Chapter 254

As the amethyst dome slowly dimmed, night descended in silence.

A stifling atmosphere shrouded the sky over the Demon Capital, as if even the wind had been frozen by an invisible pressure, stagnating in this land of dead silence.

The Dragon family estate stood towering and imposing, like an ancient, sleeping fortress. The high obsidian walls shimmered with a faint magical radiance, guarding the power and pride the family had accumulated over generations.

The perimeter was surrounded by churning crimson magma, flowing with a scorching and dangerous light, isolating the entire estate from the outside world like a fortress standing alone in the abyss.

Yet, this impregnable estate was now shrouded in an aura of despair.

Accompanied by Death Knights, the adjudicators of the Ministry of Truth had arrived, and that grim sense of oppression had crossed the high courtyard walls long before they did.

Under the night sky, the scarlet robes floated over armor as solid as obsidian, like rolling magma.

The adjudicators stood quietly at the front of the formation, with the Death Knights lined up behind them, death burning within their ghostly green soul-fire.

A silent, murderous aura spread through the area, like the calm before a storm, causing surrounding pedestrians to retreat one after another.

However, this group of mighty warriors was in no hurry to breach the magma-ringed fortress; instead, they quietly surrounded the estate like hunters, laying down an airtight net of death.

They seemed to be waiting for something.

"... Why aren't we attacking directly?" a young adjutant whispered, his tone filled with confusion.

This was the Demon Capital, not the Dragon family's territory; with the power they held, leveling the Dragon family estate would be a matter of minutes.

Beside him, a high-tier adjudicator clad in heavy battle armor stood quietly, leaning on a massive obsidian greatsword, his figure as motionless as a statue.

Time had carved countless battle scars into his armor, like medals of honor.

He did not answer immediately, only watching the tightly closed estate gate quietly, his eyes filled with a deep and calm light.

After a long while, he spoke faintly.

"The door will open."

The adjutant froze for a moment, subconsciously looking at the solemn gate, where crimson magic patterns emerged on the surface, emitting faint vibrating ripples like a shield.

That was the defensive magic of the Demon Capital's nobility, meaning the people inside had already sensed their arrival.

"... Why?" he couldn't help but ask, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

The high-tier adjudicator's hand gripping the sword hilt remained as steady as a rock, his gaze never shifting from the estate gate, but his voice carried a hint of profound meaning.

"There's no need to make it look so ugly."

The stifling night wind crossed the impregnable courtyard walls, blowing against the grim, iron-like night curtain.

The Dragon family's spire study.

This ivory tower, which once symbolized supreme power, had now become a suffocating cage, reflecting fear and hesitation from the inverted shadows.

Kamu Dragon sat by the window, his face pale, his fingers digging into the edge of the desk, cold sweat sliding down his temples and dripping onto the letters and official documents piled on the table.

The night outside the window was as quiet as death, and the walls and barriers guarding the estate remained impregnable.

Yet that suffocating pressure still seeped in through the tightly closed windows, as if some irresistible existence were approaching, shrouding the entire estate in the shadow of death.

It was the adjudicators of the Ministry of Truth.

If there was any existence in the entire Demon Capital that he feared, those guys in red robes were undoubtedly it.

And as for why they had come here, Kamu knew it all too well in his heart—

His plan had failed!

The turmoil at Black Wind Fortress, the manipulation of the hearing, the Dragon family's maneuvering among the various factions in the Demon Capital... all of this should have been just another ordinary pressure tactic, or rather, a game of chess, as it always was.

Yet, he never imagined that things would blow up and spiral out of control to this extent!

The most fatal part wasn't even this, but that he had left behind a deadly handle during this operation, to the point that even the Supreme Council, which rarely opened its doors, had held an emergency meeting to discuss it, and in the end, even the Ministry of Truth's adjudicators had been dispatched!

Clearly, this was not a negotiation.

It was a final purge!

Not forcing their way in was the last shred of decency, after all, the Dragon family was also a member of the core power circle of Hell.

However, he knew very well that this decency wouldn't last long; one hour was the limit.

In other words—

There was no time to delay!

Kamu suddenly snapped back to reality, stood up abruptly, and with a roar of despair, his voice echoed throughout the high tower.

"Grandfather... Zakro!! What time is it, why haven't you come out yet! Do you expect them to take me away?!"

The empty study had no response, only the candlelight flickering slightly, casting his fearful and restless shadow.

A hint of fear surged in Kamu's heart, followed by an angry roar.

"Night Song!! Get out here!"

That gargoyle might know where Zakro had gone.

However, until his voice vanished into the corridor outside the spire, he still didn't hear that familiar response.

Kamu's heart sank, he clenched his fists, his face turning ashen.

