Chapter 249: The Last Stand

In the gloomy, dim dungeon, Luo Yan slowly awoke in the dead silence of the darkness.

As a goblin, he was much stronger and more intelligent than the others.

It was precisely for this reason that he was scouted by his superiors and selected to join the Red Flame Legion's artillery unit as a glorious artilleryman. Since then, he had not only been equipped with new gear that made other goblins green with envy, but he also received two extra chicken legs for lunch compared to the rest.

However, the good times did not last.

Having trained for only a month, he had just stepped onto the battlefield when he experienced the most disastrous defeat of his goblin life.

To be honest.

Even after so much time had passed, he still felt that the battle had been lost in an incredibly stifling way.

A day earlier, they had been bombarding the humans of Saerduo Port with magic crystal cannons, watching those detestable two-legged things run around in a panic, heads broken and bleeding... yet in just a single day, griffins flapping their wings had ridden right into their faces.

If the humans hadn't wanted to extract the secret formula for the magic crystal cannons from their mouths, they likely wouldn't have left a single survivor. After all, too many people had died that night, and most of them were civilians.

Luo Yan's head was dizzy, his hands bound by heavy shackles; the cold metal pressed against his thin wrists, carrying a hellish chill.

He instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva, attempting to discern his situation from the surrounding environment.

"Is this... the dungeon of Saerduo Port?"

The interrogation room was eerily pitch-black, the walls branded with magic runes that seemed to absorb light, giving the entire space a sense of being swallowed.

The damp air carried the scent of metal and sulfur, and while faint firelight flickered in the distance, it failed to illuminate a single corner of this place.

This was not the same as his previous cell.

Could the garrison of Saerduo Port have sold him to the Xuebang Academy?

Just as Luo Yan's heart began to pound, a low, indifferent voice suddenly rang out in the darkness.

"Awake?"

Luo Yan's breath hitched, and he jerked his head up, only to see a mysterious figure in a cloak standing in the darkness ahead, though he didn't know when they had arrived.

Due to the obstruction of the hood, he could not see the fellow's face, yet he could still feel a trace of intangible majesty from the shadows beneath that hood—

That majesty even surpassed the pressure the griffins had brought him, causing him to tremble involuntarily.

"What did you encounter at Saerduo Port?"

Luo Yan instinctively shivered.

He had heard this question countless times, and every time he had repeated the same answer, but this time... a sense of fear inexplicably arose in his heart.

"I, I've said it many times!" Luo Yan's voice trembled as he fearfully stared at the figure standing in the darkness. "I'm in the artillery unit, I'm just a loader! Luo Yan hasn't killed a single person! Really!"

"And then?" The gaze in the darkness watched him like a dragon toying with its prey, and a terror that seeped into the bone marrow radiated from invisible pupils. "I need to know the details, especially... how you were captured."

Luo Yan struggled to search the corners of his memory, recalling the scene of that day, his voice becoming increasingly urgent.

"I... I was loading shells on the front line, preparing for the next volley! But just a second before I shoved the magic crystal into the cannon breech, suddenly... a darkness shrouded the entire position!"

His body trembled slightly: "Everyone couldn't see anything, and the magic arrays failed completely! We thought it was holy-type light magic, but... no, that darkness didn't feel like holy light..."

"What did you feel?"

"Very cold..." Luo Yan couldn't help but shiver, answering tremblingly. "It was a cold from the depths of the soul... as if it wanted to freeze my soul..."

He took a deep breath, recalling that chilling sensation, and continued with a tone of certainty.

"That was necromancy! I'm sure of it..."

The mysterious person did not speak; the silence made the air grow even colder.

Luo Yan became increasingly panicked, his throat dry.

"By the time I came to my senses... the Griffin Knights had already charged to the front line! We had absolutely no defense..."

"Then, I was captured, along with the other prisoners, grabbed by the griffins' claws and thrown into the human military camp... Really, that's all I know! You've asked me many times already, and I don't know why the defensive magic array failed either; you should go ask our General Saibeisi, maybe it wasn't even set up to begin with. As for that necromancy... maybe our rear-guard mages missed their target? Please, spare me!"

The mysterious person still did not respond.

The room remained silent, the candlelight swaying slightly, reflecting Luo Yan's figure trembling with terror.

Even now, he still thought he was in the dungeon of Saerduo Port, completely unaware that he had long since been transferred back to Hell—

And specifically to that Demon Capital he had only dared to gaze upon from afar, never daring to dream of setting foot in: the very center of Hell's power.

