Demon Lord Gets Married

Chapter 236 - Late at Night

The truth was, Qixin and the others were not only shocked to the point of dropping their jaws, but they were also so stunned that they lost the ability to think clearly.

When they learned that there were only three hundred soldiers outside the city, they couldn't believe it. Kun City had at least tens of thousands of soldiers.

This situation couldn't even be described as a victory against the odds; nothing like this had ever happened in history, especially during a siege.

Thinking back to when they, tens of thousands of people, were trapped in the canyon, it was already depressing enough. Now, the soldiers in the city were probably even more so, having heard that a large portion of the troops were scared off. Qixin couldn't comprehend how tens of thousands of soldiers could be frightened away, nor could those who accompanied him.

However, judging from the devastated state of the city walls, he could roughly guess that the destructive power of these three hundred soldiers had far surpassed what mortals could bear.

Since Qixin hadn't witnessed their strength firsthand, even with his common sense, he naturally couldn't imagine it.

Yin Xu stood at the highest point of the city gate tower, stepping on the last pillar of the watchtower, and looked down at the soldiers below who were cheering loudly.

Someone gazed up at Yin Xu on high with admiration, and it was unknown who first shouted, “We must win with the Huo Family Army!” Soon, the entire city gate echoed with those words.

Yin Xu heard the chant, descended from above, and landed in front of a soldier who was howling so hard his ears were red. He patted him on the face and said, “Wake up, even if this young master's surname is Huo, you still won't reach the level of the Huo Family Army.”

The soldier's face turned red, and looking around, he realized he wasn't the only one doing so. Instead of feeling awkward, he grinned sheepishly and said, “At least for this moment, we felt like we were part of the Huo Family Army.”

Yin Xu shook his head and gave a faint smile. The Capital Camp was a place everyone dreamed of; it was easy to join and had many benefits, with no one daring to dock their pay under the emperor's watch. On the other hand, the Huo Family Army was a place where one had to risk their life to survive in the harsh northwest.

However, every soldier who joined the army hoped to enter the Huo Family Army. Not only did it mean their abilities were recognized, but they could also proudly say, “Your father served in the Huo Family Army, so what?”

At this moment, Yin Xu felt that his Huo Family indeed had the qualifications to stand before the civil and military officials and the qualifications to make the emperor fear them. However, he didn't feel proud just because he was from the Huo Family.

Qixin squeezed through the crowd and came over to ask for instructions: “Commander Huo, what do we do next?” He had already gone to check on the Duke of Qin and the Second Prince and found that they were still dead drunk, not even using their guards.

He didn't realize that Yin Xu had done something here; he only thought that the two had underestimated their opponent and mocked them in secret. Knowing full well that an enemy was coming, yet still daring to drink recklessly—it would be surprising if they didn't lose.

Indeed, his choice had been correct. What future did he have following the Duke of Qin?

“Return to the camp first. You all rest for a day. During this time, there will inevitably be people coming to rob you. When that happens, it will be up to you.”

Qixin knew this was an opportunity given to them, and his face flushed with excitement. He didn't know where to place his hands and feet, and after a long moment, he heavily patted Yin Xu's shoulder.

With just one sentence, Qixin's nickname for Yin Xu changed from Commander Huo to Brother Huo. Even if Yin Xu didn't want to be called brother, he couldn't help but be impressed by his method of winning people over.

As a Demon Elder, Yin Xu relied on violence to protect himself. He didn't typically use a method like alternating between harshness and kindness; it was rare to find such a sweet moment.

Yin Xu reflected deeply and decided that in the future, he would act more like Teng Yu.

In the capital's Third Prince Mansion, Han Sen hurried into the study and handed a letter to Teng Yu. “Your Highness, someone sent this letter just now, insisting that it be delivered to you personally.”

Teng Yu looked at the letter, noting that there was no seal. He opened it and found only a single sentence written inside.

But after reading the words, he let out a cold snort, “Do you know who sent this?”

“The concierge said it was a young beggar. He didn't see who gave it to him, but it was definitely a woman with a veiled hat.”

“A woman?” Teng Yu couldn't think of any woman who would boldly invite him to a meeting like this. There were many women he knew, but it seemed like just a passing whim.

He handed the letter to Han Sen, “Send someone to investigate around this area and see if anyone unusual has appeared recently.”

It wasn't until now that Han Sen read the contents of the letter, and it was no wonder His Highness was angry—the letter used the matter of the Seventh Young Master Huo to threaten him. Wasn't this asking for death?

