Chapter 19: The Conspiracy of the Adjacent Realm II

Once everyone had withdrawn from the grand hall, Gona sneered, "They still harbor illusions about the Heaven-Spanning Palace. How utterly naive."

Rial let out a sigh and said, "Whether it be the Heaven-Spanning Palace or the Darkfiend Emperor, both are demons that devour flesh and spit out no bones."

Ligen scurried up to his father with a broad smile on his face, squatted down, and looked up at Rial. "Father, the terms the Darkfiend side has offered us this time are quite favorable! Not only will they grant the three of us a vast fortune, but they also promise us the maximum degree of autonomy for the Border Realm."

Rial’s eyes, previously clouded with a dull, yellowish hue, suddenly flashed with light. "What? Did the message just arrive?"

Gona chuckled and said, "Yes, Father! We just received word from the Darkfiend expeditionary fleet. They stated that as long as we disband our military and swear allegiance to the Darkfiend Emperor, they will not assert sovereignty over our three golden suns."

Rial extended his trembling third hand, gently caressed the three gems upon the crown atop his head, and murmured, "That is good! That is good! The three golden suns are our supreme deities. Should they be seized by others, the gods will lay their wrath upon us."

Ligen muttered, "They could hardly care less about this wretched place of ours! Perpetual night or perpetual day year-round, forcing us to hide in these subterranean caves all day long like beasts."

Suddenly recalling something, Gona hurriedly said, "Oh, Father, the messenger who just arrived added one more thing. If the three of us no longer wish to stay in this place, we need only tell them. They can arrange a void with a comfortable climate, blessed with a single golden sun throughout the year, for us to live in, and permanently guarantee the royal family's sovereignty over the Border Void."

A glimmer of joy crossed the old king's face, but it vanished almost instantly. He said in a deep voice, "We have lived here for generations; it is not something we can just abandon on a whim. We shall speak of this later. Right now, have them send the documents over quickly, and find a time to sign this covenant early so we can put this matter to rest."

Gona appeared somewhat troubled as she said, "However, Father, the messenger mentioned just now that the Darkfiend Emperor expressed the desire for the two of us sisters to sign this covenant." As she spoke, she cast a covert glance at the old king's expression.

Rial remained as expressionless as still water. He sighed and said, "I am old now and can no longer endure such turmoil. It is only natural to pass the throne down to the younger generation. It is just that... just that many ministers and generals still support your younger sister. I fear it might provoke chaos when the time comes, which is why I have held on for so long."

"Hmph! Doesn't that girl Lia blindly worship the Heaven-Spanning Palace?" Ligen said. "This time, let's simply marry her off over there, out of sight and out of mind. With such a vast distance between us, once the covenant is signed, she will be powerless to oppose it even if she wishes to."

Rial shook his head. "I only fear that when that time truly comes, she will invite the Heaven-Spanning Palace to intervene. If that happens, we will be in deep trouble."

Gona stepped forward on her striking, long legs, came before Rial, lifted her skirt, and squatted down. Placing both hands on her father's knees, she said, "Even if the Heavenly Palace intervenes, we have nothing to fear. After all, everyone knows the strength of the Darkfiend Emperor. The star ruins of the Profound Yellow Void are still drifting in the Great Void; they wouldn't dare do anything to us! Rest assured, Father, leave this matter to the two of us sisters."

Ligen chimed in, "Exactly! Even if things get completely out of hand, we can just leave this ghost town behind. If they love this place so much, let them fight over it. We will go to the beautiful void and live our carefree lives."

"Very well!" Rial waved a hand. "I shall have someone handle the abdication as soon as possible. You may withdraw now."

Gona and Ligen obediently knelt on the floor, placed their hands to their foreheads, and bowed respectfully to their father. When they raised their heads, the two sisters exchanged a knowing, secret smile.

***

Yu Changsheng and Lan Sheng were in the bridge, learning how to operate the warship. Neither of them came from the academies, so they were filled with curiosity about many things.

"Uncle Heishi, why is this Dragon-Fang Dreadnought able to fly through the void?" Yu Changsheng asked, tilting his head to look up at Yu Heishi.

Kui Mulang sat in the central captain's seat, flipping through a void chart in his hands, and replied nonchalantly, "That is because the warship designed by Yuanzun can re-release the immense power of the golden sun essence within the hull. This power is identical to that found in the golden suns. Unleashed externally, its destructive might is world-shattering, so propelling such a massive warship is only natural."

Lan Sheng nodded, praising sincerely, "Master Yuan's mechanism arts have reached the pinnacle of perfection. He is truly the foremost figure of all time, past and present."

"Do not say such things; I am still far inferior to Master Ouye," Zhuohua's voice drifted from behind. Everyone present hurriedly bowed to him. Yu Heishi nimbly stepped down from the captain's seat, stood to the side, and paid his respects to Zhuohua, who waved a hand to dispense with the formalities.