Outside the interrogation room, the lights were dim, and the magic crystals emitted a faint glow.

Through a translucent magic crystal wall, everything in the room could be seen clearly, and the person standing in the observation area was none other than—the Demon King Luo Yan.

He took off his hood, revealing that calm and elegant face, quietly watching Luo Yan's reaction inside the interrogation room.

Beside him, the adjudicators from the Truth Force were also watching, their faces wearing expressions of deep thought.

Not far from the group, a floating magic crystal ball projected an image; it was—the complete recording of the Saerduo Port transaction.

This footage recorded in detail how Luo Yan's servant—a human named Lu Mier—had infiltrated Saerduo Port with his corpse-demon subordinates and spent money to buy the captured goblin artillerymen from a drunken human sot.

Not only that.

The recording also included testimony from the human side; almost everyone in the tavern believed that the battle was not just due to the weather and General Hamu'erdun's brilliant military strategy, but more so because it was the help of the gods.

This footage had been sent back to the Demon Capital via the Demon King Management Department's teleportation array; the entire recording was complete and intact, and parts had been verified as unedited.

And even earlier, Lu Mier's identity had already been reported at the Demon King's debriefing meeting as one of the achievements in "corrupting the Kanbeier Principality," and the entire chain of evidence could be said to be complete and intact.

The faces of some adjudicators gradually turned ugly, while others stared at the crystal ball with inscrutable gazes, attempting to see more details through the veil-like mist.

"Without a doubt... General Saibeisi has betrayed the Demon God."

"The only uncertainty is whether he made a deal with human officers or sold his soul to the false gods of the humans."

"I don't think there's a difference; it's betrayal! He has failed the extraordinary power bestowed upon him by the Demon God! We should arrest him immediately and shatter his soul!" An adjudicator of terror-demon descent gritted his teeth in hatred, a low growl of anger emitting from his throat.

And as their superior, the high-tier adjudicator draped in dark red robes stood quietly, as if pondering something.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Judging from Luo Yan's confession and Lu Mier's recording, there is no doubt that General Saibeisi is highly suspected of betrayal. Next, we only need to find the traces left by the curse's erosion on this goblin, and the truth should come to light."

Luo Yan nodded lightly: "Correct."

Any magic would leave traces, and for the experts of the Truth Force, they had ten thousand ways to squeeze every secret out of this goblin's body.

They were experts in that field.

And the Minister of Religion in charge of the Truth Force, Geligao Suolun, was a demigod lich whose strength was not inferior to Headmaster Aiwen, and the long passage of time had endowed him with unparalleled knowledge.

The high-tier adjudicator paused for a moment, his speaking speed slow as he continued.

"This can prove part of your accusations, however, merely relying on the fact that General Saibeisi was once a subordinate of Zakeluo Delagong is not enough to prove that the Delagong family was also involved. After all, Zakeluo has been retired for a long time; he passed the position of family head to Lei Ji Delagong over a century ago."

Luo Yan chuckled slightly, his expression calm and confident: "Zakeluo has not handed over the power in his hands; he has been manipulating everything from behind the scenes. This is no secret in the upper-class society of the Demon Capital, and General Saibeisi was acting under his instructions."

This information was actually something he had learned at Miss Mi Ya's birthday banquet.

Not only that.

He had also verified a suspicion that had arisen a long time ago—

Hell did not have a demon named "Demon God Bayeli" issuing orders; rather, it was ruled by a group of families who were skeptical of the Demon God, ruling over the majority of demons who truly believed in the Demon God in the name of the Demon God.

They had struggles and cooperation among themselves; there were times when their interests aligned, and times when they conflicted. In this dynamic balance, they each made their own decisions, and the final reflection on the grand scale of Hell manifested as the will of Demon God Bayeli.

As for the cabinet, the parliament, and the departments... those were merely tools of governance.

They had rules on the surface.

And they had rules beneath the water.

In other words—

For a supervisory department like the Truth Force, when it came to core power, they could not possibly be absolutely impartial.

Only relatively so.

"Do you have evidence?" The high-tier adjudicator's gaze flickered, the expression in his pupils making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

He seemed to be probing, but the probing was not very obvious.

Luo Yan put away his smile, his expression remaining calm: "I do, but I need a little time."

When he said this, he paused slightly, watching the high-tier adjudicator in front of him.

"Before I organize the evidence, I hope you will hold your ground and not alert General Saibeisi for the time being."

The adjudicator draped in dark red robes pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Very well, but don't make us wait too long."

