Chapter 123 Tell your high priest to come out and see me! ...
Her little pink tongue was wet, and a fox fur floated by in the wind, brushing past her nose. Lu Yuanyuan couldn't hold it in; she leaned forward abruptly and let out a thunderous sneeze: "Achoo!"
The little fox was held in her hand and swayed slightly, its two hind paws gently kicking in the air.
Its head and ears are exceptionally large, and its eyes are like black grapes, round and watery, making it look just like a Q-version doll in a shopping mall.
The more powerful a fox demon is, the more tails it has. Therefore, the nine-tailed fox has always been regarded as the most elite lineage among fox demons. As a fox demon's demonic power increases, it has the opportunity to grow new tails. However, due to obstacles such as bloodline and talent, it is very difficult to cultivate into a nine-tailed fox. Being able to grow one or two more tails than before makes one a standout among its kind.
This little fox looks like a babbling infant; its tail is definitely not something it acquired later, but rather something it was born with—it's a genuine nine-tailed fox cub. Moreover, it clearly doesn't understand the dangers of humans, having been captured so easily.
No one with normal intelligence would send such a small, slow-moving, big-headed, big-legged creature to monitor the enemy, right?
Lu Yuanyuan looked it over and, having already made her judgment, lowered her guard considerably. She put it back on the grass and said, "Are you someone's child or pet? You should be able to understand me, right? Go home now and stop wandering around outside."
The little fox, whether it understood or not, looked up at her.
Lu Yuanyuan stood up, brushed the grass clippings off her clothes, and turned to go back to her room. But after taking only a few steps, she heard a sound right behind her heels.
She turned around in surprise and saw that the little fox hadn't left; it was still hopping along behind her. Because of its short legs and small strides, it moved its four little legs very quickly so as not to fall behind. Its nine fluffy tails on its rump swayed in the air like a flower bursting open.
As soon as Lu Yuanyuan stopped, it stopped immediately, staring at her expectantly, its tail wagging even more enthusiastically, making her a little dizzy.
Is this guy clinging to her?
But she had no time or inclination to play with small animals. Lu Yuanyuan showed no mercy, looking down at it: "Go back to your home, don't follow me."
Perhaps because she spoke slowly this time, the little fox finally understood that she was shooing it away. Its round eyes seemed to glisten with tears, and its tail drooped down like a wilted flower. It didn't follow and just squatted down alone in the same spot.
Lu Yuanyuan ignored it. Once she was far away, she looked back and found it was no longer on the grass.
Strange, she didn't hear any footsteps.
It's really baffling.
Lu Yuanyuan shook her head slightly, no longer taking the matter to heart.
.
The following day, the demon race and Jin'ao Island finally got down to discussing an alliance.
Before the meeting began, Lu Yuanyuan was far from optimistic, but the difficulties far exceeded her expectations. The very first step was a dead end—allies must coexist peacefully, help each other, and refrain from harming one another. This was incredibly difficult to achieve between humans and demons, given their deep-seated conflicts. Several ministers from the demon faction demanded that the cultivation world sign an agreement guaranteeing no harm to their people for three hundred years before further negotiations could proceed. But such a blanket demand was something the cultivators would never agree to. Exorcising demons and protecting the righteous path was their duty; who could guarantee that these demons wouldn't harm humans for three hundred years?
On the first day, both sides were able to sit on opposite sides of the table and argue their points. Even though the young cultivators were red-faced with anger, they suppressed their rage and tried to reason with the other side. But from the second day onwards, the meeting gradually devolved into a heated debate.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and progress was very slow.
On the night of the fifth day, an unexpected event occurred—an urgent report came from the southern border that ghostly soldiers from the underworld were invading. Several important military commanders, including the Left General, left Xuanzhao overnight. As a result, the council had to be suspended for several days.
Perhaps fearing that the envoys would be bored, the demon race invited the cultivators from Jin'ao Island and Shu Mountain to visit a separate palace outside Xuanzhao, to fulfill their hospitality and allow everyone to relax and unwind.
