by Mars Gravity
“All the dukes worked together with a singleness of purpose and unity, supporting the new sovereign together; thanks to support and protection of all the clans, he received the mandate of heaven; all the officials put their heart and soul into assisting the new ruler, supporting the Illusory Demon Realm….”
Boom….
The timely and drawn-out drumbeat rang out from outside the hall; the master of ceremonies abruptly broke off his speech, and as he leaned to one side, his voice rose by several octaves, “The time has come! For the coronation of our new sovereign!”
The time had come for the coronation which would be followed by a ceremony to honor the gods and the heavens. And after this process, Duke Huai would officially become the new ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm.
Duke Huai rose to his feet in a lofty manner and spread both his arms wide, taking in the sights and sounds. The maids beside him took off his embroidered clothes which signified his status as a duke, draping over his shoulders the pure golden royal robes which were embroidered with the images of the sacred and divine Golden Crow, clothes which were a token of the Illusory Demon Emperor. The time had come for the coronation, which would then be followed by a ceremony to honor the gods and the heavens. And after this process, Duke Huai would officially become the new ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm.
All the people gathered in the Demon Imperial Hall left their seats and knelt down. “We greet Emperor Huai! May Emperor Huai live as long as the heavens and the earth, shining as bright as the sun and moon!”
The ones who had the privilege to be present in the Demon Imperial Hall were all without a doubt members of the highest echelon of society in Illusory Demon Realm. Looking at them bowing their heads and pledging their allegiance was the same as having the entire Illusory Demon Realm at one’s feet. Duke Huai, who had waited for this day for a whole hundred years, faintly raised his head as he drank in the moment, enjoying his current status as emperor! As his gaze leisurely wandered, he saw the only place that was disharmonious with the rest of the great hall…. In the entire Demon Imperial Hall, only two groups of people did not kneel down. One was the Yun Family, and the other was the Mu Family.
“How dare you, Mu Feiyan and Yun Qinghong!” the master of ceremonies’ angry rebuke rang out at this time. “The new emperor is about to be crowned, what are you waiting for?! Kneel!”
Even though this master of ceremonies also belonged to the Illusory Demon Royal Family, under normal circumstances, even if you gave him one hundred times the guts he had, he still would not dare to raise his voice against Yun Qinghong or Mu Feiyan. But today, the circumstances were completely different from what it had been…. The Yun Family and Mu Family had always been at ends with Duke Huai Palace, and in the few months after the burial of the Little Demon Empress, the Yun Family and the Mu Family had “slandered” Duke Huai by claiming that he had killed the Little Demon Empress. And today, even a fool would understand that after the ascension of Duke Huai, he would definitely not continue to tolerate the two families. Moreover, given Duke Huai’s current power, how could the Yun Family and Mu Family hope to be his opponent. So this master of ceremonies yelled with one hundred percent confidence. In fact, he was extremely afraid that he had yelled too softly and had dissatisfied Duke Huai with his weak aura.
The atmosphere had quickly froze as all eyes were immediately directed towards the seats of the Yun Family and the Mu Family. The Under Heaven Family, Su Family, and Yan Family all became anxious as they gasped secretly in their hearts.
“Why must I kneel?!!” Yun Qinghong leaped off his seat, and his voice was like a thunderclap that exploded in everyone’s ears, causing them great fright. And how could a lowly master of ceremonies be able to withstand Yun Qinghong’s aura as he let it explode out of him. His entire body trembled, and he involuntarily took a step backwards. His lips trembled uncontrollably, but not a single word proceeded from his mouth.
“Yun Qinghong!” Helian Kuang roared in a loud voice as he pointed at Yun Qinghong, his expression filled with fury while his pupils were filled with mockery and cold laughter. “The new emperor is about to be crowned, yet you have performed such actions that clearly look down on our new emperor…. Does this mean you want to rebel?!”
“Rebel?” Yun Qinghong gave a cold laugh. “To think that you still have the face to say such a thing in this Imperial Demon Hall, before all the heroes of the realm! Rebel…. Just who is actually rebelling?!”
