Chapter 178: A furrowed brow

Although the Demon race, the Barbarian race, and the Human race now share three lands, they once lived together in the Nine Provinces.

Even though everyone was under the oppression of the Remnant race at that time, their cultural backgrounds were actually very similar.

Whether it was the goods along the street or the craftsmanship of the buildings, one could see familiar sights.

However, in terms of food and drink, the Demon race and the Human race had great differences.

Ji You was pushed by Brother Gongshu Chou, walking along the street, passing through the thick smoke emitted by the steaming stoves, his gaze sizing up the stalls selling food.

The temperature here was cold, and apart from some cold-resistant spirit crops, it was extremely difficult for anything to survive, but because they backed onto the Winter Sea, there were many seafood products.

It was Ji You's first time seeing such a large fish, almost as tall as a person, frozen solid.

"Demon specialties; it would be good to buy some back."

Continuing forward along the black walls and white roofs, a clanging sound suddenly appeared ahead, attracting the attention of the two.

After getting closer, they discovered it was two Demon vendors setting up stalls, fighting over the territory, and suddenly starting to roar crazily at each other when their words became heated.

Subsequently, they pulled at each other, heading toward a circular arena along the main road of the snow city.

"I thought I wouldn't run into this kind of thing. Let's go, follow them and take a look."

"?"

Brother Gongshu Chou didn't quite understand, but he still pushed Ji You to that circular arena, and saw that the two Demons had already started fighting.

One had round ears on his head, and the other had a single horn on top; they pulled their arms and opened their fists, the wild fist Qi constantly colliding, and the air waves rolling between the fists.

Soon, this intense battle attracted many onlookers from the surrounding commoners, and even a few patrolling Demon soldiers holding iron blades and wearing waist tags arrived at the scene, standing around the circular platform, staring intently and recording something seriously.

"What is going on?"

"Using fists to fight for the ownership of the stall."

Ji You sat in the wheelchair, watching them punch and kick; it wasn't a chaotic fight, but rather one with moves and techniques, with give and take.

Side kicks and straight punches were all done properly, the movements like flowing water, very coherent.

Even, Ji You could see a stream of Qi constantly emerging during the process of them throwing punches.

Brother Gongshu Chou was also quite surprised: "Whoever wins, the stall is theirs?"

Ji You nodded: "If there is a dispute among the Demon commoners, they can all decide the outcome with force. The loser must submit, and the winner can decide how to handle the disagreement. This is stipulated by their laws."

"How do you know?"

"When I set off, my good friend once gave me a book of customs called 'Snow Region Demon Race'. I have always been very curious about this system, but I wasn't sure if it was true or false. After all, it is better to have no books than to believe everything in them, but I didn't expect to see it as soon as I arrived."

Brother Gongshu Chou looked at the two punching and kicking: "Such a barbaric law, yet it has allowed the Demon race to have no chaos for thousands of years?"

Ji You shook his head: "It seems barbaric, but it is actually full of wisdom. Because the Demon Emperor allows clan members to fight privately so that grudges can be resolved on the spot, and commoners won't harbor resentment in their hearts. But at the same time, Demon law strictly requires them not to seriously injure others, and even less does it grant the Demon race the right to kill at will."

"Only to decide the outcome, not to decide life and death?"

"Correct."

"Then what if a serious injury occurs? Things like fists and feet have no eyes."

"Although the Demon race's physical body is not as formidable as the Barbarian race's, it is not as weak as ours, so they won't be seriously injured easily. However, if a serious injury really occurs, the perpetrator will be locked in the cold prison on the top of the snow mountain to reflect, and those who are serious might have to spend the rest of their lives there."

Brother Gongshu Chou couldn't help but look up at the distant, towering snow mountain after hearing this, the surroundings all white and frozen, and he was speechless for a moment.

Ji You opened his mouth slightly at this moment: "There is another benefit to this kind of law that is not written in the book."

"Hmm?"

"It has allowed the Demon race to never lose their fighting spirit and courage in the hardships of the snow region for thousands of years."

Hearing this, Brother Gongshu Chou's brow furrowed, vaguely understanding the meaning in Ji You's words.

This kind of law that allows private fighting and uses private fighting as a way to handle disagreements is actually the same as the Barbarian race attacking the Cold Iron Pass for thousands of years; both are cultivating the fighting spirit of the group.

In other words, the Demon race has never given up the idea of returning to the Nine Provinces and has changed this idea into another way, writing it into the law and engraving it into the habits of the commoners.

Ji You sat in the wheelchair and watched for a long time: "Shall we find a boxing gym to take a look?"

"The Demon race still has boxing gyms?"

