Anyone with eyes could see that no one within Demon City was capable of stopping that human.
Each of them was weighed down with worry.
Demon City was their stronghold, and those seated here held pivotal positions within it.
Unless absolutely necessary, none wished to abandon Demon City.
Even Evil Wolf, who secretly harbored thoughts of fleeing, was no exception.
After all, he was the city lord.
Ascending to this position had not been easy, so he would only consider escape as a last resort.
Before reaching that desperate point, he would exhaust every possible means to salvage the situation.
How could they salvage anything against such an overwhelmingly powerful human?
The grand hall fell deathly silent.
Not a single voice broke the oppressive atmosphere.
"Lord Evil Wolf, I have a plan."
Just as Evil Wolf was reluctantly preparing to give up, Gou Da suddenly stepped forward.
In an instant, every pair of eyes in the hall turned toward him.
"Gou Da, what brilliant scheme do you have? Speak quickly!"
Evil Wolf now resembled a kindly old father, gripping Gou Da's hands tightly as he spoke with anxious yet gentle urgency.
"My lord, do you remember how our brothers managed to escape disaster outside the city walls?"
"He spared you two because he mistook you for humans, which is why..."
Halfway through his sentence, Evil Wolf suddenly realized, exclaiming, "You mean?"
"Exactly, my lord. I propose we implement a full-scale 'Citywide Disguise Plan.'" Gou Da strategized. "Every demon shall transform into human form, making that human believe this is a human city rather than our Demon City!"
"This way, he would naturally cease his slaughter."
Evil Wolf's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh in excitement.
He clasped Gou Da's shoulders with both hands.
"Ah, Gou Da, you truly are a loyal subject of our demon race. Does it still hurt where I struck you earlier?" Evil Wolf soothed with exaggerated concern. "Gou Da, you mustn't hold grudges against me! Being city lord is no easy task! With enemies at our gates, I had to use you to steady morale—who else but my chief minister could bear this burden? For Demon City's sake, there was no other way."
"Wuu... My lord, say no more. We brothers pledge our lives to you!"
Swayed by these sweet words, Gou Da immediately swore loyalty, floating on clouds of flattery.
"Gou Da, since that's settled, quickly flesh out the complete plan," Evil Wolf urged.
"As you command, my lord."
Gou Da began laying out the strategy.
"Since we're calling this the Citywide Disguise Plan, the entire city must mobilize—no exceptions, no flaws. If that human detects anything amiss, we're doomed."
Evil Wolf nodded emphatically.
"Additionally, we must forbid all demons from discussing demon affairs. If such talk reaches his ears, it could expose us."
Evil Wolf gave a solemn nod.
"Furthermore, we should disperse your elite forces, my lord, to monitor that human's every move. We must know his actions instantly to adjust our strategy accordingly." Gou Da added. "Of course, those sent out must be extra cautious—no slip-ups."
Evil Wolf nodded vigorously, then swept his gaze across the hall.
Ahem. "You all heard that?"
His voice echoed through the chamber.
Then came a heavy sigh.
"Resorting to such measures pains me, and let none mistake this for cowardice."
"If I fought with my full power, staking this old life of mine, I'd have sixty percent odds of slaying that human within Demon City."
"But what matter if I perish? What of Demon City then?"
"What of the millions of demon lives within these walls?"
Here, Evil Wolf wore an expression of pained resignation.
"Should I engage that human in battle, a clash of such magnitude would reduce Demon City to ashes."
"This... I cannot bear to see..."
"Those are millions of demon souls..."
His eyes grew misty as he raised his head, murmuring, "Death holds no terror, but living in humiliation is true agony. Yet for Demon City's sake, I have no choice!"
His words stirred the entire assembly.
Hearts were moved; listeners grieved, and onlookers wept...
So this was the truth.
So much had Evil Wolf sacrificed for Demon City.
Spontaneously, the hall's occupants knelt in unison, voices merging respectfully.
"Our lord has devoted his lifeblood to the demon race. Demon City is blessed to have him!"
Evil Wolf spread his arms magnanimously and decreed, "Execute Gou Da's plan immediately—relay orders citywide."
"Deploy our wolf elites across every district to surveil that human's movements. Report any developments without delay."
Some transformed into streaks of black light, scattering toward the city's corners.
As commands spread, the demon populace sprang into action—each straining to assume human disguises with desperate urgency.