He quickly dispatched people to investigate. Ever since the beginning of the year, when His Highness presided over the Ancestor Worship, the Third Prince's Mansion had been in constant turmoil.

People trying to establish connections, spies, and marriage proposals flooded in, making it impossible for the Prince's family to enjoy a proper meal during this time.

However, Head Supervisor Han was mistaken. The reason Teng Yu didn't enjoy his meals wasn't due to the constant disturbances, but because someone hadn't returned home for a long time.

The meeting location with Teng Yu mentioned in the letter was at the back of the sect, in a rhododendron forest. It was a popular spot in the capital, but since the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, it was quite deserted.

Despite everything, this place seemed like a typical dating spot for men and women. Teng Yu had received many private invitations before, and many mentioned this location.

Teng Yu didn't take it seriously; if it were a trap, they wouldn't have chosen to meet at the back of the mountain. If a fight broke out, the Xiang Guo Temple would definitely hear it, and given his status, the monks wouldn't dare stand by without intervening.

Of course, there was also the possibility that the other side planned to ambush them on the way out of the city towards Xiang Guo Temple. If so, the dense forests lining both sides of the road would provide perfect cover.

However, this was the capital. Unless the other party intended to stage a palace coup, they wouldn't dare resort to such extreme measures.

Setting this matter aside, Teng Yu took out a brush and wrote a letter to Yin Xu. He knew it would take at least a month for the letter to reach him, and by then, Yin Xu might already be on his way back.

The letter didn't mention the recent turbulence in the capital, instead expressing his emotions and the loneliness he felt at night. He even mentioned that the unknown tree in the backyard had grown as tall as him, but it hadn't shown much change in the past few days.

Teng Yu knew the tree's gold was extremely valuable, and Yin Xu had even set up a Spirit Convergence Array for it. Every month, it consumed a significant amount of jade and stones, making it one of the most costly things in the entire Third Prince Mansion, aside from the two masters.

After finishing the letter, Teng Yu ordered his men to swiftly send it to the southwest, ensuring it would meet Yin Xu on his way back.

That evening, Teng Yu declined the First Prince's invitation and dined alone. Afterward, he donned his cape and walked out of the Third Prince Mansion.

Han Sen escorted him to the door but couldn't help asking again, “Your Highness, should this old servant accompany you?”

Although the other party had specifically requested the Third Prince, Han Sen was still uneasy. Even if the Dark Guard followed in secret, success couldn't be guaranteed.

Teng Yu waved his hand, “No need. Go to the warehouse and select some items to deliver to the Huo Family.”

Han Sen didn't understand his intentions but nodded in agreement. Although Marshal Huo's birthday was undecided, many people in the capital remembered the day, and every year, the Huo Family's threshold was overwhelmed.

“Also, check on the Emperor's children. If there's someone suitable for learning formations…” Teng Yu looked at Han Sen with a murderous glint in his eyes.

When he entered the palace years ago, Teng Yu brought back five young children, four boys and one girl, from both noble and peasant families. It's unclear what criteria the Emperor used to select them.

However, after bringing them back, Yin Xu left the capital. Just before he departed, he gave them a book related to the Ancient Slaughterer.

The book was immediately sent to the palace. After studying it with several knowledgeable scholars, the Emperor could only conclude that it was “obscure and difficult to understand,” making it impossible to discern its authenticity.

But Teng Yu knew the book's contents were genuine because Wang Ren also had a copy. According to Yin Xu, understanding the book was the key, and if a child could grasp formations, they would be valuable. After all, Yin Xu himself knew only basic formations.

Teng Yu's thoughts were simple: if someone could truly learn formations, they could join his camp; if not, they would face his wrath.

“This old servant personally checks on them every day. It's hard to tell who has the aptitude. The children are all well-behaved and smart, learning quickly, but they all claim not to understand.” Deep down, Han Sen was fond of children, and knowing Teng Yu might not have descendants, he urged him to care for and train a few.

However, Teng Yu wasn't so optimistic. “Though they're young, they've had training. If they want to hide their abilities, it won't be visible to the naked eye.”

“This old servant will have people keep a close watch on them.” In the Third Prince Mansion, it was easy for a butler to monitor someone.

“Hmm, make sure their attendants don't notice.” To protect them, the Emperor had sent servants, guards, maids, and attendants, not giving Teng Yu a chance to interfere.

Teng Yu was too indifferent to care much about it. Aside from limiting their movement and letting the Emperor cover their expenses, he didn't treat them harshly.