Change Far Outweighs Plan

Nightfall.

Hu Qi carried a massive long blade on his back, his arm wrapped around Old Fox as he dashed westward.

"Listen, you old schemer, not that I doubt you, but are you sure this plan of yours is reliable?"

Old Fox narrowed his eyes, his tone calm.

"Then why don’t you share your own foolproof plan?"

Hu Qi lowered his voice. "Why bother with all this nonsense? Let’s just run."

"Run where? To what place? Do you have any idea how many demons and humans are watching you right now?"

At this, Hu Qi sighed. The vast world suddenly felt like it had no place left for him.

Over the past few days, the lesser demons lurking outside his door had all become unfamiliar faces. With the situation reaching a critical point, their surveillance had grown brazen.

Not all demon kings were merely out for profit—some genuinely sought to establish a demon kingdom.

Now, at this pivotal moment, he was about to abandon his post.

It wasn’t just humans who might want to skin him alive.

But if he stubbornly pushed forward, he’d undoubtedly end up skinned anyway.

Old Fox sighed. He understood Hu Qi’s concerns all too well.

After all, this was a matter of life and death. After a moment’s thought, he decided to explain.

"Relax. We’re not the only ones handling this. To get things done right, sometimes you need to rally a few like-minded demons. Makes the job easier."

"Or, to put it bluntly, wouldn’t you feel better if there were others to take the fall for us?"

Hearing that there were indeed demons who could serve as scapegoats, Hu Qi’s unease lessened somewhat. His gaze shifted toward the faint outline of a small oasis in the distance.

He gave a slight nod before murmuring, "But that water buffalo is a coward through and through. The nickname ‘Spineless Ox’ didn’t come from nowhere. He won’t be easy to trick."

Old Fox shot him a disdainful look. "You’re truly wicked. Why trick him at all? We’re sincerely inviting him to collaborate with us."

"Didn’t you just say he’d be our scapegoat?"

"You’re truly wicked. That’s only if things go south. Until then, we work together! Life’s hard enough as it is—no need to burn bridges unless absolutely necessary."

Hu Qi couldn’t help but glance down at Old Fox tucked under his arm. The words sounded noble, but he suspected that beneath that fox fur lay nothing but a pitch-black heart.

Still, after decades of weathering storms together, Old Fox had never abandoned him, no matter how dire things got.

If Old Fox ever decided to use him as a scapegoat…

Hu Qi thought about it. He’d probably be willing.

With that, he stopped hesitating and quickened his pace toward the oasis.

By the Great Wu Demon King’s pool, a Foundation Establishment ox demon gripped a steel trident, its eyes scanning the four lesser demons before it.

There was no denying it—even without meeting him, Li Yingling could sense the Great Wu Demon King’s paranoia.

The number of lesser demons stationed here was at least double that of the frontlines.

A sentry every five steps, a guard every ten—it was no exaggeration.

And these demons were clearly the Great Wu Demon King’s most trusted. Every time they passed a checkpoint, they were subjected to thorough questioning before being allowed through.

If not for the owl demon smoothing the way, they might’ve had to fight their way here halfway.

This wasn’t a defensive formation—it was a security detail for the demon king.

Cui Hao, well-versed in military strategy, couldn’t help but think that even for demons, this was… at the very least…

Well, it was certainly eye-opening.

Success often follows similar paths, but failure comes in countless flavors.

Life’s tragedies always seem more colorful.

At that moment, a demon had already gone to report to the Great Wu Demon King.

"Hoo… hoo…"

The owl demon’s eyes were wide, its wings trembling faintly with unease.

The ox demon frowned. "You’re just delivering a message. Why do you look so guilty?"

"Hoo—"

The owl stiffened, its neck retracting slightly.

Because it was guilty.

The ox demon’s suspicion deepened. It quickly signaled the nearby guards to prepare for action.

Cui Hao stepped forward, his expression displeased.

"Guilty? More like exhausted. You lot at the rear feast while we at the front starve. What do you eat? Banquets. What do we get? Stale greens and dead rat tails."

"Try eating that for months. See if your legs don’t give out."

The ox demon’s gaze locked onto Cui Hao, its aura bearing down on him.

How dare this measly weasel—a mere squad leader at the Qi Refining stage—talk back to it?

Li Yingling wasn’t about to let her junior brother be bullied. She stepped forward, her own aura clashing with the ox demon’s as she sneered.

"What’re you staring at? My friend here’s telling the truth!"

She deliberately restrained her Golden Core-level pressure, keeping it at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The ox demon’s face stiffened, and it took an involuntary step back.

Seeing this, the owl demon quietly shuffled closer to Li Yingling.

This ox demon, relying on its close ties to the Great Wu Demon King, had always looked down on others.

In the past, every demon had to endure its arrogance.

The owl, with its lower cultivation, was no exception.

Whenever the ox demon saw it, it would mockingly ask, "How’s the dead rat taste?"

And every time, the owl would force a smile and reply, "Delicious."

Then it would leave under the sound of their laughter.

Today, seeing the ox demon humbled brought it no small satisfaction.

But…

These were humans.

Demons rarely stood up for one another, but humans often did.

No wonder so many humans fought to the death, even when defeat was certain.

The owl tucked its head deeper into its chest feathers.

The ox demon’s expression darkened as it glared at Li Yingling.

"You scaleless snake, looking for trouble here?"

Li Yingling scoffed. "Call it trouble if you want. Let’s take this to the Great Wu Demon King and see whose hide gets peeled!"

The ox demon’s face turned icy. Just as it was about to summon reinforcements to teach this snake a lesson, Li Yingling’s pressure suddenly vanished.

Her gaze snapped toward the east.

The ox demon followed her line of sight but saw nothing.

Was this some kind of distraction?

Li Yingling had no time for the ox demon now. From the east, a Golden Core-level surge of demonic energy was racing toward them.

That direction led to the Ruined Ridge—the heart of the demon kingdom. Whoever was coming definitely wasn’t human.

Her junior sister was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. No matter how she spun it, the treasure she’d given them shouldn’t fool a Golden Core-level demon.

The original plan had been for Li Yingling to find an opening to ambush the Great Wu Demon King while her junior siblings harassed lesser demons outside.

Once she took the demon king’s head, she’d gracefully retreat with them in tow.

A classic "beheading the enemy general amidst ten thousand troops" maneuver.

But now?

Not happening.

Li Yingling turned to her junior siblings, her expression grave. "Trouble!"

Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu immediately tensed, their hands reaching for the teleportation talismans in their robes as they watched for their senior sister’s signal.

Li Yingling subtly raised his palm, ready to summon his spiritual treasure at any moment.

He would strike first with a sneak attack, delivering a blow to the demon that had come from afar.

Then, he would let his junior disciples activate the talismans and escape.

If they triggered the talismans first, the ambush would turn into a direct confrontation.