I, Valon, am frantically searching for my mother.

Because what Wayne just said was a little outrageous, Sophia is now crying very sadly.

We're about to take action, this won't do!

Wayne decided to try to appease Sophia.

"Oh dear, Sophia, don't cry. Young Master Wayne was just teasing you. Actually, I was just too shy to say it out loud, but deep down I really want to protect you. Can you understand?"

Sophia stopped crying for a moment, then looked up at Wayne with hopeful eyes.

"So...Master Wayne's mother is dead too?"

"This one really isn't dead..."

"Wow!"

She cried again.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop crying."

Wayne's expression suddenly changed, and he said fiercely:

"You just secretly peed your pants, didn't you? You're such a bad boy. If you don't stop right now, I'm going to tell your mom."

Sofia sobbed twice.

"But...but...I don't have a mother anymore...Waaaaah!"

Oops, I can't select it.

Wayne was completely out of options.

He sighed, looked at the still deep and winding alleyway ahead, and then felt the little girl on his back, who was crying so hard that her whole body was shaking and her tears and snot were almost soaking the back of his neck.

This is not the way to go.

So he turned into a quieter side alley, found a relatively dry spot against the wall, and carefully squatted down.

Wayne put Sophia down from his back and let her sit against the wall. Then he gently stroked Sophia's little head to comfort her.

Gradually, the girl's crying finally stopped.

Sofia slowly raised her head.

Using the sliver of light filtering down from the sky from the depths of the alley, I looked at the boy's face in front of me, so handsome that even in the dim light, his features were still clearly defined.

The young master's eyes... were very dark and bright, and he looked at her calmly and gently.

The girl wiped her tear-streaked face haphazardly with her dirty sleeve, revealing a dirty smile that was even uglier than crying.

Her voice was still thick with nasal congestion and hoarse from crying as she spoke softly and cautiously:

"I'm sorry... Young Master Wayne."

"well……"

Wayne sighed and shook his head.

"You don't need to apologize."

"To be honest, this is partly my fault."

"That's not what I meant..."

Sofia gently shook her head.

She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, as if making a great decision, before continuing, her voice very soft and low:

"It's because...I lied to Young Master Wayne before."

"Did you lie to me?"

Wayne raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

"Do you mean... the time you tricked me into the alley?"

"Even without an apology, I've already forgiven Sofia for this."

Wayne waved his hand, his tone relaxed.

"After all, without this trip, I probably wouldn't have earned this much money all at once."

"That's not it..."

Sofia shook her head, her eyes dimming.

"Young Master Wayne..."

"Actually... I don't know how I got caught and brought here..."

"Because... I arrived way too early... so early... I don't even have any memories of my mother..."

"I don't remember what my mother looked like... I don't remember her voice... I'm not even sure if my mother ever really existed..."

"Maybe... I was just abandoned here from the very beginning... who knows..."

"but……"

Sofia paused.

"I think……"

"Sophia's mother... must be the one who loves Sophia the most."

"What if the bad guys really try to take Sophia away in front of Mom..."

"Mom will protect Sofia even at the cost of her own life!"

"Mom must have done so much to protect Sophia, even if I don't remember..."

As he listened to Sophia's words, two completely different phantoms seemed to appear before Wayne's eyes.

One is the image of a middle-aged woman with an indistinct face from the countryside.

The other is a majestic dragon from the depths of the dense forest, with gleaming scales, imposing eyes, and wings that can blot out the sky when it spreads its wings...

"Um……"

Wayne nodded heavily, a complex and indescribable emotion flashing in his dark eyes.

"I believe it too."

He spoke earnestly, emphasizing each word.

"Sofia's mother will definitely do everything she can to protect Sofia."

Even though she's no longer here, her sentiments have certainly reached her.

Sofia wiped her tear-streaked face, revealing a bright and determined smile that, though dirty and with swollen, red eyes.

"That……"

She looked at Wayne, and asked cautiously, with a hint of expectation:

"Young Master Wayne... can you still carry Sophia?"

"Sophia will help young master... give him directions."

Wayne looked at her and gave her a gentle, genuine smile.

"Okay, sure."

He nodded, turned around, and squatted down again.

"after all……"

Behind Sophia's unseen back, a red light suddenly flashed in Wayne's black eyes!

"After all, I, Young Master Wayne..."

His voice was calm as still water, yet it carried a chilling quality that sent shivers down one's spine.

"I also want to... avenge Sofia's mother."

……

"We're almost at the bad guys' location. Can Sophia promise not to make a sound?"

Looking at the building not far away, which was covered with a tattered black cloth and resembled a giant beast crouching in the shadows, Wayne stopped and turned to the girl beside him, whispering something.

Sophia nodded vigorously, her little hands gripping Wayne's clothes tightly.

"Don't worry, Master Wayne. I... I won't hold you back. I know what to do."

In fact, Wayne had considered whether he should first place Sophia in a relatively safe place and then infiltrate alone.

On the other hand, Sofia herself insisted on coming along—she was familiar with the terrain and knew some of the internal details, and insisted on seeing the villains' fate with her own eyes.

On the other hand, Wayne was genuinely worried about leaving her alone deep in this treacherous alleyway. Who knew if other patrolling scum might pass by?

Having her by your side, at least with the snake charm's invisibility ability, as long as she is careful, might actually be the safest option.

"it is good."

Wayne said nothing more, but gave her a deep look.

"In that case, we... shall go in."

He took Sophia's cold little hand in his and confirmed once again that the snake charm's concealment effect enveloped the two of them.

Then, he slightly bent his knees and glanced at the wall of the building in front of him, which was not low and even had some rough spikes.

Having a child is a difficult obstacle for most people to overcome.

But for Wayne...

He didn't even use the brute force of the Ox Talisman. He simply used a light step on the alleyway wall to scale the wall.

However, just as he steadied himself in the shadows within the courtyard walls, his gaze swept over the scene inside—

Wayne felt as if the blood in his entire body had been ignited in an instant!