184. Massive Revelation

Inside an ancient city, the streets echoed with laughter and celebration, but within a grand estate, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

The source of this solemn air was a spacious chamber, adorned with lush gardens and elegant fountains. However, the two men standing inside paid no attention to the beauty surrounding them.

Instead, their gazes remained fixed on a map, their expressions grave.

Both wore ancient noble warrior attire, with swords strapped to their waists.

One of the men, Wan Cai, had an unnatural pallor, his face sickly and pale, a clear sign of his recent injuries.

The other man, Zhou Sen, looked at him with concern.

"Wan Cai, you shouldn't be here while still injured. I can handle a mere Big Demon myself."

Wan Cai's voice was cold and firm. "Zhou Sen, I want to kill the demon with my own hands. How dare he think he could marry Yuan?"

Zhou Sen hesitated before asking, "How is Yuan? Is she alright?"

Wan Cai let out a weary sigh. "I received a letter this morning. She has locked herself in her room… still crying."

Zhou Sen nodded. "She will be fine. In time, she will forget about him."

Wan Cai hummed in agreement, though his eyes remained fixed on the map, scanning for clues to Li Wen's whereabouts.

Zhou Sen also studied the map but soon turned to Wan Cai with a question that had been bothering him.

"Wan Cai… how did you discover that Li Wen was a demon?"

Wan Cai's expression remained cold and resolute.

"I was always skeptical of Li Wen from the moment he arrived in our city five years ago. He had no known family, no noble lineage—yet he was wealthy. But I left him alone. I couldn't investigate every man I found suspicious."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"However, when Yuan introduced Li Wen as her sweetheart, I started investigating him. For an entire year, I found nothing unusual."

A hint of frustration flickered in Wan Cai's eyes.

"Then, by pure luck, Uncle Zhen invited Li Wen and me on a hunting trip. During the hunt, Li Wen suffered a shallow cut on his right hand. The next day, I noticed the wound had completely healed."

Zhou Sen frowned. "That alone doesn't prove anything."

Wan Cai nodded. "I thought the same. But it made me curious. So for the past month, I deliberately created opportunities to injure him. Each time, the wounds were minor—ones he could dismiss by claiming his internal energy had healing properties. And considering his strength was at the Innate Warrior level, it wasn't an unreasonable excuse."

Wan Cai's tone darkened. "Then, a week before the wedding, a string of murders occurred—each victim's head was missing. When I finally caught the culprit, it turned out to be a Snake Demon."

Zhou Sen's eyes narrowed. "A Snake Demon?"

Wan Cai nodded. "The night before the executions, the demon revealed something—it claimed that Li Wen was not human, but a Big Demon."

A heavy silence fell between them.

Wan Cai exhaled sharply. "And you know the rest."

Zhou Sen's brows furrowed in skepticism. "For the past five years, there hasn't been a single murder in or around the city that could be traced back to Li Wen."

Wan Cai shook his head. "No."

Zhou Sen leaned back slightly, a flicker of reluctant admiration in his eyes. "Then Li Wen's self-control is truly remarkable."

He had encountered many demons before—even those who understood the risks of being discovered by humans. Yet, despite the danger, they rarely resisted their instinct to hunt humans. Even when they didn't need to consume flesh or souls to survive, their cravings always drove them to kill.

Before Wan Cai could respond, a familiar voice cut through the room.

"Because Li Wen's strength is only a step away from becoming a Demon Lord… or perhaps, he already is one."

Both Wan Cai and Zhou Sen turned toward the entrance.

A woman stood before them, clad in warrior's robes, a long spear strapped to her back. Her face bore a striking resemblance to Yuan, yet her presence carried an aura of unshakable authority.

She was Zhen Li Si, Yuan's elder sister—a warrior blessed by the Goddess of the Lake and one of the few chosen to wield divine power.

Her weapon, the Water Snake Spear, was not just a weapon—it was a high-tier magical artifact, imbued with the Goddess's divine energy.

Both Wan Cai and Zhou Sen immediately bowed, showing her the respect she commanded.

"Elder Sister," they greeted in unison.

Zhou Sen straightened slightly and asked, "Why have you come, Elder Sister?"

Li Si sighed, crossing her arms with a bored expression.

"To stop the two of you from rushing to your deaths."

Zhou Sen's eyes widened in disbelief. "Elder Sister, you must be mistaken!"

"Wan Cai, along with Uncle Zhen and a small team, managed to seriously injure him."

Wan Cai nodded in agreement. "Yes, Elder Sister. With Zhou Sen and a larger team, killing him should be easy."

Uncle Zhen was also an Innate Realm warrior, like them, but due to his age surpassing fifty, he could no longer fight at his peak strength.

Li Si let out a tired sigh. "The one thing I admire about Li Wen is that he truly loved my little sister. Otherwise, no one at the wedding venue would have been left alive."

