Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 34: Marriage offer

The grand hall was filled with an oppressive silence as Demon King Xiang stood before the statue his stature imposing. "What do you want?" he said again his voice low but his tone oppressive.

Demon King Yao glanced at his daughter with a cloak covering her features. He clenched his fist before saying, "My apologies... your Majesty." his face etched with desperation. His once proud demeanour was now humbled by the weight of his situation. When Xiang Yu defeated the northern realm Demon King and ascended to the throne, he and the other Demon Kings gathered and came to an agreement that they wouldn’t acknowledge the half blood as a Demon King. Yet, here he was now begging for his assistance.

"I...," Demon King Yao continued his voice trembling slightly, "my realm is under siege. Demon King Mowang has attacked us with relentless ferocity. Half of my army has been decimated." Xiang Yu’s eyes narrowed, his expression cold and indifferent to his troubles. He remained silent, allowing him to continue with his sob story.

"Mowang has declared that he will return," he said, his voice breaking. "He intends to take my daughter as his bride. I am desperate. I have come to ask for your help."

A cold sneer twisted Xiang Yu’s lips. "Why not just marry her off? Isn’t marriage a happy event," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "The solution is simple, but you have to come to me... a half-blood, begging for help? How laughable."

Demon King Yao’s eyes widened, and he took a step back, his desperation palpable. "Please, if I send her there. My daughter will die. He has taken in plenty of brides in centuries but none of them survived long enough to bear children."

Xiang Yu couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle finding this very amusing. The three of them had even banded together, supporting other high-ranking demons in the northern realm to challenge his claim to the throne. But he slaughtered them all and sent their heads back to them wrapped in exquisite boxes. They thought he didn’t know but he knew their every move. Now there was trouble in paradise and one of them had turned on the other.

Demon King Yao’s shoulders slumped, his pride shattered. "I was wrong," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But my daughter is innocent. She has always admired you. Please..."

Xiang Yu’s sneer deepened, and he turned his back on the demon king. For someone who was asking for help this was nothing more than a hollow gesture. With a cold smile, he turned to leave his eyes blazing with disdain. "If this is your sincerity," he said, his voice dripping with contempt, "then I don’t want it."

His words hung in the air, and the demons from the eastern realm shifted uneasily. Xiang Yu’s aura was terrifying, his dominance unquestionable. He waved a dismissive hand. "Show yourselves out."

The demons from the eastern realm looked at their leader as though asking him for instructions . Demon King Yao gritted his teeth in frustration. Having made up his mind he stepped forward and revealed his trump card.

Demon King Xiang was not only infamous for how he killed his father but the fact that he kept all his father’s concubines and treated them well. He didn’t like him but his daughter genuinely admired him. If she married him then they would be bound by marriage. This alone would be reason enough for Xiang Yu to join forces with him. If not then his entire realm will be annihilated or enslaved.

"Wait!" he called out, his voice trembling. "Please, King Xiang, hear me out." Xiang Yu had nothing else to discuss with him but he paused, allowing Yao to speak.

King Yao bowed deeply, his voice pleading. "I offer you my daughter. She has always admired you, and her loyalty is unwavering. Please, accept her as a token of our allegiance." Xiang Yu’s eyes shone with a cold light as he sat back on his throne.

Mei couldn’t take it anymore. Their master was like their father and not just anyone could qualify to take the position of their mother. "How bold?" She scoffed. "Do you think just anyone can serve my master?"

"What an insult," chimed in Lian a sharp blade dancing in between her fingers.

King Yao’s face turned livid. If anything this bastard didn’t deserve his daughter. He beckoned her over and pulled down the hood of her cloak showcasing her dazzling appearance. "She is beautiful and wise, a worthy consort for your king. Which part of her is undeserving?"

She stepped forward awkwardly staring at Xiang Yu. Her porcelain skin glowed under the dim light, her jet-black hair cascading in lush waves down her back. Her cherry-plump lips and dazzling fox eyes captivated the demons present, their murmurs of admiration filling the air. Her beauty didn’t surpass any of the beauties in the late demon King’s harem but her purity and innocence attracted a lot of attention.

She timidly lowered her head, her hand holding her other arm, a picture of demure beauty. The demons were dazzled, their eyes wide with awe at her ethereal presence. But Xiang Yu, seated on his throne, leaned back with a bored expression. His eyes, cold and unyielding, barely flickered with interest. He propped his head up with his fist his disdain palpable.

His voice cut through the murmurs, dripping with contempt. "I am still not interested." King Yao’s face fell, his hope crumbling. "But... I can help you if you find something for me," he continued.

The young woman’s face fell in dejection. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She thought he would gladly take her as a consort. She glanced at her father as though asking for help but he wasn’t too concerned about this at the moment. "Tell me what it is and I promise to find it for you," he said and Mei tossed a piece of folded rice paper at his feet.

The demon King overlooked her rudeness and picked it up faster than his subordinates could pick it up for him. He unfurled it and his brow furrowed. It was a painting of a common jade pendant with a flower carved on it. "Find it and I will help you," he said with a eerie grin plastered on his face.