Pa!
The crisp sound of a slap suddenly rang through the hall.
No one expected Ye Yu to openly strike Dong Fang Yelai! Werenât they on the same side? Why would one ally hit another? Xie Buyuâs eyes filled with bewilderment. Even the succubus Bai Shuang, hiding in the shadows, stared in disbelief. Why stir up trouble now? How was Ye Yu supposed to strike in the ensuing chaos?
Most startling of all was Dong Fang Yelai himself. Dazed, he looked at Ye Yu in shock, wondering if heâd just hallucinated. Why had Ye Yu slapped him? Yet the burning sting on his cheek was all too real.
Covering his face with one hand, he trembled as he stammered, âAre you... are you insane?â
âYouâre the crazy one!â Ye Yu snapped, fury blazing. âDo we even know each other? You want me to kill the Lord of the Divine Alliance on your command? Why should I?â
Enraged beyond measure, Ye Yu delivered another slapâharder than the firstâknocking the towering god to the ground. This was beyond infuriating. Ye Yu had planned to sit back and watch the spectacle in peace, then slip away once the contest for the Divine Allianceâs leadership concludedâsafe and problem-free. But here was Dong Fang Yelai, demanding he assassinate Xie Buyu in front of everyone. Had Dong Fang Yelai lost his mind?
Didnât he see the massive war axe in Xie Buyuâs hand? That supreme artifactâthe Xuanba Titan Slayer Axeâhad allowed Master Yan Yong to defeat seven enemies of higher realm single-handedly. Such a weapon bestowed immense power. Now that Xie Buyu had entered the Ancient God Realm and wielded the Xuanba Axe, she could face even a God Emperor-level foe. Ye Yu, with only Great God Realm cultivation, was no match. Sending him to kill her was suicide.
Previously, in the side hall, Dong Fang Yelai had assumed Ye Yu was sent by that âold dog.â Ye Yu had kept silent, letting it pass. But now, ordering him to kill Xie Buyu in front of everyone solidified their conspiracy. When Xie Buyu swung that axe, sheâd spare no oneânot even Ye Yu. Did Dong Fang Yelai want him dead?
In this situation, who else but Dong Fang Yelai deserved a beating? Ye Yuâs demonic strength was terrifyingâand as a Demon God in the Divine Realm, even more so. His next blow sent blood spurting from Dong Fang Yelaiâs mouth and nose.
After nearly thirty-million years of recuperation in the side hall, Dong Fang Yelai had never endured such humiliationâtwo slaps before a gathering of juniors. Wiping blood from his face, he rose with fury. âIs this your ideaâor that old dogâs?â he growled.
To Dong Fang Yelai, Ye Yu had to be Gou Langtuâs agent. All Ye Yuâs actions must stem from Gou Langtuâs orders. Now that Ye Yu had struck him, Dong Fang Yelai demanded to know whose command it was. If it truly came from the âold dog,â it meant Dong Fang Yelai was a discarded pawnâheâd have to find a way to break the hand that played him.
Pressing one hand to his cheek, Ye Yu scowled. âYou patricidal, backstabbing wretch, have you lost your mind? Old dog, little dogâwhen did I ever say I was sent by him? Before you told your story, I didnât even know what âold dogâ meant!â
Hearing this, Dong Fang Yelai was utterly dumbfounded. Not Gou Langtuâs agent? But how could that be? Wait... this afternoon, Ye Yu indeed never claimed any affiliation. He simply assumed Ye Yu was an agent, and Ye Yu never denied itâthus the entire plan. A colossal blunder! Dong Fang Yelaiâs head ached at the realization of his own incompetence and embarrassment. Yet he couldnât entirely blame himselfâGou Langtu had been vague: âIâll send a Demon Realm powerhouse into Wuliang Hall to contact your disciple Hong Zhencheng. I donât know his real name.â Ye Yu fit every description: demon, strong, close to Hong Zhencheng. Who could have foreseen that Ye Yu was a false ally? What a cruel twist!
Regret filled Dong Fang Yelaiâs expression. Ye Yu turned to Xie Buyu and declared in a clear, righteous tone, âLord of the Divine Alliance, I, Ye Yu, remain loyal to the Alliance. I am no conspirator of that scoundrelâplease judge wisely.â
His conviction sounded so noble, one might have mistaken him for a learned sage reciting poetry. Xie Buyuâs brow furrowed. Had it truly been a simple misidentification? Not part of some ruse? Though disbelief lingeredâafter all, they were gods, supreme cultivators; how could they commit such a low-level error?
At that moment, a handsome demon suddenly stepped into view: Bai Shuang, the Demon God who had just joined the Wuliang Hallâs Divine Alliance. Strumming an ancient zheng, he sighed. âSenior, I [N O V E L I G H T] am actually your contact,â he announced openly. âYouâve had it all wrong.â
Exhausted by the nonstop twists onstage, Bai Shuang chose to reveal himself and secure his own identity. Better to step into the fray than watch the chaos unfold. And he certainly never doubted his ability to defeat Xie Buyu himself.