Chapter 8: Queen Jiang?

"What? The demon tribes that went to Chen Tang Pass have all disappeared, and they still haven't been bought back?"

In a huge underwater coral cave, a vicious dragon whose whole body exuded poison let out a roar.

And as his roar sounded, strands of poisonous gas spread through the seawater, making the surrounding little demons feel a pang of panic.

This demon is none other than the Evil Sea Dragon King, whom Chen Tang Pass fears like a tiger!

If Ao Yifan were here, he would surely recognize at a glance that this so-called Evil Sea Dragon King is not a true dragon at all, but merely an impure-blooded jiao dragon.

It's a pity that the true dragon race is busy suppressing the myriad demons beneath the sea, thereby allowing these impure-blooded hybrid jiao dragons, flying under the dragon banner, to wreak havoc in the region!

"Your Majesty, this matter is suspicious; now, as the annual sacrificial day approaches, we cannot help but be cautious!"

A demon whose shape resembled an old turtle advised.

Upon hearing the old turtle's words, the Evil Sea Dragon King calmed down, and immediately he asked, "Where is the Mirage?"

As the Evil Sea Dragon King's words fell, a mass of water mist slowly rose in the field.

Next, within the water mist, a graceful figure slowly emerged.

Looking at the graceful figure in the water mist, the little demons' eyes showed a hint of infatuation.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort came from the Evil Sea Dragon King's mouth; in an instant, the little demons who had been lost in infatuation sobered up immediately.

"Hehehe..."

A bell-like laugh spilled from the mouth of the graceful figure in the water mist, but at this moment not a single little demon dared to look at her; obviously, the recent experience had frightened them.

"Mirage, stop playing; I need you to go to Chen Tang Pass to investigate the disappearance of the demon tribes."

The Evil Sea Dragon King said.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, the figure in the water mist asked, bewildered: "Why go to such trouble? With Your Majesty's strength at the peak of the Mystic Immortal realm, you could personally strike and destroy Chen Tang Pass with a mere raise of your hand."

"Mirage, the matter is not as simple as you think!"

At this moment, the old turtle said: "This time, the little demons Your Majesty sent out have not a single one returned; I suspect this is related to the Demon Capturing Squad, for only they act in such a way as to exterminate completely!"

"What? The Demon Capturing Squad of the Jade Void Palace?"

Upon hearing this, Mirage's face changed involuntarily as she said: "To let me go up against such an existence—isn't that just sending me to my death?"

"Mirage, with your Mirage Dragon clan's illusionary abilities, be careful and there should be no problem."

The Evil Sea Dragon King said.

"No, I can't; although my Mirage Dragon clan's illusionary arts are formidable, the Demon Capturing Squad seizes demons from myriad worlds, and I have no absolute confidence I can deceive them!"

Mirage shook her head.

"Mirage!"

The Evil Sea Dragon King's voice grew cold; only see one of his claws slowly opening, and in the next instant a seven-colored dragon egg appeared in his claw.

"You wouldn't want your sole dragon egg to shatter before your eyes, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Mirage's face changed, and she urgently said: "Don't harm her; I will help you investigate the disappearance of the demon tribes!"

Having said that, Mirage took a deep look at the seven-colored dragon egg, the water mist around her rose, and she vanished from the spot.

"Your Majesty, Mirage may already have harbored rebellious intentions!"

The old turtle, gazing at the place where Mirage disappeared, spoke gloomily.

Upon hearing this, the Evil Sea Dragon King coldly snorted: "This point, I naturally know; however, as long as her dragon egg remains in my hand for a day, I have confidence to control her."

As he spoke, his sharp dragon claw slowly rubbed over the seven-colored dragon egg.

"Alas, I never imagined that the livelihood of Chen Tang Pass's people has deteriorated to this extent!"

Lady Yin flipped through the account book in her hands and, unable to help herself, cursed: "It's just that damned commander-in-chief who's absent; otherwise I would certainly have him drawn and quartered!"

Upon hearing this, Ao Yifan gently drew her into his embrace and comforted: "All right, don't be angry; getting angry harms the body, which is no good for our child. Finding the problem and solving it—isn't that enough?"

