Chapter 110: Head-on Confrontation, Profit Over Principle, and an Unexpected Surprise

"Are these the four generals my brother mentioned?" Lu Wufei asked, looking at the four figures flying in from the distance toward Bai Yunxiao beside him.

"Yes." Bai Yunxiao nodded and said, "The two in the lead are the ones who achieved promotion in the dozen or so years since you left the mountain. The two behind them are General Long-Tail and General Earth-Dragon."

Hearing his brother's introduction, Lu Wufei carefully scrutinized the four approaching demon commanders. The one who had just spoken so insolently was one of the two in the lead: a sallow-faced centipede spirit and a black bear spirit with blood-red eyes. Because their transformation into human form was incomplete—or perhaps intentionally left that way—Lu Wufei could easily discern their true forms.

The two generals behind them, however, were different. One was sturdy and the other slightly lean; both appeared as middle-aged men, and their true origins were impossible to tell at a glance.

As Lu Wufei observed them, the four figures, riding on dark winds and black clouds, whistled through the air and landed one after another on the plaza. The centipede spirit, the leader of the pair, jumped off his cloud and remarked, "General Bai, is that another one of your relatives?"

Before Bai Yunxiao could respond, Lu Wufei spoke up, "I was wondering what kind of noble demons these were; it turns out you really do just have a few more legs than I do."

At this, Lady Hua, who was standing nearby, looked shocked, her cherry lips slightly parted. She glanced at Bai Yunxiao, only to see him wearing a broad smile. Though Bai Yunxiao was not skilled at verbal sparring, he was more than capable of holding his ground. He immediately followed up, "General Broken-Foot, you are mistaken. This is not a relative of mine, but my sworn brother."

Bai Yunxiao turned to Lu Wufei and said, "Worthy brother, this is the General Broken-Foot I mentioned to you."

Lu Wufei smiled. "Pleased to meet you, General Broken-Leg—oh, pardon me, General Broken-Foot. I come from the countryside and am not very worldly. If I have spoken out of turn and offended you, please forgive me."

This stinging, barbed remark left Lady Hua stunned. She beamed, feeling as refreshed as if she had drunk iced honey on the hottest day of midsummer. The two generals in the rear, Earth-Dragon and Long-Tail, looked at the black-robed figure beside Bai Yunxiao with surprise: *Where did this demon come from? His tongue is sharp.*

Bai Yunxiao felt an immense sense of satisfaction. He had long been annoyed by the centipede spirit but lacked the sharp tongue to best him in an argument. As for the centipede spirit, his sallow face had darkened the moment Lu Wufei first spoke. Now, subjected to the tag-team insults of the two brothers, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Because Lu Wufei’s remarks were grounded in logic, he could only swallow the insult, unable to retort without further losing face. He snorted coldly, walked aside, and ignored the three "hicks."

The black bear spirit standing beside him, despite his imposing stature, lacked the verbal dexterity of his companion. Seeing Broken-Foot fall silent, he could only glare fiercely at the stranger, unable to do anything else. Seeing the two walk away in silence, Bai Yunxiao felt he had achieved a resounding victory in this first encounter. He patted Lu Wufei on the shoulder and walked toward the other two generals.

"This is General Earth-Dragon."
"This is General Long-Tail."
"Generals, this is my sworn brother, Bai Lang. He has just returned from beyond the mountains to pay his respects to our Great King."

After the three exchanged greetings, General Long-Tail—a lean, dark-skinned man whose complexion rivaled that of the Third Great King, a black dog spirit—scrutinized Lu Wufei and asked, "This little General Bai... his aura seems somewhat different from ours?"

Since Bai Yunxiao was called General Bai, and Lu Wufei had chosen the name Bai Lang, it was only natural for him to be called "Little General Bai."

Bai Yunxiao looked at Lu Wufei, who nodded, and replied, "General Long-Tail, you may not know this, but my worthy brother studied under an immortal sect while abroad. He practices the orthodox methods of the immortals, so his aura is naturally distinct from ours."

This revelation stunned both Earth-Dragon and Long-Tail. Nearby, Lady Hua was equally surprised and turned to watch the four commanders. Even the centipede spirit, standing further off, caught the drift and turned his head.

General Long-Tail, after digesting this, asked skeptically, "You studied under an immortal sect and still returned? General Bai, are you joking?"

Lu Wufei smiled. "My master’s sect is but a small one. I am of the demon race by birth; how could I forget my roots? Returning is only right."

