Today's two chapters...
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In the main hall of the Demon God Fortress, Li Rong sat at the head seat, radiating an air of elegant nobility. Below her gathered numerous high-ranking figures of the fortress.
These were the strongest and most senior people among the fortress dwellers, excluding the Four Great Commanders.
Among them, an old man with a pale complexion and a cultivation base of the Third Stage of the Transcendence Realm looked indignant, his face twisted with fury. He barked out, "Lady Li! That human brat dared to commit violence inside the Demon God Fortress, injuring seven of our people. He must pay the price!"
"Exactly!" Another old man at the Second Stage of the Transcendence Realm stepped forward, seething with indignation. "A mere human being dares to be so arrogant? Lady Li, out of her benevolence, gave him enormous benefits and privileges that make everyone jealous. Yet he remains utterly unsatisfied, arrogant and insolent. It's time to teach him a lesson, put him in his place, and let him know who's in charge here."
The rest of the crowd all nodded in agreement.
The Ancient Demon Clan was an extremely domineering and protective race. Seven of their own kin had been beaten half to death by Yang Kai, with the worst-off needing six months of recovery time and nearly dying on the spot. Such an incident was considered a tremendous humiliation, and naturally, they wanted to reclaim their honor from Yang Kai.
However, Lady Li had been doting on that human lately, as everyone could see. Before dealing with him, they naturally needed to report to her first — after all, she was the master of the Demon God Fortress.
"Is this all of your consensus?" Li Rong's beautiful eyes swept lightly over the assembly as she asked softly.
"It is!" The pale-faced elder at the head nodded firmly.
"Why?" Li Rong rose gracefully, a hint of hidden cold light flashing through her watery eyes as she fixed her gaze on the pale-faced old man. "Is it because the Pan Lang who was injured is your son?"
The old man paused, then nodded candidly. "That is partly the reason, but more than that, I'm thinking of our clan's dignity!"
"Lady Li!" Another man took up the thread, his expression grave. "The impact of this incident has been extremely negative. Many of our kin have already gathered near the stone chamber, and they all want to teach that human a lesson. We know he's a talented alchemist and our clan's best hope, but those people don't understand that. If we don't punish him and reclaim some honor for Pan Lang and the others, our people won't let this go!"
Li Rong chuckled softly. "When did the Ancient Demon Clan — who believe in the supremacy of martial force — ever need someone else to fight their battles for them to reclaim honor? If Pan Lang is truly capable, let him heal his wounds and go challenge Yang Kai himself to a rematch."
"Be that as it may, the emotions of our people are running very high right now. They believe that human brat is completely arrogant and overstepping..." The pale-faced elder — Pan Lang's father, Pan Bu — said solemnly. "The sentiments of the people still need to be taken into account."
Li Rong took a deep breath and pondered for a moment. "Then what punishment would you have me impose on him?"
"Simple enough." Pan Bu's expression turned cold as steel. "For every bone he broke among our people, I'll shatter one of his. Blood for blood, tooth for tooth!"
"Would he even survive that?" Li Rong's expression cooled.
Pan Bu smiled. "Don't worry, Lady Li. I won't let him die easily — after all, he still has great value to our clan. As long as it doesn't interfere with his alchemy in the future, it'll be fine."
Li Rong slowly shook her head.
Pan Bu was taken aback. "Lady Li, our clan has been imprisoned here for countless years. You know what our people are like now — they've been cooped up for far too long. Now that there's friction, it's ignited their fighting spirit. If this matter isn't handled properly, it could lead to very dire consequences."
"For example?"
"For example, those who feel wronged might go and pledge allegiance to Lord Chu Jian!" Pan Bu narrowed his eyes.
Li Rong laughed softly, her entire demeanor shifting from the gentle, benevolent bearing she'd worn before to something supremely commanding.
Several Transcendence Realm powerhouses in the hall felt their hearts clench involuntarily and averted their gazes. Only now did they suddenly realize that Lady Li's position as master of the Demon God Fortress was not without reason — it wasn't merely her kindness and compassion that had placed her on this seat.
Beneath that gentle, compassionate exterior, Lady Li also had a side that was authoritative and formidable.
Li Rong displayed her authority briefly, then swiftly reined it back in. She remained silent, thinking for a good while, before finally appearing to reach a decision. Her voice rang out sharp and clear: "I will handle this matter personally. All of you, keep your subordinates in line. Starting today, anyone who dares to cause trouble for that human again — I will personally send him into the embrace of the Great Demon God!"
Pan Bu and the others' expressions changed. They stared at Li Rong in astonishment, stammering, "My Lady..."
"Did you hear me clearly?" Li Rong's voice was cold.
"We shall obey Lady Li's command!" Pan Bu hastily lowered his head.
"Leave now." Li Rong waved her hand, then added, "Duan Ya — stay behind."
A taciturn-looking demon warrior nodded and remained in place while the others took their leave.
After they had gone, Li Rong let out a helpless, bitter laugh. "These foreign races..."
"My Lady, what are your orders?" Duan Ya asked.
"Starting today, stand guard around that stone chamber. If you find anyone attempting to harm him — kill them without hesitation!" Li Rong's voice was low and stern as she gave her instructions.
A flash of surprise passed through Duan Ya's eyes. He hadn't expected Lady Li to value the human so highly. He hesitated before asking, "What if it's Pan Bu and the others?"
"They wouldn't stoop to dealing with a young man themselves. But if they truly do... I will step in personally."
Duan Ya nodded slightly and withdrew with respectful deference.
Outside the hall, Pan Bu's expression was dark and sinister. Like Duan Ya, he couldn't understand why Lady Li was placing such importance on Yang Kai.