Li Family's In-Laws Were the Pig Demon King?

The Li Family gathered in the Ancestral Hall.

Everyone looked at Bai Rourou, who had revealed her girlish side for the first time, their expressions complicated.

"So, sister-in-law, you were an orphan from a young age, abandoned in the Silver Iron Forest and raised by its Demon King? You didn't leave the forest to live among humans until you were eighteen?"

Li Yaozu's voice grew heavy. "No wonder you didn't know much about so many things. We understand now."

Li Yaotie held his wife tenderly. "It's all right, sweetheart. You don't have to keep these things hidden. None of us cares about your background. Even if you'd sprung from a stone, you'd still be my good wife."

"Say that one more time?"

Bai Rourou glared at him.

Still, Li Yaotie had managed to calm her. She knew many people were hostile toward demon beasts. It was only after seeing the beasts and humans of Zhien Village living together in peace that she had settled there.

But she had also feared that her background would keep the Li Family from accepting her. That was why, although she had taken a liking to Li Yaotie, that reckless, rough-hewn man, she had been slow to accept his courtship.

"Hahaha! I used to be a slave," Li Dalong laughed, his spirit soaring.

"Dear daughter-in-law, I've spent more time with demon beasts than with your father-in-law," Xu Cuihua said with a smile.

"What kind of thing is that to say?"

Li Dalong wasn't pleased now.

In an instant, the whole Li Family burst into laughter, and Bai Rourou laughed through her tears.

Watching the warm scene in the game, Li Xiang felt his heart lighten.

Bai Rourou had come to the Ancestral Hall to tell them all this. Li Xiang knew that the descendants he had raised weren't narrow-minded, so he had called everyone together.

And things had turned out just as he'd expected.

After the laughter died down, Li Dalong furrowed his brow. "So, the Demon King in the Silver Iron Forest is family to us. We can't just sit by and do nothing. Yaowen, tell us why the Lantian Wu Family is planning to attack the Demon King."

Li Yaowen nodded slightly and explained everything that had happened in the Silver Iron Forest.

There were three towns near the Silver Iron Forest, and the families there all knew that a Demon King lived in the forest.

But after years of severe drought, those families had run short of resources, so they had expanded their exploitation of the Silver Iron Forest. Little by little, they went too far, hunting recklessly and damaging the forest's environment until they finally angered its Demon King.

Last year, the Demon King had even killed over a hundred members of the Wu Family who were mining there.

Taking advantage of their ancestor's two-hundredth birthday, the Lantian Wu Family had invited seven great families to join them in attacking the Silver Iron Forest. The Li Family was among them.

"The seven great families have already agreed to launch the attack next year."

Li Yaowen's expression was grave. "Our family included. Sister-in-law, I hope you understand. I had to agree under the circumstances. Otherwise, our shops would have nowhere to stand in their towns."

"I understand." Bai Rourou was a reasonable woman.

"Then the most urgent thing is figuring out how to resolve this."

Li Dalong shook his head. "Our family has grown pretty strong over the years, but even if the ancestor agrees to fight, we can't stand against six families working together. Daughter-in-law, focus on preparing for the birth. We'll find a way to handle this."

"Thank you."

Bai Rourou's eyes reddened again. After all these years married into the Li Family, she finally felt how much her family cared for her.

"Now that's a problem."

Watching the Li Family's conversation in the game, Li Xiang rubbed his brow.

For one thing, the Li Family had no chance of defeating six families working together.

And even if the Li Family helped the Demon King, word of it would leave them nowhere to survive. The great sects sitting high above the world might even brand the Li Family traitors who had aided the Demon Race in harming humanity.

After all, a Demon King was no ordinary demon beast!

Spirit beasts already possessed great intelligence, and a Demon King could speak human language and rule over a territory.

Then,

Li Xiang ordered the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python to head for the Silver Iron Forest.

When he checked the map again, the Silver Iron Forest had turned green!

Does that mean the Silver Iron Forest's Demon King knows Bai Rourou married into the Li Family? Is that why the Demon King never attacked the Li Family? That fellow had already planned to send Bai Rourou into human society. The Li Family's Zhien Village was undoubtedly the best place for her to settle, and the Demon King could keep an eye on her there.

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow.

Before long, the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was moving through the Silver Iron Forest. Li Xiang wasn't worried about its safety, either. Green meant an ally!

Just as he'd expected.

As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python ventured deeper, Li Xiang saw many spirit beasts!

Their lairs lay in a valley at the very heart of the Silver Iron Forest. They seemed to be serving the king within.

After entering the valley,

a gigantic pig came into view. It looked more like a mammoth!

Black fur covered its body. Only its bulky frame and snout gave away its porcine appearance. Its four legs were so sturdy that it was hard to imagine how much force it would take to knock the creature down. Black hair covered its face, making the huge beast look like a kindly old man.

Only the sharp, thick tusks jutting from its mouth revealed the Demon King's ferocity.

[Mingtu Yinluo Boar]

[The Silver Iron Forest's Demon King, and the guardian of its birds, beasts, flowers, trees, and all living things!]