A smile appeared on Luo Yan's face.

"Thank you for understanding."

The high-tier adjudicator did not say anything, merely casting his gaze toward the crystal ball not far away.

That was the recording filmed by the Demon King's servant, Lu Mier.

At this moment, he suddenly asked again.

"There were two prisoners in the crystal ball, but you only brought one... what about the other?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly, his tone indifferent: "At Black Wind Fortress."

The adjudicator frowned slightly: "Why did you separate them?"

A meaningful smile rose at the corner of Luo Yan's mouth: "I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket; how does that reason sound?"

Upon hearing this, the high-tier adjudicator stared at Luo Yan for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Understood."

Night fell, and crimson magma churned in the darkness, reflecting the grim silhouette of the Delagong estate.

Inside the estate's council chamber, the atmosphere was oppressive and solemn.

Kamu Delagong sat before the round table, his hands tightly clutching a secret letter; the swaying candlelight reflected his livid complexion, and his pale knuckles exposed the shock and anger in his heart.

"... I never expected this Demon King to be so cunning!"

His voice was low, his eyes seemingly ready to spit fire.

The secret letter had been secretly delivered by the Delagong family's mole in the Truth Force.

According to that mole, the Demon King's human servant had infiltrated Saerduo Port and brought the prisoners back to the Demon Capital from the teleportation array in the suburbs of Saerduo Port!

Honestly, if Elder Zakeluo hadn't personally handed him this letter, he wouldn't have dared to believe it was true!

The labyrinth in Lei Ming County was separated from Saerduo Port by a sea of whirlpools and a vast ocean; even if the Demon King had developed human servants on the surface, he shouldn't have been able to reach that far, right?!

Kamu had even less expected that the Demon King, who had been on the defensive for a month, had not only silently turned the conspiracy he had painstakingly concocted into a stepping stone, but had also suddenly stabbed him in a place he hadn't expected.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Kamu's forehead involuntarily.

This opponent was likely even harder to deal with than he had imagined...

Unknowingly, a trace of retreat sprouted in his heart.

After all, was it necessary for the Delagong family to fight him to the death like this?

Counting from that stupid duel last year, they had already stumbled three times in a row.

Some who had originally supported the Delagong family had also begun to act like fence-sitters, or simply chose not to help either side out of consideration for old ties.

Kamu suddenly remembered that his younger brother, Xinuo Delagong, actually had a pretty good relationship with that guy. That guy wasn't a petty person who would kill everyone at the slightest disagreement. If that were the case, if they shook hands and made peace now, he might still have a chance to surrender and lose only half.

Sitting next to Kamu, Elder Zakeluo had his eyes slightly closed, like a stone statue that had experienced a thousand years of wind and frost. His bony fingers tapped the table, one by one, as if he were thinking.

Perhaps sensing the wavering in his grandson's heart, he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

Opening his turbid pupils, he spoke slowly.

"General Saibeisi, I'm afraid he cannot be saved."

His voice was very light, yet it caused the sweltering room to drop a few degrees instantly.

Kamu's pupils contracted slightly, looking at his grandfather in shock.

General Saibeisi, who commanded the Red Flame Legion, could be considered a famous general; he had opened up vast territories for Hell and made great military achievements! But that wasn't the most critical point; the most critical point was that he had once been his grandfather's old subordinate, and to this day, he still had intricate ties with the Delagong family.

Yet now, Zakeluo's tone was so decisive, without even a wrinkle of his brow!

Sensing that bone-chilling cold, Kamu couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, his brow furrowed tightly.

Even by the standards of demons, this guy was a bit too cold-blooded...

!

Zakeluo looked at his grandson meaningfully and said earnestly.

"Kamu, my grandson, this is Hell; soft-hearted demons will only become sacrifices for other demons, you must remember this. If one day you become a Demon God, you must be the same; anyone who threatens your authority, you must eliminate without hesitation. Remember, everything is for the Delagong family..."

A drop of cold sweat slid across his cheek; Kamu held his breath for a long time, then slowly lowered his head.

"I have been taught..."

Watching Kamu lower his head in guilt, Zakeluo nodded in satisfaction.

"A single failure is not terrible, my child; you must be more patient. Although Luo Yan has grasped some evidence, that does not mean we have lost."

"Hell is not human society; we speak of rules, but we don't speak only of rules. If he thinks he can defeat us, with our five-hundred-year foundation, by relying on petty tricks, then he is too naive."