"Damn it..."

Where had that guy who claimed to control everything gone?

Didn't he say his pawns were spread across the entire Demon Capital? At the critical moment, they were of no use at all!

And Night Song, that capable servant with gargoyle blood, hadn't he been executing Zakro's orders all along?

Why had they all disappeared?!

Kamu felt an indescribable fear, his body trembling slightly.

Only now did he realize that the "family pillar" he had always relied on was not as reliable as he had imagined.

At this moment of life and death, they had all vanished!

Kamu gritted his teeth, threw off his robe, and hurried down the tower.

He had to find Zakro before everything became irreversible!

Although he didn't want to rely on that old thing, the Dragon family's political resources were basically in the latter's hands; that guy claimed to be retired, but he had never truly handed over the power in his hands.

The more Kamu thought about it, the angrier he became, cursing under his breath as he hurried downstairs.

The main hall of the estate, which was usually used by nobles for banquets and negotiations and was rarely occupied, was now crowded with terrified and restless demons.

As members of the Dragon family, they were usually extremely arrogant, walking the streets of the Demon Capital like emperors on tour, but now they were whispering in the hall, exchanging terror in each other's eyes.

"Damn it... the people from the Ministry of Truth!"

"How could they come here?!"

"I heard it's because the Black Wind Fortress matter blew up too big..."

"Shouldn't they be looking for the lord there! Why come here to find us?!"

"I heard... they seem to have found evidence related to us."

"This is slander and framing!"

"It's useless to say that now... hurry up and think of a way!"

Listening to the discussions in the hall, the servants huddled in a corner, not daring to make a sound, for fear of angering these powerful figures.

When Kamu stepped into the hall, all eyes fell on him.

A collateral family member immediately stepped forward, asking urgently in a low voice.

"Master of the house! What exactly happened outside? Why would the adjudicators of the Ministry of Truth surround the estate?!"

"Is it a conspiracy by the Demon King?! Go and explain it to them!"

"This must be a misunderstanding! We must clarify it at the council!"

Everyone was asking, everyone was hoping for an answer, but Kamu couldn't say a word.

His whole body was stiff, his throat felt as if it were being strangled by something, his face ashen.

"I... don't know..."

He squeezed out a few words with difficulty, his face looking extremely ugly, "Elder Zakro... has anyone seen where he is?"

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with bewilderment, and the fear that followed.

The sound of discussion spread rapidly, and the feeling of terror permeated the air, spreading like a plague.

Looking at the frightened clansmen, Kamu swallowed hard and said with a trembling voice.

"We must find Elder Zakro first! He must know what to do—"

"Enough!!!"

Just then, the main door of the hall was pushed open violently, and the sound of heavy footsteps seemed particularly harsh in this oppressive space.

That voice carried an unprecedented clarity and anger, slamming hard against everyone's eardrums.

Everyone subconsciously turned back, seeing a burly and robust figure striding into the hall.

It was Xino Dragon, Kamu's younger brother, an existence regarded as a "fool" within the family!

However, at this very moment, Xino standing in the hall was different from the terrified crowd, his face beneath the bull horns carrying a clarity rarely seen.

His face was heavy, his gaze sweeping across everyone in the hall like a knife, finally stopping on Kamu Dragon's face, carrying long-suppressed anger.

He roared in a low voice.

"Elder Zakro? What time is it, and you still want to find that guy!"

Kamu glared at this fool, his bark worse than his bite.

"What do you know—"

"I don't know!"

Xino strode forward, staring intensely at his powerful yet cowardly brother, and shouted angrily.

"I don't understand! Why! Clearly you, Kamu Dragon, you are the master of this house! From the moment you became the head of the family, the fate of this family was in your hands! Why do you want to be a puppet for that old man, taking all of us clansmen to be his pawns!"

His words were like thunder, slamming hard into the hall.

In an instant, the entire hall was silent, and everyone's breathing seemed to have stopped.

Kamu stood where he was, his face turning pale and then green; he had never seen Xino speak to him in such a tone, let alone imagined that this brat would expose the fact that made him feel so humiliated yet ashamed to admit.

Indeed—

He was no different from Zakro's puppet.

But what could he do?!

The whole family from top to bottom relied on that old man, even the servants didn't listen to him!

And now, even this Bai Yin-tier demon dared to get in his face.

"I... then what about you... you dare to speak to me like this, who is behind you?"

Kamu suddenly understood something, squinting his eyes at his brother, his voice gradually cooling, a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Heh, I understand, no wonder we lost, it turns out the traitor is in our midst—"

His words hadn't even finished before they were interrupted by a voice of disappointment.

