Old Yan and Ms. Xiao were a normal married couple, so naturally they had a normal married life. But they were also cultivators; one had achieved success in cultivation, while the other was still striving midway down the path. It was easy to imagine that, in recent years, Old Yan's performance in bed had been less than satisfactory.
Such things already carried unavoidable risks once a man reached middle age. On top of that, their precious son Yan Kuan had always been away from home. His mother might have started thinking about having another child, so Comrade Old Yan was surely under enormous pressure.
"Dad, you're already such a grown man. Is this really necessary?"
Yan Kuan naturally would not expose his father's last shred of stubborn pride. As he patted his shoulder, he discreetly slipped a Jade Vial into his pocket.
Comrade Old Yan had been quite diligent in cultivation over the years and was only a tiny step away from opening his Sea of Bitterness. Yan Kuan would give him another push so he could break through smoothly and avoid becoming completely impotent.
Yan Kuan's parents had attained their current cultivation thanks to his uninterrupted supply of spiritual liquid. Even so, it had taken them nearly three years to barely achieve anything, showing just how poor their aptitude truly was. But they were his parents, after all, so of course he had to look after them.
"Dad, Mom, your cultivation has produced some results now, but Jingcheng is filled with far too much worldly energy. You won't achieve much more here."
Yan Kuan stayed home for several days and helped his father successfully open his Sea of Bitterness. He also formed an idea for his family's future plans, so he sat down with his parents and explained it in detail. "My idea is that our family business can expand toward Sichuan.
"The arrangements in Jingcheng are basically complete. We can find someone trustworthy to watch over things. We can establish a company and hire professionals to manage and expand it, while we remain behind the scenes. As long as we have sufficient strength, those clever people won't dare betray us."
"Son, we'll listen to you. We'll listen to everything you say."
Old Yan, who was brimming with energy these past few days, had been rather smug. But when it came to major matters, he still upheld the principle of letting his son make the decisions. Xiao Lin doted on her son even more, so naturally she had no objections. Once the entire family reached a consensus, everything became much easier.
As soon as the New Year passed, Old Yan followed Yan Kuan's suggestion and recruited some professionals from Hong Kong to establish a branch company in Sichuan. While the company was busy hiring all kinds of employees, the chairman's family had already left the city and headed deep into the Uninhabited Region of the Daba Mountains.
"Son, this is the Ten Thousand Demons Valley you told us about? It's so spectacular!"
Inside a cave on a sheer cliff outside Ten Thousand Demons Valley, Old Yan and Ms. Xiao gazed down from afar at the enormous valley in the distance, where demonic energy surged skyward. Cultivators possessed astonishing eyesight, and they could clearly see the massive city deep within Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
"Dad, Mom, wait here for a few days. I'll go have a proper talk with the people of Ten Thousand Demons Valley."
Ten-year-old Yan Kuan was no shorter than an ordinary twelve-year-old boy. This time, he had decided to come to Ten Thousand Demons Valley with complete confidence, which was why he had brought his parents along.
"Oh, son, be careful."
Old Yan and Ms. Xiao were both sensible people. They knew they could not help their son much, but they would not cause him trouble either. After nodding, they quickly concealed their auras and watched their son fly off the cliff toward Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
At the entrance to Ten Thousand Demons Valley, a demonic banner snapped fiercely in the wind. The moment Yan Kuan landed, he heard faint howls rising from all around him.
"What cultivator are you, daring to trespass upon the territory of Ten Thousand Demons Valley? State your name at once."
More than a dozen demon soldiers appeared before Yan Kuan. They all wore armor that gleamed with cold light, woven from metallic scales and flowing with demonic energy.
Yan Kuan spoke calmly. "Dan Master Li Feiyu requests an audience with the three valley lords of Ten Thousand Demons Valley. Please announce me."
"Dan Master? Li Feiyu? Wait here."
After hearing Yan Kuan's reply, the leading demon soldier gave him a look. He clearly recognized the name. Telling him to wait, he turned and returned to Ten Thousand Demons Valley to report it.
"A distinguished guest has arrived, yet I failed to welcome you from afar. My apologies, my apologies!"
Yan Kuan did not wait long before a cloud of demonic energy descended ahead of him. More than ten demons entered his sight, including the Horse Monkey Demon who had traded with him before. The one leading them was also a Monkey, with a thunder-god mouth, Fiery Golden Eyes, and golden fur shining all over his body.
"Li Feiyu of Shu Mountain greets the Third Valley Lord."
Yan Kuan recognized the great demon with a single glance. A being resembling the Great Saint Equaling Heaven from Journey to the West could only be Sun Wukong, the Third Valley Lord of Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
"Brother Li, no need for such courtesy. Ten Thousand Demons Valley has always been hospitable and enjoys befriending outstanding humans. How about we enter the valley and talk?"
As he spoke, the Third Valley Lord extended his right hand toward Yan Kuan. It was clearly an invitation to shake hands. Yan Kuan had not expected this demon Monkey to be so modern.
"Third Valley Lord, you are too courteous."
With a smile, Yan Kuan took out an Ancient Sword and held it in his left hand, then extended his right hand to exchange a polite shake with Sun Wukong. Under the Third Valley Lord's guidance, he entered the depths of Ten Thousand Demons Valley for the first time.
Deep within Ten Thousand Demons Valley stood an extremely ancient city, built during ancient times. It could not be called particularly grand, yet it possessed a breathtaking presence.
Its black walls had all been built from Ink Crystal. Though it did not occupy a large area, it was soul-stirring. An Ancient Demon Saint had personally laid the stones, leaving behind holy marks.
Their group entered the ancient city and arrived at a residence. After the Third Valley Lord invited Yan Kuan to sit and ordered demon maidservants to serve tea, he finally said politely, "Brother Li, may I ask what brings you to Ten Thousand Demons Valley today?"
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously flicked toward Yan Kuan's left hand. The Bronze Sword, ancient in design and concealed within its sheath, gave him an extremely dangerous feeling, as though it could claim his life the instant it was drawn. It placed immense pressure on him.
"Third Valley Lord, let's not beat around the bush. I came to Ten Thousand Demons Valley this time to discuss the unfinished matter from three years ago. Although you and I never met face-to-face back then, we could still be considered long-standing kindred spirits, couldn't we?"
Yan Kuan spoke with a smile, occasionally toying with the Ancient Sword in his hand. This made the already restless Monkey even more anxious. Once he saw that the Monkey was nearly unable to restrain himself, he slowly added, "Ten Thousand Demons Valley provides the spiritual herbs, and I refine pills for you. That way, both sides benefit."
After hearing what Yan Kuan mentioned, the Third Valley Lord calmed down as well and replied with a smile, "So Brother Li means that matter. I had the same intention back then, but Brother Li suddenly departed, leaving us rather disappointed."
"Third Valley Lord should be able to guess why I left back then. I was too weak at the time. I didn't have the courage to meet all of you face-to-face."
As Yan Kuan spoke, he held the Ancient Sword horizontally once more. Its intense killing aura made several great demons with insufficient composure revert directly to their original forms. Though he did not state it outright, the meaning was obvious: with this Ancient Sword, Yan Kuan was confident he could speak with them as an equal.
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