He spoke with a serious face, as if he were an aunt switching moods.

"Then can you take me to the sky?"

The little girl was still innocent, looking at him with eyes full of obvious anticipation.

"Of course I can, but first you have to tell me where this place is, and how to get out of here."

"If I tell you, will you take me to the sky?"

"I'm an immortal, I don't lie. As long as you tell me, and preferably help me leave here, then I can take you to the sky. Up there, everything is wonderful. Whatever you want, you can have. We can go to an amusement park, eat ice cream, and I can even teach you how to play games."

Edward Clark said in a tempting tone.

"This is the imperial palace."

The little girl answered cheerfully.

"The imperial palace?"

Edward Clark said, pretending to be calm.

Parachuting into the imperial palace...

The harem.

If he got caught here, even if they didn't kill him, they'd have to castrate him.

"Then who is the emperor?"

He asked.

"The emperor is my father!"

The little girl said, clearly with a look of fear.

It was obvious she was very afraid of her father.

"What is your father's name?"

Edward Clark asked.

So she's a princess!

Sneaking into the harem at night, seducing the princess—this isn't just a death sentence, it's extermination of nine generations. Luckily, he didn't have nine generations to exterminate. This princess was clearly too naïve, so maybe he could still fool her a bit, but he still needed to see what kind of emperor it was...

No matter what kind of emperor, he'd want to wipe out his whole clan!

"My father is the emperor. Aren't you an immortal? How could you not even know that?"

The silly, naïve princess said in confusion.

"I'm the one asking you, not the other way around. Do you still want to go to the sky or not? Hurry up and take me out!"

Edward Clark said with a stern face.

"But you're an immortal, aren't you supposed to fly?"

The little princess said innocently.

"Flying also requires a ritual first. When I perform the ritual, there will be thunder and lightning, clouds swirling, and radiant lights everywhere. There are buildings all around here, so performing the ritual would easily alert others. We need to find a spacious, empty place with no one around."

Edward Clark put on a serious face, just like those street charlatans.

"Oh."

The little princess agreed, turned around full of anticipation, and Edward Clark followed behind with his backpack. After quickly passing a grove of flowering trees, they came upon a waterside pavilion. The little princess signaled him to be quiet and led him silently past it, then through a moon gate out of the garden. Outside were rows of buildings, but although there were lamp posts, none were lit, so it was pitch black.

The two of them soon arrived at a door.

Edward Clark immediately stepped forward, opened the latch, took out some gun oil, and dripped a bit onto the door hinge before silently opening the door.

The little princess looked suspicious.

It was still pitch black outside...

"Can't you people in the palace light a few more lamps?"

Edward Clark said.

"Father won't allow it. He says the lamp oil is all contributed by the commoners, so we have to be frugal."

The little princess said.

But she was also scared, and immediately shrank to Edward Clark's side, just like a calico cat following a big yellow one. The two of them walked forward in the pitch-black corridor, Edward Clark simply put on his night vision goggles, while the little princess held onto his clothes to guide the way, trembling from time to time...

"Why are you shaking?"

Edward Clark asked.

"Father will punish me."

The little princess said, trembling with the excitement of a good child being rebellious for once.

"Naughty!"

Edward Clark said with a smile.

The two of them kept walking like this, and finally arrived at another door.

"Beyond this door is the inner garden. This is the northernmost part of the palace. Further north is the Xuanwu Gate. At night, this place is empty and deserted."

The little princess said.

But the door was closed. Edward Clark pushed it but it wouldn't budge; obviously, it was bolted from the inside. He looked at the little princess, and she looked at him...

"Aren't you an immortal? Can't you use magic?"

She asked.

"Well..."

"Are you lying to me?"

"Nonsense, you saw me come down from the sky!"

"Then use your magic!"

The little princess said with a pure look.

She clearly wasn't completely hopelessly naïve.

"Matters of immortals are not for mortals to understand. I have other things to do tonight. You go back and wait. Tomorrow night I'll come get you."

Edward Clark said.

A wall like this couldn't stop him. As a paratrooper, he needed to be fully equipped—grappling hooks and ropes were all in his backpack. Climbing over would be easy, but he definitely couldn't take the little princess with him. From what she said, this was the northernmost part, so there was probably just a city wall left. She was no longer of any use.

"You're lying to me! You liar!"

The little princess cried, wiping her tears as she watched Edward Clark pull out a rope.

Using a rope already?

What kind of immortal climbs walls with a rope?

Edward Clark had no interest in dealing with her anymore. He put his backpack back on, grabbed the grappling hook, and prepared to climb the wall...

"Guards! There's a demon here! Catch the demon!"

The little princess suddenly shouted from behind.

Then she turned and ran.

Edward Clark angrily turned around and grabbed her by the belt, yanking her back. Her little body, only a few dozen pounds, was just a bit heavier than his backpack, and he pulled her straight back.