"Mm-hmm! Thank you, City Lord Lilley. If you hadn't explained it to me, I wouldn't have known."
"Heh, it seems you haven't been a City Lord for very long."
"Only two years."
"That explains it. But with your strength, only a fifth-grade demon master, how did you obtain the position of City Lord?"
"This...!" Zhou Hong didn't know how to answer, but others could guess without him saying anything.
"Heh, it must have been with the help of a powerful demon artifact. There have been City Lords like this before. However, those previous City Lords had at least eighth or ninth-grade demon master cultivation. Seeing one at only fifth-grade like you is a first. Based on this, your demon artifact must be extraordinarily powerful."
"Heh heh!" Zhou Hong said nothing, but he kept a close watch, hoping City Lord Lilley wouldn't seek death.
Just then, a demon emperor-level expert entered the great hall.
"He is the Grand State Preceptor of the Li Qiang Demon Immortal Kingdom," City Lord Lilley told Zhou Hong.
"Oh."
"From now on, if he asks anything and it pertains to your situation, you should stand up and explain."
"Alright, thank you, City Lord Lilley."
"You're welcome."
For the next half a day, Zhou Hong sat in the great hall and completed his first-ever performance review.
The city Zhou Hong managed, Wu Meng City, had no rebels, no powerful factions, and no unruly citizens. Everything was orderly, so there was naturally nothing special to report. Zhou Hong heard that several other cities had strong factions, even more powerful than the Dragon Tiger Demon Sect, and their City Lords had reported this situation truthfully.
When a local faction became too powerful, the Demon Immortal Kingdom would send people to suppress them, not allowing them to grow stronger.
Of course, if any extremely powerful demon artifacts appeared, bounties would be issued, all to prevent any possibility of unrest.
After half a day, the review ended, and the over 100 City Lords departed one after another.
"City Lord Zhou Hong, shall we leave together?" City Lord Lilley invited Zhou Hong.
"No need. I just need to use the restroom. You go ahead." Zhou Hong didn't want to leave with him because he feared the man might develop ulterior motives, especially since he had shown interest in his demon artifact earlier.
"We're getting along so well, we should leave together. We're both cultivators of demons, why would we need to go to the toilet? We can simply refine it within our anuses and then expel it as air."
"Heh heh!" Zhou Hong smiled helplessly. This guy was determined to leave with him, so he couldn't blame him. Sudan Novel Network.
Thus, Zhou Hong left Tianmen with City Lord Lilley and slowly descended towards the ground.
"City Lord Zhou Hong, didn't you say you needed to go to the toilet? Now you're not going, and I don't see you refining your waste internally?" City Lord Lilley asked.
Zhou Hong was helpless. He hadn't defecated in a long time, and there was indeed some buildup in his large intestine. Zhou Hong immediately refined the feces in his large intestine in front of him, turning it into air.
"Whoosh!" Then, with a "whoosh," it shot out directly from his anus.
City Lord Lilley couldn't help but cover his nose, looking somewhat disgusted.
Seeing his disgusted look, Zhou Hong knew that this man's attempt to get close to him was not out of genuine camaraderie.
About half a day later, City Lord Lilley suddenly said to Zhou Hong, "Do you have any other family members?"
"Oh, just a few wives. No one else," Zhou Hong replied casually. He could see at once that City Lord Lilley was starting to inquire about Zhou Hong's family members.
"Impossible. Don't tell me there's no one in your family stronger than you." City Lord Lilley feigned concern.
"Of course not," Zhou Hong denied.
"Heh heh, I knew it." A hint of disappointment flashed across City Lord Lilley's face. He was afraid that although Zhou Hong was weak, his family might have powerful demon cultivators who simply didn't want to be City Lord themselves, so they had Zhou Hong take the position.
"I also have a father-in-law. He's a first-grade Demon King." Zhou Hong stated truthfully.
"A first-grade Demon King?" A flicker of surprise again crossed City Lord Lilley's face. He was a third-grade Demon King, completely capable of crushing Zhou Hong's father-in-law.
"Yes."
"And besides that? I mean, someone who could help you, not necessarily a relative. Some City Lords, residing in their cities, have powerful Demon Kings who have made deals with them, protecting the City Lord and so on."
"No more."
When City Lord Lilley heard Zhou Hong say there were none, his true colors were revealed.
"City Lord Zhou Hong, I have a humble request."
"What is it? Please, tell me."
"You mentioned earlier that you have a very powerful demon artifact. Could you show it to me so I can broaden my horizons?" City Lord Lilley asked directly.
"Heh heh, so this is why you wanted to leave with me." Zhou Hong smiled.
"City Lord Zhou Hong, what are you talking about? I just wanted to see it. Surely you wouldn't refuse such a small request?"
"You're right, I won't."
"City Lord Zhou Hong, although the Demon Immortal Kingdom has regulations preventing City Lords from killing each other, it doesn't prohibit them from doing so secretly." City Lord Lilley threatened with a smile.
"You mean, if I don't show it to you, you'll secretly kill me?"
"You said that yourself. However, since you've reminded me, it's quite possible. So, why don't you just show it to me and avoid any unpleasantness?"
"You truly don't believe it until you see the coffin. Fine, since you wish to see, I will show you."
Zhou Hong instantly summoned eight puppets.
"What... what is this?"
"Don't ask. Together, they can easily kill a fifth-grade Demon King."
City Lord Lilley's face instantly changed, and he quickly knelt down, saying, "City Lord Zhou Hong, please don't misunderstand. I merely wanted to see it; I absolutely had no such intentions."
"It doesn't matter. Even if you had such intentions, you wouldn't succeed. Even if I gave them to you, you couldn't use them." Zhou Hong snorted disdainfully. If it were other demon artifacts, perhaps someone else could snatch them and refine them for their own use. But Zhou Hong's puppet sword array was different; even if stolen, it couldn't be used by others.
"City Lord Zhou Hong, I beg you to forgive my earlier rudeness," City Lord Lilley said, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Farewell!" Zhou Hong snorted, putting the puppets away. Of course, he wouldn't dare to kill him openly now. After all, they were both City Lords of the Demon Immortal Kingdom. If investigated, Zhou Hong would surely be sentenced to death.
However, Zhou Hong would never let him off. He would wait for an opportunity to quietly visit his city and turn him into a puppet.