Zhang Ergou woke up twenty days later.
Upon waking, before he could even examine his physical condition, he was shocked by the news Li Zhan brought.
"The demon race is invading, and there are demons on the continent?"
Zhang Ergou didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment.
He had originally thought that by the time he woke up, the demon crisis would have been suppressed by the alliance's higher-ups, and the rift they discovered would have been completely sealed.
But the news he was hearing now was the exact opposite.
"Did the rift we discovered crack open again?"
Though he didn't understand, Zhang Ergou still needed to clarify.
"No, besides that one, traces of demon invasion have been found in several other places on the continent."
"The rift we discovered hasn't had any demons emerge from it yet because of your formation, but it probably won't hold for much longer."
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhang Ergou felt some comfort.
But upon hearing the latter half, a surge of blood rose in his chest, almost suffocating him.
"Didn't I tell you to report to the elders immediately upon your return and have Senior Bai and the others reinforce the formation?"
Zhang Ergou glared at Li Xun, who stood silently beside him.
Just before he lost consciousness, he had used his last ounce of strength to convey his worries and instructions.
Yet, it seemed Li Xun had not done as he promised.
"Don't blame Li Xun. As soon as we returned, we informed Elder Hua and Peak Master Dan. However, after seeing the Alliance Leader, they said nothing, though both their expressions were grim."
"They just told us to ignore it, that the alliance has its own countermeasures."
Before Li Xun could reply, Qu Yao quickly explained for him.
"Is this true?"
Zhang Ergou looked confused. Wasn't the alliance always deeply wary of the demon race? Why would they ignore it this time?
"I'm going to see that old man."
Thinking of this, Zhang Ergou stood up, ready to leave.
Seeing Zhang Ergou's demeanor, Li Zhan and the others looked strange.
"Uh, Ergou, Elder Hua and the others specifically instructed..."
"Instructed what?"
"They said for you not to look for the Alliance Leader after you wake up, and that the Alliance Leader said he didn't want to see you."
Zhang Ergou's steps towards the door halted: "Did that old man really say that?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Could it be this loudmouth right here? Such rudeness, the Alliance Leader will surely not let him off lightly."
Alliance disciples coming and going from the main peak pointed and whispered about Zhang Ergou, their discussions soon reaching his ears. Su Dan Novel Network.
But Zhang Ergou paid them no mind, still shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Old man, if you don't see me today, I'll stay at your doorstep and let all the alliance disciples know you're deliberately letting the demons in..."
"You scoundrel!"
An enraged roar suddenly erupted, and Zhang Ergou felt the world around him shift.
He was already inside the great hall, facing an old man with a face full of fury.
"Heh heh, old man, you finally agreed to see me."
Zhang Ergou completely ignored the old man's glare, smiling foolishly at him.
"Boy, what exactly do you want? Do you know the chaos and panic your shout just now could have caused?"
The old man looked heartbroken, as if Zhang Ergou had infuriated him beyond measure.
"Old man, that's where you're wrong. You said you wouldn't see me, so I had to resort to special measures."
Zhang Ergou sat down cross-legged opposite the old man, facing him directly.
"You brat, I knew you'd have many questions, which is why I specifically instructed Young Dan and Young Hua to tell you not to come over after you woke up."
"Why are you so ungrateful, boy?"
The old man's expression shifted through several variations, startling Zhang Ergou.
"Old man, do you have some grand plan in motion?"
Upon hearing this, the old man looked at him with surprise. This boy's comprehension was good; before he could say anything, Zhang Ergou seemed to have guessed some of it.
He had given so many hints then, yet Peak Master Dan and Hua Xu had completely failed to grasp his intentions.
Following this, the old man's gaze towards Zhang Ergou softened considerably.
This left Zhang Ergou feeling bewildered.
"Old man, don't look at me like that, it gives me the creeps."
He said this while making a motion to pull his clothes tighter.
"Get lost, you brat." The old man cursed with a laugh. "Tell me, why do you think I'm doing this?"
Although the old man hadn't explicitly stated anything, this question indirectly confirmed that the widely discussed demon invasion was somehow connected to the old man before him.
"Old man, are you really playing the long game?"
Zhang Ergou's eyes widened. He had only been guessing before, and now to receive a confirmed answer, the shock in his heart was beyond words.
"So you were bluffing me all along!"
The old man looked at Zhang Ergou helplessly, inwardly grumbling.
He had thought those two had told the boy everything, never expecting that the boy had been bluffing him.
"Heh heh, if I didn't say it like that, you wouldn't have told me the truth, would you?"
Zhang Ergou's face was full of smiles as he looked at the old man ingratiatingly.
"Scram!"
The old man, seemingly genuinely angry, directly slapped Zhang Ergou away.
Zhang Ergou rolled after landing and stood up at the entrance of the great hall.
The previously closed door now slowly opened.
"Boy, go do what you need to do. We old folks here will hold the line."
As the door slowly opened, the old man's voice emanated from within.
"This demon invasion is both a crisis and an opportunity. The alliance and the continent have been too peaceful for too long."
"I expect you youngsters to surpass us old timers, not to become weaker with each generation."
"Go."
With the last two words spoken, Zhang Ergou was directly pushed out of the great hall.
...
"How was it? What did the Alliance Leader say?"
Seeing Zhang Ergou return safely, Li Zhan, Li Xun, and Qu Yao looked somewhat surprised.
"It seems we'll have a tough fight ahead of us..."
Zhang Ergou's tone was low, his expression grave.
"Get lost, stop pretending."