The delegation was mostly composed of young people, and since it was a rare opportunity to visit the demon realm, everyone was eager to go. However, since it was a rare day off, Lu Yuanyuan preferred to stay by herself, so she told everyone to have fun while she remained in the palace to rest.
This is also a kind of "corporate slave" mentality. On their days off, they just want to stay home quietly and don't want to go out for team building activities.
Anyway, with Fu Xinguang watching over the younger ones, there's nothing to worry about.
The next day, Lu Yuanyuan woke up naturally. When she woke up, everyone had already set off, and the entire palace was quiet. She leisurely washed her face, and a maid served her breakfast, adding honey tea to soothe her throat.
She's been using her voice too much these past few days, and her throat is a little swollen.
The honey tea was smooth and not cloying, and Lu Yuanyuan gulped it down in one go, then exhaled. The maid observed her expression. After all, she was a demon, and the way she looked at people was with her head slightly tilted, somewhat like a thinking animal: "Your Highness seems very tired. Was the meeting too tiring?"
Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment and said, "I'm not used to your meeting style here."
The maid chuckled and covered her red lips: "Please don't take it to heart, Immortal Lord. This is just how the demon race holds meetings. Every time they have a meeting, everyone slams their fists on the table and smashes the walls. Nobody is willing to give in to anyone else, and sometimes they even fight."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
The maid pointed to the garden and said, "Your Highness has been here for so long, but you haven't had a proper chance to explore our palace. If Your Highness doesn't wish to leave the palace but would like to relax, I can accompany you for a walk."
Lu Yuanyuan's gaze swept over the garden she was pointing to, and she suddenly remembered something: "By the way, speaking of which, isn't there a little nine-tailed fox in this palace?"
The maid blinked: "My Lord, are you referring to our High Priest's child?"
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback: "A child?"
"Yes. I heard that the priest and his wife had a very good relationship. Because the wife was in poor health, she spent most of her time recuperating in Mangshan, Xuanzhao, and the priest stayed there to take care of her personally. Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived. Not long after giving birth, the wife passed away. After that, the priest moved back with the child."
Lu Yuanyuan tapped her knee lightly with her fingertip: "So that's how it is."
It sounds like the high priest was a widower raising his child alone.
The maid hesitated for a moment, then said, "However, we've only heard about him a lot; we rarely see the priest's young master. He rarely goes out to play. Even when we do see him, he's always in the priest's arms."
It turned out to be a little male fox... wait, no, that's not right.
You rarely go out?
A hint of doubt crossed Lu Yuanyuan's mind.
The little fox had come to her several times before she caught him. That night, no soldiers appeared to stop her when she seized him. It seemed the little brat had definitely sneaked out.
Lu Yuanyuan snapped out of her reverie and politely declined the maid's suggestion to go for a walk in the garden. After lunch, she stayed in her room, practicing her internal energy cultivation, completing two small cycles of circulation, feeling refreshed and invigorated. When she opened her eyes, it was already dark outside.
I wonder if Yue Hong and the others have returned.
Lu Yuanyuan got off the ground and suddenly heard some strange noises coming from outside the terrace, like animal claws scratching at the wooden planks.
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback, then quickly walked over and opened the door. She saw a furry paw hooked on the edge of the terrace—the thing seemed to be trying to climb up, but it was startled by the noise of her opening the door and slid down, dangerously dangling outside.
this……
Lu Yuanyuan's expression changed slightly. Without hesitation, she bent down and lifted it up. Sure enough, it was the little fox that hadn't come to see her for several days.
The high priest's child.
The little fox had a lot of grass stuck to its fur, and it gently let out a fox call at her, its voice exceptionally delicate.
Why is this kid here again?
This time, they didn't just peek; they climbed through the window.
She had initially thought it would be a bit troublesome, but the maid's words flashed through her mind, and Lu Yuanyuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
There are too many stubborn opponents within the demon race. The best and fastest way to change the current situation is to quickly reach a cooperation agreement and win over the High Priest. However, the High Priest hasn't appeared at the council meetings for the past few days. Furthermore, judging from his principle of wiping out an entire city with a single move, he's clearly not an easy person to get along with. Approaching and flattering such a person without reason will only backfire and make him look down on you.