“Of course, you are the one who is rebelling!” Jiufang Kui roared as he rose from his seat and pointed accusingly at Yun Qinghong. After the burial of the Little Demon Empress and the ascension of Duke Huai, it would be Emperor Huai’s world from now on. The Yun Family had originally gained the upper hand at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony four months ago, but today, they were nothing to worry about at all, and indeed, they had always been “courting their own destruction.” So right now, it was naturally the time to kick a man when he was down while at the same time expressing loyalty to Emperor Huai. “Yun Qinghong, as the Patriarch of the Guardian Families’ Yun Family, your sacred duty is to protect the Illusory Demon Emperor! But on the day that the new emperor is about to ascend to the throne, in this great hall, you are actually….”
“Shut up!” Before Jiufang Kui could finish what he was saying, he was furiously cut off by Yun Qinghong. “I, Yun Qinghong, am not yet someone a shameless traitor like you can lecture! My Yun Family followed the the first Demon Emperor from the very beginning and unified the Illusory Demon Realm together with him. If the first Demon Emperor did not exist, then there would be no Yun Family who has flourished for ten thousand years! My Yun Family, from the start to end, has treated the protection of the Demon Emperor’s clan as our duty, and we have treated it as our glory as well! And during these ten thousand years, we have never shown the slightest moment of infidelity! Hmph… what does this Duke Huai amount to?! What qualifications does he have to demand the loyal guardianship of my Yun Family?! All of you are fellow Guardian Families, yet you have elevated this bandit who has murdered the Little Demon Empress to the highest seat of power…. You have simply caused all your blessed ancestors and forefathers in the afterlife to be filled with the greatest shame!!”
“Yun Qinghong! What nerve you have!!” Duke Zhong leapt out of his seat, his face twisted in grief and indignation as his entire body trembled. “After the Little Demon Empress met with calamity, you have continuously slandered our new emperor by claiming that he was the one who murdered the Little Demon Empress! But the Little Demon Empress had clearly met with misfortune in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, and when Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley’s seal opened, the new emperor was clearly in the Demon Imperial City. That was a fact witnessed by countless people! And all the people of the realm know that once you enter Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, there is definitely no method of getting out except for sealing and closing it once more! This slander of yours discredits itself, and it is laughable in the extreme!”
“The new emperor has been extremely magnanimous; he has chosen not to enter into a dispute with you and even wanted to cover up the matter of how the shameless slander of your Yun Family took root in Demon Imperial City! Yet you, Yun Qinghong, fail to recognize this great kindness that has been shown to you and still remain recalcitrant and obstinate, not knowing what is good for you! And during this sacred and solemn Divine Imperial Ascension Ceremony, not only did you hurl abuse at the new emperor, you actually dared to say spit out such laughable and unbelievable slander in front of all those present! This is not only the great crime of rebelling against your ruler, but it also clear that you are making light of the rest of us!”
As Duke Zhong continued to speak, he had become so furious that his face turned deathly pale. He cupped his hands towards Duke Huai and said, “Emperor Huai, you have been extremely lenient towards the Yun Family, but to no avail, as there are still those who would take advantage of your kindness! As your subject, this humble duke can
not bear to witness this any longer! Emperor Huai, please give the order so we can swiftly arrest this plotter!”
Instead, Duke Huai slowly raised his hand and shook his head. He gave a brief sigh and displayed a rather helpless look on his face. “Patriarch Yun, you have many prejudices against and misunderstandings with this emperor, and this emperor is well aware of it. You have also slandered this emperor with the crime of murdering the Little Demon Empress, and that is the world’s biggest joke in and of itself. I didn’t mind. But today is the day of this emperor’s ascension, and normally, I should be granting a general amnesty to all under heaven, not being so easily angered. I of course still did not want to quarrel with you. But after this emperor has finished honoring the heavens and the gods and is officially declared emperor, if you dare to say such offensive things again…. Even if you are the Yun Family Patriarch, covered in achievements and glory, and the son of Demon King Yun Canghai, this emperor will still definitely not let you off lightly!!”