Long-Tail persisted, "I know of several great immortal sects. Might I ask which one you studied under, and who your master was? Perhaps I have heard of them?"

Lu Wufei shook his head with a smile. "My sect has strict orders; forgive me for not disclosing that, Bai Lang cannot say."

He wanted to project an air of mystery and power, making the other commanders and the Third Great King wary of underestimating him, but he would never reveal his true origins. Even his sworn brother, Bai Yunxiao, did not know the specific sect he had joined.

Just then, the doors of the large pavilion at the end of the plaza opened, and several graceful maidservants stepped out to stand on either side.

"Let’s go. The Great King is waiting," said the sturdy General Earth-Dragon, taking the lead toward the pavilion.

As the most senior and powerful of the Third Great King's commanders, his word was law. The others followed him into the pavilion. Lu Wufei walked beside Bai Yunxiao. A fragrant breeze wafted past, and Lu Wufei noticed Lady Hua moving to his side. He quickly averted his eyes from her distracting figure and heard her say, "Greetings, General Bai. I didn't quite catch your introduction earlier."

Before she could finish, Lu Wufei chuckled, "Lady Hua, there are two General Bais here. Which one are you referring to?"

Lady Hua paused, then looked past Lu Wufei to Bai Yunxiao with a smile. "General Bai, it seems your sworn brother has a very different temperament from you." She emphasized the word "little" while looking at Lu Wufei.

Bai Yunxiao laughed. "Naturally. If we were both the same, we wouldn't be sworn brothers."

"True enough," Lady Hua agreed.

Behind them, the centipede and bear spirits strode past. One could still sense the resentment radiating from the centipede. Lady Hua whispered to Lu Wufei, "Little General Bai, your tongue is truly sharp. Few can make Broken-Foot that angry."

"He brought it upon himself," Lu Wufei replied. He knew he had offended them, but he did not care. He was a disciple of the Great Immortal of the Earth, a practitioner of the Wuzhuang Temple; to be called a "countryside demon" by such a creature was an insult he would not tolerate.

Before long, they arrived at a garden where a large pavilion stood in the center of a pond. The Third Great King was there, standing with his back to them, intently fishing. The seven generals sat around a stone table, waiting in silence. Lu Wufei observed the scene. While the garden was crude compared to the celestial wonders of Wuzhuang Temple, it held its own charm for a demon-built place.

Suddenly, the Third Great King threw down his fishing rod in frustration—the float hadn't moved once—and turned to enter the pavilion. The generals rose.

"Sit," the Great King commanded, his eyes resting briefly on Lu Wufei.

After the generals presented their tributes—storage bags filled with spirit herbs—the Great King turned to the business of the day. When it was the turn of the centipede and bear spirits to complain about their meager territories, the Great King sighed and said, "We shall discuss that later." He then turned to Bai Yunxiao and Lu Wufei. "General Bai, who is this?"

Bai Yunxiao stepped forward. "Great King, this is my sworn brother. He has returned from abroad and wishes to serve you."

Lu Wufei stood and bowed. "I am Bai Lang. I humbly ask for the Great King's acceptance."

The Great King’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. It was a matter of prestige to have a subordinate who had studied under an immortal sect. "Excellent. You are now the seventh general under my command."

He reached into his storage space and tossed a pair of small, white, glowing bells to Lu Wufei. "These are Spirit-Startling Bells. Consider them a gift."

Lu Wufei caught them, feeling a surge of joy. "Many thanks, Great King!"

As for the matter of territory, the Great King realized he could resolve the demands of the centipede and bear spirits by carving out portions of the vast lands held by Earth-Dragon and Long-Tail to accommodate the newcomer. Though the older generals were clearly displeased, they dared not defy the Great King.

As they left the pavilion, the atmosphere among the generals was tense, save for the group of three—Lu Wufei, Bai Yunxiao, and Lady Hua. Lu Wufei was satisfied; he had achieved his dream of possessing his own territory.

"Brother," Lu Wufei said, examining the bells, "you didn't tell me that joining the Great King came with such rewards."

Bai Yunxiao laughed. "I wanted it to be a surprise. What do you think of the Great King's gift?"

"A mid-grade magical artifact. Not bad at all," Lu Wufei replied. It was perfect for disrupting the spirit of an opponent in battle.

"The Great King has accepted you," Bai Yunxiao said. "Now, let us go to the stewards; there are still formalities to attend to."

"Understood," Lu Wufei said, though he suddenly paused, caught in a moment of thought.