Chapter 568: 先生大才，云霞受教

The Shadow Demon King looked up at the sound. His expression immediately changed drastically, and he quickly hunched over, rushing to Concubine Yunxia. He knelt on one knee with utmost reverence, saying, "Your humble subordinate, Shadow Demon King, greets Concubine Yunxia!"

The person before him was the foremost of the Demon Emperor's thirty-six concubines, the Demon Emperor's most beloved and trusted consort. Her status was exalted, not to mention her personal strength: she was a grand master who had reached the pinnacle of the Ninth Layer Core Formation realm! She even had experience attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. In terms of power, the Shadow Demon King couldn't even compare. How could he dare to be anything but respectful?

"Release that mermaid," Concubine Yunxia said, her gaze calm. Her gentle tone carried an undeniable authority.

The Shadow Demon King hesitated, then said, "Yes. However, this mermaid privately released a human. If we treat her so leniently, what will stop other subordinates from doing the same?" He had to accept the order, daring not defy it. But he felt he needed a plausible reason to silence his subordinates.

Concubine Yunxia glanced at Jiang Fan, who was still enveloped in the Five-Magnet Divine Light. She calmly stated, "That fellow demon was right. Since we are of the same race, why should we harm each other? Moreover, this mermaid only released harmless ordinary humans; it won't affect the bigger picture. On the contrary, after the war ends and relations between the two races need to be mended, she, who once saved humans, can be put forward as a peace envoy between our two races."

The Shadow Demon King frowned and muttered, "The war ends?" Was Concubine Yunxia hinting at something?

But then he heard Concubine Yunxia say leisurely, "Is there truly an unending war? Even the grandest conflict has an end. The human and demon races are equally matched, so this war will surely conclude with heavy casualties on both sides. When that happens, both sides will inevitably cease hostilities, shake hands, and recuperate. They will also attempt to gloss over past grievances and reduce friction. I think this mermaid is quite suitable for that. She is beautiful and kind-hearted, and she saved humans; she will help dissipate a lot of human hatred."

Jiang Fan secretly nodded. He had to admit that Concubine Yunxia, despite being a woman, possessed remarkable foresight. Even before the decisive battle began, she had already foreseen the war's trajectory and outcome. She had even considered the post-war need for both sides to cease hostilities, make peace, and manage public perception. It was fortunate that she hadn't been deeply involved in this conflict; otherwise, she would surely have been a formidable adversary for the human side.

The Shadow Demon King nodded. "Concubine Yunxia's words are sound," he said. "Come, untie her and bring her back. Provide her with good food and drink; she will be of great use in the future!" He then respectfully added, "Concubine Yunxia, why have you suddenly honored our military camp with your presence?"

Concubine Yunxia raised her bound hands. "I encountered a troublesome human junior," she said. "Find someone skilled in unlocking to remove these chains."

The Shadow Demon King was stunned. Who could possibly subdue Concubine Yunxia? And even chain her hands, feet, and neck? He wondered if she had been harmed.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Concubine Yunxia's eyes widened slightly, her gaze commanding respect without anger. She knew exactly what the Shadow Demon King was thinking, and what the slightly worried glances of the War Kings present implied. After all, Concubine Yunxia was renowned for her ethereal beauty. Had she been defiled while subdued? It was hard to say. But she couldn't clarify the situation because... Jiang Fan had indeed touched her everywhere! Thinking of this, she felt a surge of exasperation and issued a second command: "Furthermore, send your men to search thoroughly within a three-hundred-mile radius! You must find this person."

The Shadow Demon King rubbed his wrinkled nose, hesitating. "Dare I ask, Concubine Yunxia, who is this person you speak of? What is their name, and what do they look like? It would give my men something to go by during their search."

Concubine Yunxia was about to describe Jiang Fan's appearance. But then she reconsidered and sighed, "Never mind. It's been so long; he's surely long gone." Her gaze then fell upon a figure shrouded in five-colored light, the person within indiscernible. Quite surprised, she asked, "What race are you? This five-colored light is something I've never seen before."

Jiang Fan felt a slight relief. It seemed Concubine Yunxia couldn't see through the Five-Magnet Divine Light either. He slightly lowered his voice and said, "I am here by the command of the Old Priest. I greet Concubine Yunxia."

