Please, Young Master, Slay the Demon!
Chapter 915 - 23 - : Main Hall [Seeking Monthly Pass!]

Chapter 915: 23 Chapter: Main Hall [Seeking Monthly Pass!]

In the Golden Throne Hall today, there were no civil or military officials present.

The high-ranking figures of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands each occupied a corner, gathering in small groups. These were individuals whose mere stomping could shake the Four Seas and Nine Continents. It was extremely rare for them to be convened altogether.

Even the reclusive Lunar Sect Master, who usually refrained from worldly affairs, had already taken her seat in a corner of the hall.

She was dressed in a dark palace gown, her face covered by a black veil, her head adorned with ebony hairpins, displaying an ivory forehead marked by a silver crescent. Her eyes were cool and clear as if separated by a layer of mist.

Lunar Sect Master Yin Guyue was considered one of the most mysterious powerhouses within the Nine Heavens Immortal Sect. Had it not been for today’s matter being a matter of life and death for the Mortal Realm, she most likely wouldn’t have appeared.

"I’ve long said that the Heaven Devouring Beast was of grave importance, but you insisted on listening to Venerable Wanfa’s nonsense. Now that the Demon God has revived, I wonder how you intend to end this?" Her voice was as indifferent as could be.

Although the Lunar Sect had a good relationship with the Sacred Mountain due to its location in the North Region, and often acted jointly, the sect was the most steadfast opposition in this matter.

They felt that the current situation in the Mortal Realm was stable and there was no need to take risks just to kill the Demon God Origin.

Indeed, chaos had ensued as a result.

"If Cang Sheng hadn’t suddenly betrayed us and the Human Clan, the Demon God would have been annihilated by now," Tiangang Sect Master Lu Jiuwei, who was seated opposite her, said, "The situation has come to this point. We are here to discuss response strategies, so there’s no use for Sect Master Yin to lay blame."

"The Demon God has just revived, and her spiritual power is at its weakest. It’s high time for us to join forces and fight her to the death!"

The man who spoke was clad in plain white, with white silk wrapped around his head. His brows and eyes sharp as swords, his pupils deep and dark, he sat there like a peerless blade, exuding an aura that kept others at bay.

He was the Sect Leader of the Night Blade Sect, known in the jianghu as Northern Imperial Heavenly Sword.

Also, he was a direct disciple of Venerable Wanfa. Two hundred years ago, he descended from Sacred Mountain, roamed the Nine States, and eventually became a hero of his era. He had always revered his master, Venerable Wanfa, immensely.

Now that Wanfa had been killed by the Demon God, his enmity was as deep as the sea.

At today’s gathering, he was the most steadfast proponent of war.

Unfortunately, the strength of the Night Blade Sect was not ranked high among the Ten Earth Sects, and though people sympathized with his grief, they would not act recklessly at his bidding.

Especially the members of the Immortal Sects who had participated in the recent battle had a clearer understanding of the Demon God’s strength.

For the Human Clan today, how terrifying the Demon God was three thousand years ago was merely legend. But after today’s battle, they truly understood her power.

Was it possible that the Human Clan, even without the Demon Suppression Tower, could defeat her now that she had acquired a physical body and was only a weakened Origin?

"I think we need to prepare for battle, but there’s no need to rush it at this moment," said Master Wen Yuan slowly, "The Heaven Devouring Beast that served as her vessel was raised by a disciple of Shu Mountain, gentle in temperament and not bloodthirsty, quite different from previous Heaven Devouring Beasts. If it is possible to coax her, she might be led to goodness."

"Sect Master Wen Yuan, if she really listened to Chu Liang, then she wouldn’t have allied with the Demonic Clan, would she?" Heavenly King Sect Master Wenren Yue said, sitting upright and voicing her doubts.

The Tianxing Lineage still advocated for battle against the newly revived Demon God.

They argued that although the current Demon God was strong and hard to defeat, with the unique traits of the Heaven Devouring Beast, the longer they waited, the stronger she would become. If she, already at the Ninth Realm, sought further strength, she would inevitably end up devouring the entire world.

"Sect Master Wenren, your words are misguided," Thunder Fortress Master Huang Hanshan, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke, "The Heaven Devouring Beast had just taken on the Demon God Origin and its temperament is still like that of a Spirit Beast cub. Suddenly being targeted by several Divine Artifacts, anyone would feel panic. Fleeing is a natural instinct."

After several years of ups and downs, Thunder Fortress also managed to stabilize and eventually sided with Shu Mountain.

But now Huang Hanshan was not speaking for the Shu Mountain Sect. As a master beast tamer, he had a deeper understanding of the nature of Spirit Beasts, which is why he explained the situation to everyone.

Although there had been some discontent between the Heavenly King Sect and Thunder Fortress, they had already reconciled through the mediation of Shu Mountain, so there was no need for confrontation at such a juncture.

Wenren Yue didn’t look at him, but turned directly to Master Wen Yuan and asked, "So, what does Sect Master Wen Yuan think we should do now?"

