inner turmoil she was feeling.

She knew that Third-Stage Awakeneds possessed extraordinary physical strength, with every muscle under precise control. She could hardly move from exhaustion.

Moreover, she felt as if that thing was about to impale her—like a construction drill, unyieldingly hard.

As for what Yenir had said, she paid it no mind.

Ha, she didn’t care one bit that Yenir claimed to be emotionless; once it was over, they’d simply go their separate ways.

She refused to believe that someday, if she showed up with Little Yenir in tow, that bastard would really leave everything untouched.

In the silence, as she gasped and her chest heaved as if about to collapse, Yenir could only sigh inwardly and push her down.

For the sake of saving humanity.

He had no choice but to sacrifice himself.

“Yip yip, ah ah.”

Accompanied by a piercing scream, a cacophony of wild sounds erupted.

……………………………