Chapter 720 A Cheeky Coercion


    "Come on, this is my ce and you are my guest, Pearl. Couldn''t we use some polite words?" Ricky


    asked helplessly, torn betweenughing and crying.


    Although it sounded like Ricky wasining, he was actually just cozying up to Pearl. After all, he


    badly needed her help. It was vital for him to get along well with her during this visit.


    "Now that you have left the Oriental Realm, could you please let me go? Anyway, I don''t think you have


    to worry about me seeking revenge. No one can defeat an ace genius like you, right?" Pearl answered


    with more than the usual coldness in her voice. Her face also seemed to take on a sourer expression at


    Ricky''s teasing attempts.


    "Well, well. You know I will never let you go, and you know the reason perfectly well, too," Ricky replied


    with a wicked smile. Currently, bickering had seemed to have drastically shifted into something akin to


    flirting between the two of them. At least, that was what Ricky thought. He had to admit that he enjoyed


    the recent development between them very much. "Anyway, let''s get back to the point. There''s a favor I


    wanna ask from you." Ricky''s tone shifted to a more serious one.


    "Ha-ha!" Pearl, however, burst intoughter at his words. This was something she truly didn''t expect.


    "You can''t be serious, genius. Are you foolish enough to think that I will help you?" she sneered.


    "Of course, I have already expected that you wouldn''t readily agree. I''vee with a bargaining chip,"


    Ricky exined with a confident smile.


    "Oh, how very interesting," Pearl said dismissively as she stretched her fingers and looked at her nails.


    She was deliberately showing Ricky that she didn''t really care much about whatever it was that he


    needed from her. In her mind, she was having a mental debate. She really didn''t want anything to do


    with Ricky. Still, there was a nagging voice inside her that wanted to hear out more about Ricky''s favor.


    In the end, despite her irritation, she relented, "Tell me about it then. Let''s see what you can offer." Little


    by little, Pearl''s lips began curling up into a smirk.


    Seeing that Pearl was intrigued, Ricky paused for a bit longer to build up her excitement more before


    he finally said, "I bet you already know that there is another powerful zone within me through the chat


    with Tina, don''t you?"


    Ricky began. Then, he paused for a minute to gather his thoughts, before he continued, "One more


    thing, I think you know very well how powerful my zone can be, along with the benefits that you can get


    from cultivating in it. And so, I assume that my offer has a hundred merits and not a single demerit.


    Technically, I only need your help for a small task...and that task is to pin down two top-level middle


    spiritual kings, plus some lower spiritual kings. This is a piece of cake for you, isn''t it?" Ricky studied


    Pearl''s reaction as he revealed his favor.


    Pearl pondered for a while with a frown, before a smile lit up her face once again. "To tell you the truth,


    this really sounds like a good bargain for me. I might agree at once had it been someone else who


    presented this deal to me. Sadly, I can only tell you to keep dreaming, Ricky. Besides, the other zone


    you were talking about happens to be of the fire nature, and that has nothing to do with my power."


    Pearl didn''t make eye contact with Ricky as she voiced out her decision. Ricky didn''t expect Pearl to be


    the type of woman who would readily refuse him and be so persistent at it.


    "Are you ying tricks on me, you foolish woman?" Ricky began exhibiting annoyance in his manner of


    speaking and facial expression. Narrowing his eyes, he also seemed to be holding back his anger.


    "Well, if you must think that way of my response, then, perhaps, I should reply with a ''yes''?" Pearl


    looked over her shoulder so she could meet his gaze. She feigned a quizzical look on her face. "Why?


    Are you mad at me?" Slowly, Pearl turned her head to her front so she could hide the sly smile on her


    lips. "Cause, it looks to me like you want to use the power of your zone to suppress me once again,"


    Pearl said quite casually when she sensed the hint of rage in Ricky''s tone. She was not the kind of


    woman to back down so easily.


    "You think I wouldn''t do it?" Ricky questioned with the hints of aloofness in his voice bing


    increasingly overt.


    "Oh, I never doubt for one second that you can be that merciless," Pearl retorted mockingly.


    As the words in herst sentence escaped her lips, she immediately turned her attention back to her


    cultivation without even waiting for Ricky''s reaction.


    This time, Ricky was truly enraged. On top of turning him down, this woman even went as far as


    ridiculing him so casually. For a moment, he could barely resist the urge to lock her up again. But he


    knew that it wouldn''t change anything. She would still be unwilling to help him in the end, and it would


    deepen her hatred towards him as well.


    After all, it was clear that a tough woman like Pearl was not vulnerable against neither persuasion nor


    coercion. She was the kind of woman that was the hardest to deal with, unless one could easily find out


    where her weaknessesy.


    Just when there seemed to be no other option for Ricky but to give up, a vicious smile slowly formed on


    his face. ''Alright then, since neither the carrot nor the stick would work on you, how about I execute a


    unique skill from a man...just for you?'' Ricky thought as he took a step closer to Pearl.


    "You sure you won''t help me this time, Pearl?" Ricky asked again, but the naughtiness in his tone was


    too apparent to ignore.


    Pearl had wanted to just turn a deaf ear to Ricky''s question, but she had certainly detected the evil


    smile on the ace genius'' face. She had a sinking feeling that the man was now up to no good, and it


    To Ricky''s delight, Pearl opened her eyes and finally asked, "Now what?"


