: The True Face of the Devil

Qiao Ye checked again and again and found that it was indeed correct.

I have already learned the [Huan Pizi's Demand for a Title].

As expected of an S-rank skill.

It does not aim to plunder the fortune of others, but rather to gain the fortune of heaven and earth through the evaluation of others.

Even if it fails, there are no serious side effects.

It completely defined the concept of "seeking official rank" and embarked on a completely new path.

It can turn everyone into a tool, used to apply buffs to him.

With just this one skill, this dream is definitely worthwhile.

Qiao Ye returned to the pure white space.

The maidservant clearly hadn't expected Qiao Ye to return so quickly.

She was holding a small mirror in her hand, applying lipstick in front of the mirror.

Her hood had slipped down halfway, revealing her fair chin and rosy lips.

The moment Qiao Ye appeared, she flipped her wrist, and the mirror disappeared.

The hood was pulled up at the same time.

The whole process was so fast it was as if it had never happened.

"You're back."

The maidservant rose and bowed. "Are you dissatisfied with that world?"

This woman is quite eloquent.

Low emotional intelligence: Did you fail your mission?

High emotional intelligence: Are you dissatisfied with that world?

"No, it's just that the basic attributes didn't meet the requirements."

Qiao Ye didn't try to make excuses for himself and spoke frankly.

"Fang Xuanling told me to wait until my mental strength reached 31 points before I went over."

After Qiao Ye finished speaking, he opened the Treasure Vault of Dreams.

Sure enough, the item "The Archmage's Invitation" has been added.

Unlike the "Mamba Knight's Invitation," this item can be redeemed directly without any cost.

"Maybe it's because the dream wasn't finished?" Qiao Ye thought to himself.

……

Qiao Ye woke up from his dream; it was already daylight outside the window.

He checked the time: 6 a.m.

A night has passed.

"strangeness?"

Qiao Ye was somewhat puzzled.

Last time I stayed in Kobe's dream for almost two days, and when I woke up I had spent a night there.

I only stayed at Fang Xuanling's place for less than an hour this time, and when I woke up it was still night.

How exactly is this time calculated?

He thought for three seconds but couldn't figure it out.

Forget it.

Anyway, I slept very soundly.

The atmosphere at home was somewhat heavy during breakfast time.

Although Qiao's mother did not tell her younger brother and sister the whole story, they still roughly knew that Qiao Ye was going to do something very dangerous for the sake of his family.

Zhou Zhiguo arrived after breakfast.

When saying goodbye to his family, Qiao Meng, who was the most emotional, burst into tears.

"Brother, are you going to die?"

As mentioned before, Qiao Meng's current appearance is even more delicate than most girls.

His sudden outpouring of genuine emotion evoked a sense of pity in me.

It's hard.

Qiao Ye's fist hardened!

You just mentioned "Huan Pizi's request for a fiefdom," and now you're saying I'm going to die?!

Can't you speak properly?!

"Stop talking about dying or anything, stop jinxing it!"

Qiao Ye pointed at Qiao Meng's nose and warned, "And how many times have I told you, a man should have masculinity! If I see you like this again, I'll beat you up when I get back!"

What bad luck!

But Qiao Ye really couldn't blame Qiao Meng.

The emotions of the family members are actually not quite right.

Needless to say, Qiao's mother's expression was not cheerful, even though Qiao Xing, who had never gotten along well with Qiao Ye, was not exactly cheerful.

"Brother," Qiao Xing finally spoke, "you'd better come back alive!"

Ugh.

Qiao Ye sighed.

"Don't worry, I'm tough."

……

A private car took us all the way to the airport.

The formalities were completed long ago, and everything went smoothly.

Qiao Ye followed Zhou Zhiguo through the waiting hall and boarded the unmarked military transport plane.

As the plane took off, the city outside the window grew smaller and smaller until it shrank into a blurry horizon.

"Next, we're heading to Guam, the coalition's forward base." Zhou Zhiguo sat opposite him. "The team members are already on their way; we'll meet up when we arrive."

