Hu Ze narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile turning sly. It was practically a habitual reaction for him.
Li Chen had specifically kept Hu Xi, who knew this body best, so he could use her as a mirror to complete the image of Hu Ze that others saw.
From broad details such as speech, behavior, and the aura of his magic power to tiny expressions and hidden habits, Li Chen had thoroughly studied everything, inside and out, by reading Hu Ze's deep memories and Hu Xi's surface memories. To this end, he had developed a virtual personality housed in his Auxiliary Brain, making it almost as though Hu Ze had been reborn.
Yan Zheng, standing before him, was not close to Hu Ze. He knew of his deeds only through the clan's secret records, so seeing through the disguise was even further beyond him.
Strictly speaking, this was Yan Zheng's third meeting with Hu Ze.
The first had been shortly after Hu Ze advanced to become a great monster and smugly came here to show off. Yan Zheng had still been a youth then and had witnessed his father drive Hu Ze out.
The second had been when the Demon God Palace sent an envoy to summon him, and he hurried over to seek help. But the Yan Clan was unwilling to involve itself in the Demon God Palace's affairs, nor was it capable of doing much. That meeting, too, had ended on bitter terms.
This third time, Hu Ze had advanced to become a great monster and even latched onto the Demon Empress's thigh, styling himself the Duke of Pingqiu.
Hu Ze said smugly, "So you still know that I'm your Great Uncle! This time, I've come to collect what I'm owed!"
But Yan Zheng could not afford to