I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 28

After a pause, Shen Junyu spoke seriously. “However, fickleness is a minor matter. From our conversation just now, I feel that this Demon Sovereign is a very straightforward and generous person. If we can reach an agreement with him today, we will not have to worry about establishing ourselves in the Demon Realm’s Imperial Capital.”

Hearing this, Wen Su’s expression finally softened slightly. “What kind of agreement?”

Shen Junyu smiled faintly. “The Yunmeng Demon Sovereign is hosting a banquet for the other Sovereigns shortly. Why do you think she is doing so?”

Wen Su replied without much hesitation, “It must be for the spiritual arrays on Meng Xingyan. Who wouldn’t covet such arrays after seeing them? However, she might not necessarily need them herself; she is likely doing someone a favor. Many of those who came this time are the scions of Demon Sovereigns, and the other Sovereigns have surely caught wind of this.”

“Even if they cannot use the arrays themselves, they would be excellent for their children or subordinates.”

Shen Junyu nodded. “But others likely believe those arrays were created by the Tian-tong Demon Sovereign. That is why the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign is taking me to the banquet; he is not without his own schemes.”

Wen Su went silent for a moment, then said in a somewhat subtle tone, “So, you knew from the beginning that these arrays would attract the interest of the great powers, and you planned to use them to make a name for yourself?”

Shen Junyu shook his head slowly. “Making a name for myself is secondary. More important is gaining the favor of the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign. The more the other Sovereigns value my arrays, the more he will value me. By then, we will have a firm foothold in the Imperial Capital.”

Wen Su looked at Shen Junyu’s calm, fair profile, a complicated light flashing in his eyes. After a long while, he asked in a low voice, “If another Demon Sovereign offers you better terms to recruit you, what will you do?”

Shen Junyu paused, then shook his head again. “I believe my judgment of character is not too poor. Aside from the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign, I doubt the others can give me what I want. A fine bird chooses the best tree to perch on; since I have already found a good tree, why seek another?”

Wen Su’s pupils constricted slightly. A subtle smile appeared on his thin lips. “Very well. When you rise to greatness in the future, do not despise me.”

Shen Junyu finally realized something. He interpreted Wen Su’s subtle emotions and questions as insecurity, a fear of being abandoned once Shen Junyu became successful.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at Wen Su earnestly. “Brother Wen, rest assured. In the future, whatever I have a share of, you shall have a share as well.”

The light in Shen Junyu’s glassy eyes was incredibly clear and pure. Wen Su was momentarily dazed. After a moment, he offered no explanation and simply smiled. “Good.”

The Tian-tong Demon Sovereign and Meng Xingyan sat opposite each other as the Sovereign treated his son’s injuries. Now that they were alone, Meng Xingyan dropped his careless, playboy act. His face was pale with pain as he hissed through gritted teeth, “That despicable Qin Huaique. If I hadn’t been prepared, I would be dead by his hand.”

The Tian-tong Demon Sovereign glanced at him. “I told you that you never learn. Have you learned your lesson now?”

He continued, “The spiritual array patterns on your body are now shattered; you cannot exert your previous strength. If you compete again, you will be vulnerable to further schemes. I advise you to quit while you are ahead.”

Furthermore, the Yunmeng Demon Sovereign’s goal for this competition was not pure, and he did not want the Meng family to be drawn into the murky undercurrents of power struggles too early. Meng Xingyan gaining fame was already an unexpected joy; he dared not ask for more.

Meng Xingyan seemed to have expected this. He smiled with a touch of pride. “Father, do you truly think I am that short-sighted? Although the arrays are broken, I have memorized the patterns. With your ability, it should not be difficult to replicate them.”

This time, it was the Tian-tong Demon Sovereign’s turn to be surprised. “Oh? How did you memorize them?”

Meng Xingyan retrieved a Recording Stone from his storage ring and tossed it into the air. It glowed, projecting an image of him sitting alone in the outer compartment of the carriage on the way there.

While Shen Junyu and Wen Su were talking in the inner compartment, Meng Xingyan had taken the opportunity to strip off his clothes and record the detailed patterns of the spiritual arrays covering his body. Once finished, he had nonchalantly dressed himself before knocking on the inner compartment door.

The Tian-tong Demon Sovereign stared at the projection for a long time, then gave a cold laugh.

“Father?” Meng Xingyan asked, his heart skipping a beat.

“There is always a higher power,” the Sovereign replied. “You thought of recording the patterns, but did you think he wouldn’t have a backup plan?”

“What?” Meng Xingyan felt a sense of foreboding.