Qiao Ye nodded and looked out the window.

The clouds were thick, a vast expanse of white, and nothing could be seen.

"Qiao Ye," Zhou Zhiguo suddenly spoke, "it will probably take two or three hours for him to arrive. I need to talk to you about something."

"Uncle Zhou, please speak."

"Do you know what a demon really is?"

Qiao Ye hadn't expected this to be the question.

He shook his head; he truly didn't know.

Zhou Zhiguo didn't say anything, but took out a tablet from his bag, opened a video, and handed it over.

The image shows a giant, at least five meters tall, riding a flaming skeletal horse, wielding a large sword, sweeping across the sky.

Where the head should have been was empty, only a flame burning.

"Look, do you recognize him?"

Qiao Ye stared at the fire knight, growing more and more astonished.

[Demon Hunter Knowledge (LV1) Activated]

Lines of information automatically appeared—

【name:???】

[Rank: ??? (Far beyond current rank)]

[Prototype: Guan Yu, a figure associated with alienated American beliefs]

[Description: Originally a martial saint of China, the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness. He was brought to America by Chinese laborers in the 19th century, where he took root and flourished, merging with local mysticism and gradually losing his original form. After the fog descended, his beliefs became completely distorted. He is now one of the Demon Kings of Los Angeles, the Castlevania.]

【weakness:? ? ? 】

"This is... Lord Guan?"

"That's right." Zhou Zhiguo nodded. "It seems that even in this state, you can still recognize me."

Qiao Ye was stunned.

"Uncle Zhou, you're not kidding, are you?" he said. "How could Lord Guan become a demon?"

"Why not?"

Zhou Zhiguo looked at him calmly.

Are you familiar with the Guan Yu cult? Did you know that in the beginning, Guan Yu was worshipped as a fierce deity?

"What do you mean?"

Zhou Zhiguo sighed, leaned back, and began to speak.

"Guan Yu was a powerful figure in China during his lifetime, but he was betrayed and killed by his ally, and his head was separated from his body."

"If a person dies a tragic death, they are more likely to be regarded as a malevolent spirit after death."

"Think about it, how did Lü Meng, who supposedly stabbed Guan Yu in the back, die in the legend?"

"The earliest Guan Yu worship was started by ordinary people who were afraid that his resentment would not dissipate."

"Starting from the Tang Dynasty, Guan Yu was given the status of a righteous god, his fierce appearance was removed and his loyalty, righteousness and martial prowess were highlighted."

"It was only afterward that it was officially recognized and gradually became one of the most representative beliefs in China."

Qiao Ye listened carefully.

"But what does this have to do with demons?" he asked.

"Because our good stuff tastes different when it gets to America."

Zhou Zhiguo looked at him.

"Ono, have you ever heard the saying—'All the dregs of five thousand years of Chinese history are in America'?"

Qiao Ye was stunned.

He wanted to refute it, but upon closer reflection, it seemed to be true.

Feudal dross, qigong cults, esoteric societies, traitors and rebels...

Things that were swept into the trash heap in China seem to have taken root in the United States.

"Our attitude towards culture is to take the essence and discard the dross, but America does not; they accept everything without question."

Zhou Zhiguo's voice was calm.

"But after the thick fog appeared, all these things came to life."

He pointed to the headless fire knight on the tablet.

"The Voodoo deity you saw last time was like this, and the mutated Guan Gong you're seeing this time is the same."

Qiao Ye stared at the figure riding the Nightmare Red Hare on the screen.

It swept across the sky, the Ghost Dragon Crescent Blade leaving a trail of fire as it disappeared from sight.

"In the past, America attracted talent from all over the world, and naturally it also attracted the worst of the world at the same time."

Zhou Zhiguo sighed, "Now, these dregs have become demons, taking over the whole of America."

"This is the truth about evil."

Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, while those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges.

That's absolutely true.

Qiao Ye fell into deep thought, and Zhou Zhiguo remained silent.

Shortly afterward, the plane began its descent.

We've arrived at the Guam base.