Arriving as Expected

Yu Shuying countered, "Isn't it nice to have someone run errands for you?"

"Whatever," Si Ming said, ultimately it was a minor matter and he didn't delve into it. He was more concerned about something else. "Speaking of which, they all call me the Great Hero Mad Ink. Is that how my title is decided? It feels so unrefined, it sounds so crude, and it doesn't match my image at all."

Yu Shuying said, "The important thing is not Mad Ink, but the title of Great Hero. This means you have finally entered the level of a Great Hero, and everyone has recognized your contributions. Although 'Young Saber Master of Condemnation' and 'A Thousand Tides Dot the Snow' sound nice, they are ultimately just titles for Young Heroes."

"But the name 'Mad Ink' doesn't reflect my wisdom. People might easily mistake me for a reckless fool who acts impulsively without thinking." Si Ming was still concerned about this.

"Isn't that even better? When others underestimate you and are caught off guard, they're more likely to fall into your trap. If your title is 'Infallible Strategist,' people will definitely treat you like a thief, making it very difficult for you to demonstrate your wisdom. Isn't that the principle behind the saying 'great wisdom appears as foolishness'?"

Si Ming nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Yu Shuying added, "Compared to such trivial matters as titles, you should worry about your safety first."

Si Ming protested, "Titles are no small matter; they're a life-changing issue... Forget it, tell me where your worries come from."

"It's simple. If I were the Demon King, I would definitely try to ambush and kill you."

"Why?"

"Your reputation is great, and you pose a significant threat to the Demon Generals. Killing you would not only appease our generals but also severely damage the morale of the allied forces, achieving both fame and fortune—a double benefit. Furthermore, you do not belong to any particular army and move from one location to another every few days, making it easy for you to become isolated. Ambushing you would be far easier than ambushing those generals guarded by large armies."

Si Ming said with great bravado, "If you want to fight, then come on! It's not certain who Demon General kill whom. I don't care how many Demon Kings... I'd really like to have a go at him and see who is stronger between him and the King of Monsters."

Yu Shuying stared at Si Ming for a while, until the latter showed a puzzled expression, then sighed deeply and said, "What I feared has come to pass. You really did lose yourself in the praise of others, becoming arrogant and conceited."

Si Ming paused for a moment, then scratched his face somewhat sheepishly and said, "I admit I've been feeling a little lightheaded lately, but it's not as serious as you're making it out to be."

Yu Shuying's tone hardened, and she said seriously, "Then let me ask you, you've never even seen the Demon King, so where do you get the confidence that you won't lose to him? In the past, you defeated powerful enemies by careful preparation and meticulous planning, either by uniting with your allies to achieve victory against overwhelming odds, or by setting up formations to seize advantageous terrain. Now the situation is exactly the opposite; you're the one being outmaneuvered. The Demon King could easily unite with several Demon Generals to set up formations along your inevitable path and wait for you to come to him. Do you want to experience the feelings of the King of Monsters you killed?"

Si Ming was speechless. He hadn't expected that his eloquence in fooling the two Nation of Valor would bring him such a quick comeback.

Although one can use sophistry and robbery logic, he knows in his heart whether he has become arrogant and conceited. Winning the debate does not change the facts, and besides, winning against one's own people is meaningless.

Yu Shuying sneered, "Do you think only the Demon Race wants to deal with you? What if the Demon Race invites the Remote Heaven Society join forces? You've disrupted the Remote Heaven Society's plans time and time again, but before, your reputation was too small, so they didn't take you seriously. Besides, killing you wouldn't make much of a difference, so they didn't take action against you. But now the situation is different. If they can get rid of this troublemaker, they certainly won't mind lending a hand."

Si Ming couldn't refute it. In the past, the Remote Heaven Society might have had some concerns, but after the attack on the International Building, the Remote Heaven Society's reputation was now infamous. They didn't want to bear the stigma of being 'traitors,' but they already had it. Even if someone caught them with evidence of their cooperation with the Demon Race, the situation wouldn't get any worse, so going all out became a logical choice.

Yu Shuying continued, "Perhaps your strength is extraordinary, and you have an extremely resilient body that can break through enemy ambushes. But have you considered the safety of Ying Zhou and Si Huaruo? They don't have your strength. If they are captured and taken hostage, will you harden your heart and watch them die, or will you surrender?"

Si Ming's shoulders slumped, and he lowered his head in self-reflection, saying, "Okay, I admit it. I've been a bit lost lately. I've never been praised like this before. Now, whenever I meet a big shot, they'll compliment me, even if I know they might be trying to undermine me. I still couldn't suppress my vanity. Back in the Barbarian Continent, I had the King of Monsters to keep me in check, and I didn't dare to be careless when facing a formidable enemy. But here, I haven't encountered any worthy opponents. From Sun Wu University until now, it's been like cutting melons and vegetables, crushing everyone to victory. In the end, I've become complacent."

Although he knew the Demon King was definitely powerful, with so many Spirit Transformation experts in the army, Si Ming felt he had no reason to worry. In contrast, back in the Barbarian Continent, Si Ming knew that only he could deal with the King of Monsters. With such a heavy burden on his shoulders, he couldn't afford to be carefree.