Originally, she had temporarily abandoned her plan to get close to the high priest.
But now that she knows the little fox's identity, a ready-made opportunity has been handed to her.
If we send the high priest's child back to him, wouldn't we have a legitimate reason to see him?
If they could meet, she would have a chance to persuade him to express his support for cooperation between the two sides.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuanyuan's eyes lit up instantly when she looked at the little fox. After thinking for a moment, she held him in her arms, wrapped him in her clothes, and walked out of the room.
She had to personally deliver the little brat to the High Priest. Therefore, she couldn't let other demons see the child, lest they intercept him.
It's strange, really. This little fox always tries to run away, so it must be quite mischievous. But in her arms, it's quite well-behaved, its paws clinging to her clothes, its nine tails curled up in circles.
She remembered the maid saying that the demon race was unlike the mortal realm; ministers could not live in the palace, and the high priest and the demon king were partners in the early stages of their establishment, so their status was different from others. Although he had his own residence outside the palace, he would also stay in the north courtyard of the palace for official business.
Since the child is here, he must have been in the palace during this time.
As the sun began to set, the vast palace was shrouded in a hazy light. The closer she got to the Northern Court, the fewer people she saw on the road; gradually, not a single servant could be seen. After winding her way through the deep palace, Lu Yuanyuan finally arrived at her destination.
There were no guards outside the North Courtyard; as far as the eye could see, there were only flame trees. The ground was covered with a thick layer of petals, and the forest was so quiet that you could almost hear the sound of shoes crunching on the mud.
In this environment resembling an ancient tomb, Lu Yuanyuan unconsciously concealed her presence and silently passed through the woods. Just as she was about to reach the palace of Beiting, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps running from another direction towards the palace.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively hid behind a tree trunk.
However, after making that move, she realized that she didn't need to be so sneaky—she wasn't here to exorcise demons, but to return the child.
At the same time, she heard the sound of a door opening inside the palace. It seemed that someone had heard footsteps and came out, speaking very quietly, but it didn't escape Lu Yuanyuan's ears: "How is it? Did they really make a move?"
Lu Yuanyuan immediately stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave.
She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she had already hidden herself away, and going out now would definitely cause trouble—from where she was standing, she could see the shadow of that demon rushing over. At such close range, it was impossible for her to move without being noticed.
Her intuition told her that the two demons probably didn't want their conversation to be overheard by an unrelated third party.
She saw the approaching demon figure move, seemingly nodding vigorously, and spoke, still panting, "Those people couldn't sit still after all, they took the opportunity to attack. My lord, should we...?"
"No rush, wait for the priest's instructions."
"Yes, then I'll send someone to keep an eye on it now."
Lu Yuanyuan held her breath. After this brief exchange, the person who had arrived quickly left, and the palace doors closed again.
Although their conversation was rambling and seemingly unrelated, it appeared to touch upon some internal conflicts within the demon race. She was right to hide; she didn't want to get involved in this trouble.
Once she was sure there was no sound outside, she tightened her grip on the little fox and prepared to knock on the door. However, something unbelievable happened. Just a moment ago, she clearly felt a little fox in her arms. The next second, she felt her hand go lightly, and when she looked down, all that was left in her arms was a bundle of clothes; the little fox had vanished.
……Um?
how so?
Lu Yuanyuan was utterly astonished. She quickly shook out her clothes, but there was nothing there. She looked around, but there was nothing there either. She could only find it hard to believe.
They were just here a moment ago, why did they disappear in the blink of an eye?
That little thing is a monster, not a ghost. How could it evaporate in a second like water vapor?
Lu Yuanyuan stared wide-eyed, utterly perplexed. However, without this crucial stepping stone, she could no longer proceed with her plan to knock on doors and had no choice but to return home.
By now, it was completely dark, and rumbling thunder could be heard faintly from behind the clouds.
From afar, the lights of the guest palace could be seen, and on the steps, there seemed to be a figure anxiously looking around. It was her two maids.