"The book didn't write it, but I think they should be everywhere, because the system often determines the development of the industry."

Ji You spoke in a steady voice: "If force can determine life, then everyone will practice martial arts, just like everyone in the Human race longs to cultivate immortality. And once there are many such ideas, an industry will be formed, and this industry should be developing exceptionally rapidly and maturely."

Brother Gongshu Chou pondered for a long time: "You want to go watch boxing?"

Ji You nodded: "Just the punches of those two vendors were already very exquisite; I want to see some more exquisite ones."

"Then I will take you to find one."

At that time, Huo Hong showed great interest in Princess Fengyang, graceful and elegant, humorous in words, quite like a noble young master.

*Forget it, no problem. *

Subsequently, Brother Gongshu Chou pushed him along the road, and before long, they saw a courtyard located on the main city road.

The Demon language and the Human language are interoperable, but the characters are not exactly the same. The reason they found this courtyard was because they felt a strong aura as soon as they walked to this place.

So they stepped inside, passed through a long path, and finally arrived at the depths of the courtyard.

What they didn't expect was that this courtyard was huge, almost as big as half of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's outer courtyard, and there were several squads, each with more than twenty Demon strongmen.

Before the squads, there were boxing masters teaching boxing techniques, hitting with great momentum, and Qi flowing.

Ji You watched for a long time: "Go to the front and take a look."

Brother Gongshu Chou looked in the direction he pointed and found that a group of people in front were practicing combat, their fist intent fierce, hitting like thunder and lightning.

"Such fierce fist intent."

"Mm, it is indeed very fierce fist intent, not often seen in the Human race."

Brother Gongshu Chou was on his back side at this moment and didn't notice that Ji You's eyes were gradually revealing a pale golden color.

Just then, several Demons watching the two Demons sparring noticed him, then their brows furrowed slightly, and they couldn't help but whisper.

There were rumors in the inner city about the Human delegation visiting the Demon race; it wasn't a secret.

But what they didn't expect was that they would see a Human in the boxing gym of the Imperial City.

"If the Demon race and the Barbarian race really enter the realm, the ordinary commoners of the Human race will have no power to resist."

Ji You watched for a long time, and finally, the golden light in his eyes converged, and he couldn't help but speak.

Brother Gongshu Chou furrowed his brow: "Do you really think the Demon race and the Barbarian race are allied?"

"I can't be sure, but looking at it all the way here, I feel that the probability of war is not very high."

"You can see this too?"

"If the Demon race really wanted to ally with the Barbarian race, they should already be in a state of preparation for war at this time. The first step would be to guide the fighting spirit that has been nurtured for a thousand years outward, for example, by promoting that the Nine Provinces are vast and fertile, making the Demon commoners feel strong jealousy. But all the way here, I haven't seen anyone talking about this matter."

Brother Gongshu Chou was slightly startled: "So you weren't just looking at the Demon women's buttocks?"

Ji You instantly narrowed his eyes: "Didn't I say I have a friend? The buttocks were for him to look at, and now these are what I want to look at."

"I thought it was 'creating a friend out of thin air'..."

Ji You smiled faintly, as if it were light and breezy, but soon he couldn't help but furrow his brow again.

*Forget it, holding it for a while longer is no problem... *

The days are short and the nights are long in the freezing snow region, which is about the same as the Human race's winter, and in the blink of an eye, it was dusk.

At this moment, the night began to gradually shroud this magnificent city.

Because of the snow fog, plus the constant charcoal fire of the Demon race, the sky was foggy, and neither stars nor moon could be seen.

Ji You returned to the Jade Garden under Brother Gongshu Chou's pushing, standing on the corridor looking at the magnificent Imperial Palace ahead.

The night color gradually began to thicken, Brother Gongshu Chou left first, leaving only him there with a furrowed brow.

At this moment, a fragrant breeze blew across his face.

Ji You turned his head subconsciously and found that it was Princess Fengyang walking gracefully past the corridor.

Ye Han was hosting a banquet for the Immortal Sect prodigies in the Jade Garden today. Ji You hadn't attended the banquet because he went out for a stroll. At this moment, Princess Fengyang had just left the banquet and seemed to be planning to return to the palace.

The Demon Emperor has many offspring, said to be more than twenty, vividly interpreting what it means to be endless.

But only Ye Han and this Princess Fengyang were born to the current Demon Empress, and their status was naturally one above ten thousand.

At this moment, she was wearing a water-red exquisite fairy dress, with pearl hairpins and jade belts, the fine scales on her neck reflecting the moonlight, walking gracefully past the corridor, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at Ji You.

