Chapter 143: Problem

In the Yao King Hall, Hei-Pi sat on the Treasure Throne, squinting as he looked at Jiaojiao, who was dressed with striking allure before him.

Jiaojiao knelt on the floor with her head lowered, wearing a shy and bashful expression.

Zong-Lie stood to the side and spoke respectfully:

“Elder Brother, Jiaojiao was originally a lesser beast from Erlong Mountain. She had already been chosen as a demon consort and was preparing to serve you. On that day, she had already mastered the Double Cultivation Art, but after entering the Secret Realm, she unexpectedly advanced to a Grand Demon and underwent a Thunder Tribulation. Unfortunately, she was severely injured during the tribulation and missed the chance to serve you. She has been recuperating ever since and only recently recovered.”

“She has received Elder Brother’s grace for many years in the mountain and greatly admires you. As soon as her body recovered, she took the initiative to request to come and serve you. Her filial devotion is truly evident.”

“This incident in the Secret Realm was due to my own incompetence. I feel deeply ashamed. In order not to delay Elder Brother’s Yin-Yang Harvesting plan, I captured a human cultivator last night and let Jiaojiao absorb enough Yang energy. Elder Brother may rest assured in making use of her.”

“Yellow Wind Mountain has already sent a reply, reporting that ten demon consorts have been prepared and will be delivered in three days.”

“Jiaojiao is a Grand Demon and has absorbed sufficient Yang energy from a cultivator. A cultivator’s Yang energy is far purer than that of ordinary villagers. After Elder Brother harvests her, you will be able to easily last until the next batch of demon consorts matures.”

Jiaojiao also spoke with a shy expression: “Mountain Lord is the great hero of the mountain and the person Jiaojiao admires most. To extend Mountain Lord’s life is Jiaojiao’s honor. Jiaojiao is willing to serve Mountain Lord.”

Hei-Pi stared at Jiaojiao with his dead-fish eyes for a while, and a trace of desire appeared in his gaze.

He beckoned to her and said, “Come here.”

Jiaojiao stood up and walked to Hei-Pi’s side. With a stretch of his hand, Hei-Pi pulled her into his arms and began groping her.

Jiaojiao obediently nestled against him, panting softly. Zong-Lie felt overjoyed. ‘It looks like things are going smoothly.’

Judging by Hei-Pi’s temperament, the next step should have been to tear open Jiaojiao’s dress and put on a live obscene display on the spot.

Then, while harvesting the Yang energy in Jiaojiao’s body, he would instead be drained of the remaining Yang energy in his own body by Jiaojiao, who had fully revised the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Secret Manual, and die on the spot.

With Hei-Pi gone, Zong-Lie would be the demon with the highest cultivation in the mountain and would naturally take this throne.

In another one or two months, after he removed the final trace of impurity from his Serpent Core and formed a Demon Pill, Zong-Lie would become the unquestionable Yao King of Erlong Mountain.

Years of planning were about to succeed. Although Zong-Lie had always been steady, his hands could not help but tremble at this moment.

He withdrew his hands into his sleeves, lowered his head respectfully, and concealed the excitement and anticipation in his eyes.

However, Hei-Pi merely hugged Jiaojiao, touching and squeezing her shapely body, kneading her until she gasped repeatedly, yet he made no further move.

Zong-Lie felt somewhat surprised.

‘This old wild boar Hei-Pi is usually lustful to the extreme. Why has he changed today?’

As he was puzzling over this, a voice suddenly sounded outside the door: “Report! The Secret Realm of the Hehuan Valley has opened. Patrol Leader Guo Shan Feng ordered this subordinate to report first.”

He glanced at the time, his face full of confusion.

The Hehuan Valley Secret Realm should have taken several more hours to open on its own.

Now it had opened early. ‘Could it be that my son Zong Biao opened it?’

He cursed inwardly. ‘This Secret Realm opened at the worst possible time.’

‘That old wild boar is just about to make a move on Jiaojiao, and it opens at such a critical moment.’

Upon hearing the report from the little demon outside, a hint of joy appeared on Hei-Pi’s ashen face.

His hand clenched the soft flesh in his grasp, squeezing hard enough to make Jiaojiao cry out in pain.

Hei-Pi ordered, “Come in and speak.”