"The Priest?" A hint of apprehension flickered in Concubine Yunxia's eyes. Was it Priest Lingyin, who was eternally youthful and immortal? Why would she send someone here? The Priest lineage had always been shrouded in mystery. The current Old Priest Lingyin was particularly unfathomable. Every time they met, Concubine Yunxia felt as if she were being seen through, which made her deeply uncomfortable. At this critical juncture of the final battle, why would Lingyin send someone to the military camp? She couldn't ask directly, as she was the Demon Emperor's consort and represented him. Asking too bluntly would risk being suspected of prying into the Priest lineage's secrets. So, she resorted to indirect questioning, saying, "As you journeyed to the battlefield, what are your impressions?"

Jiang Fan carefully considered his words before slowly replying, "Heaven and Earth are the chessboard, and all living beings are but pieces. It is only the lowest-ranking beings who suffer. I hope the war ends soon and brings peace to all beings of both races for eternity."

Concubine Yunxia, who had asked casually, heard an answer that subtly shook her. She couldn't help but murmur, "Heaven and Earth as the chessboard... all living beings as pieces... a truly apt description. Is this why you saved the mermaid?"

Jiang Fan nodded. "Yes," he said. "The ancient ancestors of all races protected a millennium of peace for all with their flesh and blood. If races slaughter each other, what meaning does their sacrifice hold? I don't expect powerful leaders to embrace universal harmony and equality for all beings, but at the very least, they shouldn't cruelly treat the weak. They should provide them with basic living space." He subtly referred to the Demon Emperor, hoping Concubine Yunxia would understand and relay his message.

Concubine Yunxia found this intriguing. "Oh? Universal harmony, equality for all beings?" she mused. "That's a novel idea. But the law of the jungle is the iron rule; it applies to demons, to humans, and to all races. This world is simply meant to be this way."

Jiang Fan shook his head, his voice low but forceful. "Concubine Yunxia, please consider the long river of history. Look at millions of years of human civilization: through countless dynastic changes, when was it not the fall of old nobility and the rise of new? Look at the dramatic changes in the demon race over the past century: without the demise of the old Demon Emperor, how could a new one have been born? The world has no fixed laws, so where do iron rules come from? We simply lack a magnificent figure to lead us in creating a world of universal harmony, to establish a realm where all beings are equal. Or perhaps, such a figure once existed, but fell along the way."

His words were softly spoken, yet they possessed the power to awaken the deaf and stir the heartstrings. Concubine Yunxia fell into deep thought, then asked, "What is universal harmony? What is equality?" For the demon race, these were utterly foreign concepts. From birth, they had always played the roles of predator and prey. Equality was a non-existent word.

Jiang Fan, with his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky and declared, "Revere your own elders, and extend that reverence to the elders of others! Love your own young, and extend that love to the young of others!"

These mere sixteen characters struck Concubine Yunxia's heart like a thunderbolt. They resonated deeply within every demon present. A scene slowly emerged: people coexisting equally and harmoniously, caring for unrelated elders as if they were their own parents, and raising others' children as if they were their own. It sounded distant, fantastical, impractical, even absurd enough to be ridiculed. Yet, upon closer thought, wasn't that precisely the world they yearned for in their hearts? A world without deceit, without mutual slaughter, without selfishness. A world where everyone coexisted equally, contentedly, and peacefully. Where every individual, crying upon entering the world, smiled upon returning to the heavens and earth. This was how living beings were truly meant to exist.

The vast military camp fell into deep silence. They were all profoundly shaken by the vision of universal harmony described in those short sixteen characters.

Concubine Yunxia was momentarily lost in thought. The concept of universal harmony had profoundly impacted her. When she looked at Jiang Fan again, a hint of respect entered her eyes. She bowed slightly, offering a respectful salute. "Listening to a word from you, Sir, is worth ten years of study," she said. "Yunxia has learned much."

"It's merely my personal opinion," Jiang Fan replied. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb Concubine Yunxia's official duties. Farewell."

"Wait!" Concubine Yunxia called out, stopping Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan's heart skipped a beat. Had he let something slip, and had this woman detected a flaw? He had personally experienced her intelligence.