Who let him join the Sword Sect!

Chapter 526 First Encounters Always Start with a Meal

The yellow sand stretches endlessly, continuing from where we left off last time.
With the Earth Sea about to churn, the three races of humans, demons, and barbarians ceased their war and decided to weather the apocalypse together.

So when Zhang Ze came in, he saw himself having a large meeting with people.

The Human Emperor and the leaders of the Demon and Barbarian races sat at the head of the table, exchanging opinions calmly and amicably with clear minds. They shared their views and planned for the future, a sight that inspired reassurance.

However, when their gaze shifted downwards, they found that their respective subordinates were already arguing fiercely.

They argue about everything under the sun, from the height of their buttocks to the splinters on their chopsticks—basically, they're unhappy with everyone except those in their own camp.

There's nothing we can do; the grudge is there, and it can't be resolved.

Because of the years of war, the grudges between the various tribes had deepened. In the eyes of the leaders of the three tribes, those wars were just numbers, achievements, and chips to be placed on the scales.

But when it comes down to it, it's brothers and fathers, uncles and nephews, and an irreconcilable blood feud.

The end of the world is far away, but the enemy is right in front of us.

The three leaders' original intention was simply to gather the leaders of the various subordinate tribes together, explain the situation, and then discuss cooperation.

But I never expected it to turn out like this.

If it weren't for the high prestige of the Human Emperor and the Barbarian King, and the fact that the Little Demon Lord had already earned a notorious reputation through patricide and purging, the people in this venue would probably have already shed blood, instead of just exchanging words here.

As Zhang Ze was looking around, someone suddenly spoke in his ear.

"Wow, so you've finally met your match. This should be called, 'I never thought you'd have a yesterday too.'"

"The teacher just taught us what the 'past tense' is yesterday."

The one speaking was not Fuhita, but Her Majesty the Cat Girl.

She could only hear his voice, but not see him; the voice buzzed around Zhang Ze like a fly.

"No matter where you go, meetings are all the same. It was like this in the old days when the grand assembly was held, and it's like this now when the small group meetings are held. As soon as the free discussion session starts, it turns into a vegetable market."

Zhang Ze casually asked, "So how did you handle it back then? I forgot."

Her Majesty the Catwoman: "Me? I'll just plug my ears and let them argue."

"Most of the time, the argument only lasts for a week at most. Once they calm down, I'll come to you for help."

Zhang Ze, “.”

The Catwoman ignored Zhang Ze's disdain and continued to ramble on, "To be honest, I used to idolize the Human Emperor when I was a kid, but when I saw the real deal, tsk tsk tsk, he's just an ordinary guy."

Zhang Ze really wanted to give His Majesty a thunderous slam, but since both of them were in his memory and he couldn't see where she was, he had to give up.

Fortunately, the sound of a gong soon broke the silence, interrupting Her Majesty the Catwoman's rambling and the noisy commotion from the past.

The emperor stood on the table, holding a broken gong in his hand, and kept banging it.

The jarring, annoying gong made everyone swallow their words.

However, although things quieted down, the emperor did not get off the table; instead, he slammed the gong to the ground.

"Shut up! Let me finish what I have to say before you start arguing!"

After everyone had looked over, the Emperor finally spoke, “It’s certainly exhilarating to settle scores, but before resorting to underhanded tactics, think about your children first.”

Everyone who expected the Emperor to deliver some grand pronouncements was taken aback.

The Emperor continued, “I know that most of you want to take my head. In the eyes of a few people with problems, even if the entire young men of your clan were to be exchanged for one of my fingers, it would be a huge profit.”

"There are probably many people who think what I'm saying is nonsense and that the doomsday prophecy is just wild speculation."

"So what I'm saying is, you can think whatever you want, but before you start thinking crookedly, think about your own children first."

Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs.

At this point, for some reason, the little demon lord coughed lightly behind him, and the human emperor immediately turned around and said angrily.

"Cough, cough, I wasn't talking about you. You're a dog, not a tiger. Besides, you killed your dad, not the other way around. Shut up!"

