Chapter 43: Divine Envoy

"The Hidden Forest Mountain is very strictly guarded. You can't just wander around in their cave. Chu Liang... you should be careful later," the Cat King told Chu Liang nervously.

The wedding was being held inside the rock cave in the belly of the mountain. The interior space was vast, but after setting up a wedding hall and seating for the numerous wedding guests, there wasn't enough space to accommodate the rest of the demons residing on the mountain.

So, the lesser demons, who had weaker abilities, were seated outside.

According to those arrangement rules, the East Mountain Cat Clan, who were weak, should be seated in the gully at the foot of the mountain. Fortunately for them, they were honored as the family of the bride, and that was the only reason they were allowed to sit inside in a specially designated area.

However, the demons walking about around them were all greater demons whom the Cat King usually treated with reverence. So, he couldn't help but feel very fearful and on edge... especially since he knew that someone in his group had come here intending to cause trouble.

"I'll play it by ear," Chu Liang whispered as he pretended to look around curiously. "You're too nervous. Anyone can tell at a glance that you've got something to hide. Loosen up a little."

"Oh, all right..." the Cat King replied with a nod.

Then he began to untie his belt...

"Hey, hey, hey, brother." Chu Liang held back the Cat King's arm. "Loosening up a little and loosening your clothes are two different things..."

"No... I'm just taking out the wedding gift that I'm giving the Tiger King later," the Cat King explained.

He searched his clothes for quite a while before finally pulling out a fine pearl, about the size of a chicken egg. It seemed like it was worth a lot.

Considering the living standards of the East Mountain Cat Clan, it could not have been easy for them to obtain a jewel like that. So, it was probably a family heirloom. It was no wonder that the Cat King looked like he was in pain.

He turned to the several young cat demons he'd brought with him and said, "At the banquet later, you should all eat more than usual. Eat your fill! If you can't finish the food, take the rest away. Don't leave any of it behind!"

The other wedding guests also brought generous gifts. Most of the demon clans living in the mountain were not wealthy, but the demons present were all respected and influential figures in the region, so they weren't that poor.

At the side, there was an elderly fox demon, with a little hat on his head, who was acting as the master of ceremonies. Every time he made a record of a wedding gift and its gifter, he loudly announced what the gift was and which demon king it was from.

Among the gifts, there were many precious items like pearls, jades, and coral agates. This was when Chu Liang realized for the first time that demons cherished the same things that humans found exquisite.

After the Tiger King picked up and brought his bride over, he went to the back of the hall to change his clothes.

When Chu Liang saw the Tiger King for the first time, he sensed the Crimson Executor, which he'd left in the White Tower, stir restlessly. It seemed as if this sword of righteousness had finally spotted a malevolent being shrouded in a blood-stained aura[1]. There was a murderer that the Crimson Executor wanted to execute!

It turned out that the Tiger King was indeed an evildoer. This made Chu Liang feel more confident about his plan.

Amid the lively scene filled with chatter, a shout suddenly rang from the cave's entrance, "The honorable divine envoy has arrived!"

The demons in the cave immediately fell silent; not a single voice could be heard. Every demon shifted their gaze to the entrance.

Standing there was a tall figure dressed in a black cloak and a bronze mask.

"Who is that?" Chu Liang asked the Cat King in a whisper.

"I don't know," the Cat King replied, shaking his head.

"Then why did you suddenly stop talking?" Chu Liang said puzzledly.

"Everyone stopped talking... so I got scared," the Cat King said with an honest expression.

"..."

Hearing that reminded Chu Liang of a scene from the past when a horrifying human face had appeared at the rear window of his classroom. The moment someone fell silent midspeech, everyone else followed suit. However, most of them hadn't even seen what had happened.

The black-cloaked man who was referred to as the divine envoy swiftly stepped into the cave. Following behind him were four lesser demons. They were each using a shoulder in a combined effort to carry a very long object that was covered with red silk and bound with a string of crimson flowers, making it hard to discern what it was.

