Epilogue and Outpost (3)
"Ahem..." Yang Haohan cleared his throat. The Human Race and Demon Race seemed equal, able to sit in a room negotiating only because Ye Qingcang was present. In reality, aside from the advantages Ye Qingcang brought, the Human Race were still at a significant disadvantage. That was precisely why they needed to take the initiative, striving for more opportunities and a way out. "Feng Xiu and all the Demon God of the Demon Race race, greetings. I am the leader of the Temple Alliance. On behalf of all our members, I have seven conditions to discuss..."
"Wait!" Moon Demon God Agares interrupted Yang Haohan's output. It was true that he wanted peace, and it was true that he had been promoting peace, but that did not mean that he would use the interests of the Demon Race as a bargaining chip to obtain peace. "We should be the ones who put forward conditions first, because your side initiated the negotiation request. If your side believes that it is unfair, our Demon Race can temporarily suspend the negotiation process until we obtain a satisfactory result, and then continue the negotiation process."
They're all old foxes, some thousands of years old.
Let's stop playing the ghost story game.
Even if you have someone Ye Qingcang who can fight our Demon God Emperor to a draw, your lower-level and higher-level officials are still at a disadvantage. The negotiating table is like a battlefield. Any merciful silence is cruel to oneself and irresponsible to the millions of people behind you. Agares will certainly not make such a mistake.
But Agares failed to realize the difference in their overall perspectives.
In a negotiation, is it really important to make the first move?
It's important, but not particularly important!
Negotiation is an extension of war, and war is an extension of politics. As for politics, it is the manifestation of the will of one or more powerful individuals.
The reason why the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu refused to budge before was because he could not capture the God of Divine Retribution. The Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars and the God of Divine Retribution had an indelible hatred. If the God of Divine Retribution lived, the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars would be destroyed, and all the thousands of Demon Race would die. For this reason, even though he knew that if he continued to fight the Human Race, the opposition within his own race would grow stronger, the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue fighting.
However, now that the young God of Divine Retribution has been captured and locked up by the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars, the God of Divine Retribution who survived can be dealt with clearly. There is no need to continue the stalemate, Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu's position has instantly become proactive.
Whether you go first or second is irrelevant.
Thus, under the stunned gaze of the Moon Demon God Agares, Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu refuted Moon Demon God Agares's earlier argument. "Agares, that is incorrect... I believe that you Human Race can see how much sincerity our race has shown in its pursuit of peace. In that case, why not be more patient? I believe the Human Race will not disappoint us... What do you say?"
No, the script is wrong!
Aren't you a staunch supporter of the Demon Race race?
Why does it sound like I disagree with peace?
Moon Demon God Agares was bewildered, and Star Demon God Vassago also had a strange expression, silently wondering if his older brother had taken the wrong medicine. How could he suddenly become more in favor of peaceful coexistence than the two of them who were promoting peaceful coexistence between the Demon Race and the Human Race?
But for Ye Qingcang, the transformation of Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu was not surprising.
He then picked up where Yang Haohan left off.
Amidst the stunned expressions of Yang Haohan and the others, the bottom line was laid bare. "The so-called seven conditions are merely a test, leaving room for negotiation. I won't mention the upper limit, but let's talk about the bottom line... The Human Race wants to jointly govern the Saint Demon Continent with the Demon Race. In return, the Human Race is willing to reorganize the Temple Alliance, naming the newly formed force the Saint Demon Alliance. The standing committee will consist of six members: three Human Race and three Demon Race. The rotating committee will consist of one hundred and thirty-eight members: sixty-nine Human Race and sixty-nine Demon Race. The border demarcation will be abolished, and all war fortresses will be eliminated." From this day forward, the Human Race and Demon Race races enter a period of peace. Human Race are free to travel to Demon Race territories and enjoy equal treatment, Demon Race are also free to travel to Human Race territories and enjoy equal treatment. If Demon Race indiscriminately kill Human Race, or Human Race indiscriminately kill Demon Race, the matter will be handled by the Tribunals under the Saint Demon Alliance. Furthermore, internal conflicts between Human Race or Demon Race will be handled by their respective races. Regarding resources, they will share what they have, and the exploitation of certain secret realms will be equally divided. Intermarriage between the two races is permitted. That's roughly it.
A test?
Testing is the psychology of the weak!
What do the strong do?
I've laid out my bottom line. If I've covered everything, do you agree?
If you agree, then do as instructed.
If you disagree, then fight.
Negotiation is a friendly way to resolve issues, but it's not the only way, nor is it the fastest or simplest. Everyone has already resorted to force, so why not keep things simple?
"No problem." Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu liked this kind of simple and efficient negotiation. Perhaps using the Moon Demon God Agares's method could indeed gain more benefits, but for the current peace, the most important thing is never how much benefit one side or the other side can gain, but to ensure that the concept of fairness and justice continues to exist. "However, I want to add one point. Because many of your Human Race have died at my hands, and many of your human races have also died at the hands of our Demon Race, and vice versa, I believe that past events should be forgiven. From the signing of this peace agreement, the grudges between the Human Race and Demon Race will be wiped clean, and no revenge should be taken on the basis of past grievances."
