Chapter 335: Forgetting One’s Roots Isn’t Done This Way

As the pro-war faction proposed allying with the Wolf Clan, the opposition immediately protested! The atmosphere turned gloomy.

“Attacking the continent seems to be just your pro-war faction’s idea. If the Wolf Clan joins, will they have to take the lead in battle? Won’t they then be unable to reproduce? Also, if the Wolf Clan joins, will it be under your leadership or theirs? Or do you want the Wolf Clan to submit to your pro-war faction?” Sognar said coldly with a sneer.

He hit the nail on the head, pointing out the most critical issue. Even if the Wolf Clan agreed to ally with the pro-war faction, this remained a serious problem! Without resolving it, the two sides could never form an alliance.

“Those who seek great achievements don’t worry about trivial matters. The continent is growing stronger by the day, while we in the Dark Source are isolated. What progress can we make here? Do we wait until the continent is strong enough to attack us?

Don’t forget how our Demon Clan was bullied by humans three thousand years ago and forced into this Dark Source! After thousands of years of reproduction, we now have the strength to reclaim what belongs to us.

Waiting passively only leads to death. Do you think the world will be peaceful if we don’t attack them? Absurd! This is a world of the strong preying on the weak. If you don’t attack others, you’ll be attacked. Don’t you understand that?

Fine, if your families are afraid of sacrifice and only want to live in peace, I won’t force you! My pro-war faction is willing to take on this task, but you keep obstructing us—what’s your motive? Or have you already made some deal with humans? Or what schemes do you have?

Today, I, Gu Jian, convened this meeting merely to hope that everyone can sit down and discuss this properly! I’ve always welcomed the arrival of the Wolf Clan. If they join, they’ll receive the best treatment! Aren’t these exactly what the Wolf Clan needs?

As for hierarchy, I’ve said it before—those who seek great achievements don’t care about trivial matters. What does hierarchy matter here? We’re part of an alliance, just like the relationship between my pro-war faction and the Mi Jiao clan. There’s no hierarchy; we’re all members, equal in status, discussing matters together. There’s no such thing as vassals or leaders.”

Naturally, if His Majesty the Wolf King is willing to join our alliance to accomplish great things, then our clan and the Mi Jiao clan are even willing to let the Wolf clan take the lead. What’s wrong with having His Majesty the Wolf King lead our allied forces? Seeing the members of the opposition and the Dragon clan mocking and sneering at him, Gu Jian’s heart burned with anger. If the Wolf clan really took their words seriously, things would get troublesome.

If it weren’t for the fact that the messengers he sent earlier achieved nothing and received little response, he wouldn’t have been forced to bring up this topic here today. He could have acted secretly instead. But time waits for no one—the battlefield outside is critical, changes are swirling within the Source of Darkness, and the Wolf clan is full of ambition. If today’s negotiation truly leads to some common understanding, their plans could be ruined. He didn’t want to see that, which is why he took this risky step.

Fortunately, he had been fully prepared beforehand. These obstacles were within his expectations, so he wasn’t at a loss. Sure enough, after Gu Jian finished speaking, the hall fell dead silent. Everyone gasped in shock. What kind of concept was this—willing to let the Wolf clan take the lead? That meant the Wolf King could command the army and act according to his will! It was an enormous power and advantage that could help the Wolf clan unify all lands and reach another peak.

The opposition and the Dragon clan looked extremely displeased, turning to look at the Wolf King, fearing he might be swayed by such conditions. As for the Scorpion King clan, they remained stoic, seemingly unconcerned about the matter, which made the Dragon clan even more anxious.

Fortunately, after hearing the words of the pro-war faction, the Mi Jiao clan frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with the situation. It made sense—now, because of the pro-war faction’s words, they might have to submit to someone else as their leader. Great clans have their pride, and this was something they were unwilling to endure.

The law-enforcing elder of the Mi Jiao clan turned to Gu Jian, frowning as if asking something. They hadn’t received any news about this matter, but the current situation made it awkward to speak up. They were already tied to the pro-war faction—wouldn’t opposing them now be like slapping themselves in the face?

“Hehe, Clan Leader Gu Jian truly is a great figure—unfazed by trivial matters when achieving great things. Good! I like this personality!” Under everyone’s gaze, the Wolf King flashed a hearty smile and said.

“Elder of the Ancient Sword Clan, don’t forget—both you and I are members of the Demon Clan. Our leader is the tribe of trolls. Have you even forgotten that? Or perhaps you’ve always had ambitions, and everything that’s happened now is part of your plan? Do you intend to turn against our Demon Clan and proclaim yourself king?” Hearing the Wolf King’s words, the opposition members grew anxious. It seemed the Wolf King was truly moved, so they hurriedly spoke up to stop him.

