Chapter 64: Talitha – The Demon Wolf Regained Freedom!

Rumor had it that after Lady Celyad was cured by the young Mr. Mage, the entire Red Hazel Town heaved a collective sigh of relief.

People no longer had to worry that whenever a vagrant went missing, rumors would spread that they had been dragged away by the Ordos family to feed Celyad’s thirst for blood, plunging everyone into a panic—after all, in the eyes of this noble family, what difference was there between ordinary residents and vagrants?

They were all merely raw materials, ready to be sacrificed at any moment for the needs of the Ordos family.

Naturally, there was also no need to fear the so-called "Blood Tax"—Lord Ordos was such a clever man who could invent a new tax at the drop of a hat.

Gradually, people realized that not long after Lord Ordos's departure, everyone's coin purses grew slightly heavier. Previously, he would rack his brain to make sure their purses were empty every single day.

If only he would never return.

Although that was utterly impossible, it still made people yearn for it.

There were also murmurs in the town expressing the hope that Madame Ordos would truly take control of the family.

In the past, members of the Ordos family would naturally have scoffed at such an idea, but things were different now.

The demonic wolf incident was ultimately resolved thanks to Mr. Mage, but Madame Ordos had also garnered immense prestige, especially now that she commanded a troop of demonic wolves and enjoyed the absolute support of Mr. Mage.

Someone tentatively broached the subject with Lord Bobur, formerly the family's number two figure, and he maintained silence on the matter.

Silence meant no opposition, no opposition meant support, and support meant that Madame Ordos was going to replace the lord!

So everyone said.

Madame Ordos had become exceptionally busy these days.

Yet no matter how busy she was, she always made sure to enter Zohan's bedroom after dinner to assist Nina in serving the mage who had brought new life and stability to Red Hazel Town.

Even if she had to wait until midnight when Zohan finally fell asleep, tightly leaning against Nina's grand bosom, Madame Ordos would only then find the time to drape herself over in a nightgown, carry a lamp, and head to the study to continue her work.

Madame Ordos had originally hoped that Celyad would join them in the shared endeavor of magical experiments. Unfortunately, she found that Zohan still showed little interest in the increasingly plump Celyad and did not wish to include her.

Yet, according to the serialized romance novels Madame Ordos avidly read, a mature, beautiful mother and a pure, innocent daughter were precisely the combination most passionately pursued by noble lords.

Mr. Mage was truly a man of lofty thoughts and noble character, Madame Ordos thought to herself.

She felt somewhat more at ease... Originally, she had prepared herself to push Celyad toward him, ready to be neglected and gradually marginalized.

Never did she expect his passion for her to remain as fervent as ever. Especially after Nina invented the chained prop and combined it with her corset—since her physical traits seemed to trigger his magical effects even more intensely than Nina's—his interest in her had only grown stronger. Just last night—

Thinking of this, Madame Ordos felt her cheeks grow warm, and she said softly, "Mr. Zohan, I plan to have Nina help me handle some of the estate's affairs, and after training her for a while, promote her to Mayor of Red Hazel Town."

Her voice still carried a trace of lingering numbness, as if the aftereffects of his touch still remained. In truth, during the process of magical experimentation, incorporating a few small designs was not only a delight for him, but an endlessly enchanting experience for them as well.

"No problem, Barbarov isn't really cut out for major responsibilities anyway." Whether the Cherry Orchid Empire had transformed into the Blood Orchid Republic, whether the political system had changed, or whether the appointment of grassroots officials had undergone procedural changes, Zohan actually had no idea.

Since Madame Ordos had raised the idea, it meant she had already considered it. With the influence and authority she and he currently wielded, who would dare to object?

If there were any, they could simply be eliminated... Zohan had never shown any mercy to his enemies. Even Talisha, who fascinated him greatly, had been tormented by him to the verge of death.

"But the problem now is... I killed Lord Ordos and snatched his wife. Even though Nina threw herself into my arms of her own accord, I showed zero hesitation or consideration for Barbarov, and now I'm even backing her in usurping her husband's mayoral seat..."

Zohan suddenly realized this and could not help frowning. "Why am I acting like an oppressive villain who bullies men and plunders women?"

