Chapter 981: Hearing Your Voice
After listening to the Demon Lord’s words, Luo Luo walked to the edge of the observation deck and remained silent for a long time.
The slightly damp wind blowing from the Red River stirred the hot mist in the streets and alleys of White Emperor City, bringing coolness to the people.
She remembered discussing a similar topic with her teacher back in the National Teaching Academy, but she had forgotten what he said at that time.
How should she choose?
Just then, the ceremonial music at the Whale Fall Platform abruptly stopped. Several extremely violent auras surged into the sky, followed by intense tremors.
A battle suddenly erupted among the demon guards responsible for defending the imperial city, but it was quickly suppressed.
The little white flowers on the ground trembled slightly. Blood stained the stone steps in the distance, and faintly, several demon guards could be seen being dragged away, their fate unknown.
Before those few demon guards were subdued, they had shouted a few words, which Luo Luo heard very clearly.
“The princess cannot marry him.” That was the voice they would rather die than suppress.
Luo Luo turned to the Demon Lord and said, “I will not marry you.”
The Demon Lord said, “Because of those few foolish yet loyal guards?”
Luo Luo replied, “It has something to do with them, but the most important reason is that I don’t like you. So how could I marry you?”
The Demon Lord thought for a moment and said, “That reasoning is quite sound. I find myself unable to argue against it.”
Luo Luo said, “But naturally, you won’t stop here.”
“Correct. I will still make you marry me, even if you don’t like me. Because marriage—especially a marriage between you and me—may be tied to the picturesque landscape of the nation, to the peace of the continent, but it has absolutely nothing to do with something like liking.”
The Demon Lord gazed at her calmly and continued, “Also, on the day you and I marry, I will have Xuan Yuan Po killed, as a gift for you.”
Hearing this, Luo Luo’s face turned somewhat pale.
If this alliance marriage could not be disrupted, he wouldn’t need to act personally. He would only need to make the demand, and Xuan Yuan Po would die.
Because this was a gesture of sincerity that the Demon race was very qualified to demand from White Emperor City.
Although Xuan Yuan Po was a member of the Bear tribe, his more important identity was that of a student at the National Teaching Academy.
If the Demon race killed Xuan Yuan Po, given Chen Changsheng’s temperament, there would be no room for reconciliation between the two sides.
The Demon race could propose more conditions, such as a massacre at the Great Zhou embassy or the Western Wasteland Dao Hall, making it impossible for humans and demons to reconcile. But this would sharply worsen the continental situation, which neither the Demon race nor the Demon race wanted to see.
In this regard, the Demon Lord had not lied. He truly hoped for peace.
Before he and his people became strong again.
The blood on the stone steps was quickly cleaned by servants and palace maids.
The ceremonial music at the Whale Fall Platform sounded again.
Several grand scholars of the Demon court and important ministers of various departments walked out of the hall in two rows.
A bright yellow state letter was placed on a vermilion tray, held in the hands of the highest-ranking demon eunuch in the imperial city.
Madam Mu walked up to Luo Luo, her expression solemn, as majestic and dignified as the black-and-gold wave patterns on her robe, without losing any of her authority.
Luo Luo said, “Mother.”
Madam Mu said, “My daughter is about to be married. I truly feel reluctant to part with her.”
When she said this, her expression was very calm, signifying firmness and refusal to be denied.
“I will not marry.”
Luo Luo’s voice was also very calm, signifying firmness and refusal to accept.
Madam Mu looked at her and said, “You should be clear. Yesterday, the ancestral spirit already accepted him.”
Luo Luo said, “The ancestral spirit accepted him, but I will not. Because the one who is to marry is me, not the ancestral spirit.”
Madam Mu said, “Even if he is the Heaven’s Chosen?”
Luo Luo said, “The Heaven’s Chosen is not my choice, so it’s meaningless.”
Madam Mu looked at the dissipating mist in the streets and said slowly, “If you insist on refusing this marriage, the alliance between the two races will be very difficult to proceed. Not to mention how many people on the continent will die in the future, but right now, the Demon race is very likely to split. How many of the lives living in this city will never see the Heavenly Tree again?”
Luo Luo was silent for a moment, then said, “Mother, in the end, you still haven’t regarded this place as your hometown.”
Madam Mu said, “Why do you still insist on thinking that?”
Luo Luo said, “Because you have no feelings for this city. You would use the people living in this city to threaten your own daughter.”
A deep weariness appeared in Madam Mu’s eyes. She said, “You’re right. I really don’t like this place. Because it’s full of the stench of fur and sweat, full of foul language, full of foolish bravery and the so-called boldness that I detest. This place is like a barren desert—savage and primitive.”
When she said this, her voice was very soft, so it wouldn’t be heard.
“Snow Old City is different. It has true history, culture, and most importantly, art. Even the capital is far inferior. The husband I have chosen for you is the most outstanding heir of this civilization. I don’t want you to walk my old path, so marry him.”
Madam Mu said softly, “The matter is already settled. Since you cannot oppose it, you must learn to accept it.”
Luo Luo was silent for a moment, then said, “Why can’t I oppose it?”
Madam Mu looked into her eyes and said, “This is the marriage your father and I have chosen for you, with the ancestral spirit as the matchmaker. Who can oppose it?”
Yes, so-called marriage has never had anything to do with liking.
It’s merely the command of parents and the words of a matchmaker.
Whether among the Demon race, the human race, or the Demon race, the entire continent is like this.
Who could still oppose this marriage?
Luo Luo recalled a scene from many years ago at the Ivy Banquet in the capital.
She had thought of that scene countless times, so even today, it remained vivid, as if before her eyes.
In her memory, that was the most glorious moment of her teacher.
No matter if later her teacher won first place in the Grand Court Examination or summoned a night of starlight at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, none of it matched the splendor of that moment.
Because at that time, her teacher was still just an ordinary student at the National Teaching Academy.
More importantly, at that time, her teacher was only her teacher.
Unfortunately, on that night of the Ivy Banquet, not a single bit of her teacher’s glory fell upon her.
Because those words were not spoken to her.
If only she could hear those words right now.
But that was impossible.
She heard that her teacher was currently at Li Mountain. Even if he received the news and rushed over at the fastest speed, it would be too late.
Luo Luo walked to the railing, grasped the stone bead hanging around her neck, and looked toward the distant mountains across the Red River.
She believed that her teacher should be on the other side of the mountains right now.
There might still be tens of thousands of miles to go, but at least he was on the road.
That was good enough.
She was satisfied.
Suddenly, her expression changed slightly.
Because the clouds above the mountains suddenly churned violently.
An opening appeared in the clouds.
A beam of light descended.
That beam of light contained an extremely sacred aura, and it was inexplicably majestic.
The restrictions on both sides of the Red River were instantly pierced by this beam of light.
A white crane flew out from that beam of light.
A clear crane cry resounded throughout all of White Emperor City.
At the same time, a voice rang out.
“I oppose.”