Chapter 942: Shadowfiend

Big Cat put the ring on his finger before rising and striding toward the Shadowfiend.

Under the pressure of the God-Killing Domain, the Shadowfiend's figure was now fully revealed. It stood at only about one and a half meters tall, and its skin was a semi-translucent gray. Smoke coiled around its body, and its head was shaped like a jujube pit, with small eyes located on the sides. Its limbs were long and thin, and at this moment, its gaze was filled with terror.

The Shadowfiend possessed a natural talent for treasure detection. Even through a storage ring, it could sense valuable items to a certain extent. It had entered this tavern for a drink, like every other customer, and naturally, it could tell that Tang San and Big Cat were both powerhouses above the tenth order. But when that storage ring appeared, it instantly sensed immense wealth inside and chose to take a chance.

It had never expected to crash headlong into a steel wall.

"Spare me, spare me! There's no fighting allowed in the Ancestral Court... I... I didn't even do anything!" The Shadowfiend was rather cunning. It emphasized the Ancestral Court's no-fighting rule and insisted that it hadn't done anything. Since it hadn't succeeded in stealing the ring, it technically hadn't committed theft, which would complicate things if a patrol arrived.

Tang San said calmly, "Is that so?"

The next moment, a light projection appeared, recorded through Tang San's divine consciousness. It clearly displayed how the Shadowfiend had made a move and how Big Cat had subdued it.

"I am under the distinct impression that the Ancestral Court also prohibits theft, and you attempted to do precisely that. So don't worry about me breaking the rules; this is not a fight. I am simply executing a thief, don't you agree?"

The Shadowfiend shivered violently. It realized it had truly miscalculated. The fact that the other party could replay events like that meant that their divine consciousness far exceeded its own. These two weren't just Demon Kings—they were Great Demon Kings.

Normally, there was no way for Great Demon Kings to show up so casually, even in the Ancestral Court. But with the Battle for the Throne drawing nearly every eleventh-order powerhouse from across the Daemon Continent, it wasn't that surprising.

"I was wrong. Esteemed gentlemen, please spare me. I truly realize my mistake. I'm willing to atone. I'll give you all the treasures I have!"

With the power of the God-Killing Domain focused on it, this Shadowfiend Demon King constantly felt like Big Cat could kill it with but a single thought. And with Tang San's evidence, nobody would make trouble for them just because of that.

"Bring it over so we can talk," Tang San said, nodding to Big Cat.

"Alright." Big Cat responded, wrapping the Shadowfiend in Lion-Tiger Golden Force and pulling it back to the table.

Tang San kept his head down, not letting the Shadowfiend see his face, and asked indifferently, "How many Shadowfiends came to the Ancestral Court this time to sneak around and steal things?"

"None! Even if you're an eleventh-order contestant, you can't slander our Shadowfiend clan like this!" the Shadowfiend cried indignantly.

"Slander?" Tang San chuckled. "You, a Shadowfiend Demon King, came to my table to steal something in broad daylight... and you have the nerve to say I'm slandering you? Dishonor invites dishonor. Don't forget, your life is still in our hands. Believe it or not, I have a hundred ways to make you beg for death."

As he spoke, Tang San activated his divine consciousness, replacing Big Cat's suppression and wrapping it around the Shadowfiend.

Instantly, the Shadowfiend felt as if it had been plunged into hell. Everything around it distorted. In front of it were no longer two powerful demons or nymphs, but two monstrous devils. Its divine consciousness felt as though it was about to be torn apart and devoured.

"No... Please! I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Shadowfiends were not particularly famous for their toughness, and this one didn't last more than a few seconds in Tang San's personal hell before it made the right choice.

Tang San said flatly, "I'll ask, and you answer. You should know that lying causes fluctuations in divine consciousness. If you think you can fool me, go ahead. I can also just extract the truth directly from your spiritual sea."

Big Cat grumbled, "You know what, you should just soul-search the damn thing and save us the trouble."