At the same time, the image of an eternal scoundrel crossed his mind—Ximen Qing.

Ximen Qing had a mortal enemy named Wu Song. If Zohan was Ximen Qing, who in this world would be the Wu Song coming to settle accounts with him?

In the original tale, Wu Song took up a massive amount of page space, possessed top-tier martial prowess, and received the treatment of a protagonist. Zohan pondered that if he ever encountered a character similar to "Wu Song," he would definitely have to strike first to gain the upper hand.

No, no, why was he seriously comparing himself to Ximen Qing?

"How could that be? Everything you do is just, Mr. Zohan. You eradicated a greedy, extortionate demon for Red Hazel Town, shattered the shackles that bound me, and healed the deep scars within my heart..."

Madame Ordos looked shyly at him, her eyes brimming with moisture and tenderness, until she finally could not resist leaning into Zohan's embrace, whispering passionately and sincerely:

"You made me taste the happiness of being a woman for the very first time, along with that sweet romance... Every time you kiss me, I am so moved I want to weep, always feeling as though I were a withered, decaying flower that you have watered, making me tender, fresh, and brilliantly bloom all over again."

"Did you learn all those lines from the serialized novels you read?" Zohan said with a smile, though men certainly enjoyed hearing sweet words.

Zohan didn't care whether her heart would change in the future or whether these words were merely born of temporary gratitude. In any case, it felt good to hear them right now, and he pulled Madame Ordos tightly into his arms.

Confirming with a glance that both of their hormones were surging, Zohan did not hesitate to linger in Madame Ordos's bedroom for quite a while longer.

Until Celyad came knocking with Yeye.

***

Reborn, Celyad had shed much of her youthful innocence and leaned more toward imitating her mother's attire.

Today, for instance, she wore an off-the-shoulder loungewear set paired with a luxurious, ornate corset underneath. As she walked, her waist swayed gracefully, boasting a slender waist and voluptuous hips. Even though the cold wind made her skin flush red, she insisted on wearing high heels that exposed a large expanse of her instep.

Unfortunately, she lacked Madame Ordos's majestic, mountain-like grandeur. Zohan acknowledged that she had grown more charming, but not quite enough to turn his restless impulses into physical action.

Yeye had been re-styled by Celyad, dressed in thick fleece trousers and warm long boots.

Draped in a white cloak over her upper body and wearing a fluffy hooded cap, she looked like an elf stepping out of the ice and snow in the middle of winter.

The thick, furry clothes, combined with her tiny face and hands tucked into her sleeves, formed a petite and delicate figure that instantly won people over.

After Celyad was "cured," Zohan had brought Yeye out of Celyad's bedroom. While she was quite accustomed to living inside a wardrobe, Zohan couldn't realistically let her stay in there forever.

Madame Ordos felt a flicker of curiosity upon seeing such a young girl suddenly appear by Zohan's side, but she was tactful and sensible enough not to pry.

As long as it didn't involve Zohan being snatched away or losing his support for her, Madame Ordos didn't feel the need to get to the bottom of it. Naturally, he had no responsibility or obligation to account for everything to her.

The duchess in the serialized novel *The Rules of Nobility* knew very well how to foster and maintain a healthy ambiguous relationship between a man and a woman, and Madame Ordos had been striving to learn from her.

That duchess never questioned how her chamberlain resolved bizarre problems, nor did she probe into the terrifying background behind his mysterious powers. Madame Ordos had absorbed that wisdom.

As long as his attitude toward her, his protection, and his care remained unchanged, curiosity was not a particularly vital thing.

Especially since the passionate lingering warmth of his touch was still flowing through her body, she couldn't be bothered to ponder whether this little girl would win more favor than the women of the Ordos family.

Be jealous of everyone? She wasn't such a foolish woman... The only thing she paid slight attention to was wanting to know when Zohan would play with that female wolf. Like Nina, she found Talisha rather grating.

"Mother, Mr. Zohan asked me to bring Yeye so we can all go out for a walk together," Celyad said respectfully.

She considered herself quite capable of reining in that overflowing, oppressive aura by now.