“These three arrays were drawn with concealment patterns; you won’t see the true essence from a mere recording. Even if Qin Huaique hadn’t broken them, it would have been extremely difficult for me to crack those hidden patterns. Moreover, we do not know if he held anything back.”

Meng Xingyan was speechless. After a long while, he said with a strange expression, “I did not expect Brother Wen’s mind and schemes to be so deep.”

“There is much you do not expect,” his father replied.

Meng Xingyan was still unwilling to give up. “Then should I just leave it at that? If I retreat now after defeating Qin Huaique, I will surely be mocked. Can you truly stomach that, Father?”

The Tian-tong Demon Sovereign pondered. “I have a suspicion. The Yunmeng Demon Sovereign has invited me to a banquet at Yunlai Palace shortly. I will bring you along. We shall see the truth once we arrive.”

Shen Junyu sat in the familiar carriage once more, but this time, he was with the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign. Since boarding and paying his respects, Shen Junyu sat with his eyes lowered, silent and composed.

Finally, the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign spoke. “Military Advisor, why have you become so silent?”

Without looking up, Shen Junyu replied warmly, “What would the Sovereign like me to speak of?”

The Sovereign fell silent for a moment. “Since you were so bold in your self-recommendation and possess some ability, you clearly are not one to settle for mediocrity. Tell me, what do you seek by joining my service?”

Shen Junyu was surprised by such directness, but he had been waiting for this question. He smiled faintly. “I do have one request, but there is no rush. Regarding the Yunmeng Demon Sovereign’s banquet, does the Sovereign have any thoughts?”

The Sovereign raised an eyebrow. “I am indifferent, but it seems you have quite a few ideas for this trip?”

Shen Junyu considered for a moment and then, using a voice transmission technique, spoke a few sentences directly to the Sovereign’s mind. A sharp light flashed in the Sovereign’s lazy cyan-gold eyes. After a long silence, he spoke expressionlessly. “Borrowing my influence to grant your own favors, you certainly have grand ambitions.”

Shen Junyu smiled. “This matter benefits the Sovereign more; I am merely catching a bit of the reflected light.”

The Sovereign went quiet, then suddenly asked, “Given your realm, drawing those arrays must be difficult. If you exchange them so freely and something goes wrong, you will be facing figures of at least the Demon Marquis rank. Can you handle their wrath?”

“That leads directly to what I wish to ask of the Sovereign,” Shen Junyu replied unhurriedly.

“Oh?”

“I heard that the Sovereign possesses a Houtian treasure made from the spiritual abode of an ancient god. Training inside can double one’s cultivation speed and lead to extra insights. I would like to borrow it for one month. That way, the exhaustion from drawing the arrays can be fully replenished.”

The Sovereign’s expression became subtle. “If you wish to increase your realm, why not ask me for an initiation? It would be much faster than training in that treasure.”

Shen Junyu was momentarily speechless before replying candidly, “To be honest, I have a brother. I heard that treasure can accommodate three people at once, and I wish to bring him with me. If it were an initiation, I wouldn’t dare trouble the Sovereign twice.”

After a brief silence, the Sovereign spoke lazily. “I didn’t take you for such a sentimental person.”

Shen Junyu waited a beat and said four words. “Blood is thicker than water.”

The Sovereign’s expression turned momentarily strange, but he said nothing more.

The carriage arrived at Yunlai Palace. When they disembarked, the other Sovereigns had already arrived including the Tian-huang and Tian-tong Demon Sovereigns, along with three others and several senior Demon Marquises. They had clearly come to investigate the news of Meng Xingyan’s victory.

Seeing the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign arrive with Shen Junyu, the others showed subtle expressions. The Tian-tong Demon Sovereign remained calm, as if he had expected this.

Ignoring the speculative gazes, the Nine Nether Demon Sovereign sat at his designated place. Shen Junyu sat beside him.

The crowd was stunned. They had assumed he was a servant; how could he sit at the same table as a Demon Sovereign?

The Yunmeng Demon Sovereign, dressed in elegant purple coral ornaments, let her gaze sweep over Shen Junyu. “Ninth Brother, who is this young friend?”

The Nine Nether Demon Sovereign smiled. “My newly invited Military Advisor.”

The crowd’s expressions became even more complex. Most assumed the Sovereign was being intentionally provocative due to the ongoing rivalry between the Nine Nether and Tian-huang factions. They thought he had brought a male favorite and called him a “Military Advisor” just to humiliate the Tian-huang Demon Sovereign.

