Chapter 347: The Only Hope for the Demon Race!

Inside a quiet room where white smoke drifted, an old man and a youth sat silently facing each other.

The old man's expression was kindly, and his simple attire made him look just like an ordinary village farmer.

The youth wore a Feather Garment and fine robes, his appearance dignified; even while sitting cross-legged, his spine was held straight, and an aura of immortality lingered about him.

From afar, the two appeared to be having a cordial conversation, but only upon drawing closer would one realize that their dialogue was not nearly as calm as it seemed.

"A blessing for the Demon Country? Haha, is the Grand Preceptor joking? I have just arrived and have yet to perform a single meritorious deed; how could I possibly deserve such an assessment?"

"Your Highness is mistaken; with your abilities, those things are merely a matter of time."

The Grand Preceptor stroked his beard with a smile and shook his head:

"Furthermore, has Your Highness not already performed a great deed? Why pretend that this old man is poorly informed?"

Ren Yidao's heart stirred slightly, and he asked with confusion:

"Oh? How is it that I am unaware of having performed a meritorious deed? I hope the Grand Preceptor will explain."

Why don't I know I've performed a meritorious deed?

When did this happen?

"Before this, did Your Highness not use the Demon Emperor Order to make the proud sons of every race dance together?"

"Uh... that did happen."

The old man raised his lowered eyes, gazed deeply at the puzzled youth opposite him, and said firmly:

"That is correct, it is precisely that! That is a great deed indeed!"

"Your Highness, can you guess why this old man would say so?"

Ren Yidao did not know, so he honestly shook his head.

"Crown Prince, although you have just arrived at Demon Emperor City, there is one thing this old man must tell you at this moment."

The old man withdrew his smile, and the atmosphere around him became solemn.

Seeing this, Ren Yidao also adjusted his posture and put away his smile, listening as the old man spoke slowly:

"Because the Demon Race..."

The old man's eyes were filled with sorrow and his eye sockets turned red, yet he still spoke in a low voice:

"Has reached a moment of critical survival."

Ren Yidao:!!!

He started to stand up with a jolt, nearly knocking into the basket in front of him, and said in a panic:

"Grand Preceptor, why would you say such a thing!?"

"I... I see that Demon Emperor City is peaceful and harmonious; it doesn't look like there is any crisis at all!"

"What do you mean by this? Are you not joking?"

The youth gave two dry laughs, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the old man, attempting to find a look of successful treachery on his face.

Sigh!!!

The Grand Preceptor let out a long sigh, his expression pained, and lamented:

"How could this old man not wish that I were joking? But everything I have said is true, without a shred of falsehood."

"Your Highness does not know, but all of this is merely an illusion."

Watching the panic on Ren Yidao's face, he raised a hand to signal him to sit down calmly and explained slowly:

"Since the current Demon Emperor ascended the throne, the rifts between the various races have widened year by year, and in recent days, they have reached the point of being at daggers drawn."

"Regarding this situation, this old man is extremely pained; I have stepped in to mediate several times, but the results have all been minimal."

"Can Your Highness guess why?"

The youth took a few deep breaths and sat back down. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then asked uncertainly:

"... Could it be because His Majesty has not appointed a successor?"

"Correct, it is precisely because of this."

The old man nodded in approval and continued:

"The position of Demon Emperor is meant to be inherited by the Crown Prince appointed by the previous Demon Emperor, with the various races working together to support him."

"But there is one situation where every race has the possibility of ascending to the throne."

"That is... if the First Emperor passes away without an heir!"

"If His Majesty were to meet with an unexpected disaster, the Demon Country would surely fall into chaos! At that time, every race would strike for the position of Demon Emperor, and demon blood would dye the entire world red."

His gaze suddenly turned sinister, radiating a fierce Evil Qi, as if he had seen that tragic scene.

"If this had happened in the past, it would not have been a major issue."

"According to past precedents, the Demon Emperor who emerged from such bloody conflict might not compare to those Divine Sons in terms of bloodline, but in all other aspects, they were the best of the best."

Wildflowers blooming in the field may not be as delicate as those cultivated in a greenhouse, but they are absolutely more tenacious.

Through the washing of great waves and the buffeting of wind and rain, those who remain are the heroes.

The released killing intent lasted only a moment before the old man coughed weakly twice, returning to his previous frail state, and sighed:

"But today is different from the past; the Demon Race of this time no longer possesses the glory of yesteryear and cannot withstand such turmoil."

"Once the Demon Race falls into internal strife, the Human Race, who have been watching like tigers, will surely seize the opportunity to invade. Beset by troubles from both within and without, our Demon Race's Dao tradition will be completely wiped out!"

"Once it reaches that point, the Demon Race will never have a chance to rise again and will be completely reduced to livestock raised by the Human Race!"