Ordinary humans were fragile creatures after all. The contempt and superiority that high-tier magical beasts naturally felt toward them due to their immense power could not be erased; it could only be masked.

She truly admired Mr. Zohan. Despite being an immensely powerful mage, he possessed no terrifying, crushing pressure to match.

This indicated that he could perfectly control his magical fluctuations—something Celyad still needed to hone slowly, as she was still far from being able to control her own leaking magic and handle it with complete ease.

"Very well, it's cold outside, bundle up," Madame Ordos said with maternal affection, instantly transitioning from a sultry, bewitching lover into a gentle, caring mother.

In truth, Madame Ordos could sense that something was slightly off about Celyad.

Though mothers and daughters shared a bond of the heart, Madame Ordos often felt that the other end of her heart felt utterly empty.

Celyad was standing right in front of her eyes, yet she constantly had the sensation of looking at a stranger, as if she had lost her daughter altogether.

She could only force herself to banish this absurd feeling, telling herself that Celyad was doing fine and that she had fully recovered.

Occasionally, she would catch a chilling look in Celyad's eyes, but when she looked closer to verify it, she found nothing at all.

With great wisdom, Madame Ordos chose not to probe further. What was there to be dissatisfied with in life right now? People shouldn't try to get to the bottom of everything. She was just an ordinary woman, not a mage dedicated to research and uncovering truths.

"Understood." Celyad glanced at her mother's attire and smiled faintly.

There seemed to be a deeper meaning behind that smile, which caused Madame Ordos's cheeks to warm slightly. Having just made love with Zohan, she was naturally in disarray—aside from her languid and alluring demeanor, the glaring oversight of wearing a silk stocking on one foot while the bare foot on the other had none was enough for anyone to imagine what she and Zohan had just been up to.

Celyad probably already knew what kind of relationship existed between her mother and Zohan, hadn't she? Madame Ordos accepted this realization with helpless resignation, knowing she had ruined any future between Celyad and Zohan with her own hands.

"Darling, let's go," Celyad said, appearing completely oblivious to her mother's internal musings as she linked her arm through Zohan's and stepped out.

Zohan gave Madame Ordos's little hand a squeeze before departing—not because he sensed anything requiring pacification, but because he genuinely felt a twinge of reluctance.

Judging by past experience, the two of them had only just finished the warm-up phase and hadn't had their full fill yet.

Zohan walked toward his bedroom, with Yeye following closely behind, looking around in wide-eyed wonder.

She was filled with curiosity and interest toward everything.

Previously, her entire mind had been consumed by crafting and guarding blood thralls, leaving her no attention to spare for this unfamiliar world outside.

Now, Celyad's condition was nearly flawless, and in Yeye's eyes, resurrecting her mother was merely a matter of time.

Thus, she could leisurely and happily observe everything around her. How different these things were compared to the Great Tomb of Edestelt—so bright, so glossy, so full of color.

After taking a few steps, she saw Celyad holding Zohan's arm, so she raised her own arm as well, cautiously sliding her slender, delicate hand between Zohan's waist and arm.

Zohan felt it, lowered his gaze to look at her, and smiled warmly.

***

It was only then that Yeye curled her fingers, successfully linking her arm through his as well. Meeting his smile, Yeye's large eyes reflected the gentle, sunny warmth of his grin.

Arriving outside his bedroom, Nina pushed the door open upon hearing footsteps.

"Aunt Nina—" Celyad greeted her politely, thoroughly satisfied with the collar around Nina's neck.

This was the proper reflection of human status.

Yet, the true purpose of this collar didn't seem to be merely a badge of slavery; Celyad noticed that the two chains attached to the collar vaguely connected to a spot that could not be spoken of.

Her mother seemed to wear something similar as well.

Why didn't Celyad have one? This seemed like a serious problem, and the reason behind it filled Celyad with urgent anxiety.

"I heard your voices just now—that bitch of a dog was just acting disobedient. Come in! You're taking her out for a walk, aren't you?" Nina was extremely enthusiastic toward Celyad.

