Their steely resolve and peerless fortitude were the demons' most fearsome traits. They were so fierce that they didn’t fear death. Any race for which that was true was tough to take on.
Thankfully, Jiang Chen hadn't come out of the venture entirely fruitless. He’d obtained a few snippets of useful information in the short time he'd been inside Serratewind's mind.
"Forefather Evilshadow, Roguemist of the yin demons, Forefather Stonefiend…"
These names rose to the top of his mind. They had drifted through Serratewind's consciousness in a fragmented sort of way.
Alas, the demon had noticed before Jiang Chen could manage to connect these clues together. He had committed suicide on the spot.
Unfortunately, Jadeface was the only remaining angle of attack.
The demon glanced at Jiang Chen with some suspicion when he saw the human. Clearly, he found it strange that he would lose to someone as young as this. He still couldn't comprehend it.
"And what are you looking at?" Jiang Chen returned a cold look.
"They're all dead, huh?" Jadeface sighed. Regret and self-blame was written all over his face.
"They all died because of you. You were hoping for that, no doubt," mocked Jiang Chen.
Agitation entered Jadeface's eyes. He glared hatred at the young man opposite him. "Feeling proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"And why shouldn't I be? I’m perfectly happy that you walked into my trap. It was pretty fun to kill some demons, and I'm getting useful information out of it too."
Jadeface colored as he processed what Jiang Chen had said. He gazed at the human with considerable fixation, then cackled very suddenly. "Are you trying to trick me? Getting useful information? Do you take us demons to be soft enough to let you do that? Dream on! Jiang Chen, if you're trying to use me as your opening, don't waste your time."
Jiang Chen chuckled. "You mean to tell me to just kill you outright, hmm?"
"I'm glad you know it," Jadeface affirmed.
"A nice prospect for you, but I couldn't possibly bear to see that happen. I'm even going to take you to see Forefather Evilshadow, so that I can personally tell him that you helped me lure in Serratewind and his stupid cronies. I'd like to show Evilshadow how useless his worthless subordinates really are."
Jiang Chen's tone was perfectly even, but Jadeface grew deathly pale as he went on.
He gawked at Jiang Chen with astonishment and distrust. How could the young man know about Forefather Evilshadow? Had Serratewind and the others failed to withstand torture and given up the information?
If that was the case, the forefather was in definite danger!
If the forefather could break free of his seal, these humans and the sacred beasts wouldn't be able to touch him. Alas, he was still trapped within his prison. If these humans and their pets used all their strength to attack him…
Jiang Chen sneered as he tossed Jadeface a scornful look. "Don't bother thinking of committing suicide. Don't you want to say goodbye to Forefather Evilshadow? Hahaha!"
After delivering those final words, he left without hesitation.
Jadeface's mind was in utter disarray. He was more contrite than ever. If he hadn't made an error in judgment, this reckless attack wouldn't have happened.
Serratewind and the others wouldn't have died, nor would the forefather's existence have been found out.
In other words, he would be the one most responsible for Forefather Evilshadow's death.
Jiang Chen left the secret room. "Look alive," he called out, "make sure security is tight! Demons can get in through the smallest of gaps. Don't talk to him or be deceived, do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir!" The young man returned to his tent to find a grinning Xia Tianze waiting. "Hey, Old Brother Xia, you can't just come in or out without saying hi."
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Xia Tianze rolled his eyes. "I came a long time ago, but you weren't here. I can't exactly stand around outside. What if someone sees me?"
"So what if someone does? It's not like you can't be seen." Jiang Chen curled his lips.
"Heh, I don't want to show myself just yet. I'm the trump card, so I can only appear last," Xia Tianze declared with some swagger.
Jiang Chen was a little repulsed by his narcissism. "Was how I handled the battle acceptable?" he smiled.
"I suppose it passed," Xia Tianze replied honestly. "They were only a few demon demigods. Nothing to be proud of."
"You look like you have another plan up your sleeve though," he followed up in close scrutiny.
"Why makes you say that?" chuckled Jiang Chen.
"There's no way you talked to Jadeface just to set him off," Xia Tianze smiled coolly.
"What are you getting at?"
"I observe that you're going to give Jadeface an opportunity to escape. After that, you're going to follow him to Forefather Evilshadow's lair. Is that correct?"
Jiang Chen gasped in surprise. "Amazing, Old Brother Xia," he gaped at Xia Tianze. "Your brain works just as well as it did two hundred thousand years ago!"
"Obviously," Xia Tianze puffed out his chest. "You think your little sleight of hand can deceive me? I was one of the wisest strategists under the Great Divine Veluriyam, once upon a time!"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Alright. How likely do you think my plan'll work?"
"What's your own opinion on that?"
The young man shrugged. "I'm not sure myself. Maybe fifty percent? If Jadeface notices, I can just kill him."
"Brutal." Xia Tianze gave him a thumbs-up. "As you should be when it comes to fighting demons. There is no room for mercy with them."
Indeed, Jiang Chen had never felt a hint of compassion for any demon. He knew that it would be utterly wasted on them. Demons only knew murder and robbery!
"Young master Chen, if you want to increase the likelihood of your trick working, you need to fake a few more details to send Jadeface into a panic. If he can't think straight, he'll be more likely to fall for the fabrication." This was Xia Tianze's advice.
"Please, teach me what I should do," Jiang Chen replied humbly.
Chuckling, Xia Tianze whispered a few words in Jiang Chen's ear. The young man's eyes slowly lit up.
……
Jadeface burned with anxiety. A strong desire to live prevented him from committing suicide. Instead, he devoted his efforts on breaking the restriction upon his consciousness.
If he could do that, he had hope of getting out to warn Forefather Evilshadow. That would be redemption enough for his mistakes, even if he was to die afterward.
He couldn't throw away his life before he redeemed himself.
In the first few days, his efforts were made in vain. The restriction on his consciousness remained fast no matter how hard he struck it.
On the fifth day, he was pleased to find that it had loosened ever so slightly.