"My friend told me that someone who is used to being a servant sees everyone as a servant, even if they trip on the street, they must find a master behind it," Xino looked at Kamu, his eyes filled with disappointment and a hint of pity, "Big brother... when did you become like this?" "Shut up!!!"

Kamu glared at him furiously, his figure killing his way to Xino's front like lightning, grabbing his throat.

As a Platinum-tier demon, his strength was far above Xino's!

If he wanted to, he could crush him in an instant!

However—

He couldn't bring himself to do it after all.

That was his relative, after all.

Kamu's fingertips trembled, his ferocious expression twisting unconsciously.

Xino looked at his brother without fear, staring straight into his burning pupils.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Luo Yan looked for you..." Kamu gritted his teeth, squeezing out a sentence from between his teeth.

"He looked for me, I won't hide it from you, we talked for a long time... but it had nothing to do with his struggle with the Dragon family, we just chatted about things between us."

Xino admitted it openly, then continued.

!

"I told him that the reason I originally sought him out for a duel was because Elder Zakro told me that he had gotten the labyrinth in Lei Ming County through the back door. But I went there to see it, it wasn't a fertile land at all, the little demons there were hiding in caves eating bugs, the wild cave spiders were almost digging the labyrinth to collapse, and the demons below were still fighting each other! Not one of the demons there didn't hate us, it wasn't a treasure at all, but a rotten mess that no one wanted!"

Kamu panted, staring at him fixedly.

"What do you know..."

"You're saying that again, then you tell me, what do you know?" Xino stared into his eyes and continued, "Elder Zakro is interested in that place again, it's nothing more than because he thinks our father researched a way to become a god before he died, isn't that right?"

Kamu's pupils dilated slightly, his eyes revealing an expression of disbelief.

"How did you..."

"How would I know, right?" Xino looked at him with pity, "I guess you also want to ask, why I want to say it out, right?"

Kamu didn't speak, but stared at him fixedly.

Xino sighed inwardly, as expected.

Just as Luo Yan had guessed, his brother had also been bewitched by Zakro.

It was just different from the thing that bewitched him, Grandfather probably promised him godhood.

But how could that be possible?

In the long years, that guy had long forgotten that he was a living being, having already turned into a living stone.

Stones have no feelings.

In his heart, there was only the obsession with becoming a god, and for this goal, he could sacrifice everything, even his own family.

Xino was silent for a while, looking at his brother with a ferocious face, and continued.

"Luo Yan... actually noticed it a long time ago, that we might not have wanted the territory in his hands, but the father's notes, so after that duel, he took the initiative to return the notes to us, hoping to end this meaningless struggle."

Kamu shook his head.

"You are too naive, my brother, those notes might not be complete... If he didn't borrow the power of gods, how could a mere mortal settle the chaos of the entire labyrinth in such a short time. There is only one explanation, our father actually completed the research, or rather, almost completed it—"

"If you had gone to Lei Ming County to see it, you wouldn't say that."

Xino looked at him with disappointment and continued.

"The changes there never relied on the power of gods, and it was precisely because the local lord no longer pursued the power of gods that the labyrinth became different from the period when our father's generation ruled."

Looking at the bewildered Kamu, Xino continued.

"He once mentioned to me that he used force to suppress the rebels in the labyrinth, but it wasn't just about killing the demons who opposed him. He solved the problem of the little demons, solved the problem of the cave spiders, and solved almost all the problems that the demons were facing or might face, even the problems faced by the humans on the surface, which is why they surrendered to his throne from the bottom of their hearts..."

"On the contrary, because our father longed to become a god, he always dragged the demons there to do some meaningless things, which led to the demons there suffering. Lei Ji Dragon's research was not successful at all, and it even went down a dead end from the beginning. If his research was so useful, why didn't his servants use it themselves, instead of waiting for Hell to send a new Demon King?"

"Zakro has already gone crazy, he blames everything he can't do on the power of gods, and even wants to drag you along... wake up!"

Kamu couldn't say a word, but the strength in his hand relaxed slightly, slowly placing Xino on the ground.

Indeed—

If becoming a god were so simple, why would the father's subordinates offer that notebook to the Demon King?

Wouldn't it be better to keep it for themselves?

Clearly, their father had failed completely, and nothing was left except for a dilapidated labyrinth.

Zakro was unwilling to admit that his hard work had gone to waste, so he fell into crazy thoughts.

And he himself was not innocent either.

He relied too much on Elder Zakro.

Even when the family had reached a dead end, he still instinctively felt that his grandfather must have a way.

Xino covered his neck, which had claw marks pinched into it, his earnest eyes filled with a hint of sadness, looking at his brother and continuing.

"We were all used... whether it was you, or me, or our father. Zakro never loved us, including the whole family, he only loved himself, loved the power in his hands. Ruling the Dragon family wasn't enough to satisfy him, he wanted more, even to replace the Demon God... I guess he must have promised you to let you become the new Demon God."

