Chapter 25: Contract: Overly Obvious Favoritism Part 2

You Xi Shan was both the Moon Perch Clan’s leader and from the Spirit Rabbit Clan with super strong reproductive power, making him an excellent choice.

Originally, to prevent Demon Bone Physicians from siding with a particular clan, Ye family contract demons were selected only from those working at the General Bureau. It was said Ye Xi could contract with a clan leader because Ye Tan had applied for special treatment on the grounds that she was the Ye family’s last seedling.

You Nian loathed You Xi Shan but had to admit he was the strongest among all possible contract demons, with the most abundant offspring from his clan.

This also meant Ye Xi would become the Demon Bone Physician in history who could draw upon the most power from her contract demon.

Actually, the Moon Perch Clan was the same as the Embracing Snow Clan. A thousand years ago, the First Generation Leader’s family had also chosen to sacrifice themselves in exchange for peace for both clans.

After all, the secret techniques passed down in the Demon Clan were innate to their bloodlines and could not be shared universally. At the time, the optimal choice had been to push an entire family into sacrifice to obtain power.

In the era of chaos between the two clans, the First Generation Leaders who had gradually gathered the hearts of the demons, stabilized the fracturing Demon Clan, and divided it into the Eleven Clans had basically persuaded each demon one by one to join them. They and their families had deep feelings for every demon. After ascending to high positions, they regarded all clan members as their own children.

At the moment of life and death, it was only natural to give up their own lives in exchange for their children’s survival.

It might sound a bit foolish, but this was also part of the First Generation Leaders’ charisma that allowed them to unite the Demon Clan. They all believed that sacrificing one family to preserve ten thousand was well worth it. Having enjoyed the offerings and respect of their clan members all along, they should be the first to rush to the forefront when their nation was about to perish.

It could not be said that they had enjoyed fine clothes and delicacies, basked in the admiration and reverence of myriad demons, only to cower behind their clan members and cling to life in the end.

There were countless demons in the Demon Clan with powerful strength. Those who could stabilize the clan’s foundation were not just them alone. Thus, at that time, only the young demons from each clan’s leader family survived.

By making this choice, they had given up their positions as leaders, but the clan members who had received their grace transferred all their love to their children. Shen Mingjin’s foster sister was one such young lord, and You Xi Shan was also one such young lord.

The difference was that the Spirit Rabbit Clan possessed powerful reproductive strength. In You Xi Shan’s generation, only three children survived in total, but within a few hundred years, the family had rebuilt its strength. You Xi Shan was the only young lord among the First Generation Leaders’ blood descendants in the Eleven Clans who had successfully grown up and succeeded to the position.

You Nian resented You Xi Shan because he was promiscuous to a degree that even demons found outrageous.

You Xi Shan had formally married six wives and had countless lovers, with nearly a hundred children. He only bothered to name and rank the children who caught his eye. Weak children were not even worthy of appearing before him. Therefore, from birth, You Nian and the others had to compete with their siblings. Those who could not stand out lived worse than ordinary lesser demons in the family and would be harmed to death by stepmothers and siblings if they did not keep their wits about them.

This was also why You Nian, at just six and a half years old, already had so many thoughts.

You Nian’s mother was from the Human Clan and had no official status.

She was an illegitimate daughter and a Half-Demon.

The Demon Clan, which admired strength, generally looked down on Half-Demons as a whole. Even though the current highest leader of the General Bureau was a Half-Demon, they still felt that Half-Demon bloodlines were weak and unlikely to achieve much. Only a few could possess true power.

You Nian’s talent was not bad, but due to her Half-Demon status, she had been unable to rise. Half a month ago, she did not even have a name yet, until Ye Tan came knocking.

Because she was Ye Xi’s contract demon, everyone in her clan knew that Ye Xi’s demon blood clone had been sealed. Half a year ago, when the seal was lifted, they were among the first to know. At that time, they had been guessing when Ye Tan would come, after all, Ye Xi was the last descendant of the Witch Doctor lineage.

A contract demon by her side could accelerate the speed at which the clone absorbed Demon Power and also serve as a bodyguard.

Although it was within expectations, when Ye Tan found You Xi Shan, it still stunned him.

Because Ye Tan wanted to send Ye Xi to Half-Mountain Spirit Garden, but Half-Mountain Spirit Garden had rules: only Half-Demons and disabled demons could reside there.

Clan Leaders could enter with their full Demon Bodies, but not only was You Xi Shan bedridden now, even if he were healthy, a clan leader could not possibly come here to guard Ye Xi—especially not during this critical time of internal clan strife.

Ever since that great catastrophe a thousand years ago, after the bloodlines of the Demon Clan’s First Generation Leaders withered, the succession of clan leaders had become an electoral system. Any demon possessing both absolute power and the Consoling Ability could run, and votes were recast every hundred years.

Clan members had one vote each, General Bureau leadership had one hundred votes each, and other General Bureau staff had votes based on position—from one to ten.

Now, with only one year left until the re-election of leaders, You Xi Shan was bedridden at such a crucial moment and had lost his qualifications to run for the next Clan Leader.

Having served as the Moon Perch Clan’s leader for nearly a thousand years, he was naturally unwilling to let power slip away. He could only urgently select a competitive candidate from among his children to run.

You Xi Shan could not afford to offend Ye Tan at this juncture and lose the hundred votes in her hands. But the only Half-Demon child he favored was one of the most important contenders for the next leadership position, so she naturally could not be sent here. Thus, You Nian was hastily pulled out as a substitute.

