...
"You don't need to thank me," Ji Yue'er said, her voice gradually calming down, cold and clear. "I was just following Young Master Fugui's orders and saved you in passing."
At that moment, Ji Yue'er even felt a bit grateful to the Little Demon Lord.
If it weren't for his coveting her primordial yin, she wouldn't have desperately tried to escape from him, nor would she have ended up "wandering" to the Wang's Clan.
At the Wang's Clan, she gradually felt the dignity of being a cultivator and the care and respect between people. Even someone as noble as Master Wang Shouzhe was polite to her, and her annual stipend as a Void worshipper only increased.
Moreover, as the Wang's Clan developed and acquired additional resources, Ji Yue'er was never left out. This time, when she came to the outer region battlefield to protect Young Master Fugui, Master Wang Shouzhe gave her many subsidies and even lent her a half-immortal artifact.
Although it was only a loan for now, once she accumulated enough contribution points, she could exchange it for the half-immortal artifact, making it truly hers.
"Wang Fugui!?"
Hearing this name, the Little Demon Lord's face turned exceptionally grim.
This name had been mentioned to him repeatedly. Some said he was formidable, while others claimed he was just a playboy.During the war between the Liang and Yan kingdoms, Wang Fugui was active, causing significant disruption to Yan's plans.
He never expected that it would be Wang Fugui who saved him.
What was Wang Fugui's intention? Was he planning to capture him to blackmail the Chao Clan?
A series of thoughts flashed uncontrollably through his mind.
"Young Master Chao, the battle is over, and there are demon soldiers scattered everywhere. You should quickly regroup with the human forces," Ji Yue'er reminded him before gracefully departing, returning to the flying chariot.
In the next instant, the flying chariot accelerated again, quickly turning into a stream of light and disappearing into the vast night sky.
"......"
The Little Demon Lord was utterly bewildered.
Wang Fugui just left like that? Did it mean that in Wang Fugui's eyes, he, the Little Demon Lord, was of no value at all?
While the Little Demon Lord was in a daze, Wang Fugui's flying chariot had already flown far away.
Inside the chariot, Princess Zhaoyu, dressed as a pretty little princess, pouted and said, "Brother Fugui, that Little Demon Lord is so detestable. Why did you save him?"
Wang Fugui took a sip of tea and explained leisurely, "Chao Qianjue has decent potential. Even if he can't reach the True Demon Realm in the future, he will at least be a strong Void mid-to-late stage cultivator."
"Of course, Chao Qianjue grew up too privileged, and his life has been too smooth. He lacks tempering. If he can reflect after this setback, he might become a formidable general for our human race in the future."
"Of course, I didn't deliberately save him. I just happened to pass by and lend a hand."
Naturally, he thought this way because times had changed, and the situation was different from before.
If it were in the past, he might have considered eliminating the Little Demon Lord to help Ancestor Long Yan and remove a potential threat to the Wang's Clan. But now, there was no need for that.
For the current Ancestor and the Wang's Clan, the Little Demon Lord posed no threat.
"Our Brother Fugui has such a broad perspective," Princess Zhaoyu said with admiration in her big eyes, though there was still some worry in her expression. "I'm just afraid he won't learn his lesson and will come back to trouble you."
"Zhaoyu, you really underestimate Fugui," Yun Mengyu said with a cold glance at her, dissatisfied. "Our Fugui doesn't even consider the Little Demon Lord as an opponent. This time, his only target is the Demon Lord of the True Demon Hall."
"Oh my goodness," Princess Zhaoyu was even more in awe of Wang Fugui. "Brother Fugui even dares to deal with the Demon Lord. No wonder the Ancestor likes you so much and insists on me marrying you."
After spending time together, she gradually understood Wang Fugui's prowess and increasingly understood why the Ancestor valued him so much.
Now, she had no resistance to the idea of marrying Wang Fugui.
Yun Mengyu's face darkened at these words. "Don't even think about it. Fugui won't marry you. You're just a little girl who doesn't understand anything yet. Stop talking about marriage all the time."
"Hmph, when I grow up, I'll definitely be prettier than you."
"You? Haha~"
"Sister Mengyu, just wait. I won't lose to you."
The two of them started bickering like roosters.
Ji Yue'er watched and covered her mouth, laughing.
The scene was truly lively, and only their Young Master Fugui remained calm, sipping tea without being affected.
While the flying chariot was bustling inside, it streaked across the sky like a meteor, piercing through thick gray-black demon clouds, speeding towards a certain direction.