The little demon lord, who had been inexplicably scolded, grinned, looking somewhat aggrieved.

He didn't intend to interrupt; he really just had an itchy throat.

But for the sake of the bigger picture, he chose to remain patient.

It's definitely not because we can't beat them.

But once the little demon lord quieted down, the cat-girl empress, who was in the audience, started talking again.

"Hey buddy, listen to me. I suspect that the fact that many demons nowadays have masochistic tendencies might actually be a result of this guy's past behavior."

Zhang Ze: "Suffering? Was it?"

Your Majesty the Cat Girl: "Yes, this is the conclusion I've drawn from my own observations, and it's absolutely accurate. Ever since I became like this, I feel uncomfortable if I don't get beaten up every day."

“I wasn’t like this before.”

Zhang Ze, “.”

Exhausted, Zhang Ze sighed, "Be quiet for a while, and don't talk during the movie."

"If you keep babbling, I'll go back to your teacher and make sure you stay at the Beast Taming Sect picking manure for the rest of the semester."

Her Majesty the Catgirl: "Heh, you wait until I graduate."

The interlude concludes with the restraint of a wolf and a cat across time, while the human emperor from those old memories finally reveals his plan.

"The disaster called the tides occurred once before, and the creatures of that time survived the tides by using facilities called shelters, and then we came into being."

“I intend to find those shelters and, when disaster strikes, take refuge in them like our ancestors did.”

"My original plan was for us to work together to find a shelter, but now it seems like that was just a pipe dream."

"Therefore, the Demon Lord, the Barbarian King, and I have already agreed that we will each remain responsible for our respective areas, while the exchange of information will be handled by the three of us, however..."

The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing.

"However, because the tides come from who knows where, I plan to gather all the children of all races together."

"In this way, even if an accident occurs in the end, we can respond by either sending the children to a shelter first or focusing our efforts on protecting the children."

When the Human Emperor uttered these words, everyone except the Barbarian King and the Little Demon Lord, who already knew, was shocked.

Immediately, an elderly man, about three feet tall, with a fleshy growth on his shoulder, stood up and spoke.

Why should we believe you?

"If you take our child, whether you protect him or use him to blackmail us is entirely up to you!"

Zhang Ze seemed to have anticipated this, and he said calmly.

“I know you don’t believe me, so I found someone else to take care of the child.”

“You may not believe me, but you must believe in the village.”

Upon hearing the name of the village, the short, old man, who was about three feet tall, chuckled awkwardly and then sat back down in his seat.

No one present dared to say with certainty that their clan had not received any favors from the village.

Tracing back further, even if not the entire clan received its protection, there are legends of an ancestor who received a sip of water and a bite of food from it.

Furthermore, because this old green dragon in the village often disappears and never participates in inter-tribal conflicts or harbors grudges, its credibility and character can be considered the best in the world.

If it were to personally provide protection, then naturally no one would have any objections.

just
Opposite the three-foot-tall old man, a bird-man stood up and spoke.

"But before the world was in chaos and the three races were at war, the Ancestral Dragon Village had already disappeared for a thousand years and has not been seen since. It is even unknown whether it is alive or dead. Where exactly do you want to find it?"

"Furthermore, if I may be so bold as to add something, I think that Your Majesty's search for a village might not be as easy as finding some kind of shelter."

The Human Emperor waved his hand, gesturing for the birdman to sit down. "It's alright. If we can't find the village, can't we find the pigs?"

"Speaking of pigs," the Emperor said with a strange expression.

"I had some interaction with that square pig by chance before, and it once told me that it knew the whereabouts of the village."

"And I've already decided to spend a lot of money to hire it for help."

Upon hearing the name of Li Shen, everyone gasped, especially upon hearing the word "heavy money," many of them shuddered.

Just as everyone knew about the benevolence and righteousness of the village, they had also long heard of the greed of that strange pig who always called himself a dragon.

