Chapter 374: Undercurrents Surging

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"Your Highness, what do you mean by..."

Hearing this, Qingteng couldn't even bother with cuddling anymore and retreated half a foot in shock.

"What? You didn't understand?"

Ren Yidao looked at the four people with their varying expressions, smiling as he explained leisurely:

"Don't overthink it. My words don't actually have any special meaning; I'm just a little curious."

"If I, this Crown Prince, were to go missing after my first time leaving, what kind of waves would it stir up?"

"Will they keep silent? Or will they be unable to help themselves? Hehe, I am very curious..."

A faint, undisguised excitement flickered in Ren Yidao's eyes, sending a shiver of dread through the four of them.

That was a craving for chaos, a hope for destruction.

He wanted to make Demon Emperor City chaotic!

This...

Qingteng shrank its tail in unease, coiling its body even smaller, not daring to show its head or say a word.

Mo Qi's brows twitched a few times; he wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent, continuing to guard the exterior quietly.

Cang Lan took a deep look at Ren Yidao and retracted her spear, not knowing what she was thinking in her heart.

Among the four, only Luzhi remained silent for a moment, then raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and advised in a muffled voice:

"Your Highness, if you do this... I fear it will cause great chaos in the city. By then, even if Your Highness returns, I fear there will be those who use this to blame Your Highness."

Luzhi wanted to persuade him further, but was interrupted by Ren Yidao's laughter.

"Chaos? Who is chaotic?"

Ren Yidao raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Hu is new here and doesn't understand the relationships within the city. Can you tell me about them in detail?"

"..."

Luzhi immediately shut his mouth, shook his head with difficulty, and after bowing, retreated to Mo Qi's side to stand guard together.

Could he say it?

Say what?

Tell the Crown Prince that Demon Emperor City has already split into three factions?

This matter can only be understood in private; it can never be brought to the table for discussion.

Since His Highness insists on this, he can only keep his mouth shut.

Mo Qi and the others all had a strange feeling.

After not seeing this Highness for ten days, there had been some changes in his temperament.

Although his gestures and movements were still his old habits, the "human" scent on him had greatly diminished; he was more like a Great Demon that had taken human form.

What exactly did he talk about with that Great Demon who occupied True Person He's Cave Abode? And what happened during these ten days?

However, for them, compared to before, this kind of master was actually easier to accept.

And in the silence, only Cang Lan, who knew the "truth" that "Ren Yidao is of the Human Race," had her inner thoughts shifting constantly.

She didn't understand what he was trying to do, appearing like this now.

Demon Emperor City.

At this moment, just as Ren Yidao had anticipated, after he "mysteriously" disappeared for a period of time, the atmosphere in the city began to turn somewhat subtle.

Because he did not deliberately broadcast it when he left, the number of people who knew he had gone out was actually not very large at the beginning.

But paper cannot wrap up fire after all. Ten days after Ren Yidao vanished, an insidious theory began to circulate in Demon Emperor City:

"The Crown Prince's appearance made some people uneasy, fearing they would face a reckoning in the future, so they have already secretly eliminated him."

The source of the rumor could no longer be traced. This malicious theory appeared without warning, and once it emerged, it fermented rapidly, spreading to every corner of Demon Emperor City.

No matter where one goes, conspiracy theories always have a large audience.

Why?

Because people always like to speculate about others with the greatest malice.

The eleventh day.

The second rumor appeared.

"Whoever does not want to see the new Demon Emperor ascend the throne is the murderer."

The person spreading the rumor seemed to already know the truth, pointing the finger at the Anti-Demon Emperor Party.

On this day, the Anti-Demon Emperor Party was in a state of panic, desperately denying the rumors while secretly contacting each other, terrified that some idiot among them had been unable to restrain themselves and made a move.

The twelfth day.

"The murderer does not want to see the situation change and wants to maintain the status quo."

This time, the Wavering Party also began to feel uneasy, praying that no idiot had emerged from their own ranks.

The thirteenth day.

"Although the Crown Prince's unexpected appearance made the murderer feel relieved on the surface, it disrupted the original plan, so he had to be eliminated."

This theory was very thought-provoking, causing many people to turn their gaze toward the Demon Emperor Party, who had been busy kicking people while they were down over the past few days.

Could it be that you guys, who look so loyal, were the ones who did it?

You were worried that the new master would take a knife to the old ministers, so you...

Regarding these speculations, the Demon Emperor Party naturally responded with anger.

By now, all the forces in Demon Emperor City had been encompassed by those vague, ambiguous rumors.

The fourteenth day.

On this day, there were no new rumors, but someone did come forward voluntarily.

True Person He took the initiative to speak out, stating that it was he who had the Ren Crown Prince go to his Cave Abode to retrieve medicinal ingredients, and that according to the normal schedule, he should have returned long ago.

Furthermore, he clarified that he did not intentionally send the Ren Crown Prince out; it was truly because the Soul Returning Grass had to be picked by the person themselves.

