Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 425 - 423

Chapter 425: 423

"I don’t understand... why should I stop Brother Divine Sword? If he kills the entire Longjiu Family, wouldn’t that avenge my father?"

Bifei looked at the sons of Duke Longjiu standing five steps away with their backs to her, her clasped hands trembling slightly. No one was paying attention to her now, the security had tightly surrounded the podium, but they also regarded her as someone to be protected. They seemed to have forgotten that she was the Ninth Princess, a child of the Laurel Family, with deep-seated hatred for the entire Longjiu Family!

There was a gun at the waist of the guards...

If she were to draw it now, perhaps she could put an end to everything.

"No, what you’d be ending is not their lives, but your own," a gentle voice rose in her mind, "Do you recognize the man just now?"

"His name is Mekefa... He was a guard specially appointed by my father and elder brother... Their appearance in the Royal City must be to defeat the Longjiu Family!"

"That’s why you have to stop them, to not let them destroy the great situation at hand."

"What, what did you say?" Bifei was stunned, "Miss Clara, aren’t you protecting the Laurel Family? Why should we let these villains from Longjiu..."

"Of course, I’m protecting you, child." The other party’s tone remained calm, offering involuntary comfort, "You have endured for a long time; you must not let a moment of impulse destroy the efforts you’ve made over the years. The hope of the Laurel Family doesn’t lie with these guards, but with you... but you are too weak now. Once you lose the protection of the Longjiu Family, you could easily be harmed by others."

"You mean... even the Royal Guard won’t stand on the side of the Laurel Family?"

"Correct." The woman’s voice held a hint of approval, "Haven’t you, as an heir to the Kingdom, participated in many court councils? In the face of interests and power, past sentiments will be ruthlessly discarded; eternity exists only in stories, while reality is endless change..."

Bifei fell silent.

Such disputes... she had indeed witnessed many at the court councils. Those nobles who had once claimed to be forever loyal to the Laurel Family were now flattering the conspirators, and their dealings with each other were full of deceit, far removed from the noble character and honor described in the books.

She always felt that the people in the palace were very kind and friendly to her. The adults would always try to make her happy when they saw her.

But after experiencing the death of her father, the maiming of her siblings, and the betrayal of her vassals, Bifei had long realized that the world was not as simple as she had thought.

Her tightly clenched hands gradually relaxed.

"You must immediately order a lockdown of the city and declare martial law, to prevent this incident from causing greater chaos," Bifei said from behind the kneeling Qibo.

"What, what?" The eldest son turned his head, somewhat bewildered.

"The lockdown is not to stop an exceptionally skilled assassin, but to prevent the possibility that they have backups, such as a squad hidden near the city," she continued, "The martial law is to prevent the nobles from colluding and spreading unfavorable rumors within the city. The Duke’s death can no longer be covered up, but we shouldn’t allow them to distort or exaggerate the matter. Of course... these are only my personal views, and I’m not sure if they’re correct—"

"No, you’re absolutely right!" Qibo blinked and suddenly snapped out of it. Damn it, his father had just encountered tragedy, how could he have been so panicked for so long... and even needed a young girl to remind him! He took the key Weiden handed him, had the dismissed doctor return to deal with his father’s body, and then looked at his two brothers, "Did you hear that? Zigwey, go to the security team and have them handle the lockdown of the Royal City and the security situation; Zither, the Internal Affairs Troop is temporarily yours, watch those who are ready to make a move, can you do it?!"

The two nodded in unison.

By then, Bifei had already retreated to the side.

Qibo gave her a surprised look... After that bloody scene in the palace, he had thought this girl would collapse. Instead, she not only held on but had also unknowingly grown a lot.

"You all listen well!", he shouted to the people below the stage, even though many guests had already fled, there was still a portion that had stayed behind... They were family followers, representing the major families and companies of the Western Borderlands, looking at each other, panic-stricken and uneasy. The more such times arose, the more there was a need for someone to stand up and stabilize the public’s heart, "This was a vicious assassination outside of the battlefield, a barefaced trampling of the nobles’ covenant! They could not defeat my father, so they could only come up with such shameless tactics, to strike with such a poisonous hand at an open celebration! I swear by the name of Longjiu, no matter who the culprit is, or who is behind them supporting, the Longjiu Family will surely make them pay with blood!"

Panic was temporarily stabilized.

People began to clean up the site, taking stock of the victims.

"What about you, elder brother?", Zigwey asked before leaving.

"I need to make a trip back to the Royal Palace," Zither said through his clothes, feeling the icy chill of the key—he had already guessed where this key would lead, "I entrust this side to you all."

...

Strange...why does this taste of victory feel so bland?

Mekefa was half-kneeling at the top of the Clock Tower on the edge of the Northern City District, overlooking the city under the dusk. Today was the third day since the death of Duke Longjiu, and signs of chaos should have risen from within Shengxia City, with disorder everywhere.

He knew these nobles far too well.

Decadent, greedy, and stupid.

Before the suddenly vacant position of power, they should have cast aside their brains, viciously fighting against each other to death. Even if the other nobles still feared the remaining might of Longjiu Family, there were nobles within the Longjiu Family itself, with different ranks—why has no one stood out to respond to the return of the Kingdom Army yet?

The Duke of Longjiu was indeed dead.

After he made the cut, he could feel his own vital energies rapidly fading away, the price paid for a fulfilling prayer... And the Longjiu Family did not conceal this news, announcing mourning and vows of vengeance the same night. However, the great turmoil he expected did not come, and the whole city still seemed tightly controlled by someone.

"Cough cough..." Mekefa suddenly coughed violently twice, a taste of blood spreading in his throat.

This was the price of gaining power.

Such a pity... if only he could maintain this peak level indefinitely.

He wiped the corner of his mouth, spitting out a mouthful of bloody sputum. But he did not regret this choice; given a hundred chances to do it again, he would still sign that contract.

Suddenly, there were two flashes of light from the countryside.

That was the signal from Moses.

This meant that the sentries in the Northern Suburbs had been cleared, and the Longjiu Army had briefly lost information on this side.

Indeed, if the city could descend into great chaos due to the assassination, it would be best; even if not, Zhaixing City had a contingency in place. Just the day before their departure, the reorganized Alliance Army had set off along a secret northwestern route unknown to others, passing through the mountains, heading for Royal City Shengxia from an angle the Longjiu Family would never expect. And the northern cities they passed through had already become the backers of the New Divine, providing the army with the necessary food supplies and war materials.

On August 21, 730, which is today as agreed, this army would arrive at the outskirts of Royal City, launching a full-blown revenge on the Longjiu Family.

Mekefa did not care who ultimately held the royal power.

He only hoped to further win the favor of the divinities.