Chapter 6: The Contest for Hearts (1)
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The grievance conference of Cold Wind City was still proceeding in an orderly manner.
At the request of Cold Moon, every Little Demon had to recount their pasts and share their experiences with everyone.
Little Drill Wind had his doubts.
“Second Great King, some of these guys can’t even muster a grunt with a few whacks! Getting them on stage is worse than pulling teeth.”
“You don’t understand. They have to go on stage. Just like the Great King is assessing our capabilities, it’s also a test, got it?”
Little Drill Wind blinked his tiny green bean-sized eyes, completely lost on Cold Moon’s line of reasoning.
“The Great King said everyone must unify their thoughts and solidify their beliefs. It’s like signing a name pledge. Each one stepping up to share their past is a ritual of shedding the old to welcome the new. Only after they go through it can they consciously draw a line with the others in the Monster Race and stand on our side. This process cannot be skipped.”
Little Drill Wind seemed to understand, sort of.
But he sensed Cold Moon’s determination.
“I get it! If anyone disobeys again, we just kick them out of Cold Wind City!”
Cold Moon nodded.
“Only then will they understand this is no child’s play to be taken lightly.”
So the grievance conference proceeded as usual.
But what nobody expected was that before the first Little Demon could even take the stage, a pig demon wearing a helmet suddenly stood up from the back and moved to the speaking platform.
The old tiger demon, wearing a cloak and pretending to be a bull demon while sitting next to the wolf demon, was left stunned.
Second Brother, what’s the meaning of this sudden show?
Weren’t you just supposed to scout out the situation? Why are you on stage yourself?
Could it be…
The tiger demon furrowed his brow.
No, it’s impossible. The brothers have always been steadfast. They wouldn’t easily be swayed by the likes of Cold Wind Cave.
So what if the Little Demons had tough pasts? In the world of demons, strength comes first. Even an ordinary Great Demon could wipe out a couple hundred Little Demons without breaking a sweat.
Was Cold Wind Cave really trying to compete against the Evil Merman Cave with a ragtag bunch of little misfits?
It was laughable!
He couldn’t fathom what the second brother was thinking.
So when he came back to the venue to gather some intel for his own escape plans, he didn’t expect Second Brother to take matters into his own hands.
Does he want to share his grievances too? Not a chance!
As a dignified Great Demon, he couldn’t possibly mix with these powerless Little Demons.
But before the tiger demon could act,
Wolf Demon on stage tore off his identity-concealing helmet, revealing his fierce visage.
An uproar erupted in the audience.
Especially among the many Little Demons originally from the Tiger Wolf Cave, seeing the Wolf Demon’s large frame and razor-sharp teeth stirred a dread deeply rooted in them, causing them to tense up.
“Ahhh… It’s Second Great King!”
“What is the Second Great King doing here?”
“I thought it was agreed that Great Demons were not to attend the grievance conference?”
“What does his appearance mean? Is he here to take us away?”
“If Second Great King is here, the Great King might be too!”
“If the two Great Kings get angry, our heads will…”
Years of fear and admiration for the two Great Demons made these Little Demons forget that the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon had already subdued Cold Wind Cave.
Amid their chatter, those Little Demons couldn’t help but tremble.
“Second Great King, should I go maintain some order?”
“The Wolf Demon shouldn’t be here.”
Little Drill Wind couldn’t stand it anymore and asked Cold Moon, but she shook her head, signaling for him to sit down.
“The Great King said awakening comes in stages. Not everyone can immediately stand up and challenge the old order. The Wolf Demon’s appearance might just be the perfect way for us to test the results of this grievance conference.”
“However…”
“Sit down. We must have faith in the Great King.”
That said, Cold Moon clenched her fists tightly, feeling a tad anxious.
After all, this was unprecedented for the Monster Race.
If it weren’t for the Great King backing her up as a strong support, she probably wouldn’t be this bold.
Now was the perfect time to test the outcomes.
These Little Demons, long accustomed to oppression, when faced with their former rulers, would they all fall back under the usual pressure, afraid to act and unwilling to look them in the eye as equals?
If so, it would mean the grievance conference hadn’t achieved its intended effect.
Or maybe her approach was flawed.
She needed to deeper grasp the Great King’s intentions.
After all, the Great King was currently in seclusion, and she couldn’t just bother him with every little issue.
The venue fell silent.
The Wolf Demon revealed his menacing true self at the podium, but he didn’t speak immediately, instead scanning the audience as if waiting for something…
Most of the Little Demons from Tiger Wolf Cave hung their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
The bravado of the previous days seemed to evaporate completely.
The Tiger Demon wore a pleased expression.
Second Brother, well done!
He ripped off his disguise and boldly stepped into the spotlight.
The Little Demons gasped in shock.
The former overlords of Tiger Wolf Cave, both Great Demons had shown up!
The timid ones even started trembling.
The Tiger Demon sneered.
Just as he had thought, these worthless Little Demons could shout slogans, but if they had to make a choice that was drastically different from before, each one would have to consider if they could bear the wrath of the entire Monster Race.
Turns out Second Brother wasn’t there to share grievances.
Rather, he was using his imposing aura to remind these clueless Little Demons who the true masters of the Monster Race were.
So what if they the Tiger Wolf Cave surrendered to Cold Wind Cave?
The Little Demons who used to belong to Tiger Wolf Cave were still their subordinates; Cold Wind Cave had no right to take them away.
If Cold Wind Cave wanted to bypass the two of them and directly control the Little Demons, they had better ask the brothers if they agreed.
Would these Little Demons dare make any claims?
Second Brother’s move was truly unexpected.
As long as he stood on stage, no extra words were needed.
The worthless Little Demons trembled with fear, bowing down once again.
Seeing the Wolf Demon and Tiger Demon appear on stage one after the other, Little Drill Wind panicked.
“Second Great King, what should we do now? The atmosphere of defiance we carefully built just crumbled…”
Cold Moon glanced at the defiant gaze of the Tiger Demon.
Her tightly clenched hands were already beading with sweat.
Great King,
Please grant me the strength I need.
In this struggle for hearts, we cannot lose.