    "Well, I think I should remind you again that you are in my ce, which means that I can suppress you


    without breaking a sweat if I want to. What''s more, I can do almost everything I want in here. For


    example, I don''t mind telling you that, in fact, I have recited the whole Dark and Light Dual Cultivation


    Method back in the Dark and Light Rock Array. Remember what happened back there? In case you


    don''t remember, which I''m pretty sure you do, here''s a hint anyway...it was just in the Heavenly


    Passage," Ricky said rather slowly.


    There was a pregnant pause before Ricky continued, "As far as I remember, we have only entered the


    first phase of the dual cultivation that we did back then. I was wondering if we should carry it on..."


    Ricky paused once again. He had confidence that Pearl would understand what he was trying to say,


    and that this time, she wouldply with his request.


    As expected, Pearl''s face couldn''t be sourer as Ricky finished his words.


    Honestly, Ricky himself was reluctant to force Pearl this way. But at the moment, he really had no other


    option. They couldn''t let the enemies know about the existences of Scar, Henry and Soar just yet. The


    three of them must wait and take the Celestial Army by surprise when the battle came. Pearl was their


    only hope for now.


    "Ricky, you shameless bastard!" Pearl cursed through gritted teeth with a darkened expression on her


    face.


    Contrary to her outward anger, her resolve was starting to waver on the inside. She secretly feared that


    Ricky would truly suppress her and coerce her to perform that nasty cultivation with him once again.


    Maybe Ricky was simply frightening her into helping him. Yet, based on how she got to know him,


    Ricky could also very well mean every word that he said.


    On all ounts involving Ricky that Pearl could recall, she had consistently observed that Ricky was


    the kind of person who wouldn''t stop until he got what he wanted.


    "You are right. This is a brazen way to ask for your help. But I''ve got no other options, and you''re the


    only one I can rely on now. Besides, I have promised to pay you a high price, haven''t I? If that promise


    of mine still won''t buy you over, then I can only choose to be a shameless man," Ricky calmly


    exined with a sincere smile.


    "I advise that you ept my terms. This will do both of us good."


    Pearl remained silent. Ricky seemed desperate, and it appeared that she, too, had already run out of


    options.


    "My offer that involves letting you use that other zone of mine still stands. Help me and you will get the


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    benefits. All I need from you is a clear and genuine ''yes, ''" Ricky continued to press on. He had noticed


    the little gestures that showed Pearl''s hesitation.


    Exasperated at his persistence, she shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her index


    finger and thumb. "Fine. You win, Ricky." Pearl was resentful. She glued a hateful gaze on Ricky.


    Originally, the strange affection Pearl held for Ricky deepened after the chat she had with Tina.


    Nheless, Pearl felt that her developing feelings had all been averted after today. Pearl strongly


    disliked being coerced, and this was exactly what this man was doing.


    Ricky could surely sense the change in Pearl''s attitude towards him. But, he had to be the bad guy.


    Taking down the Endless Shadow within the Realm of Wildness was their priority, and there was


    sacrifice that had to be made for the sake of winning the battle. For that particr purpose, Ricky was


    more than willing to make that sacrifice.


    "Well, it''s both a good and a bad news for me. I''m happy that you finally agree to help, but that also


    means I have to wait for a long, long time before we can perform that cultivation together again," Ricky


    teased with feigned disappointment.


    "But on second thought, I think it is also necessary that you take the Martial Arts Oath on this matter. I


    fear that my n would be thwarted if you suddenly decide to take back your words...especially during


    critical moments."


    Pearl fixed a stern and angry look on Ricky in response. She inched closer to him, and now it was as if


    he had taken a few steps back to extend the distance between them that had only begun to diminish.


    His actions only continued to fuel Pearl''s fire. Nheless, she did as he had asked her to, and took


    the Martial Arts Oath. The oath made her promise to keep her words, no matter what.


    "Good!" Ricky nodded in satisfaction. "All is settled now. You see, if you had just nodded your head at


    the very beginning, we could have saved ourselves from all the trouble and squabble. Our rtionship


    might have even been strengthened." Ricky smiled cheekily and winked at Pearl.


    "I will kill you one day, you can be sure of that, you shameless asshole!" Pearl swore as she turned her


    back towards him, her hair whipping in the air with much sass.


    "Ha-ha! I suggest that you don''t keep using the word ''shameless'' on me, Pearl. Who knows, one day


    you might fall in love with me. When that dayes, you might make a fool of yourself!" Ricky


    continued to tease Pearl,pletely ignoring her fury. Now that she was willing to help, she could be


    as angry as she wished, and Ricky would not get irritated anymore.


    After his meeting with Pearl, Ricky also dropped by to say goodbye to Connor before he left. His next


    stop was none other than the base of the Endless Shadow.


    "He''s gone, sir. Shall we keep watch on his movements?" the deputy leader of the Celestial Army


    asked while within the premises of their grand pce. He was an upper spiritual king, and he sounded


    very confident and authoritative.


    "There is no need for that. He has reached the level of an upper spiritual king, too. He might blow our


    cover even if you, yourself carry out the surveince. Don''t worry, I think he''s heading for the Endless


    Shadow to find the Shadow King. Just let him go," Connor answered with assurance.


    "What? He can''t be serious. Is he too foolish or too confident in himself? There are two top-level middle


    spiritual kings in that organization. That type of mission can already be likened to a suicide!" the deputy


    leader scoffed, deliberately expressing his disdain for Ricky.