Chapter 94

Eight tall hunting flags fluttered in the wind. Beneath the flags, a grand and imposing military tent exuded a solemn and majestic aura.

On either side of the tent, two rows of warriors stood with their bows strung and swords drawn, exuding a fierce and murderous air.

Wai Shi, the Envoy of Foreign Affairs, led Zhenyuan Duobian and his group to the front of the central tent. Zhenyuan Duobian was filled with disdain, casually sneering at the array before him, and proudly strode straight into the central tent.

After being announced by the guards, the tent's curtain was lifted high, and two guards led the group of ghost envoys into the tent.

Zhenyuan Duobian quickly turned his head to take in the entire tent.

The tent was supported by sturdy ox sinew and copper frames, tightly stretched with thick mountain gorilla skin, resembling a giant drum. Inside, the space was vast and almost empty, capable of accommodating hundreds of people. In the center, a red carpet covered the ground, and the luxurious carpet was so thick and dense that it muffled the sound of footsteps.

At the head of the tent, a row of redwood tables was arranged, with seven elders of different appearances seated in order, their imposing presence subtly permeating the air. A proud young hunter stood by the tables.

"Damn, the Heavenly Demon Clan is really damn wealthy."

Zhenyuan Duobian, looking at the luxurious setup, greedily swallowed his saliva.

As soon as the Envoy of Foreign Affairs entered the tent, he became much more cautious, carefully introducing Zhenyuan Duobian: "Special Envoy Zhenyuan, these are the seven elders of our clan. The one in the center is our Great Elder..."

"Great Elder..."

Zhenyuan Duobian waved his hand to cut off the Envoy of Foreign Affairs, grinning impudently and rudely asked the elders: "I've issued my challenge for two days now. Are you going to accept it or not? Don't act like turtles with your heads in your shells, thinking that by delaying a few days, you can get away with it. If you don't have the courage, just say so. We..."

Sweat immediately broke out on the Envoy of Foreign Affairs' face, and over a dozen iron guards around the tent became furious, gripping their sword handles tightly, their veins bulging.

How dare he speak so rudely to the Great Elder, the leader of the clan? A mere junior envoy from a small clan, daring to call the Great Elder a turtle with his head in his shell in the central tent?

He was being far too arrogant.

The Great Elder, Ouyetu Ji, slapped the table with a cold face and said, "Agreed!"

"Huh?"

Zhenyuan Duobian's words were cut off, and he subconsciously paused, "What did you say?"

The Great Elder glanced at the ghost envoy and lightly hummed, "On the 27th of January, 765, in our western border, the Heavenly Demon List competition will officially begin. At that time, we will allow your Ghost Shadow List to compete on the same stage as our Heavenly Demon List."

To make it easier for the Ghost Shadow Clan to participate, the Great Elder had moved the competition from the tribal area to the western border.

"Agreed?"

Zhenyuan Duobian exchanged a surprised look with Xueyin Shi'er. The Heavenly Demon Clan had been hesitant for a few days, and Zhenyuan Duobian thought they were looking for an excuse to avoid the challenge. He never expected them to agree.

Xueyin Shi'er had a cold smile on his face and slowly looked up at Tie Mitao, who was standing by the table.

Xueyin Shi'er knew that Tie Mitao was the leader of the young hunters of the Heavenly Demon Clan, and the future arena would be between them. Seeing Tie Mitao look at him coldly, Xueyin Shi'er's eyes showed a deep sneer, as if asking, "After hesitating for so long, you finally dare to agree?"

Their eyes met, and it seemed as if sparks flew in the air.

In the end, Tie Mitao coldly snorted and turned his head, taking a scroll from the elders' table. He then walked down to Zhenyuan Duobian and said calmly, "This is the detailed rulebook for the Heavenly Demon List competition. If your young hunters from the Ghost Shadow Clan join, it also outlines how to compete for points and rankings. If you have any questions, we can discuss them in detail later. Please review it."

Zhenyuan Duobian arrogantly grabbed the scroll, not even looking at Tie Mitao, and stared at the elders, laughing maniacally, "Ha, good, good. I didn't expect you to be so straightforward. I was prepared to persuade you a bit more. Alright, this is settled. I'll report back to our Ghost Emperor. Now, let's talk about the murderer."

Mentioning the murderer, Zhenyuan Duobian's face turned fierce, and he shouted loudly, "Our Ghost Emperor said that the murderer who killed our Ghost Guard Shan must be punished severely. We must take that person back today, and we won't tolerate any more delays."

Zhenyuan Duobian squinted his eyes and patted his head, continuing, "Right, the murderer personally claimed to be a Heavenly Demon hunter. He has a fat figure, making him easy to identify. Don't try to fool us with just anyone. If you don't hand over the real murderer, our Ghost Shadow army won't hesitate to advance directly to your central tent..."

Zhenyuan Duobian was testing the limits of the Heavenly Demon elders, trying to gauge their resolve and confidence.

However, his words were too arrogant and overbearing, and everyone in the room turned red with anger.

How dare he speak to the Great Elder like that?

Is the Great Elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan someone anyone can point at?

"Slap!"