"Is Master Ouye really that formidable?" Yu Changsheng asked anxiously as soon as he finished his bow.

Zhuohua smiled and nodded, saying, "Indeed. The Majestic Bull warship was the pinnacle of Profound Yellow shipbuilding, and I merely designed the current Dragon-Fang warship upon the foundation of the Majestic Bull."

"But the Dragon-Fang is so much larger than the Majestic Bull! All its devices and firearms are vastly superior," Yu Changsheng argued, still unconvinced.

Lan Sheng patted him on the shoulder and said, "If you wish to learn mechanism arts, you cannot simply look at the size of what is built; you must understand the various technologies applied within it. As Yuanzun just said, without the foundation of the Majestic Bull, there could be no strength in the Dragon-Fang."

Yu Heishi nodded in agreement. "Quite right. Ouye Jinge is truly a grandmaster of Profound Yellow mechanism arts; otherwise, how could his cultivation have placed him among the Seven Sages?"

Yu Changsheng chuckled and said, "Then our aunt is even more remarkable—she is the head of the Seven Saints, and her beloved is one of the Seven Sages. Truly a Valkyrie."

*Snap.* The back of his head was slapped by Yu Heishi, startling him into shrinking his neck.

Zhuohua smiled as he watched the group playfully bicker, reached out, and took the void chart from Yu Heishi.

"How much longer?" Zhuohua asked.

Yu Heishi glared at Yu Changsheng before turning back, extending a finger to point at a spot on the map. "This is our fleet's current position." He slid his finger a distance to the side and stopped. "Here is our destination, the Border Void. We can arrive in two more days of travel."

"What is the defensive status of the fleet?"

"We have scattered five hundred scout boats, half a day's travel ahead of the fleet. Everything is normal so far."

"The journey has been far too peaceful, and it makes me somewhat uneasy," Zhuohua said, pressing his brow.

"Is Yuanzun worried there might be unforeseen changes?" Lan Sheng stepped forward to ask.

***

Zhuohua nodded and said with concern, "Although our departure time was only temporarily communicated to Rial, if they have already harbored rebellious intentions, this news has likely long since been conveyed to the Darkfiend side. Until our adversaries show themselves, my mind cannot be at ease."

"Yuanzun is right; there is indeed something amiss over there," Qin Ying said, pushing open the door and striding in from outside. Today, her refined features combined with full military attire truly lived up to the verse: *Swift and striking as a shooting star.*

She gave Zhuohua a military salute and quickly presented an intelligence report. "This is news just received: Rial has decided to pass the throne to his two daughters within the next few days. The eldest daughter will rule the northern territory, and the second daughter will rule the southern territory."

"Oh? They have split their country just like that?" Kui Mulang asked, finding it hard to believe.

Qin Ying nodded. "Rial remains the nominal supreme head of state, and both daughters still address him as the Border Emperor, but actual ruling power has already been divided between them. The nation has effectively fractured."

Yu Changsheng asked with some confusion, "But this is their country's internal affair; it has nothing to do with us! Besides, won't the more chaotic they are, the better it is for our control?"

"That may be true, but those two queens are not content to stay within their bounds. Recent reports from informants planted within the subterranean palace indicate that the two of them have frequently held secret meetings with a mysterious visitor, lasting hours at a time. Not long after, the old king's abdication took place," Qin Ying said.

"A mysterious person? What is their identity? What are they here for?" Zhuohua shifted his gaze away from the map and asked Qin Ying.

"As for that..." Qin Ying replied with some difficulty, "Their operational security is exceptionally airtight, and the mysterious visitor's arrival times are irregular. Our undercover agents waited several times without ever catching a clear view of the person's face. However, the Flying Fish Bureau suspects this individual has close ties with the Darkfiend clan."

"Suspicion alone is useless; we must acquire concrete evidence quickly. Furthermore, if this is truly related to the Darkfiend, they would never target merely the trivial spoils of the Border Void. There is undoubtedly a greater conspiracy behind this," Zhuohua said, looking at Qin Ying.

Qin Ying immediately straightened her posture, brought her fists together in a salute, and acknowledged the order.

"However, Yuanzun," Lan Sheng asked, "even if the Border Void rebels, what danger could it pose to us? We can simply crush them and retake it."

"We are on the eve of an expedition. If fire breaks out in our own backyard, it will throw us into a predicament where we cannot tend to both ends at once. By then, not only might our plan to gather essence fail, but our supply lines could be severed, leaving the main army trapped in a dilemma where advance and retreat are both impossible," Yu Changsheng explained logically, earning frequent, approving nods of a smile from Yu Heishi nearby.

Zhuohua smiled at Yu Changsheng, acknowledging his deduction, and added, "Aside from that, there is one more point of vital importance to us. The three golden suns of the Border Void are crucial strategic resources. If we cannot ensure they remain under the control of the Heaven-Spanning Palace, we must at least ensure they do not fall into the hands of the Darkfiend."