"You are seriously injured and not yet recovered; why are you standing here?"

Ji You spoke upon hearing this: "Just came back from outside, planning to get some air before going into the room."

Princess Fengyang sized him up a few times and wanted to leave, but stopped before she could take a step.

For these Humans, this Demon Princess's impression was the same, without much feeling, but only for Ji You, she had a physician's mentality toward a patient, so she spoke again: "How is your body?"

"Thank you, Princess, for your concern; it's passable."

"But I see your brow is somewhat knotted; could it be that you are worried that my Demon race will go to war with your Human race?"

"Uh, no."

Princess Fengyang furrowed her brow: "Excessive worry will affect your recovery. It's best to lighten your mind. If you can't resolve it yourself, it's best to say it out."

Ji You was silent for a long time, looking at his arms: "I want to pee."

Princess Fengyang: "?"

"You were the one who insisted on asking."

"You, aren't you still followed by someone?"

Ji You was silent for a long time: "Forget it, I'd rather hold it until I die."

Princess Fengyang bit her lip lightly after a long silence, then looked at the maid beside her: "Xiao Rou, go help him."

"Yes."

Xiao Rou said softly, stepped forward to support Ji You, and walked toward the room.

The bandit Ji was calm at this moment, entering the room with the demeanor of a gentleman.

He couldn't be anything but calm; otherwise, with his arms like decorations, he could only pee in his pants.

As for the choice of letting Brother Gongshu Chou help, in his view, it was better to pee in his pants...

So he persisted from the street until he returned, wanting to ask Jiang Yan or Yan Qiubai for help. After all, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, and he really didn't have the confidence to hold it.

Of course, the best choice was Jiang Yan.

Because Yan Qiubai was from Spirit Sword Mountain, by status, she was Yan Shuyi's cousin. This kind of thing was stimulating, but it was basically equivalent to courting death.

But what he didn't expect was that the person he waited for in the end wasn't Jiang Yan, wasn't Yan Qiubai, but the Demon Princess.

At this moment, Princess Fengyang was waiting outside the corridor, waiting for a long time, her eyes glancing around. Although her expression was calm, her gaze had a feeling of nowhere to rest.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of the door opening that she slowly turned her head and saw her maid Xiao Rou walking out with a look of shock, as if she were somewhat absent-minded, her steps becoming weak.

"What's wrong?"

"He, he... he..."

Xiao Rou stuttered, as if she couldn't speak, blushing and saying "he" for a long time, and finally gestured with two scorching dimensions.

Princess Fengyang's red lips parted slightly, her brain uncontrollably conjuring up the image, then she held her breath and hurried away from the corridor.

The next morning, the sun rose from the towering snow mountain, bringing only light but unable to bring temperature.

The Human delegation changed into their court attire and was brought into the Imperial City under the gaze of a group of Demon guards.

And those Immortal Sect prodigies followed closely behind, walking along the avenue paved with white jade stone toward the palace that looked like a crouching giant beast.

Unlike what they imagined, this Demon Emperor's palace was not as magnificent as the Great Xia Imperial Palace; on the contrary, it was all black and white, rugged and atmospheric.

Its pillars were black, the dome was black, the floor was white, and the stone steps were white, already filled with Demon ministers and clan leaders.

Ji You was pushed over by Brother Gongshu Chou at this moment and saw Ye Han and Princess Fengyang standing on the left.

And as he looked over, Princess Fengyang lightly averted her gaze to the right.

Ye Han noticed his sister's movement and couldn't help but speak: "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing."

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing..."

Ji You's gaze did not linger too long on Princess Fengyang but looked at the man on the white throne.

His figure was burly, his shoulders broad, and his blue Demon pupils shone brightly.

Although he was restraining his aura, a strong sense of oppression still rushed toward them, making the cultivators in the delegation unable to help but change color slightly.

*So strong, * Ji You couldn't help but mutter in his heart.

He came from Yuyang County and entered the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan to cultivate immortality. On this journey, the most powerful aura he had seen was Qi Zhengyang.

He was the chief of the sword path of Spirit Sword Mountain, an expert at the perfection of the Upper Five Realms, but even so, his aura still couldn't compare to the Demon Emperor in front of him.

Following that was the audience before the Emperor. Wang Mingchang held a memorial and recited the gift list.

After finishing the recitation, he bowed forward: "Your Majesty, our Human race and the Demon race have been on good terms and lived in harmony for a thousand years. Now, there are those who harbor evil intentions and intend to provoke war, causing the people to suffer. Their hearts are punishable. I hope Your Majesty will see clearly."

