Chapter 105 | With a Protagonist Halo, How Did I End Up the Villain?

“Do you think I don't exist?”

Zhuifeng cursed as he retracted his front claw, striking a pose he thought looked incredibly cool.

“Pfft... Cough, cough...”

The 4th-rank weasel spat out a mouthful of blood.

It stared at Zhuifeng in absolute shock.

It really hadn't taken Zhuifeng seriously before.

To the weasel, Zhuifeng was just a Gale Wolf of the same realm; there was no way the wolf could be faster or stronger than itself.

After all, it was nearly matchless among mid 4th-Rank demon beasts.

Zhuifeng sneered inwardly. Do you really think all those years I spent running for my life were for nothing?

If not for the fact that the Blood Refining Demon Lord was simply too powerful, the old monster might not have been able to catch him at all.

Before the 4th-rank weasel could even react, Zhuifeng's figure blurred, his voice echoing through the air:

“Take this!”

Immediately after, Zhuifeng delivered a brutally inhumane groin-shattering kick. With a sharp bang, he hit the bullseye dead-on.

The kick was incredibly tricky, executed with blinding speed.

“Awooo!”

The 4th-rank weasel's blood-curdling shriek pierced the sky, making everyone present realize that this was a truly ball-wrenching tale of sorrow.

“Charge!”

The moment Zhuifeng made his move, Lu Ming and his group lunged at the other weasels.

Niu Lansan held the beggar-beating staff in one hand and a Thunderclap Brick in the other, bashing, slapping, and electrocuting the enemies all at once.

Shouts of battle, agonized screams, and the crackling sound of lightning searing fur filled the air.

A moment later, the ground was littered with the corpses of the weasels.

Zhu Wuneng stared with wide, terrified eyes at the scene.

These monkeys were too powerful, too brutal, too...

Once they finished cleaning up the battlefield, Lu Ming looked at Zhu Wuneng, who was helping pack up their things, and asked,

“Wuneng, I noticed you're really terrified of these weasels. That shouldn't be the case. Your Mountain-Shaking Pig clan's combat strength should be much higher than theirs, right?”

Zhu Wuneng nodded repeatedly.

“We Mountain-Shaking Pigs are strong fighters, but these weasels are too fast for us to hit. On top of that, they have a very bizarre technique that easily confuses people's minds...”

Hearing this, Lu Ming and the others looked at him with curiosity.

“What kind of technique?”

Zhu Wuneng thought for a moment, flopping his large ears.

“They have a secret method called seeking an appraisal...”

“If you aren't careful, you'll fall under their influence. The moment you answer their question...”

“They will absorb your cultivation technique. It's incredibly wicked and terrifying for a pig...”

Lu Ming and his companions were somewhat surprised. After all, Lu Ming hadn't been affected in the slightest just now.

At this moment, Zhuifeng spoke up:

“I've heard some things about these weasels. When they seek an appraisal, they affect the target's consciousness...”

At this point, Zhuifeng gave Lu Ming a strange look.

“But even the Equal Buddha couldn't affect you, let alone a measly little weasel...”

Only then did the group come to a sudden realization.

So that was why!

After tidying up, the group resumed their journey toward the Xiaotian Imperial City.

“You carry the pole, I lead the horse...”

With the beggar-beating staff resting across his shoulders and his hands draped over either end, Lu Ming sang merrily, his voice drifting through the open air.

...

Meanwhile, the Xiaotian Imperial City was bustling, but at the same time, a bizarre and even terrifying atmosphere hung over it.

After years of fierce internal struggles, only fifty-four of the Demon Emperor's one hundred and eight sons remained alive.

Yet recently, fatal accidents had begun to occur with alarming frequency.

First, eight princes gathered for a party and suffered a collective accidental poisoning, ending up completely dead.

Then, another five princes suffered qi deviation during their cultivation and blew themselves up.

Following that, eight more princes were assassinated.

All of a sudden, only thirty-three princes were left...

With one disaster occurring after another, panic spread among the remaining princes.

The more cowardly ones couldn't take the stress anymore and rushed to the Imperial Palace to beg the Demon Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince as soon as possible.

If this deadly game continued, they would all end up in the grave.

After all, some of them had never even desired to become the Demon Emperor in the first place.

Hearing the desperate pleas of his sons below, the Demon Emperor asked with a face full of confusion,

“Didn't your brothers all die of accidents? What does that have to do with appointing a Crown Prince?”

Standing among the crowd of princes, Ye Fan almost had his eyes pop out of his skull upon hearing the Demon Emperor's words.

He seriously doubted how this guy had ever managed to become the Demon Emperor.

How had he ruled for so many years without losing his throne?

Or was this Demon Emperor actually just playing dumb?

But according to the information he had gathered, wasn't this Demon Emperor completely romance-addled?

For all these years, he had spent every single day being lovey-dovey with the Empress.

