Huo Zhongguang was never one to fuss over the intimate affairs between men and women; he was, after all, a devout scholar of the Way. That, however, was a minor detail. The body of this demon, transformed from a wild boar, was tempered to be as hard and unyielding as iron or stone. With smooth meridians and unimpeded zhenqi, he found himself quite satisfied.
Even though he was a gelded boar and his meridians were damaged, it hardly mattered since he would be cultivating demonic secret arts, for which such a minor physical flaw was insignificant. It was unlike the path of the Martial Arts Sects, where any defect made reaching the peak exceedingly difficult.
He greedily devoured the boar demon’s shenhun, gradually gleaning scraps of information from it.
“So, the previous encirclement by the Reverent Ones wasn’t actually won by this boar demon?” That made far more sense. While the Reverent Ones in the True Man Realm might not have been individually superior, their sheer numbers and willingness to sacrifice meant it shouldn’t have been easy for this single boar demon to repel them. Since he himself was now unharmed, external aid must have been involved.
“It seems a figure called the King of Ten Thousand Demons suddenly appeared, repelled the Reverent Ones, and subdued this boar demon.” Huo Zhongguang’s expression grew strange, tinged with annoyance, “And then castrated this boar demon?”
It turned out this castration was a recent injury, not even a few days old—no wonder walking still caused some soreness.
“The King of Ten Thousand Demons?”
Feng Zikang pondered briefly. He hadn't expected to stumble upon a clue so casually.
Any entity worthy of the title 'Great Demon' would certainly not be a small fry like this mountain boar. This King of Ten Thousand Demons left absolutely no trace or news behind, suggesting formidable divine powers. Could he be the target of this merit-earning mission?
“In three days, the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Demons will be held at Lingwu Cave in Wanfu Mountain.”
Huo Zhongguang managed to dredge up that one final piece of intelligence from Zhu San’s shenshi. It seemed the King of Ten Thousand Demons had been rushing around collecting various lesser demons precisely to prepare for this assembly.
“Oh?” Feng Zikang narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
※
Wanfu Mountain was located in the very center of the Great Han Dynasty in the True Man Realm, a place of immense prestige and long renown.
To host the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Demons in such a conspicuous location was perhaps a bit too brazen. After all, even though the Celestial Emperor had performed few miracles in recent years, His deterrence remained potent. Most demons in this world kept a low profile, essentially being the weaker party. Being summoned by some unknown 'King of Ten Thousand Demons' for a meeting made most of them extremely nervous.
Huo Zhongguang took the lead, with Feng Zikang leisurely following behind as they entered Wanfu Mountain. They saw a continuous stream of demons, appearing from nowhere, hurrying along and conversing. The entire Wanfu Mountain was shrouded in white mist, which was the only reason these demons dared to travel in broad daylight.
“Sixth Brother, why exactly did the Demon King summon us today?”
“Who knows! Heavens, so many demons gathered today. If those Reverent Ones get wind of this and attack, things will get lively!”
“What should we do? My eyelid has been twitching since I left home this morning; I just wanted to hide indoors.”
“Pah! Are you trying to die? When the Demon King summons, you dare not come?”
Mentioning the name of the King of Ten Thousand Demons silenced the few smaller demons instantly. Although the Reverent Ones were terrifying and the Celestial Emperor dreadful, the King of Ten Thousand Demons was more immediate, unpredictable, and inescapable.
“This King of Ten Thousand Demons is indeed elusive. I’ve heard of him before, but this was the first time I saw him, just a few days ago.” Now that Huo Zhongguang had completely absorbed the boar demon’s shenshi, he naturally had no secrets left to keep.
Feng Zikang nodded. In Huo Zhongguang’s recollection, this King of Ten Thousand Demons possessed vast divine powers, having captured Zhu San in a single exchange. Rumor even held that he had easily slain some of the most ferocious demons; he was certainly no ordinary figure.
“I wonder why this King of Ten Thousand Demons is being so ostentatious in a place like this?”
Feng Zikang still harbored a slight confusion. Why would the King of Ten Thousand Demons be so showy, holding some Grand Assembly in such a central location as Wanfu Mountain? Was he truly unafraid of being besieged by the Reverent Ones? Even if his strength surpassed them, facing the so-called Celestial Emperor might lead to a dire outcome. Did this King of Ten Thousand Demons truly possess the power to oppose the Celestial Emperor? If so, it would be understandable why he was listed as a Great Demon in the Divine Merit Mission.
“Hey! Which faction do you belong to? Do you have a token?”
The Feng-Huo pair reached the entrance of Lingwu Cave on Wanfu Mountain, where two arrogant little demons were stationed, shouting orders at them.
Attending this assembly was ostensibly Huo Zhongguang’s role, as he now occupied the identity of the boar demon. Feng Zikang employed a diversionary illusion, posing as a minor demon following behind.
At first, Huo Zhongguang was extremely uncomfortable, frequently turning back to look, afraid of committing some blunder. Feng Zikang offered a reassuring smile, allowing him to gradually adapt.
When the gate-keeping demons made their inquiry, it was naturally Huo Zhongguang who responded.
Huo Zhongguang quickly clasped his fists, a broad smile plastered across his face. “Greetings, brothers. Your humble servant is Zhu San from Cloud Cave on Bolong Mountain. Summoned by the Demon King, I have come to attend the meeting. I do possess the required token.”