She wasn't Celyad's mother; as an aunt, she hadn't been particularly close to the arrogant and domineering young miss of the past. On the contrary, Celyad's current demeanor made Nina feel much more comfortable.

She felt that Mr. Zohan hadn't just cured Celyad's blood-drinking illness; he had cured Celyad's bad attitude as well.

What an omnipotent Mr. Zohan. It was just a pity now wasn't the right time.

Otherwise, Nina would have loved to throw herself into his arms once more, using her proudest and most magnificent assets to seduce him and make him obsessively conduct magical experiments with her—

The cleansing spell had given her more confidence and charm, and those were facts. Who didn't love magic?

"Stinking bitch Nina, you're the dog, I am a demonic wolf—" Talisha instinctively wanted to let out a couple of "Awoos" to prove she was a high-tier magical beast, but she sorrowfully held it back.

Because the howls of a demonic wolf would trigger resonance among more demonic wolves, and since she and the Raging Beast Tribe had all fallen into captivity here, howling together would only bring unnecessary trouble—such as making the humans who raised and guarded them think they were plotting and communicating, which would undoubtedly result in a brutal beating.

"Talisha, do you want to go out for a walk?" Zohan entered the bedroom and said to Celyad.

The paper on the desk was covered in Nina's crooked handwriting. She had once again forced Talisha to dictate a massive amount of content, meaning Talisha had naturally been subjected to torment by her for quite some time.

Zohan was satisfied with Madame Ordos's proposal; Nina indeed needed something to do. Letting her spend all day here tormenting Talisha wasn't a long-term solution—sooner or later, both of their mental states would warp, one turning into a sadist and the other developing some kind of mania from being abused.

Talisha's sharp, cursing outburst just now was already showing signs of that.

"What vile scheme do you have up your sleeve to deal with me this time?" Talisha remained deeply vigilant.

Facing an enemy as formidable as Zohan for the first time, she had to muster twelve points of spirit and carefully counter his various methods, which was the only reason she hadn't completely fallen into his hands.

She had to keep it up and continue matching wits and courage with him.

"Drink some water first." Zohan picked up a cup of water and held it to her lips. "Dictating all that must have taken a toll on your spirits. Did Nina give you anything to eat?"

The moment Nina was mentioned, Talisha's gaze darted toward the back. If looks could kill, Nina would have already been murdered by her a millionth time. Gulping down the water, Talisha denied it vehemently, "How could she possibly give me food? Unless you give me a piece of beef to eat, I won't dictate another word."

She knew that as a prisoner, she had no qualifications to bargain, but she figured she might as well say it. What if he agreed?

Even if he didn't, she had nothing to lose; her life as a captive couldn't possibly get any worse anyway.

"Very well, I'll give you some later." Zohan set the cup down and added, "However, I've already poisoned the water you just drank."

What? Talisha was struck with horror.

She wanted to spit it out, but alas, under the suppression of the collar, she had no strength whatsoever.

Talisha could not help glaring angrily, furious as she snapped, "You can kill me whenever you want, was there any need to poison me?"

Aside from torturing her, Talisha couldn't think of a second reason for him to administer poison. What kind of poison could it be? Talisha felt no fear.

"This poison is meticulously brewed using my blood, your blood, and the brain of a magical beast called a Programmer, paired with several precious materials." Zohan stood up casually. "Once infected with this poison, it has no other side effects, except that it will make it impossible for you to leave my side within a hundred meters."

"What happens if she leaves?" Nina leaned against Zohan's back, curiously poking her head out to watch. She always paid extra attention when it came to Talisha. "Will she die?"

"She will die," Zohan said calmly. Then, he summoned his staff and tapped the collar on Talisha's neck.

In an instant, Talisha felt her strength flood back into her limbs.

Talisha was instantly overjoyed. Forgetting to contemplate the restrictions and consequences of this poison, she lunged with her claws toward Nina without the slightest hesitation.

The speed of a fifth-tier demonic wolf was lightning-fast, carrying a cruel and tyrannical aura. The suffocating malice Talisha had accumulated from days of torment seemed to grant her inexhaustible power, and she firmly believed that this single claw strike would instantly take the life of that foolish woman, Nina!