Speaking of this future, the Grand Preceptor revealed his true feelings, his eyes brimming with tears.

Since the other party had spoken to this extent, Ren Yidao could no longer pretend not to understand, so he widened his eyes and stammered:

"Then, that is to say..."

The old man nodded and affirmed:

"Yes, Your Highness, your appearance has caused the Demon Race's greatest crisis to be resolved."

"That is why this old man says your appearance is a blessing for the Demon Race! A great blessing!"

Ren Yidao's mouth twitched; he wanted to say something, but for a moment, he could not get the words out.

It's over!

The waves are too big.

I've overreached and botched it!

I clearly came here to stir up trouble, so how did I become a great benefactor of the Demon Race?

Wasn't I supposed to be a demon-traitor sent by the Human Race?

How did I end up single-mindedly serving the race again?

Ren Yidao struggled with himself for a moment, then negated his own thought that he had botched things.

No.

No, no, no!

Even without me, this fake Phoenix Divine Son, some other Divine Son would have appeared.

Not to mention anything else, just look at Yaoyue.

Even without my interference, under Canglan's guidance, Yaoyue would have returned to Demon Emperor City according to the normal progression of events, and at that time, she would have also become a key piece for the Demon Race to break the deadlock.

Yes.

Even without Ren Yidao, there would still be Yaoyue, and there would be other Tom, Dick, and Harry Divine Sons.

I was almost led astray by this old fellow; the point of this matter is not here!

Has the problem been solved? Has the crisis collapsed on its own?

Are you teasing a child?

Stop messing around!

The true key to this matter is not whether the Crown Prince exists, but whether the various clans truly want a new Crown Prince.

And as for their thoughts, there has long been an answer.

Thirty percent hope for it, thirty percent do not, and forty percent are wavering.

This point will not be easily changed by the appearance of a Crown Prince.

If they truly harbor thoughts of rebellion, any reason can become an excuse to revolt.

The Demon Emperor having no heir is merely a high-sounding, righteous excuse to occupy the moral high ground.

If they really want to find one, there are plenty of excuses.

If you are determined to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext, can't you?

"Hoo..."

After understanding these things, Ren Yidao not only did not heave a sigh of relief, but instead became even more cautious when facing the Grand Preceptor, bracing himself with twelve times the focus.

I, Huhu, have spent my days hunting geese, only to be nearly pecked in the eye by a goose today.

This old thing is not simple!

He's got some tricks up his sleeve.

Ren Yidao came back to his senses from the shock, shaking his head and sighing:

"I truly did not expect that such a thing would happen!"

"I never thought before that I would be so important."

The youth sighed with emotion, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of self-satisfaction.

This is a very normal reaction.

A country youth who was previously unknown is suddenly told that he is a key figure capable of changing the direction of the world.

Before the disparity of ascending to the heavens in one step, how many people can maintain their original heart?

And this performance of his fell into the eyes of the Grand Preceptor, making him chuckle inwardly.

"Hehe, young man."

Although naturally shrewd, he is indeed still a bit green and lacks experience.

Should I give him a reminder to let him curb his pride and impatience?

The Grand Preceptor did not.

On the contrary, he added more firewood to this pile of just-ignited flames!

After waiting for Ren Yidao to digest the news for a while, the Grand Preceptor struck while the iron was hot, admiringly saying:

"And the Crown Prince's previous actions, while seemingly childish and reckless, actually contained deep meaning."

"You were willing to waste a Demon Emperor Order just to tell them a truth through your actual actions: no matter how they struggle, they should be close brothers."

"Crown Prince, this move is truly exquisite; it can be called a great achievement both publicly and privately!"

"This old man truly admires you!"

As he spoke, the Grand Preceptor even bowed to Ren Yidao, playing out the act to the fullest.

But unfortunately, he never waited for Ren Yidao to take the initiative to help him up.

Because at this moment, Ren Yidao was dazed.

Ren Yidao:?

In this instant, Ren Yidao's soul traveled into Li Long, whom he had once fooled, and he experienced the confusion he felt at that time.

Do I... do I think that way?

You've said so much, so why do I not know any of it?

Am I really that good?

"..."

The State Preceptor did not wait for the assistance he wanted, silently rising as if nothing had happened, and just happened to see the youth's expression, which stirred his heart.

At this moment, that shrewd youth appeared calm, but in truth, the details of his expression already revealed that his inner heart was not as tranquil as his surface.

His pupils constricted slightly; the whole person appeared calm, but his complexion flushed slightly, and the veins on his neck moved a few times.

He was somewhat flustered, yet also somewhat excited, but he had not lost his reason and was still struggling to restrain himself from losing his composure.

Very good.

Truly very good.

