In the far west of the Eastern Region, there is a mountain named Yu.
The Yu Mountain Great Range stretches for tens of thousands of miles, its terrain as steep and rugged as if carved by knives and axes, shrouded year-round in thick clouds and mist.
In this territory, the rules are vastly different from other parts of the Eastern Region.
Whether it be righteous sects or great clans, none of them hold any sway once you reach the Yu Mountain territory.
Those who truly call the shots are the Yao Race powerhouses entrenched in the deep mountains and old forests.
This is because deep within Yu Mountain sits the Xirang Lineage, one of the Twenty-Five Lineages.
From the top to the bottom of the sect, from the Elders in power to the sweeping servants, eighty to ninety percent are demons and monsters.
As those above do, so do those below; thus, the surroundings of the Yu Mountain Great Range naturally became the world of the Yao Race.
Human Race Cultivators wishing to establish a foothold here must be extremely cautious, as if treading on thin ice.
Within Yu Mountain,
there are also a few cities.
One of them is called Danhua City.
The Ma Residence, which occupies a vast area in the east of the city, was decorated today with lanterns and streamers, red silk hanging all over the high walls.
Even the two majestic stone lions guarding the house had large red flowers tied around their necks, looking somewhat comical.
The sound of firecrackers shook the heavens, and the ground was covered in red paper scraps like a red carpet.
The joyous atmosphere almost dispelled the chill of late autumn.
The Ma Family is considered a prominent Cultivator clan in this Falling Star City.
Founded thousands of years ago, they accumulated a rich foundation by trading Spirit Medicine and Ore, specialties of Yu Mountain.
Today was the auspicious day for the eldest granddaughter of the Ma Family's main line to be married off.
The residence doors were wide open, and guests arrived like clouds.
However, the composition of the guests who came to offer congratulations was truly quite complex.
There were Human Race Cultivators dressed in gold and silver, arriving on flying swords; there were also demons and monsters with burly builds and beast heads, walking with large strides.
Humans and Yao greeted each other in front of the Ma Residence, cupping their hands and bowing, presenting a scene of complete harmony.
Such a strange sight of humans and Yao mixing was a common occurrence in the Yu Mountain Great Range.
Outside the vermilion-lacquered gates of the Ma Residence,
the ones responsible for receiving guests and announcing their arrival were actually not the Ma Family servants,
but two deer demons standing straight.
These two deer demons were tall and forced into ill-fitting, festive Human Race robes.
Their slender necks poked out from the collars, topped with two deer heads that had not yet lost their fuzz, making them look exceptionally ridiculous.
Yet they were completely oblivious, instead tugging at their collars in an attempt to maintain some dignity.
The deer demon on the left howled at the top of its lungs, "The Li Family from the south of the city sends two stalks of thousand-year Spirit Medicine to celebrate the grand wedding of the Ma Family's Young Miss—"
The deer demon on the right hurried to bow and lead the way, "Master Li, please come in, please come in. Watch the threshold, don't sprain your hoof... Oh, I mean foot, don't sprain your foot."
Master Li's eyes twitched as he forced a smile, cupped his hands, and quickly walked into the residence, afraid that staying a second longer would make him catch the deer demon's stupidity.
"The Zhang Family from the west of the city sends a hundred catties of Profound Iron Essence Ore—"
"The Mountain-Patrolling Little Driller from Black Wind Cave sends two Spirit Beasts—"
In the side courtyard of the residence, over a hundred tables for the flowing banquet were set up, already filled with guests.
The demons and monsters ate in a boisterous manner, devouring large chunks of meat and drinking from big bowls of wine.
Wine flowed down their furry chins, dripping onto the exquisite red carpet.
Some got so excited while eating that they revealed half of their original forms, their thick tails sweeping back and forth under the tables.
The Human Race Cultivators appeared much more restrained, holding their wine cups and smiling apologetically, afraid that a large movement while picking up food might annoy some Great Yao at the same table.