When he said this, those turbid pupils burned with raging flames, emitting a madness that swallowed everything, making Kamu, who was staring at them, afraid to have any inappropriate thoughts again.

Kamu took a deep breath and looked at the elder, saying seriously.

"What... should we do next?"

He didn't just need to seek Zakeluo's wisdom; he needed more cards.

Zakeluo's fingers slid slowly along the carved armrest of the chair, a subtle smile hooking at the corner of his mouth, his sharp gaze like a keen blade.

"Very simple, he wants to arm-wrestle with us on the table, so we'll just flip the table... rest assured, I have already prepared the next move for you."

Kamu looked at him in surprise and astonishment.

Already prepared?

Since when?

Zakeluo did not explain, merely patting his withered palms lightly.

"Night Song."

Beneath the stone pillar of the council chamber, a gargoyle with wings and fangs walked out from the shadows, a trace of cunning and ruthlessness in its deep, dark gaze.

It nodded slightly, just like an elegant gentleman.

"Lord Zakeluo, what are your orders?"

Zakeluo pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Go to Black Wind Fortress, find Geluoke, and bring him a message, just say... the opportunity for advancement is right before him, let's see if he can grasp it."

"Yes." Night Song respectfully accepted the order and retreated back into the darkness.

Kamu looked at his grandfather in surprise.

"Geluoke? That goblin from the Serrated Chamber of Commerce?"

Zakeluo said unhurriedly.

"That's right."

Kamu's brow twitched, feeling that his grandfather was joking, and couldn't help but say.

"What use could a goblin have..."

Zakeluo looked at him meaningfully.

"Don't underestimate goblins; how do you think the Demon God's power comes to be? Isn't it just the fantasy of these guys who have nothing for the omnipotent? Even our power is a share taken from the fantasies of those bottom-tier demons. Indeed, they live mediocre lives most of the time, but at specific times, they can also transform into a destructive force."

Although that wasn't magic.

It might not be another kind of extraordinary power in another sense.

Watching Kamu, who had fallen into thought, Zakeluo's mouth hooked into a smile, and he closed his eyes leisurely.

"... We have prepared this chess piece for long enough; it's time to let it play some role."

Black Wind Fortress, headquarters of the Serrated Chamber of Commerce.

As night fell, only the light in Geluoke Serrated's room remained on in the entire three-story building.

Gazing at the giant magic crystal lamp post gradually extinguishing outside the window, Geluoke's expression was heavy, his hands behind his back as if pondering something.

Suddenly, a breeze blew behind him.

Sensing the movement behind him, Geluoke's long ears twitched slightly, and he quickly turned his head, only to see a demon with retracted wings sitting on the sofa, fiddling with his tea set.

The visitor was none other than Zakeluo's servant, Night Song—a gargoyle with platinum-tier strength.

Strictly speaking, he had followed Zakeluo longer than Lei Ji Delagong had been alive, not to mention the current family head, Kamu.

Who this guy represented went without saying.

Although he feared the power of the Delagong family, Geluoke couldn't help but complain in a low, annoyed voice.

"When did you get in?"

Night Song didn't look at him, merely examining the teacup in his hand, saying nonchalantly.

"If I want to come in, no one can stop me."

"No one can stop me," he says.

Geluoke's eyebrows twitched, and he chuckled.

"Then why don't you go kill the Demon King? That would save everyone the trouble."

Just as his voice fell, a scarlet eye glanced lightly toward him.

The moment he met that gaze, Geluoke's breath felt as if it had been frozen, and he felt a bone-chilling cold throughout his entire body.

Geluoke's pupils contracted slightly, a trace of fear gradually rising in his eyes; he wanted to retreat but couldn't move.

After a full half-minute, the pressure exerted on him suddenly vanished.

Geluoke gasped for air, unaware that his back was soaked with sweat, his knees trembling slightly.

He was just an ordinary goblin.

Only now did he suddenly remember that even though he possessed vast wealth, the other party only needed to move a finger to crush him to death.

Watching the goblin, whose expression had become humble, Night Song smiled faintly and said in a measured tone.

"You wouldn't be naive enough to think that I'm the only one in the entire Demon Capital who possesses extraordinary power, would you?"

Although the Demon God rarely manifested, the death of a Demon King in the Demon Capital was a huge matter.

If Luo Yan himself were to have an accident at this time, even if it had nothing to do with the Delagong family, it would have to have something to do with them.

There wouldn't even be a need for the Padeliqi family to retaliate; as long as there was the slightest bit of evidence that could implicate them—for instance, if someone's soul filed a complaint when returning to the Reincarnation Pool—ten thousand feet would step on them.

