Phi-Fic Chapter 435 Difficult Negotiations Reach a Climax
Chapter 435 Difficult Negotiations Reach a Climax
Wen Chen suddenly released his hand, and I staggered, almost falling over.
He had already dashed off like an arrow, leaving me with only his cold, aloof back.
I turned around and saw a dark mass on the distant horizon, like a flock of ominous crows, rapidly approaching us.
"Who is it?" I asked in a low voice, my heart pounding like a drum.
Before anyone could answer, the dark figure drew closer, and I realized it was a demon!
The one in the lead, engulfed in raging demonic flames and exuding an imposing aura, was none other than the demon leader—the Wind Demon King!
I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.
The war between immortals and demons has just ended, what are they doing here now?
Could it be... that they've come to take advantage of the chaos?
Before I could even process my thoughts, the Wind Demon King had already landed in the center of the plaza. He glanced at the devastated battlefield, then turned to look at me, his eyes sharp as knives: "Xiao Yao, we meet again."
I straightened my back and met his gaze without fear: "Wind Demon King, what brings you here?"
He sneered, "What do you mean? I'm here to negotiate with you immortals, of course. This war has gone on long enough; it's time for a resolution."
Negotiations? My heart skipped a beat. Could it be... for a peace agreement?
Over the next few days, we began a long and arduous negotiation with the demons.
The negotiations were held in a neutral valley, where a tense atmosphere permeated the air.
Representatives from both the immortal and demonic sides sat on either side, separated by a huge stone table, on which were placed various documents such as maps and papers.
As the peace envoy of the Immortal Clan, I sat beside Wen Chen, trying my best to remain calm and objective.
But my heart was filled with anxiety and unease.
This negotiation concerns the future of both the immortal and demon races; the slightest misstep could trigger an even greater conflict.
The negotiations stalled from the outset.
On key issues such as territorial demarcation and resource allocation, the representatives of the two sides had significant disagreements.
Immortal Li, a stubborn old man, resolutely disagreed with giving some of the spiritual veins and mines controlled by the immortals to the demons.
He was spitting as he spoke passionately about things like "the dignity of the immortal race" and "the wolfish ambitions of the demon race," which gave me a headache.
“Master Li,” I couldn’t help but interrupt him, “peace is hard-won, and we should understand and compromise with each other.”
He glared at me fiercely: "Compromise? Xiao Yao, you're too naive! What are the demons? They're greedy and brutal. If you compromise with them, you're asking a tiger for its skin!"
I took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in my heart.
I know that stubborn old folks like Li Xianren can't be reasoned with in a short time.
I could only turn my gaze to Wen Chen, hoping he would say a few words.
Wen Chen simply sat quietly, without saying a word, as if none of this concerned him.
His deep eyes were like a still lake, making it impossible to see through his thoughts.
On the other hand, the Wind Demon King was also unwilling to compromise easily.
He believes that the demon race also suffered great losses in the previous conflict and should receive appropriate compensation.
His insistence made the atmosphere of the negotiations even more tense.
Elder Sun, that kind-hearted man, remained indecisive.
He sometimes supported the immortals' plan, and sometimes he felt that the demons' demands also made sense.
His attitude further confused the opinions within the Immortal Clan.
I feel like a butterfly trapped in a spider web, unable to move.
I tried hard to find a balance, a solution that both sides could accept, but it all seemed so powerless.
Mo Yan, the representative of the demon race, remained relatively calm.
He has been trying to mediate the conflict between the two sides and find a compromise.
However, he also seemed somewhat powerless in the face of such a huge disagreement.
“Xiao Yao,” he suddenly spoke, his voice low, “can we talk privately?”
I paused for a moment, looked at Wen Chen, and saw him nod slightly. I then stood up and followed Mo Yan to the side.
“Xiaoyao…” He leaned closer and whispered, a warm breath brushing against my ear, “I have a suggestion…”
Mo Yan pulled me to a secluded corner outside the negotiation tent.
The wind howled through the valley, like the low groans of a wild beast.
I wrapped my cloak tighter around myself and rubbed my frozen fingers, feeling a sharp pain in my fingertips as if they were being pricked with needles.
