Rise of The Demon General

After more than a week of negotiations, the peace talks finally concluded. Peace, however, was still far from realization. All they managed to hash out were minor agreements that would be applied to their border regulations. Many issues remained pending and would be renegotiated after each group discussed them with their respective domain lords.

Lan Mei and her team escorted Hai Lao’s team to the border.

”Thank you for sending us off,” Hai Lao told Lan Mei. ”Let’s schedule another summit one month from now. I believe this timeline should be enough for you to discuss everything with your husband, shouldn’t it?”

”No problem. See you again a month from now,” Lan Mei said. She involuntarily glanced at Hai Xuang as she spoke.

The formation sages worked on the words of power as the two sides said their farewell, and a hole opened in the barrier protecting the border. Hai Lao’s group trickled past the hole.

Li Jing walked to Hai Xuang’s side and said, ”Hey, I saw you keep glancing at Madam Lan Mei. Keep it in your pants, okay? She is taken already, and you can’t afford to offend her husband.”

”What are you saying? You are imagining things.” Hai Xuang laughed like he had heard something silly before walking away. He couldn’t help but take another glance at Lan Mei as he did that.

*

The situation between the Devotion and Commitment Domains slightly cooled down after the peace talks. A month later, another peace talk was held. This time, the venue was in the Devotion Domain’s territory.

Following Lan Mei’s lead, Hai Lao also ordered an estate to be built near the border to host the summit. Hai Xuang volunteered to oversee the building of the estate. He spent a lot of Aer stones and commissioned many workers to complete the estate in time for the second peace talks. Hai Lao was amazed by his little brother’s enthusiasm in the matter.

The completed estate was grander and larger than the Peace Estate in the Commitment Domain. Hai Xuang named his completed work the Amity Estate.

Hence, the peace talks continued to be held monthly. The venues switched between the Peace Estate and the Amity Estate each month. With each summit, the relationship between the two domains improved.

During the fifth summit, held at the Peace Estate, the two domains no longer had a barrier blocking their border.

”The summits have gone smoothly. Maybe in another two or three summits, we will no longer need these peace talks. Don’t you say so, Brother Hai Lao?” Xin Lie asked.

Hai Lao answered, ”Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. There is still much that needs negotiation.”

While Hai Lao expressed caution, his tone sounded optimistic. The others shared his sentiment, except for Hai Xuang, who grew gloomy upon hearing it.

”Two or three more summits...?” He muttered.

”Hey, Brother Hai Xuang. Are you not feeling well?” Li Jing asked.

Hai Xuang forced a smile. ”No. Of course not. Securing peace between our two domains is good for everyone. I can’t wait for it to get done.”

”Hm... Why do I feel like you don’t sound as happy as your words?”

”You are imagining that. Sorry, I’m tired. I will go to bed first.”

Hai Xuang left after that. Li Jing looked at him in confusion before asking the others, ”Don’t you feel that Brother Hai Xuang always rests early during these peace talks?”

”He probably wants to be at his best during the summit,” Hai Lao said.

”Why?” Li Jing asked. ”It’s Brother Hai Lao who spoke the most during the summit. We three only sit there and listen most of the time.”

”He probably just wants to spend his free time cultivating in private,” Xin Lie said. ”You know he has the fastest cultivation growth among us. That is because he has a disciplined approach to cultivation. You should learn from him.”

”I also cultivate diligently!” Li Jing protested.

”We should rest early also,” Hai Lao said. ”The talks this round should last for another two more days if nothing goes wrong. Let’s finish it so we can return home early.”

*

Hai Xuang didn’t go back to his room after leaving the others. Instead, he went to another guest room that was supposed to be empty. Inside that room, he made passionate love with Lan Mei.

This had been their routine during the peace talks. They both yearned for the peace talks to happen simply for the chance to be together.

”My family thinks that we will soon no longer need these peace talks,” Hai Xuang said while caressing Lan Mei’s hair. It was an hour past midnight. This was the time they usually had to part. They couldn’t be absent when the maid brought breakfast to their rooms in the morning.

”We do make good progress with these talks,” Lan Mei said.

”Can we meet again if we no longer do these talks?”

”... I can’t find a reason without making everyone suspicious.”

The two went into uncomfortable silence. After a minute, Hai Xuang said, ”Maybe you can try not to do your job that well? Sabotage it a little bit, so we can have more of these summits.”

Lan Mei giggled. ”How can you joke about this kind of thing?”

”I’m not. I’m serious.”

Lan Mei sighed. ”You know I can’t. The fate of many people relies on these peace talks.”

The uncomfortable silence returned. Neither was unwilling to leave the bed, but they knew they must. Lan Mei rose and put on her clothes.

She stood and said, ”I will leave first. As usual, wait a few minutes before your turn to leave. If someone happens to be outside the corridor and sees me leaving this room, I will close the door loudly. You should leave from the window then.”

”Alright,” Hai Xuang replied.

Lan Mei went to the door. She glanced at Hai Xuang before walking out the door. She looked at both sides of the corridor before closing the doors lightly.

Hai Xuang put on his clothes and waited for three minutes before heading toward the door. After exiting the room, he walked toward his room, which was two turns away. When he made his first turn, he saw Xin Lie leaning on the wall.

”Can’t sleep?” Hai Xuang asked as he walked past her.

”How long have you been having an affair with her?” Xin Lie asked back.

Hai Xuang stopped dead in his tracks. He resisted turning to her to hide his surprised expression. He asked, ”Sister Xin Lie, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

”Don’t play dumb. I have had my suspicion since the peace talks last month. I finally confirmed it. I have seen you two come out of the same room several nights in a row.”

A large dog covered in scales instead of fur materialized beside Xin Lie. Hai Xuang knew the creature. It was Xin Lie’s tamed beast, a Camohound. It was a Higher Mythical Beast that could turn invisible. During invisibility, it was undetectable even from cultivation sense, except by cultivators at the Mammoth Stage and above.

Hai Xuang knew then there was no use in denying. Xin Lie had used this Camohound and watched Lan Mei exit the same room as he did.

”Who have you told?” Hai Xuang asked.

”No one, and I don’t plan to tell anyone,” Xin Lie answered. ”That said, I advise you to end this relationship. You know there is no scenario where it will end well. If I can discover it, others can too. The longer you keep it going, the higher the risk of that happening. If the wrong people find out, the result will be catastrophic. I’m not talking about just the consequences for you. I’m talking about its outcome on our domain.”

Hai Xuang didn’t say anything in response.

Lan Mei placed a hand on his shoulder. ”Brother, I know the matter of the heart is difficult to control. If it were any other woman, I wouldn’t say a thing. This one, however, you are playing with too big a fire. You must end it. I will propose to Brother Hai Lao that you not be included in our next peace talks. I won’t tell him why. I suggest you comply with my proposal.”

Xin Lie left afterward, leaving Hai Xuang standing there in silence.

*

The next day, the summit proceeded as scheduled. Hai Xuang sat on the side in silence and with a gloomy expression. No one bothered him because the main speakers were Hai Lao and Lan Mei. Lan Mei, however, could not help but keep stealing glances at her secret lover. She wondered whether Hai Xuang’s dejection was due to their conversation last night.

The door suddenly opened loudly. Hai Lao and Lan Mei turned toward the door, about to scold the perpetrator, but their words stuck in their throats when they saw the person.

”Haha! How are the talks going, my love?” Lang Man asked as he strutted toward the meeting table.