Chapter 425: Which Side to Join? (2/2)
”Hoh?”
While Jia Shan, Ma Ping, and Xiahou Dun were smiling, their political negotiation continued.
…
A day later, Jia Shan, Ma Ping, and Siren City's elders left Bing Mountain Range and headed west, taking a detour around the continent and avoiding Wei Cao Army to the south and the southwest.
Xiahou Dun, his family members, and his subordinates remained in the cave. Five cyclops stared at each other.
Xiahou Yuan couldn't wait for his elder brother to make his decision. He urged the latter, ”Bro, let's not join Siren City. Aren't we here because we can't stand Wei Huang's slavery contract? We don't want to become someone's lapdog again.”
Xiahou Dun gazed at his stout younger brother, ”Then, do we fight Wei Cao and his Oni friends? We don't even have any capable 8th-stage demon.”
”At least, we have to try!”
”And die a dog death.”
”…”
Xiahou Dun sighed, ”Look, I understand where you're coming from, brother. I want to live free as well, but they're right about one thing. Freedom has a price, and we can't afford it with our current strength.”
”So, we'll really surrender to Siren City?”
Xiahou Dun glanced at the jade token, which Ma Ping had given him. If he were to inject his Qi into it, it would have sent a pre-recorded voice transmission to Ma Ping, and they would have become Siren City's people.
But should they decline the offer, they could simply crush the jade token, and the deal would be off.
”I'm going to have a talk with Wei Cao first. Let's see what they have to offer.”
…
A week later, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan left the mountain range and visited Red Sun City, which was the current headquarters of Wei Cao Army.
Both cyclops couldn't see the orcs anywhere as they had gone somewhere else, and they had no idea where they went.
As soon as the two cyclops in humanoid form arrived, a tall Oni in his true form came out to welcome them. He guided the two visitors to their lord right away.
Both Xiahou brothers easily entered the renovated throne hall of Red Sun Palace. As soon as they entered, they found Wei Cao, sitting on the throne and staring at them with a sneer.
Next to Wei Cao, his second son stood there, acting as his father's aide.
Standing attention to the right side of the hall were the elites from the Fu Clan. All vampires wore a black hooded cloak, protecting their delicate skin from the bright sunlight, shining into the hall through the colorful glass windows.
On the left side, red-skin Oni stood tall, releasing the bloody odor from their mouths as they had just finished eating humans from their farm.
Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan's noses twitched as they disliked the smell of human blood inside a clean building.
”How barbaric,” Xiahou Yuan scoffed.
Wei Cao heard it, ”Funny. Did you talk about yourself, little cyclop?”
Xiahou Dun patted his younger brother's shoulder and cupped his fist, pretending to be humble, ”We come in peace. We hope to negotiate for a truce.”
”I never waged war against you. Why do you want a truce?” Wei Cao laughed.
Hearing that Wei Cao didn't want to cause trouble to them, the Xiahou brothers heaved a sigh of relief.
But their hope was crushed a second later as Wei Cao continued talking.
”You don't need a truce since you all are destined to be our slaves. Since you've come, you should put these on.
Wei Cao tossed two pieces of artifacts on the ground.
They were slave chokers, which could seal the slave's Qi and Essence. They could also be used as a portable guillotine to behead rebelling slaves.
Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan frowned and glared at Wei Cao, ”Are you kidding me?”
”I never mess around. Put that on, and I'll let your tribesmen alone.”
”What if we refuse?”
Wei Cao sneered and snapped his fingers. Behind him, a masked 8th-stage Oni walked out of the curtain and showed his tall and muscular physique.
”If you refuse, we'll kill you right here. We don't need disobedient slaves in my kingdom!”
Xiahou Dun clicked his tongue and kicked the ground, shuttling himself through the palace ceiling and rooftop to the sky.
Xiahou Yuan followed after his brother and fled from the palace.
Fortunately, the 8th-stage Oni didn't chase after them. Wei Cao and the Oni simply looked at the coward cyclops with a sneer.
”Want me to chase after them, my lord?”
”Where can they go? Bing Mountain Range? Sooner or later, they will become ours anyway,” Wei Cao shook his head and gazed at the map behind him. It was the Aves Continent map.
Wei Cao stared at the two regions, which had been colored in green.
One of them was on the northwest, which was Tian Long Forest and Xuan City. Another dark green area was the current territory of Siren City, Huangjin Monastery, and the world tree forest.
”We'll take care of them first. After that, we'll get rid of those pests.”