Moreover, he also emphasized that it was because the Demon Fruit gifted to the Ren Crown Prince by the National Teacher was of such high quality that he could not bear to swallow it and waste its medicinal power, which was why he had proactively proposed opening the furnace to refine pills.

For this furnace of Mending Heaven Pill, the auxiliary materials he provided for free were of extremely high quality, and he was even confident in refining a Mending Heaven Pill of the Refining Void Stage.

On the same day, the National Teacher's Mansion came forward to explain, confirming that the National Teacher had indeed gifted the Ren Crown Prince an entire Demon Fruit.

Furthermore, the National Teacher's Mansion also brought forth a warning from the National Teacher:

"Do not fall for the treacherous schemes of those behind the scenes, do not fall into chaos, and you must unite and trust one another."

Although the National Teacher had not appeared for many years, his remaining prestige still held, and his statement caused the restless atmosphere within the city to quiet down slightly.

But at this moment, everyone was pondering.

Then, in that rumor, who exactly does this "unsettled person" refer to?

Is it the Anti-Demon Emperor Party, who secretly wants to force the Demon Emperor to abdicate so they can take power themselves?

Or is it those Wavering Party members who are indecisive and will likely be purged after the fact in the future?

Or could it be those stubborn Demon Emperor Party members who support the Demon Emperor and do not want to see a new emperor ascend the throne?

The fifteenth day.

The rumor appeared once again, and this time, it completely shattered the peace of Demon Emperor City.

And this time, even if the National Teacher came forward again, he could not suppress it.

"The Demon Emperor knew of the Ren Crown Prince's departure and deliberately did not arrange any guards."

On the final day, the rumor tore off all its disguises and actually pointed its sword at Demon Emperor City, turning its blade against the Demon Emperor, who had been coldly watching the situation develop.

At the same time, some people also recalled the previous rumors and connected them all together.

"The appearance of the Ren Crown Prince made some people feel insecure, fearing they would be purged in the future, so they have already secretly eliminated him."

"Whoever does not want to see a new Demon Emperor ascend the throne is the murderer."

"The murderer does not want to see the situation change and wants to maintain the status quo."

"Although the unexpected appearance of the Ren Crown Prince made the murderer feel at ease on the surface, it disrupted their original plan, so they had no choice but to eliminate him."

"The Demon Emperor knew of the Ren Crown Prince's departure and deliberately did not arrange any guards."

In this way, everything became clear.

The person who secretly spread the rumors had laid the groundwork for five days, just to wait for this final day.

Was that person targeting the Anti-Demon Emperor Party? The Wavering Party? The Demon Emperor Party?

None of them!

All the rumors were a buildup of "praising only after disparaging," all for the sake of finally pointing all fingers at the one inside the Demon Imperial Palace.

Pointing the sword at the Demon Emperor!

Once this rumor came out, Demon Emperor City was completely shaken.

Not to mention the three factions being utterly bewildered, even the National Teacher was enraged by it.

The National Teacher, who had not appeared for many years, walked out of the National Teacher's Mansion in person for this; he did not need anyone to support him, and he walked to the front of the Demon Imperial Palace, trembling as he leaned on his cane.

"Your Majesty, is that rumor true?"

The National Teacher did not ask everyone to calm down again, nor did he go to verify the truth of the rumor, but instead chose to challenge the Demon Emperor, demanding justice for the Ren Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty, I ask that you give this old subject an explanation."

Although he looked old and frail, his spine was straight, like a pine tree that would never bend.

The old man widened his eyes, glaring at the tightly closed palace gates, and without forcing his way in, he simply stood at the entrance and questioned:

"Why did you allow the Ren Crown Prince to go out? Why did you not arrange guards for the Ren Crown Prince?"

"The Ren Crown Prince is still young; if he meets with an accident outside, how great a loss will that be to the foundation of our Demon Race?"

"Has Your Majesty ever considered this!?"

This old man, who could be called a living fossil of the current Demon Race, shouted a question of great disrespect:

"Has Your Majesty become senile!?"

The palace gates remained tightly closed, and the Demon Emperor did not respond to the National Teacher's blood-tearing questions.

Indifference.

Countless Demon Race members watching this scene felt the National Teacher's anger and helplessness, as well as the Demon Emperor's arrogance and indifference.

After a long while, seeing that the gates had no intention of opening, the National Teacher sighed wearily.

He performed a salute and said in a deep voice:

"This subject has one piece of advice."

"If the Ren Crown Prince does not return this time, I hope you will punish this old subject for the crime of poor discipline; it is because this old subject is old and foolish that the Ren Crown Prince met with disaster, and this subject would die ten thousand deaths without excuse."

"If the Ren Crown Prince is safe this time... I hope Your Majesty will decide on the matter of succession."

Having said this, the National Teacher rose and turned to leave, waiting no longer.

And from beginning to end, no matter how sincere the National Teacher's words were or how resolute he appeared, the gates of the Demon Imperial Palace remained tightly closed.

They did not even offer a single reaction.

Huang Huang ignored the National Teacher's attempt to force the palace.

She heard it, but she disdained to provide a response.

Why should I need to explain myself to you all?