Extraordinary power was useful, but it couldn't be used casually.

"... I'm just offering a suggestion, nothing else. You can't just wait until he and the young lady of the Padeliqi family have children, and then get serious with him."

Defending himself, Geluoke swallowed another mouthful of saliva and continued with difficulty.

"Besides, you don't dare to make a move on him, but he doesn't need to bat an eye to kill me."

"That is why Mr. Zakeluo sent me here." Night Song poured himself tea, then continued in a measured tone, "If you are willing to cooperate with us, I can guarantee you won't die."

"Aren't we already cooperating?" Geluoke couldn't help but say. "I've already done so many things for you, including bribing their engineers, tampering with raw materials, inciting dissatisfaction among the hell-dwarf craftsmen, and even raising the price of beer, but it's useless, what can I do... Of course, I'm not complaining, it's just... I feel like this bit of harassment is completely painless to him, while I have to risk my head."

The lord of Black Wind Fortress didn't care at all.

Even though they faced many troubles, the magic crystal cannon factory still met the requirements of the hearing, and the new gear was about to go into production.

The same went for the railway to the Huishi Ridge mining area; the Chamber of Commerce Alliance's tricks at most tortured the residents of Black Wind Fortress, and goblins happened to be the best at enduring torture. If he were the lord, he wouldn't care about the lives of those guys either, as long as they were kept in line.

If it were just this, it would be fine, but the problem now was that due to the series of actions by the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, the internal conflicts in Black Wind Fortress had gradually shifted toward them.

A few months ago, that new lord would have had to consider his reputation and the impact on the existing order of Black Wind Fortress if he wanted to deprive them of their property.

But now, if he wanted to do so, he wouldn't even need to do it himself; with just one word, his lackeys could do the job beautifully and then use his property to establish a new order.

It was precisely for this reason that Geluoke's heart was filled with fear.

If it weren't for the money he was reluctant to leave behind in Black Wind Fortress, and if it weren't for the Delagong family backing him, he would have already fled and developed elsewhere.

Night Song clearly knew his current situation, so he had no intention of discussing it with him at all.

"It's painless because you haven't shown your true skills yet; think about it again."

Geluoke said tremblingly.

"How else should I think... I can't just blow up the magic crystal cannon factory, right?"

Night Song stopped drinking tea and cast an interested gaze toward him.

"I didn't say that, but if it really happened, the Delagong family would be very happy."

Geluoke looked at him in terror, his lips trembling as he said.

"... Are you serious? Blow, blow that thing up?! My nine lives wouldn't be enough to die..."

"So, you need to do it subtly," Night Song stood up from the sofa, walked to Geluoke's side with a smile, and patted his shoulder lightly. "What you did before was actually quite good, just not good enough."

"You can't just tamper with raw materials; you have to tamper with daily necessities, pollute their drinking water, put chronic poison in their food, and make his servants feel pain and fear. You can't just drive up the price of beer; you have to make goods in Black Wind Fortress scarce and prices soar. You can't just bribe their engineers; you have to bribe their craftsmen and laborers, spread panic among them, and point the conflict toward their Demon King, toward the magic crystal cannon factory."

"You have to tell them that their lord is developing extremely dangerous war weapons for the Ministry of War, that the thing is much more powerful than magic crystal cannons, and that it is the culprit behind the suffering they are enduring."

"Finally, you have to give them weapons, give them magic stone guns and muskets, and incite them to occupy the armory."

"Wait, are you trying to rebel?! Right next to the Demon Capital?!" Geluoke looked at Night Song as if looking at a lunatic, saying in terror, "I think you'd be better off killing the Demon King; that might cause less trouble."

"Rebel? Who told you to rebel?" Night Song smiled faintly. "I'm just asking you to rally the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, cooperate with us to make life in Black Wind Fortress more difficult, to the point where the Demon God's subjects there unite to oppose their lord, thereby giving us the opportunity to question his governance ability and take the opportunity to deprive him of his baronial title... Is it that hard to understand?"

Geluoke said with difficulty.

"Understanding isn't hard, but executing it probably won't be simple..."

"If it were simple, why would I need you to do it?" Night Song took a test tube from his bosom and placed it in Geluoke's trembling palm. "Elder Zakeluo is proficient in alchemy; this is a potion he personally concocted, enough to spark a plague in the goblin community of Black Wind Fortress."

"Do it well, and there will be no shortage of benefits for you once it's done."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 250 =====