"Little snake, I know you. You're the snake from the Beast Blood Fruit Tree. The human Li Family subdued you, and you led humans into the Silver Iron Forest to hunt demon beasts."

The in-law of the Li Family spoke in a deep, weathered voice.

"Shhh!"

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was clearly terrified of the Pig Demon King. Though it was even larger than the king, it lowered itself to the ground, trembling with fear.

"Don't be afraid. You haven't caused much bloodshed. Under my warning, you helped the Li Family outside the Silver Iron Forest rein themselves in. For that, you have my gratitude."

Only after hearing the Pig Demon King's forgiveness did the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python relax.

Li Xiang watched the snake and the pig converse.

He didn't actually know what the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was saying, but he could guess from the Pig Demon King's words. He was also astonished by the king's intelligence. This was his first time encountering a being like a Demon King.

Next, Li Xiang used the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python to speak with the Pig Demon King.

He told the king that Bai Rourou had married into the Li Family.

"I already know."

The Pig Demon King's black fur trembled, and Li Xiang felt sure the fellow was smiling. "Please thank the Li Family for me. They've treated my daughter well, and the litter she gave birth to is healthy. If possible, I hope my daughter will bring her mate and her litter to visit me."

"Shhh!"

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python nodded repeatedly.

Seeing that the Pig Demon King held the Li Family in high regard, Li Xiang set aside his remaining concerns and told him about the seven families' plan to attack the Silver Iron Forest.

"Hmph! Greedy, selfish, ungrateful humans!"

The Pig Demon King flew into a rage. "What do they mean, an attack? They've tested the Silver Iron Forest's limits again and again—and mine. Let them come. The Silver Iron Forest will be ready!"

Li Xiang furrowed his brow. Through the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, he told the king that the Li Family wanted the beasts of the Silver Iron Forest to avoid the brunt of the attack.

But the Pig Demon King let out a long sigh.

"Thank the Li Family for their kindness, but the Silver Iron Forest is not only a home for demon beasts. It is also a home for forests and pure land. Humans often say that once you settle somewhere, you take root. Countless living things in this forest have already put down roots here. Our lives are bound to the Silver Iron Forest.

"Even through years of severe drought, we spent our life force to keep the forest alive. Now drought has come again, and every creature in the Silver Iron Forest will give its life to protect the soil that shelters countless living things!"

Li Xiang sighed, too.

When he sent the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python back, his face showed his admiration.

Li Xiang understood that there was no talking them out of this. It was like the repeated invasions of the Li Family's territory from beyond. The Li Family, too, would fight to the death for its home.

That place was more than just their homeland. It held the feelings their family had poured into it across generations, the purest of memories, the laughter and tears of those memories—things they could never abandon.

"We have to help them!"

Li Xiang narrowed his eyes. The Pig Demon King was family, of course, but he also saw a great opportunity!

The Pig Demon King clearly thought highly of the Li Family.

If the Li Family helped him through this crisis, they would gain the Pig Demon King as an ally.

At the same time,

the problem of being unable to mine deeper in the Silver Iron Forest would be solved. The forest would become the Li Family's backyard, and its environment would be even better suited to raising demon beasts!

As for the risks?

"Hahaha! When have we gone long without facing risks?"

After Li Xiang relayed his plan to the Li Family through the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, Li Dalong laughed and said, "The ancestor is right. With so much to gain, how could the Li Family not help our in-laws?"

"Thank you, ancestor! Thank you, Father!"

Bai Rourou wept with joy.

In the days that followed, the Li Family worked tirelessly to address the Silver Iron Forest crisis while pressing ahead with its development.

Li Xiang was also pondering a way to resolve the problem.

And after Li Yaotie reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, that lad gave Li Xiang a small surprise.

[Your descendant Li Yaozu founded the Black Blood Hall and trained 50 Qi Refiners!]

[After years of training, they have completely mastered the Spear Forest Array!]

The Spear Forest Array.

That was the formation the Hu Family had used when they attacked Tailin Town. They had held spears in their hands and formed ranks with them, linking their true qi together to unleash immense killing power!

In one wave,

nearly eighty percent of the Li Family's hundred-odd demon beasts had died.

That showed just how fearsome the spear formation was!

And now,

on Zhien Village's training grounds, fifty strong young men wore Black Iron Beast Blood Sets and carried enchanted longbows, quivers, spears, and long sabers at their waists. Holding their spears, they hurled them toward the distance in unison.

"Whoosh!"

As the sound of the spears slicing through the air rang out, the true-qi-laden weapons formed a net in the sky!

"Fifty people are this strong?"

Looking at the ground pierced into a net, Li Xiang parted his lips slightly. "What if it were five hundred, or even five thousand? The Lantian Wu Family would be nothing..."

At that thought, Li Xiang narrowed his eyes.

"The Lantian Wu Family, huh? You brought this on yourselves!"

A bold idea suddenly came to him. They already ruled Tianlin Town; ruling one more town, Lantian Town, would be no big deal.

If they could swallow up all of Taiqing County, so much the better.