Before the Yunmeng Demon Sovereign could speak, the Tian-huang Demon Sovereign said coldly, “Ninth Brother, you always believed in overwhelming force and disliked schemes. Why have you invited a Military Advisor at the Golden Core stage? Has your cultivation reached a bottleneck, causing you to seek help in desperation?”

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The Tian-huang and Nine Nether Demon Sovereigns were the biggest troublemakers among the eight. The former was a subordinate of the old Demon Venerable and held massive power, while the latter was the current Demon Venerable’s adoptive brother his cultivation was second only to the Venerable himself.

Consequently, the overt and covert struggles between the two had lasted for a long time.

Seeing Heaven-Desolation Demon Sovereign mocking her so, she immediately revealed a trace of unease. She looked toward Nine-Abysses Demon Sovereign with slight worry, fearing he might lose his temper and escalate the situation.

To everyone’s surprise, Nine-Abysses did not lose his temper this time. Instead, he smiled faintly. “Previously, I did indeed think that way. But today, seeing the three sets of spiritual arrays my Military Counselor drew for Nephew Xingyan defeat even a genius like Nephew Huaique, I realized there is always someone better in this world.”

“It seems this Military Counselor is actually quite useful. What does Second Brother think?”

Heaven-Desolation’s expression shifted abruptly. The other Demon Sovereigns were even more shocked.

Before this, everyone assumed the spiritual arrays on Meng Xingyan had been drawn by Heaven-Pupil Demon Sovereign. They had specifically come to Cloud-Dream Demon Sovereign’s banquet to test Heaven-Pupil’s depth and ask for a favor, hoping he would create a similar array for them in the future.

Who would have thought these arrays were not drawn by Heaven-Pupil?

“But that is impossible,” one Demon Sovereign immediately questioned. “Ninth Brother, this is underhanded of you. We came to ask Fifth Brother to draw those arrays, but we would not interfere with your affairs. Why try to claim Fifth Brother’s arrays for yourself just because you saved Nephew Xingyan?”

Nine-Abysses let out a soft, mocking sneer but remained silent.

The questioning Demon Sovereign’s face flushed at the sneer, but in the end, he endured the slight.

Heaven-Pupil Demon Sovereign spoke up at the opportune moment, smiling at Nine-Abysses. “Ninth Brother’s little Military Counselor truly draws excellent spiritual arrays; even I feel inferior. I wonder, if I wished to trouble this little Counselor to act, what price would I have to pay?”

Nine-Abysses replied casually, “Owe me a favor, and owe him a favor. The cost of the favor scales with the complexity of the array.”

After a moment of thought, Heaven-Pupil laughed. “That is very fair. I shall discuss the details with Ninth Brother after the banquet.”

“Fine,” Nine-Abysses replied.

As their conversation ended, the grand hall fell into an eerie silence.

Only then did the others realize that Nine-Abysses and Heaven-Pupil had likely joined forces long ago. Though Heaven-Pupil possessed peerless skills, his cultivation realm was too low; if he offered the services himself, other sovereigns would likely force his prices down.

But by ceding the right to sell the arrays to Nine-Abysses, no one dared to haggle. Shen Junyu was likely just a front. Furthermore, the price Nine-Abysses set was incredibly vague. A favor is a debt that cannot be easily valued.

Thinking deeper, they realized this was a move to gather allies. If Heaven-Desolation tried to ask for one, he would surely be met with impossible demands and shut out.

It was a truly brilliant move.

For a moment, the expressions of the Demon Sovereigns and Marquises turned strange. Even though they suspected Shen Junyu was a front, none dared to voice their doubts.

Heaven-Desolation’s expression was particularly nuanced. He had planned to use the banquet to pressure Heaven-Pupil into submission or use other experts to force an array out of him later. He had not respected either of them. But now that they had established this rule together, he could no longer use force. Additionally, others, seeing how precious these favors were, would not want to jeopardize their own chances by siding with him.

It was utterly treacherous. Heaven-Desolation’s face was as dark as still water.

Nine-Abysses spoke again, slowly. “Brothers, if any of you are interested in my Military Counselor’s arrays, you may contact my manager today. Let me say this upfront: these arrays are complex. It takes at least half a month to draw one. If you are late to the queue, do not blame me for not making exceptions.”

The assembled crowd exchanged looks. Soon, the clever ones began to laugh, raising their cups to curry favor with Nine-Abysses. He accepted them all with a faint smile.

In an instant, Heaven-Desolation was completely sidelined. Watching Nine-Abysses surrounded by the crowd, his face turned icy, and he nearly ground his teeth to dust. Realizing he would get nothing out of this, he finally flicked his sleeves and left the feast. The others simply acted as if they had not seen him leave.