"I think he probably promised our father the same thing, which is why he arranged for him to go to the remote Lei Ming County."

"Enough, I know, don't say any more," Kamu closed his eyes in pain, "Why... didn't you tell me sooner."

Xino was silent for a while, looking up into his eyes.

"Have you ever listened to what I said?"

Kamu fell into silence, then the silence turned into a sigh.

"It's my fault."

As the head of the family.

Elder Zakro certainly had his own responsibilities, but that didn't mean his own responsibilities could be shirked.

The surrounding family members looked at each other, including the servants huddled in the corner, who were now at a loss, not knowing what to do.

"This is our last chance..."

Xino took a notebook of Lei Ji Dragon from his arms and slowly handed it to Kamu.

Looking at the surprised Kamu, Xino said in a deep voice.

"Zakro gave me this notebook, and also said that from now on I would be the next head of the family, telling me to report to the Ministry of Truth to make a merit, and push all the responsibility onto you... I promised him at the time, but I don't intend to push all the responsibility onto you as he expected, if that happened, you would really be finished."

Pausing for a while, Xino said seriously.

"I think... if you confess the situation to the Ministry of Truth yourself, and clarify the identity you played in this farce and the identity Zakro played, it might be helpful for your final sentence."

Kamu was silent for a long time after hearing this, and a bitter smile finally appeared on his face.

He didn't expect that in Elder Zakro's eyes, he had long become an abandoned pawn.

How ironic.

In the end, he was still hoping that the old thing could find a way to turn the situation around.

Kamu reached out and grasped the notebook in Xino's hand, but didn't take it.

After pondering for a moment, he spoke slowly.

"... If I confess Zakro's situation, it probably won't be good for the Dragon family, many of our resources are in his hands."

Xino knew what his brother was thinking.

If one followed the idea of putting the big picture first, having the head of the family carry everything was indeed the best choice.

However—

He was not a cold stone.

He believed his brother was not either.

Otherwise, after hearing that he had gone missing, he wouldn't have been so anxious, even threatening Luo Yan that he would completely tear his face off.

Luo Yan told him all of this, and he only knew it then.

Xino let go of his hand, placed the notebook in Kamu's hand, and said seriously.

"Losing those resources is nothing to be afraid of, we still have territory, we still have our own clansmen. If we let him continue to manipulate us from behind the scenes, then our future is truly finished."

Looking at the determined Xino, Kamu's serious expression gradually melted, a touch of approval appeared in his eyes, and a relieved smile appeared on his originally ferocious face.

It was as if a worry had been resolved.

"... You've grown up."

He reached out, patted Xino's head, and then tucked the notebook into his arms.

"I am relieved that you will be the next head of the family."

Looking around at the terrified clansmen, Kamu announced in a majestic voice.

"After I leave, my brother will inherit my title and glory, he will be the next head of the Dragon family! You must obey his orders unconditionally, follow behind him, just as you once followed behind me and my father's generation, to revitalize our fallen flag and glory... just consider everything starting over."

After speaking, he looked at Xino again.

"I leave this place to you."

Xino looked at him and nodded solemnly.

"... I will certainly not let you down."

In just three generations, the Dragon family, once ruled by an Amethyst-tier demon, had fallen to the point where it needed a Bai Yin-tier demon to carry this heavy burden.

Kamu felt emotional in his heart, but he was not as terrified as before, and even had a calmness he had never had before.

If it were a year ago, he would definitely have felt that the sky had fallen, and he would have no face to face the ancestors of the Dragon family.

But now—

He felt instead that perhaps tomorrow would be better.

The hot night wind blew a restless desolation, the gate of the Dragon family estate slowly opened, but a figure that surprised many demons walked out.

The high-tier adjudicator standing with his sword had a slightly surprised expression, his gaze looking straight at Kamu, who was walking over calmly, his eyes fixed on the raised right hand—or rather, the notebook held in his hand.

It was not quite the same as expected.

Wasn't it agreed that the one coming out would be the younger brother, why did it become the older brother?

He felt a hint of something bad in his heart, but even if he wanted to do something now, it was too late.

There were too many eyes here...

The adjutant also looked at Kamu with surprise, but for a completely different reason.

The development of things was actually just as his superior had said.

The door really opened!

Kamu stopped at the door, knelt on one knee, and lowered his arrogant head in front of the murderous team.

"I am Kamu Dragon, ashamed of the grace of His Majesty the Demon God, blinded by treacherous words, and in a moment of confusion, I have caused a great disaster..."

His Adam's apple moved, and he said in a deep voice.

"I want to surrender."

(End of chapter)