Chapter 1449: Scheming, Calculating the Demon Emperor's Position

Two months passed quickly.

Mangshan Demon Palace fell into silence, as if nothing had happened.

Xu Kongwang exhaled a breath; after his breath dissipated, he lowered his head to stare at his own body, took a deep breath, and said: "My body has partially recovered; wanting a full recovery is unlikely."

"The Mangshan Demon Emperor will never let me go, and neither will those other people."

"Diewumeng is very sly; he promised to help me but never showed up, and Lan Tiansheng has been watching me all along."

"Lan Tiansheng doesn't want to kill me; he wants… to set me against the Mangshan Demon Emperor. He really is good at scheming."

Xu Kongwang figured many things out; after calming down, he knew their schemes—Lan Tiansheng had done that on purpose just to make him fight the Mangshan Demon Emperor, preferably causing him to fall within Mangshan Demon Palace.

He is the Dharma Protector of Mangshan Demon Palace; after his death, the palace fell into complete chaos.

Lan Tiansheng needs someone to completely stir up all this, to be the first troublemaker.

"This is a deadlock; breaking it won't be easy."

"Everyone is staring at me; those people are truly vicious. Previously, this Dharma Protector schemed against them, but now the tides have turned."

"Huhuhu, the Mangshan Demon Emperor must die; only after his death can I rise to power and control Mangshan Demon Palace."

Xu Kongwang narrowed his eyes, thinking of a possibility; perhaps he could find someone to cooperate with.

"The Mangshan Snake King will surely cooperate; he also wants to kill the Mangshan Demon Emperor, and without the emperor's death he cannot ascend."

"I can support the Mangshan Snake King's ascent, and then I too can be safe."

"This is the only way to break the deadlock; Shan Mang is very ambitious and will certainly not resign himself to being a dog his whole life."

Xu Kongwang rose and left quietly.

In another cave of Mangshan Demon Palace, Mangshan Snake King Shan Mang gazed at the figure before him with a faint smile and said coldly: "Xu Kongwang, you have come after all; I thought you wouldn't come."

"Speak; what business do you have coming to see me?"

Xu Kongwang spoke directly: "Shan Mang, I have come this time to seek your cooperation."

"Cooperation? You and me?" the Mangshan Snake King pointed at Xu Kongwang and said coldly: "There seems to be no ground for cooperation between us; between us there is only hatred."

"When you previously insulted me, you showed no mercy at all."

Xu Kongwang gave an embarrassed laugh: "That was in the past; Shan Mang, do you really want to be a dog for life?"

The Mangshan Snake King narrowed his eyes and chuckled: "So what? In Mangshan Demon Palace I am second only to the emperor, above all others; you all have to act according to my expression—isn't that fine?"

"Compared to you living in fear, it's much better; moreover, the position of Mangshan Demon Emperor is mine—once Zhang Mang dies, I will become the new Mangshan Demon Emperor."

Xu Kongwang chuckled: "Heh heh heh, just you? Shan Mang, this Dharma Protector doesn't look down on you, but you simply lack the qualifications to be Demon Emperor; as long as Zhang Mang lives a single day, you can never become emperor."

"Zhang Mang has been Demon Emperor for how many years; in that position he cannot possibly leave."

"If he doesn't die, you will never be able to ascend, Shan Mang."

The Mangshan Snake King's expression shifted; something everyone knows, now spoken aloud, made Shan Mang's face look unpleasant.

His hopeful luck was shattered; what he wished for was exactly that, but…

He knew Xu Kongwang made sense; as long as the Mangshan Demon Emperor Zhang Mang does not die, he cannot take that position.

Being a dog for life, he is unwilling as well.

"Hmph, Your Majesty the Demon Emperor is already injured; his days are numbered." the Mangshan Snake King said, lowering his voice.

Only he knows this; no one else does.

Xu Kongwang heard this and chuckled: "Heh heh heh, Shan Mang, you are truly naive."

"Zhang Mang and I have heard this many times; the result is that he remains seated in that position, and I have waited how many years?"

"For thousands of years he has kept saying he is about to die, yet now he is still alive."

"As for us, we are worn out to the point of being seven‑eight‑nine; I fear he may outlive us."

"Each breakthrough in the Mangshan Demon Emperor's cultivation greatly extends his lifespan; waiting for his demise is impossible."

"Now is the best opportunity; if we join forces and strike together, we can kill him with a single blow."

Xu Kongwang saw the Mangshan Snake King's heart stir and continued to persuade: "As long as we make a move, others will follow suit; Shan Mang, you have already allied with the Mu Long Clan, haven't you? They surely also wish for Zhang Mang's death."

"The Mu Long Clan cannot be trusted; they love betrayal most. Only our cooperation offers real security."

"Now I can rely only on you; if you fall, it does me no good."

Xu Kongwang extended his hand.

The Mangshan Snake King lowered his head in thought; these words entered his heart.

Indeed, Xu Kongwang needs himself; he has offended too many people.

Only by relying on himself; if he himself falls, he will surely suffer as well; only by him taking that position can his safety be guaranteed. Thinking this, the Mangshan Snake King Zhang Mang's heart eased; perhaps he could cooperate with him once, and afterward gain a loyal Xu Kongwang.

Of course, he does not believe Xu Kongwang will be loyal to him; at least he could stay loyal for a while, and once he controls Mangshan Demon Palace, he will no longer need Xu Kongwang.

The two need each other, help each other; afterward, each will rely on his own abilities.

"I don't believe you, Xu Kongwang." the Mangshan Snake King did not really trust the Xu Kongwang before him, after all, his reputation and conduct are not trustworthy.

Xu Kongwang smiled: "I can swear an oath."

Hearing this, the Mangshan Snake King extended his hand and said: "Good, if you swear a Heavenly Dao oath, we will join forces to deal with the Mangshan Demon Emperor and the Mu Long Clan; from now on, Mangshan Demon Palace will be ours to command."

Xu Kongwang immediately swore an oath.

The Mangshan Snake King followed suit and swore an oath.

The two swore together, pledging not to betray each other, thus completing their cooperation.

After the oath was finished, they clasped hands.

"Happy cooperation."

"Happy cooperation."

The two exchanged a smile, celebrating their alliance.

In the coming years, they will fight side by side.

The Vast Mountain Snake King asked: "Xu Kongwang, what do you think? Even if Your Excellency, the Demon Emperor, is injured, we cannot handle him; this person is very strong, fully on guard against us, and it would not be easy to make a move against him."

Xu Kongwang sneered: "You are the person he trusts most; I will take charge of the attack, you will handle the sneak attack from behind—no matter how great Zhang Mang's abilities, he cannot possibly defend against it."

"Moreover, I have prepared a great gift for him, guaranteed to kill him."

"What great gift?" the Vast Mountain Snake King asked.

Xu Kongwang leaned in and whispered two sentences into his ear; the Vast Mountain Snake King's eyes gradually lit up, and then he exclaimed excitedly: "Just do that, Xu Kongwang—it's up to you."

"No problem; this time, Zhang Mang will surely die."