The Demon Lords

Chapter 546 52 Setting _1

"Oh boy, Brother Zheng, how can you still jest at a time like this? I'm about to drop dead from anxiety here. I'm not ready to die yet.

"There are so many poems and articles I've yet to write, and there are plenty of new beauties in the eight alleyways of the imperial capital's Water Street that I haven't 'tasted' yet!"

"But I think I put it together well."

Being of Helian heritage, one can indeed use their blood to seal the door, betray, and even collude with people from the Situ Family. With all these elements, plus some filling in the blanks, it becomes simple, clear, and understandable.

"What we need to focus on is how we can get out of here! How, oh, how?"

It was clear that Yao Zizhan was genuinely anxious. Gesang's actions were totally unexpected and had impacted him up to this moment. One might even say that without Gesang's appearance, he could have found this place all by himself, and Zheng Fan wouldn't have been involved at all.

"Ah, if only we'd left someone to guard the door," Yao Zizhan said regretfully, glancing at Zheng Fan with a tinge of resentment. He clearly remembered Zheng Fan's words after the door had opened: "A family should stick together."

Well, now they truly were all stuck together.

"Master Yao, why the rush? The soldiers of Cheng State shouldn't have arrived yet."

"Haven't arrived?"

"If they had, why would they need to close the door? If they simply blocked us in here, what waves could we possibly make?"

A hundred armored soldiers, supplemented with crossbows, could easily solve the problem in this narrow space. The terrain here makes it like shooting fish in a barrel.

"Oh, I get it. You're saying Gesang came here alone?"

"He might have a few loyal subordinates who didn't perish in the fire at Geda Mountain. But since he directly closed the door and left earlier, it's clear he came alone this time."

"Then what is he planning?"

"Master Yao, I've noticed that you tend to get quite flustered when faced with a life-or-death situation."

"Well, as a scholar, it's only natural! We're full of bravado before a battle, panic-stricken during it, and trembling with apprehension afterward. What's wrong with that?"

Yao Zizhan said this with brazen confidence. Indeed, it was for this very reason that when the Yan Army invaded Qian State, he could hide in the rear and enjoy himself every day with a clear conscience.

At this moment, the blind man spoke up, "Master Yao, unless something unexpected happens, we shouldn't be in any immediate danger, at least for now. If Gesang could betray Geda Mountain and the Helian Family, he could certainly betray the Situ Family as well."

"You mean he wants to take the entire treasury here for himself?" Yao Zizhan finally understood.

"Most likely. Wealth stirs the hearts of men, after all. How many people in this world can resist the allure of enormous riches? Besides, Gesang doesn't know that less than a tenth of the gold and silver remains in the treasury. In his mind, the treasures here are enough for him to stage a comeback—oh no, I should say, enough to restore the glory of the Helian Family."

Zheng Fan simply sat down and continued where the blind man left off, "Gesang is indeed quite a character."

His personal strength is considerable, likely on par with Mr. Chen's. He doesn't seem very old, still in his prime; there's potential for him to improve further. At least, for now, it's impossible for his vitality to be in decline.

But Mr. Chen is naive.

This Gesang, however, also knows how to play the game of 'driving the tiger to devour the wolf'; his mind is clearly more astute. He's a formidable man.

If nothing unexpected happened, and the treasury were truly full, if he really managed to inherit it all, he might genuinely be able to carve out his own powerful domain within the Skybreak Mountain Range.

"Brother Zheng, we're trapped here now. Your composure and strategic thinking in the face of danger, Brother Zheng, I, this old man, deeply admire it.

"But, Brother Zheng, shouldn't we try to figure out a plan now? There might be a lot of gold and silver here, but what use is it at this moment?

"If we remain trapped, a day or two is one thing, but if this drags on, what will we eat and drink?"

Fanli suddenly spoke up, "Aren't you all still here?"

"..." Yao Zizhan was speechless.

Zheng Fan then looked at Mr. Chen and said, "Mister, help me kill someone."

"Who?" Mr. Chen asked.

"Gesang. That Helian Gesang."

"Okay."

Yao Zizhan stared at Zheng Fan and Mr. Chen with an expression like he was looking at two complete idiots.

"Master Yao, I also need you to promise me one thing."

"You can get us out of here?"

"Yes," Zheng Fan said with certainty.

"Alright, this old man promises you. Go on, what is it?"

"Shengle City is planning to open a school. Master Yao, you'll have to be a teacher in my school for three months."

Yao Zizhan immediately asked, "Good wine and good food?"

"As much as you want."

"Singing girls and dancing girls?"

"Your pick."

"Alright."

"Master Yao, you're refreshingly direct."

With that said, Zheng Fan turned to look at the Demon Kings standing behind him and declared, "Gesang has already left, but he shouldn't be far. If he thinks he can trap us here to die, he's dreaming.

"When the bronze door reopens,

"I want you to,

"at all costs,

"hunt Gesang down!"

A Ming, the blind man, Xue Three, and Fanli all knelt on one knee together and said in unison, "We obey!"

