Chapter 1136

One Person Under.

"The Hongmen Banquet…"

Zhang Chulan silently took out a lighter from his pocket, lit a cigarette, and said, "It seems Kaines isn't planning to negotiate properly either—does he intend to first give Ke Xia a big stick and then stuff him with a candy?"

The problem is, there's not even a hint of sincerity in doing this. She made all those preparations beforehand—didn't she bother to find out what kind of person Ke Xia really is?" Seeing this, Wang Ye also let out a light sigh, "…Feeling like after all this, we've just pushed away a possible potential ally."

"She shouldn't think as much as Bi Lian." Lu Linglong wiped the smile from her face and made a throat-slashing gesture. "She believes that intimidation is best; if intimidation fails, bribery; and if she discovers that Na Kesha truly cannot be used by her, she will directly signal with a smashed cup to kill him in negotiations."

"Kill Na Kesha, then extract the Sethis fire seed from his body — this way the Senate will control the Sethis and KefaLe fire seeds, and in future negotiations with Aglaea we will have more leverage."

"Heh… I didn't expect you to be this ruthless." Wang Ye glanced at the Lu family's eldest daughter. "But this move is probably just a probe, testing Na Kesha's mettle. No matter what, killing someone in front of Laigushi is too extravagant… If we do that, who would dare to actively approach Kaines and their faction later? Moreover, Na Kesha still has another fire seed inside him; if we fail to kill him, we'll have created a major enemy, which would be troublesome."

Wang Ye recalled the scene where Na Kesha, gun in hand, contended with the fire thieves; an ordinary person would have been dead already. If he were to turn hostile with Kaines on the spot, Na Kesha might be able to shoot her dead with one shot.

——

"Everyone, step back."

"Seeing that Na Kesha so easily noticed the concealed axe-and-sword wielders, Kaines simply drove them away."

"Thank you for your understanding. I am merely a frail scholar who cannot stand the smell of copper and blood."

"No need for modesty, sir. In my view, your courage and boldness live up to the name of the Seven Worthies; you are more than capable of undertaking our charge‑ahead‑and‑drink‑blood endeavor."

Na Kesha raised an eyebrow: "Do you want a war?"

"Golden Descendants call for war, and we respond with war. Conflict is inevitable: since Aglaea attempts to use the power of gold blood to suppress the good‑natured populace, we will not hesitate to proclaim the rights and vigor due to Aohema's citizens." Kaines spoke righteously, "You ask whether there is still a shred of hope for peace? I can only say: everything depends on the next citizens' assembly, whether they can, in the people's outcry, have a change of heart——"

"——And as a Golden Descendant, your invited presence truly adds a glimmer of hope for us."

Na Kesha snorted coldly: "Heh, big talk. The 'Purifiers' who just retreated, your loyal followers, probably heard something quite different from this."

"To be frank, that's exactly right. After all, their job is to clean up harmful things. And just a moment ago, you were still on the side of the Golden Descendants… Of course, now you are on our side. Please, to avoid walls having ears, let's move elsewhere to continue."

Kaines led Na Kesha all the way to the center of the Demigod Council, a vast and empty square where a purple cube hovered silently above the plaza.

"Lord Anaxagoras, I believe you certainly remember: here countless orators who could speak as fluently as a hanging river have stood, using honey‑tongued language to sway hearts and return victorious; also countless impious philosophers have stood here, refusing to defend themselves and drinking poison to die."

"This tiny stage is indeed the most profound microcosm of Aohema over thousands of years. And in fifteen days, this place will also become the most important—and final—turning point in Aohema's history… May we both fulfill our mission and lead humanity back to a golden age free of 'death,' 'conflict,' and 'deceit'."

——

Azure Archive

"Huh…? Is Kaines also planning to launch a coup?"

Inside the Federal Administrative Committee's defense chamber, the air was filled with the aroma of coffee. Seeing Kaines on the screen apparently preparing to overthrow Aglaea, Huo Huaye immediately took out his treasured coffee beans, intending to closely observe this "clash" between her and Aglaea.

"It seems she well understands the 'Three Arrows Precept', aligning Na Kesha, whose interests coincide with hers, and the more people like him there are, the absolute advantage she can secure at the citizens' assembly fifteen days from now."

"But we also can't let our guard down, just in case this guy stabs us in the back…… To ensure absolute safety, it's best to bribe those in charge of defense in Aohema's city, so that even if we falter at the citizens' assembly, we can immediately rally people to launch a coup."

"However, that Aglaea fellow is strong. Her subordinates are even more valiant; if we want to succeed in a rebellion, we probably need to control the civilians……"

A figure slowly stepped out of the shadows—it was Xue Nai of the FOX Squad, who let out a soft sigh: "Why are you putting yourself in Kaines's perspective? Moreover, as long as you coerce the populace, you cannot gain support; your idea is a rebellion against the Aohema people, not a coup."

"What are you talking about?" Hua Ye glared angrily, eyes wide, glaring fiercely at Xue Nai, "Failure is called a rebellion; success is a revolution! A revolution targeting the entirety of Aohema!"

"……" Xue Nai let out a soft sigh, not intending to continue arguing with Hua Ye. "Fine, say whatever you like. Anyway, in my view, relying solely on controlling the guards and the Purifiers cannot defeat Aglaea, let alone Xiaodie and Baie, who will still side with Aglaea… Using force to stage a coup in Aohema is no different from suicide."

——

Qin's Moon: Tian Xing Jiu Ge

The night was as dark as ink, stars speckled. The Purple Maiden had just lifted a jug of new wine, her purple skirt swaying in the candlelight.

"Golden Age?" Han Fei's wine cup paused slightly, his face still bearing a playful, world-weary smile, "... That's interesting, the Golden Age is thousands of years removed from present-day Weng Faluos, and moreover, the three Titans—'Strife', 'Death', and 'Deceit'—have already descended upon the mortal world; even setting aside the slain Nicadoli and the Deceit Titan that has returned with the fire seed, there remains a Titan whose whereabouts are unknown—how does she plan to defeat the 'Death' Titan?"

"Brother Han, could it be that you haven't seen through Kaines's true intentions?" Zhang Liang lifted his gaze to the two conversing on the screen, "Kaines's rhetoric about leading humanity back to the Golden Age is false; the true intention is to use this rhetoric to regain power. From then on, anyone who does not obey her orders will be considered an enemy preventing humanity's return to the Golden Age."