The reason I only heard about it, rather than experienced it firsthand, wasn't because the divine pig was elusive, but because all those who asked the Goddess Li to help were bankrupted by its consumption. Then, these bankrupt tribes were quickly wiped out by others after the Goddess Li, who didn't care about after-sales service, closed her orders and left.

Seeing that the Human Emperor wanted to ask the Goddess of Glass for help, everyone actually began to believe in the apocalypse a little more.

The fact that the Emperor could say something like "I'll pay a fortune for glass" means he truly has no intention of living a normal life and is starting to live each day as if it were his last.

In short, under the intimidation of the square pig and the ultimate dad, the meeting finally proceeded normally, and the alliance was barely resolved.

The scene ends abruptly.

Zhang Ze glanced back to make sure Ah Li wasn't there before letting out a sigh of relief and walking towards the second memory segment.

There's no way around it; half of the second half of this time is spent criticizing Ah Li. If she hears this, it will probably take a long time to coax her.

Seeing Zhang Ze about to leave, the cat-girl, still savoring the moment, called out loudly, "Hey, wait for me! I haven't gotten in the carriage yet!"

Act Two.

The scene shifts, revealing a landscape of mountains.

A giant dragon with one eye is coiled among the mountains, controlling the birds and beasts and guarding the dozens of villages nestled in these mountains.

The villages are connected by roads, and the houses in the villages are arranged in a neat and orderly manner. A group of five- or six-year-old children are running around and playing games in the square in the center of the village.

There was no barrier between these children from different ethnic groups; their laughter and playfulness filled the air.

Next to the square, there was another group of teenagers, each holding an even smaller baby.

With the help of their older brothers and sisters, the babies are suckling at the sheep Nana.

After feeding their younger siblings and putting them to sleep in their cradles, a few of them stayed behind to look after them, while the rest, leading the sheep, carrying their own bags, and together with their friends who were playing in the square, headed towards the school halfway up the mountain.

There were no adults teaching in the school, only a scarecrow with the word "teacher" pasted on its face, and the village voice came from the scarecrow's mouth.

"Pay attention in class, or Li will eat you all up."

As soon as these words were spoken, the noise in the classroom immediately ceased.

The Human Emperor and the Little Demon Lord stood on another mountaintop, watching all of this from afar.

The little demon lord said quietly, "To be honest, if it weren't for the ripples of the tide constantly disturbing my mind, I would even suspect that the so-called doomsday rhetoric was just your excuse, and that this was your real purpose."

"In order to find a safe haven, the various tribes have stopped fighting for ten years. Now, the first batch of children who grew up in Peach Blossom Village have returned to their respective tribes. Although not everyone is open-minded, some things have indeed changed."

"You still remember that guy who criticized you at the meeting back then, the one with the tumor on his shoulder?"

“He told me that this was the first time he had seen his nephews and nieces make friends with people from other tribes, and that it was not a pretense, but a genuine friendship like that of brothers.”

"With these children around, perhaps when all of us shameless adults die out, all races will truly usher in peace."

However, at this point, the little demon lord's eyes suddenly turned melancholy.

Because in this paradise, there are children of all races, but not a single child of the demon race.

The inner turmoil and repression of the demon race cannot be soothed by sleeping side by side, the education of the village, or Li's fright.

I am still young and have enough prestige and power to suppress the demon race.

But what about the future, when I become the Old Demon Lord?
The little demon lord thought of his child, his youngest son, and the way he looked at him now was exactly the same way he had looked at his father back then.

"Stop whine and focus on the present. People's hearts are always changing, and no one can say for sure what will happen in the future," the Emperor said, his hands clasped behind his back.

"However, compared to other tribes, you are indeed a cancer. After the disaster, if I am still alive and you can still suppress the various tribes of the demon race, I will find a way to solve the problem of your brains."

The Human Emperor turned to look at the Little Demon Lord. "Don't worry, although I have a bad memory, I can still recognize your white-haired wolves quite easily. I won't forget them."

The little demon lord seemed to want to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words and simply shook his head.

