As Ji Jing spoke, Bai Ke’s expression changed dramatically. This is bad!
Yuan Man’s slender eyes lifted slightly, her voice laced with mockery. "Are you blaming me, then?"
The temperature in the room plummeted.
From the eaves, from under the bed, and even from within the dressing mirror, the shadows of countless electric eels appeared, their gazes fixed coldly on the two human morsels. They were merely awaiting their master’s command to swarm out.
"Demon King, Ji Jing didn’t mean that! Please calm your anger!" Bai Ke hurriedly clasped his fists.
"That is precisely what I meant," Ji Jing retorted with a cold laugh. "Old Bai, Demon King Yuan Man clearly doesn’t care about human lives, so why should we suffer this indignity here? Humans and demons were never meant to coexist!"
"Ji Jing!" Bai Ke roared in fury. "Shut your mouth!"
Ji Jing stared back at Bai Ke, her defiance unmistakable. She knew that Old Bai secretly felt the same way; he just hadn’t said it aloud.
Ji Jing’s agitation stemmed from the death of her companion, Ji Zhao, and from the Sword-Maiden who had willingly ventured to her death beyond the domain. Her heart wasn’t made of stone; how could she pretend that nothing had happened?
If the Demon Race and the Human Race had joined forces to guard Chang’an City from beyond the domain, how could Gu Jiu’an and the other three Otherworlders have ever set foot on Earth?
And Ji Zhao... would still be alive.
"A hundred thousand years ago, this land belonged to the Demon Race. Five thousand years ago, your Human Race developed its first hint of civilization. Although your lifespans are short, you are remarkably suited for cultivation. The world... soon became yours," Yuan Man said, closing her eyes, her voice serene. "But starting three thousand years ago, the Human Race began hunting the Demon Race.
"The leaders of the Demon Race, not wishing for a great war with the Human Race and concerned about widespread slaughter, voluntarily migrated to remote areas and forests, establishing various forbidden lands and barriers."
"You humans drove us demons from our homes to become kings and overlords, and now you want us to save you? How laughable!"
Bai Ke fell silent. Ordinary people were unaware of Martial Artists, and Martial Artists were unaware of the Demon Race. These matters were kept secret for good reason. But the events of thousands of years ago were too distant, and no one could clearly state the rights and wrongs of those times. Therefore, even when faced with the Demon King’s repeated provocations, Bai Ke could only endure.
"So, it’s not just me; the attitudes of the other Demon Kings are the same," Yuan Man said indifferently. "The survival of your Human Race is of no concern to our Demon Race. It would be even better if the Otherworlders took over Earth."
She propped her chin on her palm, a seductive smile playing on her lips. "Who knows, our Demon Race might even establish a profound friendship with the Otherworlders."
With things having reached this point, Bai Ke knew there was no more use in negotiating. He simply sighed, clasped his fists, and said, "In that case, Demon King, we will take our leave."
Yuan Man gave an indifferent "hmm" in response.
As he reached the doorway, Bai Ke suddenly stopped and asked, "Then for this year’s quota to Mount Zijin, how many from the Human Race will be allowed entry?"
Bai Ke and Ji Jing left.
As the two departed, a cute little girl appeared behind Yuan Man. Blinking, she asked, "Master, are we really not going to help the Human Race?"
Yuan Man didn’t answer directly, instead posing a question of her own. "Which did you enjoy more: staying in Sea City, or staying in Hua Country?"
"Sea City," the little girl replied without hesitation. "The Spiritual Energy in the outside world is too scarce, and the pollution is too severe."
Yuan Man laughed. "Exactly. So, let the Human Race and the Otherworlders fight like dogs. No matter who wins, it has little to do with us."
"By the way, Master, Mount Zijin opens in fifteen days. I want to go," the little girl said expectantly.
Yuan Man’s smile faded. "Mount Zijin is one of the forbidden lands. Though it is filled with countless treasures, it is also incredibly dangerous."
"But every year, you and the Orochi Demon King from Sakura Country work together to stabilize the space within the forbidden land, so it’s very safe," the young girl pleaded, shaking her master’s arm. "Please, Master? Yingying promises to be obedient."
"No." Yuan Man shook her head, a strange glint in her narrowed eyes. "Who is this Xu Lai from Hua Country? To think he killed She Jiu and Hu Li, two Great Demons, enraging that old creature Orochi so much that he flew into a rage. He even offered a Dragon Scale as payment just to ensure I wouldn’t interfere..."
Yuan Man suddenly turned to her dejected disciple. "I heard from the lesser demons that a new Spirit Vein has appeared in the nearby waters?"
"It seems to be called Mount Haitang, but it isn’t a Spirit Vein; it’s a Dragon Vein." Yingying scratched her head. "And it’s already undergone Dragon Transformation. It’s said to be the blessed land where the human Martial Artist, Flower Fairy, broke through into the Divine Gate Realm."
Yuan Man was taken aback. Although Flower Fairy wasn’t in Sea City, she was healing in seclusion on some unknown islet within the waters Yuan Man controlled. Because they were acquainted, Yuan Man had even given her a Spirit Plant to aid her recovery.
Moreover, with her fundamental origin damaged, it was already a struggle for Flower Fairy to maintain her peak Ninth Grade cultivation. How could she possibly break through into the Divine Gate Realm?
Even if she had, she would have only blessed a small Spirit Vein. How could she have blessed a Dragon Vein, let alone one that could achieve Dragon Transformation so quickly?
And Mount Haitang... wasn’t that the residence of Xu Lai, Orochi’s target? Official source is Nove1Fire.net
After all, she was a creature that had lived for thousands of years. In an instant, Yuan Man understood everything. "This Dragon Vein likely has nothing to do with Flower Fairy. It’s false information spread by someone else. It could be Xu Lai, or it could be someone else..."
"Interesting." The Demon King’s brows curved into arches as she beamed. "It seems I’ll have to go take a look for myself. It is a Dragon Vein, after all."
A look of longing filled Yuan Man’s eyes. Although Sea City has its own Dragon Vein, if she could acquire another, perhaps her power could ascend to the next level!
"By the way, Master, the shrimp soldiers guarding the barrier said that Beibei has returned," Yingying said.
"Hmm?" Yuan Man raised an eyebrow, hesitating for a moment. Finally, she sighed. "Let her be. Since she has already given up her position as a Demon General of Sea City, just treat her as an ordinary Sea Demon."
On an island, Beibei stepped onto a pristine white sand beach, excitedly proclaiming, "This is my home!"
"Wow!" Xu Yiyi and Qian Xiao exclaimed in amazement. It was too beautiful.
The sand was clean. The water was a clear, azure blue. Instead of coconut trees, the island was covered in countless blooming cherry blossoms.
Pink petals drifted on the wind, settling on the sand. They floated upon the water’s surface, creating the image of a vast pink ocean when viewed from afar. The sight made the two children feel as if they had entered a fairy tale, and they began hopping and jumping excitedly on the beach.
At that moment, a weathered voice, filled with endless sighs, drifted over. "The cherry blossoms of home have bloomed and withered, season after season. Beibei, you’ve finally returned."
Looking toward the voice, they saw another anthropomorphized clam-type Sea Demon. She wasn’t a conch, but a scallop. She was roughly the same size as Beibei and had the appearance of a kind-faced old woman. Leaning on a pearl-inlaid cane, she hobbled toward them.
"Ah, Chieftain!" Beibei exclaimed, waving to Xu Yiyi. "Yiyi, this is the chieftain of our clam tribe, Grandma Juanbei."
As for Xu Lai and Qian Xiao, they were simply ignored.