Chapter 82: The Demigod's Strike

“Who is this Sub-Human? He actually has Lucy so mesmerized.”

“You don’t understand, do you? I heard he’s a representative of the Spirit King Tree’s faction from the Mesopotamia Forest. Over there, more than ten Demon Humans have been granted names, and there are quite a few Demigods.”

“Your information is wrong. I heard hundreds of Magical Beasts have been granted names, with Demigods as common as dogs. Now the Mesopotamia Forest is ruled by them.”

“Your information is the one that’s wrong. There’s only one Demigod there—the Spirit King Tree. If it were really that terrifying, how could Mark and the others have returned?”

“A Demigod can barely even grant a single Blessing. The Spirit King Tree must be more than just a Demigod.”

The discussions in the bar continued unabated. Zhai Guangyi hadn’t expected that the events inside the Forest had already spread to the Human cities.

But this was just as well—at least no negative rumors about him were circulating. It would make future negotiations much easier. He even planned to recruit some Human Followers. After all, Humans had a large population base, and offering a few benefits would likely attract many to support him.

“I’m fine, no need for treatment.”

Lucy quickly waved her hands at Zhai Guangyi. It was then that she noticed the little girl in the hood standing quite close to Xiong Da. What was her relationship with Xiong Da? Lucy shot Xiong Da an unhappy glare.

“If you’re fine, that’s good. I forgot to introduce you. This is Lucy, a good friend of mine. Without her, it would have been hard for me to fit in here.”

Xiong Da scratched the back of his head as he introduced Lucy to Zhai Guangyi.

Lucy took two deep breaths to calm herself down. She glanced at Aunt Xiong Batian and the hooded little girl beside Xiong Da. Although Aunt Xiong Batian wore a stern expression, she couldn’t continue treating her with such an attitude. She needed to muster all her energy. She just hadn’t expected Xiong Da to bring his family to meet her so soon—she wasn’t prepared for this meeting.

But as an outstanding Cover Girl of the Adventurers’ Association, she was never short on information like this. Moreover, Xiong Da had specifically asked her to gather it. Lucy had done a lot of analysis on this front, and the adventurers here generally gave her some face. After all, she was the head of the Banwang City Adventurers’ Association, and they all sought benefits under her leadership. They wouldn’t hesitate to share information.

“The City Lord has announced an auction for Forest Elves. He not only notified the Aristocrats of neighboring City-States but also attracted many nearby Aristocrats who rushed over upon hearing the news. I heard he even sent envoys to the Forest to notify you. The City Lord likely wants to use this method to restrict the Spirit King Tree’s activities. After all, according to rumors, the Spirit King Tree tends to favor peace and wouldn’t easily start a war. But for you, redeeming the Forest Elves through the auction will likely be extremely difficult.”

Zhai Guangyi hadn’t expected things to be so unexpectedly troublesome. It seemed the goodwill he had shown was even being exploited. He hadn’t killed the Humans who had attacked him once or twice, and now they were pushing their luck, trying to use the captured Forest Elves to restrict him.

“What a hassle. Just say the word, and Banwang City will cease to exist on this continent by tomorrow.”

Hong Ren disliked the Humans’ two-faced ways. Strength was the only true currency in conversation. How dare such a weak group of Humans act so arrogantly.

Hong Ren’s words were not spoken loudly, but neither were they deliberately hushed. Yet the killing intent that seemed to materialize into something tangible made Lucy feel cold sweat continuously seeping down her back. She herself had never learned Appraisal and couldn’t gauge the strength of this fully bandaged figure. But this tone, and this level of killing intent, felt like that of a seasoned fierce general from the battlefield, leaving no room for rebuttal.

Lucy looked at Xiong Batian and Xiong Da, both seemingly waiting for Zhai Guangyi to make a decision. It was as if all it would take was a single word of permission from this little girl, and Banwang City would vanish from the continent by tomorrow. Just who was this girl?

Zhai Guangyi also felt he had been too soft in handling matters. He now had the Demon King’s Army as his enforcers, and he himself possessed some strength. If he didn’t show some of that power, humans would only think he was easy to bully. But mindless slaughter truly held no meaning. The disappearance of Banwang City would bring him no benefit; instead, it would brand him as hostile to human forces.

“First, negotiate. If that fails, then strike one blow to prevent a hundred more.”

Negotiation was necessary, much like a declaration before war. Informing them before fighting would prevent humans from accusing him of being dishonorable. Considering he was once human himself, Zhai Guangyi felt he had already given humans enough face. Any more kindness would be impolite.

Upon hearing Zhai Guangyi’s words, Lucy’s pupils contracted. “Strike one blow to prevent a hundred more”—wasn’t that one of Chairman Mao’s famous sayings? Could it be…? Truthfully, she held no fondness for the Aristocrats here either. Communicating with humans was even less straightforward than dealing with honest and open-minded Demon Humans. At least Demon Humans meant what they said and didn’t twist words like humans did.

But as a member of the Adventurers’ Association, Lucy had an obligation to protect humans. Moreover, if this city were destroyed, she would lose her job. Her current position offered good treatment, and her superiors thought highly of her. Yet, looking at Xiong Da’s face, she found herself torn once again, silently cursing herself for being so love-struck.

Xiong Da also thought Zhai Guangyi made a valid point, but if money could solve the problem, it was best to use money. After all, Hong Ren had already promised that the Demon King’s Army would cover all expenses for rescuing the Forest Elves, so they didn’t need to worry about funds. The issue now was how to rescue the Forest Elves with minimal friction between both sides.

Although Lucy hadn’t shown hostility toward Zhai Guangyi, the other Adventurers didn’t share her sentiments. This Demon Human Youth had come and monopolized their goddess, and that bandaged fellow had outright declared he could annihilate Banwang City within a day. Who did he think he was?

Most of the Adventurers picked up their weapons and surrounded Zhai Guangyi and his group, seemingly intending to teach Hong Ren a lesson for his insolence.

“A beating will suffice. Don’t kill anyone.”

Zhai Guangyi said to Xiong Batian and Hong Ren. Causing trouble now would be too early. He hadn’t even met the City Lord yet, and if they killed everyone, negotiations would likely become impossible.

“Wait, fighting is prohibited within the association.”

Lucy had just wanted to stop the approaching adventurers, but in the next instant, she was stunned. In the blink of an eye, half of the adventurer’s bar vanished, revealing a clear blue sky where the other half had once stood. All the adventurers in the hall were swept into the air and slammed hard onto the ground. Only the bar counter remained, leaving the noisy street now visible before her.

Xiong Batian had merely swung her spiked club through the air, but the powerful wind and force it generated obliterated everything in front of her. Though the adventurers were blown away by the blast, not a single one died—only a few suffered minor falls and bruises. Yet the street was already filled with cries of pain. No one had expected this well-built demon human to possess such formidable strength.

“A… Demigod?”