"Judging by the traces left here, there seem to have been quite a few of them. If that's the case, then the message I received when I broke through their formation was true — the demonic lizards taken from the Zhao family are also connected to these people." Another elder's face darkened with fury as he spoke.
"Most likely! If those people are companions of the two we encountered, their cultivation and abilities are far beyond what our disciples could withstand. It appears the Zhao family has long been under someone else's watch. Our actions yesterday were deliberately lured away from the Zhao family stronghold. Those few demonic lizards were their true objective all along. Otherwise, they wouldn't have fled so quickly into the Illusory Howling Desert." The first elder to speak let out a helpless sigh.
"Who are these thieves, and how dare they target our Zhao family! We cannot let this go — this grudge must be avenged! Otherwise, how will our Zhao family ever maintain a foothold in Illusory Night City!" The other elder spoke through gritted teeth.
"Avenged? I'm afraid that won't be easy. The two who lured us out only displayed Void Refining cultivation, but that likely isn't their true realm." The first elder shook his head.
"You mean — those two are also Demon Sovereign-level existences? Could it be that those who infiltrated our Zhao family are of similar cultivation? If so, no wonder they treated our Zhao family stronghold as nothing and dared to target the demonic lizards. But when did such old monsters arrive in Illusory Night City? Why did we receive no word of it at all?" The other elder sucked in a sharp breath at this thought.
"That's hard to say! Those two people's associates may simply be a group of subordinates. But even so, just those two alone possess cultivation no less than ours, and they've already penetrated deep into the Illusory Howling Desert. With the Zhao family's strength alone, it would be very difficult to reclaim justice. As for not receiving any prior intelligence — that's hardly surprising. They either concealed their cultivation and true appearances, or they simply remained outside the city all along, never having set foot in Illusory Night City before." The first elder pondered for a moment before responding.
"So we're just going to let it go?" The other elder's fury surfaced once more.
"According to the intelligence we received, those two people's associates didn't massacre the Zhao family stronghold — only a few insignificant disciples were silenced. And while the demonic lizards we lost this time are important to our Zhao family, they aren't enough to shake our foundations. As for our reputation — when we get back, we simply find a few unfavorable-looking fellows and eliminate them. We pass them off as associates of that group and make a public display. That should suffice." The first elder spoke in a cold tone, as if he had already given this considerable thought.
"Isn't that just deceiving ourselves? I cannot swallow this anger!" The other elder stared blankly for a moment, then stamped his foot.
"Whether you can swallow it or not, you must! You and I are the only two pillars the Zhao family has left. If either of us falls, the Zhao family could very well decline. For the sake of our family's prosperity, we must swallow this grievance. However, if you truly cannot let go of this hatred, you don't need to act yourself — we can use someone else's blade to do the killing." The first elder's expression turned grave.
"Use someone else's blade?" The second elder's expression shifted, revealing a thoughtful look.
"Indeed. You contact the Hall of the Beast Sovereign and have them act on our behalf. As for the payment, we can draw from the family's reserve of demon stones. However, let me make one thing clear — regardless of whether the Hall of the Beast Sovereign actually succeeds, this is a one-time arrangement. Even if that group emerges unscathed, I will not allow you to employ any other means to target them! And when you contact the Hall of the Beast Sovereign, do not reveal our identity." The first elder spoke with a solemn expression.
"Rest assured, brother, I know how to handle it. Heh heh, if the monsters from the Hall of the Beast Sovereign make a move, that group will lose more than a layer of skin even if they survive. It's just that spending so many demon stones will put a tight squeeze on the Zhao family for a good while." The other elder was initially delighted, but then grew somewhat reluctant.
"Hmph. Every single one of those old monsters possesses cultivation no less than ours, and their combat experience far surpasses what ordinary demon race members like us can match. The payment we're offering isn't unreasonable. However, having them enter the Illusory Howling Desert to hunt that group down isn't practical. We'll have to wait until they come out, and then let the Hall of the Beast Sovereign make their move." The first elder snorted.
"That works too. As long as the Hall of the Beast Sovereign posts people to monitor the cities near the Illusory Howling Desert, they'll eventually track down that group. Though we don't know what those people entered the desert for, nor how long it will be before they emerge." The other elder spoke with a fierce expression.
"We've already decided to spend big — a little more won't matter. Let's set the term at a hundred years. If that group lingers in the desert for a hundred years without coming out, consider those demon stones a gift to the Hall of the Beast Sovereign. What does it matter? There's no time to waste — let's return to the city immediately and split up to handle our tasks." The first elder cast a deep glance toward the distant sandy expanse, then made his decision without further hesitation.
The other elder naturally had no objections.
And so, demonic qi surged across their bodies as they transformed once more into two streaks of black light, tearing through the sky back toward Illusory Night City.
From the moment Han Li and his group had entered the Illusory Howling Desert, a full four months passed before another prominent family in Illusory Night City — the Fang family — carefully sent their disciples back into the desert, this time escorting a few demonic lizards.
By then, the commotion that had shaken Illusory Night City over the theft of the Zhao family's demonic lizards had gradually subsided.
After conducting their own investigation, the Zhao family's two Demon Sovereigns had quietly linked the incident to Han Li's disappearance, but without any concrete evidence, they naturally had nothing further to say publicly.
And so, time flew by. Year after year passed, and Illusory Night City remained as it was — with the four great families standing in balance. But the events that had befallen the Zhao family so many decades ago had long since faded from memory.
In the blink of an eye, forty years had passed.