Chapter Fourteen: Righteous and Unyielding!

Jin Heng Peak.

The patriarch of the Serpent Demon Clan, She Qi, led a group of rebellious demons to retreat to this place, his face full of worry. He had never expected that King Zhou would personally campaign against the North Barbarians!

“Patriarch, what are we to do now? Didn’t Lord Ji Meng tell us that King Zhou was already wasted by wine and women, and had no time to bother with our rebellion?” the Serpent Clan’s Great Elder, She Yu, asked anxiously.

This was hardly a matter of having no time to spare—King Zhou was clearly intent on wiping them out. Judging by the situation, it was almost certain that their Serpent Demon Clan would be the ones to perish.

After all, King Zhou was the Human Emperor, blessed by fate itself. Even the most powerful demon saints dared not act openly against him, and he commanded many valiant generals.

A hundred thousand troops were now gathered outside the northern forests, their momentum overwhelming. How could a mere, insignificant branch of the demon race like the Serpent Clan possibly withstand them?

Though She Qi was deeply troubled, as the backbone of his clan, he knew he must show no sign of panic. Forcing himself to remain calm, he spoke in a steady voice, “There’s no need for undue alarm. The Shang army is still some distance away from us, and besides, they don’t know our exact location. It will surely take them some time to find us.”

“I will first report this matter to Lord Ji Meng. When the time comes, he will decide what is to be done.”

“But where are we to find Lord Ji Meng now? In the past, he always came to us. We have no way of contacting him ourselves,” She Yu said hesitantly.

Among the Ten Demon Saints of the North Barbarians, each was elusive as a ghost, their whereabouts unknown to any.

Though the Serpent Clan had some connection with the Sage Nuwa, it had been tens of thousands of years since her enlightenment, and she had never intervened in the clan’s affairs. Instead, the Serpent Clan had always used her name to throw their weight around among the North Barbarian demon tribes.

But now, with the Human Emperor’s eye upon them, they could no longer hope for any assistance from the other demons.

“There’s no need to search—I have come myself. I am already aware of your clan’s situation.”

As She Qi and She Yu were discussing, Ji Meng appeared at Jin Heng Peak.

Ji Meng revealed his true form: a human head atop a dragon’s body. Wherever he appeared, wind and thunder followed.

She Qi, seeing Ji Meng, hurriedly bowed in respect. “Greetings, great demon Ji Meng.”

Ji Meng merely cast a cold glance at She Qi, then surveyed the surroundings with a detached eye. “There’s no need to worry about the Shang army’s advance. They won’t find Jin Heng Peak so quickly. Tell me—where is She Li?”

She Qi was puzzled by Ji Meng’s concern for his third son. Though perplexed, he did not question a demon saint’s motives. After looking around and not seeing She Li, he replied respectfully, “Li’er should have retreated with us. Perhaps he became playful upon reaching Jin Heng Peak and wandered off. I have been remiss in disciplining him; I beg your pardon, Lord Saint.”

At these words, Ji Meng’s face darkened. “Do you realize the situation we are in? You are still at ease letting him roam alone? Go and find him at once!”

She Qi was left bewildered by Ji Meng’s anger. What was going on? Wasn’t his own son his own responsibility? Even if Ji Meng was a demon saint, wasn’t this taking it too far?

Of course, She Qi dared not voice such thoughts. Maintaining his respectful demeanor, he immediately ordered his subordinates: “Go and find the third young master.”

“Yes, Patriarch,” his men replied, quickly leaving to search.

Seeing that a search party had been dispatched, Ji Meng’s expression eased slightly.

“May I ask why the Lord Saint is so concerned about my wayward son?” She Qi finally ventured to ask, his tone cautious.

Ji Meng seemed to realize his own loss of composure, but as a demon saint, he maintained his superior air. “You let She Li wander about at such a time—what if he encounters the Shang army? With his strength, could he escape King Zhou’s clutches?”

“If he is captured by the royal troops, do you think the location of Jin Heng Peak would remain concealed? Do you not understand your own son’s temperament?”

At this, She Qi immediately recognized the gravity of the matter and sent two more clan members to search for She Li.

“Lord Ji Meng’s foresight is indeed thorough,” She Qi said, forcing a smile.

“Hmph!” Ji Meng snorted coldly, thinking to himself how close he had come to revealing the truth.

For She Qi was truly a fool: though She Li’s true form resembled a serpent, the scales on his body were actually dragon scales, not serpent scales!

After a while, all three searchers from the Serpent Clan returned to report.

“Reporting to the Patriarch, we could not find Young Master She Li anywhere near Jin Heng Peak.”

She Qi was only mildly troubled by the news, but Ji Meng exploded with rage, bellowing at the searchers, “Are you all useless? If you didn’t find him nearby, why not search further? What use are your brains?”

Terrified by the demon saint’s overwhelming presence, the serpent demons could only cower at a distance, not daring to move or think.

She Qi furrowed his brow, seeming to realize something. Lord Ji Meng was so invested in She Li, and She Li’s scales were dragon scales. He had always thought this was merely a bloodline anomaly—a common enough occurrence among the demons, given the Serpent Tribe’s faint trace of dragon blood.

But Ji Meng’s attitude now said much. No wonder his wife had insisted, once, on sharing his bed—though serpents were known for their lust, that incident had always seemed odd.

Still, She Qi dared not reveal his suspicions. Firstly, Ji Meng’s power was unassailable. Secondly, the survival of the Serpent Clan now depended on Ji Meng’s support; this was no time to make an enemy.

“Continue searching. If you do not find him, search even farther. Do not return until nightfall, unless you have found him!” She Qi ordered coldly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the scales on Ji Meng’s dragon body—astonishingly similar to those on Li’er.

“There is no need to search further. Your young master has already been found for you. Indeed, I have personally brought him back to you!”

A voice of immense authority rang out, its words tinged with violence, yet resonant with the will of Heaven.

It was true: Jiang Yuan had already left the main army, and, accompanied by Huang Feihu, Zhang Kui, and Yin Jiao, had arrived at Jin Heng Peak ahead of the others!

“Father! The Human Emperor has come to pardon our Serpent Clan. I have personally brought him to seek justice for us! When the Human Emperor asks you anything, you must answer truthfully!”

Behind Jiang Yuan, She Li’s voice rang out, brimming with righteous fervor.