In front of the Ma Residence, Demonic Qi soared to the heavens.
As far as the eye could see, there were demons of all shapes and sizes, covered in fur, scales, and horns.
Sensing the girl's body beside him trembling uncontrollably...
Wang Ziyu was startled and quickly reached out his small hand, firmly tugging on the girl's sleeve.
"You... don't do anything reckless yet... let's get the heart material first..."
Jiang Yuechu glanced at him from the corner of her eye, the fire in her gaze gradually receding as she said calmly, "I know."
You know my foot...
Silently grumbling to himself, Wang Ziyu finally turned his gaze toward the Deer Demon welcoming guests at the door.
He felt a bit hesitant.
The address was indeed correct... but looking at the current scene, how had even the doormen welcoming guests become such demons?
Could it be that the Old Man remembered the place wrong?
Or had the Ma Family already been wiped out, their home usurped by others?
Despite his doubts, he still stepped forward and asked patiently, "Pardon me for asking... is this the Region Ma Family?"
The Deer Demon did not immediately answer the young Daoist boy's question.
Instead, it looked past Wang Ziyu and fixed its gaze on the Girl in Black Robes behind him.
Even though the girl was just standing there quietly, doing nothing...
Its demonic instincts made it feel a wave of panic.
But soon...
It shook its head vigorously, tossing the absurd thought out of its mind.
It was truly being foolish.
Today was the great wedding of the Juechen Demon Emperor.
Within thousands of miles of Region, Demon Kings of all sizes had gathered here, and even several Demon Emperors had arrived.
Who would dare to cause trouble at the Ma Family today?
Thinking of this...
The Deer Demon's confidence returned.
It looked up indifferently, a haughty expression stretching across its long deer face.
"This is naturally the Ma Residence."
The Deer Demon snorted coldly and asked in return,
"And who might you be? Do you have an invitation?"
An invitation?
Wang Ziyu froze on the spot.
He looked up at the two arrogant Deer Demons in front of him.
Then he looked past the gate at the tables of demons and Cultivators clinking glasses in the courtyard.
An incredibly absurd guess couldn't help but arise in his heart.
The Region Ma Family was, after all, a major clan of Human Race Cultivators.
But with this kind of setup today...
Could it be that the Ma Family people were planning a marriage alliance with the Yao Race?
Although he knew that the Yu Mountain Great Range was a unique territory with rules completely different from elsewhere in the Eastern Region...
Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it with his own eyes was another.
A dignified Human Race clan had actually fallen to the point of marrying into the Yao Race.
This scene was truly absurd to the extreme.
Seeing the young Daoist boy standing there in a daze, unable to produce an invitation for a long time and not answering...
The other Deer Demon immediately lost its patience.
It suddenly took a step forward and glared angrily, "Beat it, beat it! You dare come here to join the fun without an invitation! Today is the auspicious day of our Juechen Demon Emperor; we have no time for random people like you!"
"If you have other business, wait until the wedding is over and come back tomorrow to discuss it with the Ma Family yourselves. Don't be an eyesore to the Demon Emperor here!"
This kind of talk...
Was truly high and mighty, acting as if the guest were the host.
It was actually bypassing the old master of the Ma Family and making decisions for them.
Anyone who didn't know better...
Would think that this manor, draped in red silk, wasn't the Region Ma Family at all,
But rather the Juechen Demon Emperor's Immortal Cave.
But looking around...
The Human Race Cultivators kept their heads down in silence.
The demons wore expressions of mockery.
It was as if it were perfectly natural for the gates of a Human Race clan to be controlled by a demon.
A nameless fire instantly surged in Wang Ziyu's heart.
He was, after all, a legitimate True Disciple of the Xuanzhen Grotto-Heaven.
When traveling through the Eastern Region, who didn't treat him with courtesy?
Since when was it a lowly gate-keeping demon's turn to point at his nose and scold him?
The young Daoist boy's eyes turned cold.
His palm under his wide sleeve suddenly clenched tight.
Just as he was about to lash out...
He felt a palm land on his shoulder.
Turning his head...
He saw the girl had already stepped past him and was standing indifferently in front.
Her cold, calm voice rang out: "We're here for the feast."
...
The two Deer Demons paused slightly.
They had already said not to come looking for trouble without an invitation...
What feast were they talking about?!
Just then...
"Oh, oh, please don't be angry, don't be angry!"
A slightly aged voice, tinged with a bit of anxiety, suddenly came from the courtyard.
Immediately after...
A white-haired Old Man wearing bright red festive robes hurried out with a few servants.
Beads of sweat covered the Old Man's forehead; he had clearly heard the commotion at the door and come jogging all the way.
"A guest is a guest, after all."
The Old Man first bowed repeatedly to Wang Ziyu and the others, a fawning smile squeezed onto his face.
Then...
He immediately turned around, bowed low, and put on a pleading smile for the two Deer Demons.
"Please calm your anger, milords. Today is the auspicious day of my granddaughter's wedding, and since the Juechen Demon Emperor has graced us with his presence, the manor is inevitably a bit chaotic."
The Old Man's tone was humble, even carrying a hint of begging.
"Since these few have come from afar, they must surely admire the Demon Emperor's great name and wish to share a cup of wedding wine... Why don't we let them in, just to add a bit of festive cheer to the Demon Emperor's big day?"
Hearing such submissive words...
The Deer Demon snorted coldly and waved its hoof impatiently: "Fine, whatever you say, but..."
It turned its head again and said haughtily, "Today, the main tables are occupied by various Demon Emperors and Demon Kings. Keep an eye on the people you let in... If they offend the distinguished guests and cause trouble, how many heads does your Ma Family have to be cut off?"
"I understand, I understand."
Having received the Deer Demon's permission...
The Old Man finally breathed a long sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
He turned around, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and quickly gestured for them to enter.
"Everyone, please come in, please come in."
Crossing the vermilion threshold...
The scene inside the courtyard was even more unbearable to look at.
Wang Ziyu walked ahead, his small face tight with tension.
Tiger Cuihua shrunk its neck and followed behind the Girl in Black Robes, not even daring to breathe loudly. Although it was also a demon, its legs felt like jelly in front of this courtyard full of ferocious demons.
Moreover...
Although it hadn't spent much time with Jiang Yuechu, it knew a bit about her temperament.
In all likelihood... today probably wouldn't end well.
Thinking of this...
It quickly looked around, wondering where it should hide if a fight broke out later.
The Old Man led the three of them away from the noisy main courtyard, choosing a slightly quieter veranda to walk through.
As he walked, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"I've made a fool of myself before you all."
The Old Man sighed and introduced himself, "I am Ma Dewang, the current head of this Region Ma Family... There's much chaos in the manor today and the hospitality is lacking, so I hope for your understanding. Might I ask what brings you all from so far away?"
The words were polite, yet they carried a hint of probing.
Ma Dewang had struggled in the Yu Mountain area for so many years; he still had some discernment.
This young Daoist boy had an extraordinary air, and although the tiger demon following behind was cowering, the Girl in Black Robes exuded an indescribable sense of pressure.
They were definitely not ordinary Loose Cultivators.
Wang Ziyu stopped walking.
He turned around and looked at the submissive Old Man before him.
His anger cooled slightly.
"So it is Patriarch Ma. I have heard much of you."
The young Daoist boy cupped his hands, his tone softening a bit: "Actually, it's not a big matter..."