[Lin Yue's Mission Completed]

  Lin Yue, having completed her tax collection mission, walked back toward Ameer with her head held high. Her task was simple: collect taxes from other sects. She had done it flawlessly, just as Ameer had commanded.

  Lin Yue: "I've done it, Ameer. The taxes are secured. The sects will bow before you." ??

  Ameer glanced at her with satisfaction, his golden eyes flashing. His lips curled up into a smirk as he nodded.

  Ameer: "Well done, little pawn. You're more useful than I thought." ??

  Lin Yue blinked, looking at Ameer with curiosity.

  Lin Yue: "But... what about the little girl? Who is she?" ??

  Ameer looked down at the girl still clinging to his foot, her face flushed with embarrassment. He gave her a dismissive glance, as though she was an insignificant problem.

  Ameer: "Her? Oh, don't worry about her. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with her. Dumping her in a village should be enough, right?" ??

  The little girl, Hua Mina, immediately gasped and clung tighter to his foot. She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, completely unaware of the fate that Ameer seemed to be planning for her.

  Small Girl: "M-Mister! Please don't! I don't want to go!" ??

  Ameer raised an eyebrow and sighed, looking unbothered.

  Ameer: "I don't really care. You're just in my way. Get off me." ??

  [The Cultist Spreads the Word]

  Meanwhile, the surviving cultist was still running. He had been tasked with spreading the news—the Demon Fox Emperor had returned, and it was a message he could not afford to fail.

  As he stumbled along, nearly out of breath, he muttered to himself in frantic panic.

  Cultist: "The Demon Fox Emperor... The beast emperor... He's returned... and he's real. This is not a joke." ??

  He stopped for a moment, looking back, unsure whether he had been followed. The fear was evident in his expression, but he had no choice. He had to spread the message.

  Cultist: "Tell them. Let the world know the Demon Fox Emperor, Ameer, has returned. Tremble in fear, world!" ????

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  As he hurried along, his thoughts were a jumbled mess of fear and disbelief. He couldn't help but imagine the wrath of Ameer that had been unleashed. How many would bow down before him? How many would try to resist and fail?

  He didn't want to find out.

  [System's Response]

  The System, ever present and annoyingly talkative, couldn't help but comment on the entire situation. It had been watching everything unfold, and now, as Ameer was once again confronted with Lin Yue's obedience and the small girl's clinginess, it felt the need to make its voice heard.

  System: "Oh, so Lin Yue did the job well, huh? Look at you, making your pawn work for you. What's next, Ameer? Gonna start a cult in your name? Huh?!" ??

  Ameer, barely acknowledging the System, rolled his eyes. He had become far too accustomed to its constant commentary by now. Still, he wasn't in the mood for its usual jokes.

  Ameer: "Shut up, System. You just can't handle how awesome I am, huh? Of course, I've got my pawn working for me. Why wouldn't I?" ??

  System: "I never thought I'd see the day when you went from a little fox to a demon lord. Honestly, though, this is a bit much, don't you think?" ??

  Ameer grinned wickedly, feeling a rush of power.

  Ameer: **"Too much? Nah, I'm just getting started. Wait until the world sees the real me." ??

  [Hua Mina, The Clingy Pawn]

  The small girl, Hua Mina, had not let go of Ameer's leg. In fact, she had now found herself clutching it even tighter, not willing to let go for fear of what would happen to her if she did. Ameer, frustrated by her persistence, glanced down at her once again.

  Ameer: "I told you already. You're just a little nuisance to me. I should have dumped you in a village ages ago." ??

  But the little girl just looked up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with desperation.

  Small Girl: "M-Mister, please! Don't abandon me! I... I don't know where to go!" ??

  Ameer sighed again. Why was this child so insistent? Why couldn't she just understand that he didn't care?

  Ameer: "You're not my responsibility. You're just some little girl who got caught up in something you don't understand." ??

  [Lin Yue's Curiosity]

  Lin Yue, who had been silently watching the exchange, raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.

  Lin Yue: "Ameer, what are you going to do with her? You can't just let her keep following you around like this." ??

  Ameer rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by the girl's clinginess, but he couldn't exactly dispose of her so easily. There was something about her that he couldn't quite ignore.

  Ameer: "I'm not sure yet. But for now, she's my pawn. Don't question it." ??

  Lin Yue: "Your pawn? That's a bit much, don't you think? She looks like she's just a burden." ??

  Ameer shrugged, uninterested in explaining himself any further.

  Ameer: "It's not like I care. She's just here for the ride." ??

  Epilogue: The Demon Fox's Game Continues

  As the cultist continued his journey to spread the message, and Lin Yue completed her mission, Ameer stood tall, his power undeniable. His eyes gleamed with cold confidence, the Golden Fox Emperor fully awakened.

  The little girl, Hua Mina, still clung to his foot like an annoying, persistent leech. Ameer, however, paid her little mind, his focus on the path ahead.

  Ameer: "Let the world know. Let them fear me. I am the Demon Fox Emperor, and nothing will stop me." ??

  But deep down, Ameer had a feeling that the world might have a few surprises in store for him. Whether it was the small girl, the cultist, or the world itself, Ameer was ready for whatever came next.

  The game had just begun, and Ameer had no intention of losing. ??

  End of Chapter 17 ??