Chapter 1121: The Grandfather and the Father-in-Law |
"So it was City Lord Mei who killed him in the end?" the Undying Demon Emperor asked.
Tang San nodded and said, "Yes. Her divine sword is incredibly powerful. It even shattered the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's divine consciousness along with his body."
Slaying an Emperor was no easy feat. It was not enough to just destroy the body; the divine consciousness also had to be annihilated. Otherwise, if the divine consciousness remained, an Emperor's spirit could, in theory, find a compatible body and come back to life. Back when he killed the Adamant Nymph Emperor, Tang San had used his own divine power to obliterate the opponent's consciousness. Of course, to the outside world, he had attributed it to the Ancestral Tree's divine manifestation.
The Undying Demon Emperor frowned slightly. "Why was City Lord Mei there? Did you call her?"
This question hit the heart of the matter. Tang San was far away in Skytree City, while Mei Gongzi was in Kali City. They were separated by the entire Daemon Continent. And even Crystal City wasn't exactly close to Kali City. Why would Mei Gongzi show up in Crystal City at just the right moment?
If Tang San hadn't already known about the relationship between the Undying Demon Emperor and Mei Gongzi, he might have thought that this line of questioning was meant to target her.
After a slight pause, Tang San finally replied in a serious tone, "Yes, I asked her to come over. Actually, after I finished healing Xu An'yu, we had a discussion about what to do next. We suspected that the mastermind would take the opportunity of his near-death state to attack Crystal City and achieve their goal, so I contacted Mei Gongzi and asked her to assist.
"She teleported over right away and joined us. The fact that Xu An'yu had recovered was kept strictly confidential, so the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was caught off guard when he saw us. As City Lord and chosen one of the dragon race, Xu An'yu could leverage the power of Crystal City, and that put him on par with a Demon Emperor in strength. With the addition of Mei Gongzi and myself, we were able to keep him there."
What Tang San said was a hundred percent true, and the Undying Demon Emperor listened carefully.
Tang San gave a bitter smile. "It couldn't be helped. It was for our own survival. The Tenebrous Demon Emperor sent people to ambush a Crown Prince and tried to seize control of a major city. Don't tell me that is in accordance with the Ancestral Court's rules. More importantly, my clan's third elder is gone. We only had three Great Nymph Kings apart from myself, so that is a devastating loss."
As he spoke, his expression turned solemn.
The Undying Demon Emperor nodded. "Do what you need to do, but don't stir up any more trouble. The Ancestral Court is very displeased that two Emperors have fallen with your involvement. No matter how important you are to the Court, if Emperors start feeling threatened by your existence, your death won't be far off."
"Yes, I understand," Tang San replied respectfully.
The Undying Demon Emperor's tone softened. "So, when are you planning to marry City Lord Mei?"
Tang San answered, "I was planning to visit Kali City to propose marriage after finishing my seclusion, but then this happened. I reported to the Ancestral Court first, but my family is already preparing the betrothal gifts, and I'll be heading to Kali City soon. We hope to hold the wedding in the Ancestral Court, so all Your Majesties can attend conveniently."
Hearing this, the Undying Demon Emperor's expression softened even more. "The two most important things for you right now are your marriage and your ascension to Emperorhood. Stay out of other matters. The Ancestral Court will do its best to protect your clan. What happened this time was an accident, so don't dwell on it. Focus on those two goals first. Do you understand? Strength is the foundation of everything."
"Yes. Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."
The Undying Demon Emperor gave him a deep look and said seriously, "Treat City Lord Mei well. You two are like shining stars of your generation. If you can support each other in the future, with your talents, you'll definitely secure your place in the Ancestral Court. We are getting old. The future belongs to you."
Was that a gesture of goodwill? A warning first, then kindness…
After leaving the Undying Demon Emperor, Tang San took a short detour and arrived at the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor's residence.
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor had been waiting for him. When he saw Tang San arrive, he didn't speak immediately but gestured politely for Tang San to sit.
In contrast with the commanding attitude of Sunborne and Undying, the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor was quite amiable. After all, he was ranked at the very bottom among Emperors, while Tang San's strength during the Battle for the Throne had been witnessed by all. Had he gone all out, the winner might not have been Mei Gongzi.
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor wasn't even sure who was stronger—himself or this young man before him, who had inherited the replication abilities of the Crystal Demon Emperor.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why you summoned me?" Tang San inquired.
With a smile, the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor said, "I mostly just wanted to thank you. Honestly, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's fall came as a surprise, and I ended up the beneficiary."
Tang San smiled. "That's something you deserve, Your Majesty. After all, you never had a city of your own. His Majesty the Sword Saint isn't interested in one, so it's only right that it goes to you."
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor said, "Once you and City Lord Mei are married, you're both welcome to visit Black Dragon City. Well, by then, it should be renamed Crystal Phoenix City. But speaking of that, when do you plan to have the wedding? I'll be sure to prepare a great gift."
Tang San smiled. "I'm heading to Kali City soon to propose, and then we'll probably return to the Ancestral Court for the ceremony."
"Good, that's convenient. I'll wait for you both in the Ancestral Court, then," the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor smiled again. "No need to be so formal. If you ever need anything, just say the word. I may rank low among the Emperors, but the phoenix race has more than one Emperor."
Tang San smiled wryly. "I just came from His Majesty the Undying."
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor blinked. "What did he want?"
Tang San said, "To understand the situation regarding the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's death, and to remind me to keep a low profile... and not stir up trouble."
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor nodded. "He's right. The deaths of two Emperors are directly connected to you. You really need to be cautious. Just get the wedding done first. Don't worry too much about the Ancestral Court. My grand-uncle is looking out for you. We all support you."
Tang San had nothing to worry about. Not only did the Blue Gold Tree clan play a crucial role among the clans, but he also had close ties with many of the Emperors in the Ancestral Court.
The Sunborne Nymph Emperor, whom he had deliberately grown closer to, now saw him as one of his own. With that, the Earthshade Nymph Emperor was naturally aligned as well. Among the demon race, thanks to Mei Gongzi, the Undying, White Tiger, and Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperors were all supporters. Add the Sword Saint Demon Emperor to that, and nearly half the Emperors were closely aligned with him. Though he was not officially part of the Council yet, he had begun to hold significant influence in the Ancestral Court's discussions.
After these three meetings, Tang San quietly slipped away. His summons couldn't be hidden from those paying attention; meeting a few to boost his standing was fine, but too many would be inappropriate. Sometimes, restraint was crucial.
He didn't rush to leave the Ancestral Court, however. Instead, he visited the future site of Blue Gold Palace. His future Sacred Mountain was there as well, in a very central location near Council Mountain. A peak rose from the ground, and some basic defensive arrays and Spirit-Gathering Arrays were under construction. The rest would be up to him to build later.
After a general inspection and giving some directions on his vision for Blue Gold Palace, Tang San finally departed the Ancestral Court and returned to Skytree City.