He ignored state affairs and paid absolutely no attention to his sons...

Could that information be false?

The princes were equally stunned, staring at the Demon Emperor in disbelief.

Had they misunderstood something all along?

They had always assumed their Imperial Father was fully aware of their years of overt and covert power struggles.

As it turned out, the old man didn't have a single clue!

Then what was the point of all their efforts and performances over the years?

Were they just performing for a blind audience?

Just then, the Demon Emperor's voice rang out again:

“Even though your Mother Empress and I are true love, and you boys were just accidents, you can't keep having fatal accidents like this and making your Mother Empress worry!”

“Can't you all just stay alive properly...”

“Pfft...”

The moment the Demon Emperor finished speaking, several princes couldn't handle the emotional blow and instantly spat out mouthfuls of blood.

Once again, they seriously questioned whether they were actually his biological sons.

Did they choose to die?

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan also looked like he had swallowed a fly.

He felt that in all his lifetimes combined, he had never encountered such an utterly exasperating dog...

But a moment later, he felt a surge of joy. Since this Demon Emperor was such an eccentric who didn't care about his sons' lives,

then he could ruthlessly move forward and slaughter all these cheap brothers as quickly as possible...

After that, he would eliminate the Demon Emperor and take the throne for himself.

When that time came, he would utilize the resources of the entire demon race to rapidly raise his cultivation level.

He would return to the Immortal Realm at the earliest opportunity... and, of course, kill that damned mortal.

Thinking of that damned mortal, Ye Fan recalled the dog that followed him around.

That creature was probably also a dog of the Xiaotian Imperial Clan.

After all, it bore a striking resemblance to the first-generation ancestor of the Xiaotian Imperial Clan.

That dog was incredibly annoying and deserved to die too. He would make sure to slaughter it as well...

With these thoughts, the murderous intent in Ye Fan's eyes grew even more intense.

“Quick... Quick... Summon the royal physician! You all saw it, right? They really are prone to accidents... They have accidents even when no one is bothering them...”

Hearing the Demon Emperor's words, several more princes couldn't take it anymore and spat blood before fainting dead away.

The princes who managed to hold themselves back could only stare at the Demon Emperor in complete exasperation.

Father, is it possible that they spat blood because they were angered to death by you?

They had truly expanded their horizons today. They had seen plenty of cases where sons angered their fathers into spitting blood,

but a father angering his sons into spitting blood was a rare sight indeed.

Especially angering several of them into spitting blood all at once...

What was worse was that the culprit was standing there with an innocent look, asking, “Why are you all spitting blood?”

However, not a single dog dared to say it out loud.

After a chaotic flurry of activity among the demons, the fainted princes finally regained consciousness.

“Physician Chicken, what's wrong with them? Why did they suddenly start spitting blood together for no reason?”

The physician, who possessed the head of a chicken, stroked his beard and replied,

“Your Majesty, they are suffering from extreme anger and severe mental shock...”

Hearing Physician Chicken's diagnosis, the Demon Emperor examined the weakened auras of his sons.

“What on earth are you all angry about?”

Hearing this, the princes who had just woken up opened their mouths, but no words came out.

For a moment, they had no idea how to respond.

They couldn't exactly tell him that they had spat blood because of him, could they?

Seeing their silence, the Demon Emperor stared back at them with a thoroughly puzzled expression.

A bizarre silence instantly enveloped the grand hall.

At this moment, the guard who had been serving by the Demon Emperor's side finally couldn't help but speak up to remind him:

“Your Majesty, you should quickly appoint a Crown Prince!”

The Demon Emperor looked at him with confusion.

“Why?”

He didn't understand what was wrong with everyone today. Why were they so obsessed with appointing a Crown Prince?

The guard originally hadn't wanted to speak up, but the remaining princes were all looking at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.

The guard let out a sigh. So be it. If I die, I die.

I'll treat this as repaying him for saving my life back then.

Steeling himself with a resolve that welcomed death, he spoke up:

“Your Majesty, the reason they are having all these accidents is that they are fighting over the position of Crown Prince and killing each other...”

The moment the guard finished speaking, the princes cautiously observed the shocked face of the Demon Emperor.

They couldn't help but wonder how the Demon Emperor would react upon learning the truth.

Would he be furious? Disappointed?

To their surprise, the Demon Emperor was stunned for a moment before instinctively blurting out,

“Does the Crown Prince position even need to be fought over? Once I die, they can just succeed me...”

Before he could finish his sentence, the Demon Emperor froze as he looked at his sons.

He suddenly realized why they were fighting.

Their situation was completely different from his own back then. Back then, he had been the sole prince, so the throne of the Demon Emperor had naturally fallen into his lap.

Looking at his sons, the Demon Emperor felt extremely annoyed. It's just a throne. What is there to fight over?

