klisemfg Chapter 282: One Step Forward
Chapter 282: One Step Forward
In the Demon King's Palace, candlelight flickered, and light and shadows wandered freely among the carved beams and painted buildings.
Ye Wutan sat high on the main seat, emitting an unparalleled kingly aura, and his black robe seemed to be able to swallow all the light around him.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes as cold as a sharp blade, and glanced at the group of demon kings standing below.
"You are all the pillars of our race. Now that the human race is coming in full force, I hope you will put aside your grudges and fight the enemy together."
Ye Wutan's voice was low and deep, echoing in the empty hall like rumbling thunder.
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of dead silence in the hall. Then, a sharp and somewhat sarcastic voice suddenly rang out.
"My Lord Demon King, I'm not trying to offend you." The one who spoke was the Queen Bee. She had a slender figure and was wearing a gorgeous golden dress that was particularly eye-catching in the dark hall.
Her red hair flowed freely, her eyes filled with stubbornness and unwillingness. As a representative of the long-oppressed pro-war faction, she didn't hide her sarcasm at this moment. "Ever since the old Demon King passed away, the backbone of our race has been broken. Look at the situation now. How can we compete with the human race? In my opinion, it's better to just stick our heads in and save them the trouble and exhaustion."
"What does Queen Bee mean? If it weren't for you black sheep who have been secretly causing trouble for the human race, not restraining your subordinates, and acting recklessly in human territory just to satisfy your appetite, how could our race be facing such a situation now?"
Hearing what the Queen Bee said, the Deer King took a sudden step forward, the corners of his robe rustling with his movements, his face full of anger.
"What a joke! Humans are born to be our blood-prey. Didn't your ancestors teach you that? For thousands of years, our demon race has enjoyed the human race. It's only natural. How come you think it's a mistake?"
"So? Now that the humans are attacking, you go and eat them like blood food!"
……
The two men exchanged words, neither of them giving in, with heated rhetoric and spit flying everywhere. The atmosphere in the hall was tense, as if a fight was about to break out at any second.
"enough!"
Ye Wutian's voice seemed to carry a thousand-year-old frost, echoing faintly in the hall, "I am not here to watch you quarrel."
These brief words were like a thunderclap, instantly silencing the entire hall.
The Deer King and the Queen Bee were shocked by the roar. There was still anger on their faces, but they could only suppress it and turned their heads away in disappointment.
Ye Wutian glanced around and saw that everyone had quieted down. He took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at the demon kings with a determined gaze. His voice was low but very contagious: "Those who are willing to protect our clan, please step forward."
……
His words echoed in the hall for a long time. For a moment, the entire space was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The demon kings looked at each other with different expressions.
In this suffocating silence, a clear yet firm voice suddenly rang out: "We, the cat tribe, are willing to protect the demon tribe for the Demon King!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Catwoman moving forward gracefully like a black phantom.
Her autumn-water-like eyes were shining as she looked at Ye Wutan with tenderness in her eyes.
"The Horse Clan is willing to defend the Demon Clan for the Demon King!"
"The Wolf Clan is willing to defend the Demon Clan for the Demon King!"
"The Tiger Clan is willing to defend the Demon Clan for the Demon King!"
……
For a moment, responses came one after another in the hall, and many demon kings took a step forward and stood firmly in front of Ye Wutan.
However, nearly half of the demon kings continued to remain motionless, with complicated expressions. Some of them turned their gazes to the Deer King with hesitation and exploration in their eyes, as if waiting for the Deer King's instructions.
Another part looked at the queen bee, expecting her to give the next direction of action.
The Deer King clasped his hands together and took a step forward. His expression was solemn. He raised his head slightly and looked at Ye Wutian sincerely. He said slowly, "My Lord Demon King, we must carefully consider the current situation. Our race's high-end combat power is inferior to that of humans. If we rashly start a war, it will only cost us money and resources, and plunge our demon race into an irretrievable situation."
He paused briefly, then continued, "Besides, the human race has always gone to war for nothing more than resources. In my opinion, we might as well sacrifice some blood and cede some resources to stabilize the situation. Once the demon race has bided its time and grown stronger, we can recover what we have lost with interest."
After saying that, the Deer King lowered his head slightly and waited for Ye Wuotan's response. The hall fell into silence again, and everyone's eyes were focused on Ye Wuotan.
"If we keep giving in, how can we ever truly stand up again? Lord Demon King, the human race is insatiably greedy. If we compromise today, we'll demand even more tomorrow. Compromising now is not a long-term solution; it's digging our own graves."
The Queen Bee opened her eyes wide and glared at the Deer King, then turned to face Ye Wutan, knelt on one knee, straightened her back, and spoke loudly.
"I believe the first step in responding to the war is to eliminate the corrupt officials in our clan who only care about disrupting the morale of the army."
With that, she glanced fiercely at the Deer King, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "Such a cowardly individual only emboldens others and destroys his own prestige. Keeping him around will only weaken the fighting spirit of our demon race and hinder our plans to resist the humans."
The queen bee spoke fiercely, her voice shaking the entire hall, and she exuded a desperate aura.
"..."
Ye Wutian stood with his hands behind his back, emitting an elusive aura. He watched quietly, his deep gaze like a pool in the cold night, wandering back and forth between the faces of the Queen Bee and the Deer King.
"Those who are willing to defend our people, please step forward."
Ye Wutan took a deep breath and spoke again in a voice as loud as a bell.
"..."
The deer king and the queen bee stood firm, neither giving in to the other, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction with each other and insistence on their own positions.
"The Queen Bee keeps saying she'll accept the challenge, but why hasn't she taken a single step forward yet? Could it be all talk?"
The Deer King curled up a sarcastic smile at the corner of his mouth, shot his eyes at the Queen Bee like needles, and questioned loudly.
"I am waiting for the Demon King to deal with those traitors who have disrupted the morale of the army before the battle even begins. Once the traitors and their forces are brought to justice, I will be the first to rush to the front lines."
The Queen Bee raised her eyebrows and shot a lightning-like gaze at the Deer King. Then she turned to face Ye Wutan, held her head high and chest puffed out, and responded loudly.
"Executed? I am a veteran of two dynasties. The entire demon race rests on my shoulders. Who dares to kill me? Who can..."
The Deer King's eyes were wide open and he was about to explode when suddenly a crisp "click" sound was heard in the hall and his voice stopped abruptly.
Everyone looked in astonishment. At some point, a man wearing a bronze mask appeared behind the Deer King like a ghost.
He locked the Deer King's head tightly with his hands like an iron clamp. With a little force, the Deer King's neck was twisted off like a fragile branch.
……