This time, Wang Fugui had come with an important mission. Saving the Little Demon Lord was just a coincidence, a side task; he had more important things to do.
The luxurious flying chariot flew over mountains and rivers, traveling a great distance before stopping on a seemingly desolate mountaintop.
Wang Fugui lifted the curtain and looked outside.
Deep underground.
A burly demon had been waiting for a long time. Sensing Wang Fugui's presence from afar, he transmitted a message, "Fugui, I've opened a secret base underground. Follow my instructions to come down..."
This demon, with prominent dragon horns and black-red dragon scales gleaming coldly, was none other than the Dragonblood Demon God, Yuntai An.
It turned out that Wang Fugui's trip was to meet with Yuntai An.
Soon, Wang Fugui and Yuntai An successfully connected in the secret base.
It was a simple cave, with faint claw marks visible on the walls, and naturally glowing crystals embedded in the cave illuminated a small stone table in the center.
On either side of the stone table, Wang Fugui and Yuntai An were drinking a pot of immortal tea.
As for the others, they were naturally left on the flying chariot under Ji Yue'er's protection.
"Fugui," Yuntai An said excitedly, "the tricks you taught me earlier were really useful. Come on, do you have any more cunning plans to teach me?"
Cunning plans?
Wang Fugui glanced at him indifferently. "I'm planning to introduce a few boyfriends to my ancestor, Luo Miao, when I return."
Yuntai An's face stiffened, and he quickly apologized with an awkward smile, "I was just joking with you. Fugui, please don't take it to heart."
"Recently, there have been many skirmishes and battles between the demon race and our human race, and many elites from both the Immortal Dynasty and the Demon Dynasty have been captured by the demon race during these conflicts," Wang Fugui said seriously. "Your Highness, you need to find a way to gather those captives and rescue our people."
Yuntai An looked slightly troubled. "This time, I've completely offended the Yincha Demon God and the Nether Fiend Demon God, making it difficult to get human captives from their territories."
"The relationships among the demon race are always full of deceit and betrayal, but as long as there's enough tempting interest, they can quickly reconcile and become close again," Wang Fugui said calmly. "The Yincha Demon God and the Nether Fiend Demon God aren't without desires. As long as we grasp their needs, nothing is impossible."
Yuntai An looked deeply at Wang Fugui, sighing, "Fugui, if you were a professional con artist, I don't know how many people would be swindled out of everything, even helping you count the money."
"In addition, Your Highness, you should take advantage of this demon race's defeat to gather more scattered soldiers and control more territory," Wang Fugui advised. "I'll also help you from this side. When exchanging captives, I'll swap elite demon soldiers for you. By then, your power will grow stronger, and neither Yincha nor Nether Fiend will dare to underestimate you. That's when you'll have a firm foothold. We can plan for the future slowly."
"Wait!" Yuntai An listened more and more uneasily, his expression suddenly becoming strange. "Why do I feel something's not right? The better I develop in the demon world, the deeper my roots, the more subordinates I have, when can I return to marry Miao Miao?"
"Marriage isn't something to rush," Wang Fugui comforted. "Only through the baptism and tempering of time will love become more refined and sweet."
"Fugui, you make so much sense," Yuntai An said helplessly. "But I still want to hurry back to see Miao Miao."
"Don't rush. Here's a letter from my ancestor, Luo Miao, to quench your thirst," Wang Fugui said, taking out a letter and handing it over.
Yuntai An eagerly grabbed the letter and read it.
After reading it several times, he finally reluctantly folded the letter, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked up. "Miao Miao, rest assured, I won't let you down. I'll endure for the sake of our people and for you!"
Wang Fugui watched, sighing inwardly.
He had spent considerable effort mimicking Luo Miao's handwriting.
After dealing with Yuntai An, Wang Fugui called Ji Yue'er down and assigned her the task of liaising with the Dragonblood Demon God in the future.
After all, his visit to the outer region battlefield was a temporary measure, and he couldn't stay permanently. Someone had to be responsible for future interactions with Yuntai An.
Ji Yue'er respectfully accepted the task, though her heart was in turmoil.
She never expected Young Master Fugui to be able to collaborate with a demon god.
Such an outrageous thing was beyond her imagination.
For the first time, she had an incredible thought: perhaps one day, the Wang's Clan could gradually improve, even solve the human race's predicament.
...
While Wang Fugui and Yuntai An were secretly plotting, on another battlefield, an epic victory was reaching its conclusion.
