After hearing Dad's words, we stared at him in astonishment and confusion, waiting for his explanation.
Mom, who had been severely beaten and reduced to half-skeleton, looked at Dad with pride.
Because at that moment, a wise light shone in Dad's eyes, a light I hadn't seen in a long time—the kind that often appeared in him when dealing with family and domestic issues, before his cuckolding spree.
This expression was what Mom had been most fascinated by back then, and seeing it on Dad again filled her with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Because she knew that Dad, with that look in his eyes, had never made a wrong decision.
"Remember one thing," Dad said firmly, "our goal has never been to protect the Demon Stone, but to destroy it. We now possess the ability to destroy it, but we can't find it. This time, we will make the true demons tell us where the Demon Stone is, and then obtain it and destroy it before they do." At this moment, Father's face was completely devoid of any servility; instead, it radiated an awe-inspiring and subservient aura.
Seeing Father's expression, Mother's face revealed excitement, love, and longing; Li Jun'ao's face was filled with affection and deep emotion; Hei Wulong and the others, however, acted as if they had just met Father, all traces of their previous disdain gone.
Indeed, before Father spoke those words, while they respected him, they didn't truly respect him.
In their eyes, Father was merely powerful.
Deep down, they held Father in some contempt.
Otherwise, Hei Wulong wouldn't have issued his plan as if giving orders, instead of seeking advice from Father, the strongest present.
But now, Father had made them understand that although he was a perverted man who enjoyed playing the fool, he was undoubtedly a peerless powerhouse with immense strength and wisdom.
He was someone they needed to look up to; when he was serious, no one had the right to underestimate him.
My father's stunningly beautiful face radiated an irresistible charm, captivating us all.
Even the Soul Priest, who had no interest in men, stared intently at my father's exquisite features.
Li Jun'ao, embracing my father, gazed at him with utter infatuation.
My mother, accustomed to treating my father like a servant, looked at him with affection, though her expression held more of a reproachful tone.
It was as if she were saying, "You rascal, you big bad guy! Why do you like being a servant? If you always act like this, why would anyone bully you? I'd be happy to be bullied by you every day. In front of someone like you, your wife would be willing to be a bitch!"
Seeing my mother's expression, my father gave her an apologetic look, as if to say, "Sorry, wife, your husband just likes being your servant."
Under his mother's reproachful gaze, his father continued, "This matter can't wait. We must go to the Lu family as soon as possible and discuss things with them. We need to see how to deliver the item to Pang Xing discreetly while preserving our strength. If all else fails, we'll have to rely on you, my dear nephew, to 'steal' it."
"Alright! But if I really did steal it, Pang Xing's expression will be priceless. Although we seem to get along well on the surface, we're not exactly on good terms behind the scenes. In this plan, the tasks assigned to our Heavenly Demon Sect are outrageous. Apart from Grandma participating in the siege of the Dragon King, everyone else has to be on the front lines to deplete our Heavenly Demon Sect's strength to the maximum extent." "Regarding this task, Dad simply told Pang Xing that the Heavenly Demon Sect had important matters to attend to, and apart from a few peak-stage Innate Realm cultivators, no one else could participate. Pang Xing agreed without hesitation; he already knew we wouldn't agree. He did this simply to make the demonic path believe that our Heavenly Demon Sect was cowardly in the face of battle. Having allied with the Northern Yuan Blood Demon Sect and acquired three peak-stage Innate Realm cultivators, Pang Xing is now trying to exclude us, his competitors within the Central Plains. Also, because of our weakness in front of the Demon Palace, the Water Alliance has already begun to gravitate towards the Demon Palace. It won't be long before the Water Alliance becomes a subordinate of the Demon Palace!"
Hei Wulong said with a mocking expression.
After hearing his words, we all smiled. It wasn't so much that Pang Xing was trying to win them over, but rather that the Heavenly Demon Sect was actively giving up! Giving up an ally who was destined to be an enemy of the righteous path.
After saying all that, I asked Hei Wulong with some doubt, "Brother, why did the Heavenly Demon Sect clash with the righteous path back then? Aren't you afraid they'll retaliate against you later by associating with the righteous path? After all, many people consider you their enemies now! Especially the Lu family; they not only have great power, but their hatred for you is almost irreconcilable!"
I had heard about the reasons for the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects before, so I asked.
Hei Wulong put his hand between my legs, teasing my penis and perineum as he explained.
"Looking back, there are many suspicious points about the cause of this incident. If both sides had been calmer at the time, the outcome would have been completely different. Lu Qing, the younger brother of the Lu family head and the father of the current head Lu Xiangzhong, accused my grandfather, Feng Wushang, of gang-raping his wife. While my grandfather and his family were trying to explain and find the murderer, my grandfather was killed. The martial art used to kill him was the Lu family's heirloom, the Xuanwu True Skill. My grandmother, enraged, immediately began to retaliate against the righteous path. You all know the final result. Lu Xiao was killed by my grandmother, and Lu Xiao's wife, Liu Hanyan, because she was pregnant with her son, went into seclusion and never appeared again. Lu Xiao's son, Lu Wuhua, also disappeared after abandoning everything in the Lu family because of his affair with his mother. From then on, the Lu family and our Heavenly Demon Sect became sworn enemies, fighting continuously for many years."
"Brother, now that you've switched to cooperating with the righteous path, has the real murderer been found?" I asked with a questioning look.
"Yes! In the ruins, I found our Heavenly Demon Sect's long-lost sacred artifact—the Demon Lord's Token. Using the token, we contacted the Netherworld Demon Lord, whom our sect had worshipped for many years. Through calculation, he told us that those who gang-raped Lu Qing's wife were from the Demon Palace. And those who lured Grandpa out and led him into the Lu family's encirclement were also from the Demon Palace. The great war between the righteous and demonic factions back then was actually a conspiracy by the Demon Palace to cause both sides to suffer heavy losses. After this battle, the Demon Palace replaced our Heavenly Demon Sect, becoming the number one force in the demonic path. Both the righteous and demonic paths suffered heavy casualties in the war; many reclusive peak-level cultivators perished. The once powerful martial arts world of the Central Plains was reduced to less than half its peak-level cultivators after this battle."
Hei Wulong said with a sorrowful expression.
"Who was the leader of the Demon Palace at that time?" I asked angrily.
"It was Pang Xing's father, Pang Tianlong. That scum who deserves to be torn to pieces," Hei Wulong said with resentment. "Brother, what if… what if the Lu family doesn't believe your explanation?" I asked with a worried expression.
"Grandma has decided that after destroying the Demon Palace, she will go to the Lu family to beg for forgiveness. No matter how the Lu family tortures her, she is willing to endure it," Hei Wulong said sadly.
"So you agree?" I asked doubtfully.