By bringing up the trolls, they were implying that thousands of years ago, the Demon Clan was led by the trolls, and this arrangement had remained unchanged for thousands of years until the trolls disappeared a thousand years ago. Yet this relationship still persisted in name only.

The pro-war faction didn’t say anything either—they couldn’t. If they did, it would be tantamount to rebellion, and they couldn’t bear such a grave accusation!

At this moment, the opposition bringing up the trolls was clearly aimed at suppressing the pro-war faction’s actions and plans.

Unfortunately, it was of little use. At least everyone present understood this relationship. The pro-war faction hadn’t declared rebellion against the trolls for the sake of reputation, but since the trolls had been gone for a thousand years, this relationship was virtually non-existent. Besides, even if the trolls still existed, what could they do?

Why did the trolls disappear in the first place? Everyone present was a prominent figure; they surely knew. When the trolls still held power, members of the pro-war faction had already begun secretly manipulating things. By a thousand years ago, the pro-war faction had almost completely stripped the trolls of their power. It was just that the common people weren’t aware of this. As for how the trolls disappeared overnight, no one knew for sure. But one thing was certain: their disappearance was closely related to them.

This situation was equivalent to the pro-war faction having rebelled against the trolls. Not only them, but how many others within the Source of Darkness were unaware of this? Everyone knew but chose not to speak up. Since the pro-war faction hadn’t declared anything, there was no reason for them to say anything either.

Could the opposition really benefit from bringing up the trolls now? It’s easy to imagine.

“Aida, I don’t care what you oppositionists think, but don’t forget—we’re all demons. You all know what happened to the trolls thousands of years ago; they vanished without a trace, and there’s been no news since. Do we really have to wait for thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years? What will be the situation then? Since the trolls have been gone for a thousand years, does that bond still exist? Ridiculous! What’s wrong with the leaders of our pro-war faction? Water Screen City and Ice City have thrived for a thousand years—what’s wrong with them? Meanwhile, your Dark Moon City seems to have made no progress! The trolls? Do we still have to live by some illusory bond just because they’re not here?”
“Society is changing, and thoughts are evolving. Don’t you even realize that?” As expected, Gu Jian sneered. What could he do even if he argued against the trolls?
“It’s hard for an honest official to meddle in family matters. The four major families will never interfere in our demon clan’s internal affairs, let alone the wolf clan! Now that the pro-war faction is growing stronger while the opposition is declining, what can they do?”
“Gu Jian! Are you trying to break away from the trolls and form your own faction? Or are you looking for a new allegiance?” But everyone overlooked one group—the neutrals! After Gu Jian finished speaking, the representative of the neutrals, that old man at the head, finally spoke up.
A chilling glint flashed in his eyes as he let out a cold snort, staring at Gu Jian with fierce determination. The neutrals had always stayed out of factional conflicts—not because they didn’t care, but because it wasn’t the right time. Breaking away from the trolls meant breaking away from the entire demon clan—this was their absolute bottom line. Finally, they couldn’t hold back any longer.
The appearance of the neutrals also took the pro-war faction by surprise. They had always ignored such matters, which was why Gu Jian dared to speak so boldly today; otherwise, he would have had to think twice.
The others also looked in surprise at this faction that had remained silent all along. For a thousand years, they had never spoken out about clan affairs. What was happening today? Could it be…
Everyone began to wonder wildly.
“Elder Wan! Are you also planning to side with the opposition and oppose our pro-war faction?” Gu Jian narrowed his eyes, matching the old man’s gaze intently, and said in a deep voice. His fists were clenched tightly—repeatedly facing rejection and doubt was something he couldn’t tolerate.

“No, I’m just telling the truth. Don’t forget who helped us build this empire and bring it to where it is today. The ones who helped you achieve everything—now you turn against them? That’s not how one should forget their roots!” With a cold sneer, the old man known as Elder Wan spoke disdainfully. After saying that, he closed his eyes slightly, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation with Gu Jian.

Yet these words were like a bomb dropped among the crowd, revealing too many truths! Who had built the empire in the first place? Who was forgetting their roots now? They accurately summarized the actions of the pro-war faction at that moment.

Chaos ensued. Although everyone had heard some rumors about what had happened on the continent, they weren’t very clear and dared not say much. But in the Source of Darkness, everyone knew everything that had taken place! Especially the four great families—back then, they had organized the demons to invade the Source of Darkness, relying on the strength of the trolls to suppress them. Everyone knew how much the trolls had sacrificed for this. It seemed that the pro-war faction truly had forgotten their roots.

Even the people of the Mi Jiao clan began to look at the members of the pro-war faction with a slight change in their expressions.