The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 287 The Demon King's Methods

Natalia told Eric that the old devil, Digot, had only visited a few minutes before he returned.

The Demon King seemed to know when he would return, stating that he had come for Eric. Before the shocked Natalia could even react, Eric was back.

"It's been several days since I last saw Your Majesty. I never expected to meet you here again."

Eric looked at the old demon king opposite him and breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least he understood where the eerie atmosphere he had felt after returning to this demon village came from.

"Or is it that His Majesty was already waiting for us here?"

"After waking up, I went to some places and did some things."

Digot threw a thin piece of firewood into the hearth in front of him. "I wasn't waiting for you, but I did get here before you. As I said, Eric, you found your way here, so we meet again."

“If Your Majesty believed what I said before, you should understand that we are determined to return to human lands,” Eric said.

“Then you should head south, not all the way north, all the way to the depths of the Demon Realm.” The old Demon King sat cross-legged, looking younger and more imposing than when he had just awakened, but his tone was more peaceful.

"The directions in the snowy region are difficult to discern; we are lost, Your Majesty."

Eric was happy to see the old Demon King causing trouble in the Demon Realm, but he didn't want to see him in person at all.

“The distant descendants of your people pointed us in the wrong direction, which is why we have come here.”

"Was it the wrong direction?" the Demon King asked, looking at him. "That's why we've met again."

"I'm so happy to see His Majesty..."

Eric pretended not to see the look Natalia was giving him. "But we'd rather go back south. Now that we've redefined our direction, we're actually planning to leave tonight."

"No rush, Eric."

The Demon King looked at him and Natalia. "Now that you're here, I should let you witness the process of me regaining my power, and let you take a closer look at the place where I studied soul power back then, instead of just wandering around outside."

"..."

Natalia noticed that when the Demon King uttered his last words, Eric's eyes widened slightly, and his expression became even more serious.

"So His Majesty saw it all."

“I can see it whenever I want,” the Demon King said, looking at him.

Eric took a deep breath. "When does His Majesty intend to reclaim his power?"

“No rush,” Digot repeated, his gaze becoming unfocused, as if looking at some distant place. “You’re right, the human that Latrell found does have some talent. He seems to have made some unique discoveries. I don’t want to disturb him for now. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Eric felt the focus of his gaze return to him.

"You don't need to worry about being exposed. You will be in no danger here. The people of the Taiwu tribe outside have already submitted to me. They obey my orders and are your servants," the Demon King said.

Eric and Natalia exchanged a glance. "In that case, I'll wait until His Majesty regains his power before I leave."

He emphasized the word "leave," and the Demon King looked at him and suddenly smiled slightly.

"If you still insist on leaving, I can get you back to that once-conquered land much faster than originally planned."

"Faster speed?" Eric was taken aback. "Even if we've gotten lost and traveled this far in the completely opposite direction?"

“The right direction doesn’t necessarily get you to the right place, Eric.”

The Demon King extended a finger and drew a U shape on the wooden floor. "And I have prepared a wonderful shortcut for you."

Eric looked at the Demon King, then at the marks on the floor, and for a moment couldn't understand what the Demon King meant.

The Demon King didn't bother to explain. He stood up and said, "You've been traveling for so many days. Rest here. When the time comes, I will let you witness it for yourself."

After the Demon King left, Eric saw him to the door, watching him mount the tall, thin snow sheep and leisurely stroll towards the other side of the village.

The demons along the way prostrated themselves before him, and after the Demon King passed, they bowed again towards Eric before rising.

"I'm starting to lose track of whether I'm human or a demon..." Eric said softly, reflecting on his day.

Natalia gripped his arm tightly, and only then did she speak again, "I didn't expect the Demon King to actually appear here. It seems he came specifically for you."

Eric turned his head, and she looked into his eyes. He quickly understood what she really meant.

"You think... he found this place through the connection I had with him?"

Natalia nodded.

"If that's the case, then we're in big trouble..." Eric muttered.

The two stood at the door for a while, and the Demon King disappeared around the corner while kneeling and worshipping all the way. Only then did they return to the house.

"Next..."

Natalia sat by the fire, very close, yet she still felt a lingering chill all over her body.

"Are we just supposed to wait for Simmagu to achieve his so-called breakthrough, and then return to the Empire through the faster method the Demon King mentioned?"

"The moment we encountered the Demon King again, we had no other choice."

Eric stared at the U-shaped marks on the wooden floor that looked like mosquito coil burns, still not understanding what they meant. Did they refer to the route they took when they reached the depths of the Demon Realm and then turned back?
Natalia's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before settling on the flames in front of them.

Both of them felt a mixture of relief and unease, both stemming from the sudden appearance of the Demon King.

Eric stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly realized something: "The Demon King said he arrived here before us. Did Toynbee know nothing about this?"

