Is it too late for me to pay my protection money now?

Therefore, facing Wangquan Zui's ambiguous and indefinable feelings for him, Yang Qingyuan could only choose to evade.

Of course, there was another possibility.

That was all of this was merely Yang Qingyuan's unrequited self-delusion; after all, one of the three great illusions of a man was "she likes me."

However, for Yang Qingyuan, he was quite happy to keep it that way.

"If only the Bitter-Sweet Tree could also reincarnate and tie the knot for two humans..."

Wangquan Zui mumbled these words in a voice so soft that Yang Qingyuan could barely hear it.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

Wangquan Zui flurriedly waved her hand, then her eyes suddenly rolled, and she smiled at Yang Qingyuan standing before her.

"Qingyuan, keep a lookout for me."

"What are you going to do?"

"Since we are already here, although we can't experience reincarnation and vow-renewal firsthand, when entering a mountain, one must worship the temple. A little brief worship won't hurt, right?"

"Oh..."

Yang Qingyuan nodded. Though he had no idea what mischievous scheme this quirky girl was up to, he chose to let her be.

Thus, under Yang Qingyuan's "protection," Wangquan Zui pressed her palms together and knelt piously beneath the Bitter-Sweet Tree.

"O Bitter-Sweet Tree, I..."

What Wangquan Zui said afterward, Yang Qingyuan did not hear clearly, because she intentionally used her spiritual power to isolate the sound.

A moment later, after Wangquan Zui pressed her palms together and bowed repeatedly to the Bitter-Sweet Tree, the tree showed no reaction whatsoever.

Though she had long anticipated this outcome, a flash of disappointment could still not be suppressed on Wangquan Zui's face.

"What did you just say to the Bitter-Sweet Tree?"

"Want to know?" Wangquan Zui blinked her eyes with a sly look.

"Mhm." Yang Qingyuan nodded.

"I won't tell you~"

Wangquan Zui tossed her head, turned around, and skipped away.

"This girl..."

Yang Qingyuan shook his head, just about to step forward and catch up, when at that moment, a soft voice suddenly echoed from behind.

"You two entered my Tushan, yet you haven't paid the corresponding fees, have you?"

Yang Qingyuan turned his head to look, only to see a petite figure slowly stepping out from behind the Bitter-Sweet Tree.

"When..."

The moment he saw this figure appear, a secret shock stirred within Yang Qingyuan's heart.

It wasn't out of astonishment at her identity, but rather that he hadn't even perceived her approach!

However, even with a slight ripple of surprise inside, Yang Qingyuan still maintained an expressionless composure, offering a slight smile to Tushan Rongrong.

"So it is the Third Young Mistress of Tushan, Miss Tushan Rongrong. Yang Yitan pays his respects to the Third Young Mistress."

"Oh? Your name is Yang Yitan?"

Tushan Rongrong narrowed her eyes, appraising Yang Qingyuan up and down with keen interest.

"Indeed, Yang Yitan of the Heavenly Eye Yang family!"

Watching Yang Qingyuan solemnly swaggering and "imposter-scamming" under the alias of Yang Yitan, Wangquan Zui felt that although the occasion was entirely inappropriate, for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to laugh out loud.

"Indeed, a disciple of the Heavenly Eye Yang family."

Tushan Rongrong first glanced at the Heavenly Eye on Yang Qingyuan's forehead before continuing, "What brings the two of you to Tushan?"

"Just to pay our respects to the legendary Bitter-Sweet Tree, and incidentally see what the legendary realm of matchmaking is truly like."

As he spoke, Yang Qingyuan stretched out a hand to point at the Bitter-Sweet Tree in front of them.

"I see. Then I wonder if the two of you have paid the fee?"

"The fee?" Wangquan Zui paused slightly in surprise.

"Any humans or demons not permanently residing within Tushan must pay a certain fee upon entering Tushan territory to ensure the personal safety of our guests."

"Isn't this purely collecting protection money?" Yang Qingyuan couldn't help but complain.

"Protection money?"

Tushan Rongrong blinked in a daze. Although this was the first time she had heard such a term, she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Mhm, you could also call it that."

"No wonder they all call them the First Young Mistress and Second Young Mistress. Turns out Tushan is just a bandit organization occupying mountains as kings and staging highway robberies..."

Wangquan Zui whispered softly into Yang Qingyuan's ear.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let them hear you; remember, we are still inside a bandit den right now!"

"What is there to fear? Anyway, the Fox Demon Queen Tushan Honghong is not here. We can just bolt straight away and see if they can stop us!"

For the justice-driven and courageous eldest young lady of the Wangquan family, Wangquan Zui, money was something she had in abundance!

A casual extraction of her pocket money was probably enough to purchase an annual Tushan tourism VIP package.

However, incense money could be given, but this protection money—absolutely not a single coin would be surrendered!

You want to collect protection money from me?

No way!

Let me tell you, the person capable of collecting protection money from me, Wangquan Zui, hasn't even been born yet!

Yet, just as Wangquan Zui was about to reach for the fantasy dream sword at her waist, intending to turn around and escape via sword flight, a blood-red shooting star suddenly flashed across the sky.

The next second, a monstrous demonic aura far exceeding anything Wangquan Zui had ever witnessed in her life instantly breached her spiritual awareness range.

Jingle bell~

Accompanied by a crisp, pleasant tinkling of bells, a tall, beautiful female fox demon dressed in a red and white ancient-style long dress with a cold and domineering temperament slowly descended in front of Wangquan Zui.

On her unrestrained, pristine jade feet, a pair of golden ankle bells gently emitted melodic chimes.

"Blood-colored demonic aura, could she be... the Fox Demon Queen, Tushan Honghong?!!"

Wangquan Zui's pupils shrank violently.

Without even needing to think, based solely on this overwhelming and immense demonic power, Wangquan Zui could instantly deduce the other party's identity!

"Elder sister, you've finally returned."

A faint smile surfaced on Tushan Rongrong's face, while her gaze swept intentionally or unintentionally over Wangquan Zui and Yang Qingyuan.

If she hadn't known her elder sister was about to return to the mountain, how could she have possibly shown herself so directly?

"Rongrong, who are these two?"

Tushan Honghong glanced at Yang Qingyuan and Wangquan Zui, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.

Her lips did not move as she spoke, yet her voice remained ethereal.

"Eh? It's you guys?!!"

Just as Tushan Rongrong was about to explain, Tushan Yaya's voice suddenly rang out from the sky.

"Miss Yaya, we meet again..."

Yang Qingyuan twitched the corner of his mouth. While smiling and waving hello to Tushan Yaya, his gaze casually glanced back at Tushan Honghong standing before him.

Even he hadn't expected Tushan Honghong to return precisely at this moment.

It didn't take much spiritual perception to realize that the blood-colored demonic power radiating from Tushan Honghong was a world apart from Jin Linglin's!

The two weren't even in the same tier in terms of sheer volume, not to mention that Supreme Demon-level powerhouses could command regional elemental forces to wage war.

This was the greatest difference between a Supreme Demon and a Demon King!

At this very moment, Yang Qingyuan only wanted to silently add one thought: So, is it still too late for me to pay that protection money now?