"No, no, no! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" The Shadowfiend was terrified. It understood clearly what soul-searching implied. Its sea of consciousness would likely shatter. Even if it survived, it would be reduced to a vegetable. And given that Shadowfiends had weak divine consciousness to begin with, even its survival chances were looking rather grim.

Tang San asked, "How many of your clan came this time? How strong? Who leads you?"

The Shadowfiend answered honestly, "We practically mobilized the whole clan. Everyone above the seventh order came. There's around two thousand of us. Our clan leader is leading us personally. It's the only eleventh-order member of our Shadowfiend clan. But it won't be participating in the Battle for the Throne. We know we have no chance. The clan leader's goal is to make a profit. If we can...

gather

enough resources, maybe we'll have a shot next time there's an Emperor seat available."

Even Big Cat, who was listening quietly, was shocked.

Two thousand Shadowfiends, all above the seventh order. That meant over two thousand proficient thieves were now scattered throughout the Ancestral Court! Who knew how many would fall victim? The Shadowfiend clan had always lived scattered across major cities. Stealing was their trademark. And thanks to their exceptional escape skills, they rarely ran into trouble. It was even rumored that the Shadowfiend clan leader had once successfully stolen from an Emperor!

Tang San smiled. He was quite satisfied with this one's honesty. "What's your status within the Shadowfiend clan?"

The Shadowfiend replied, "I'm one of the clan's elders. I'm ranked eighth."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Oh? Pleased to make your acquaintance, Eighth Elder. Can you contact your clan leader? Call it here. And don't worry, we mean no harm. It hasn't attacked us, so by the Ancestral Court's rules, we can't do anything to it. I just want to discuss a little business. It's mutually beneficial."

Hearing this, the eighth elder shuddered and shook its head repeatedly. "No, no way. If I betray the chief, I'll die. I'll definitely die!"

Tang San waved his hand. "Calm down now, I'm not asking you to betray anyone. Just go back and tell it I have a major business proposal. I'll even send a meeting gift."

As he spoke, Tang San placed a Blue Gold Fruit on the table. Instantly, a rich aura of life spread through the air; even Big Cat felt completely rejuvenated.

Shadowfiends were fairly useless in many ways, but their ability to recognize treasure was matched by only a select few. And indeed, upon seeing the fruit, the eighth elder let out a low cry of surprise. "A Blue Gold Fruit? And it's King-level? That's... Wait, did you just say this was a gift for our clan leader?!"

It looked at Tang San in disbelief. It knew exactly how rare and precious this item was.

Tang San stopped his spiritual suppression. "Take it and go. Well, you can even try to keep it for yourself... if you dare, that is. The meeting is tomorrow, same time, same place. If your clan leader is interested, we'll talk. This Blue Gold Fruit is just a deposit. You should know what that means."

The Eighth Elder's eyes blazed with desire, but it knew better than to do stupid things. It gulped and carefully stowed away the fruit. Taking a deep breath, it now addressed Tang San with utmost reverence. "Understood, honored sir. I'll make sure the message is delivered. I'll take my leave now."

As it spoke, it glanced furtively at Big Cat. Seeing no reaction, it quickly turned and vanished into a streak of shadow.

Watching it go, Big Cat asked in confusion, "What's the point of contacting a bunch of thieves? What do you want from them?"

Tang San smiled. "Shadowfiends aren't just any bunch of thieves. Sure, their weak divine consciousness is a flaw, but their stealth is unmatched. If it hadn't made the first move, even with our higher cultivation, we wouldn't have noticed it. That's talent. I need them to steal something for me. As for the fruit, it's simple: the Shadowfiend clan has a major problem, and that problem is a short lifespan. Not even becoming a Demon King does much for them in that respect. Blue Gold Fruits are more valuable to them than divine artifacts, and they're more effective for them than they are for other demons or nymphs. There's no way their boss won't be tempted."