Yun Qinghong refused to kneel, hurled vituperation at the new emperor, and even “slandered” him as the person who murdered the Little Demon Empress…. Every offense was one that was enough to get the person executed. Yet Duke Huai handled it with extreme magnanimity and generosity. This was of course not because he was really this magnanimous, nor was it because he did not wish to put Yun Qinghong and the entire Yun Family to death. But the Yun Family had just restored their reputation four months ago due to Yun Che while also winning the hearts of the people. Not only that, but the Yun Family’s reputation was now flourishing in the Illusory Demon Realm like never before, and it far exceeded any other period during the ten thousand year history of the Yun Family. He had just risen to the seat of the throne, so before he had completely stabilized his power, it would be extremely unwise to take any overt actions against the Yun Family —— Even if the Yun Family took the initiative to be offensive.
Moreover, his current actions would prominently display his magnanimous bearing while also “exposing” the Yun Family as disgraceful and unfilial rebels.
But how could Yun Qinghong pay on his account. He gave a long laugh and suddenly leaped into the air, landing in the middle of the great hall. A purple light flashed in his hand and a seven foot longsword appeared in his grasp as he pointed it directly at Duke Huai,.“We do not need to wait until that day. The purpose for I, Yun Qinghong, to come here today is to baptize this Demon Imperial Hall in blood!”
Yun Qinghong’s actions caused the color to drain from everyone’s face as the entire Demon Imperial Hall immediately broke out into a state of panic. With Duke Huai among them, no one have even dreamt that the always calm, extremely wise, and farsighted Yun Qinghong would actually do such a thing. Helian Kuang and his flunkies roared in unison, “Yun Qinghong! You…. What do you plan on doing?!!”
“Patriarch Yun, do not be impulsive!!” Su Xiangnan and Yan Zijing yelled out in a fluster. Su Xiangnan quickly sent a profound energy sound conversion to Yun Qinghong as he persistently advised him, “Patriarch Yun! Sheath your sword! Even if the Little Demon Empress and your son were truly harmed by Duke Huai… you must preserve your life in order to witness the day of your vengeance! This kind of unwise action… is not something that you, Yun Qinghong, should do!!”
Yun Qinghong turned a deaf ear to Su Xiangnan’s sound transmission and did not display any reaction. By his side, Mu Yurou already stood shoulder to shoulder with him as cold air surged along her entire body. The coldness of her gaze was even more chilling and bone-piercing, her voice filled with the deepest, soul-boring hatred she had ever experienced in her lifetime, “Duke Huai! It is you who murdered my son…. Even if my husband and I lay down our lives today, we will still take your blood to repay his!!”
Chapter 615: Life and Death Struggle
“Patriarch Yun, put down the sword in your hand… you cannot be rash!!” the Sky Demon Region Lord Qin Zheng rushed forward and yelled at the same time. Anybody could tell from the words the Yun Qinghong couple had just said not only harbored anger and resentment, they also clearly harbored a decisive will to die!
Today… they wanted their lives and blood to stain the Demon Imperial Hall!
“Rash?” Yun Qinghong pointed his sword towards Duke Huai. His face was cold and composed. “I, Yun Qinghong, have never been this calm in my entire life! My Yun clan started ten thousand years ago, and we existed to protect the Demon Emperor. However… in a short hundred years, the former Demon Emperor and Little Demon Emperor were, one after another, harmed by a traitorous bastard, and today, even the Little Demon Empress has fallen to evil schemes… We are one of the Guardian Families, yet we have been unable to fulfill our protective duty, allowing the bloodline of the Demon Emperor completely end. Not only that, but today, I have to watch with my own two eyes as the traitorous dog who harmed the Demon Emperor and my own son become Emperor! As the Patriarch of the Yun Family, I, Yun Qinghong, what face do I have to continue drifting through life!”
“Duke Huai, if you wish to become Emperor today, you have to cross my, Yun Qinghong’s blood and corpse!”
“Patriarch Yun!!” Within the hall, a voice rang out. No one would have expected that such a scene would actually occur in the succession hall.
