Chapter 156 There Are Always More Changes Than Plans
Nighttime.
Hu Qi carried a large long blade on his back, holding the old fox under his arm with one hand, as he flew swiftly toward the west.
"Broken Abacus, it's not that I doubt you, but are you sure your plan is reliable?"
The old fox narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone calm:
"Then do you have a reliable plan for me to hear?"
Hu Qi suggested in a low voice: "Forget all those messy complications and just run."
"Run where? Where to go? How many demons and humans are watching you right now?"
Hearing this, Hu Qi sighed. It seemed that in this vast world, there was suddenly no place for him.
The many minor demons he had seen at his door in recent days were already unfamiliar faces. This was a critical time, and their surveillance had become blatant.
Not all demon kings were just thinking of making a quick fortune; some truly wanted to establish a demon nation.
Now, at this critical moment, he was abandoning his post.
Those who wanted to skin his tiger hide weren't necessarily human.
But if he stubbornly saw this through to the end, he would definitely be skinned.
The old fox sighed. It naturally understood Hu Qi's concerns.
After all, his life was on the line. After thinking it over, it still opened its mouth to explain:
"Don't panic. It's not just the two of us who have to get this done. To do something well, sometimes it's easier to pull in a few more like-minded demons."
"To put it more bluntly, if there are demons to bear the brunt for you, wouldn't you be less worried?"
After hearing that there would be demons to bear the brunt for him, the unease in Hu Qi's heart indeed receded a lot. He looked toward the small green oasis that was already faintly visible.
After a light nod, he asked in a low voice, "But that water buffalo cherishes its life terribly. Its nickname, 'Cowardly Bull,' wasn't given for nothing. It won't be easy to trick, right?"
The old fox looked at him with disdain: "Your heart is truly dark. Why would we need to trick it? We are, of course, genuinely and sincerely going to cooperate."
"Didn't you just say it was a demon to bear the brunt?"
"Your heart is truly dark. Don't we wait until things are out of control to use it to bear the brunt? Before that, it must be all-out cooperation! A demon's life is difficult. Unless it's absolutely necessary, one must leave some leeway."
Hu Qi couldn't help but lower his head and glance at the old fox at his waist. Those words sounded nice, but he felt there was probably only a black heart under this fox skin.
However, after decades of sharing hardships, this old fox had never abandoned him, no matter how difficult things got.
If the old fox also intended to use him to bear the brunt.
Hu Qi thought about it and figured he would probably be willing.
Having thought this through, he no longer hesitated and quickened his pace, heading straight for the small green oasis.
——————
By the pool of the Great Wu Demon King, a Foundation Building bull demon held a steel trident, its gaze constantly sweeping over the four minor demons before it.
It had to be said, Li Yingling could feel the Great Wu Demon King's fear of death without even meeting him.
The minor demon forces stockpiled in the rear were at least double those at the front line.
The description of a sentry every five steps and a post every ten was no exaggeration.
Moreover, the minor demons here were clearly the confidants of the Great Wu Demon King. When passing a major post, they were always subjected to detailed questioning before being allowed to pass.
If it weren't for this owl leading the way, they probably would have fought on the way.
This wasn't a force deployment to secure a defensive line; it was clearly to secure the demon king's safety.
This was especially true for Cui Hao, who was well-read in military texts. He felt that even for demons, this shouldn't be... at least...
In any case, it was an eye-opener.
The paths to success may be different.
But the paths to failure are varied and numerous.
Life seems more exciting when you compare how badly things can go.
At this moment, a demon had already gone inside to report to the Great Wu Demon King.
"Goo... goo..."
The owl's two eyes were wide open, and its two wings were trembling uneasily.
The Foundation Building bull demon frowned slightly, its voice doubtful: "You're just delivering a message, why do you look so guilty?"
"Goo..."
The owl froze at these words, its neck unconsciously shrinking back.
Because it was truly feeling guilty.
The Foundation Building bull demon's suspicion grew, its gaze quickly darting to the other guards nearby, signaling them to prepare for action.
Cui Hao stepped forward, his face displeased as he spoke:
"Guilty? That's physically weak. You're tight on supplies at the front but living it up in the rear. What you eat versus what we eat—big greens with a dead rat's tail."
"You eat this stuff for a few months, wouldn't your legs feel weak?"
The Foundation Building bull demon looked at Cui Hao, its own pressure bearing down on him.
How audacious of this weasel, just a small squad leader with a cultivation at the mere Chain Qi layers, to dare to act so presumptuously here.
Li Yingling would not let her own junior brother be disadvantaged. She stepped forward, her aura pressing back, and sneered:
"What are you looking at? Is my buddy wrong?!"
Li Yingling naturally did not use the pressure of her Golden Core Realm, instead restraining her own pressure to within the Foundation Building Realm.
The owl watched as the Foundation Building bull demon's face instantly stiffened, and it couldn't help but take two steps back.
Seeing this scene, it unconsciously shifted its feet, moving closer to Li Yingling.
This Foundation Building bull demon, relying on its close relationship with the Great Wu Demon King, always looked down on other demons.
In the past, which demon didn't have to endure its arrogance?
The owl, with its lower cultivation, was naturally no exception.
When this bull demon saw it, it would occasionally ask if the dead rats were tasty.
The owl would always answer with a smile: "Delicious."
Then, it would turn and leave amidst their mocking laughter.
Seeing this Foundation Building bull demon put in its place today brought it a sense of satisfaction.
However...
These were humans.
Demons rarely stood up for other demons, but humans often stood up for their own.
No wonder most humans, even when facing certain death, would fight to the end without retreating.
The owl buried its head halfway into the feathers on its chest.
The Foundation Building bull demon's face sank as it glared at Li Yingling, saying in a low voice:
"You snake demon with your scales turned, are you looking for trouble here?"
Li Yingling replied disdainfully: "I'm looking for trouble today. I'm taking this matter straight to the Great Wu Demon King to see whose skin gets flipped!"
The bull demon's face gradually turned cold. Just as it was about to call its men over to teach this snake demon a lesson, the snake demon's pressure instantly vanished.
It saw the snake demon's gaze turn toward the east.
The bull demon also quickly looked over but found nothing.
Was this some kind of trick? A distraction?
Li Yingling had no time to deal with the bull demon. From the east, a spiritual energy fluctuation of at least the Golden Core level was speeding toward them.
That direction was Luopo Ridge, the old nest of the demon nation. The one coming could not be human.
Her junior sister's cultivation was only at the Foundation Building Realm. The treasure bead she gave her, no matter how she thought about it, shouldn't be able to fool a Golden Core Great Demon.
The original plan was for Li Yingling to find an opportunity to assassinate the Great Wu Demon King, while her junior brother and sister stayed outside, hiding in their shells to bully some minor demons.
After she beheaded the Great Wu Demon King, she could then gracefully lead her junior brother and sister away.
It had a rather carefree feel, like taking an enemy general's head from amidst a thousand troops.
But now, that was no longer possible!
Li Yingling looked at her junior brother and sister, her expression grave: "It's a tough one!"
Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu's expressions instantly turned serious as they quickly reached for the transmission talismans in their robes, while also watching their eldest sister's hand signals.
Li Yingling slightly opened her palm, ready at any moment to summon her spiritual treasure.
First, a surprise attack to strike the demon coming from afar.
Then, have her junior brother and sister activate the talismans to leave.
If they activated the talismans first, the surprise attack would turn into a direct confrontation.
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