Chapter 147

He Zhizhou let out a harsh, cold laugh, his acting skills exploding in full force at that moment. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his chin, his voice sharp as a knife: “Didn’t expect this, did you? I’ve got backup! He’s been itching to teach you a lesson. With your skills, what can you possibly do to me?”

This cheap and pretentious tone would make any parent so angry that they would have a mixed doubles match on the spot.

(T/N: beat him together..hehe)

His face was so thick that it was about to rise to the sky, which would make the chef want to take out a rolling pin and flatten it.

—This was “The He’s Family Acting Manual: Character Edition”: the smug mistress flaunting in front of the original wife.

This skill can be considered a great achievement of ‘being cheap’ skills. Once activated, it can boost the opponent’s morale by three times. It is not recommended to use it casually unless you are seeking your own death.

But now it’s different.

Although both Qi Han and Ye Zongheng could tell he was mocking them, they each assumed He Zhizhou was targeting them individually. The other person present, therefore, was seen as the “backup” He Zhizhou mentioned.

They never expected that this bastard He Zhizhou not only scolded them both but also treated them as tools for his own use, just waiting to see a dog-eat-dog fight and a peak battle of the century.

As a Demon Lord, Qi Han had never been so brazenly provoked. His eyes widened in fury, and his demonic energy flared up like raging flames, shooting high into the air.

—To think there could be someone so shameless. Unable to defeat him alone, He Zhizhou had arranged for help. Those damned righteous cultivators must have seen through his true identity and set up this trap to force him to reveal himself!

This was the ultimate humiliation. He had to make sure these two brats paid dearly today!

Ye Zongheng, who had battled He Zhizhou for years, had never seen him so arrogant. His expression turned grim as he tightened his grip on his sword hilt, preparing to face the threat.

——He Zhizhou is really shameless. In order to curry favor with a strong man to deal with him, he even sacrificed his looks and tugged with this strong man. How shameless.

The man was surrounded by dense demonic energy, probably a demon descendant like Pei Ji of the Xuanxu Sect. But so what? They were all in the Golden Core stage; under the way of the sword, all beings were equal.Who is afraid of whom? Don’t be so arrogant, you dog!

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Unfortunately, these two were misled by He Zhizhou’s deceitful words. In their confrontation, they were essentially battling the air, their minds playing tricks on them, filled with intense anger and suspicion.

He Zhizhou, delighting in the chaos, finally managed to slip free from Qi Han’s grasp as the spiritual pressure around him shifted towards Ye Zongheng. Taking a few steps back, he raised his voice, taunting, “What’s the matter? Afraid to move? Are you scared? Really, there can’t be anyone so easily frightened, right? My friend here is ready, so don’t be a coward!”

Qi Han’s eye twitched.

Ye Zongheng clenched his fist.

A cold wind blew past, lifting their black hair and flowing robes.

The demonic energy and sword energy, invisible yet tangible, clashed in the night air, creating an atmosphere as tense as an impending storm. One could faintly hear the humming of swords, a deep resonance pounding in the ears.

Qi Han’s face darkened, his voice icy: “You brat, you’re quite bold.”

Ye Zongheng was amused by the domineering aura radiating from him. With a disdainful snort, he retorted, “When I defeat you, you’ll see my courage is even greater.”

“You bastard!”

The demonic energy surged like a black fog, ready to attack at any moment. Qi Han roared, “Just because we are different from you, we must suffer disdain and extermination? Today, I will slaughter you, and let’s see who in this secret realm dares to challenge us again!”

He Zhizhou understood that by “we,” Qi Han meant the demons.

How shameless, He Zhizhou thought. Ignoring the near extinction of the spirit fox clan, he claims they are merely different, yet they’ve committed countless heinous acts and still begrudge the righteous path for exterminating them.

He kills and plunders, massacring entire clans, but insists he is a righteous man.

Yet, do people need a reason to eradicate pests?

Ye Zongheng was shocked by Qi Han’s words, his refined face twisting into an ugly expression.

——No way, brother, if you really want to hold He Zhizhou’s hand, just go ahead and do it!

He knew their relationship was unique, but there was no need to be so bitter! People might gossip a bit when they see you two together, but what’s all this talk about “extermination” and “slaughter”? Are yousick?

Ye Zongheng drew his sword, the blade reflecting a cold light on his face, his voice equally cold: “Enough talk. Let’s do this! None of you are escaping today!”