He had actually wanted to step down long ago so he could enjoy a peaceful life with his Empress.

However, the ancestral teachings decreed that a Demon Emperor must either rule until his death or until his ascension to the Immortal Realm.

Otherwise, abdication was strictly forbidden...

This was precisely why he had never imagined his sons would fight over the throne; he had assumed they all hated the job as much as he did.

He had originally planned to wait until he was close to death and then have his sons draw lots. Whoever was unlucky enough would have to take over the throne and suffer this misery...

Who could have guessed that they would actually fight tooth and nail for it, even resorting to fratricide?

As expected of children born from accidents. They don't take after me at all.

If I hadn't witnessed them being born from my wife's womb with my own eyes,

I would seriously doubt whether they are actually mine.

Then, he felt a wave of heartache. Even though these sons were accidents,

they were still the flesh and blood of himself and the Empress.

To think they would actually slaughter one another over a mere throne...

With this thought, the Demon Emperor unleashed his aura, and the terrifying pressure of a 7th-Rank demon beast suppressed the entire hall.

His terrifying demonic power, equivalent to a human Unity stage cultivator, erupted violently.

In an instant, the air inside the grand hall froze, and the very space began to tremble.

The chests of the princes and guards felt as though they had been struck by massive war hammers.

Those princes who had just spat blood suffered even more miserably.

Their souls trembled in terror under the Demon Emperor's fiercely violent aura.

At this moment, the spiritual energy inside Ye Fan's body was completely suppressed by this formidable power, rendering him unable to circulate even a sliver of it. He could only grit his teeth and endure.

Now, Ye Fan finally understood why this incompetent fool was still able to remain the Demon Emperor.

With this kind of strength, no ordinary person would dare to make a move against him!

No wonder the entire demon race was in complete chaos, yet the Demon Emperor remained firmly on his throne.

Ultimately, might made right. When one's strength reached a certain level, all schemes and plots became completely futile...

Within the grand hall, only the Demon Emperor stood tall at the center, his presence suffocating everyone present.

Looking at the Demon Emperor, the hearts of the princes skipped a beat.

Many of them couldn't help but wonder if this was the Demon Emperor's true face.

Could his previous simple-mindedness have been a facade to test them?

Was it all just to expose their true natures?

But right at that moment, the Demon Emperor's cold voice rang out:

“If you brats die, so be it. But under no circumstances must your Mother Empress find out that you killed each other.”

“If anyone lets your Mother Empress find out and makes her sad, I will personally execute him...”

The Demon Emperor glared at his sons, genuinely furious.

What a bunch of useless things.

To think they would actually make my wife sad.

While he felt some pity for his sons, he cared far more for his wife.

If a few sons died, he could always have more. But if his wife died of anger, she would be gone forever.

Hearing the Demon Emperor's words, the princes stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.

They even wondered if they had misheard.

Was this really something a father should say to his own sons?

If we die, we die, but we just can't make Mother Empress sad?

Ye Fan was also completely speechless. This Demon Emperor's romance-addled mind was severely pathological!

Does this mean that as long as I win over the Empress, I'll have the Demon Emperor in the palm of my hand?

And then the throne will be mine?

With this thought, Ye Fan hastily spoke up:

“Please rest assured, Imperial Father. I will absolutely never tell Mother Empress anything that might worry her. If I ever suffer an accident, I will have myself buried quietly and tell Mother Empress that I simply went on a trip...”

The Demon Emperor nodded at Ye Fan with great satisfaction.

This child is not bad. He is quite pleasing to the eye. Perhaps I should just make him the Crown Prince?

Seeing the Demon Emperor's expression, Ye Fan knew he had made the right move.

Seeing this, the hearts of the other princes tightened.

They quickly voiced their own assurances to the Demon Emperor, but none of their efforts were as effective as Ye Fan's.

The gazes they directed at Ye Fan were laced with hidden murderous intent. A single thought echoed in many of their minds:

Find an opportunity to kill this guy.

This was especially true for the Third Prince, who was absolutely determined to claim the throne.

At the same time, he was secretly wondering: Who exactly is behind the recent consecutive deaths of my brothers?

When he had eliminated his brothers in the past, he had done so one by one. But this mysterious culprit was wiping out several of them at once.

Ye Fan, however, paid absolutely no attention to their hostile glares.

He sneered inwardly. Just wait, all of you will be dead soon.

Just as the Demon Emperor was about to declare Ye Fan the Crown Prince,

a sudden commotion erupted outside.

Right at that moment, a guard came rushing into the hall.

“Your Majesty! General Dog's niece, Minister Fox's niece, and General Tiger's daughter have arrived to beg for a marriage decree...”

The Demon Emperor's face instantly lit up with joy. He loved children who bravely pursued love more than anything else.

Just like back then when he and his wife were young; he had threatened his own father with death just to obtain a marriage decree to General Dog's concubine-born daughter.