Upon seeing her, the two maids rushed over as if they had found a lifeline: "Immortal Lord Lingheng! Where have you been?"
Lu Yuanyuan said casually, "Oh, I went for a stroll in the garden after waking up from my afternoon nap."
"It's so good to have you back! The celestial messengers have been looking for you!"
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback and quickly went inside. She saw a noisy scene in the hall, with the disciples discussing something and Fu Xinguang looking solemn.
Lu Yuanyuan walked over and asked, "What happened?"
Seeing her return, everyone looked relieved, as if they had found their pillar of support. One disciple blurted out, "Immortal Lord, Yue Hong has gone missing!"
"How could that be? Wasn't he with you?"
Everyone chimed in, saying, "We did set off together, but in the afternoon, we picked some fresh fruit at the foot of Mangshan Mountain. Yuehong said he wanted to give you some to try, so he came back early!"
“He was accompanied by an attendant at the time, and there was nothing unusual about him when he left.”
“We thought he had already returned. But we just got back here and found out that Yue Hong didn’t come back at all this afternoon; he’s gone!”
Fu Xinguang said remorsefully, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have agreed to let him act alone."
"It's not your fault, no one expected this." Lu Yuanyuan patted his shoulder, suppressing her unease, and asked the important question: "What about the servant who came back with Yue Hong?"
The maids shook their heads: "He's missing too."
Although Yue Hong is unconventional, he's not the type to leave things unexplained. There's only one possibility: he's encountered trouble he can't control.
Lu Yuanyuan clenched her fist and said, "You guys, report this matter immediately and ask His Majesty the Demon King to send people to help us. The rest of you, split up, pair up, and go find Yue Hong following the path he took!"
"yes!"
An unfamiliar guard said, "However, His Majesty is not in Xuanzhao tonight; only the High Priest is in the palace..."
Without hesitation, Lu Yuanyuan said, "Then I'll go ask him for help!"
The crowd dispersed, and Lu Yuanyuan was the last to step down the stairs. Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over her. She instantly got goosebumps and abruptly turned her head to look at the southern sky.
The next second, she rose into the air on the wind, her figure transforming into a shooting star and disappearing into the night wind.
...
Yue Hong was reborn within the puppet she created. While the puppet slept, their connection also remained dormant. After the puppet awakened as a human, as its creator, she could sense changes in the puppet's state at certain specific times.
For example, just now, she sensed it in her mind—Yue Hong's consciousness flashed across the south.
This is a very dangerous sign, meaning that his soul may not be able to stay in the puppet's body any longer.
Before long, Lu Yuanyuan found the place where the sensation had been fleeting.
Xuanzhao shines in the south.
In the pitch-black wilderness, Lu Yuanyuan stood before a pool as large as a lake, her face ashen.
Her speed was almost lightning fast. When she arrived, the torchlight illuminated the surrounding darkness, and besides her, who had arrived first, there were only a few guards.
When she first entered, she learned that this place was called the Pool of No Return. It was as large as a lake. Its terrain was very low, and the surrounding dikes were dozens of meters higher than it. Standing on the shore and looking down was like gazing into an abyss. But below was not a quiet valley, but boiling, pitch-black water, with a dense, malevolent aura rising into the sky, accompanied by the shrill howls of a hundred ghosts.
Back then, the entire city of Xuanzhao was reduced to ashes, and the resentment left behind was suppressed in this pool of no return. Afterwards, any monster that committed an unforgivable crime would be thrown into the pool, where they would fight each other to the death underwater until they were completely devoured, skin and bones.
Nearby, guards surrounded an unconscious red-haired boy and presented Lu Yuanyuan with a bloodstained dagger.
"Tonight, our guards heard some strange noises while on patrol, so they went in. They found Lord Riyan in the grass by the pond. He was injured and had a bloodstained dagger in his hand. He was unconscious... We were just about to send someone to inform General Zuo's men when you, Immortal Lord, suddenly arrived."
