Chapter 357: Chapter 353: White Demon King (8)

"An agreement?" Tu Xiao’an was quite surprised. ’The esteemed Vice Dean of the human Ancient Academy making a deal with a Demon King... that’s truly jaw-dropping.’

The Vice Dean said in a low voice, "It was a last resort. The Centennial Ice Divine Fruit is in that Demon King’s possession. The only way for my granddaughter to survive was to send her to him."

The old man didn’t elaborate on the details of his agreement with the Demon King, but Tu Xiao’an asked, "What kind of Demon is it?"

"The Yaoling Mountain Range is ruled by the five Demon Kings, each having carved out their own territory. The one in question is called the White Demon King, one of the five. His true form is a hedgehog."

Tu Xiao’an was amazed. "A hedgehog?"

’A mere hedgehog managed to become a Demon King? You’ve got to be kidding me.’

’Talk about an underdog story.’

Hedgehogs are small creatures with few means of attack. Their only noteworthy feature is the hard spines covering their bodies. When they sense danger, they curl into a spiky ball.

However, their small size and gentle nature are quite cute, so many people today keep them as pets.

Then again, from another perspective, hedgehogs have quite a storied background. They are known as Immortal Bai, one of the Five Great Immortals of folklore. People regarded them as good-luck charms for attracting wealth and preventing illness. The legendary Old Madam Bai was a Divine Spirit who evolved from a hedgehog, a master of Martial Arts who could heal the sick and save the dying.

Speaking of which, a Snake Spirit like Tu Xiao’an was also one of the Five Great Immortals, known as Immortal Liu.

It was widely believed that the Five Great Immortals were supernatural beings, somewhere between Demon and Immortal. If one offended or harmed them, they could use Demon Techniques to retaliate, inflicting various disasters as punishment. But if people revered them, they would receive blessings in return.

As a result, they were worshipped in many households.

In the past, Tu Xiao’an had found these myths fascinating, but recalling them now gave him an entirely new perspective.

Demon? Immortal?

’Evil makes a Demon, good makes an Immortal. It all comes down to one’s actions.’

Tu Xiao’an, a Snake Spirit, had become the Bai Town Snake King and was worshipped by the people, which was naturally because he had performed many good deeds.

Many awakened Spirit Monsters, hoping to gain the faith of humanity, would perform good deeds to win the approval of the local populace.

Once they earned that approval, temples would be built in their honor, ensuring a constant stream of worshippers.

In this respect, Tu Xiao’an had done quite well for himself in the modern era, earning the profound faith of the hundreds of thousands of residents in Bai Town.

Of course, it helped that Bai Town was a region that had a history of worshipping snake totems.

The legends of the Five Great Immortals passed down from ancient times must have originated from Demons who, after gaining sentience, performed great acts of kindness.

The famous Old Madam Bai, for instance, was a Rank Three Demon Spirit hedgehog who had achieved Transformation.

And now, in the present day, just as the Vice Dean had said, there was a hedgehog Demon in the Yaoling Mountain Range who had cultivated to become a Rank Three Demon Spirit and was known as the White Demon King.

He had sent his granddaughter to the White Demon King to obtain the Centennial Ice Divine Fruit and prolong her life.

’But if he willingly sent his granddaughter over, why is he talking about rescuing her now?’

The Vice Dean spoke up. "Two years ago, I sent my sixteen-year-old granddaughter to the White Demon King. He promised to feed her one Centennial Ice Divine Fruit each year to keep her alive, and in exchange, I gave him a top-tier human Cultivation Method."

"Isn’t that just a trade, then? Why did you have to send your granddaughter to his domain?" Tu Xiao’an asked, puzzled.

"This White Demon is very cunning. He was afraid I might tamper with the Cultivation Method, so he demanded I send my granddaughter to him first. He would only return her after he had successfully mastered the technique."

"He also promised to give me ten Centennial Ice Divine Fruits all at once as a final reward."

