Chapter 159: Even Dogs Are More Affectionate Than Them
At the small oasis, the Great Wu Demon King's camp was not an overgrown scene.
On the contrary, this not-so-large area was managed in an orderly manner.
Let alone being overgrown with weeds, many extremely gorgeous-looking flowers were even planted here.
The carefully placed bonfires and lanterns around illuminated the rather luxurious camp brightly.
The Great Wu Demon King did not need these bonfires to see through the night sky.
But who wouldn't want to be more comfortable?
Fresh, extremely appetizing-looking fruits filled a large table, as well as a large basket by the pool.
Next to the pool was a luxurious chair made of an unknown material, draped with smooth silk.
As soon as Hu Qi stepped into this camp, his expression became strange.
From time to time, he would glance at the old fox at his side.
Why does the Great Wu Demon King live more comfortably on the front lines than we do in the rear?
Why does he get to use silk as a cushion to sit on, while we can only sit on a broken throne made of cracked stone with our own fleshy behinds?
How did I, a banner demon king, end up worse off than one who's been pushed aside?
The old fox didn't speak, but merely signaled Li Yingling and the other two with his eyes.
Hu Qi naturally understood his meaning—handle the important business first.
At this moment, the unrelated demons around had been cleared away, leaving only the main characters of this private meeting.
The two demon kings, the fox, and Li Yingling's group of three.
The old fox's expression was slightly grave. He glanced at Li Yingling without leaving a trace.
At first, he just thought that the owl might be talking nonsense.
Because when the owl reported the message, he had looked at Li Yingling very carefully, but could only conclude that she was just a snake demon.
It wasn't until he saw Li Yingling summon her Spirit Treasure, revealing the aura of a human Golden Core without a doubt, that he understood it was real.
The old fox instinctively also observed the expressions of the Great Wu Demon King and Hu Qi, but could only see shock and confusion in their eyes.
It was obvious that this human Golden Core cultivator's disguise had also fooled the direct investigation of the two demon kings.
A human Golden Core cultivator, and a sword cultivator at that, could perfectly hide from the perception of two demon kings by relying on some unknown thing.
Many things can, in fact, be understood by seeing the small details.
Either this Golden Core was extraordinary, and might actually be a Nascent Soul.
Or this Golden Core's background was extraordinary, and it was highly likely that there was a big shot Nascent Soul master who could act at any moment behind her.
Either way, it was not someone he could confront head-on in his current situation.
Could it be that he still had to count on their own black-robed Demon Lord to lend a hand?
Although the incident happened suddenly and was tense from the start, the old fox also smelled an opportunity in it.
In fact... their purposes might not be so different, are they?
The old fox glanced sideways at Hu Qi, then straightened his gaze to look at Li Yingling and the others, who had not taken their seats.
"Little Dragon Demon King..."
Li Yingling's gaze was ice-cold. She sneered disdainfully and said: "I'm not interested in playing this game with you. We all know what's going on, who are you still trying to fool with this title?"
The old fox was stunned upon hearing this.
He had always known that demons liked to speak bluntly, but he had never met a human who spoke so directly.
The old fox subconsciously looked into Li Yingling's eyes, trying to read her emotions from them.
The trick that was always effective on demons was now useless.
But soon, he gave a bitter laugh in his heart.
Humans are truly humans; they are excellent at hiding their emotions.
After looking for a while, the old fox could only sense the irritation and displeasure in her gaze.
This kind of look probably only appears when a little girl is angry, right?
But the old fox would not believe that there was truly a little girl beneath this illusion of a cold, white snake face.
The old fox asked: "Then how should I address you, sir?"
Li Yingling replied calmly: "No need for an address. I have no intention of getting to know a bunch of animals. Since you said you have a plan that will satisfy me, just say it."
The Great Wu Demon King found a seat next to Hu Qi and looked at the old fox and Li Yingling.
To be honest, he was starting to understand the situation now.
This human Golden Core cultivator was most likely here to assassinate him today, and based on the aura she just revealed... he was probably no match for her.
This human was incredibly insidious and impossible to guard against.
