Chapter 145: He Might Be a Handful, but I Bet He’ll Taste Delicious.
Chapter 145: He Might Be a Handful, but I Bet He’ll Taste Delicious.
The first to speak was the Paradise Demoness.
She fluttered her pale pink fan, her eyes shimmering with a seductive light as she looked at me.
“Hey there, handsome little brother!”
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a sultry coo.
“Why don’t you come with me, dear brother? It looks like things are about to get quite ugly here.”
I smiled and gave her a blunt reply.
“What a shame. You’re not really my type, ma’am.”
“Oh my! Ma’am? I’m not that old. Just call me Big Sister.”
I turned to the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon and asked, “How old is she, really?”
“She’s easily over sixty,” he replied flatly.
At that, the Paradise Demoness shrieked in a fury.
“Shut up! You ugly little devil! I’m still twenty-eight!”
She showed no fear toward the Smiling Demon. She was truly a fearless, wicked woman.
“Didn’t you say you were twenty-eight ten years ago as well?”
“You remember that?”
“Even back then, you looked over forty.”
The Smiling Demon seemed to know exactly which words would provoke her the most. An eerie, sinister aura began to radiate from the enraged Paradise Demoness.
“Today, I’ll finally see the face behind that mask. If you hadn’t crawled into the Demonic Cult, you would have died by my hand long ago.”
One could tell just from their exchange that there was no love lost between them.
Then, the third of the Blood Path Trio, who was standing nearby, actually took the Smiling Demon’s side.
“That old hag’s sinister energy gets more disgusting by the day.”
The second brother, pretending to hold him back, joined in on the mockery.
“Brother, watch your mouth. If you’re not careful, that monster will suck the very life force out of you.”
As the Paradise Demoness turned to glare at them with a hardened expression, the eldest of the Blood Path Trio finally spoke.
“My brothers have always been big-mouthed. Just think of it as a passing dog barking.”
The Paradise Demoness snorted.
“I wonder why those curs bark every time they see a human?”
She seemed to have some level of acquaintance with the eldest. It was clear that the calm first brother was the one leading the Blood Path Trio.
“I’ll make sure they’re wearing muzzles next time they come out,” the eldest replied.
At that, the third brother made a show of whispering, though his voice was still loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Seeing how he’s always defending her, do you think Big Brother spent a passionate night with that monstrous wench?”
“Then we should be treating her as our sister-in-law,” the second added.
The first brother closed his eyes slightly and said to the Paradise Demoness, “Just assume they’ve gone senile.”
On the surface, they seemed to be merely trading idle banter, but they were ready to strike at any moment. Even the second and third brothers, who were flapping their lips like common thugs, possessed extraordinary auras. If they didn’t, the Paradise Demoness would have torn them to shreds long ago.
I extended my energy like a spiderweb to monitor their presence. Just as a web vibrates when prey is caught, I sensitively monitored how their auras shifted.
They were relaxed. The atmosphere suggested they believed they could easily kill the Smiling Demon if they attacked together. Their jokes reflected that confidence.
Then, the Yama Divine Lord, who had been the last to enter, spoke up.
“If you’re senile, you should die.”
He had intentionally distorted his voice to sound gloomy, like a grim reaper speaking from the grave. He pulled a small book from his robes and flipped it open. It was the Death Register he always carried.
“You’re all wicked bastards who should have fallen into the Avici Hell long ago. I’ll send you there now.”
The second and third of the Blood Path Trio clicked their tongues.
“That madman’s condition shows no sign of improving.”
“Hey, you idiot! Don’t write our names down. Write the name of that masked fellow over there.”
Realizing they knew each other well and likely met often, I sent a Voice Transmission to the Smiling Demon.
— Do you know where these people came from?
— They are from Villain Valley.
Within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the place where the Smiling Demon resided was also called Villain Valley. However, the place he just mentioned was not his own residence. There was a real Villain Valley in the Central Plains where the worst of the worst gathered.
