Chapter 782: A Simple Story
Starting from several hundred years ago, the Demon race’s strategist Black Robe began developing spies within the human world in the south. Although on the surface, progress was not too smooth, in truth, who knew how many people had secretly pledged allegiance to the Demon race? The events in the Zhou Garden had already proven this point.
Black Robe had always been someone the young Demon Lord respected and was willing to learn from. In his view, any human could become a target for his bribery. As long as it benefited the Demon race’s grand cause, even a mortal enemy who had killed his father could be forgiven with a smile. If the person was truly important, he was even willing to pay a greater price.
Shang Xingzhou was now the most important figure in the human world. Logically, such a person could not be bought, because the Demon race could not offer him more benefits. But for the Demon race, an opportunity still existed because there was clearly a problem between Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, which could be exploited.
Since there was an opportunity, there was a possibility. Why was Chen Changsheng so certain that he was lying?
“Although he possesses supreme prestige and power in the human world, it is obvious that he has always been wary of you. Couldn’t this become a trigger? As for power and benefits, I truly cannot give him more, but I can promise him a division of north and south, peace in the world. Doesn’t he want to see such a beautiful future?”
The young Demon Lord was not trying to convince Chen Changsheng, but rather hoped to learn more about Shang Xingzhou and the relationship between master and disciple through his answers.
Chen Changsheng said, “He will not accept your terms, because he will not be willing to settle, and therefore he will not believe that you would be willing to settle either.”
The young Demon Lord’s expression turned cold and stern. “Why would he not be willing?”
Chen Changsheng said, “Among the three thousand paths of the Dao, only following one’s heart matters. I know very well what he wants to do, so it is impossible for him to join forces with you.”
The young Demon Lord narrowed his eyes slightly. “What exactly does he want?”
Chen Changsheng pointed at him and his father. “He wants to kill you both, and then unify this world.”
The young Demon Lord was silent for a long time, then laughed. “What a grand ambition.”
His smile was not similar to the previous Demon Lord’s smile. It lacked much of that ethereal and aloof feeling, instead appearing somewhat shy, yet it was even more chilling.
“Indeed, I cannot deceive you. The one who joined forces with me was not Shang Xingzhou.”
The young Demon Lord said with a smile, “But he truly does want to kill you. This is indeed his scheme. From the Military Department to the Songshan Military Prefecture, from the imperial court to the Wenshui region, many foolish people, either actively or passively, cooperated with him, yet they had no idea what the real content of this scheme was.”
The foolish people mentioned in this sentence naturally referred to the already dead Zhu Ye, Ning Shiwei, Tianhai Zhanyi, high-ranking officials of the Military Department, and even that immensely powerful prince in the imperial court, as well as the compassionate adjutant of the Songshan Military Prefecture who loved his soldiers like his own children, and kind-hearted people like An Hua.
“Some people wanted to find the master of the Cinnabar Pill, some only knew to send a young formation master to the Songshan Military Prefecture, some were responsible for arranging that young formation master’s rank, but no one knew that the young formation master was a little monster named Chu Su from the Longevity Sect, sent by Shang Xingzhou and the second master of the Tang family to kill you here.”
The young Demon Lord withdrew his smile and said calmly, “And I only did one thing: I found a way to replace that little monster in the process.”
Perhaps this was the whole truth, but some things still remained hidden behind the thick fog. That little monster named Chu Su from the Longevity Sect, who could be sent by Shang Xingzhou and the Tang family to kill Chen Changsheng, must have been extremely powerful, even terrifying. Yet he was silently replaced... Even if he was the Demon Lord, this matter was too incredible.
Chen Changsheng especially noticed that when he mentioned the little monster named Chu Su from the Longevity Sect and the fact that he had been replaced, neither the Demon Lord nor Nanke’s expressions changed at all, indicating that in their eyes, this was a very normal thing, at least not difficult. Why was that?
He vaguely thought of some possibility, but found it too absurd to continue thinking about... Then, he might as well ask directly.
“Who exactly is that person?”
Asking was Chen Changsheng’s freedom, while not answering was the young Demon Lord’s prerogative.
He looked back at Chen Changsheng and asked, “Shang Xingzhou wants to kill you. Don’t you feel sad?”
Chen Changsheng shook his head. “My master has tried to kill me many times. I’m used to it.”
The young Demon Lord said with emotion, “I never expected that this generation’s Pope would be such a foolishly filial disciple.”
Chen Changsheng did not explain anything. He only thought that it was understandable that his master wanted to use circumstances to kill him, but why had the young Demon Lord risked coming here?
This snowy ridge, no matter how close it was to the Demon domain’s Snow Plains, was ultimately still human territory. For the Demon Lord to appear here was naturally a risk. Back in the day, his father, who was countless times more powerful than him now, never left the Snow-City. The only time he risked sneaking into the Cold Mountain, he nearly failed to return.
The status of the Demon race’s sovereign was very similar to that of the human race’s Pope. To put himself in danger just to kill Chen Changsheng was extremely unwise.
This showed that from the very beginning, the young Demon Lord’s target was not Chen Changsheng, or at least not only Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng looked into the distance.
The Demon Lord who had ruled the northern continent for a thousand years was now a bloody figure, his body stained with golden liquid, like some kind of idol worshipped in a heretical cult.
Nanke knelt beside him, silent, lost in thought.
The Demon Lord’s breathing had become extremely prolonged, as if he might fall asleep at any moment—if not for the fact that his eyes were still open, staring at that starry sky. Of course, this could also be interpreted as his breathing rate having dropped significantly, possibly about to cease altogether. By then, he might truly die with his eyes open.
The young Demon Lord said, “If it were just to kill you, that little monster Chu Su from the Longevity Sect could have succeeded with an ambush from the stretcher. But I took an extraordinary risk to come south. Besides killing you, Your Holiness the Pope, I naturally had an even more important reason.”
“Shang Xingzhou and the Tang family do not know that my father is still alive, but I do.”
He looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “And I know even more that since my father is alive, he will definitely come to find you.”
Chen Changsheng said, “The Tang family discovered the clues in the Cinnabar Pill, which was equivalent to pointing the way for your father.”
The young Demon Lord said, “Correct. And when he arrived, I had already been waiting here for him for a long time.”
After saying this, he walked over to the Demon Lord’s side, crouched down, and gently stroked that aged face.
“From the moment I first learned of Shang Xingzhou’s arrangement, I knew that this was my best chance to kill you, and perhaps even my only chance.”
“Of course I fear you. I absolutely do not want to meet you face to face. But to kill you, neither the southerners nor the strategist could do it. I had to do it myself.”
“You see, the whole matter is just that simple.”