Many of the demon soldiers under the Yincha Demon God and the Nether Fiend Demon God had died or fled. The remaining ones, though still struggling, were already in disarray under the onslaught of the Immortal Dynasty.
The besieged Yuchi Wentian and others, though not yet out of their predicament, gained a brief respite.
After such a prolonged battle, many of them were severely injured and nearly exhausted. Now, with a slight relaxation, they collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.
Only a small number of soldiers still maintained combat capability, bravely fighting under Yuchi Wentian's leadership.
But even they were now covered in scars, with many wounds healing and reopening, layer upon layer of scars piling up, not yet faded.
Although the battle was nearing its end, they were also at their limit, and no one knew how much longer they could hold on.
It was at this moment that Wang Yingxuan, leading the charge, slew countless demon soldiers and generals, carving a bloody path through the demon army and leading her regiment members into the demon camp.
Such fearless and valiant rescue efforts warmed the heart of the exhausted Yuchi Wentian.
To save them, this little girl from the Immortal Dynasty was going all out.
He was about to greet this exceptionally fierce girl and express his gratitude when Wang Yingxuan led her team directly to the supply depot.
"Brothers, these are the spoils of war looted by the Little Demon Lord. Gather them up and take them back. Keep your eyes open, and don't leave anything behind," Wang Yingxuan said, her eyes shining as she looked at the boxes of treasures, her tone excited.
"Yes, Boss Yingxuan," the Seventh Corps members immediately swarmed in, cheerfully and skillfully moving the spoils.
"Wait!" Yuchi Wentian's face darkened as he rushed over, trying to stop them. "Young lady, why are you taking our supplies?"
"Uncle~" Wang Yingxuan glanced at him, a bit speechless. "Could you please get a grip on the situation? If we had been a little later in rescuing you, would you have been completely wiped out?"
"Uh... indeed," Yuchi Wentian nodded honestly, expressing gratitude. "Thank you for coming to our aid, but..."
"If you were wiped out, wouldn't the supplies fall into the hands of the demon race?" Wang Yingxuan interrupted him again.
"Indeed..." Yuchi Wentian continued to answer.
"Then if we defeat the demon race, shouldn't we seize the demon's supplies?" Wang Yingxuan asked again.
"......" Yuchi Wentian was speechless, forced to nod again.
"That's right~" Wang Yingxuan patted his shoulder. "Now, I'm just cutting out the middleman, reducing everyone's trouble, and saving you in the process. You don't need to thank me... Brothers, keep moving, keep taking~"
"Yes, Boss Yingxuan~"
Seeing this, Yuchi Wentian and his subordinates were left in disarray.
You could say this girl was looting supplies, but her logic seemed flawless?
"Deputy Legion Commander, what should we do?" The guards gathered around Yuchi Wentian, whispering.
"What else can we do?" Yuchi Wentian's mouth twitched. "Now, with the Immortal Dynasty's army everywhere, we can't resist, so let's be honest. Besides, these supplies were originally looted by the Little Demon Lord. And now, we're alive entirely because of the Immortal Dynasty's support. Let's consider it repaying the favor."
He was a bit stubborn, but not foolish, and he understood the situation.
Just as Yuchi Wentian and his men were coming to terms with the situation, the army of the Third Prince Shentu Jingming arrived in grand fashion.
However, unlike Wang Yingxuan, they didn't loot supplies but went straight to Yuchi Wentian and his men.
The Third Prince Shentu Jingming even rode a tiger to the side of the heavily injured Yuchi Wentian, whose wounds were still fresh, and patted his shoulder with concern. "Brother, are you all right? I'm the Third Prince of the Demon Dynasty, Shentu Jingming. Behind me is the royal Red Tiger Regiment. Rest assured, you're all safe now."
The Third Prince of the Demon Dynasty!!
Yuchi Wentian's subordinates, having endured countless hardships and already exhausted, were already feeling uneasy surrounded by the Immortal Dynasty's army. Now, suddenly seeing a "fellow countryman," they felt a deep sense of kinship and were emotionally moved.
Immediately, they all warmly saluted him, "Greetings, Third Prince."
Even Yuchi Wentian, usually resolute, was moved, his eyes involuntarily reddening. "Yuchi Wentian, at your service, Third Prince."
"No need, we're all family, no need to be so formal," the Third Prince Shentu Jingming waved his hand generously, then took out a Heavenly Recording Disk and began recording in front of Yuchi Wentian and his men.
