As the whip descended, Feng Zikang neither dodged nor moved, appearing frozen in place. Just then, a startled cry came from behind him as Mou Canglang rushed forward and intercepted the lash.

"Fourth Junior Brother, what are you doing?"

Min Jiao's face darkened, clearly displeased with this meddlesome junior brother.

Under the White Eagle King, there was a semblance of harmony, but as they were all demons, they didn't adhere strictly to human morality. Secret rivalries and petty struggles among disciples were quite common.

As the four senior disciples, each had a chance to become the White Eagle King's true successor, eventually inheriting the Demon King's status and control over Eagle Wing Island. Although that future was distant, Min Jiao and Mou Canglang were certainly competitors.

Normally, they kept to themselves, but for him to intervene now was clearly an intentional slight against Min Jiao.

"Junior Brother, move aside!"

"Senior Sister, you cannot strike..." Mou Canglang's eyes flashed in the sunlight. Though his words were guarded, he reluctantly stepped back.

The initial block had been instinctive, and he immediately chastised himself for his foolishness. What harm was there in letting Senior Sister offend this Young Master Zhou?

Firstly, Mou Canglang naturally disliked this Zhou Ping'an. The fact that Mòlì'er was constantly clinging to him was a major obstacle in his plans, so watching him suffer a lesson at Min Jiao's hands was something he was happy to see.

Secondly, if Min Jiao offended the person who saved their Mistress, she would inevitably offend the Mistress herself. Master White Eagle King feared nothing on earth, but over these past few days, it was clear he feared his wife the most. If Min Jiao crossed her, she wouldn't have an easy time.

"Why can't I strike!"

Min Jiao was utterly furious. Seeing that Mou Canglang couldn't give a coherent reason, she assumed Feng Zikang was his friend, which only enraged her further. She swung the whip again, bringing it down viciously toward Feng Zikang's head.

"Stop it!"

From behind her, another roar of anger erupted. The Ghost King Tu appeared from nowhere, planting himself squarely in front of Feng Zikang!

"Crack!"

Min Jiao hadn't pulled back her strike. The whip landed squarely on Ghost King Tu's shoulder. Her robes tore, revealing a crimson welt blooming across her fair skin.

Mou Canglang was ecstatic, nearly laughing aloud. On the surface, however, he feigned righteous indignation and was about to shout when a lithe figure descended from the air. With a sharp smack, a slap landed squarely on Min Jiao's face.

"Insolent! How dare you strike the Mistress!"

The White Eagle King descended from the sky, intending to pull the Ghost King Tu close protectively. The Ghost King Tu twisted away with a sharp snort and immediately bolted away! Min Jiao turned pale with fright. The White Eagle King shot her a look so fierce his eyes seemed to spew fire. "Get back and meditate on your offense! I've spoiled you rotten! We'll settle this when you return!"

He immediately spun around and chased after the fleeing Ghost King Tu.

Min Jiao was stunned into silence by the rapid succession of events. Seeing her Master depart, she let out a sudden wail, clutching her face as she ran wildly away.

Mou Canglang was smugly pleased. He hurried to Feng Zikang, feigning sincerity. "Brother Zhou, are you alright?"

"I am fine, no serious harm, but Senior Ghost Elder she..." Feng Zikang adopted a look of alarm, gazing in the direction the White Eagle King and Ghost King Tu had gone.

"Senior Sister was far too rash!" Mou Canglang beat his chest and stomped his foot, expressing false indignation.

"To injure the Mistress, alas!" In truth, he was inwardly gloating.

Feng Zikang also chuckled silently. Everything today had proceeded exactly according to plan, flawlessly executed. Now, it was all up to the Ghost King Tu's acting skills.

")))$ "You, a mere disciple, dare to insult me like this! I cannot remain here!"

The Ghost King Tu was seething, carelessly tossing things aside. "My daughter and I will leave immediately, so as not to be an eyesore to you all!"

"Xiao Tu, why must you go to such lengths?"

The White Eagle King looked distraught. The Ghost King Tu had been looking for excuses to erupt lately, and now that she had a clear reason, it was no wonder she was throwing a fit.

"I will certainly punish Min Jiao, don't be angry... it was all just a misunderstanding..."

"What misunderstanding!" The Ghost King Tu's eyes widened. "The whip struck my body, and you call that a misunderstanding? If it wasn't a misunderstanding, wouldn't my head be gone?"

Though she was clearly being unreasonable, the White Eagle King had no immediate counter-argument. He could only offer a wry smile of appeasement.

"I've thought it through. It's simply because I lack ability; my Foundation Establishment cultivation is inferior to yours, which is why you look down on me! Fine, if that's how you feel, I'll take my daughter back to the East Sea!"

"How could that be!" The White Eagle King quickly swore oaths, insisting he held no intention of looking down on her.

"You deny it? You discuss matters with your disciples and never allow me to sit in—otherwise, how could they fail to recognize me?" The Ghost King Tu shouted, slamming the table and chairs in anger.

"This—this—this—this—"

The White Eagle King showed a faint hesitation. The matters he discussed with his disciples were no ordinary secrets; only demons who had reached the Core Condensation realm or above were privy to them in the Sea of No Return. The Venerable Netherworld had specifically warned that these must not be disclosed to anyone!

"See!" The Ghost King Tu roared, slamming the table and storming out. Mòlì'er followed her dumbly. The White Eagle King panicked and grabbed her arm.

"Xiao Tu, don't rush! I'll tell you, I'll tell you, isn't that enough?"

"Hmph—!" The Ghost King Tu flung his hand away. "I don't even care to know your petty affairs!"

She struggled to leave, but the White Eagle King could only smile bitterly, pleading repeatedly. He promised to reveal everything without the slightest concealment, affirming his respect for her.

"Fine!" The Ghost King Tu squinted at him, still looking unconvinced and reluctant. "Then tell me. If it truly is a top secret I shouldn't know, then I'll consider you haven't lied to me."

"What could possibly need to be hidden from you?" The White Eagle King grinned sheepishly and leaned closer. "It's not a major event, really, and has little to do with us. It's just that an old friend of the Venerable informed him that the Central Plains is about to change hands, and a great slaughter is imminent. Our Demon Clan might be able to profit from the chaos! One-one-one-one-one-one..."

"The Central Plains is about to change hands?" The Ghost King Tu scoffed. "What is that, anyway? How many times has the Central Plains changed hands in the last few hundred years? Why be so mysterious..."

"Xiao Tu, you don't understand..." Having started, the White Eagle King gritted his teeth and hid nothing further. "This change of hands in the Central Plains is vastly different from those times. If we speak of similarities and differences, it is comparable to the transition from the Wu Zhou Dynasty replacing Shang, over two thousand years ago! One-one-one..."

"Wu Zhou replacing Shang?" The Ghost King Tu's face instantly paled.

This was a forbidden topic; no one, human or demon, dared mention it. Although everyone knew that the great war two millennia ago profoundly affected the cultivation world even today, everyone spoke of it with trepidation.