Black smoke rose high into the sky. The Howling Demon Sect's compound was being consumed by fire. The sect leaders' ominous last words made us comb through the place thoroughly. What we found was disturbing. The sect was looking for the hidden location of the Demon Gate that connected the mortal and Demon realm. If the dead sect leaders' words were to be believed, they must have found the gate and they must have sent people to open it.

There was no doubt in my mind or in Jiutian Xuan's. She found me after the battle and asked me to meet her at the communication array when we returned to the sect. I had never had cause to visit the communication array. It was an enormous tower that stretched thirty stories up.

I followed Jiutian Xuan and led me into the communication array. We ascended a long, winding staircase to the top. We passed many large rooms full of clear crystal mirrors in gilded frames. When we reached the top of the communications array We stopped before five crystal mirrors in spirit jade frames. Jiutian Xuan stood on a round platform and waited.

I stood off to the side before a series of bells chimed and, one by one, the images of people materialized in the mirrors.

"Sect leaders of the Wushu Alliance," Jiutian Xuan curtsied. "I have called this emergency meeting to relay dark tidings."

"What has happened?" Asked a woman in flowing white robes embroidered with gold.

"As I'm sure you're well aware. Dark cultivators have been massacring villages on this continent." She began.

"Yes, We're all aware." A man in red armor interrupted. "We've all been hunting for them."

"Let her speak Zhou Bao." said another woman in pink and yellow robes.

"Thank you, Li Yan. As I was saying. My sect earlier today purged the Dark sect and its leader." Jiutian Xuan informed them.

The others began clapping and began letting out exclamations of approval.

Jiutian raised her hand for silence. "It was a grand victory. But we were too late. The Dark sect was in fact a Demon sect. They found the secret location of the Demon Gate and they sent cultivators to open it."

Jiutian held out a hand for silence before they could begin announcing their dismay. "Liling Wei. as head of the Kunlun sect, you're the only one who knows where the gate is. We should all send our forces to the gate."

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Liling Wei, the woman in white robes with gold embroidery, looked reluctant. But after several tense moments, she relented and shared the location of the gate with the sect leaders in attendance. All would send their forces and Liling Wei would request help from the Emperor.

With a plan of action in motion, she ended her conference with the other sect leaders. She looked exhausted and a bit pale. She stumbled as she stepped down from the platform. I caught her and she clung to me for a second.

"You look tired."

She nodded her head. "I am. The fight took a lot out of me and now another fight looms on the horizon." She straightened her spine and composed herself. She looked every bit the powerful leader she was but beneath that, I could see the fatigue that clung to her.

"We will win," I assured her. "When we do. We can go back to normal. Hunting Demon beasts and cultivating."

She smiled and patted her chest. "I have no doubt we will win I worry about how many we'll lose before we do."

I nodded my head in understanding. "I understand. When we rendezvous with the other sect leaders maybe we can come up with a strategy that will bring us victory with minimal losses."

"I pray that is what comes to pass." She murmured. I followed behind her as she descended the staircase and out of the communication array.

We parted ways outside the communication array. I returned to my residence. I had instructed Liu Feng to take the Huli Jing to my residence where they could rest and relax. I was pleased to find the house bustling with activity. The Huli Jing pups ran around playing games while the women chatted about their recent victory.

The excitement and noise brought a smile to my face. This was what I wanted. A lively home filled with laughter. Now just to add some good food to the mix. It had been a while since I cooked for anyone, My cultivation took up most of my time. . I walked into the kitchen with a smirk and began cooking. My kitchen was fully stocked. I made cooked up some fried rice and fried some chicken. Liu Feng and Li Mei entered the kitchen when they smelled the cooking and assisted me. With their help, I sauteed some mushrooms and used the leftover chicken to make soup.

Food went over well with my guests. The pups loved the chicken soup and devoured it greedily. While many foods were fried in this world breading chicken, then crying wasn't one of them. The women were very made orgasmic sounds as they devoured the breaded poultry. Maybe I'd make cookies for the pups later. Something sweet for them to munch on before we leave.

There was no stopping the Demon Cultivators from opening the Demon Gate, but maybe we could close it before too many Demons came through. I'd never seen a demon before. From what I'd read in passing, they looked human, but they had red eyes and pointed ears. It made me wonder if a truce of some sort could be made. It was something to be considered. The status quo was demons were evil and needed to die. What if they weren't evil and peace could be made if they were treated with some respect instead of violence?

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part. But I don't trust one-sided conflicts. History has shown that nothing is ever so black and white. In a conflict, there were always two sides. Actions are taken on both sides that lead to the conflict. Maybe after the battle, I'd do what I could to mediate a truce. Or at the very least, see if either party would be willing to talk. Probably not, but I could always hope.