I shivered as I placed the bag back on the table, forcing a smile and backing away, stammering, "So, so sorry, Great Immortal! I didn't recognize you, I was a bit impudent, please don't hold a grudge..."
"Don't go, come sit," the woman nudged the chair opposite the bed with the toe of her foot.
I tilted my head slightly, glancing out of the corner of my eye towards the door. Those three guys were keeping a safe distance, too scared to come over!
I didn't dare make a dash for it either, fearing the woman might transform and pursue me. Seeing that she had no ill intentions for the moment, I suppressed my trembling legs and shuffled to the edge of the chair, perching on it with half my posterior. I straightened my back, placed my hands on my knees, and kept my legs tensed, ready to bolt at any moment.
"Young man, don't be nervous," the woman, no, the crocodile demon, comforted me. "You're quite an interesting person. May I have your name?"
"Um... I am Wu Chengfeng, a native of Jiangnan, currently residing in Jinling, working as... a freelancer."
"Didn't you just say you were from Shakespeare's group?" the woman chuckled.
"I was worried... uh, I'm not from Shakespeare's, but I'm allied with them now," I replied truthfully.
The woman glanced at the doorway. "And them?"
"Captain Shen from Jinling is from Shakespeare's group. The other two are my friends. We came from the Northeast to rescue Daoist Sun."
"Oh, that old Daoist, he's fine, don't worry."
"I've already had his disciple take him away. Thank you, Great Immortal, for showing him mercy," I said, cupping my fists.
My intuition told me that a person as calm and experienced as her must be much older than Sha Wuji, and even Yao Yao might not be considered her junior. Therefore, I had to show her utmost respect.
The woman waved her hand. "I am inherently kind and do not wish to harm anyone. As for Steward Lu (the man in question), he wanted to build a villa on my territory, and I didn't object. I only tricked him, telling him my daughter was a son of Tai Sui, and instructed him to worship her properly, so as not to hinder her cultivation. But alas, someone decided to plot against my daughter, so I was forced to act."
"Who was so dishonorable?" I asked. So it was the crocodile demon herself who had fooled the magnate into believing the egg was a son of Tai Sui!
"One of Steward Lu's concubines."
A concubine? Oh, I see. It must have been that "female secretary" of the magnate who disappeared that night!
I pointed at the egg on the table. "Since your daughter is unharmed, Great Immortal, please continue to show your magnanimity and cease troubling us."
The woman smiled. "It's not me who is troubling you, but rather someone who still intends to trouble me."
Saying this, the woman looked at my wrist. "What time is it?"
I wasn't wearing a watch, so I had to pull out my phone. "Seven thirty."
"They will arrive at ten tonight. If you are willing to help me deal with them, then I won't have to act." The woman smiled.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"Demon hunters, from some organization called... what was it called?" The woman frowned, her memory perhaps not being the best.
"Chi You?" Shen Xingyue's soft voice came from behind.
"Yes, yes, Chi You!" The woman patted her head. "Look at my memory, thank you for the reminder!"
"I understand," Shen Xingyue continued, though it sounded more like she was speaking to Yao Yao and the others. "The people from Chi You want to take advantage of the situation when the Great Immortal's daughter is about to break free from her shell, and steal her demon core!"
"I see," Yao Yao's voice chimed in. "Presumably, when the young lady is born, the Great Immortal will need to be by her side protecting her, unable to fight, which is why these demon hunters feel they have an opportunity, isn't that right, Great Immortal?"
Yao Yao raised her voice for the last four words, asking respectfully but not subserviently.
"That's right. So... should I find another place to protect my daughter? Or, should I stay here, and have you protect her for me?"
Yao Yao and the other two finally dared to enter the bedroom, but they had hidden their weapons again.
Shen Xingyue cupped her hands. "Great Immortal, as long as you trust us, we from Shakespeare are willing to protect you, but you must agree to one condition."
"Speak."
"You must guarantee that after your beloved daughter is born, she absolutely will not—"
"Will not eat people? Heh, you're a professional, you think that's possible?" The woman suddenly said coldly, startling Sha Wuji into instinctively reaching for his waist.
I didn't even see what happened, only heard Sha Wuji's scream, and his entire body crashed heavily back into the living room...