“Yes!” the little demon outside replied, pushing the door open and entering the hall.

Hei-Pi asked, “What is the situation over there now? How many have come out?”

The little demon answered truthfully, “Only Du Niangzi from Qian Si Yuan and the eight demon consorts who entered yesterday have come out. No one else has emerged. Patrol Leader Guo Shan Feng is questioning them now.”

Zong-Lie’s expression changed.

His son Zong Biao had not come out.

When the Secret Realm’s energy is exhausted, it sends out all living beings inside.

Zong Biao not coming out meant that he had died inside.

Although Zong-Lie had already prepared himself mentally, after receiving confirmation, he still felt a trace of sorrow.

After all, that was his son, and there were still feelings involved.

Zong Biao had the highest cultivation among his sons and was the most obedient and useful.

Losing him was indeed a pity.

A trace of ferocity appeared on Zong-Lie’s face.

He would question Du Niangzi and those demonesses to find out who killed his son.

He would avenge his son.

Upon hearing that all eight demonesses had come out alive, Hei-Pi was overjoyed.

He immediately shoved Jiaojiao aside, stood up, and ordered, “All of you, follow this king.”

After speaking, he flicked his sleeve and conjured a mass of black clouds, enveloping Jiaojiao and Zong-Lie within it, and galloped toward Qian Si Yuan like a gust of wind.

…

In Qian Si Yuan, facing the questions raised by Guo Shan Feng about how Hong Yanzhi, Hua Yingying, and the other demonesses had advanced to Grand Demons overnight, Du Niangzi did not know how to answer.

In front of Guo Shan Feng, she did not dare look at Lin Xue, for fear that Guo Shan Feng would notice a flaw.

‘Why would you, Du Niangzi, need to look at a Snake Spirit’s expression before answering a question?’

Lin Xue was also caught somewhat off guard.

She had originally planned to teach the Lianxi Spell from the Heavenly Demon Transformation Art to the demonesses in the Secret Realm, allowing them to hide their cultivation first and reveal it only when necessary, so that after coming out they would not all suddenly become Grand Demons and cause too much of a sensation.

Unexpectedly, the Secret Realm suddenly opened early and forcibly expelled them all, leaving her no time to pass the technique to the six demonesses. This directly alarmed Guo Shan Feng.

‘How should I deal with Guo Shan Feng’s question?’

Lin Xue considered this inwardly. ‘Should I simply tell the truth?’

She could reveal a little about possessing an ability that could use a Serpent Core to rapidly enhance the strength of other lesser beasts.

This was an extremely heaven-defying ability that could greatly strengthen a mountain’s combat power. Normally, no Mountain Lord would be unmoved by this.

Perhaps she could even propose an exchange to Hei-Pi Yao King, trading the enhancement of the mountain’s lesser beasts for her own safety from being harvested and ruined by that old wild boar.

Just as Lin Xue was about to answer, she saw a mass of black clouds rapidly fly over from the Yao King Hall, arriving in an instant with a howling sound and landing in the courtyard.

The black clouds transformed into a mass of black mist and dissipated, revealing the fat and towering figure of Hei-Pi Yao King before everyone.

Behind him stood Leader Zong-Lie and a voluptuous demoness.

Guo Shan Feng, Du Niangzi, and the surrounding little demons all saluted together, shouting, “Greetings, Mountain Lord. Greetings, Second Leader.”

Lin Xue, Hong Yanzhi, Hua Yingying, Xiao Mili, and the other demonesses also lowered their heads and shouted along with the crowd.

Lin Xue kept her head the lowest, yet she felt Hei-Pi Yao King’s gaze sweep directly toward her and linger on her for quite some time.

Her heart began to pound.

When she had first arrived in the mountain, in order not to attract attention, she had used the Lianxi Spell to conceal her cultivation, disguising herself as a Body Tempering Stage lesser beast like the other demonesses.

Now that Hei-Pi Yao King saw that she was actually a Condensation Core Stage Grand Demon, and discovered that she had deceived him, she did not know how he would react.

As she was feeling anxious, she heard Hei-Pi Yao King’s aged voice coldly ask,

“You eight from Xixia Mountain, why does not a single one of you have even a trace of Yang energy in your bodies? What is going on here? Who will explain to this king what you have been doing in the Secret Realm these past two days?”