The head guard stood beside Lu Yuanyuan, explaining while unable to hide his doubt and surprise, as if he didn't understand why this legendary envoy from the celestial realm would suddenly come uninvited, as if he could sense something was happening here from thousands of miles away.
Moreover, she didn't seem to have come for Lord Riyan.
Upon arriving here, the faint connection was severed, and she could no longer sense Yue Hong's presence. Lu Yuanyuan interrupted them, saying, "Besides him, have you seen any cultivator boys who are fourteen or fifteen years old?"
All the guards shook their heads.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart sank. Her senses told her that Yue Hong was indeed here; if he wasn't on the ground, he was most likely somewhere else…
She looked down at the lake.
A guard noticed her intention and quickly stopped her: "Your Majesty, please don't be impulsive! No one has ever tried to rescue someone from below before. Let's wait for the High Priest... Your Majesty!"
Before they could finish speaking, Lu Yuanyuan had already leaped into the air.
When she fell straight into the water from a height, her first feeling was—cold!
It wasn't the cold of being soaked in ice water in winter, but rather a bone-chilling, extreme cold that seemed to emanate from the depths of the earth. Even with her level of cultivation, she felt her mind go numb for a moment.
At the same time, she felt an unusual boiling in the water from all directions, and countless things began to rush towards her, like sharks that had smelled blood and flesh, tearing at the barrier she had set up for herself.
Amidst the screams that had been building up for countless years and could pierce her eardrums, Lu Yuanyuan closed her eyes and sensed, finally finding a familiar yet weak voice once again.
She suddenly opened her eyes, and in the darkness, a glimmer of light appeared. She swam forward recklessly and finally saw a boy.
His body was glowing, clearly indicating he had used a protective barrier when he fell into the water; however, due to exhaustion, the barrier was flickering. Lu Yuanyuan reached out and touched him, discovering what appeared to be a deep wound on his lower abdomen. Having struggled for so long, his strength completely dissipated the moment she grabbed him, the barrier shattered, blood flowed out, and the surrounding attacks intensified.
Lu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth and cast a spell, protecting him within her barrier and carrying him upstream. In the rush, there were always places she couldn't attend to. She seemed to feel something bump into her right foot, but she didn't stop until she caught the boy in her arms, burst out of the water, and returned to the shore like a whirlwind.
With a "whoosh," amidst the gasps of the demon guards, Lu Yuanyuan laid the unconscious Yue Hong on the ground, her own clothes soaking wet. She ignored him for the moment, quickly prying open Yue Hong's mouth and feeding him a magic pill, then turning him over to check the wound on his lower back.
The wound is very deep; it was definitely caused by a dagger, and the teeth marks are exactly the same as those on the dagger in Riyan's hand...
Suddenly, Lu Yuanyuan's hand paused.
Wait, something's not right... this wound...
Just then, Riyan Youyou woke up and found himself surrounded. His expression changed drastically: "What are you doing? How dare you! Point a knife at me?"
As he spoke, he sat up, as if only then realizing where he was. Seeing Lu Yuanyuan beside him, a look of astonishment flashed across his face: "It's you? What do you mean! You kidnapped me here!"
After hearing what had happened from the guards, Riyan burst into a tirade: "I don't understand what you're saying! You think I pushed him down? Stop talking nonsense!"
Suddenly, he glared angrily at Lu Yuanyuan, his childish face turning pale and then flushed. Pointing at her, he said viciously, "I understand now! Did you set me up? I was clearly eating out, and after finishing my meal, I got sleepy, took a nap, and then came here..."
At that moment, everyone heard the whooshing sound of swords flying in the sky.
It seems that the message sent by the guards of Wujianchi has reached the palace. Fu Xinguang and the others came upon hearing the news. When they saw the situation and overheard Riyan's explanation, they couldn't help but start cursing.
"Still trying to deny it! Yue Hong has only been in the Southern Territory for such a short time, how could he have made enemies with anyone? Besides you, who else would have a motive?"
"It's obvious that you're deliberately seeking revenge on Yue Hong because you lost face on the gladiatorial day last time!"
"The wounds on Yue Hong's body match your dagger, how do you explain that?"