The saying "born in hardship, die in comfort" is essentially the same principle.

Yu Shuying stared at Si Ming for a while, then said Anomalies, "I didn't expect you to admit your mistake so easily. I thought you would stubbornly stick to your guns to save face. It turns out that all the words I painstakingly prepared were useless."

Si Ming patted his chest and said, "Face can't put food on the table. Admitting a mistake is no big deal. I've been criticized by teachers before when I was a kid. Besides, I'm not a vain person. 'Fame is just an external thing, and being carefree is also a kind of elegance' describes me perfectly."

"... You've already gotten arrogant after just half a compliment."

Yu Shuying rolled her eyes, but she was also relieved. Si Ming might be vain and lack the self-discipline, self-cultivation, and the temperament to remain unmoved by external things, but his magnanimity and temperament were indeed far superior to ordinary people. Moreover, he was good at learning and could listen to the advice of others.

Si Ming smiled and said, "I may not be able to be humble and open-minded, and I might get angry just as easily if I were humiliated by an outsider. But you are not an outsider. You can tell who is good to me and who is bad to me. You are not criticizing me to embarrass me, but for my safety, advising me to be humble and not arrogant. Of course, I am happy to accept that."

Yu Shuying's cold face flushed slightly as she looked away and said, "What do you mean by 'outsider' or 'insider'? Don't push your luck... I... I'm just thinking about my own safety and don't want to be implicated by you. Anyway, you need to be careful these days and don't go out unnecessarily."

Si Ming wanted to continue teasing her, after all, seeing Yu Shuying shy was a rare opportunity, but a sudden inspiration flashed through his mind. He stroked his chin and said, "If I really am being targeted by the Demon Race, could I turn the tables and scheme against them?"

Yu Shuying paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "That was just my guess. With the war so intense right now, it's unlikely that the Demon King would have time to deal with you."

"The possibility still exists. And if the Demon King can't come, the Remote Heaven Society can. To put it another way, even if we fail and don't manage to lure the enemy out, we won't suffer any loss. But if we succeed, the benefits will be huge."

Yu Shuying thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right. At worst, we'll just wait in vain. I'll have to plan carefully then."

"Indeed, the title 'Mad Ink' doesn't do justice to my wisdom!"

Chapter 684 Arrives as Scheduled

In the central command tent of the allied forces, Xing Daozhuang stared intently at the sand table, strategizing military matters. Lord Yunxia gazed at his profile with a dazed look, holding her breath and making the tent exceptionally quiet for fear of disturbing his thoughts.

Suddenly, Xing Daozhuang straightened up and walked around the sand table a few steps, then said to Lord Yunxia, "You go out first, let me have some peace and quiet."

Lord Yunxia, unsuspecting, bowed slightly and left quietly, thoughtfully calling away the guards responsible for protecting the area outside the tent.

After confirming that no one was around, Xing Daozhuang spoke up, "Come out. What brings you here?"

Suddenly, black mist gathered, and a figure emerged from it—it was Nether Lord. He held a black chrysanthemum in his hand and said, "I have come to question you."

Xing Daozhuang showed no sign of tension and said, "I didn't hire anyone to blow up the International Building."

Nether Lord laughed, "Is this a self-admission?"

"It's just a common deduction that any ordinary person could come up with."

Nether Lord nodded, seemingly unsure whether he accepted the answer, and then said, "This matter is only one aspect. There is another, more crucial matter. I gave you that list, requesting that you, as the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, transfer the people on the list to dangerous locations. But why were nearly half of them rescued by that recently rising star, the Great Hero Mad Ink?"

The people on the list come from various countries in the Northern Continent. On the surface, they seem to have no connection with each other, but in reality, they have a common point that is difficult for outsiders to know: they have all hindered the development of the Heaven-Defying Society. Some of them are enemies of the Heaven-Defying Society members, some are stumbling blocks that prevent members from making further progress, and some are simply hardliners who are calling for the elimination of the Heaven-Defying Society.

Heaven-Defying Society to use others to do their dirty work, but they couldn't make it too obvious. So they took advantage of this war between humans and demons to get rid of these guys. It was also a kind of benefit for the members. After all, death and injury are inevitable in war. It's normal for anyone to sacrifice themselves and it won't arouse suspicion. Besides, in order to cover their tracks and muddy the waters, Heaven-Defying Society deliberately mixed some truly irrelevant people into the list.

Mentioning this matter, Xing Daozhuang raised his thick eyebrows and feigned anger, saying, "If you hadn't brought it up, I would have questioned you! Si Ming's actions were not on my orders, but on his master's instructions."

Nether Lord asked doubtfully, "Yan Jinghong? Isn't he recuperating in Su State? How could he possibly have any influence over the Northern Continent?"

Xing Daozhuang snorted, tossed out a letter, and said, "This is a letter that Yan Jinghong asked someone to deliver to me."

Nether Lord opened the letter, glanced at it, and found it filled with admonitions such as "Don't make mistakes," "Don't violate the Law of the Mohists," and "Correct your mistakes if you have them, and strive to improve if you don't." Clearly, he suspected Xing Daozhuang's identity. He asked curiously, "Why would he suspect you?"