"Oh, my! Sir, we are honored by your presence! I humbly apologize for not coming to welcome you earlier. Oh, honorable divine envoy, please forgive me!" the Tiger King said after immediately rushing over from the back of the hall.

He presented himself with an extremely respectful attitude, without the slightest hint of his arrogant and despotic demeanor from before.

"There's no need for you to be so polite, Tiger King," the divine envoy replied calmly with a slight smile. "I heard that you're getting married today, so I'm here to bring you a gift. Come, have a look!"

The divine envoy waved his hand, and the lesser demons behind him pulled the red silk off the gift with a whoosh.

What lay beneath the red silk was a 1.8-zhang-long[2] halberd with a dark golden luster. It had the air of something very ancient. With its chillingly sharp blades, the halberd had an indescribably divine gracefulness.

"Wow!" The crowd of demons broke into a commotion.

Any demon could tell that this was a very powerful weapon.

It was undoubtedly an ancient divine weapon!

"This..." The Tiger King's eyes suddenly lit up. "This truly is a divine weapon..."

"That's right. This is the World-Dominating Halberd. It's an ancient divine weapon ranked 140th in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures," the divine envoy said with a smile. "Tiger King, as a hero of the present age, you should wield this divine weapon so you can dominate the world!"

World-Dominating Halberd?

Chu Liang finally realized why he felt the divine weapon seemed familiar. It was because he had seen it in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures.

However, he remembered clearly that the catalog had stated that this weapon belonged to the Great Astral Sect, one of the Divine Nine.

How did this divine envoy manage to steal that divine weapon from the Great Astral Sect? It's rather puzzling.

"This divine weapon... How did you manage to obtain it, sir?" the Tiger King asked.

Naturally, the Tiger King knew that having an ancient weapon could boost his power tremendously. He caressed the shaft of the halberd, loving it so much that he didn't want to let it go.

"Haha, it was quite the coincidence, actually. On my way here, I happened to encounter a talented mortal who was skilled but not very bright. I used a little trick and snatched away his weapon. When I saw this treasure, I thought it would be a perfect wedding gift for you," the divine envoy answered.

"Wonderful! Thank you, honorable divine envoy!"

Tiger King exerted some force and gripped the World-Dominating Halberd with one arm. He gave it a few swings, splitting the air with a booming whoosh.

All the demons present shivered when they felt the cold aura from the divine weapon.

Bang!

Once the Tiger King was satisfied, he rested the halberd heavily on the ground in an upright position. Even this simple action carried the imposing air of gales and thunder.

As expected, this was the mighty prowess of an ancient divine weapon.

"In that case, why don't we take the opportunity to announce that other piece of news as well?" Tiger King asked while looking at the divine envoy.

"Yes, that's the other reason why I'm here," the divine envoy replied with a nod.

"Very well!" the Tiger King exclaimed. He walked onto the stage and announced loudly, "My fellow demons, aside from celebrating my wedding, there's another reason why we're gathered here today. I have some important news to share!"

"Recently, I've been traveling to various mountains and spoken with many demon kings about my proposal to have you all become part of my clan, the Hidden Forest Mountain." The Tiger King's gaze swept over his audience with imposing pressure, so much so that the demons below the stage didn't dare to make eye contact with him. "With me as your leader, we can accomplish something great!"

"Now, it's time to tell you what this great thing is!" the Tiger King said and then suddenly turned to the side.

He bowed and invited the divine envoy to step onto the stage, relinquishing the stage to him.

The divine envoy climbed onto the stage and stood there with a dignified and imposing air.

"My fellow demons, some of you may know that I come from the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings to the west of the Western Regions. I and my fellow envoys are traveling throughout the mortal realm to deliver a message to all of you.

"God... is returning!"

1. Qi saturated with blood. ☜

2. It's around six meters long. ☜