If Only I Could Have Met You Sooner

When someone arrived, the natural instinct was to hide.

The question was, where to hide?

Su Luo's first thought was Jiang Ningshu's bed—either under or on it, a classic hiding spot in any room.

However, Jiang Ningshu quickly stopped him.

That definitely wouldn't work.

Helpless, Su Luo could only crawl into a random cabinet and activate his stealth mode, minimizing his presence as much as possible.

"Jiang Ningshu, I'm here. It's been a while since I last visited. Sorry about that."

It turned out to be Luo Xinlan.

"You're here. Thank you for always coming to keep me company."

During the time she had lost her powers, Luo Xinlan's companionship had given Jiang Ningshu a small sense of security.

But now, after learning Luo Xinlan's true intentions from the diary, Jiang Ningshu's heart was filled with conflict.

Still, no matter what, she had to maintain the same facade as before.

She would deal with it once her strength was restored.

"Don't mention it. Let me tell you, something really interesting happened outside..."

They began chatting as usual.

Su Luo didn't want to eavesdrop, but at this distance, it was impossible not to hear.

Luo Xinlan did most of the talking, sharing stories about the interesting things she had encountered outside.

But Su Luo knew it was all fabricated—Luo Xinlan didn’t lead such an exciting life.

Jiang Ningshu, however, seemed unaware, laughing and enjoying the conversation.

In this state, Jiang Ningshu didn’t seem like the Demon Lord at all, but rather an ordinary person.

Occasionally, the two even playfully teased each other.

Though Jiang Ningshu's movements were a bit restrained.

"What’s wrong? You seem a bit off today." Luo Xinlan, who knew the Demon Lord very well, immediately noticed something was amiss.

"Nothing, I’m the same as always."

She was indeed acting a bit unnatural because she knew Su Luo was nearby. How could she not feel awkward?

......

Finally, after their chat, Luo Xinlan left without noticing Su Luo's presence.

Jiang Ningshu coughed lightly to ease her embarrassment. After all, her behavior earlier was far from what one would expect of a Demon Lord.

Su Luo emerged from the cabinet, expressionless, and said, "Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything."

At this point, Jiang Ningshu didn’t believe a single word of it, but it was better to let it slide. They could both pretend nothing happened.

"I believe you."

Su Luo nodded. "Alright, let’s continue."

"Right, let’s continue."

It was just a small interruption. Su Luo went on to explain the rest of the method.

"Alright, whether you can recover or not depends on you now."

"I will."

"It’s getting late. I’ll take my leave."

Having achieved his goal, Su Luo didn’t linger any longer.

"Su Luo."

Suddenly, Jiang Ningshu called out to him.

"What is it?"

"If only I had met you earlier."

Jiang Ningshu sincerely expressed her gratitude. The gradual recovery of her strength proved that Su Luo hadn’t lied to her.

Only after losing her powers did she realize how helpless it felt.

The Heavenly Demon Sect wouldn’t tolerate her being powerless.

The pressure had already reached its peak.

Su Luo, seeing Jiang Ningshu’s sincere expression, felt a pang of guilt. Would he even be able to sleep tonight?

But so be it. He wasn’t a good person anyway.

"Demon Lord, that sounds a bit ambiguous, but I’m sorry—you’re a good person."

Jiang Ningshu: "?"

Did Su Luo misunderstand? And why was she suddenly a good person?

Su Luo hadn’t misunderstood, nor did he narcissistically believe the Demon Lord would fall for him because of this.

"Never mind. I’m leaving. You don’t need to thank me too much. After all, this is just a transaction, isn’t it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Ningshu couldn’t help but smile bitterly. It was called a transaction, but in reality, it was just her pride getting in the way.

As Su Luo left, Jiang Ningshu intended to continue recovering her strength.

But she heard that Su Luo was going on a trip, and he usually wrote in his diary during such times.

Perfect timing to check it out and keep an eye on Su Luo.

The very first line froze her smile.

[But she definitely wouldn’t expect that the method I gave her was a watered-down version. Even if she had the latter half, it would take her a long time to recover any significant strength.]

Give me back my emotional moment!

Then she saw the real method.

Well, for a moment, Jiang Ningshu didn’t know whether to be angry or happy.

But regardless, she decided to give it a try.

So, she used the latest method from the diary.

The effect was remarkable.

Jiang Ningshu: "..."

Wow, holding back, huh? Holding back a lot.

Her feelings were complicated.

Perhaps, as the diary said, she had met the wrong person.

But what about the diary itself?

Thinking of this, Jiang Ningshu couldn’t help but laugh.

Su Luo, you think everything is under your control, don’t you?

Unfortunately, an unexpected twist has occurred.

Jiang Ningshu secretly vowed:

I’ll quietly recover my strength and then amaze everyone, especially you, Su Luo!

Hmph!

......

Not long after, Cui Baiquan and the others arrived.

"Su Luo, let’s go."

"Alright, let’s go."

Su Luo was ready.

But Cui Baiquan was puzzled. "You’re going alone? Not that I don’t trust you, but shouldn’t you bring more people?"

Cui Baiquan had brought a group of subordinates, including the newly recruited formation genius, Liang Shuanghua, a titled Heavenly Demon.

He was a backup formation master from the Ancient Ruins, skilled in formations but far inferior to Wan Xibo.

Su Luo thought for a moment and said, "Sure. Yun, spread the word. Anyone who wants to come can join."

"Understood."

Su Luo didn’t specify names because he couldn’t be bothered to remember his subordinates.

He hadn’t expected many to show up, especially after the harsh words he’d said during the previous meeting. Who would willingly follow him now?

But after a short wait, Yun gathered a large group of Su Luo’s subordinates.

"Su Mozi, give us your orders!"

They shouted in unison, their voices so loud that even Cui Baiquan and his group were stunned.

Su Luo pointed at them, looking at Yun.

Yun shrugged, indicating he had no idea either.

It made sense. Those who had issues with Su Luo had already left.

Those who remained were determined to stick with him.

And although Su Luo had spoken harshly, how could Yun explain it?

Su Luo treated Yun exceptionally well.

So, in the end, it was a matter of not performing well enough.

As long as they remained loyal, one day, they might replace Yun and stand by Su Mozi’s side.

Seeing the loyalty of Su Luo’s subordinates, Cui Baiquan couldn’t help but feel envious.

His own subordinates weren’t like this—they had their own agendas, especially the stronger ones, who were greedier.

But he still had ways to keep them in line.

"Su Luo, how do you train your subordinates? They seem impressive."

"Train? They’re just like this on their own."

"Huh?"

Cui Baiquan didn’t believe it.

Then he was proven wrong.

"That’s right, we’re like this voluntarily."

"See? I didn’t force them."

"No, you didn’t."

"I can’t hear you."

"No, you didn’t!"

Cui Baiquan: "..."

Are there really such loyal subordinates?

Suddenly, Cui Baiquan felt exhausted.

Do you know how much effort I’ve put into managing my subordinates?

Now it seems like I’m not even as good as Su Luo, who usually does nothing.