At a table in the corner, two Human Race Cultivators were conversing in lowered voices.
"Could Old Master Ma have gone senile?"
A middle-aged Cultivator wearing a green cloth Daoist robe raised his wine cup to hide his mouth, but his eyes couldn't help glancing toward the main table. "The Ma Family is a thousand-year-old prominent clan after all, and that Eldest Young Miss Ma is as beautiful as a flower and exceptionally talented. How could she... how could she be betrothed to a demon?"
The middle-aged Cultivator's tone was full of regret and confusion.
There was even a hint of bitterness.
Sitting across from him was an old man with a goatee.
"What the hell do you know?"
The old man sneered, took a sip of the wine, and squinted at the middle-aged Cultivator. "What's wrong with a demon? You should see who the Ma Family's son-in-law is."
The middle-aged Cultivator was stunned and put down his wine cup. "Who is it?"
The old man lowered his voice, leaned forward, and moved closer. "The Juechen Demon Emperor!"
"The Juechen Demon Emperor?!"
The middle-aged Cultivator gasped.
He only knew it was a Demon Emperor, but he didn't realize it was this one!
The old man sneered repeatedly and continued, "A while ago, that worthless playboy of the Ma Family—the Eldest Young Miss Ma's biological younger brother—didn't know any better and killed a minor demon from Cold Mountain Ridge while training outside. And who is the master of Cold Mountain Ridge? The Cold Mountain Demon Emperor! He's famous for being vindictive and cruel."
"When Old Master Ma heard the news, he spat blood on the spot. What could he do? He couldn't win a fight and couldn't run away... In this Yu Mountain Great Range, there are Yao everywhere. Where could the hundreds of people in the Ma Family flee?"
The old man sighed and shook his head. "To preserve this thousand-year foundation, Old Master Ma could only swallow his pride, use all his connections, and exhaust the family fortune. Finally, he managed to get in touch with the Juechen Demon Emperor and sent his most beloved granddaughter to be the Juechen Demon Emperor's concubine!"
"With this connection to the Juechen Demon Emperor, the Cold Mountain Demon Emperor will have to think twice. He won't go to war with the Juechen Demon Emperor over a minor demon... Only then did the Ma Family barely manage to save their lives."
The middle-aged Cultivator was dumbfounded. After a long while, he let out a long sigh and drained his cup in one gulp. "What a sin... That Eldest Young Miss Ma has a fierce personality; she usually didn't even look twice at ordinary Prodigies of great families... To be a concubine for a demon like this, it must be a fate worse than death."
"Even if it's worse than death, she has to endure it."
The old man said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the demons in the courtyard who were clinking glasses. "In this place, for the Human Race to be alive is already a great blessing... Never mind sending a granddaughter; even if Old Master Ma had to personally lick that Demon Emperor's backside, he would have to do it with gratitude."
Inside the large courtyard, the clamor continued.
At the head table, the current head of the Ma Family, Old Master Ma, was dressed in a brand-new festive red robe, welcoming guests from all sides with a face full of smiles.
His hair was white, his figure slightly hunched, and the hand holding the wine cup trembled imperceptibly.
He smiled at every person and showed respect to every Yao.
However, only he knew how much bitterness and humiliation were hidden behind that smile.
Right at this moment,
the sea of clouds in the sky was forcibly torn apart.
A flying boat with a restrained aura came piercing through the air.
In the blink of an eye,
the flying boat's radiance faded.
Three figures landed steadily outside the vermilion-lacquered gates of the Ma Residence.
Such a commotion
immediately drew the attention of the surrounding Yao and Human Race Cultivators.
Countless gazes were cast toward them all at once.
The group of newcomers looked indescribably strange.
A child wearing a loose Daoist robe,
followed by a timid, weak tiger demon who didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
And between this human and Yao,
was a young woman dressed in black robes.
A girl of stunning beauty.