“The Demon King probably waited until we appeared before showing himself,” Natalia said.

“I’ll go ask.” Eric stood up.

“He must be waiting for you to come back too.” Natalia stood up as well.

Eric glanced at the dagger at her waist. "If you go in with the dagger first, he'll probably be scared to death."

Natalia sneered at his words and drew her dagger. "I don't mind this shameful human traitor."

"Don't rush, let me ask first. The Demon King said that Simmagu has made a unique discovery, and Toynbee should know something about it."

The two went to the other room, and Eric didn't intend to let Natalia go in first to scare Toynbee; he simply pushed the door open and went in.

Toynbee remained bound to the fire and did not move after they came in.

Eric removed the rag from his mouth and was about to wake him when he suddenly touched his skin with the back of his hand, then moved his hand to his neck.

Natalia watched from the side, and then saw Eric pause for a moment, then shake his head at her.

"he died."

"...Dead?" Natalia looked at Toynbee, who was now completely still, her gaze sweeping over the ropes binding him before settling on the nearby fire. "How did he die?"

Eric checked it over. "It wasn't tied up, the fire is still burning, so it definitely didn't freeze to death. It's like it just suddenly disappeared..."

He paused, looked at Natalia, and she looked at him too. They both uttered the same possibility: "The Demon King."

Then came the question, Natalia asked, puzzled, "Why would the Demon King kill him?"

"Killing him should be the result, not the goal."

Eric guessed, "The Demon King probably has the ability to extract memories from souls. Toynbee was tied up here, so he took a look at his soul and didn't put it back."

“This also explains why the Demon King knew about Sinmag's research progress and my movements…” Eric continued, still somewhat unwilling to believe that the old Demon King possessed an ability akin to having a third eye.

The two stood in silence for a while looking at Toynbee's body, then returned to the original house.

“It feels even colder here,” Natalia whispered.

Eric wholeheartedly agreed.

The two stayed in the house until nightfall, without making any further noise.

"Have something to eat." Eric stood up. The food they brought was all on the snow sheep, while the two sheep were still tied up outside.

As soon as Eric stepped outside, he noticed several demons watching him from a distance. As soon as he came out, they went back into their respective houses.

He stared at it for a while, then, without thinking much, took the dried meat off the snow sheep, went back into the house, and prepared to roast it before eating.

A short while later, there was a knock on the door.

Eric and Natalia exchanged a glance. "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and several demon women filed in, some carrying jars and others holding iron plates.

On the iron plate were slices of raw meat, and in the jar was probably broth. As soon as it was placed down, Eric smelled a rich aroma.

Several demon women then placed the iron plate on the hearth, and took out two clean earthenware bowls, placing them in front of Eric and Natalia respectively. As each piece of meat on the iron plate was cooked, they would take a piece and put it into their bowls.

The two stared at each other and at everything before them in silence, until the pile of roasted meat grew larger and larger. Eric spoke up: "Is this snow lamb?"

The demon woman beside him said something he couldn't understand.

Eric pointed to the snow sheepskin on his body, and the demon nodded.

“Eat.” He looked at Natalia. “This is the Demon King’s treat.”

Natalia took a deep breath. "Eat."

Neither of them stood on ceremony, and only after eating the roasted lamb did they realize what a waste their cooking method had been the day before.

“If this is how the Demon King corrupts our will, then he has really come up with the right method. You must resist,” Natalia said.

Eric was speechless for a moment. "I can't fight this alone."

“Even the Demon King doesn’t think much of me.” Natalia popped a piece of roasted lamb into her mouth. “He hasn’t said a word to me since you came back.”

“Then I’ll eat my fill before I resist,” Eric said, stuffing his mouth with food as well.

As for the earthenware pot, it contained thoroughly cooked mutton soup. Eric poured himself a bowl, and the floating minced meat melted in his mouth, the rich aroma hitting him right in the head.

Eric couldn't tell if the food was just incredibly delicious, or if he and Natalia hadn't had anything good to eat in a while. They ate and drank heartily for a while and quickly filled their stomachs.

Seeing that the two had finished eating, the demon women quickly cleaned up their belongings, said something in demon language, and left the house one after another.

Eric's gaze fell on the jerky they had brought along the way, and he couldn't help but show a hint of disgust, before noticing that Natalia was looking at him.

"The Demon King has really come up with the right idea," she said again.

Eric was both amused and exasperated. "Do you think I'd be corrupted by a little food?"

"Perhaps there are other methods as well." Natalia's words had barely left her lips when a new method emerged.

The wooden door was knocked on again. The two men exchanged a glance and then let the person outside in.

Two young demon women, carrying blankets that looked like they were woven from snow wool, came in, said something in the demon language, and then looked at them.