As for the succession?

Hmph.

Huang Huang in the Demon Imperial Palace recalled Ren Yidao's appearance earlier and curled her lip in disdain.

I dare to pass it on, but does he dare to accept it?

……

……

Ren Yidao was unaware of the storms within Demon Emperor City; he had more pressing matters to attend to now.

He had already briefly browsed through Di Si's Divine Soul, and after discarding a large amount of irrelevant memories, he kept some knowledge that could be put to use.

There was quite a bit of knowledge regarding the Butian Alliance within Di Si's soul, but most of it was unreadable, with only some basic information available for viewing.

The Four Symbols Lords of the Butian Alliance are Wood Symbol Azure Dragon, Gold Symbol White Tiger, Fire Symbol Vermilion Bird, and Water Symbol Black Tortoise.

Under the Azure Dragon Lord are three Star Envoy subordinates: Longevity Star, Great Fire Star, and Wood Analysis Star; further down are seven Star Constellation Envoy subordinates: Horn Star, Neck Star, Di Si, Room Star, Heart Star, Tail Star, and Winnowing Basket Star.

Under the White Tiger Lord are three Star Envoy subordinates: Xianglou, Dailiang, and Real Sink Star; further down are seven Star Constellation Envoy subordinates: Kui, Bond Star, Stomach Star, Hairy Head Star, Net Star, Turtle Beak Star, and Three Stars Star.

Under the Vermilion Bird Lord are three Star Envoy subordinates: Chunshou, Quail Fire Star, and Quail Tail Star; further down are seven Star Constellation Envoy subordinates: Well Star, Ghost Star, Willow Star, Star Star, Zhang, Wings Star, and Chariot Star.

Under the Black Tortoise Lord are three Star Envoy subordinates: Star Era Star, Dark Abundance Star, and Concealed Star; further down are seven Star Constellation Envoy subordinates: Dipper Star, Ox Star, Girl Star, Void Star, Danger Star, House Star, and Wall Star.

In total, there are four Four Symbols Lords, twelve Star Envoys, and twenty-eight Star Constellation Envoys.

And he, Di Si, was merely a tiny manager under the command of the Great Fire Star, who belonged to the Azure Dragon Lord.

If the Alliance Leader counts as the first rank, the Four Symbols Lords as the second, the Star Envoys as the third, and the Star Constellation Envoys as the fourth, then he, Di Si, was a fringe figure who barely reached the fifth rank, while Li Yiyi, whom he recruited, was the sixth rank.

Further down were the servants raised within the Butian Alliance, who were cannon fodder that could be sacrificed at any time.

This is a very massive organization.

This was the most direct thought that surfaced in Ren Yidao's mind after learning this information.

The Butian Alliance is like a giant net cast out, spreading outward from the Alliance Leader and shrouding the entire world.

It seems like there are not many people, but every single person represents a faction.

Except for the first four ranks, the rest are all replaceable substitutes that can be discarded after use... no, it goes beyond that.

"As long as no one knows each other's identity, then even the third and fourth-rank Star Envoys and Star Constellation Envoys can be replaced."

"Even, one might say..."

Ren Yidao really wanted to know, how exactly had such a behemoth hidden itself before?

"No, I thought wrong; perhaps its existence has actually not been a secret in the eyes of some people for a long time."

"That I only know of it now is because I finally have the qualifications to come into contact with it..."

What does this count as?

Finally lifting a corner of the world to see the dark currents surging beneath?

"As for that 'mending the heavens' philosophy they claim, that the Heavenly Dao is flawed? What is this? What has happened to this world?"

Ren Yidao had previously noticed the fact that no great expert of the Ninth Realm, the Ascension Realm, had appeared in the world for a long time, but he hadn't thought much of it.

On one hand, many great experts of the Ascension Realm had appeared in history, and historical records were quite complete; on the other hand, the matter of breaking through the realm was inherently extremely difficult.

Therefore, Ren Yidao only felt that this generation was not outstanding enough, thinking that no truly brilliant and talented people had emerged.

But looking at it now, the problem does not seem to lie with the people; it is not that they are not hardworking or brilliant enough, but that it lies with the Heavenly Dao?

"Well~"

"There is no need for me to worry about such things; I have only just entered the Void Refining stage and am already thinking about matters of Ascending to Immortality—I certainly think highly of myself."

Ren Yidao scratched his head and cast his worries to the back of his mind.

"It is useless for me to think about such distant things now."

Regarding the mending method, Ren Yidao did not fully believe it either, maintaining an attitude of listening to half and believing half.

"As for what the actual situation is, I will be able to see it clearly when the day of Asking Dao arrives."

"It is a bit too early to worry about the sky falling now."

All Ren Yidao can do now is be more vigilant, keep a closer eye on the movements of the Butian Alliance, and not get dragged into their crazy plan to save the world.

Yes.

Regarding the definition of the Butian Alliance, Ren Yidao had not changed his previous opinion.

"There are few good people in organizations that claim to save the world."

If nothing else, this is an underground organization that uses the name of righteousness.

And...

It's illegal!