Chapter 76: Chapter 76 - Journey Ahead (2/2)
”---y-you want to storm Devil's Stronghold that has at the very least a quarter million demons?!!” the woman exclaimed as she leapt out of her chair.
”Yeah. So?” Lino remained calm as he continued. ”We're all aware that Demons and Demonically Possessed aren't the issue. I'm a.s.suming you guys can just throw your disciples at them and be done with it. It's the Devils hiding there that will pose the challenge. If we let them attack, there's a great chance they'll split their forces. Suddenly, you'll have Devil Variants popping all over the Kingdom. Right now, they're all gathered together. If it helps, I can guarantee that they've yet to finish their portal. It should take them another few months at least to do so.”
”How do you know that?” the man sitting in the central position asked, squinting his eyes.
”Trade secret.” Lino smiled. ”Either way, with or without you, I'll be attacking.”
”When we last spoke,” Velin joined in with some fear. ”You didn't mention anything like that.”
”I've had time to think it over.”
”Then you must have a plan?” old man Van joined, hopeful expression on his face.
”Aim for Greater Demons,” Lino said. ”To thin out their numbers. I have a friend who can craft Locator Talismans specifically aimed at Greater Demons. You guys form groups of disciples and give each one or two talismans. While disciples fight the Demons, we'll let the regular army and ordinary mercenaries deal with the possessed. At the same time, the rest of us will tackle Devils.”
”Us?” the woman scoffed at him. ”You think you can handle a Devil? Have you ever even seen a Devil, boy? Just because you can scare this idiot boy here,” she glanced at Velin who lowered his head in shame. ”Doesn't make you a king of the world.”
”... you've been grinding my b.a.l.l.s this entire time,” Lino said in a cold tone, his eyes narrowing into slits, staring intently at the woman. ”Do you want to test whether I'm capable or not?”
”Humph, I'd like to see you--” woman suddenly came to a halt as the entire room burst into noise; two Elders jumped onto their feet and took out their weapons, aiming at Lino, while Velin and Van retreated back. Lino, meanwhile, was still sitting, holding out his spear whose tip was grinding against the woman's throat, just an inch away from piercing through.
”Now I can see why Demons troubled you so much,” Lino calmly said. ”You're just a cultivator. You're not a fighter.” he withdrew his spear and got up. ”Put your weapons away,” he said, glancing at the two Elders who still stared at his every move intently. ”You'll hurt yourselves. They're not toys.” Lino picked up his cup from the table and walked out, leaving the other five to stare at his back in silence. It was only after the doors closed behind him that the two Elders breathed out in relief, withdrawing their weapons. The woman lifted her hand, gently touching the spot the spear's tip was at, still looking at the doors.
”You alright?” the oldest man asked the woman, finally jolting her out.
”... I'm fine,” she said, sighing. ”You two, who's that boy?” she turned toward Velin and Van who both appeared even more petrified than before.
”... I don't know.” both replied at the same time, in the same tone.
”It doesn't matter who he is,” the oldest Elder - Wei - said. ”With not stabbing you, he was telling us there's still room for negotiation.”
”... an interesting fella,” the other Elder - Glen - said, smiling faintly. ”To draw out a weapon in the room where he's by far - theoretically - the weakest one... yet, none of us were able to respond in time.”
”... is he really a Soul Realm cultivator?” the woman mumbled. ”In that brief moment between him taking out the spear and its tip glancing against my skin... I could see the jaws of death close in on me. Not even the Horned Devil gave me that feeling when I fought him.”
”... yeah, I sensed it too,” Elder Wei said, stroking his beard and sighing. ”Could be a trick.”
”Or it could be that he was right,” Elder Glen said, sitting down, still smiling. ”That we're just cultivators. It is true that we have enough Qi with equivalent means to level this town... but in a quick fight where every breath counts... we're perhaps even worse than ordinary soldiers in the army.”
”... we'll do as he planned,” Elder Wan suddenly said, surprising everyone. ”Qinn,” she turned to the old man Van. ”You'll coordinate that banquet you were telling me about. In the meantime, I'll stay here and receive direct reports about the status of Devil's Army. Wei, you go back and gather our top disciples and send them out on group missions. Each group should consist of at the very least four, and until they can kill a Pure Beast, they're not to return back to the Clan. Glen,” she turned toward the smiling man. ”You'll stick with the boy. Learn who the h.e.l.l he is and what are his intentions. He's a variable I cannot calculate at the moment. Velin, you'll also stay here and try to befriend him. Scout the rest of his group as well once they return and report to me or Glen directly. So long as we don't alert Devils and Demons, the war won't break out for a while. Let's prepare properly this time around, lest we suffer the same way as before.”
”Yes, Madame!”
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