Demon Flame exhaled a breath of white air, which condensed into a cloud of mist in the cold air.
“Xiao Yao,” he said in a deep voice, with a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible, “I’m really afraid… afraid that all of this will be in vain.”
His eyes, which were burning with dark red flames, now revealed an almost pleading expression, which surprised me a bit.
This usually unrestrained and bold demon man was now like a lost child, at a loss.
“I know,” I sighed, gazing at the snow-capped peaks in the distance, bathed in the red glow of the setting sun. “Nobody wants to keep fighting. This war has raged for hundreds of years, causing immense suffering and devastation. Continuing to fight will not benefit anyone.”
I reached out and caught a falling snowflake; its icy touch sent a chill down my spine.
“But, Immortal Li and the others…sigh…” I shook my head and didn’t say anything more.
Just thinking about how stubborn and inflexible Master Li is gives me a headache.
He wanted nothing more than to exterminate all the demons, so how could he possibly be sincere about wanting to negotiate?
Mo Yan smiled bitterly: "Yes, your Immortal Clan isn't united either. I know... I understand..." His voice lowered, as if talking to himself, "But aren't we Demons the same? Those radicals can't wait to come back and wipe you all out..." He suddenly stopped, as if realizing he had misspoke.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
“There’s always a way,” I tried to sound firm, even though I wasn’t entirely sure myself. “There definitely will be a way…”
At this moment, Wen Chen walked over.
He exuded a faint, cool fragrance, which was particularly clear in the cold air.
He didn't say anything, he just stood quietly beside me, one hand gently resting on my shoulder.
A warm current flowed from his fingertips throughout my body, dispelling the cold and giving me inexplicable strength.
"Demon Flame," Wen Chen's voice was clear and calm, "I know you don't want to continue fighting either. Rather than this stalemate, how about we each take a step back?"
Mo Yan raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Wen Chen: "Let's each take a step back? How do you mean by taking a step back?"
Wen Chen slowly said, "Regarding the division of territory, we can use the Tianqian Mountain Range as the boundary. The area north of the Tianqian Mountain Range belongs to your Demon Clan; the area south of the Tianqian Mountain Range will be under the jurisdiction of our Immortal Clan. As for the allocation of resources..." He paused, "We can share important spiritual veins and mines, develop them together, and benefit from them together."
I glanced at Mo Yan and found that he was also deep in thought.
I know that this plan is not perfect for him either.
But compared to continuing the war, this is the best option.
“I…I need to discuss this with the Wind Demon King,” Mo Yan finally said, his voice tinged with hesitation.
“Of course,” Wen Chen nodded, “we also need to discuss this with the elders of the Immortal Clan.”
Over the next few hours, we and the demon representatives had intense discussions with our respective elders.
Immortal Li was naturally the first to jump out in opposition. He pointed at Wen Chen's nose and cursed him, saying that he was selling out his clan for personal gain and was a sinner of the Immortal Clan.
Zhao Xianzi strongly supported Wen Chen's plan, believing that peace was more important than anything else.
Elder Sun remained hesitant, sometimes supporting Immortal Li, sometimes thinking that Wen Chen's words made sense.
In the end, Wen Chen overcame all objections and persuaded most of the elders.
He told them that if the war continued, the immortal race would also suffer heavy losses. Rather than a lose-lose situation, it would be better to coexist peacefully and develop together.
On the demon side, the Wind Demon King finally agreed to Wen Chen's plan.
I know that the Demon Flame must have played a part in this.
When the representatives of both sides sat down at the negotiating table again, a subtle atmosphere filled the air.
I felt my heart beating very fast, as if it was about to jump out of my chest.
“We agree,” the Wind Demon King said in a deep voice, “we agree to your plan.”
I breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a huge weight had finally been lifted off my shoulders.
“Alright,” Wen Chen nodded, “In that case, let’s have the representatives of both sides sign the peace agreement.”
When the Wind Demon King and I each signed our names on the peace agreement
However… just as I was about to get up to celebrate, I saw Wen Chen's face suddenly turn pale. He gripped my hand tightly, his knuckles white, and his voice trembled as he said, "Xiao Yao… be careful…"