No one knew exactly when Villain Valley was formed. It began as a refuge for criminals fleeing their crimes, and over time, it became a settlement. Surrounded by swamps, venomous snakes, and poisonous insects, and filled with all manner of traps, an intruder would lose their life before taking more than a few steps inside.
Even if one managed to navigate the dangers and enter, all sorts of villains awaited. It was a place where a child giving directions might plunge a dagger into your throat, and a kind-looking old woman might poison your food. That was Villain Valley.
The Murim Alliance had attempted to subjugate the place several times, but they failed every time. The number of villains was so vast that the Alliance always retreated after suffering heavy losses.
The only reason Villain Valley hadn't expanded into a major power to threaten the Murim was simple: they were villains.
Whenever someone tried to unite them, someone else would inevitably betray them. They spent every waking moment stealing from, fighting, and killing one another, making it impossible for them to consolidate into a single force.
And yet, these people from Villain Valley had united for the purpose of killing the Smiling Demon. These weren't ordinary thugs; to move figures of this caliber meant the person behind the scenes was truly formidable.
— What’s our plan?
The Smiling Demon answered my Voice Transmission without hesitation.
— Wipe them all out.
— Is that possible?
— It is. They’ve left out the most important factor in their calculations.
— Me, I assume?
— No, they ignored the fact that I don’t like falling into traps.
They had truly gotten on the Smiling Demon’s bad side.
You dare set a trap to kill me? And you even used a Gratitude and Grudge Token to do it?
The Smiling Demon was currently very angry. Of course, he wasn't the type to act purely on emotion against such opponents, so he was likely waiting for an opening.
Right then, the Blood Wolf Blade, who had been sitting alone, stood up abruptly and made an announcement.
“Smiling Demon, a life-or-death duel with me.”
Immediately, the Yama Divine Lord stepped forward.
“The Smiling Demon’s name is already in my register. I will be the one to take him.”
He held open his Death Register, where the Smiling Demon’s name was written in red ink. The Paradise Demoness licked her lips, eyeing the Smiling Demon hungrily.
“He might be a handful, but I bet he’ll taste delicious.”
The Blood Path Trio was the same.
“If those guys kill him, we’ll have to listen to them brag forever. We’ll take the lead.”
Everyone seemed eager to fight the Smiling Demon. After all, killing a Demon Lord would be a boast they could use for the rest of their lives.
Seeing this, I said to the Smiling Demon, “You’re quite popular.”
“This is nothing. If I go to the Orthodox side, it’s a riot. People line up for miles to kill me.”
I burst out laughing at his joke. Naturally, the villains' gazes turned toward me. Judging by their reactions, they still didn't know who I was.
The Blood Wolf Blade asked me, “Brat, who are you?”
Instead of answering, I said to him, “I heard you were a man who walked his own path. I didn't expect you to come to kill someone at another's bidding.”
Stung by the truth, the Blood Wolf Blade glared at me coldly. It was unclear how he had been brought here, but I knew he was a man who lived solely for his pride.
“I asked who you are.”
“Geom Mu-geuk.”
“Geom Mu-geuk?”
Then, the first of the Blood Path Trio recognized me.
“The Heavenly Demon’s second son.”
His previously calm expression instantly soured.
“Dammit! That bastard! To lead us into a place where the Heavenly Demon’s own flesh and blood is present...”
The second brother chimed in.
“He’ll probably claim he didn't know the boy was with the Smiling Demon. But we’re in a position where we can’t just back down, so this is quite troublesome.”
I didn't know the reason, but it seemed they were also being forced into a situation where they had to kill the Smiling Demon. If not, they wouldn't have dared to dream of killing a Demon Lord.
On the other hand, the Blood Wolf Blade showed no fear even after learning my identity.
“You wag your tongue recklessly, relying on your father. Do you think I fear him?”
This, too, was a result of his pride. He was a man who lived and died by it. But could this really be called pride?
“A man with nothing to protect has nothing to fear, I suppose.”
At my words, his momentum surged. In a situation where he looked ready to draw his blade at any second, I broke the tension by stepping back behind the Smiling Demon.
The Blood Wolf Blade didn't draw his weapon recklessly. Since he didn't know my true strength yet, he was likely being cautious of the Smiling Demon.
