Chapter 2695: Three Hearts, Two Minds

Only bringing his personal guards to the capital, the journey of several thousand miles is long and arduous, and anything could happen along the way.

These two major powers have torn their faces apart, and the other vassal demon states of Bekka immediately fell silent, not daring to utter a sound, fearing they would be swept away by the hurricane's tail.

Among the vassal demon states, some are loyal to the demon emperor, some to the Heavenly Palace, and of course some are loyal to none, only wanting to live their own lives, but during this period, they are busier than anyone else, bearing pressures greater than anyone else's.

Both major powers want to win them over.

After half a month, the prince of Yegan entered Lingxu City to be invested, then went to the Heavenly Palace to receive his coronation.

The coronation ceremony on Mount Xushan was unprecedentedly grand, because the number of spectators and the troops maintaining order reached as many as five thousand.

Such standards and treatment had previously only been enjoyed when the demon emperor ascended the throne and received his coronation.

Everyone can understand the reason behind it.

In short, under the insistence of Lingxu City, the prince of Yegan secretly took the medicine and accepted the divine art in front of five thousand people, and the coronation ceremony proceeded smoothly.

The new vassal king of Yegan has ascended the throne.

But the entire Bekka is restless, filled with the oppressive pressure of an impending storm. In six hundred years, this great empire has never been so frenzied.

He Lingchuan then said to Du Shan: "Actually, you are right—this round, the demon emperor has won."

"With such an uproar, the Heavenly Palace also knows where its weaknesses lie." Du Shan smiled unkindly, "If left unchecked, the number of vassal demon states supporting the demon emperor will exceed those supporting the Heavenly Palace."

"Not 'will exceed,' but has already exceeded. Bili State will sooner or later turn to the demon emperor, and the other vassal demon states will also realize that, even with heavenly gods backing them, Lingxu City as their direct superior still has ways to make their steps difficult, making every day unpleasant."

"Present officials are not as effective as present managers. In the past, Lingxu City easily put the vassal demon states in small shoes, let alone now."

Du Shan nodded: "Coincidentally, it is also the eve of the large-scale descent of the heavenly demons, a critical juncture in the plan of the Lingxu Holy Venerable."

"After descending, they will inevitably need a foothold, need the most handy tools, namely Bekka." He Lingchuan said slowly, "The Lingxu multitude must firmly grasp Bekka in their hands, allowing no loss."

So, how will the heavenly demons resolve the current crisis?

Du Shan suddenly asked He Lingchuan: "Your Majesty, I have a bold question to ask."

"Go ahead and ask."

"If you were in the demon emperor's position, how would you act?"

"Me?" He Lingchuan pondered, "If I were the demon emperor, from the day I obtained the 'Heartstring' formula, I would begin laying plans; and the day the antidote was ready, that would be the day I struck, never delaying left or right, never waiting until now."

"The demon emperor should also be secretly preparing." Du Shan sighed, "Resisting the heavenly demons is no easy feat for him."

"That is inevitable. Bekka is a state that venerates the gods, its faith foundation is overly strong. The people of Bekka have enjoyed divine favor and grace for six hundred years, both court and populace have countless fanatics, each believing they are heaven's chosen sons, utterly disregarding how the outside world evaluates the heavenly demons and Heavenly Palace, wholeheartedly devoted to serving the heavenly gods."

Bekka's traditions are long-standing; for the demon emperor to resist the heavenly demons, in a sense, is to oppose his own origins, oppose the foundation of his state, oppose the faith of the Bekka people!

Who would dare to be an enemy of everyone's faith? Who is not afraid of having their head hung on the wall the next day?

"If the demon emperor openly resisted the heavenly demons, his direct lineage forces would not know how many remain; vassal demon kings like Fu Shanlie, if they openly opposed the heavenly demons, hah, fearing their own subordinates would rise in rebellion first."

Among the ministers, the army, and their households, how many believers are there? Although the Heavenly Palace does not hold many troops in its hands, it grasps the most terrifying weapon in this world:

The faith of the Bekka people.

Even the demon emperor does not dare to lightly challenge and shake it.

"Without breaking this faith-based delusion, Bekka cannot save itself." He Lingchuan gave a low grunt, "But so far, I have seen no measures taken by the demon emperor in this regard."

"But the most fundamental problem is that the demon emperor himself has never been able to make up his mind. Nachi Tian's killing of two heavenly demons, thus slaying two vassal demon kings, was a hard push to the demon emperor. In my view, this is a great opportunity, but the demon emperor—" He Lingchuan's tone could not conceal disappointment, "He has utterly failed to seize this opportunity, still playing political tricks, still clinging to the heavenly demons' rules and playing games with them."

The internal affairs of Bekka are complex and intertwined, and of course there are many inner details outsiders do not understand. However, "the current demon emperor is a conservative ruler, himself always engaged in left-right maneuvering, until now still enduring in silence, truly passive."

Ji You Dadi is the founding monarch, possessing initiative, from the very beginning a vanguard in resisting the heavenly demons. In his view, the demon emperor's conduct is naturally weak.

"Directly resisting the heavenly demons is too difficult for the demon emperor. Perhaps his goal is to control all of Bekka, and only after the heavenly demons descend can he negotiate with them." This inference, Du Shan has pondered for a long time, "This is a fallback, seeking a place to establish oneself."

"For a monarch, indecisiveness is a weakness." He Lingchuan shook his head, "His current actions will only make the heavenly demons angrier. How could the Lingxu Holy Venerable, with such a nature, tolerate him repeatedly playing this trick right under his nose?"

"To dare to hesitate before the Lingxu Holy Venerable is truly dangerous." Du Shan also gave a light sigh, "If Qingyang Old National Preceptor were still alive, perhaps he would advise him to act sooner."

Alas, there are no 'ifs' in worldly affairs.

His eyes shifted, and he asked He Lingchuan again: "Your Majesty, if you were the Lingxu Holy Venerable, what would you do now?"

"If it were me?" He Lingchuan said with a grim expression, "Bekka's problems are somewhat thorny, but no matter—I cannot solve the problem, so I will go solve the people who created the problem."

"One effort, lasting forever—what's wrong with that?" He gave a cold smile, "I and the Lingxu Holy Venerable are not hesitant personalities."

The imperial study was warm, but Du Shan felt a chill run down his back.

"I see, even if the demon emperor acts now, it is somewhat late." He Lingchuan lowered his head to handle official duties, "Bekka is about to undergo a heavenly change—let us wait and see."

"Yes." Du Shan withdrew.

He Lingchuan is truly disappointed in the demon emperor.

He is also one of the few people in the present era qualified to be disappointed in the demon emperor.

He Lingchuan governs and flashes the Jin Ping Plain, and still needs to borrow the Dragon God's name; but the demon emperor is truly a descendant of the Dragon God.

Back then, the Black Dragon God Venerable resisted the heavenly demons with what resolve—not only did he himself die heroically, but even the entire dragon clan charged to the front lines of battle, thus suffering heavy losses.

Yet the spirit of the Dragon God has not been inherited by his descendants.

The current demon emperor thinks only of how to preserve himself after the heavenly demons descend, not of attacking, not of resisting foreign invaders for humanity.

Even if he secretly coordinates with Cang Yan, this coordination is actually limited and cannot truly wrest Bekka from the heavenly demons' grasp.