Riyan stretched his neck and roared, "I, Riyan, am a man of my word! Don't even think about framing me! When my godfather returns, you'll all be in for it!"
The two sides continued arguing. Fu Xinguang turned his head and saw Lu Yuanyuan squatting on the ground, soaking wet, her clothes sticking to her body. He quickly took off his cloak and put it on her, and also helped check on Yue Hong's condition.
Just then, a refined voice suddenly interrupted everyone.
"Please calm down, fellow immortals. The culprit who injured the cultivator Yue may not actually be Lord Riyan."
Lu Yuanyuan paused, then suddenly looked toward the source of the sound.
Everyone turned their heads at the sound and saw a man in black.
Besides the soldiers, this demon had also come with them from the palace. Because of the urgency of the situation, they hadn't asked many questions, initially assuming he was the soldier's leader. But now, in the torchlight, seeing the man's imposing presence, they vaguely felt they had been mistaken.
Sure enough, the man spoke again soon: "Let me introduce myself. I am Bai Ye, the deputy general of the High Priest."
As he spoke, he bowed slightly with a polite air before continuing, "Just now, we found the guard who accompanied the Yue cultivator back outside the palace. The guard was injured, and according to his testimony, they were attacked on their way back. Although they fought back desperately, they were outnumbered and quickly overpowered because they smelled a strange odor from the beginning. He was dragged into an abandoned room. Those guys seemed to think he was dead and only took the Yue cultivator away. But he recognized the language they spoke; it was the language of those evil cultivators from the Food Kingdom."
Fu Xinguang hesitated and said, "You mean to say that those evil cultivators from the Food Kingdom deliberately framed Riyan for the crime?"
“That’s right.” Bai Ye nodded slightly. “The demon race hopes to establish an alliance with the cultivation world. Even if we disagree for the time being, please believe that we will not use such despicable and foolish means to deal with you. On the contrary, these evil cultivators from the Food Kingdom probably do not want to have competitors, so they try to make us turn against each other and destroy our cooperation.”
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat swayed by the persuasion. However, one cultivator remained skeptical: "But what you've said is merely the guard's word; words alone are insufficient proof. Anyone can learn the language of the Food Kingdom. How can you prove you're not shifting the blame onto the Food Kingdom people?"
Riyan's face was somewhat distorted, clearly feeling that he had no way to defend himself and was extremely angry.
But at this moment, Lu Yuanyuan's voice rang out: "No, it shouldn't be Riyan that hurt Yue Hong."
Riyan seemed surprised that Lu Yuanyuan would speak up for him, staring at her with wide eyes as if she were looking at someone who had lost their mind.
Immediately, someone asked, "Why?"
Lu Yuanyuan picked up the blood-stained dagger and gently flattened it under the light: "The wound on Yue Hong's waist is indeed the shape of this dagger. But the wound was stabbed from top to bottom, proving that the person who injured him was taller than him, much taller. But Ri Yan is much shorter than Yue Hong, so it couldn't have been him who stabbed him."
Faced with this evidence, everyone finally put aside their doubts. The only one with the most complicated expression was Riyan. Clearly, he was both happy to be cleared of suspicion and embarrassed to be publicly described as short. He gritted his teeth and stared at Lu Yuanyuan.
Yue Hong was still unconscious, but the bleeding had stopped. Lu Yuanyuan took off her wet cloak, put it on the ground, stood up, glanced at the man in black, and said, "Please take Yue Hong back first and make sure he is well taken care of. I have something to take care of."
Leaving those words behind, she departed alone, returning to the palace as quickly as possible and heading towards the Northern Court.
After passing through the flower grove, they found that, unlike during the day, there were now guards outside the palace gates of Beiting at night. Seeing Lu Yuanyuan emerge from the grove, her face frosty and her clothes soaked, the two demons were stunned for a moment before reacting: "Please stop, Immortal Lord! This is not a place for you."
Lu Yuanyuan suppressed her anger and her attitude was exceptionally tough. She coldly said, "Tell your high priest to come out and see me!"
