Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 507: Sorry, I Can't Submit to You

"With that said... Humans might be weak, but they are numerous. Moreover, I have always believed that while the heavens deprived humans of cultivation talents, they endowed them with wisdom. Humans are among the most intelligent, if not the most intelligent, of all species. In this aspect, many demons and nymphs who consider themselves strong are far inferior. So, in my view, humans are a very spiritual species.

"Just like Little Mei's mother... See, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and it’s not just that. Her spirit captivates me. Throughout my life, she has always been the woman I loved most, by far. This is one of the reasons why I am willing to let her daughter inherit the position of clan leader. Since they are both members of the Redemption Society, this means that in the future, humans will stand by their side. At the same time, she is my daughter, with the blood of the Peacock Demon clan flowing in her veins. Thus, humans are still serving my clan in a sense. Why would I mind that?"

Listening to the Peacock Great Demon King, Tang San suddenly found himself speechless. From this perspective, it indeed made sense.

"I heard about your situation. You brought the so-called Shrek Squad to victory and gained noble status, which caused dissatisfaction within the Ancestral Court. You don't have to worry about this; I've already resolved it for you. In fact, the Ancestral Court's discontentment is merely about not wanting to give humans any hope. They don't take it too seriously. As I said, humans have no proper way to cultivate and no means of ascension to godhood, so they aren’t seen as any kind of threat. They just don't want useful servants to have too many ideas."

"Thank you, City Lord." Tang San bowed slightly to show his gratitude. With the Peacock Great Demon King's status, resolving this minor issue personally was naturally the best outcome.

"I resolved it on the grounds that you are a vassal of my clan... my servant," the Peacock Great Demon King said flatly.

As he spoke, he stared intently at Tang San. "Are you willing to submit to me?"

After winning against the Behemoth contestant today, the Peacock Great Demon King had immediately sought him out, and Tang San naturally understood his interlocutor’s purpose. He had continuously defeated three powerful opponents, fully demonstrating his potential and strength, so what else could it be?

"My clan will give you support to help you become a god in the future. You should understand how difficult it is to reach the tenth order on your own. It won’t be easy for the Redemption Society to help you do that, and if they’re discovered, someone might just think of eliminating you all. Moreover, submitting to me won't affect your identity in Redemption. As for me, well, you know I don't mind," the Peacock Great Demon King said calmly.

However, Tang San shook his head. "Sorry, I can't submit to you."

In an instant, the Peacock Great Demon King's eyes flashed with light. He truly hadn't expected Asura to give him such an answer. As the leader of the Peacock Demon clan, a peak-level Great Demon King, and the lord of a city—a status second only to Emperors—he had extended a sincere offer to a human only to be rejected.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"You won't. Besides, I'm not finished. I can't submit to you because I already have someone I serve."

The Peacock Great Demon King was stunned for a moment but quickly understood. "You are willing to serve my daughter?"

Tang San raised his right hand, bit the tip of his middle finger, and a drop of blood emerged. Under his control, the blood outlined a complex rune.

"I swear on my blood that from today onward, I will be her supporter and protector. Anyone who wants to harm her must step over my dead body. I will never go against her will, and my life will belong to her forever! If I break this oath, may my bloodline punish me."

The blood-colored rune gradually emitted a faint golden glow. In the next instant, the golden light flashed and the rune quickly shrank, disappearing into Tang San's forehead.

The Peacock Great Demon King's expression turned slightly peculiar, and he didn't speak for a long while.

He had called Asura here to recruit him. Asura's performance in the Ancestral Court Elite Tournament had fully demonstrated his strength. Such a promising star, and a human at that, would be highly beneficial for the Peacock Demon clan. Asura's abilities were not only visible to him. After this match, it was likely that Emperors would soon attempt to recruit him. That was why he had personally transported Asura from the competition arena as soon as the match was over.

He hadn't expected Tang San to be so clear-minded. A blood oath was the most serious vow on the Daemon Continent. But this young man was perfectly calm and composed when making it, which meant that he had thought everything through.

"I am the clan leader now, so why are you willing to serve her instead of me?" the Peacock Great Demon King couldn't help but ask. He suddenly felt that with Asura's blood oath, he had somehow fallen into a weaker position in this conversation.

Tang San replied, "Because you don't have long to live, and Mei Gongzi will be the next clan leader. Besides, I love her. I was planning to protect her anyway. This blood oath is my promise not to you but to her, effective forever."

Hearing his blunt words, the Peacock Great Demon King's expression changed, and the atmosphere in the air grew heavier as he gave off a hint of killing intent.

"Do you really think I won't kill you, even though you've sworn allegiance to my daughter?" the Peacock Great Demon King said coldly.

Tang San calmly retorted, "I'm merely stating facts. You will not kill me because it would not benefit you at all. You know I can assist Mei Gongzi and help her restore the status of the Peacock Demon clan. Also, let me tell you something: The bloodline conflict problem of the Lion-Tiger clan was solved by me, and they are my allies now. Not just Big Cat, but the entire Lion-Tiger clan. In the future, they will also be allies of Kali City and Mei Gongzi."

Hearing this, the Peacock Great Demon King couldn't help but be moved. He had seen Big Cat's performance in the previous matches and knew that Big Cat had a first-tier bloodline now... and what that implied. A first-tier bloodline clan fully supporting Mei Gongzi would bring immense benefits to the future of the Peacock Demon clan.

"Fair enough." The Peacock Great Demon King's expression softened, and he poured himself another cup of tea, refilling Tang San's cup as well.

"With your current performance, you indeed deserve to be with her. You only need to agree to one condition, and I will allow you to keep doing whatever you’re doing and not oppose you being with Little Mei, provided she is willing," said the Peacock Great Demon King.

"What is the condition?"

The Peacock Great Demon King said solemnly, "In the future, when my Peacock Demon clan regains its prestige under Little Mei's leadership, you must support her in choosing an outstanding successor from among the clan elites and not from your own offspring."

Tang San was taken aback for a moment. Thinking of offspring, he couldn't help but recall the children he had with Xiao Wu in his previous life. His gaze softened. "Rest assured, I won't allow my child to stay in the Peacock Demon clan. One day, I will take her away so that we can live our own life. It will happen eventually."

Seeing the look in his eyes, the Peacock Great Demon King suddenly found his words very convincing, for reasons he couldn't fathom.

Tang San's gaze steadied as he looked at the Peacock Great Demon King. "City Lord, I have another question I would like to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"The last time the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor came, he severely injured you, and your injuries are not something you can recover from anytime soon... if at all. If the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor comes again, how will you respond? With your strength, you can't contend with the Ancestral Court, should they decide to support him. So how can Mei Gongzi contend with them? And with trouble knocking, how can the Peacock Demon Clan be protected? If you give me ten more years, I might have that confidence. But now, I definitely can't contend with an Emperor."