Yao Zizhan's gaze grew thoughtful upon seeing this. In fact, he had been observing these four subordinates throughout their journey. One could see their free-spirited and uninhibited nature; capable individuals naturally possess a certain pride. Yet, when facing this city guard of Yan State, they were so respectful.

Zheng Fan said to A Ming, "Go get some more blood from Miss Su."

A Ming stood up and walked over to Miss Su. She was still unconscious. The wound that had just stopped bleeding gushed fresh blood again when A Ming squeezed it.

Then, A Ming picked up Miss Su, carried her to the bronze door, and set her down again. At the same time, he pressed Miss Su's bleeding palm against the bronze door.

The bronze door was very thick and solid, impossible to break by human strength alone. But any door that can be opened and closed naturally has gaps.

The gap between the bottom of the bronze door and the ground was minuscule, but blood could flow, or rather, seep through it.

However, the blind man's mental force couldn't penetrate such a thick bronze door, so his mental force couldn't control the blood to land on the bronze mirror outside the door.

But what the blind man couldn't do, another could.

Because,

it had no physical body.

It was merely a soul.

Zheng Fan reached into his robes and took out Mo Wan, saying slowly, "You know what to do, don't you?"

Perhaps Mo Wan also understood that if it didn't play along during a moment when its old man was trying to look impressive, he would be deeply embarrassed.

It was like how a smart woman knows she can be a roaring lioness at home but will always give her man enough face in public.

This time,

Mo Wan obediently emerged.

Wisps of black gas began to seep from the stone, gradually coalescing into the faint image of a child.

The child-like figure lowered its head, its arms hanging by its sides, its body trembling slightly. It seemed to be desperately trying to restrain something, but even so, an overwhelming aura of abhorrence, resentment, and killing intent kept pouring out.

"Behave yourself," Zheng Fan lowered his head and said softly to Mo Wan.

Mo Wan looked up. No spark of life could be seen in its hollow eye sockets, but a smirk played at the corners of its mouth.

Zheng Fan really disliked that smirk on Mo Wan. Firstly, just as no normal parent would want their child to learn a mouthful of profanities, which would reflect poorly on their upbringing, secondly, every time Mo Wan possessed his body, it loved to make that exact expression, causing Zheng Fan's cheeks to ache terribly after he woke up.

However, Mo Wan's contempt and mockery were mostly directed at the blind man and the other Demon Kings.

It was as if it were silently saying:

You bunch of... trash.

"Heh." A Ming chuckled.

Xue Three glared at Mo Wan.

The blind man remained unmoved, while Fanli rubbed his chest.

Mr. Chen was still calm, but those familiar with him knew his calmness wasn't the type that wouldn't flinch if Mount Tai collapsed before him; rather, it was because he was simply missing a few screws.

It was Yao Zizhan, however,

who, upon seeing Mo Wan, upon seeing such an infant suddenly appear before him,

was so frightened his mouth hung wide open.

When Mo Wan's gaze turned towards him,

he unconsciously exclaimed, "This is... this is..."

Mo Wan grinned, its mouth stretching wider, and wider, and wider still, then it suddenly lunged as if to bite Yao Zizhan.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

Yao Zizhan clutched his head with both hands and let out a terrified shriek.

Then, after a moment,

he cautiously moved his arms away, only to find he was unharmed. The infant was still standing there.

Obviously, Mo Wan was just teasing, because it wasn't easy for it to come out, not easy at all.

Zheng Fan, however, tacitly approved of Mo Wan's brief moment of playfulness. After all, you can't keep a dog cooped up in the house all the time; you have to take it out for walks to relieve itself. How much more so for a child?

At this moment, the blind man suddenly spoke, "My lord."

"Hmm?" Zheng Fan responded.

Mo Wan abruptly turned to face the blind man, apparently quite displeased that someone dared to speak to its 'dad' after it had come out.

However, Mo Wan's eye sockets were empty, and the blind man was, well, blind, so they were mutually immune to any 'glaring' scare tactics.

"My lord, please urge Mo Wan to open the door quickly. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid complications might arise."

"KEKEKE..."

Mo Wan's chilling laughter echoed. It hated being treated as a mere tool—even though it was, arguably, more of a tool than A Ming.

"Why?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Because Mo Wan has now left the seal of that stone and isn't attached to you, My lord," the blind man explained. "It's essentially wandering the world in its original state. Before, Mo Wan's power was insufficient, so it being a mere wandering spirit didn't matter. But now...

"Now, according to Mo Wan's 'settings,' if it roams outside in this state for too long, it might trigger a heavenly thunderbolt. At that point, Mo Wan would likely be completely annihilated, turned to ash."

"Which bloody idiot came up with such a brain-dead rule?" Zheng Fan blurted out subconsciously.

Hearing this, the blind man opened his mouth, then hesitated.

Xue Three started to suppress a laugh; A Ming looked up.

Zheng Fan instantly understood and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Uh, no need to answer that question."

Just then,

Fanli, grinning and eager to please, quickly answered, "It was you, My lord... you're the idiot."