"No problem." Yang Haohan, as the Temple Alliance Master, nodded in agreement. Ye Qingcang was new to the area and not yet qualified to make a promise on Human Race, but Yang Haohan, as the leader of the Temple Alliance, was qualified, and was even overjoyed. "As Feng Xiu said, all past grievances will be wiped clean after the agreement takes effect!"
"If that's truly the case..." Long Xingyu suddenly spoke, drawing his sword amidst the bewildered, shocked, and furious gazes of Yang Haohan and the others. He pointed it at Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu and uttered a sentence no one had expected. "Feng Xiu, do you dare to fight me before the agreement takes effect?"
"Xingyu, what are you doing?" Long Tianyin had no idea about Long Xingyu and Bai Yue's relationship from beginning to end. Even though he had met Long Haochen, he had never seen Long Haochen's mother. He only cared about his son and never asked about his father. Now, seeing Long Xingyu challenging Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu, he was naturally confused. "Could it be that you and Feng Xiu have some irreconcilable hatred?"
"The hatred of having my wife stolen!" Long Xingyu said coldly.
This is a fact he doesn't want to mention.
If it weren't for the rule prohibiting retaliation since the peace treaty was signed, he wouldn't have challenged the Demon God Emperor at this time. He knew very well that he was still an ant in front of the Demon God Emperor, at most a relatively large ant. But as a man, even if he died, he would expose the shameless behavior of the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu.
Upon hearing these four words, Feng Xiu paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
The Moon Demon God Agares seemed to understand something as well.
He exchanged a glance with the Star Demon God Vassago and nodded.
However, even though they were Feng Xiu's sworn brothers, they didn't dare to speak casually about such family matters. In the end, Feng Xiu himself stood up, raised his hand, grabbed Long Haochen, and casually tossed him around like a rag doll, asking, "I thought that after all these years, you would understand. I didn't expect that you would become even more foolish... What makes you think that Yue'er could run back to the Human Race realm from the Demon Race race's rear, especially shortly after giving birth to Long Haochen Long Haochen, and even successfully escape with him?"
"You just want to humiliate me, don't you?" Long Xingyu's thoughts wandered again.
Long Tianyin realized the truth first.
Yang Haohan and the others gradually realized this as well.
But their understanding was ultimately just guesswork.
Whether their guess is correct or not, it still needs to be verified by the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu himself.
"If Haochen were my son, I wouldn't use him to humiliate you, nor would I let Yue'er go back, because you don't deserve my humiliation..." Seeing the murderous look in Long Xingyu's eyes, although she couldn't understand why her eldest daughter had taken a liking to such a fool, Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu lost interest in continuing to tease Long Xingyu. She casually ruffled Long Haochen's hair and said something that left Long Haochen and Long Xingyu speechless, "Bai Yue is my daughter... Now, what don't you understand?"
"Then why did you take Bai Yue away?" Long Xingyu still couldn't understand Feng Xiu's actions. "Even taking her away right in front of me?"
"Fool..." Ye Qingcang's impression of Long Xingyu was truly so-so. To scheme against Long Haochen Long Haochen, believing him to be the son of Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu, and try to get Long Haochen, was a mindset almost identical to that of the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu Poseidon Tang San. "You couldn't provide Bai Yue with any proper birthing environment back then. Because you knights value integrity and fairness, when a father brings his daughter home to give birth, he has all sorts of nourishing foods, servants and maids to attend to her, and the midwives are the best in the Demon Race. You even managed to summon some Demon God skilled in healing. Could you do that...? Pregnant Bai Yue in front of you—that's a father-in-law's test of his son-in-law. You got his daughter pregnant without his knowledge. What's wrong with him beating you up to vent his anger?"
"Well done!" Long Tianyin shouted.
Although he criticized Long Xingyu.
But the wrinkles on his face were almost like a smile.
Family members, who understands? Our little wild boar has finally learned to feed someone else's Xiao Bai, and it's even the Xiao Bai of the Demon God Emperor! Let alone getting a beating, even if the Demon God Emperor hangs him up and whips him half to death, it would be perfectly reasonable. He will definitely be on the side of his eldest grandson and must severely criticize Long Xingyu's wild thoughts!
"Alright, alright, do you still want to duel?" Ye Qingcang was too lazy to bother with these trivial matters and replied dismissively, "Are we still going to sign the peace treaty?"
"Sign!"
"I'll definitely sign!"
"No more duels! Absolutely no more duels!"
With the answer from Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu, Long Xingyu immediately understood many of the doubts. For example, why was Long Haochen's innate Spiritual Power so high? The Spiritual Power of the Demon Race Mingdu dark. Now it seemed that Long Haochen was definitely his child. Bai Yue didn't say anything only because she was considering the advantages and disadvantages of this identity.
Peaceful Coexistence is a very noble status.
Water and fire are incompatible. If Bai Yue dared to speak out, the Six Great Temples would dare to arrest and judge her, or use her to threaten the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu. It was right for her not to speak out.
And at the very moment both sides put pen to paper, a brand new era had unknowingly arrived.
Just like a brand new banquet after negotiations.
This banquet served as a symbol of the first Peaceful Coexistence.
The banquet was more symbolic than practical.
Yue Ye, daughter of the Moon Demon God Agares, also held a glass of red wine and, as dawn broke, found Ye Qingcang, who was being fed by Sheng Cai'er: "Would you mind getting to know me, Ye Qingcang?"