I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"Terrible move—"

"A terrible move!"

While Wei Tu was talking to Cai Xiaozhu, Jin Yun, the Demon Lord, who was far away in Tianyuan Holy City, also received a secret letter from the "Second Leader" of the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan via a communication artifact.

The contents of the secret message were very concise.

Just one sentence.

—Cai Qing has been rescued.

The secret letter didn't mention the name or identity of the person who rescued Cai Qing, but... that's not important. Decades ago, when the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan failed to keep their promise and kill Cai Qing, the Golden Cloud Demon Lord knew that his plan had failed.

Today's secret letter merely marks the end of his bankruptcy plan.

However, these words truly ignited the fury of the Golden Cloud Demon Lord.

originally.

A flawless plan.

Simply because he entrusted the wrong person, he, the "mastermind," became a "clown" in reality.

—The fact that Cai Qing is still alive means that the dramatic conflict between Wei Tu and Kui Dou Demon Lord that he was looking forward to will never even happen.

The threat from satellites remains.

Moreover, they completely and utterly offended the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce.

"It's not the second-in-command's fault. The first-in-command's control over the Thirteen Thieves of the Abyss is far too pervasive..."

"Without his obstruction, our plan would have succeeded long ago."

Night Fish Demon Lord emerged from the shadows, his face equally ashen, clearly having received a secret letter from the "Second Master," just like Golden Cloud Demon Lord.

"Have you heard anything about it...?"

"Who did that leader sell that Miss Cai to?" Jin Yun Demon Lord exhaled a breath of turbid air, regained his composure, and gave Ye Yu Demon Lord a deep look before asking.

Although the contents of the secret letter were concise, he had been dealing with the Kui Dou Merchant Guild for quite some time... It was easy to guess that the cultivator who rescued Cai Xiaozhu was definitely not the Kui Dou Demon Lord.

There's no other reason than that the Demon Lord of the Demonic Strike would never be able to come up with the exorbitant ransom to buy out Cai Xiaozhu.

"How can we inquire about this matter?"

Night Fish Demon Lord shook his head helplessly.

“However, I suspect that this person is very likely to be that Demon Lord Kou…” Night Fish Demon Lord said with certainty.

"Demon Lord Kou..."

Upon hearing this, Demon Lord Jin Yun immediately pondered the possibility of the matter.

“Besides him, no one else should be willing to buy Cai Qing’s money.”

A moment later, Demon Lord Jin Yun nodded with a grim expression, agreeing with Demon Lord Ye Yu's conjecture.

This is a very simple logical relationship.

Fearing retribution from the Demon Lord Kui Dou, the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan, after kidnapping Cai Qing, dared not kill her without permission... but worried that returning Cai Qing for nothing would tarnish their reputation, so they demanded a rather high ransom...

Unfortunately, the Demon Lord of Kui Dou was arrogant and, because of his business dealings, refused to suffer this "obvious loss," fearing that he would lose more than he gained and end up in the embarrassing situation of "using land to appease Qin, but the fire will not be extinguished until the fuel is exhausted."

The two forces were thus at an impasse.

Cai Qing, merely a "second-generation demon," is not special among the hostages. It would be difficult for other ancient demons to covet her and then spend a large sum of money from the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan to redeem her as a concubine or servant.

Take ten thousand steps back.

Even if... someone can afford a high price.

Even the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan dared not sell it.

therefore--

Among all the demon lords around, only Wei Tu could redeem Cai Qing and avoid being "hostile" by both the Kui Dou Merchant Guild and the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan.

Furthermore, given his personal relationship with Cai Qing, he is highly likely to also be inclined to buy her off...

"Wait, if it's him..."

"Then, this might not be a bad opportunity."

Suddenly, Jin Yun Demon Lord thought of something and turned to look at Ye Yu Demon Lord beside him.

Their eyes met.

"You mean..." Night Fish Demon Lord's eyes flickered, already guessing Golden Cloud Demon Lord's thoughts.

"Let's take action ourselves, and intercept him on his inevitable route back to Tianyuan Holy City... If we succeed, that's fine, but if we fail, the revenge of a Demon Lord of the same rank is no small matter..."

Night Fish Demon Lord looked troubled.

He dared to secretly sabotage his old enemy, the Demon Lord Kui Dou, but openly, he wouldn't dare to ambush and kill a Demon Lord of the same rank, lest he bring disaster upon himself.

"It's come to this."

"Do you and I... even have a choice?"

"A blood feud has been formed!"

"If the second-in-command can betray us once, he can betray us a second time. Perhaps... that Demon Lord Kou already knows that it was you and I who persuaded the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan to abduct Cai Qing..."

The Golden Cloud Demon Lord's expression turned cold, and he spoke in a sinister tone.

