He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 818 The Human and Demon Races Are Still Discussing Their Plans

The old fox paused, the nectar on the rim of his teacup sliding down his fingers and dripping onto the stone table, leaving a small damp patch. He looked up at Wang Ran, his cloudy eyes darkening—these words were far too aggressive. The rise and fall of dynasties were inherently unpredictable; who could guarantee that humanity would forever be at its peak? Even the once mighty Dragon Clan, after all their power, had ended up retiring from the world. But in terms of momentum, the demon race could not afford to show weakness.

He gently set down his teacup, the bottom striking the stone table with a clang. His voice carried a hint of coldness: "Lord Wang, aren't you being a bit too absolute? Although my demon race has lost its former glory, we've been rooted in these mountains for thousands of years. The protective array left by our ancestors still stands, and our old comrades haven't completely lost their skills. If a fight really breaks out, even if your human race gains the upper hand, you'll likely suffer greatly. The outcome is still uncertain."

The old fox is afraid of nothing.

Wang Ran hadn't expected this old fox to be so stubborn, but his face showed no surprise. Instead, he smiled and drew circles on the stone table with his fingertips: "It's a good thing that the clan leader has backbone. But since I dare to say this, I've naturally come prepared." He changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming serious, "Do you think that the only threat to your demon race right now is us humans? Don't forget, there's also the demon race. Those things hiding in the abyss have been peeking out at the borders quite a bit these past few years. Last month, they gnawed a piece off Black Wind Ridge in the east, and now even grass doesn't grow there. They've been eyeing this mountain forest covetously for a long time."

The old fox, seeing the scheming gleam in Wang Ran's eyes, knew perfectly well what was going on—after all this trouble, he simply wanted to use the demon race as pawns, making them fight against the demons so that the humans could reap the benefits. He scoffed, his beard bristling: "Lord Wang, do you mean to make my demon race take the fall for you? Our ancestors never taught us the principle of 'making wedding clothes for others'."

“You can’t say that.” Wang Ran shook his head, his tone becoming even heavier, as if a stone was pressing down on him. “You must understand that the demons aren’t just targeting us humans. They want the spiritual energy of this world, the life force of all living beings, including the demon race. If the demons really attack, with your current strength, can you withstand them? At that time, even this cave will probably be polluted by demonic energy, and the younger generation in the clan… might not even be able to transform into human form.”

He didn't finish speaking, but the threat in his words pierced the air like an icicle. The air in the cave instantly became heavy, and even the light of the luminous pearl seemed to dim. Only the two people's breathing was particularly clear in the silence, one light and one heavy, as if they were competing with each other.

The old fox narrowed its amber eyes, a cunning smile spreading across its lips. Its bushy tail swept lightly across the fallen leaves behind it, creating a soft rustling sound. It glanced sideways at Wang Ran beside it, its tone tinged with barely concealed smugness: "Although our demon race currently lacks methods specifically designed to counter the demon race, we're not exactly afraid."

It raised its paw and pointed towards the depths of the valley, where a faint blue light membrane could be seen flowing: "After all, the barrier surrounding this valley was laid down by three powerful figures of our clan who exhausted their cultivation over a thousand years. Let alone ordinary demons, even if their leaders who can summon wind and rain came, they would be skinned alive if they tried to force their way through—the 'Spirit Locking Array' flowing on that barrier alone could absorb all their demonic energy and turn them back into their original forms."

Wang Ran watched the old fox's confident demeanor, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist, not daring to relax for a moment. He knew the old fox was telling the truth; he had personally inspected the barrier, and it was indeed very sturdy. But if the human race were to truly face the demon race alone, even if they could eventually defeat them with the city's defensive formations and demon-forged weapons, it would inevitably result in a devastating defeat for both sides—and then, who could guarantee that the demons in this valley wouldn't be like lurking wolves, waiting for both sides to be exhausted before jumping out to reap the benefits? They had been imprisoned for so many years; to say they hadn't harbored thoughts of expanding during the chaos was simply unbelievable to him.

His expression darkened, his aura turning colder, and his tone became as stern as ice: "You have a barrier protecting you, but the demon race's greatest strength isn't brute force, it's infiltration." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the shadowy mountains and forests in the distance, "They can transform into mortals, birds and beasts, and even disguise themselves as your demon race; they can slip into the cracks in people's hearts to sow discord and turn even close relatives against each other; they can move under the cover of night and shadows, so that even the spiritual senses of high-level cultivators might not be able to detect them."

Wang Ran lowered his voice even further, with a hint of warning: "If they were to quietly infiltrate your demon race, spread their influence on your territory, and turn the spiritual energy in the valley into demonic energy, then even if you wanted to retreat, you would have nowhere to go."

The old fox's smile faded, and its bushy tail stopped moving. How could it not know the demons' methods? In that cataclysmic event that swept across the three realms, the demons' lair was massacred. A few surviving old comrades, before dying, struggled to tell it: demons could possess living beings, sucking their life force like parasites; they could move in the shadows, appearing and disappearing unpredictably; they could even mimic the scent and voice of their closest relatives, making them impossible to guard against. Those memories, like poisoned needles, had been piercing its heart for so many years, still causing a dull ache.

The two remained silent for a moment, the only sound the whistling of the wind whistling through the treetops in the valley, each weighing the pros and cons in their minds. Finally, the old fox spoke first, his tone softening, like a beast that had sheathed its claws: "I understand your reasoning. Demons are like a malignant tumor, they will always be a menace if left unchecked."

Seeing this, Wang Ran quickly chimed in, his tone becoming more relaxed: "In that case, let's make an agreement. The human race will send fifty cultivators skilled in tracking and formations, and the demon race will also send some people to set up three outposts at Black Wind Pass and Misty Forest, where the two races meet, to jointly monitor the demon race's movements. If either side discovers anything unusual, such as fluctuations in demonic energy or strange shapeshifters, they must immediately report it using a communication talisman. We must work together to deal with it and absolutely cannot fight alone, giving the demon race an opportunity."

The old fox weighed its options—it wasn't that it didn't want to stand firm, but the threat from the demons was real. If they really burrowed in along the ley lines, the remaining strength of the demon race alone might not be enough to hold out until Lord Long Si returned. More importantly, if it didn't go along with the humans' wishes, who knew if these cunning fellows would turn around and try to destroy the barrier? Last time, they secretly buried "Spirit-Breaking Nails" outside the barrier; if they hadn't been discovered by the patrolling fox demons, the consequences would have been unimaginable.