Forming a Demon Army

Su Mei gazed at Qiu Qianren, whose frenzied state pained her heart, and murmured softly: "He wasn’t always like this. He used to smile often, and he was gentle. But after the incident at the Spirit Medicine Mountain, he changed completely—transforming into a machine of vengeance. Combined with the teachings of his family, he grew up idolizing Qiu Yulong, and from then on, his life revolved around only two things: revenge and restoring his family's honor, clearing his ancestor’s name.

But the Spirit Medicine Mountain is too powerful. They have a Dragon Transformation Realm expert, and due to their alchemical influence, they’re backed by an enormous and intricate network of interests. Such a colossal force can’t be toppled by a single man. That’s why he sought to become the Equal King, hoping to use the might of the Great Flame Dynasty to destroy them.

Yet... now he’s learned the truth. It was all a lie. Qiu Yulong was a fraud. How could he accept this? The man he revered most turned out to be the very reason his family fell. The belief that kept him alive... is gone."

Su Mei fell silent after speaking, staring blankly at Qiu Qianren.

Gu Qingfeng sighed after hearing her words. "Vanity truly ruins lives."

For the sake of the title "Number One Alchemist in the World," Qiu Yulong not only lost his own life but also doomed his entire family, along with countless others who perished because of the Ageless Pill.

"But you—a demon—why did you help him?" Gu Qingfeng suddenly raised this question, as Su Mei hadn’t appeared in the earlier part of the story.

At this point, Su Mei seemed to have shed her fear of death. Or perhaps, after witnessing Qiu Qianren’s state, her heart had died as well.

Like a monk who’d renounced the world, she no longer cared about anything.

Her voice grew distant, as if her thoughts had drifted far away. "I was once the princess of the Qingqiu Fox Clan. When I was young, I snuck out because I was mischievous..."

"Wait!" Gu Qingfeng suddenly interrupted. "Don’t tell me—let me guess. You ventured out, ran into danger, got severely injured, and reverted to your beast form. Then, as a child, Qiu Qianren found you. He was kind-hearted, nursed you back to health, and cared for you.

Over time, you developed feelings for him. But because you didn’t return home, your clan sent people to search for you. When they found out you’d been taken in by a human, they were furious and wanted to wipe out the Qiu family. You begged desperately, and in the end, they spared the Qius, but you had to return to your clan."

Su Mei was stunned. After a long pause, she whispered, "How... how did you know?"

"Because that’s how it always plays out in dramas.

But it was inevitable. Stuck in your clan all day, you must’ve yearned for the human world. And as a demon, wandering alone, you’d eventually face exorcists. Once injured and forced back into your true form, there are only two possible outcomes: either someone skins you for your pelt, or a soft-hearted soul takes you in.

You were lucky—you got the second option.

Plus, you were young and naïve. When someone handsome saves you, of course you’d want to pledge yourself to them.

Am I right?"

"Y-you... who are you?" Su Mei, who had been numb with despair, was utterly shaken by Gu Qingfeng’s words.

Gu Qingfeng smirked. "Just someone poisoned by too many TV dramas.

But don’t be shocked yet—I’m not done.

After returning to your clan, you couldn’t eat or sleep. Eventually, you sneaked out again to find Qiu Qianren, only to stumble upon the Spirit Medicine Mountain’s attack on the Qiu family. You saved him, didn’t you?"

"...Yes." Su Mei’s voice was hollow. "Though it wasn’t immediate. I stayed with him for a few days before it happened."

"Details, details. The point is, why was Qiu Qianren the only one who escaped when the entire Qiu family was captured? Obviously, someone helped him."

Gu Qingfeng felt a thrill at piecing together the whole story. "After that, the two of you went on the run. You abandoned your title as fox princess for love, while Qiu Qianren changed his name and plotted revenge. Devastated by his family’s ruin, he ignored your affections.

Following the script, you’d soon encounter a villain. In a life-or-death crisis, you’d sacrifice yourself to save him, melting his icy heart. He’d finally realize he shouldn’t live only for vengeance, unlock his hidden power, and defeat the evi—"

He suddenly cut himself off, his face twisting as if he’d bitten into something foul.

Wait a minute...

So... I’m the villain in this story?

Holy hell! The antagonist is ME!?

Well then. Might as well kill them. Protagonists are unkillable—if they die, they weren’t the real protagonists, and thus, I’m not the villain.

Just then, Su Mei let out a sharp cry: "No!"

Qiu Qianren had raised his hand and was about to bring it down on his own skull.

Su Mei, in a burst of desperate strength, broke free from her restraints and lunged forward, seizing his wrist.

"Let go! Let me die!" Qiu Qianren roared, his voice ragged with agony. "My life is a joke—let me end it!"

"I won’t! If you die, kill me first! I’ll go with you!" Tears cascaded from Su Mei’s eyes like shattered pearls.

Gu Qingfeng watched the scene unfold, feeling oddly out of place. One moment they were begging for their lives, and now they were begging for death.

It made him hesitate. Standing there, he suddenly felt like a third wheel.

After much sobbing and clinging, the two finally collapsed into each other’s arms, weeping.

Gu Qingfeng felt thoroughly nauseated. For some reason, he suddenly missed Little Corpse Charm...

The thought of her sparked an idea.

He was about to become the Equal King, but he hadn’t taken Little Corpse Charm with him. What would she do alone in the capital? And what about all the demons trapped in the Demon Suppression Prison? They’d miss his... guidance.

He really wanted to take the entire prison with him!

His imagination ran wild. The Great Flame Dynasty had so many Demon Suppression Prisons, filled with countless demons. What a waste to leave them locked up. Why not gather them all into his dimensional space? They could work together to build a better future! Sure, most wouldn’t help his Black Dragon Indestructible Body advance, but those with unique abilities could offer him a wider range of powers. Plus, he could assemble an army of demons.

Gu Qingfeng had always dreamed of the day he’d wave his hand, and thousands of demonic minions would charge forth. How glorious!

But doing this through official channels was impossible. It’d have to be done discreetly—dirty work unsuited for a god like himself.

Which was why these two might be useful. One at the Master Realm, the other at the Grandmaster Realm—their strength was passable.

Since these two would inevitably be wanted by the Great Yan Dynasty, forced to live in the shadows, why not take them in as underlings? They could haul the Demon Suppression Prison for him and hunt wild demons.

With their help, assembling a demon army would be just a matter of time!

And thanks to the Oath of Binding, betrayal wasn’t even a concern.

Come to think of it—Demon Pu and Shadow Demon should be captured too, enslaved for good measure.

"Heh heh heh..." Gu Qingfeng’s grin widened, his excitement growing wilder by the second.