Upon hearing this, the hesitation and doubt on Night Fish Demon Lord's face vanished instantly. He nodded slightly, and a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

None of the Demon Lords in the Primordial Demon Source Realm are benevolent.

It's true that he prefers to play it safe.

However, when necessary, they are not without the urge to take risks.

"At worst, we can leave Tianyuan Holy City, leave the 'Primordial Demon Source Realm,' and escape to other realms..."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering to himself.

In any case, he is different from the Golden Cloud Demon Lord. As a rogue demon lord, he has no worries about abandoning his foundation and can roam the world freely... As for dealing with a newly promoted demon lord, he does not believe that he cannot escape unscathed.

……

"There's another mastermind behind the abduction of Consort Cai—"

"This fiend is highly likely to ambush and kill Fellow Daoist Kou—"

Half an hour later, Wei Tu, who was on the spirit boat, received an urgent letter from the leader of the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan.

However, upon seeing the letter, he was only slightly surprised, and there was no sign of panic on his face.

During this exchange between the demons, in order to maintain their "tacit understanding"... he didn't mention this matter, but that doesn't mean he couldn't see that there was another reason behind this "absurd thing".

Experienced robbery gangs like the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan often have strict procedures and rich experience in handling kidnappings.

At least, they won't face the embarrassing situation of having unsold inventory.

in other words--

As a cultivator who had abducted Cai Xiaozhu, it was not unusual for him to do so, but it is unlikely that he would have handled the aftermath so carelessly.

The only explanation is that things changed suddenly, and the plan had to be changed.

But... there have been no changes within the Thirteen Thirst of the Shocking Abyss over the past few decades.

Without the intervention of "external forces" or "behind-the-scenes manipulators," it is impossible for them to suddenly change their policies.

And he.

That's why we're not afraid.

The reason is quite simple.

This conspiracy was carried out against the Demon Lord of the Dipper, so the "upper limit of strength" involved could not possibly exceed that of the Demon Lord of the Dipper... Otherwise, it would not have been Lady Cai who was kidnapped, but the Demon Lord of the Dipper himself.

As someone who cultivates both physical and magical powers, he was quite confident in defeating the Demon Lord of the Dipper, let alone dealing with these cunning and treacherous rats...

"but."

"This leader is clever; he knows how to do one thing and gain two favors in return."

Wei Tu's gaze turned slightly cold, and he sneered inwardly.

Although he pinned the blame for colluding with the "mastermind" on the second-in-command, claiming that he had made a bad choice in his friends, which led to the danger of this ambush... how could he not see that this was the devil's "hidden evil intentions"?

No amount of kindness can surpass the life-saving grace in a moment of crisis.

Once he is in a life-or-death situation.

This demon will likely arrive immediately to rescue us, like a savior.

At that time, it will be inevitable that they will take advantage of the favor to seek repayment.

"But... I am not entirely unprepared for this. I am quite adept at using the strategy of killing two birds with one stone."

Wei Tu's lips curled slightly. He patted the storage bag at his waist, took out a pale yellow talisman, and then pinched it hard.

A soft, coquettish voice flew out from the talisman in an instant.

"Fellow Daoist Kou, have those enemies you spoke of, those who are hostile to you, arrived yet? I am still some distance from you... You need to stall for time before I can come to your rescue..."

The source of this voice was none other than the Demon Lord Lianwu, who had a long-standing "entanglement" with Wei Tu.

He lived in Tianyuan Holy City for hundreds of years.

The familiar demon lords, besides the Demon Lord Kui Dou, are this woman.

The process of redeeming Cai Xiaozhu involved the secret matter of the "Star Luo Trading Association"... In addition, this matter was mixed with the "father-daughter feud", so he could not mention it to the Demon Lord Kui Dou.

Therefore, the only demon lord they could turn to for help was the Venerable Centipede.

Ignore the hidden storyline involving Gong Shulan.

On the surface, he and the Demon Lord Lianwu are related by marriage, making them seem even more amicable than the Demon Lord Kuidou, who is an ally of mutual interests.

therefore--

In dealing with this "crisis," it was not difficult for him to choose to seek help from the Demon Lord Lianwu and invite this demon to "join in the grand undertaking."

In addition, he believed this was a great opportunity to gain the trust of this demon and to become close to him.

Only after they have regular contact and frequent interactions, and their relationship becomes normalized, will this demon not suspect him and Gong Shulan too much.

"Fellow Daoist Lianwu, do not be hasty. Wait until you lure out the enemy who dared to ambush and kill me before you make your move..."

"Although I am a newly promoted Demon Lord, I am still somewhat confident in my strength."

Wei Tu smiled faintly and replied.