"You say it's simple!"

She gave Ao Yifan a glance and said: "Although my Princess Manor has some money and silver granted over the years by the great king, for the whole of Chen Tang Pass it's merely a drop in the bucket. Alas, I really can't bear to see the people of my Great Shang suffer."

Upon hearing this, Ao Yifan laughed as he poured her a cup of tea and said: "Madam, have you never thought of borrowing money?"

"Borrow money?"

Lady Yin replied, bewildered: "Now Chen Tang Pass is basically a bottomless pit; who would lend me money?"

"Hehe, although Chen Tang Pass's situation is dire now, it has the entire East Sea at its back. Madam, you could use the East Sea as collateral, promising that once the demon threat is pacified, the other party may freely harvest East Sea resources for ten years. I think someone would still be willing to lend money."

Ao Yifan said with a smile.

"This..."

Lady Yin felt somewhat moved, but she always felt that Ao Yifan's suggestion seemed off somewhere.

If Lady Yin were a modern person, she would surely know what a bad check is.

What Ao Yifan said sounded nice—using East Sea resources as collateral to borrow money.

Moreover, let's not even mention that the East Sea's demon problem remains unresolved; as for those East Sea resources, are they even Chen Tang Pass's to begin with?

Isn't that the territory of someone else's East Sea Dragon Palace?

Using someone else's property as collateral while talking as if you're letting them take advantage—such talk merely bullies the simple folk of this era.

"What the prince consort said isn't entirely without reason!"

Lady Yin pondered briefly, then nodded and said: "Then I'll write a letter to my imperial sister-in-law right now!"

"Imperial sister-in-law?"

Ao Yifan blinked slightly.

"Yes, the empress of my elder brother, Empress Jiang!"

Madam Yin said: "The Imperial Sister-in-law married my royal elder brother a year ago, and the nearest to Chen Tang Pass is Earl Dongbo's tribe; the Imperial Sister-in-law has recently returned to her maiden home to visit her parents, I have written to her, and given our relationship, she will surely agree to our terms."

"Empress Jiang!"

Ao Yifan pondered and said.

He recalled that this Empress Jiang also possessed great fortune.

Not only was she the Empress of the Great Shang, but after the Fengshen Calamity she was further invested as the Lunar Star Lord.

Ao Yifan recalled that even before the Fengshen Calamity, the position of Lunar Star Lord had already been occupied by someone.

That was the renowned Chang Xi!

Jiang Ziya wielding the Fengshen List is formidable, but he absolutely lacks the qualifications to forcibly seize the Lunar Star Lord's position.

The answer is obvious: the position of Lunar Star Lord rightfully belongs to Empress Jiang.

In other words, Empress Jiang and Chang Xi are very likely the same person, or more precisely, Empress Jiang is the reincarnation of Chang Xi.

Chang Xi, that is an ancient great god, whose fortune is immense.

Nowadays, it is very likely that he has descended to the mortal world to undergo tribulation.

"Such an opportunity is truly once in a thousand years!"

Ao Yifan couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

After all, if he is truly the Lunar Star Lord, according to Ao Yifan's speculation, he is at least at the level of a Daluo Golden Immortal.

Such a being is far beyond what the present me can aspire to.

"However, if it is the present Empress Jiang..." Ao Yifan's heart stirred; he glanced at Madam Yin, who was preparing to write a letter nearby, and said: "Madam, if you want Earl Dongbo's side to be willing to lend money, you should let them know just how bitter the lives of the people of Chen Tang Pass are now; why not have you write a letter inviting your Madam Huang to come over for a visit, so she can personally see the impoverished lives of the people of Chen Tang Pass?"

Ao Yifan's heart stirred, he turned to Madam Yin, who was preparing to write a letter nearby, and said: "Madam, if you want Marquis Dong Bo's side to be willing to lend money, you should let them know just how hard the lives of the people in Chentang Pass are nowadays. Why don't you write a letter to have your Madam Huang come over for a visit, so she can see with her own eyes the impoverished lives of the people in Chentang Pass?"