Rise of The Demon General

”I take it the location of the offspring is inside the misty border?” Amon asked.

Mo Wang nodded and said, ”Before you think me sending you to such a dangerous place, let me clarify. I wouldn’t have given this task to any random follower. If I send someone and he fails, this will alert the dragonling and scare it into hiding. It will make the next attempt even more difficult. Even after learning about Di Yu’s offspring for some time, I haven’t made a move. I have been sitting on this information, thinking of a suitable plan, until you demanded one from me earlier. You yourself requested this.”

”Don’t misunderstand. I don’t complain about the danger. I find it challenging, instead.”

”Challenging, eh?” Mo Wang was amused. ”Then again, I heard that you have been to the misty border, so there is no need to warn you about the danger. Try your best not to die before you find Di Yu’s offspring, okay?”

”I will try my best,” Amon replied. ”I’m sorry if I stray off topic. I was wondering how the spirit beasts got into this world? It was supposed to be empty in the beginning, right?”

”At first, they were brought from the surface world. Cultivators need them for resources, after all. When the purge happened, the higher-grade beasts felt the aether content thinning. The most powerful and intelligent spirit beasts, among which were the noble dragons, understood why. They approached both the upper and lower worlds. After some negotiations, we agreed to let them into our worlds. We had no choice, really, unless we were willing to go to war with a coalition of upper-grade spirit beasts. Even the Divine won’t want that. They were let in and given plots of land to live on. In the case of this world, those strongest beasts live beyond the misty border. We don’t bother them. They don’t bother us.”

”I see. I surmise half of the noble dragons came here, and the other half went to the upper world?”

”That’s correct. Well, I have told you what I can. If you truly wish to help me face the Divine, then go get me Di Yu’s offspring.”

”Is there a time limit?” Amon asked. ”Like, when will the offspring become too mature for me to deal with?”

”I don’t think you need to worry about that, unless of course you plan to hunt it a thousand years from now. Then, the offspring might already be mature. Nevertheless, I don’t wish to wait that long. Tell you what, I’ll give you an incentive for early completion. If you can capture Di Yu’s offspring within a century, I will share with you the secret technique to bypass the cultivation chokepoints.”

”That’s very generous, Your Lordship. I will do my best not to disappoint.”

”I hope so. Here, this is where you will find the dragonling,” Mo Wang scribbled some information on a paper and gave it to Amon. He also handed Amon a few message talismans. ”In the time I have learned about the dragonling, it has never moved from its current place. I assume it will continue to remain there, but if it does move, I will send you its new coordinates using these message talismans.”

Amon accepted the paper and the talismans.

”Let us return to those three now,” Mo Wang said. ”Their discussion should have concluded by now.”

”Your Lordship let them discuss among themselves? Is Your Lordship not curious about their intention?”

”I have an enchantment in that hall that records everything. I can watch the recording later. However, I doubt anything is interesting. Those three have awful visions. All they do is have petty squabbles. None truly has anything solid to advance this world. We will always be the upper world’s shadow if things continue like this. All the plans they can think of are always about toppling each other. I have half a mind to arrange a tournament to the death among the three and be done with it.”

”Why does Your Lordship not do that?” Amon asked.

Mo Wang shrugged. ”Who will manage this world then? I am done doing that. I’m tired of the stupidities that come with ruling. The squabbles, the complaints, incessant requests, and the worst of all, the ungratefulness. There was a period when I said fuck it all and went full tyrant mode. I executed anyone who dared to waste my time on pointless matters. Things didn’t go too well. There was a rebellion. I squashed it, of course. The point is, no matter how I try, those people will never be satisfied. So, I say, why bother? Thus, I stay in this castle and forbid anyone from coming near.”

”That is a defeatist mentality.”

Mo Wang chuckled. ”Live as long as I do, and I will give you the right to criticize.”

”In that case, I don’t mind taking on their job.”

This time, Mo Wang laughed. ”Haha! I don’t mind. Except, I won’t help you. If you can topple those three on your own, you have my blessing to rule this lower world.”

”I will take your word for it,” Amon said.

Mo Wang looked at Amon. He saw that Amon was serious. He only smiled as a response.