As soon as the black-clad man's voice rang out, she recognized it as the voice of the guy who had opened the door to the messenger this afternoon.
At the time, she thought the two demons were plotting something internal to their own race, so she had no intention of getting involved. But after what happened tonight, even she, in her naiveté, could connect the two events.
If she wasn't mistaken, the High Priest's henchmen had already received news this afternoon when the Food Kingdom people attacked Yue Hong, intending to frame Ri Yan. However, he didn't stop them; instead, he suppressed the information and allowed the Food Kingdom people to attack Yue Hong.
As things normally would have it, the envoys from the cultivation world wouldn't have discovered Yue Hong's disappearance until evening and would have searched for him everywhere. And she, as the head of the delegation, would most likely, due to a shortage of manpower, foolishly seek his help.
She will stay with him until news comes from the Infernal Pool, at which point everyone will rush there together.
By then, Yue Hong would be absolutely dead. Even if his body could be retrieved, it would be mangled. The shape of the dagger wound, while somewhat unusual, wouldn't be admissible as evidence—who knows if it had been further damaged by something below? When Ri Yan awakens, the two will likely have a fierce argument in front of the Infernal Pool. Afterward, Ri Yan will probably be imprisoned. Then, he can send Bai Ye, casually announcing that he has found the true culprit and exposed their true identity.
So, what was his purpose in doing this?
Firstly, if she personally invites him to the Pool of No Return and he finds the real culprit, she will owe him a favor. Her owing a favor is equivalent to the entire delegation of envoys from the cultivation world owing her a favor. In future negotiations, he will have the upper hand and could even use this as an excuse to make her repay the debt.
Secondly, his men found witnesses to clear Riyan's name, and General Zuo would be extremely grateful to him upon his return. In this way, he could subtly win over this powerful military commander to his side.
Thirdly, she thought that there must be many different opinions within the demon race regarding the arrival of the food-eaters.
Although the High Priest was the Demon King's right-hand man, the Demon King always had demons under his command who were not on his side. These forces, united, could rival him. If I'm not mistaken, the High Priest probably quite disliked these Food People and wanted to drive them out of the Southern Territory. However, something that even the Demon King couldn't simply veto, he certainly couldn't.
Just then, the people of the Food Kingdom made their move against Yue Hong. Their aim was clearly to disrupt the alliance between the cultivation world and the demon race. After all, General Zuo was originally an opponent, and if his adopted son was wrongly accused of killing Yue Hong, one side would feel extremely grieved by the loss of their own people, while the other side would feel that their adopted son had been unjustly framed and that their injustice would be difficult to redress. In this way, the conflict between the two sides would be escalated to an irreconcilable level, and the alliance would break down.
However, while they were catching cicadas, they didn't realize that they had already been targeted by a sparrow.
The high priest was aware of their actions but allowed them to continue. In this way, he could both drive away these food-eaters and severely weaken the force within the demon race that was competing with him.
That's killing three birds with one stone.
They considered everything and utilized everything, but they didn't consider Yue Hong's life at all.
In a place like the Boundless Pool, cultivators can naturally escape, but if it's a Golden Core cultivator who is injured and somewhat delirious... that might not be the case.
However, this high priestess, despite all her calculations, probably never imagined that she could sense Yue Hong's location when he was on the verge of death. Therefore, she skipped over the olive branch he had prepared for her and went directly to the Pool of No Return.
Strictly speaking, this is indeed an internal conflict within the demon race. However, if it involves the exploitation or even harm of those around her, she has no intention of hiding like a coward and continuing to swallow her anger.
The two guards seemed surprised that Lu Yuanyuan dared to be so arrogant at someone else's doorstep. Their expressions changed slightly, and they exchanged a glance before saying, "Please watch your words, Immortal Lord! The High Priest is already resting. Even if you want to see him, please come again tomorrow."
Lu Yuanyuan's anger was blatantly obvious. She sneered, "I must see him tonight. If he won't come out, I'll go in and invite him myself. Three, two—"
As the countdown reached "one", the door on the steps suddenly opened.
He was pushed away by a pale hand.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyes suddenly opened slightly.
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