The leader of the Scale race spoke first upon hearing this: "The Nine Provinces are vast and fertile, and you Humans live comfortably. Have you ever thought about my Demon race?"

"After the Primordial War, our Human race originally intended to live in harmony with the Demon race forever and never had any intention of driving the Demon race away."

"You..."

The Scale race leader was stunned and then furious, then waved his sleeves, his thick nose breathing wildly.

But Wang Mingchang had indeed choked him to death with one sentence. Originally, the Human race hadn't driven the Demon race here; it was they who had voluntarily migrated here.

As the words fell, low discussions in the court were endless.

Some Demon ministers didn't say it directly, but it was clear they wanted war, while others showed hesitation, constantly looking at the Demon Emperor's expression.

Although Wang Mingchang and the others were in their twilight years, they were spirited at this moment, debating with the scholars.

Seeing this scene, Ji You pursed his lips.

It seems that regarding whether to ally with the Barbarian race, the Demon race also had differences and had not yet formed a unified opinion.

However, if one looked at the current situation, all the tribes were already sharpening their swords, ready for war.

But the Demon race was ultimately different from the Human race.

The Human race was each for themselves, everyone felt they were the greatest and should be the leader, and the Emperor was just a puppet without a voice.

But the Demon race had only one voice, which was the Demon Emperor, and whether to fight or not was only in his thought.

It was just that the Demon Emperor's eyes were cold and clear at this moment, making it impossible for people to see the depth.

At this moment, the chief minister under the Demon Emperor took a step forward: "The three races coexist in the Qingyun world and should not be mortal enemies. Since my Demon race is adjacent to the Barbarian race, it is a good thing to be on good terms now, but this does not mean that my Demon race wants to be an enemy of the Human race."

Brother Gongshu Chou opened his mouth: "He really guessed it right; the Demon Emperor's fighting spirit is indeed not strong."

Yan Qiubai stood by and couldn't help but speak after hearing this: "Who guessed it right?"

"Ji You; he told me yesterday that the probability of the Demon Emperor choosing to start a war shouldn't be high."

"Didn't you go out shopping yesterday?"

"Mm."

Yan Qiubai opened her mouth: "What did he see, why would he have such a conclusion?"

Brother Gongshu Chou pursed his lips: "Spent the whole way looking at a friend's buttocks."

"?"

"My Demon race has been trapped in the snow region for many years, while the Human race can enjoy the Nine Provinces alone. This is unfair. Now the Barbarian race intends to form an alliance; this is a good opportunity."

"Indeed, in the year of the Primordial War, this world should have been ruled by our race. The Human race is just a thief of Heavenly Will!"

In the back hall of the Imperial Palace, the Scale race leader Jian Ke and the Tooth race leader were fiercely petitioning.

They were strongly suggesting an alliance with the Barbarian race. In fact, long before the Barbarian delegation came to petition, they already had this idea.

In their view, waiting for a thousand years was long enough. Although their lifespan was longer than the Human race's, they would eventually die.

If they missed this opportunity, they didn't know when they would see the Nine Provinces again.

However, the Fur race leader and the Claw race leader had different opinions from them. In their view, the Barbarian race that had surrendered and fled during the Primordial War was not a trustworthy ally.

The key problem was that if they really joined forces with the Barbarian race to invade the Cold Iron Pass, with the Demon race's current strength, it was highly likely that they would end up doing the work for the Barbarian race in the end.

And in the Primordial Era, they had already done the work for others once. It was because of that time that they had to migrate thousands of miles to this snow region.

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"We have already thought for a thousand years!"

"Your Majesty, you must consider the common people of my Demon race."

"A thousand years of time is long enough; how much longer do we have to wait?"

"Your Majesty, let's fight, fight back to the Nine Provinces like our Primordial ancestors, and take back the luck that originally belonged to our race!"

At this moment, the Demon Emperor listened to the arguments in the study and opened his eyes with some impatience.

Previously, someone in the Nine Provinces had forcibly ascended without borrowing the orthodoxy, which confirmed to him that the Human race had lost the favor of the Heavenly Dao, and the moment to re-divide the world had arrived.

But the problem was that the Heavenly Dao had not sent down sacred artifacts like in the Primordial Era, nor had it selected sages among other groups to start the holy war of the Qingyun world.

*Heaven is about to perish*—this was absolutely not an empty statement.

But what about the new orthodoxy? Who had the new orthodoxy fallen upon?

(I am going to Singapore recently to attend the Yuewen IP Ceremony, and the updates might be unstable. I hope everyone will forgive me. Still the same sentence: I will not ask for leave if I can avoid it, and I will definitely not be lazy because of my own affairs. Asking for monthly tickets!)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 179 =====