Wan Cai frowned. "Elder Sister, how can you be so certain that Li Wen is a step away from becoming a Demon Lord—or even that he already is one?"

"He's a demon," he continued. "There are countless ways he could have hidden his nature while secretly consuming humans."

Li Si shook her head, her voice tinged with frustration. "Your jealousy toward Li Wen has blinded you."

She crossed her arms. "You refuse to believe your investigation."

Then, she gave them a pointed look. "This isn't just my opinion—the Goddess herself told me."

Zhou Sen's expression darkened. "The Goddess of the Lake got involved?"

Li Si nodded. "Because of me."

Seeing their confused expressions, she continued, "I haven't been home for the past six years, and Yuan… she was always weak and too trusting of others. Before I left, I pleaded with the Goddess to send a Lake Spirit to watch over her."

She exhaled, her gaze sharpening. "When Yuan and Li Wen became friends, the Lake Spirit investigated him—but all it found Li Wen was an ordinary body-refining Innate Warrior. If that Snake Demon hadn't ratted out Li Wen, we never would have known he was a demon at all."

Then, her voice dropped slightly. "Only demons who are a step away from becoming a Demon Lord—or those who have already become one—can suppress their instinct to consume human flesh and blood." 

Zhou Sen furrowed his brows, confused. "This is the first time I've heard of a Demon Lord." 

Coming from a poor family, he had climbed the ranks solely on his talent, eventually becoming an Innate Warrior and earning his place as one of the twelve commanders of the Demon Suppression Palace. 

"I know about Demon Kings, but I've never heard of Demon Lords before." 

Wan Cai spoke in a measured tone. "A Demon Lord's strength lies between that of a Great Demon and a Demon King." 

Zhou Sen frowned. If this was such important information, why had he never learned about it—despite being one of the twelve commanders? 

In truth, Wan Cai had only discovered this knowledge from his family's ancient library. He chose not to reveal the names of known Demon Lords, unwilling to speak of them in the open. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Li Si—as a Divine Warrior, she surely had greater insight. 

Li Si sighed before finally speaking. "This isn't exactly a secret among higher-ranking humans. Since both of you have reached this level, you will have learned it eventually in the coming years." 

Then, she gave them a pointed look. "Tell me—do you remember the oldest Seven Evil Gods, the ones whose worship was banned?" 

Wan Cai started listing them. "God of Wisdom, God of Bravery, God of Wealth, God of Love…" 

Zhou Sen continued. "God of Food, God of War, and God of Luck." 

Li Si's expression darkened. 

"The Seven Demon Kings… are also the Seven Ban Gods." 

She spoke slowly, letting the weight of her words settle. 

- The Demon King of Pride is the God of Bravery. 

- The Demon King of Greed is the God of Wealth. 

- The Demon King of Wrath is the God of War. 

- The Demon King of Gluttony is the God of Food. 

- The Demon King of Envy is the God of Luck. 

- The Demon King of Lust is the God of Love. 

- The Demon King of Sloth is the God of Wisdom. 

A heavy silence followed her revelation.

Wan Cai and Zhou Sen's mouths fell open in shock.

Li Si continued, "And the cults that appear and disappear across the lands? They are all connected to the Demon Lords."

Wan Cai frowned. "Then why don't we publicly announce that these so-called 'gods' behind the cults are Demon Lords?"

Li Si shook her head. "I don't know. The Goddess warned me not to inquire about it. My guess? There may be an agreement between the Divine Realm and the Demon Realm—one that prevents the Demon Kings from openly waging war against humanity."

Zhou Sen narrowed his eyes. "But why would Demon Lords want to pose as gods?"

Li Si's expression remained unreadable. "There must be a reason."

Wan Cai suddenly stiffened, a thought forming in his mind. "Then… does that mean the Demon King of Wrath is the same being as our Martial Ancestor?"

He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't believe it.

Zhou Sen scoffed, "What nonsense! The Martial Ancestor is the reason ordinary humans can fight demons in the first place!"

But Li Si didn't refute Wan Cai. Instead, she spoke calmly. "He's right."

Zhou Sen opened his mouth to argue but then froze as realization struck him.

He thought about how all warriors awaken their power. The foundation of warrior training was simple—when anger surges, strength follows.

A warrior's first step was always to learn to control their rage and then awaken their inner energy.

His hands trembled slightly as he turned to Li Si, silently pleading for her to deny it.

But she sighed. "Yes."

She had chosen to reveal the truth now—because if a demon whispered this secret during battle, it could break their spirits completely.

Wanting to shift the conversation, Li Si turned toward the map. Her eyes locked onto the mountain range beyond the Moon River, its jagged peaks shrouded in thick miasma.

A place where humans could not survive.

A place perfect for a demon to hide.

"Let's move. Li Wen is heading toward the Ancient Mountain Range."