Chapter 1119: Reporting to the Council |
Jin Miaolin arrived? Well, speak of the devil!
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor said solemnly, "Invite the Crown Prince in for discussion."
Soon, Tang San was led into the Ancestral Court's Council Hall.
The gazes of all the Emperors immediately focused on him. Tang San remained calm and composed, though his expression carried a hint of solemnity.
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor fixed a penetrating gaze on him as Tang San stepped forward and gave a slight bow. "Jin Miaolin greets Your Majesties."
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Clan Leader Jin, you've arrived just in time. We require an explanation."
Tang San sighed lightly. "I came precisely to provide that. This incident caught me entirely off guard. It was abrupt and the circumstances were unusual. After leaving the Ancestral Court, I returned to my clan to enter closed-door cultivation, to fully digest the gains from the Battle for the Throne. I had only just emerged from seclusion when I heard the dreadful news that our Third Elder, who was traveling to Crystal City with Xu An'yu, the leader of the Radiant Dragon clan, was ambushed and killed. All accompanying clan members also perished. From among the dragon race people accompanying them, only Clan Leader Xu survived, and he barely returned home with heavy injuries. The rest were slain. Naturally, I was in shock, and I hurried to Crystal City to investigate.
"When I arrived, Clan Leader Xu was on the verge of death. His injuries were extremely peculiar. I used life energy to nourish and stabilize his condition, barely pulling him back from the brink. When I questioned him, he couldn't say definitively who the assailant was, but he had a strong suspicion. After all, the attacker had deployed multiple single-use divine items, so it had to be someone with considerable resources. Combined with the obvious motive of personal gain, the perpetrator's identity became almost self-evident.
"Well, there might have been someone framing him, except that… just the next day, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor suddenly arrived at Crystal City, demanding the dragon race submit to him and using the Misfortune Pearl to cast a pall of bad luck over the city. Clan Leader Xu was convinced that he was the culprit. For the sake of defending ourselves and in pursuit of vengeance for our fallen, we fought back. The battle ended with the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's death. That is the overall course of events."
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor frowned. "Can you elaborate further? When the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was losing, did he not attempt to escape?"
Tang San replied, "No, he didn't. Facing an Emperor-level threat, we had no choice but to go all out. Clan Leader Xu led the charge; I assisted. At the final moment, Lord Mei intervened and coordinated with Clan Leader Xu to finish him off. This was originally an internal matter of the dragon race, and I wouldn't have been involved except for the tragic loss of our elder. I swore that none of my clansmen would ever endure such things again, so I was obliged to assist. I apologize for not bringing the matter to the Ancestral Court sooner. I shall accept whatever punishment Your Majesties deem fit."
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor fell silent. Punishment? How could they punish someone who had just killed an Emperor? Besides, as Tang San had pointed out, this was an internal dragon race affair. Even the Ancestral Court had no authority to meddle in such matters.
The Sunborne Nymph Emperor said gravely, "Tenebrous courted death of his own initiative, no ifs and buts about it. Internal strife within the dragon race is one thing, but to ambush a Blue Gold Tree clan elder just after they declared neutrality? Unforgivable. This is a slap in the entire Ancestral Court's face. We should be protecting them, not letting them be attacked. That evil act cannot go unpunished. From what I see, Clan Leader Jin acted in justified self-defense. Though the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's death saddens us all, given that it resulted from internal conflict, I believe we should now turn to the matter of what to do with Black Dragon City. With no Emperor, the dragon race should not be holding on to two main cities."
At these words, the Emperors on the Empyrean Dominion's side all showed complex expressions. The Sunborne Nymph Emperor's intentions were clear: He had his eye on something. With one less Emperor, the Empyrean Dominion no longer had as strong a claim to an extra city. Until now, it had been accepted because they had more Emperors. But with the Tenebrous Demon Emperor gone, the balance had shifted.
"I agree. It's no longer appropriate for the dragon race to control two cities. Crystal Phoenix has long lacked a city of his own, so why not let him take over Black Dragon City? The Tenebrous Dragons can relocate to Crystal City. It's large enough to accommodate them," suggested the Undying Demon Emperor.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor was dead, and since it was an internal dragon race matter with the fault largely on his side, the Ancestral Court could not pursue the case. The opportunity to reallocate resources was now open. But there was no way the Empyrean Dominion would allow the Solstice Empire to seize one of its core cities, especially after suffering a drop in overall power. They were, in fact, thankful that during the Battle for the Throne, two of the quasi-Emperors who rose were from the demon race; otherwise, the loss would have been worse.
At this point, Tang San had quietly stepped aside, simply listening in as the Emperors clashed in debate. It looked as if the entire affair had nothing to do with him.
And things developed exactly as he had foreseen. The Tenebrous Demon Emperor had never been well-liked, and Tang San's account placed most of the blame on the dragon race's internal conflict. His own role had been barely touched on, and he hadn't even explained why Mei Gongzi had been in Crystal City.
From here on, the matter became a struggle between demon and nymph Emperors. But the result was already clear—there was no way the Empyrean Dominion would give up Black Dragon City. And with Xu An'yu absent from the proceedings, a resolution was quickly reached.
The Empyrean Dominion conceded two exclusive trade routes to the Solstice Empire, and Black Dragon City was handed over to Lin Ximo, who didn't have a city.
Lin Ximo was overjoyed. Who wouldn't want their own city? A main city represented more than just wealth; it meant power, influence, and cultivation resources. This was critical for the Crystal Phoenix clan's growth. He had once tried to compete for control of Kali City, after all, but his old enemy, the Peacock Great Demon King, had put an end to his ambitions.
Yet now, unexpectedly, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's death had brought him this gift. With full support from the Undying Demon Emperor, Black Dragon City would soon be renamed.
Lin Ximo looked at his future son-in-law with great satisfaction. This was practically a wedding gift from his daughter and her fiancé! One could even say it was Tang San's bride price!
The Undying Demon Emperor wasn't officially the first of the Demon Emperors, but his opinion carried great weight; he was the only one among them who could stand against the Sunborne Nymph Emperor. And although the White Tiger Demon Emperor didn't like Lin Ximo, at such a crucial moment, he still gave his support, for the sake of his granddaughter.
As for the dragon race's opinion,it didn't matter. It was common sense that without an Emperor, the dragons were in no position to claim two cities. And considering that one of their Emperors had just died, the Ancestral Court was already being lenient by not assigning blame to Crystal City. So, no one brought up the idea of consulting the dragon race.
The dragons had long been the dominant race on the Daemon Continent, but when it was time to put pressure on them, the other Emperors all tacitly agreed to do so.
Of course, Xu An'yu wasn't foolish. As soon as Tang San left, he immediately went to Black Dragon City, not only to take in the remaining dragons but also to transfer all of the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's hoarded wealth to Crystal City and do his best to salvage what benefits he could. With Crystal City as a foundation, the strongest city on the continent, the dragon race's overall strength didn't suffer much. They were not a race that could be bullied by others, and as long as Xu An'yu ascended to Emperorhood, they would once more be a force to be reckoned with.