Eric guessed they meant to ask where the blankets were, so he pointed to the fireside.

The two men indeed laid out the snow wool blanket where he pointed. Then one of them quickly stripped naked, lay down on the blanket, spread his legs, and moistened himself with his hands. The other man came over, pulled Eric, and began to pull down his pants.

"..."

From shock to anger, it only took Natalia a few seconds.

She drew Eric's longsword, pointed it at the two demon girls, and told them to get out.

The two of them also couldn't understand, but they clearly understood what she meant. They just ignored her and looked at Eric instead.

Before Natalia could look over, Eric immediately pointed outside.

The two demon girls quickly put on their clothes and left, remaining calm throughout.

The remaining two looked at each other. Natalia sheathed her longsword and stared at Eric for a while.

"Is it a pity?"

“This is the Demon King’s way of sowing discord among us,” Eric said without changing his expression.

Natalia glared at him for a moment, then laughed, "I knew the Demon King wouldn't be interested in me."

“Do you expect him to send two strong young demons?” Eric raised an eyebrow. “That wouldn’t be an attempt to win him over, it would be a provocation.”

Natalia smiled again, then fell silent.

After a long while, she sighed, "The common people of the demon race are truly pitiful."

This was the first time she had shown sympathy and pity for the demons, even though the object of her affections was someone she had just wanted to kill with a sword.

Eric got up and closed the door tightly. "No one else should be coming. Let's rest."

The two lay down on the snow wool blankets by the fire, sleeping in better conditions than on any day since arriving in the Demon Realm, but neither Eric nor Natalia could fall asleep immediately.

Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, their gazes occasionally lingering on each other's faces. For a fleeting moment, Eric felt that Natalia's gaze wasn't on her lover, but rather on a choice.

"Isn't it a bit too early to start thinking about trading my life for the old demon king's?"

"..."

Natalia looked at him, then moved closer and nestled into his arms.

"The current Demon King is powerful, but not invincible. However, this old Demon King is completely unfathomable... The unknown is what's frightening. I now suspect that even if the Demon Clan falls into internal strife, we may not be able to seize this opportunity, because the Demon Clan will quickly reorganize under the old Demon King's leadership."

Eric stroked her back. "Latrell won't be defeated so easily. Those he took away were the true elite of the demon race. The most intense conflict between the two generations of demon kings is bound to erupt... Let's believe in the demon king."

Natalia looked up at him, then sighed and hugged him tightly.

"Believe in the Demon King."

Eric fell silent as he gazed at the flickering flames.

The demon race was united by the Demon King, and now one of the Demon Kings was born because of him. Among the ways to eliminate the demon race, an astonishingly efficient option has emerged: he can simply exchange his life for the Demon King's.

The condition for prolonging the old demon king's life is definitely not simply finding someone to bleed him; otherwise, the old demon king wouldn't have "died suddenly" back then.

But this is just his guess.

Eric took a deep breath.

Natalia looked up. "What are you thinking about?"

"What you were thinking just now."

"I won't make that choice."

Eric lowered his head and kissed her cheek. "I know."

Natalia responded to his kiss, and the two rolled over, ending up in a top-bottom position.

"Are you still thinking about those two demon women from earlier?"

"Why are you suddenly saying this? It's not like I haven't seen naked women before, it's not like I'm still hung up on them."

Natalia hooked her arm around his neck. "But I was wondering. When you're with your other partners, is it the same situation as just now?"

"...I'm not that promiscuous. I'm a saint of the church."

"Hmph..." Natalia glared at him, but she couldn't maintain that expression for long. "How... how are you so skilled... ugh!"

Pleasure is only part of the long night.

Eric woke up very late the next morning.

Since arriving in the Demon Realm, he hadn't slept this late in a long time; Natalia was still asleep.

He didn't wake her. He got up and opened the door. A gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes blew in, and he quickly closed the door a little.

The wind and snow started blowing again, and everything outside was a white expanse, making it impossible to see more than ten meters away.

A chill crept in, and Natalia murmured something on the ground. Eric added more firewood to the nearly extinguished fire and then reignited it.

Sitting by the fire, Eric stared at the flames for a while, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

He went to open the door, and there was the old devil outside.

There wasn't a single footprint on the snow. I have no idea how he got here. He looked like a ghost.

The Demon King didn't even glance into the house, but seemed to know that Natalia was still asleep on the floor. Instead of coming in, he told Eric to walk around with him.

"Shall we take a walk?" Eric glanced at the heavy snow outside.

"This has no effect on us," the Demon King said with a smile.

He raised a hand, and Eric quickly realized that the falling snowflakes passed right through his body, as if his body had no substance.

"I am currently in a soul state," the Demon King said.

"..."

Damn, it really is a ghost!

The Demon King still looked at him, "You can do it too."

(End of this chapter)