A loud slap sent Zhenyuan Duobian's words back into his throat. Tie Mitao's hand, moving so fast that no one could react, struck with terrifying force, slapping Zhenyuan Duobian's face.

A spray of nose blood spurted out, and half of Zhenyuan Duobian's face swelled up, almost blocking his throat. The slap sent him staggering, almost falling over.

"Shut up."

Tie Mitao said coldly, "You were raised by a mother but not taught manners. Did your mother never teach you how to speak to your elders?"

The tent fell silent.

The ghost envoys were stunned. Zhenyuan Duobian, clutching his face in excruciating pain, was completely dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened.

The Envoy of Foreign Affairs shivered, feeling a surge of excitement rush from his chest to his head. His eyes were filled with fiery passion as he looked at Tie Mitao, realizing something.

"You, you dare to hit me..."

Xueyin Shi'er's face turned pale, and he instantly flew into a rage, his veins bulging as he gripped the hilt of his blood sword, his muscles tensing, ready to draw his sword.

"Snap!" Around the tent, countless iron guards drew their bows, aiming at the ghost envoys, their arrows pointed at vital spots, making the air cold and chilling.

Xueyin Shi'er was immediately terrified, sweat breaking out on his face.

He had no doubt that if he made any move, the iron guards would not hesitate to shoot him full of arrows.

Even with his expertise in stealth, he couldn't escape from so many strong bows.

Xueyin Shi'er's face turned iron gray with suppressed anger.

Zhenyuan Duobian, holding his face, looked at Tie Mitao in disbelief, suddenly jumping up and shouting wildly, "You dare to hit me? You dare to hit me? Do you know who I am? Are you not afraid of me reporting this to the Ghost Emperor? Are you not afraid of our Ghost Shadow army invading and wiping out your entire clan?"

"Slap!" Tie Mitao, expressionless, struck again with lightning speed, slapping Zhenyuan Duobian so hard that he spun around, his face caving in, his head deformed.

Zhenyuan Duobian saw the slap coming but couldn't dodge it. He spun around, dazed and unsteady.

Tie Mitao leaned in, his face cold, and whispered in the ghost envoy's ear, "Didn't you see that we've never been afraid?"

"You..."

Zhenyuan Duobian, enraged, pointed at Tie Mitao.

"Slap."

Tie Mitao slapped him again, causing Zhenyuan Duobian to spit out a mouthful of blood and several teeth, his head turning into a bloody mess.

Tie Mitao asked curiously, "What do you mean by 'you'?"

Zhenyuan Duobian, nearly driven mad with anger, screamed, "Two clans should not harm their envoys..."

"Slap."

The fourth slap sent Zhenyuan Duobian's remaining teeth flying out, and he spun around, now a bloody mess, his hair disheveled, his head swollen, his mouth caved in, looking like a deflated leather bag.

Ignoring Zhenyuan Duobian's shocked and angry gaze, Tie Mitao said with a look of disdain, "Two clans? No, we've never treated your tiny clan as equals. We've always thought that beating you is like beating a child. We can do it whenever we want. Don't you think so?"

"Too arrogant, simply too arrogant..."

The Envoy of Foreign Affairs was trembling with excitement, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Tie Mitao's slaps had vented all his pent-up anger. At this moment, the Envoy of Foreign Affairs felt an indescribable sense of relief, his scalp tingling.

"Lord Tie, can you be any more arrogant?"

"Ha ha ha, well done, well done..."

The Envoy of Foreign Affairs was almost about to cheer openly, realizing that the elders' hesitation the past few days was not out of fear or a desire to avoid conflict.

The Heavenly Demon Clan, a great clan of the wilderness, feared no one. After thoroughly investigating the Ghost Shadow Clan, they were ready to treat them like children, ready to strike whenever they wanted.

Zhenyuan Duobian was almost in tears.

The Heavenly Demon Clan had been evasive and probing, making him increasingly arrogant. He thought they were softening, and he planned to push further. But now, they had suddenly become so strong and unyielding.

Zhenyuan Duobian's heart trembled.

Xueyin Shi'er, under the aim of numerous bows, was furious and desperate.

"Too despicable, too despicable..."

Xueyin Shi'er, trembling with anger, his eyes bloodshot, pointed at Tie Mitao and screamed, "You're a coward, not a hero. If you have the guts, let me go, and we'll fight a fair fight..."

Tie Mitao's method of bullying him was unacceptable.

"Shut up!"

Tie Mitao pointed at Xueyin Shi'er's nose, cutting off his words.

Tie Mitao, still looking down on the young man with disdain, said coldly, "I won't hit you today. I'll clean your face and remember, in two months, I'll personally turn it into a flower on the arena."

Xueyin Shi'er, about to speak, was cut off by Tie Mitao's fierce command, "Take your damn envoy and get out!"

Xueyin Shi'er, his chest tight with anger, was almost driven to spit blood by Tie Mitao's arrogance.

He and Zhenyuan Duobian never expected the Heavenly Demon Clan to be so unyielding and confrontational.

"Is this the true confidence of the Heavenly Demon Clan?"

Xueyin Shi'er's heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

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