Although the State Preceptor did not receive the reaction he most wanted from the other party, the quality of the person before him exceeded his expectations.

Knowing the timing was just about right, the State Preceptor continued to speak:

"Your Highness, do not be careless. The greatest crisis at hand has been resolved, but there are still other problems that must be faced."

"At this moment, Demon Emperor City appears prosperous, but the relations between the various clans are already on a knife's edge; although they have eased somewhat, the crisis could still erupt at any time."

"Although this old man has the heart to govern, I know my time is running out and do not know when I will pass away, fearing I will fail the painstaking efforts of our predecessors."

"Therefore, I can only entrust this heavy responsibility to Your Highness."

The old man was moved to tears, bowed with cupped hands, and said again:

"I believe that with Your Highness's great talent, you will surely be able to handle it properly, cough, cough, cough..."

With this, the State Preceptor's three-step strategy had all been played out.

The first step: You are the fortune of the Demon Race.

The second step: You have merit toward the Demon Race.

The third step: A loyal minister weeping blood to entrust an orphan.

After these three steps, he was certain any member of the Demon Race would fall into complete madness.

"State Preceptor, how could you go this far!!!"

Ren Yidao did not let the State Preceptor down this time, immediately supporting him and saying anxiously:

"There must still be a turning point; we can still seek help from Her Majesty the Demon Emperor! With her here, we will surely..."

The State Preceptor sniffled, raised a hand to press onto Ren Yidao's shoulder, and said in a low voice:

"Your Highness!"

"Can you truly not see it clearly?"

"Do you really think she gave you this position of Crown Prince for your own good?"

"You are wrong!"

The State Preceptor gritted his teeth, feeling as if he were wishing iron could turn into steel, and asked:

"How could Her Majesty the Demon Emperor not know of everything in Demon Emperor City? Could she really be unaware of the Demon Race's crisis?"

"And what has she done?"

"It is her negligence and indulgence that allowed those people's courage to grow ever larger, finally reaching the point it is at today!"

"Even... the current situation is the result of her deliberate connivance!"

The youth widened his eyes in shock and said in astonishment:

"How is this possible? Why would Her Majesty the Demon Emperor do such a thing? This, this makes no sense!"

The State Preceptor shook his head wearily and sighed:

"This old man is also unclear about the reason for this, but... in the current situation, Her Majesty cannot shirk the blame."

"Furthermore, as long as she remains for one day, you will only ever be the Crown Prince; this... you understand in your own heart."

Having said this, he pushed away the flustered youth, slumped back onto the mat with an air of twilight about him, and waved his hand.

"Your Highness, please return for today."

"This old man spoke too much in a moment of excitement; I imagine Your Highness also needs time to think."

"Whether you believe what this old man said today or not, you must never tell outsiders."

"Toward the Demon Race, this old man has a clear conscience and is willing to bleed the last drop of blood for it."

"Even if Your Highness refuses, this old man will fight in his own way until the very last moment."

At this point, the State Preceptor stopped speaking and even closed his eyes, no longer looking.

He was waiting.

The preparations were all made; now he only needed to wait for a result.

Perhaps it would be tomorrow, perhaps next month, but no matter how long, he would wait for the result he wanted.

The State Preceptor did not worry about Ren Yidao leaking this conversation.

Compared to a newly arrived Crown Prince, everyone would rather believe this State Preceptor who had dedicated his whole life to the Demon Race.

It was even more impossible for Ren Yidao to tell these things to the Demon Emperor, as that would force him into a dead end with no chance of turning things around.

He believed that a smart person, even if they did not approve of his methods, would not discuss them with outsiders and would only hide them in the bottom of their heart.

This Crown Prince was a genuine, solid smart person.

"..."

After a moment of silence, the youth slowly rose and walked silently to the front of the old man.

Then, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head in salute.

He said:

"I ask the State Preceptor to teach me."

!!!

In an instant, the State Preceptor's eyes snapped open, and a brilliant light flashed through the room!

Just today!

Even the State Preceptor himself did not expect Ren Yidao to make such a decision at this moment.

Such decisiveness!!?

He even wanted to open his mouth to ask if he would really not reconsider.

But he had already received the answer to this question without needing to speak.

From the youth kneeling on one knee, the State Preceptor sensed a familiar scent.

It was the scent of ambition.

This Crown Prince, who had suddenly ascended to a high position, was not content to be trapped in the status quo and did not want to be forever shrouded in the shadow of the Demon Emperor.

He wanted to demonstrate his own value.

He was eager to prove himself!

"Very good."

Truly very good!

The State Preceptor laughed aloud, raised his hand to help the youth up, and spoke with deep emotion:

"Your Highness, please rest assured."

"This old man will certainly do his utmost to assist you in obtaining everything you deserve."

"Because, only you... are the Demon Race's only hope!"