Because Ye Tan did not want Ye Xi to become a true Demon Bone Physician, after You Nian arrived at Half-Mountain Spirit Garden, she had always lived in Building Five. Only after Ye Xi fell asleep did she come over to replenish her home with Demon Power and fresh vegetables and fruits, keep the carpets clean and tidy, and provide some protective power to prevent fragile porcelain without Demon Power support from falling and shattering.

Today, You Nian had come to Building Fourteen while Ye Xi was awake only because she saw Shen Minghuan arrive.

She was actually worried about Ye Xi. After all, among the Eleven Clans’ leaders, Shen Minghuan was notorious for her domineering and aggressive nature. Moreover, everyone in the Demon Clan knew about the private grudge between Ye Tan and Shen Minghuan’s aunt. Who knew if Shen Minghuan would harm Ye Xi?

You Nian should have come earlier, but Shen Minghuan was a particularly vicious poisonous snake, and she was a bit afraid.

She hurried over immediately after seeing Shen Minghuan leave, only to overhear Shen Mingjin telling Ye Xi about Half-Mountain Spirit Garden and Demon Clan matters. You Nian thought that since Ye Xi already knew everything, there was no need to hide anymore. It would be good to show herself, get closer to Ye Xi, and perhaps convince her to vote for the clan leader candidate she favored.

Clan members could only vote in their own clan’s elections, but General Bureau personnel had voting rights in every clan’s leadership elections.

Ye Xi now counted as a grassroots General Bureau staff member and had one vote in each clan’s leadership election.

One vote might be few, but many made a multitude.

Although no ambitious demons had ever emerged from the Moon Perch Clan’s members, and power had always remained with their Spirit Rabbit lineage, there were now too many Spirit Rabbits in the clan.

You Xi Shan alone had nearly a hundred children, and his siblings’ children were no fewer.

You Nian could not count on You Xi Shan to wholeheartedly campaign for her preferred successor. She had to seize every vote she could get herself.

Because of her young age, You Nian currently had no eligibility to compete.

To improve her future living conditions, she could only support her sixth sister, who was also a Half-Demon, to take power. This was also why, when Shen Mingjin had just mentioned that the demon who specially came to bring rain to Ye Xi a few days ago was You Xi Shan, You Nian had urgently denied it and clarified that it was her sixth sister who had brought the rain.

You Nian wanted Ye Xi to vote for her sixth sister.

It turned out to be an electoral system.

Ye Xi had instinctively felt that Shen Minghuan had pulled some tricks in her succession upon hearing from Shen Mingjin that Si Ruoling was a blood descendant of the First Generation Leader. Now, learning it was by vote and recast every century, she could not help but be shocked.

She glanced at Shen Mingjin, who unnaturally avoided her gaze. Ye Xi could only probe You Nian indirectly: “Your father must not be as bad as you say if he managed to serve as clan leader for nearly a millennium.”

“He just got lucky, happening to inherit from parents who sacrificed for the clan members. Our Moon Perch Clan members are also relatively mild-mannered, with no major ambitious figures emerging. Otherwise, how could he have succeeded smoothly?”

You Nian spoke of her father with utter contempt and strong disgust: “He’s decent enough to clan members, but plenty of demons could do better than him. Without his ancestors’ protection, he never could have remained leader for so long.”

“The Dawn Eclipse Clan’s leader is more impressive. Their successive leaders all fought their way up through skill, but unfortunately, their leaders have a high mortality rate.”

“High mortality rate?”

“Yeah, the Dawn Eclipse Clan is mostly insect demons, and many have the habit of devouring their own kind. Their previous leader was a mantis demon who, rumor has it, was devoured by her mate to nourish their offspring. The one before that was executed by the General Bureau for secretly eating human flesh. On that note, the Hundred Condensation Clan’s leader is even more impressive…”

You Nian’s little rabbit mouth opened and closed nonstop, chattering fragments of gossip.

She was not old enough to have witnessed these events firsthand and had mostly heard the stories secondhand, but her retelling was decent, vivid enough to give Ye Xi a rough understanding of the Eleven Clans.

Perhaps because snakes were rabbits’ natural enemies, You Nian only mentioned Shen Minghuan at the very end: “Actually, Shen Minghuan is pretty impressive too. In every election, she basically gets over ninety percent of the votes. Unlike You Xi Shan, whose highest even with ancestral protection was only seventy percent. Of course, that’s normal—she’s from the extremely combat-strong Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan and was fortunate enough to possess a Consoling Ability surpassing even that of the Holy Spirit Snake Clan back then.”

At this point, You Nian suddenly sighed enviously: “Her foster sister always campaigns for her with all her might too. That’s the Embracing Snow Clan’s First Generation Leader’s sole bloodline—the princess herself supports her. Who else would the clan members choose?”

Si Ruoling campaigned for Shen Minghuan?

This was very different from what Ye Xi had imagined. Her probing gaze turned to Shen Mingjin, wanting to glimpse an answer, yet not daring to ask directly.

Shen Mingjin seemed to think of something, her lips paling to a deathly white, completely drained of blood.

Fine beads of cold sweat emerged on her forehead, and her left hand once again stroked her right arm, filled with suppressed pain.

Suddenly, Ye Xi could not bear to ask. But if she did not, someone else would.

You Nian suddenly realized that Shen Mingjin was the demon most likely to know the inside story. Her attitude toward Shen Mingjin shifted dramatically. She smiled friendly at Shen Mingjin, her eyes bursting with intense curiosity: “Pretty big sister from the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan, why didn’t your foster sister run herself?”