LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 44: Password
"God" was the term of address that demons used to refer to an ancient being.
In the human world, the path of cultivation was divided into three stages, each comprising three realms. The ninth realm, known as the Profound Realm, had always been a realm of legend. Those who reached this realm were truly a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.
Three thousand years ago, a peerless Demon Emperor of the demons achieved this unparalleled stage, becoming the world's first demon to reach the Profound Realm. He became the first demon god in the world and the only cultivator in the human world at the Profound Realm.
This brought about a calamity for cultivators in the human world.
The demon god initiated a massacre in all directions. Many members of the Immortal Sect stepped forward one after another, but none of them could stop the demon god from advancing. Faced with an unparalleled power, no number of people could fill the void. It seemed inevitable that the demons, under the leadership of the demon god, would conquer the nine provinces and four seas.
In the face of this crisis, seven elders of the Mount Shu Sect, all of whom had reached the Heavenly Origin Realm, emerged with the formidable divine artifact known as the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. They paid a steep price by sacrificing six of their own to finally seal the demon god within the confines of the pagoda.
And this battle was what elevated the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda to the highest-ranked treasure in the human world.
The reason was straightforward: Cultivators at the Profound Realm were regarded as gods. There existed an unbridgeable chasm between gods and all other living beings—gods were untouchable, invincible, and beyond surpassing.
However, the presence of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda bridged this divide.
It stood as the sole artifact capable of this feat, earning its status as the top-ranked divine artifact—an undeniable fact recognized by all.
However, a legend persisted, suggesting that the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda couldn't kill the demon god; it could only seal it. Consequently, for centuries, members of the demon race relentlessly attempted to infiltrate the Mount Shu Sect, hoping to unlock the pagoda and release the former demon god.
Regrettably, the demons who tried, whether openly or covertly, found themselves trapped within the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.
It wasn't until five hundred years ago that the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda vanished.
The Mount Shu Sect had yet to provide a definite explanation. Perhaps they themselves remained unaware.
At first, there was a rumor in the martial world, suggesting that the demon god had shattered the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and escaped. The Mount Shu Sect chose not to reveal this information due to concerns about potentially causing widespread panic among the human world.
However, five hundred years had passed since then, and there were no reports of the demon god's return. Consequently, these rumors gradually faded away.
Three thousand years was an exceptionally long period, and so, humans today had largely forgotten about that terrifying era.
But... the demons never forgot!
They deeply yearned for that era when the demon race ruled the world, and the human race cowered in fear.
To the west of the Western Regions lay the vast and desolate Far West—a harsh and brutal land that housed the world's largest demon force.
This force was established by the seven Great Demon Kings, who had escaped all the way to the Far West after the remnants of the demon god were relentlessly pursued.
And that place was known as the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings.
The Mountain Range of the Seven Kings had always been dedicated to the revival of the demons and had never given up hope of welcoming back the demon god. For the demons living in the territories of the human nations, the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings was more like a distant and revered sacred place.
And the divine envoy here today had come from the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings.
The room immediately filled with gasps of shock and amazement, including Chu Liang, who was quite surprised.
He had come to settle a romantic dispute. Who would have thought there would be such an unexpected revelation?
The demon god would soon return?
If this news was true, it would be significant enough to shake the Nine Provinces and the Four Seas!
The divine envoy continued with a voice filled with devotion, spreading his arms. fr(e)e
"We of the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings sent out the Tiger King to expand our territory within the human realm. We were gathering our own forces within the boundaries of the human territories, waiting for the day when god truly returned...
“This is the moment when we answer his call!
“Those willing to follow in the footsteps of the god, join the Hidden Forest Mountain. Of course, if you are not willing, we won't force you. God loves every member of the demon race."
...
He didn't say much, but his words sent shockwaves through the room.
Their god would soon return!
And by joining the Tiger King's forces, one would have been aligning themselves with the demon god's army in advance. Instantly, many demon kings in attendance felt tempted.
Back when the Tiger King had been traveling and persuading individuals to join their forces, many demon kings had their doubts. After all, even though the Tiger King's influence was considerable, they were leading comfortable lives.
There was no necessity to become subordinates of the Tiger King.
Yet with the name of the god involved, things were very much different.
There was a chance that many of those demon kings, who had been hesitating or had intended to reject the offer, would change their minds in this very instant.