The loneliness didn't last long; the little demon lord reverted to his husky mode.

"Heh, focus on what's in front of you." The little demon lord retorted with a counterattack.

"The affairs of the demon race are none of your business. I've come to you with important business. I've already found those dogs you were looking for."

As he spoke, the little demon lord clapped his hands.

A moment later, a large golden retriever jumped out from behind the bushes. It started circling around the two of them, occasionally climbing on them, wanting them to play with it. Its whirlwind-like tail lashed out painfully.

"It's Mao Mao!" The catgirl, who had been silent for a while as if she were dead, interrupted again.

The memories of the second act also abruptly end when the Human Emperor angrily rubs the golden retriever's head and names him Longhaired Labrador.

When the scene returned, Zhang Ze and the Catwoman saw the Human Emperor and a half-deer man standing on a wasteland.

They were surrounded by a large group of dogs of all breeds.

Short-legged huskies, long-legged corgis, greyhounds, and so on—these dogs, under Mao Mao's leadership, acted like guardians, surrounding the human emperor in the center.

Behind the dog and the human emperor, a giant with a completely black body sat cross-legged. Its eyes were somewhat dull, and it played with its fingers, sometimes making the middle finger, sometimes making a six.

The serious-looking half-deer female adjutant found it hard to feel at ease looking at this comical group.

"Do you really have to go in person? What if something happens to you? We..."

The Emperor shook his head. "My intuition tells me that the tide is coming soon. I don't have time to wait any longer, so I have no choice but to take a gamble."

Half-Deer Girl, "Then whereabouts?"

The Human Emperor said, "Don't worry, I have already made arrangements. The Little Demon Lord will cover for me."

Upon hearing this, Half-Deer Girl immediately said seriously, "Demons are not trustworthy!"

The Human Emperor patted Half-Deer Girl's head. "I know that the demon race is not trustworthy, but the Little Demon Lord is, because I have already trained him."

Half-Deer Girl, "?"

She wanted to say something more, but the Human Emperor waved his hand and then looked at the black giant.

When the giant saw the human emperor looking over, he immediately chuckled and pointed to his forehead with two middle fingers.

A moment later, his 'third eye' opened.

However, that thing was less of an eye and more like an escape pod stuck in the giant's brain.

A beam of amber light shone on the Human Emperor, engulfing him. As the Human Emperor entered the giant's brain, the dull giant became intelligent.

The dull look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by the wisdom of the emperor.

The giant waved goodbye to the half-deer girl, then led the pack of dogs away into the distance.

There was clearly no water around, but as the giant took a step forward, his lower body began to disappear, as if he had entered an invisible sea.

The Emperor has gone to sea.

Zhang Ze opened his eyes again.

However, no new short story about the Human Emperor appeared this time.

He did not witness the specific process of his decision to enter the business world.

The dogs and the black giant had vanished without a trace, and even the catgirl's babbling had disappeared.

Just like activating VIP first-person viewing mode, now there is only Zhang Ze in this memory.

He was standing on the top of a mountain, looking into the distance. The earth was like the inner wall of a ball, rolling upwards, and above his head was another continent, with the sea and mountains hanging upside down.

It is sacred land, sacred land of the past.

so.
Zhang Ze turned around and looked at the sun over the sacred land.

"Huh? Holy crap, what's that thing?"

The 'sun' looked rather grotesque at that moment; its pale, jade-like form was more normal than it had been then.

That thing was less like the sun and more like a living, enormous, blue, sticky fungus.

Thick mycelia wriggled and surged on the surface of the sticky ball, like headless dragons with hundreds of mouths opening and closing, emitting silent murmurs.

When Zhang Ze looked at the blue fungal sun, the blue sun also noticed him.

The mycelium writhed more violently, and the silent murmur turned into a deafening roar, the sound directly impacting the mind and exploding in Zhang Ze's brain.

"Yay! It's a new friend I've never met before!"

"Friend! It's delicious!"

With that, the blue ball hanging in the sky hurtled towards Zhang Ze.
(End of this chapter)