This brat even dreams of exterminating all demons in the secret realm!

Qi Han laughed maniacally, and in an instant, his spiritual energy surged. A massive wave of black energy swept into the sky, attacking Ye Zongheng directly!

It was only then that Ye Zongheng realized something was very wrong.

This burly man’s spiritual energy was incredible, far beyond that of a Golden Core stage cultivator. His demonic energy was pure, without any trace of the righteous path. This was not someone here for a trial.

This was a demon with high cultivation.

Before he was swept into the sky by the overwhelming demonic energy, Ye Zongheng glanced at He Zhizhou in shock. Remembering his strange words and behavior, he finally understood, struggling to shout, “Big brother, you’ve been tricked by him!”

Qi Han’s fury intensified.

Of course, he knew he’d been tricked by He Zhizhou. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have exposed his identity and ended up surrounded by righteous sword cultivators. This scoundrel had succeeded in his scheme and was now shamelessly flaunting it…

Killing someone was one thing, but to disgrace them too!

Qi Han roared in rage, his voice cracking.

“Shut! Up!”

As soon as he finished speaking, layers of demonic energy surged forward like a mighty dragon, crashing towards Ye Zongheng. Despite his efforts to defend himself, Ye Zongheng was mercilessly thrown into the air.

—This was a Nascent Soul stage demon!

Pure-blood demons had long vanished. Ye Zongheng couldn’t fathom where He Zhizhou had found such a being who could slice him like a vegetable. If this demon encountered other Golden Core stage disciples, he could make a feast out of them.

Ye Zongheng’s mind was in turmoil, his internal organs churning from the demonic energy’s impact. Just as he was about to curse, a flash of white caught his eye.

Upon closer inspection, He Zhizhou was actually stepping on his left foot with his right, then his right foot with his left, continuously stepping on his own feet like climbing a ladder, gradually ascending into the air!

—Are you crazy?!

Though He Zhizhou and Ye Zongheng were usually at odds, he wasn’t crazy enough to serve his nemesis to a demon lord as a sacrificial lamb.

Previously, immobilized by the oppressive demonic energy, He Zhizhou had no choice but to stand and wait for death. He had intentionally provoked conflict between the two to distract Qi Han, planning to escape with Ye Zongheng once he was free from the demonic pressure.

Now, with Ye Zongheng hurled into the sky by the demonic force, this was their best chance to escape!

Without paying any heed to Ye Zongheng’s shocked expression, He Zhizhou grabbed him by the collar and bolted into the dense forest. As they fled, he explained hastily, “It’s a long story. That guy is a demon lord hiding in this secret realm. With our strength, we are no match for him. The most urgent thing now is to escape and regroup with the others.”

In the world where He Zhizhou came from, there was an unbeatable stock market god named Buffett who was invincible and powerful.

(T/N: Warren Buffett, known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” is an American businessman and philanthropist widely considered the most successful investor of the 20th century.)

But if they foolishly tried to duel Qi Han, they’d become “Buffett” instead—unbeatable losers, getting slaughtered left and right, ending up as nothing more than sacrificial lambs, ground down and mercilessly harvested by the demon lord.

Ye Zongheng, dragged by his collar, muttered weakly in a mix of anger and frustration, his voice barely audible, like someone on the brink of death.

He Zhizhou, fighting against the wind, could only piece together a few muddled syllables: My heart is so tired. If I die, He Zhizhou, you will be the murderer.

He Zhizhou nodded and agreed perfunctorily: “Alright, alright, sure, I know, just remember to drink more hot water and take care.”

Ye Zongheng continued to murmur like chanting scriptures, his voice growing fainter and more bizarre, his body convulsing like a dying fish washed ashore, emitting a noise reminiscent of a kayako climbing stairs.

(T/N: Kayako Saeki is the main antagonist of the Ju-On and The Grudge horror franchises.)

When He Zhizhou, annoyed, finally turned his head, he realized Ye Zongheng had closed his eyes and fainted, his tongue lolling out.

He Zhizhou finally understood.

What Ye Zongheng had been trying to say was, “My neck is choking… ugh—I’m going to die, He Zhizhou, let go!”

With a deadpan expression, He Zhizhou flipped him over like tossing an Indian roti. A mournful wail echoed through the silent forest, He Zhizhou’s last act of kindness to Ye Zongheng.

“Hey, hey.”