Chapter Thirty-Four: Conspiracy and Planning
The tide of public opinion in the Demon Realm was turning in favor of the Demon Lord faster than the rebels had anticipated. With each passing day, Shang Jiuya's foundation for consolidating power and winning hearts and minds grew stronger, and the tacit understanding between Chang Dong's army and her deepened. Guan Shanyue and Ao Li felt suffocated; they knew they had to launch a devastating attack before she was fully powerful, sending her to her doom.
A secret meeting was held in an absolutely sealed room deep underground in the mansion of the Grand Elder Youchi, surrounded by soundproof and anti-detection barriers.
There were only five attendees: Elder You Chi, Elder Gong Liang, Elder Jiang Zheng, Prince Ao Li, and Prince Guan Shanyue.
The room was dimly lit, with only the cold light emanating from a dark, suspended magic crystal in the center illuminating faces that were either gloomy, anxious, or fierce.
"Gentlemen," You Chi's voice was hoarse, "the situation is clear. That Jiu Ya is ruthless and vindictive. If she can kill Qi Mu and Shi Yi Niang today, she can use even crueler methods to eliminate us one by one tomorrow! If we sit and wait for death, there is only one way out!"
Gong Liang and Jiang Zheng nodded in agreement.
"We must act when she convenes the next Daqing Hall meeting!" You Chi's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Right in the Daqing Hall, in front of all the elders and officials who are still wavering, we must use swift and decisive means to forcibly depose, or even... execute! We must take control of the Elder Council and restore order!"
"Easy for you to say!" Ao Li sneered. Although he was equally wary of Shang Jiuya's rise, the prince's arrogance and remaining rationality kept him calm. "Changdong's army is lurking outside, and Li Yue's Shadow Guards and Ziguang Palace guards are not to be underestimated. How can we take action? How can we ensure success? If we fail, we will be doomed!"
"Leave Changdong to me!" You Chi gritted his teeth. "I still have a small but absolutely loyal 'Shadow Devouring Guard' under my command. They are all elite warriors trained with endless resources, possessing astonishing combat power and excelling in combined attacks and stealth techniques! They can launch a surprise attack on Changdong's central army at a crucial moment. Even if they cannot kill him, they can certainly hold him back for a while, making him unable to attend to both ends! Some of the palace guards are still under my and Elder Gong Liang's control!"
Gong Liang nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes! As for resources, I can urgently allocate a batch of high-purity magic crystals and explosive magic potions to prioritize arming the suicide soldiers and absolutely loyal guards!"
"While suicide attacks and resource support are important, they are probably not enough to secure victory," Guan Shanyue suddenly said. "Our Eleventh Sister is no longer the pitiful little girl who only hides behind others and cries. She must be heavily guarded, and her own strength has progressed strangely and mysteriously. We need someone who can truly restrain or even paralyze Changdong's main force and quickly control all the palace gates and key passages to completely block the possibility of large-scale external military reinforcements."
Her gaze lightly swept over Ao Li, but deep within her eyes lay a profound calculation.
Ao Li's eyelids twitched violently, and he cursed the wicked woman in his heart. Guan Shanyue was pushing him out as the most conspicuous target, to bear the greatest risk and the first wave of counterattack. But he had to admit that this was the most crucial link. He commanded a portion of the Demon City Garrison, which was currently the most powerful conventional military force within the Demon Palace besides Changdong's border troops.
"Fourth Brother," Guan Shanyue smiled sweetly, "now is the time for you to step forward, turn the tide, and take charge of the overall situation. As the eldest surviving heir of our Father, with noble blood, you should rightfully inherit the throne and restore order. If you can promptly mobilize the elite garrison, control all the palace gates, and isolate the inside from the outside, making the Daqing Palace an 'isolated island'... I, your younger sister, will wholeheartedly support you. All my resources and all my agents will be at your disposal." She paused slightly, "After this is accomplished, you will be the Demon Lord, and I, though unworthy, am willing to assume the position of 'Regent,' ruling the Demon Realm together with you, Fourth Brother... How about that? It's better than in the future, when we are both fish on someone else's chopping block, at their mercy, isn't it?"
Co-governance? Ao Li's inward sneer deepened. This venomous woman was all talk and no action. She clearly intended to use his military power to gnaw on the toughest nut to crack. Once it was done, with her unpredictable and insidious methods, it would be only a matter of time before she sidelined or even eliminated him. But right now, he desperately needed Guan Shanyue's pervasive intelligence network and her unpredictable poison techniques to deal with that wicked Eleventh Sister. Especially Chang Dong's border troops; without inside help and special methods to restrain them, his garrison alone would have little chance of winning in a direct confrontation.
He pondered for a moment, his face grim. Now was not the time for long-term plans; he had to eliminate Jiu Ya, this major threat. He raised his head. "Very well! I can mobilize the most elite troops of the garrison to control all palace gates and surrounding strategic routes, ensuring that not a single soldier of Chang Dong will set foot within the Daqing Palace grounds to interfere with important matters! However, Ninth Sister," he stared sharply at Guan Shanyue, "your promises, especially your methods for dealing with Chang Dong and Shang Jiu Ya themselves, I hope will be effective, not just empty words!"
"Fourth Brother, rest assured." Guan Shanyue's smile remained unchanged. Her slender, jade-like fingers gently brushed against a sachet at her waist. The faint, exotic fragrance emanating from it could influence the emotions of those around her, amplifying their inner anxieties and resolve, making them more likely to agree to the risky plan. "Since I've spoken, I'm confident. I've already planted several hidden agents on Changdong's side, which may delay his military orders or create chaos at crucial moments. As for Eleventh Sister..." she said confidently, "I've already ordered a batch of 'Soul-Eating Incense' to be specially made. This incense is colorless and odorless, and it can slowly erode demonic energy, making people restless, slowing their reactions, and extremely difficult to detect. Before the meeting, it will be sent to the Purple Light Palace through special channels, mixed in with incense or her usual items. Even if she's on guard, she will still be affected to some extent. At that time, I have other arrangements in the palace, ensuring that she can't exert even 70% of her full strength!"
