Shi Ming considered this his good deed for the day, but the other party didn’t seem to appreciate it.
???
"A hundred years of servitude!?"
"You’ve got a lot of nerve, kid!"
Bai Yimo’s face turned frosty.
If she weren’t in such a weakened state—having gained no advantage in their last conflict and lost most of her secret treasures—she would have attacked immediately to teach this delusional fool a lesson!
She was always the one to command others. When had another being ever dared to command *her*?
Besides, she was a true genius, the possessor of a numbered skill. Among the infinite beings in the cosmos, there were no more than a hundred such geniuses! A genius among geniuses! In any Cosmic Country, she would have been revered and trained as a Saintess!
With a single call, countless simps would fall to their knees to present her with offerings!
The idea of being commanded by another was preposterous.
And now, she was to be commanded by someone else?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible!
Hearing her resolute refusal, Shi Ming shook his head.
’What a shame.’
’Since you’re so ungrateful, I guess we’ll see each other again in a thousand years. I just hope you can endure the loneliness.’
He enveloped himself and the entire grand vessel in his Spiritual Power, sealing it off from the auras of other creatures to prevent any unwanted guests from boarding. He was on the verge of entering the Dark Cosmos to depart.
There was almost no time left for this Devil of Desire.
"Wait, aren’t you going to negotiate? Aren’t you going to lower your conditions a little?"
"Hold on!"
"Stop!"
Bai Yimo couldn’t believe it. Shi Ming was just going to leave, giving her no chance to bargain! No playing hard to get, no clever tactics—he wasn’t following the script at all! It was as if the deal was just a casual offer, and he couldn’t care less whether she accepted.
’What kind of simple-minded brute is he!’
’Doesn’t he know you have to leave some room for negotiation when talking to a woman?’
She gritted her teeth and steeled herself.
’Fine! A hundred years!’
’A hundred years is nothing!’
"Fine! I swear on the source of my [Desire] that if you take me out of this region of the Cave of the Stars, I will serve as your subordinate, at your command for one hundred years. However, all commands must be reasonable. I will be your subordinate, not your slave!"
"Desire?"
Shi Ming, who had paused, began to leave again.
Swearing on the source of a skill would entangle the oath with the very principles within that source. Violating it would surely result in a backlash. But Bai Yimo’s sincerity was severely lacking. Even at a time like this, she was still trying to deceive Shi Ming!
"Wait... I’ll swear again!"
"My patience is limited. This is your last chance."
"I swear on the source of my [Lust]! If you take me out of this region of the Cave of the Stars, I will serve as your subordinate, at your command for one hundred years. However, all commands must be reasonable. I will be your subordinate, not your slave!"
"A barely acceptable oath."
Bai Yimo’s oath was barely enough to satisfy him. After verifying it with his Eye of Destiny and his own Spiritual Power, Shi Ming knew the oath had taken effect. He waved his hand, beckoning his new, cheaply acquired employee aboard.
"As a new employee, you are restricted to the deck."
"Fine!"
Bai Yimo gritted her teeth and nodded fiercely.
’Have it your way!’
’You’re still too young, kid. You miscalculated one thing! We only agreed on a hundred years of servitude; we never agreed that I couldn’t get my revenge! I’ll endure this humiliation for now, but once that century is up, hmph! I’ll turn you into my plaything and toy with you for a hundred years!’
’No,’
’A thousand years!’
Perched on Shi Ming’s shoulder, Ah Jian felt a sense of déjà vu. ’It was just like this when I first started following Master. In the blink of an eye, countless others have followed.’
’Master is as brilliant as ever.’
’Only a master this powerful and wise is destined to stand at the apex of the Star Sea!’
...
...
...
Bai Yimo was highly adaptable. She curiously examined the grand vessel, which had an understated yet magnificent exterior and an interior that blocked all forms of scrying. Her curiosity began to mount.
’This ship isn’t just for show, as it first appeared.’
’It actually has some substance.’
’Perhaps its value is no less than that of the lone skiff.’
Shi Ming glanced at her.
"I don’t care what you’re thinking, and I don’t care what plans you have for the future. Since you’re on my ship, you will follow my rules. I have two. First, you are restricted to the deck."
’The deck?’
’Fine.’
Bai Yimo was clearly very accepting.
"And the second?"
"Second, whether your skill is [Lust] or [Desire], as my subordinate, you are not to use it on your boss."
Bai Yimo looked slightly disappointed. She pursed her lips, her movements elegant and restrained. With just a few subtle actions, she inadvertently showcased her best features to their fullest.
’Aside from one old man, she hadn’t encountered anyone from another race in a long time.’
’And here she was, hoping to get a taste of her new boss.’
’It seems there won’t be an opportunity anytime soon.’
"Hold on tight. I’m about to make the jump."
"Do you need me to be your cheerleader?"
Shi Ming ignored this Devil of Desire, who had accepted her dependent status so quickly, and forcefully initiated the transit into the Dark Cosmos.
WHOOSH—
Bai Yimo felt the Star Sea before her eyes turn from tangible to ethereal as the ship sped into a rift that opened into the Dark Cosmos.
The nigh-impassable space of the Cave of the Stars was like paper before this ship—no, before this man. He easily broke through the barrier separating the two realms. Then, her vision filled with the fleeting scenery of their transit through the Dark Cosmos. The immense pressure, powerful enough to shred any physical body, was deflected by an invisible force, gathered, and redirected. It all converged upon the ship’s true core: the man standing on the deck.