"My lady has a point." Nie Hailong finally rose, his massive serpentine body churning the lake water and stirring up ripples.
"I shall head to Qudao County myself to see what kind of trouble those two wretched sons have stirred up."
His plan was clear. If a powerful demon truly had intruded, he needed to investigate the situation early. By determining whether the intruder was friend or foe ahead of time, he could prepare his response accordingly.
As for those two wretched sons, if they were dead, they were dead. So long as they hadn't brought a catastrophe down upon his head, it wasn't a major issue.
He had plenty of offspring, after all.
Mother Snake finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, her voice turning a bit more tender.
"Then I shall trouble you, husband. Please, go and return quickly."
In her eyes, Nie Hailong was the most powerful demon beast in the surrounding territory. As long as her husband took action, there was nothing that couldn't be settled.
Nie Hailong said no more.
With a swing of his massive head, he swam toward Qudao County, ink-colored waves churning in his wake.
Wherever he passed, fish and shrimp scattered in all directions, and even birds dared not fly low over the water.
Nie Hailong’s speed was incredibly fast; in just half an hour, he arrived at Shideng Village.
As he approached the village entrance, he furrowed his brow.
A faint scent of blood and death lingered in the air, as if a massacre had taken place, yet there wasn't a single trace of his offspring’s aura.
Even the signs of human life in the village were pitifully sparse. Only a few scattered households still had lights burning, giving off a deathly, oppressive atmosphere.
"No one? How strange!"
Nie Hailong’s voice carried a heavy pressure, shaking the old locust tree at the village entrance until its leaves rustled and fell.
His massive snake body coiled at the edge of the village, his crimson vertical pupils scanning the entire settlement. He found no trace of any demons.
There were only a few villagers shrinking inside their houses, staring at him in terror through the cracks in their doors.
Filled with growing suspicion, Nie Hailong suddenly lashed his tail. With a thunderous crash, he demolished a thatched hut.
Amidst flying tiles, several villagers ran out screaming, only to be firmly encircled by his serpentine body, leaving them with no room to escape.
"Speak! Where are the people of Shideng Village? Where did they all go?"
Nie Hailong’s vertical pupils stared fixedly at an old man at the front, his fishy breath blowing directly into the man's face.
The old man trembled all over, his teeth chattering as he instinctively wailed.
"Great King, have mercy! Our Shideng Village is under the protection of the White Jade Immortal! You... you cannot harm us!"
"The White Jade Immortal?" Nie Hailong sneered, his forked tongue flickering. "You think that old ghost, who can barely save his own skin, dares to interfere in my business?"
Before his voice even faded, he suddenly opened his blood-red maw and swallowed the old man, who had collapsed in terror, along with an old woman standing near him.
The remaining villagers were scared out of their wits. Someone wet their pants on the spot, and others wailed for mercy, but no one dared mention the White Jade Immortal again.
"Now, who is going to give me an answer?" Nie Hailong’s voice grew even colder.
A man holding a child cried heart-wrenchingly, stammering out a response.
"An immortal master came a few days ago, saying he would help us get rid of the demons. Later... later, many snake demons came to the village and were killed by him..."
His heart was full of regret.
If only he had followed Shitou to the Dead Man’s Forest back then.
Shitou had said that by following the god, they could eat their fill, dress warmly, and wouldn't be bullied by demons. It wasn't like now, where they could become food for a demon beast at any moment.
"An immortal master?"
Nie Hailong was furious, his vertical pupils constricting. "Which family's kept cultivator dares to slaughter my offspring?"
His pressure suddenly intensified, and several villagers fainted on the spot.
Among the remaining people, a young woman huddled in a ball and cried out in a small voice.
"That immortal master's name is Shitou! He was originally from Daliang Village. He's the one who slew the demons!"
By now, how could the woman not understand?
This great demon was clearly here for revenge, and even the deterrent of the White Jade Immortal had no effect on it.
At this moment, she hated Shitou to the core.
If that brat hadn't meddled and come to slay the demons, how could such a terrifying demon beast have been lured here?
Even more infuriating was that Shitou had taken so many people from Shideng Village with him. If those people were still here, this great snake demon might have been satisfied after eating a few more of them—perhaps it wouldn't have even been her turn to die!
"Shitou." Nie Hailong repeated the name, incensed.
It wasn't because of the pain of losing his offspring, but because someone had dared to challenge him. It was a slight against his prestige.
Furthermore, the culprit wasn't even another demon, but merely a lowly human cultivator. This was a direct humiliation!
"Very well."
Nie Hailong’s voice dropped to a low hiss. "What is this Shitou’s background? Whoever can explain it clearly, this king shall spare their life."
The young woman was overjoyed upon hearing this, grasping at the words like a life-saving straw. She immediately shouted loudly, afraid someone else would beat her to it.
"Great King! I know!! That Shitou was originally from our neighboring village. A god sent him here to slay the demons!"
At this moment, she only wanted to shift all the trouble onto Shitou.
This mess was started by Shitou anyway, so it was only right that he should suffer the demon's vengeance!
"A god?"
Nie Hailong dismissed the idea with a sneer, full of mockery.
"Those sneaky ghosts and demons love to play the trick of disguising themselves as immortals and gods to fool mortals. There is no such thing as a true god in this world."
He paused, then continued his interrogation. "You've spoken well. What else do you know?"
The woman was delighted to see the snake demon’s approval. "That Shitou said he obtained his divine power because he was under the protection of the god of the Dead Man’s Forest!"
"In my opinion, he's no good. A true god wouldn't live in such an unlucky place like the Dead Man’s Forest."
"With Shitou's measly tricks, he's definitely no match for you, Great King!"
The woman’s face was full of flattery.
"Wait, you said... the Dead Man’s Forest?"
The furious expression on Nie Hailong’s face froze instantly.
He suddenly recalled a rumor that had been circulating for a long time.
Deep within the Dead Man’s Forest, an evil spirit was hidden. That evil spirit could assimilate all things, turning living beings into monsters that were neither alive nor dead. Even high-level demons didn't dare to approach easily.
An evil spirit!
That was the most terrifying and unique thing in the world.
Evil spirits had no emotions, no reason, and no life, yet they were immortal and indestructible.
No matter how many times they were killed, they could reform. They could also infect any biological creature using their power.
Whether it was a demon or a ghost, unless they were several grades higher than the evil spirit, it was best to take a detour upon seeing one.
Younger demons only took this as a rumor, but Nie Hailong knew clearly in his heart that it was true!
In his youth, he had personally witnessed that evil spirit—rotting all over and reeking of death. In just a single breath, it had assimilated the great demon that occupied Qudao County at the time!
It was precisely because that great demon had fallen that the White Jade Old Ghost was able to rise to power and claim the territory of Qudao County.
When the tiger is gone, the monkey claims the throne.
Fortunately, evil spirits had fixed territories and wouldn't move easily. As long as one didn't actively provoke them, they could coexist in peace.
This was also why, despite an evil spirit existing in Qudao County for so many years, no major disasters had occurred.
"Is what you said true?" Nie Hailong’s voice carried a hint of subtle tension.
The woman nodded repeatedly, continuing to praise the snake demon’s strength while belittling her fellow human, Shitou.
It didn't matter if the snake demon ate everyone else in the village, as long as she survived.
But before she could finish speaking, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in Nie Hailong’s crimson vertical pupils. He opened his giant maw and swallowed everyone clean.
He only wanted to flee now—to hurry back to Lakeglow Ridge.
He was merely a small demon; what right did he have to provoke an evil spirit!
Rate on N.U.