He pulled a wooden token from his robe and handed it over. The two little demons examined it, found it authentic, and nodded. “Very well, you may enter. But who is this?”
Huo Zhongguang quickly played along with a smile. “This is my junior martial brother. He heard of the Demon King’s might and I brought him along to see the world.”
The two gatekeepers scrutinized Feng Zikang, seeing nothing extraordinary about him, and waved them through.
Entering the cave, they were met with a cacophony of noise. These demons usually lived in seclusion and rarely met. Many were old friends who hadn't seen each other in hundreds or thousands of years, greeting each other with tears and laughter—a great reunion.
“Little Brother! Eight hundred years and you’re still so hale and hearty! How is your wife?” A demon resembling a black bear clapped a wolf-headed demon on the back.
The wolf-headed demon’s eyes misted over. “Brother, don’t ask. A few hundred years ago, just after your wife gave birth, our home ran out of food. When she went out foraging, she was discovered by those temple Reverent Ones and beaten to death.”
“Ah!” The bear and the wolf embraced, weeping bitterly in profound sorrow.
The demons here lived in misery. Usually, they hid far away, daring not cause trouble, let alone consume human flesh. Any meat was a rare treat. In lean years, they subsisted on tree bark and grass roots, and the loss of family members was common.
Yet, despite these hardships, they harbored a deep-seated terror of the Reverent Ones and the Celestial Emperor. The King of Ten Thousand Demons convening this meeting terrified them all; they feared it would invite divine retribution.
“These demons are quite interesting,” Feng Zikang observed with amusement. These creatures were timid as mice. Even if the King of Ten Thousand Demons managed to gather them, what could he possibly accomplish?
“The Demon King is coming! The Demon King is coming!”
Just as the throng of demons was in a chaotic uproar, a robust shout echoed from the rear of the cavern. A small demon, carrying a yellow silk umbrella, strutted out first, pushing a single-wheeled cart behind him. The Demon King, entirely cloaked in black, his form and stature obscured, sat upon the cart as he was slowly wheeled forward.
“Your Majesty, the Demon King, long life, long life, ten thousand ages!”
The demons in the hall panicked, bowing down in disarray, shouting incoherently—neither orderly nor loud, lacking any true spirit. However, the Demon King didn’t seem to mind, waving a hand to signal everyone to rise.
“Junior Brother,” Huo Zhongguang subtly nudged Feng Zikang. Feng Zikang understood, shaking his head. “No rush. We still don’t know if he is truly our target. Let’s see what this Demon King intends to do.”
For some reason, Feng Zikang felt a strange aura about this Demon King. His strength was undeniably immense, and judging by his bearing, he was far superior to those petty, common demons. Yet, it seemed he was also employing some magical ability to conceal his cultivation level; Feng Zikang couldn't discern his actual realm. It was best not to act rashly before understanding the enemy’s capabilities.
The King of Ten Thousand Demons sat enthroned in the cave, coughed softly, and instantly the gathered demons fell silent, holding their breath, awaiting his address.
In truth, these demons were as bewildered as Feng Zikang. They couldn't fathom why this formidable King of Ten Thousand Demons would call a Grand Assembly at such a volatile time; they didn't know what urgent matter necessitated it. They were all extremely nervous; if not for the Demon King's imposing authority, few would have dared to attend.
But the Demon King merely coughed twice and remained silent. A crowd of demons stared at each other, waiting in vain for him to speak. The atmosphere became extraordinarily strange.
The time it takes for one stick of incense to burn passed. The Demon King still had not uttered a single word, sitting there, eyes closed, conserving his energy.
Finally, one demon lost patience.
From the side of the cave wall, a demon with horns on its head jumped out. “Your Majesty, you gathered us all here? Is it to meditate facing the wall? We risked so much to come; if you have orders, please state them quickly so we can finish and leave! If we delay further, those bothersome temple Reverent Ones might catch wind of this and arrive!”
The Demon King opened his eyes, glanced at the horned demon, but still said nothing. The horned demon grew frantic, scratching its head and feet in impatience, yet it dared not offend the Demon King’s majesty. Its companions tugged at it, signaling it to stop speaking.
Feng Zikang also felt something odd, furrowing his brow as he pondered silently.
“Junior Brother, what trick is he playing?” Huo Zhongguang also sensed something amiss but couldn't articulate it. He turned to Feng Zikang for an answer.
Feng Zikang shook his head, signaling that he didn't know either, though he harbored a faint suspicion—whether right or wrong, he couldn't say.
Another half-quarter of an hour passed. The assembled demons exchanged confused glances, utterly baffled by what this peculiar Demon King intended to do.
The horned demon’s face turned crimson with suppressed breath, panting heavily. Finally, it spoke again, unable to contain itself. “Your Majesty, please speak!”
The Demon King glanced at him, suddenly gave a cold smile, and uttered a few words.
“They have arrived.”
“Thud—”
The horned demon didn't grasp the meaning and was about to press for clarification when a thunderous crash echoed. The stones on the cave ceiling plummeted down. The earth shook violently.
“It’s bad! It’s bad!”
The two small demons guarding the entrance tumbled in, scrambling in panic, screaming wildly, “So many temple Reverent Ones are attacking! Everyone flee!”
Blood streamed from their mouths, and their backs were riddled with arrows. After only a few steps inside, they collapsed dead onto the ground.