"Greetings to the family of the Red Moon Demon Dynasty, this is the Third Prince Shentu Jingming. What you're seeing now is the scene of a great victory," the Third Prince said excitedly, holding the Heavenly Recording Disk and capturing the surroundings. "After a fierce battle by our Red Tiger Regiment, we've finally pierced through the demon coalition forces and successfully joined our demon dynasty's routed troops."
Routed troops?
Yuchi Wentian's face froze, just as he was about to say they weren't routed troops, the Third Prince thrust the Heavenly Recording Disk towards him, almost hitting his face. "Family, let me first interview the leader of the routed troops, Yuchi Wentian. What do you think is the main reason for your defeat this time?"
Leader of the routed troops!?
Yuchi Wentian's face twitched, feeling on the verge of collapse.
He had studied troop command diligently, worked hard to perform on the battlefield, and strived for merit, finally achieving his current status and strength. How did he suddenly get labeled as the "leader of the routed troops"?
However, perhaps it was the Third Prince's particularly earnest tone, professional terminology, and the seemingly businesslike attitude that made him feel a bit pressured. He felt he should defend himself and the Asura Legion.
Clearing his throat, he said seriously, "Our Asura Legion's failure this time was mainly due to not grasping the timing of the battle. If we had launched a direct assault on the demon coalition's rear earlier and joined forces with the Immortal Dynasty to annihilate the demons, it would have been a great victory."
"Then why didn't you attack earlier?" The Third Prince's "interview" questions were sharp, directly addressing the core issue. "Didn't you notice that our Immortal Dynasty's defense line had been holding for a long time? What were you waiting for? As the leader of the routed troops, you truly deserve the title."
"This..."
Yuchi Wentian's face was embarrassed and aggrieved.
He wanted to defend himself, but he had doubts and hesitated to speak.
But while he hesitated, some of his subordinates couldn't hold back and muttered the truth: "It was the Little Demon Lord. As the overall commander, he repeatedly delayed the attack."
"Yes, it was the Little Demon Lord!"
Once someone started, it couldn't be stopped.
As the first person spoke, the officers and guards began to reveal the Little Demon Lord's actions, stating that he was the main culprit for the defeat.
Some even directly stated the Little Demon Lord's intention, which was to deplete the Immortal Dynasty's Eastern Line Defense Area's forces, thus delaying the battle opportunity.
Due to previous events, everyone harbored deep resentment towards the Little Demon Lord.
"Yes, the Little Demon Lord was the routed troops' commander... Wait, did he really escape?" The Third Prince continued to fan the flames.
With these words, the soldiers' dissatisfaction was completely ignited, and they began to condemn, curse, and even curse the Little Demon Lord's desertion.
"It seems Brother Chao Qianjue not only failed to grasp the battle timing but also the timing of his escape," the Third Prince sighed. "If he had fled half a stick of incense later, he would have seen the tide of battle turn... Sigh~ wasn't it a wasted effort?"
"......"
The routed troops looked at each other, suddenly realizing.
The Third Prince made so much sense. The Little Demon Lord really fled too early, wasting his effort and earning a reputation for betrayal and desertion.
In an instant, many began to gloat inwardly.
Little Demon Lord, just wait for your misfortune~
"Sigh~"
Yuchi Wentian also sighed heavily, shaking his head, utterly disappointed in the Little Demon Lord.
"Alright, alright, family, this interview ends here," the Third Prince waved at the Heavenly Recording Disk. "I'm going to be busy now, cleaning up the battlefield, treating the wounded, reorganizing, and absorbing the routed troops... Talk later, the Third Prince loves you all~"
With that, the Third Prince turned off the Heavenly Recording Disk.
"Wait!?" Yuchi Wentian was suddenly stunned, staring blankly at the Third Prince. "Your Highness? What do you mean by reorganizing and absorbing the routed troops?"
"As the Third Prince of the Dynasty, encountering our dynasty's routed troops on the battlefield, reorganizing and comforting them, and then absorbing them into the ranks, isn't that my duty?" The Third Prince said matter-of-factly, patting his shoulder. "Rest assured, I'll treat the routed troops as my own, equal to my army. Especially you, what's your name?"
"Yuchi Wentian."
"Good, Yuchi Wentian, from today, you're one of my deputy generals. Rest assured, I'll give you the treatment you deserve and won't hold your past or this defeat against you."
What?!!
Yuchi Wentian's mind went blank, feeling as if the sky was falling.
Their Asura Legion wasn't just any ordinary demon dynasty army; it was the personal army crafted by the Demon Sovereign with countless resources...
And now, the Third Prince was going to reorganize it?
...