"I thought that if I could get ten Ice Divine Fruits at once, the resulting Alchemy would be much more effective and could help my granddaughter live for several more years. That would buy me time to find another solution... But who could have known..."

Tu Xiao’an said, "Who knew you’d end up having a falling-out with the White Demon King? Did you actually tamper with the Cultivation Method?"

"Hmph! I sent my own flesh-and-blood granddaughter to him. How could I dare to pull any tricks?" The Vice Dean grew furious just discussing it. "I never imagined that damned hedgehog would get lecherous. Seeing my granddaughter blossom into a beautiful young woman, he actually demanded that she marry him! Preposterous!"

*Huh...*

Tu Xiao’an drew in a sharp breath. ’This is so dramatic!’

"Could it be that your granddaughter and the White Demon King grew fond of each other over time? He asked for her hand in marriage, and you refused?"

The Vice Dean’s eyes widened in fury. "Nonsense! How could my granddaughter fall for a Demon? Besides, I would never approve! There are Different Paths for Humans and Demons; they can’t be together!"

"Old man, I have to say something here. What century are you living in? You need to be more open-minded and not so stuck in your ways. The White Demon King is a Rank Three Demon Spirit, after all. He’s transcended the mundane and is far above ordinary creatures. He’s a worthy match for your granddaughter."

Tu Xiao’an didn’t care for that "Different Paths for Humans and Demons" line. At the end of the day, they were all creatures from Earth, just from different species.

A new century called for new ways of thinking.

’Martial Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, it’s all the same,’ he thought. ’They can achieve Transformation, so it doesn’t really matter. They can still have kids. You just can’t be sure what exactly the kid will turn out to be.’

"You scoundrel! Snake Spirit, do you believe I won’t turn on you right now?" the Vice Dean roared, flying into a rage. "My granddaughter is the epitome of purity and innocence! How could she marry a hedgehog?"

Tu Xiao’an nodded in solemn agreement. "Hmm, you’re right, marrying a hedgehog wouldn’t be good. They’re covered in spines; she could easily get hurt. Now, if you swapped it for a snake, you wouldn’t have that concern, would you?"

At these words, the Vice Dean’s rage boiled over. His robes rustled, stirring without a wind, as a terrifying aura threatened to erupt from his body.

"Don’t be so hot-tempered, I’m just kidding," Tu Xiao’an said with an awkward smile. ’What a stuffy old man.’

"You want me to go to the Yaoling Mountain Range and rescue your granddaughter from the White Demon King. But even if I do, she won’t be able to live without the Centennial Ice Divine Fruit, will she?"

The Vice Dean, needing a favor from the Snake Spirit, decided to ignore his earlier outrageous comments. With an angry huff, he said, "That’s why I need you to not only rescue my granddaughter but also to bring back the heart of the Centennial Ice Divine Fruit tree."

"I discovered in an ancient text that by combining the heart of the Centennial Ice Divine Fruit tree with a Supreme Yang Rank Three Demon Spirit Golden Core and using them together in Alchemy, I might be able to cure my granddaughter’s Taiyin Cold Body."

’So the old man found another way,’ Tu Xiao’an mused. ’Otherwise, if he’d been backed into a corner, he would’ve had no choice but to accept a hedgehog Demon as his grandson-in-law.’

The alternative was to watch his granddaughter die.

Tu Xiao’an pondered for a moment before looking at the Vice Dean. "Old man, from the sound of it, my workload is getting pretty heavy. I have to rescue your granddaughter *and* get you the heart of the Centennial Ice Divine Fruit tree. You’re not going to ask me to get you a Supreme Yang Rank Three Demon Spirit’s Golden Core on top of all that, are you?"

A mere thousand Spirit Stones wouldn’t cover all that.

Especially a Golden Core from a Rank Three Demon Spirit—you’d have to kill a Rank Three Demon Spirit to get one.

’No wonder this old man let me run wild in the Ancient Academy,’ Tu Xiao’an thought. ’He was planning to use me as his personal workhorse.’