Even the Cat King seemed a little breathless.
Chu Liang cast a slightly worried glance at him, fearing that he might suddenly develop a burning heart for the demons and stand up to denounce him.
Thankfully, it seemed like the Cat King's mind was still clear, and he hadn't forgotten the purpose of this mission.
As the room grew noisy again, with all the demonic creatures discussing the words of the divine envoy, the Cat King leaned in and said, “Young Hero Chu, we must act quickly. If we wait any longer, the Tiger King will be back in the bridal chamber.”
The wedding of demons would not have as many rituals as human weddings. When the divine envoy finished talking, he had other tasks at hand and hurriedly left with his subordinates.
After he left, the Tiger King waved his hand and announced the start of the feast. He then lifted a large wine jug and went table to table, toasting and drinking heartily.
Chu Liang looked around and also rose from his seat.
According to the plan they had devised, Mistress Ming, who was already in the bridal chamber waiting, was supposed to poison the candles and the wine. When the Tiger King was inebriated, she would deceive him into drinking the poisoned wine.
Chu Liang, concealed in the shadows, would then launch a sudden attack with his sword, aiming to kill him.
If it were a cultivator at the fourth or fifth realm, Chu Liang wouldn't act this way. But since this was a demonic creature of a higher cultivation level, it was worth the challenge.
If anything went awry, he could simply crush the jade talisman and summon his teacher. Chu Liang was familiar with Di Nufeng, and at this hour, she likely hadn't consumed too much alcohol. She could rush over in the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. This sense of reassurance allowed him to dare such a risky plan.
Before the Tiger King returned to the bridal chamber, Chu Liang needed to slip in and hide.
So, he got up and quietly moved towards the back of the cave.
The back hall was where the Tiger King and some senior demons resided within the Hidden Forest Mountain, much like the backyard of a wealthy household. The bridal chamber was located there too.
Typically, demon caves were not tightly secured, and casual movement was not a problem.
However, the Tiger King maintained slightly stricter control over his domain, and there were quite a few junior demons patrolling the back hall.
At that moment, all the junior demons around were quite drunk, and the guards were not very focused, so it seemed like Chu Liang was about to slip into the back hall.
However, a bull demon with two large horns on its head suddenly approached from the front, patted Chu Liang's shoulder, and demanded, “Password!”
“Eh?” Chu Liang felt his heart in his throat.
There's a password?
The Tiger King, having come from the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings, had indeed implemented strict security within the Hidden Forest Mountain.
Chu Liang couldn't help but touch the flying sword bracelet on his left hand while improvising, "The King of Heaven covers the Earth Tiger.[1]"
He was already prepared to make a move with his sword as soon as the other party challenged him. He would strike down a demon immediately and then summon his teacher without hesitation.
But... the result was unexpected.
To his surprise, the bull demon, after hearing the password, nodded and walked past Chu Liang without a care.
Eh?
Chu Liang was momentarily baffled. Did he guess the password right? If he did, it would be quite absurd.
Because he was so surprised, he couldn't help but stare at the back of the bull demon a bit longer. He noticed that the bull demon swaggered confidently into the back hall and encountered two patrolling junior demons along the way.
One of the demons shouted at him, asking, “Password!”
Then, the bull demon answered confidently, “The King of Heaven covers the Earth Tiger!”
The two demons immediately unsheathed their weapons and shouted, “Spy!”
At that moment, the bull demon turned to look in Chu Liang's direction. He hesitated and tilted his head so much that one of his horns came loose halfway...
That expression resembled that of a classmate who had copied his incorrect answers during an exam.
The look in his eyes was a mixture of bewilderment and astonishment as if he had been deceived.
1. "The King of Heaven covers the Earth Tiger (天王盖地虎)" is part of a well-known coded dialogue intended for Chinese scammers to identify each other and avoid scamming fellow scammers. The full sequence goes like this: 天王盖地虎，小鸡炖蘑菇。宝塔镇河妖，蘑菇放辣椒. The King of Heaven covers the Earth Tiger (天王盖地虎), Chicken Mushroom Stew (小鸡炖蘑菇). Treasure Pagoda Suppresses the River Demon (宝塔镇河妖), Add Chili to Mushrooms (蘑菇放辣椒). It's a form of secret communication where one person says the first line, and the other responds with the corresponding second line. This serves as a covert way for scammers to verify each other's identities. ☜