It was a good thing he usually didn't like to deal with affairs and had left reports unattended for a long time.
And it was also thanks to Hu Qi's arrival today; otherwise, he would likely have been in grave danger.
He picked up the wine jug from the table and downed it in one go. He had managed to save his life today.
Hearing this, the old fox looked at Hu Qi and the Great Wu Demon King.
Although he knew these two would most likely listen to him in the end, this was a matter of basic respect.
Courtesy costs nothing, and it's not just effective with humans; it's the same with demons.
No matter how good his relationship with Hu Qi was, he had never overstepped his bounds over all these years, even when their cultivations were once similar.
Hu Qi said with a calm expression: "Just speak. I trust you."
The Great Wu Demon King nodded lightly: "Since Brother Hu has said so, I naturally feel the same. Just give your orders if you need anything."
Hearing this, the old fox's expression showed gratitude. After a light nod, he looked at Li Yingling and said: "You undoubtedly want to resolve the demon nation, while we merely seek a way to survive."
"In fact, this is not in conflict. On the contrary, to a certain extent, we can help you, and you don't need to do much, just leave us a path to survival."
As this sentence fell, the one who reacted the most was not Li Yingling, but Lin Luoyu.
She didn't speak or move, but simply turned and left, walking to the farthest corner to look up at the stars alone.
Cui Hao glanced at his Fourth Senior Sister, then turned his gaze back to the old fox who was speaking.
Perhaps this was the root of why demons were lowly.
He wanted to say something to his Eldest Senior Sister, but looking at her back, he silently swallowed his words.
Li Yingling let out a soft breath and sat down in the chair in front.
Seeing this, the old fox finally breathed a sigh of relief; at least they could talk now.
He quickly said: "This so-called demon nation is, in fact, just a pile of loose sand. It only takes a little nudge, a gentle breeze, and it will scatter."
"We can give you some information you want, including the real mastermind behind it all, and we can also cooperate with you on some actions."
"In return, we also need you to help us with a small matter, so that we can extricate ourselves when the time comes."
Li Yingling watched calmly, her gaze fixed on the old fox's seemingly sincere eyes.
Half an hour later.
Hu Qi watched Li Yingling leave. After a long while, he glanced sideways at the old fox.
He asked with a puzzled tone: "Is this matter settled just like that? Isn't it a bit too easy?"
The old fox chuckled lightly and shook his head: "The words of humans can never be trusted... We need to make other plans."
As he spoke, the old fox's gaze fell upon the Great Wu Demon King: "Now that things have come to this..."
The Great Wu Demon King quickly interjected: "No need to say it! I can see the situation clearly. I naturally want to live. From now on, I'll have to trouble you to handle things, sir."
The old fox smiled and nodded lightly.
Without further words, he got up and walked out of the camp. Stepping outside, his gaze quickly locked onto the owl, which was still in its original location.
The old fox looked carefully and found that the owl still had a very weak rise and fall in its chest.
——————
Under the night sky.
The three were now on their way back.
Lin Luoyu asked in a low voice: "Eldest Senior Sister, are we really going to..."
Li Yingling didn't wait for her to finish, answering directly:
"Naturally, I truly intend to personally decapitate the heads of that group of demons just now to vent my anger."
A look of joy appeared in Lin Luoyu's eyes: "Eldest Senior Sister, just now you..."
Li Yingling recalled for a moment and said: "When I was at home, there was a guard dog I was quite close to. It could also understand human speech. Every time I left, I promised it that the next time I came to play, I would definitely bring it something tasty."
"But at that time, I could barely eat my fill, so how could I bring it anything tasty?"
"Every time it saw me arrive, it would be extremely excited, but when it saw I hadn't brought it anything, its tail wouldn't wag as happily."
"But even so, it was still very close to me. I liked it a lot."
"That group of demons just now isn't as affectionate as the dog I mentioned."
"Could it be that I should still speak of keeping my promise to them?"
"If that dog found out about this, it would definitely be angry, so..."
Li Yingling looked at Lin Luoyu at her side and playfully winked.
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