Master Wen Yuan replied calmly, "Why not send someone to the Far West Land to take a look at the current state of the Demonic Clan and ascertain the Demon God’s situation before deciding whether to go to war? If the Demon God has already begun devouring living creatures to enhance herself, then naturally we must act at once."

He said this also because of the information relayed to him by Chu Liang. Chu Liang was somewhat confident about Tuntun’s temperament, but as the Demon God was a new being, he dared not make any guarantees and felt it necessary to investigate further.

...

While everyone was discussing these matters, another individual made his way to the Main Hall.

This man was clad in court attire, looking thin and frail; he was well-recognized amongst the high echelons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. He was none other than the current Prime Minister Su Qian.

Only at this moment did the Emperor, seated on the Dragon Chair above, lift his eyes and asked in a measured voice, "Is it resolved?"

The Emperor of the Yu Dynasty appeared at least twenty years older than when Chu Liang first met him, seeming to have spent considerable effort on the recent troubles within the palace and the chaos throughout the Nine States.

Hearing this, Su Qian answered, "Your Majesty, this humble servant has ascertained the truth. It was indeed a relative of a concubine in my household who committed the fraud under my name. I have ordered a severe punishment, showing no leniency. For the lax oversight on my part, I beg Your Majesty to mete out my punishment!"

It could be said that Su Qian was somewhat unlucky this time. A maid given to him by someone else, who had a pleasing appearance and enjoyed his favor, was hardly considered a concubine. Yet her father went around claiming to be the Prime Minister’s father-in-law, defrauding others in that name, and no one in Yu Capital City dared to intervene.

When Du Wuhen and others were desperately seeking help, the swindler received word and sent his daughter to plead with Su Qian. Thinking it a trivial matter, Su Qian had his subordinates help resolve the issue, never expecting to completely hit a snag.

When one man gains the Dao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven—such occurrences were not rare in officialdom.

Yet, who would have thought it would get mixed up in the battle with the Demon God.

After the event, the Emperor spoke displeasedly, urging Su Qian to resolve the matter himself, and Su Qian immediately understood the implication.

Should the case be handled by the law, the punishment for this fraud, no matter how serious the crime, would be limited. It would be inappropriate for the Emperor to arbitrarily impose a harsher penalty. Having Su Qian deal with it naturally meant a severe sentence was warranted.

If the Emperor was unsatisfied with the outcome of the punishment, then the one to bear the severity would be Su Qian himself.

Immediately, Su Qian ordered people from the Eight Gates and Eight Sects to capture those fraudsters. After interrogation under torture, he learned the full story, and then he sent them to the Earthfire Door to be refined.

If not for this incident, Elder Mayfly would not have attacked Sky-north Prison so early, and the Prison King would not have been lured out so easily. Although it might not have affected the final outcome, with the situation turning unfavorable now, they naturally had to be picked out one by one for handling.

The Emperor was very angry, and the consequences were severe.

He glanced at Su Qian, nodded slightly, and murmured, "I don’t blame you. After all, having served as the Prime Minister for so long, it’s inevitable that some complications would arise."

Su Qian’s gaze sharpened, and he fell silent for a moment before bowing and saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

If the Emperor reprimanded him a few times, or meted out some punishment, the matter would not have been too serious. But now that the Emperor spoke in such a manner, the implication was not hard to guess.

Initially, he had appointed Su Qian as Prime Minister precisely because Su Qian had no background to restrain him, and his achievements over the years had indeed been commendable. But as time passed, Su Qian himself became the background.

It was time for a change of personnel.

Su Qian had never imagined that, after being cautious for so many years, he would stumble over such a matter. But there was no room for argument now, and he could only thank the Emperor and step down.

By hinting at him to resign himself, the Emperor had left him some dignity.

If he could not maintain his dignity, then others would help him maintain it.

After Su Qian stepped down, the Emperor waved his hand, "Let us continue the discussion."

The grand scheme of the Mortal Realm was not something he, the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty, could decide alone. Although opinions from the Imperial Court and the Regent Residence were crucial, they still had to consider the overall direction of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

But before anyone could speak, a Palace Attendant reported from outside the door, "Your Majesty! Someone requests an audience outside the Main Hall!"

"Hmm?" The Emperor frowned, "Who is it now?"

"It is..." The Palace Attendant seemed exceedingly astonished, stammering, "The Qingqiu Demon King!"

Outside the gate of the Imperial City, on the massive bronze mirror in the courtyard, a gigantic nine-tailed white fox was reflected!

The expressions of everyone present changed instantly; the Emperor pondered for a moment before saying, "Let them come in."

The Palace Attendant turned and shouted, "His Majesty invites the Qingqiu Demon King into the hall—"

As the palace doors opened one by one, a moment later, a figure of simple beauty stepped into the Main Hall. The lady ascended the steps with a smile and saluted, "Qingqiu Demon King Cai Yi, from the Far West Land, greets Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Human Clan of the Yu Dynasty."

"Qingqiu Demon King..." The Emperor looked at her and inquired, "What brings you here?"

Without hesitating, Cai Yi stated each word clearly, "Negotiations."