"A Body-Refining Demon Lord is indeed stronger than an ordinary Demon Lord... But, Fellow Daoist Kou, are you really not considering me? I'm much gentler than that little girl Shi Xue, and I know a lot more tricks up my sleeve..."

The fragmented soul of the Demon Lord Lianwu within the talisman chuckled, seizing the opportunity to tempt Wei Tu.

“That won’t be necessary. I still have some principles when it comes to matters of ethics…” Upon hearing this, Wei Tu’s eyebrows twitched, and he immediately refused, as if he was afraid that if he heard this woman’s devilish voice again, he would waver.

"Ethics? I never imagined that Fellow Daoist Kou rejected me for this reason... Now, I feel much better." The divided soul of the Venerable Lianwu sighed softly, his tone filled with a sense of desolation.

That’s all I have to say.

Just as the divided soul of the Demon Lord Lianwu was about to say something more, her voice suddenly stopped, and the miniature figure that appeared on the talisman also looked into the distance at that moment.

"It was the two of them..."

Her expression showed a slight hint of surprise.

"I never imagined that a mere business dispute could escalate into a feud between demon lords."

Wei Tu looked up and gazed into the distance. At this moment, he, like the divided soul of the Venerable Lianwu, sensed the arrival of the Venerable Jinyun and the Venerable Yeyu.

“To seize someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents. Fellow Daoist Kou, these two only targeted Cai Qing and not you, which is quite restrained…” The Demon Lord Lianwu was quick-witted and guessed the whole story in that short moment. She replied with a smile.

"However, now that the two of them have arrived, it is not appropriate for me to continue to 'appear' so openly."

The Demon Lord Lianwu's divided soul flickered slightly in her beautiful eyes. With a flick of her pink sleeve, her miniature figure once again vanished into the pale yellow talisman in Wei Tu's hand, disappearing without a trace. Only a wisp of her divine sense remained, observing the changes in the outside world.

"Interesting, such confidence..."

"I'd like to see what methods this guy surnamed Kou has to deal with Jin Yun and Ye Yu, these two veteran Demon Lords..."

same moment.

High in the distance, in the clouds, the true form of the Demon Lord Lianwu lay languidly on a jade couch, propping herself up with her fair arm, her eyes filled with curiosity as she peered toward the battlefield.

Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, covering her voluptuous curves. She licked her red lips slightly, and her delicate, pink legs at the hem of her skirt involuntarily straightened, revealing her crystal-clear, jade-like lotus feet, as well as a glimpse of the beautiful scenery hidden beneath her skirt.

……

“Fellow Daoist Kou, as long as you hand over Cai Qing… we can still be friends. Afterwards, Fellow Daoist Ye Yu and I can apologize to you.”

Looking at Wei Tu, who was sitting cross-legged inside the spirit boat, and Cai Xiaozhu, who was huddled in the cabin in fright, the Golden Cloud Demon Lord, who was floating in mid-air, exchanged a glance with the Night Fish Demon Lord and slowly said this sentence.

Not bad!

Now that things have come to this, besides confronting Wei Tu, a demon lord of the same rank, they have another option: to force Wei Tu to kill Cai Xiaozhu... thus eliminating the possibility of Wei Tu cooperating with Kui Dou Demon Lord.

What they feared was never Wei Tu or Kui Dou Demon Lord, but rather their "alliance of interests".

They robbed and killed Wei Tu.

It was the worst choice in their minds.

They were unwilling to make this decision lightly until the very last moment.

“That’s right, as long as we kill Cai Qing, we… can become friends with Master Kou again.”

Night Fish Demon Lord nodded slightly, deliberately emphasizing the words "Master Kou Dan".

It is true that there are ancient demons with deep emotions within the Primordial Demon Source Realm.

However, he did not believe that Wei Tu's relationship with Cai Xiaozhu and Kui Dou Mozun had truly reached the point of never betraying each other.

As soon as these words fell.

Although Wei Tu remained calm, Cai Xiaozhu, who was inside the cabin, was so frightened that she kept backing away.

after all.

Even the Demon Lord Kui Dou, her biological father, could abandon his own daughter.

Moreover, Wei Tu is an outsider.

Admittedly, Wei Tu had rescued her from the lair of the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan not long ago, but... the current attack by the two Demon Lords is a complete life-or-death crisis for her.

This kind of "dilemma" makes it much easier for people to make a choice than giving up wealth.

“Master Kou, look, this ‘Young Master Cai’ doesn’t seem to trust you either… Why are you so fixated on your feelings for this woman…”

"Of course, you can choose not to kill this woman, but instead mark her with a slave seal, take her as your servant, and then make a Heavenly Demon Oath to break with the Demon Lord of the Dipper... that is also feasible."

The Golden Cloud Demon Lord pondered for a moment before uttering this compromise. (End of Chapter)