### Chapter 7: Black Stone City (5)
In the still bustling and noisy tavern, Morris wore what he called his gentlemanly smile.
When Lin Nan didn’t respond for a while, he thought maybe she was so excited she couldn’t find the words.
After all, even among demonesses, the rare few qualified to spend a night with a noble demon like a count were few and far between.
Those demonesses who exhibited any animal characteristics were considered impure, while the one before him, Lin Nan, was nearly flawless, with a figure that could rival even the spiciest demon girls.
The moment she walked into the tavern, Morris’s attention was caught.
He certainly wasn’t interested in the junk that the Lord of Black Stone City had been sending him for days.
As for his own race’s women, Adeline was a reputed party girl he was thoroughly bored with.
Then there was the harpist, Trissa, who was the daughter of the foreign minister from the imperial capital. Accompanying her on this trip, she claimed to be enjoying the sights, but there was definitely something fishy going on. Such a woman was not someone he dared to toy with.
If she went back and told on him, his future would be toast.
As he guzzled down his ale, unsure about who to entrust his fate to during this endless night, Lin Nan’s appearance made his heart race—finally, an opportunity!
“Ms. Lin,” he began, “I, Count Morris, hold a fair bit of sway in the imperial capital. How about I find a way to secure you a pass, allowing you to come and go from the demon territory at your leisure? And if we spend more time together, securing you a demon identity wouldn’t be too hard either.”
Promises like that rolled off his tongue like second nature.
After all, for an outsider, obtaining demon status was probably a lifelong dream. How could that demoness let such an opportunity slip by?
Slowly, Lin Nan rose.
Morris felt a swell of joy and immediately gestured for her to come over.
All eyes in the tavern turned to their leader, seemingly having successfully wooed the new demoness.
Cheers and whistles erupted throughout the room.
“Wow, the Count sure moves fast! Didn’t leave us any chance at all.”
“Tsk, tsk, Count Morris sure has good taste. This demoness is a knockout! She’s got the curves and the looks; who knows, maybe she’s also stellar in bed!”
“Let’s just see if the Count can wake up in the morning. Maybe he’ll be a little… deflated, haha!”
Adeline leaned in closer to Xi and whispered, “Looks like Morris has hit the jackpot. So, Mr. Xi, got any plans for later?”
Xi usually maintained a calm demeanor, but at this moment, he felt a bit on edge.
Surely his master had a plan, but he still felt very annoyed with Morris. If it weren’t for the fact that he hadn’t gathered any valuable intel yet, he would’ve liked nothing more than to flatten Morris into a pancake for disrespecting his master.
Just as everyone anticipated that the elegant demoness would obediently follow Morris out of the tavern, the unexpected happened: Lin Nan stood up, completely ignoring Morris, and instead sat down at another table, acting as if he was invisible.
The tavern instantly fell silent.
Morris felt like he had been punched in the gut, his face flushed.
He glanced at Lin Nan’s profile, panting slightly, and said, “If this is just your way of playing hard to get, I’m totally down for the game. But if you’re rejecting me, then you might want to rethink that.
You see all these people? They’re all mine. Your poor boyfriend couldn’t possibly protect you.
I could easily have your body hanging from the city walls by tomorrow morning, for even the most despicable enemies to gawk at your so-called proud form.”
“Got that?!”
Xi’s entire body tensed up. If Morris even thought about throwing a punch, he would leap in without hesitation, ready to flatten Black Stone City if necessary.
Lin Nan sighed.
Clearly, she was tired of maintaining her icy demeanor, and forcing herself to smile at someone she couldn’t stand was really grating on her nerves.
She wasn’t an actress; she had no reason to put up with such nonsense.
Enough of this. It was clear that probing for info among the demons was unnecessary—they were just a bunch of self-important bullies, dreaming of solving their problems peacefully and establishing a truce between the three races.
Killing intent flickered within her.
Just as everyone in the tavern was blissfully unaware of the life-or-d*ath situation they were in, a soft voice echoed through the room.
“Count Morris, I will report your actions to the imperial capital as they are, and they’ll determine if your behavior meets the upper echelons’ standards.”
At this crucial moment, Trissa the harpist strummed a chord and delivered her line.
Morris froze, hesitation creeping in.
While it wasn’t uncommon for demon nobility to indulge with outsider women, such escapades weren’t exactly for public record.
A reputable noble must maintain a discreet private life, capable of withstanding public scrutiny.
If word of his actions spread in the capital, it would be an uphill battle for him to move up the ranks later.
d*mn it, this woman was an undercover eye for the foreign minister! He would have to bide his time and find a way to regain his dignity once he returned to his turf in the capital.
Glaring at Lin Nan, Morris grumbled and relented.
But the flames of desire in his gut wouldn’t be easily extinguished. He turned to see Adeline snuggled into Xi’s embrace and couldn’t help but snap, “Adeline, get over here.”
Adeline swayed her hips and pouted, “Ugh, only when you want to blow off steam do you think of me! You don’t even look my way otherwise!”
Xi sighed in relief and pretended to be reluctant as he asked, “Can we skip it?”
Adeline shrugged. “What choice do I have? I’m just the Count’s maid.”
“Come on, drink up, drink up!”
“Yeah, the drinks aren’t going to finish themselves. Top us off!”
“Count, come on! Let’s drink before we leave! Adeline is quite a delicacy too!”
“Haha, right? Adeline’s such a little minx, Count, you better teach her a lesson in bed so she stops bothering us!”
As soon as Trissa spoke up, everyone knew Morris was in trouble.
Though Morris was the nominal leader, Trissa felt more like a watchdog. She rarely weighed in, but when she did, her words carried serious weight.
“Drink up, drink up!”
To cover his embarrassment, Morris enthusiastically joined the fray.
Reluctantly, Adeline returned to his side, bracing for whatever chaos was about to ensue.
“Thanks,” Lin Nan said to Trissa.
Trissa replied coldly, “Don’t thank me. I just can’t stand his behavior.”
Lin Nan frowned slightly. She could clearly sense Trissa’s hidden message.
To her, she was of no real importance, just a tool to bring Morris down a peg.
Suddenly, Lin Nan stood up and walked over to Trissa, leaving the latter visibly stunned.
