Gu Qingfeng felt that he might have arrived at an inopportune moment. The two individuals before him were clearly engaged in some shady little game.
However, since he had come face-to-face with the main players, he had no choice but to execute his perfect plan.
With a cold sneer, Gu Qingfeng declared, "Demon Pu, you traitor! What's the matter? Surprised to see me alive? Worried that your scheme to frame the Blood Demon will be exposed?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, both the Blood Demon and Demon Pu were stunned. They exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
"Blood Demon," Gu Qingfeng continued, "this Demon Pu is nothing but a double-crosser. A few days ago, he contacted me, claiming that I possess the Devouring Demon Body. He urged me to consume the Blood Divine Son and join forces with him to weaken your power, ultimately plotting your demise. He said he had endured centuries of servitude under you and had had enough. But I have long admired you, Blood Demon. How could I ever conspire with such a scoundrel? So, I pretended to agree, secretly brought the Blood Divine Son here, and now present it to you as a token of my loyalty. I also wanted to expose this treacherous villain for who he truly is!"
As Gu Qingfeng's words hung in the air, the scene fell into an eerie silence.
Both Demon Pu and the Blood Demon were reeling, their minds overwhelmed by a series of incomprehensible events that left them mentally paralyzed.
Gu Qingfeng, however, saw nothing unusual about their stunned reactions. After all, a betrayal after centuries of master-servant relations would naturally be shocking.
He secretly felt pleased with himself, confident that he had now earned the Blood Demon's trust.
This was Gu Qingfeng's plan all along. Constantly exploiting Demon Pu had become tiresome, and he had already squeezed him dry. He couldn't keep preying on the same person forever; even he felt a twinge of pity for Demon Pu.
So, he decided to take a bold step: expose Demon Pu's rebellion to the Blood Demon, have the Blood Demon eliminate him, and then gain the Blood Demon's trust. Once the Blood Demon's power was restored to its peak, Gu Qingfeng could finally achieve his ultimate goal.
After all, no matter how valuable Demon Pu was, he paled in comparison to the Blood Demon at full strength. Gu Qingfeng knew where his priorities lay.
"Blood Demon?" Gu Qingfeng called out, puzzled.
The two had been silent for far too long, as if petrified. Why weren't they reacting?
Demon Pu, despite his plan being exposed, wasn't fleeing. And the Blood Demon, upon discovering his subordinate's betrayal, hadn't taken any action. What were they thinking?
"Blood Demon, hurry up and kill this traitor!" Gu Qingfeng urged impatiently.
Finally, after a prolonged silence, the Blood Demon spoke. He looked at Gu Qingfeng with an extremely complex expression and asked, "You said you've admired me for a long time?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded without hesitation. "I grew up listening to your legends. My greatest wish in life has always been to serve you, Blood Demon!"
The Blood Demon fell silent again, his mind in turmoil.
At that moment, Demon Pu interjected, "Gu Qingfeng, why aren't you dead? No one can survive after breaking the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath."
Gu Qingfeng shot Demon Pu a disdainful look. "You traitor, instead of worrying about your impending death, you're asking me why I'm still alive? Fine, I'll let you die with clarity. That ancient scroll of yours for the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath has been around for who knows how many years. It's long since deteriorated and is completely ineffective."
Demon Pu was stunned. Though he still harbored doubts, the evidence before him was undeniable. No one could survive after breaking the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath. The fact that Gu Qingfeng was alive could only mean the scroll was faulty.
"Blood Demon, don't hesitate. I know you have a soft spot for old loyalties, but this Demon Pu is truly despicable. He's a born traitor, deceitful and disloyal, plotting to kill his master. He can't be allowed to live!" Gu Qingfeng urged impatiently.
The Blood Demon waved his hand. "Hold on, let me think this through."
Gu Qingfeng was taken aback. He cursed inwardly, *Is this the fearsome Blood Demon? Demon Pu has betrayed you, and you're still hesitating? Just kill him already!*
What Gu Qingfeng didn't realize was that the Blood Demon wasn't just thinking about Demon Pu. He was trying to piece together the entire sequence of events.
Ever since he had set his plan in motion to deceive Gu Qingfeng, everything had been utterly bizarre. Every development defied logic.
So, the Blood Demon began retracing his steps.
His plan had been straightforward: first, make Gu Qingfeng believe that Demon Pu was plotting to betray him, thereby driving the two to form an alliance.
This step seemed sound. Gu Qingfeng had consumed the Blood Divine Son, placing him in direct opposition to the Blood Demon. Under normal circumstances, anyone would consider allying with Demon Pu.
Next, Gu Qingfeng would be used to consume the Blood Divine Son, and then... the Blood Divine Son would be brought before the Blood Demon???
Why had this happened? Where had things gone wrong?
Why would Gu Qingfeng, after consuming the Blood Divine Son and swearing the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath, still bring the Blood Divine Son to the Blood Demon, his sworn enemy who would surely kill him?
Could it really be, as Gu Qingfeng claimed, that he had grown up hearing the Blood Demon's legends and had always admired him?
Though it sounded utterly absurd, if this premise were true, then everything made sense.
Gu Qingfeng had admired the Blood Demon for so long that even when faced with death, his loyalty remained unshaken.
Upon learning of Demon Pu's betrayal, Gu Qingfeng had pretended to go along with the plan, risking his life by breaking the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath to deliver the Blood Divine Son and expose Demon Pu's "true nature."
The Blood Demon looked at the fervent Gu Qingfeng before him and then at the Blood Divine Son in his hands. Despite his initial disbelief, he eventually accepted this explanation, as it was the only one that made sense. Otherwise, Gu Qingfeng's actions were completely inexplicable.
Words could deceive, but facts could not. The undeniable truth was that Gu Qingfeng, unafraid of being killed to extract the Blood Divine Son from his body, had willingly broken the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath (before anyone knew the scroll was faulty) to deliver the Blood Divine Son to the Blood Demon.
In all his nearly thousand years of life, the Blood Demon had never encountered a subordinate so fiercely loyal.
At this realization, the Blood Demon began to question his own existence.
So... what was the point of this entire plan? If he had known Gu Qingfeng was such a devoted follower, why go through all this deception? He could have simply told him the truth.
If Gu Qingfeng was willing to risk his life for the Blood Demon, then taking over his Devouring Demon Body might have been seen as an honor, something he would have willingly accepted.
Why had everything become so complicated? Now, not only had he made it harder to obtain the other Blood Divine Sons, but he had also effectively shot himself in the foot.