The Demon Kings busied themselves with their own discussions, while Zhu Qing and her brother paid them no mind. Li Jiao stood off to the side, cowering and meek, stripped entirely of the dignity befitting a Palace Master. He harbored a desire to approach the two dragons and curry some favor, but lacked the courage to do so. For a time, he wore a long face full of worry.
An hour later, a figure flickered into existence above the plaza, and Yang Kai suddenly appeared. Though somewhat worse for wear, his face was brimming with joy.
Zhu Qing and her brother took one look and immediately knew his earlier conjecture must have been on the mark — otherwise he would never have worn such a delighted expression. They both felt a secret surge of excitement.
The Demon Kings, on the other hand, all stiffened, their hearts sinking with dread.
The reason was simple: the Guixu hatchling dangling from Yang Kai's hand was once again coated in a layer of frost, clearly the result of having consumed a considerable amount of Yin Wind atop the Gale Wind Mountain. With the precedent set before, resolving this problem would be easy enough — but it was the last thing the Demon Kings wanted to see.
Yang Kai gave Zhu Qing a slight nod, then turned his gaze toward the group of Demon Kings, regarding them the way a butcher might look upon a flock of lambs. Without a word, Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing rose into the air in unison, forming a triangular encirclement around the Demon Kings alongside Yang Kai.
After a moment's deliberation, Li Jiao hurriedly joined them as well. He activated his Emperor Might, his face twisted into a ferocious grimace, looking every bit like a man ready to sink his teeth into someone at any moment.
"Please wait, my lords." Whether of her own volition or under duress, the Succubus quickly stepped forward, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, and called out in a clear voice: "We've held a discussion just now, and we're willing to cooperate with you in strengthening the Guixu's power, so that you may leave this place as soon as possible."
"Oh?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "How rare of you to show such willingness. It would be unkind of me to refuse. So tell me — have you decided who among you gets to die first?"
The Succubus hastily wiped the sweat from her brow and forced a thin smile. "The Guixu is fond of demonic artifacts, and its strength can be enhanced through demonic power — but that doesn't mean it needs to devour our people, my lord."
"I know," Yang Kai nodded, stating it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But isn't that the most direct and efficient method?"
The Succubus replied, "Direct, certainly — but efficient? That's not necessarily the case."
Yang Kai's expression hovered somewhere between a smile and a frown. "How so?"
The Succubus mustered her courage and said, "The Demon Kings in Wrath City are limited in number — you see them all here before you. Tell me, my lord, if the Guixu were to devour every last one of us and still not gain enough power to leave this place, what would you do then?"
Yang Kai furrowed his brow. "There may only be a handful of you Demon Kings, but Wrath City is full of demons. Sooner or later, it will devour enough."
The Succubus said, "How could those ordinary clansmen compare to us? You are a powerhouse yourself, my lord — you should know that strength has nothing to do with mere numbers."
Yang Kai offered a slight smile. "There's some merit to what you say. Very well — I'll give you the chance to convince me."
The Succubus's spirits lifted, and she spoke at once: "I once heard a saying — 'killing the goose to get the eggs.' What you're doing now is exactly that. If you want the eggs, you don't necessarily have to kill the hen that lays them."
"You're willing to be that hen?"
The Succubus smiled bitterly. "It's better than certain death. We are willing to proactively cooperate and let the Guixu consume our demonic essence. While that won't be nearly as fast as it devouring us whole, it shouldn't be far behind in growth. More importantly, it won't sever your supply of power in one stroke. As long as we're alive, we can keep providing the Guixu with the energy it needs to grow. You are a clever man, my lord — surely you can see the cost-benefit."
Yang Kai gave a light snort and said flatly, "And if I insist on killing the goose for its eggs?"
The Succubus pressed her lips together, glanced around at the other Demon Kings, and said in a strained voice, "If you insist, then we have no choice but to fight back with everything we have. We know there's little hope, but death is death regardless. Moreover… if we die, the Guixu will gain nothing at all. Perhaps you aren't yet aware, my lord, but the Guixu doesn't eat the dead — it only feeds on the living."
Having said this, she watched Yang Kai with a tense expression. The other Demon Kings sat in silence as well, the atmosphere turning suddenly solemn.
Under the weight of every gaze, Yang Kai's expression remained cold and unreadable. He pondered for a long while before his face finally cleared with sudden realization: "No wonder it wouldn't touch those few demons last time — it really is that much of a picky eater!"
The Succubus was momentarily dumbstruck. She had seen Yang Kai deliberating so gravely and assumed he was weighing her proposal. Who could have guessed he'd been thinking about something entirely unrelated?
She was about to speak when Yang Kai cut in: "If what you say is true, there's no harm in giving it a try. Killing a few is one thing, but razing an entire city goes against the natural order. Unless I'm forced to it, I'd rather not walk that path. Whether you live or die depends entirely on your own performance."
With those words, he tossed the little black puppy over.
The assembled Demon Kings paled in alarm and instinctively scrambled out of the way. They had watched the Blood Demon's devouring in clear detail just moments before — a lesson from the past was the best teacher for what was to come.
Fortunately, the Succubus proved relatively reliable. She steeled herself and caught the little black puppy.
The puppy opened its massive jaws, instantly blotting out all light from the Succubus's vision. She went weak in the knees with terror, watching helplessly as those jaws descended upon her, unable to muster even the strength to flee.
*Thwack!*
Yang Kai slapped the dog on the top of its head. The puppy whimpered and clamped its jaws shut, narrowly sparing the Succubus from her fate.
"You can't eat them!" Yang Kai stared at it with a stern expression. "Don't play dumb with me — I said you can't eat them, and that's final."
The little black puppy's two ears immediately drooped.
"There, all sorted," Yang Kai said with a laugh, turning to the Succubus.
The Succubus stood frozen in place. After a long, awkward pause, she managed: "I'm a little shaky. Would one of you like to go first?"