“Yun Qinghong… you are seeking your own death!!” Chiyang Bailie yelled. The patriarchs of the large families had already left their seats and formed a circle surrounding the Yun Qinghong couple. With tens of strong, oppressive auras, they quietly guarded the surroundings of Duke Huai.
“Patriarch!!” Everyone in the Yun family shouted in fear. Even they were not aware of the actions Yun Qinghong had planned to take today.
“Don’t come over!!” Yun Qinghong suddenly raised his hand, preventing them from nearing. “This is a matter of my wife’s and mine, it has nothing to do with the Yun Family! Yun Waitian, the ring which I passed to you this morning contains the Yun Family’s Patriarch Crest! From this point onward, you will be the new Patriarch of the Yun Family! My wife and I will leave the Yun Family, everything we do has nothing to do with the Yun family! My only wish is from this day on, the Yun Family will keep far away from Demon Imperial City, will entirely retreat from current affairs, and will never pledge allegiance to this traitorous dog!”
“No!!” Yun Waitian shook his head instead, then flew upwards and shouted in rage. “You are our Yun Family’s Patriarch! Your will is thus the will of the entire Yun Family! Even if the entire world says that the Patriarch has falsely accused Duke Huai, our Yun Family disciples will not suspect a single word the Patriarch says! If the Patriarch says that it was Duke Huai Palace which caused the death of the Little Demon Empress, then it definitely is not wrong! This kind of traitorous thief, not to mention our status as a Guardian Family, even as ordinary Illusory Demon citizens, we will use our lives to bring this criminal to justice…”
Yun Waitian landed beside Yun Qinghong and looked at Duke Huai with anger. “Duke Huai! You poisoned the Demon Emperor, and that was a huge sin! My son was also killed by your Duke Huai Palace… Today, one of us has to die!”
“That’s right! The Patriarch’s life is the most irrefutable ironclad evidence in this world! If the Patriarch wants blood to be spilled in the Demon Imperial Hall, how could we Yun Family disciples be left out!!”
“Duke Huai! You caused the death of my Yun Family’s Young Patriarch and the Little Demon Empress… My Yun Family and you cannot exist under the same sky!”
“Today, my Yun Family will use fresh blood and your doggy life to offer as sacrifice for the Young Patriarch and Little Demon Empress!”
After the initial shock and confusion, the Yun Family disciples, along with the few elders, all stood behind Yun Qinghong without hesitation. Their blood boiled, and they were prepared to die. There were barely a hundred people who belonged to the Yun Family present, but their hate had been ignited. Standing behind Yun Qinghong, not a single one retreated or left.
“Hahahahahaha!” Mu Feiyan laughed loudly. “Tha
t is indeed the Yun Family! Even if they were suppressed for a hundred years, the character in your bones haven’t been extinguished! Good… good!! Then today, let us have a great bloodbath!! Sons and daughters of the Mu Family listen carefully!!” Mu Feiyan turned around, a roar like thunder shook the entire hall, causing it to shiver faintly. “The Duke Huai in front of your eyes, who is about to ascend the throne to become our next Illusory Demon Emperor, actually caused the death of the Little Demon Empress and slaughtered the Demon Emperor Clan! This kind of traitorous bastard ought to have been hated by the people and heavens, punished by the heavens, and destroyed by the earth, but today, he is receiving worship in the Demon Imperial Hall… this is simply preposterous!”
“Mu Feiyan!!” The Xiao Family Patriarch, Xiao Xifeng, shouted indignantly. “Within the twelve families, you are known as the most moral one! Who would think that you would also slander the new Emperor! Since you said that it was the new emperor who caused the death of the Little Demon Empress… what evidence do you have!”
“Your daddy’s words are evidence!!” Mu Feiyan’s voice was as loud as thunder, “You have not deserved the name of one of the Guardian Families for a long time! Now you have become a traitorous dog too! Bunch of dogs who have long lost their dignity and honor, what kind of right do you have to hoot in front of this daddy here?!”
“You!!” The scoldings of Mu Feiyan caused the lungs of Patriarchs who surrounded Yun Qinghong to want to explode.