I asked the Smiling Demon loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“The person behind this must be someone capable of mobilizing people like this, right?”
“As you can see.”
“Then why didn't they step forward themselves instead of sending these people?”
“Probably… because of you, Second Young Master.”
“Because of me?”
“They’re likely hoping one of these people will kill you. Then the responsibility for your death will fall on them.”
“What a cowardly fellow.”
I looked at the villains and said, “Well then, who’s going to be the first to fall for this cowardly scheme?”
A brief silence followed. Even for those from Villain Valley, the name of the Heavenly Demon carried weight. If my father truly got angry, he could wipe out Villain Valley itself. The only reason he had left it alone was that it was a greater burden on the Murim Alliance.
The villains began to exchange Voice Transmissions. Though they appeared to be at each other's throats on the surface, they were seasoned villains of the Jianghu. Since their lives were on the line, they were being extremely cautious. This caution was the reason they had survived despite their numerous crimes.
After a moment, the Paradise Demoness stepped forward with a seductive smile.
“Little brother, you really should come with me. Should a precious person like you be tangled up with such filthy villains?”
The moment I saw her eyes, I could feel she had made up her mind to kill me. It seemed she feared the person behind the scenes more than the distant Heavenly Demon.
The Paradise Demoness fluttered her fan. “Brother, shall we go?”
The moment a crimson energy began to flow from her fan, a sinister aura enveloped me. She was using her Soul-Seizing Technique on me. It was the same technique she had used to drain the internal energy of countless martial artists.
The moment a crimson light flickered in my eyes, the Paradise Demoness shouted at the Smiling Demon.
“If you move, the Second Young Master dies!”
The Smiling Demon didn't budge. In fact, even if she hadn't warned him, he wouldn't have moved. He was certain that I was the one who had killed the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord; why would he think I couldn't handle her technique? He trusted me that much.
Believing I had completely fallen under her spell and lost my reason, the Paradise Demoness approached me and placed her palm against my dantian.
“Shall we have a taste of our little brother’s fresh internal energy?”
Whirrrrrrrr!
The sound of internal energy being drained from the dantian echoed through the room. The Paradise Demoness cried out in a voice full of ecstasy.
“It was my lifelong wish to drain the essence of the Heavenly Demon! Having consumed his flesh and blood, I’ve already half-fulfilled that wish!”
Her expression shifted rapidly through joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. The Smiling Demon and the other villains in the room simply watched the scene unfold.
The youngest of the Blood Path Trio mocked the Smiling Demon.
“You cold-blooded bastard! You’re just watching while your Heavenly Demon’s kin is being violated!”
The Smiling Demon calmly asked them, “Can you lot handle the consequences?”
“We’ll just hide in Villain Valley. Once we burn your corpses, no one will know it was us. Even if it’s discovered, would your Demonic Cult really sacrifice so much to attack Villain Valley?”
At the third brother’s answer, the Smiling Demon said nothing more and simply watched the Paradise Demoness drain my energy.
And a moment later.
Thud.
The Paradise Demoness collapsed on the spot.
Startled, the first of the Blood Path Trio rushed to check on her.
“Old hag, what’s wrong?”
As he examined her, he cried out in shock.
“She’s dead! She died because her internal energy was completely depleted!”
At that moment, I snapped my eyes open.
“Ah, I’m full! She might have been a handful, but she tasted quite good.”
I had reversed the flow and absorbed all of her internal energy. I had pretended to fall for it, but evil sorcery doesn't work on me—especially not Soul-Seizing techniques.
With my recent insights into martial arts, combined with the Blood Eye Purifying Water, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art, and the Thousand Meridian Strengthening Technique, it was impossible for her to take energy from my body in the first place.
In the end, the Paradise Demoness met a miserable death, falling victim to the very method she had used to exploit men her entire life.
As I settled the energy I had gained from her into my dantian, my gaze deepened. I turned to the Yama Divine Lord and said:
“What are you staring at? Aren't you going to write Big Sister’s name in your register?”