The two walked back to the meeting hall. As Mo Wang predicted, the meeting was over. The three domain lords no longer sat at the round table. Each of the three parties stood in different corners of the hall.

”The three of you are done?” Mo Wang asked them.

”We have, Your Lordship,” Hai Di answered. ”It has been a productive meeting. I believe we can look forward to more prosperity in the future.”

”Spare me, you know I never like bullshits,” Mo Wang said curtly. ”Go ahead and tear each other apart. I don’t care. Just don’t lie to me.”

Hai Di lowered his head like a child who had been reprimanded. Amon could see, however, from Hai Di’s expression that he was very discontent with the remark. He must be cursing Mo Wang silently.

”If you are done, get out of here. Also, from now on, the meeting will be held every twenty years instead of every ten. See yourself out.”

Mo Wang turned around after the speech. He glanced at Amon before suddenly disappearing. Amon couldn’t sense where he had vanished to.

’Hm, the law of space, eh...?’ Amon thought.

Amon walked back to Yao Ai’s side.

”What did you talk with His Lordship?” She asked.

”His Lordship forbade me from discussing the topic with anyone else,” Amon answered.

Yao Ai narrowed her eyes at the answer.

”Hahaha,” Lang Man’s laughter echoed through the room. ”At this stage, anyone will wonder if he remains your follower or Our Lordship’s.”

”We are all followers of His Lordship,” Amon countered.

”He got a point,” Hai Di uttered. ”If His Lordship ordered him to keep silent, then his order superseded ours.”

”Say the one who thinks he is still our Lord’s golden child. Did you not hear the way he talked to you just now?” Lang Man said mockingly.

”Hmph! Whatever. Xin Rong, let’s leave!” Hai Di ordered.

”Hehe. Don’t be angry, Brother Hai Di. It’s not good for your health,” Lang Man continued to ridicule.

Hai Di no longer responded. He waltzed out of the hall with Xin Rong.

”Let’s go,” Yao Ai told Amon.

”You too, Sister Yao Ai?” Lang Man asked. ”Why don’t we spend some time together now that the big stiff is gone? Rarely do we have time alone. We should treasure this.”

Yao Ai stopped, turned to Lang Man, and walked toward him. She said, ”Do you remember what happened the last time you tried getting me to bed?”

”Hehe. Do you mean the time when I almost lost my head?”

”Do you want to give me another opportunity?”

”Hehe. Out of all the women in the world, Sister Yao Ai, you are perhaps the only one I should not touch.”

”I’m glad we are on the same page. Do not try to follow me. I will consider that an act of hostility,” Yao Ai threatened. She left afterward.

After Yao Ai and Hai Di left with their followers, Lang Man uttered, ”See that, Du Ji? That’s what a real woman is, and what did I say before? The harder it is to get them, the more satisfying it is when I finally have them in my arms. Hehe. How exhilarating. Don’t you agree?”

”To be honest, my lord. With all those alterations, Lady Yao Ai no longer looks like a woman,” Du Ji replied.

”You are too focused on the appearance, Du Ji. You must learn that the most interesting part of a woman is their inner beauty.”

Du Ji wanted to say that he could not see any such inner beauty in someone like Yao Ai, but decided not to waste time on such a pointless argument, so he just nodded at Lang Man’s remark.

*

Exiting the castle, Amon did not see Hai Di or Xin Rong. He wondered if the two had indeed left. If so, how did they go out of sight so fast? Yao Ai didn’t seem to bother about it. She flew in the direction of the Mercy Domain.

Amon followed closely. He expected Yao Ai to ask him again what he had discussed with Mo Wang, but Yao Ai remained silent.

When they were midway, Yao Ai stopped and gazed to the side.

”Your Ladyship?” Amon asked.

”... Something is concealed there,” Yao Ai pointed to where she was looking.

Suddenly, the area where she pointed shivered. A veil was as if lifted, and many spirit beasts emerged.

”Ambush!” Amon exclaimed.

One of the spirit beasts, a creature that looked like a cross between a giant bat and a lizard, discharged an energy blast from its mouth. The blast hit Amon and sent him flying far away.

One third of the spirit beasts chased after Amon, while the remaining surrounded Yao Ai.