At this moment, Jiang Zheng coldly interjected, attempting to find a foothold and value for his expertise in "law" amidst the impending martial arts battle and treacherous scheme: "Reputation and righteousness are also indispensable. I will immediately set about revising the law and sorting out old cases, listing ten major crimes committed by Jiu Ya, including harming his elder brother and younger sister, illegitimate accession to the throne, militarism, instigating internal strife, and undermining the foundation of the nation. At that time, we will publicly announce these crimes in the Daqing Hall, stripping him of his title as Demon Lord, emphasizing the illegitimacy of his rule and the harm he poses to the Demon Realm, thus providing legal basis and public opinion support for Your Highness's ascension to the throne!"
Seeing that a preliminary agreement had been reached, You Chi concluded: "That's good! Elder Gong Liang and I will be responsible for launching an attack within the hall and the assassins' assault; the Fourth Prince will control the perimeter and isolate Chang Dong; the Ninth Prince will use intelligence and... special means to try to weaken or even eliminate Shang Jiuya and her core followers; Elder Jiang Zheng will be responsible for public opinion to convict her! The next Daqing Hall meeting will be her death day! Everyone, our lives and deaths depend on this!"
Five warlords, wary of each other yet driven by shared fear and ambition, are temporarily bound together on the same chariot heading toward the abyss.
Guan Shanyue lowered her eyes, concealing a hint of mockery. Ao Li's military power, You Chi's assassins, Gong Liang's resources, and Jiang Zheng's pretext were all merely pawns on her chessboard, tools to weaken Jiu Ya's strength. Even among themselves, they were mutually restraining bargaining chips. She had already prepared several backup plans; regardless of who ultimately won a Pyrrhic victory, she was confident she would be the ultimate victor. Poison wasn't just for killing; it could also control people's hearts invisibly.
However, they could never have imagined that their supposedly foolproof top-secret plan would be conveyed to the desk in the Purple Light Palace almost immediately through several invisible threads.
Having reached a new level in "The Shadowy Secrets Chapter," Shang Jiuya's spiritual senses had become so acute as to be almost mystical. Although she couldn't directly eavesdrop on the contents of the secret room, she could clearly sense that a malicious magical fluctuation was simultaneously permeating You Chi's residence, Ao Li Palace, and Guan Shan Yue Palace. This abnormal "synchronous resonance" was itself a clear warning sign.
Bai Yu's secret spies within the palace reported numerous anomalies: some long-absent, cold-blooded members of the You Chi and Gong Liang families began entering specific areas of the Demon Palace under various pretexts; the messenger exchanges between Ao Li's residence and several key generals of the garrison suddenly became extremely frequent and secretive; the activities of the pharmacists and illusionists in Guanshan Moon Palace had recently intensified, and the list of required medicinal materials included several extremely rare demonic plants that are usually only used to refine top-grade hallucinogens or highly poisonous substances; in addition, trace amounts of a rare toxin called 'You Tan Flower' were detected in the palace's waste materials, and this flower is one of the main ingredients for refining 'Soul-Eating Incense'.
Through the channels of the Machinery Hall, Qingcheng overheard that a batch of powerful anti-magic crossbows and magic-binding artifacts, which were supposed to be used to reinforce the outer city defenses, were secretly transferred to an internal warehouse controlled by Ao Li's garrison under the guise of "annual drill maintenance." At the same time, records from the Machinery Hall's special materials warehouse showed that the consumption of certain forbidden magic potions that could greatly enhance strength in a short time but had endless consequences, as well as several rare core materials needed to break through high-strength protective barriers, had increased abnormally. The approval process seemed compliant, but the final destinations were cleverly guided towards Guan Shanyue's sphere of influence.
The most conclusive information, almost pinpointing the exact timing of the action, came from Ninth Elder Xing Yuan. One of his trusted officials, responsible for meeting schedules and paperwork, discovered that Elder Jiang Zheng, under the guise of "organizing old legal cases for future inquiries," had unusually reviewed and copied a large number of historical files concerning "procedures for deposition and enthronement," "the definition and sentencing of treason," and "legal disputes over the order of succession." He had also secretly destroyed several records of past evaluations that might be unfavorable to him. Xing Yuan himself, through some deeply hidden private channels, vaguely overheard phrases like "next meeting," "all must be present," and "the fate of the dynasty"—all suggestive of a coup.
All the fragments of clues collided, pieced together, and deduced rapidly in Shang Jiuya's mind, which had been enhanced by the "Secret Knowledge of Shadows" chapter, and quickly took shape.
You Chi and Gong Liang launched an attack from within the palace, along with a suicide squad assault; Ao Li implemented military control on the perimeter and isolated reinforcements; Jiang Zheng used public opinion to convict them; Guan Shanyue used poisonous techniques and insidious methods to weaken the Jiu Ya faction.
Looking at the compiled intelligence, Shang Jiuya realized that this was the group's last act of madness. It was precisely because of their madness and eagerness for quick success that it was easier to predict and exploit them.
"Want to settle things at the Daqing Palace? That suits me perfectly," she murmured to herself.
She immediately and secretly summoned Li Yue, Chang Dong, Xing Yuan, and the Second Elder Lian Bo, whose attitude had clearly leaned towards her. Although Elder Moro did not directly participate in the secret meeting, the media apparatus under his control had received covert instructions and was ready.
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