In the Demon Realm, strength is respected, but obtaining those arrays was the current priority.

Inside the precious carriage, Nine-Abysses sat on a low couch with his eyes downcast. His waterfall of ink-black hair spilled over his black robes, which shimmered with green-gold light like a blooming lotus. It was a magnificent sight.

However, his handsome, pale face showed no joy. He was calm, almost cold. Since entering the carriage, his communication jade had been lighting up incessantly; it was likely the Marquises and Sovereigns seeking arrays. He ignored them all.

Shen Junyu observed this and speculated for a moment before asking, “Sovereign, you doubled the time required to draw the arrays just now. Were you worried I would not be able to keep up?”

Nine-Abysses finally opened his eyes. “Naturally,” he said flatly, though he surprisingly refrained from his usual stinging remarks.

Shen Junyu’s heart stirred. “Thank you for your consideration, Sovereign.”

Nine-Abysses’ eyes flickered as he suddenly tossed a ring over. Shen Junyu caught it and swept it with his spiritual sense; it was exactly the Houtian Magic Treasure he had requested.

Startled and delighted, Shen Junyu was about to bow in thanks when a wisp of demonic energy gently flew out, propping up his hands.

Shen Junyu was puzzled.

Nine-Abysses swept a glance over him with his green-gold pupils. “Since you are my man now, you shall follow my rules. I have always disliked these empty formalities. Dispense with them in the future.”

“Understood,” Shen Junyu replied.

A brief silence followed. Sensing that Nine-Abysses was not angry, Shen Junyu relaxed and began to quietly fiddle with the new ring in his sleeve. He thought of sharing the news with Wen Su once they returned.

He did not notice that Nine-Abysses was watching him from his high vantage point, the light in those deep green-gold eyes shifting with unreadable thoughts.

Nine-Abysses leaned lazily against the armrest for a while. Seeing that Shen Junyu remained silent, he asked as if casually, “Once we return to the Imperial Capital, do you intend to bring that elder brother of yours everywhere as well?”

Shen Junyu snapped out of his thoughts. His heart sank slightly, assuming the Sovereign looked down on Wen Su for his lack of strength.

He explained calmly, “My brother and I have relied on each other since childhood; our bond is deep. If I were to abandon him just to serve you, Sovereign, surely you would not dare employ such an ungrateful person.”

Nine-Abysses looked surprised. “We are demon cultivators. You are talking to me about gratitude and family ties?”

Shen Junyu remained silent.

Fortunately, Nine-Abysses added indifferently, “I was merely asking. Bring him if you wish, so long as he does not cause trouble for me.”

Relieved, Shen Junyu bowed again. “Thank you, Sovereign.”

Nine-Abysses frowned and gave him a cold look. Shen Junyu realized his mistake and retracted his hands. “My apologies. Great kindness needs no words of thanks.”

Only then did Nine-Abysses fall silent. Looking at the Sovereign’s flawless, lazy profile, Shen Junyu felt a sudden, subtle sense of familiarity. But the feeling was fleeting and vanished as the carriage arrived at the palace.

Once Nine-Abysses had departed, the tension in Shen Junyu finally snapped. He immediately took the ring to the side hall to find Wen Su.

Though Nine-Abysses had become easier to deal with, he was still a Void-Refining Stage powerhouse three realms above him. Shen Junyu subconsciously held a deep sense of wariness and awe toward him; he could never feel truly close.

Wen Su was different. They had weathered many trials together; their bond was on a completely different level. Thinking of him, Shen Junyu’s mood lightened.

As he reached the side hall, he saw Wen Su practicing with his blade. Red maple leaves fell around him as the cold blade-light flashed. His black robes looked elegant and free. Shen Junyu watched silently, a smile touching his lips.

“Brother Wen, I am back.”

Wen Su sheathed his blade almost instantly and turned around. Their eyes met. Wen Su stepped toward him. “How was it today?”

Instead of answering, Shen Junyu smiled and naturally reached out to grab Wen Su’s wrist. “Brother Wen, come with me. I have something good to show you.”

Feeling the cool, soft touch of Shen Junyu’s hand, Wen Su’s wrist tensed for a split second. Without a word, he followed him into the hall.

Once inside, Shen Junyu carefully closed the doors and windows. He produced the ring and held it out in his palm. Wen Su’s expression became complicated at the sight of the ring lying in that jade-white hand.

Assuming he was merely shocked, Shen Junyu explained patiently, “This is a Houtian Magic Treasure for cultivation. The Sovereign gave it to me. I never saw such high-quality items back in the Central Prefecture. Brother Wen, do you want to try it first?”