Dongfang Lin, now recovered, clutched his right shoulder and roared, "My lord, don't believe this witch! She's definitely up to something!"
Ikegami Aya didn't seem to care, instead giving Dongfang Lin a flirtatious wink: "Patriarch Dongfang, don't be so irritable~" She turned to Han Feng, "Three days from now, Mu Xiaoxiao will initiate the 'Tsukuyomi Ritual' at Tokyo Tower. Without me leading the way, you won't even be able to enter the outer barrier."
In the night sky, the giant blue eye had completely closed, transforming into a seemingly normal blue moon. But Han Feng could still sense that a certain feeling of being watched remained.
"Why did you betray Mu Xiaoxiao?" Han Feng went straight to the point. "Don't say it was just for freedom."
For the first time, a crack appeared in Aya Ikegami's smile. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly ripped open the hem of her kimono—her inner thigh was covered with hideous blue lines that spread like tree roots toward her heart.
"The Moon Goddess Seal will gradually devour its host." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "Mu Xiaoxiao promised... she would remove it for me as long as I completed the task... but she lied..."
This show of weakness was too abrupt, making Han Feng even more wary. But in the current situation, having a few collaborators was better than none at all.
"Okay," Han Feng suddenly agreed, "but I have conditions."
Aya Ikegami's eyes lit up: "Please speak."
"First, release these warriors from control." Han Feng pointed to the kneeling crowd. "Second, I want all the research data you know about the Nether Crystal Clan. Third..."
He leaned close to Aya's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't think I didn't discover that you were hiding the 'Moon Demon Clan'."
Aya Ikegami's pupils contracted sharply, but the expression vanished in an instant: "As expected of the Star Lord... so perceptive." She took two steps back and gave an exaggerated bow. "I accept all conditions. The information is ready, it's just..."
"Master! No!" A kneeling warrior from the Ikegami family suddenly sprang to his feet, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, and lunged forward. "You cannot betray the Moon Goddess—"
\"Bang!\"
Without turning her head, Aya Ikegami swung her hand back, and the warrior instantly exploded into a cloud of blue crystalline mist. The others knelt even lower, like emotionless puppets.
"As you can see," Aya Ikegami flicked the crystal dust off her hands, "some of the marks...are too deep."
Han Feng simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, I'll go meet Mu Xiaoxiao in three days. You can take your people and leave."
Looking at the man in front of her, Aya Ikegami felt a surge of fear and could only nod in agreement.
The black sedan slowly drove away from the Miyamoto family's estate. The tinted windows blocked out the outside world, but couldn't hide the slight trembling of her fingertips. She stared at Han Feng's figure getting further and further away in the rearview mirror until he disappeared from sight around the corner, then she let out a long sigh.
"Go straight back." She ordered the driver, her voice regaining its usual coldness.
The car drove onto the highway. Aya Ikegami took a small crystal from a hidden pocket in her kimono, hesitated for a moment, and then put it back. Contacting the Moon Demon Clan now was too risky; since Han Feng had discovered this secret, there was no guarantee he didn't have eavesdropping methods.
(How could he have known...)
This question gnawed at her reason like a venomous snake. The existence of the Moon Demon Clan was her greatest secret; even Mu Xiaoxiao only considered them ordinary vassals of the Nether Crystal Clan. Those ancient souls sealed within the crystals.
Aya Ikegami unconsciously stroked the blue markings on the inside of her thigh. These "Moon God Marks" were indeed a curse, but also a source of power. It was true that she needed Han Feng's star power to break the seal, but her ultimate goal was far more than simple freedom—she wanted to release the sealed true forms of the Moon Demon Clan, allowing this ancient race that had once ruled the Nether Crystal Clan to see the light of day again.
Of course, the first one to be devoured will be the Star Soul Lord who thinks he has everything under control.
"Master, we've arrived."
The driver's reminder interrupted her thoughts. A group of officials were already waiting in front of the official residence, each with a barely perceptible blue light flickering in their eyes—these were all puppets controlled by the Moon Goddess Seal. Aya Ikegami composed herself, resuming her perfect, almost artificial smile, and stepped out of the car.
---This is the dividing line---
At the same moment, smoke filled the safe house. Han Feng stood in front of a table covered with photos and information on various families in R country, with Ikegami Aya's image highlighted in red.
"I know her motives aren't pure." Han Feng drew a question mark on Ikegami Aya's photo with a marker. "But judging from her reaction, there is indeed a conflict between her and Mu Xiaoxiao."
Dongfang Lin couldn't help but slam his fist on the table: "Then why did the lord agree to cooperate? This woman is clearly harboring malicious intentions!"
"Precisely because she harbors ulterior motives, we need to utilize her even more." Han Feng put down his pen, turned to the crowd, and said, "The royal family is already under her control. R Country needs a temporary representative to maintain order. As for us—" He pointed to the photo of the European region on the tactics board, "we need to concentrate our efforts on dealing with the mess there."
Zhang Jingcheng stroked his beard thoughtfully: "Does the Star Lord mean... to use the Chishang family as a shield?"
"Not only that." Han Feng pulled up a surveillance video showing the moment Chi Shangling killed her clansmen. "Did you notice the method she used when killing her own people?"
Everyone crowded closer to the screen. Han Feng slowed down the video, and they could clearly see that when Chi Shangling waved her hand, a silver-blue light, different from that of the Youjing Clan, flashed at her fingertips.
"This is... the Moon Demon Clan's 'Soul Shattering Claw'," Han Feng said.
"The Moon Demon Clan? Could this be another extraterrestrial force?" Su Wanwan asked.
Han Feng nodded: "Chi Shangling carries the legacy of the Moon Demon Clan. I suspect the real reason she fell out with Mu Xiaoxiao wasn't the so-called 'freedom,' but rather her desire for control over the Moon Demon Clan. Therefore, she needs my help to remove the mark Mu Xiaoxiao left on her."
A commotion erupted in the room. Dongfang Lin's eyes widened: "So what you whispered just now was...?"
"I was bluffing her." Han Feng revealed a sly smile. "Although I knew she had that kind of influence, I didn't really know if it was on her, so I didn't expect her reaction to be so brilliant."
Everyone suddenly realized what was going on. Su Wanwan jumped up excitedly: "You're so mean! That woman must be terrified right now!"
"It's not just panic." Han Feng walked to the window, gazing towards R country. "She'll definitely speed up her actions. And we..." He turned, his eyes gleaming, "We'll just wait for her to lure us out."
Liu Mengran asked softly, "What exactly is the Moon Demon Clan?"
"An alien race sealed away by the Lord of Star Souls in ancient times." Han Feng's voice deepened. "They feed on souls and can possess any creature bearing the Moon Goddess Mark. If Ikegami Aya can truly break the seal..."
He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Notify all squads," Han Feng suddenly ordered. "On the surface, withdraw from R Country, but in reality, secretly monitor the Chi Shang family's every move. Especially the royal family members—I suspect the Moon Demon Clan's main seal lies beneath the waters of R Country."
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