Chapter 411: Even a Pit of Fire Must Be Jumped Into

This wicked and eerie venomous gu was so sinister that just looking at it made one dizzy and nauseated.

Only an emperor like Emperor Ye, who carried the fortune of a dynasty, could resist its effects.

After observing it for a long while, Emperor Ye finally asked, “How is this Gu to be implanted, and once implanted, how is it activated?”

“Your Majesty,” the minister replied, “this Gu must be planted into Yan Wuyong’s body. His limbs must be restrained, and his body smeared with various poisonous herbs. Then, a small hole must be dug into his chest, through which the child Gu will slowly burrow in.”

“As for the mother Gu, Your Majesty only needs to drip a drop of dragon blood on it to activate it by thought.”

Upon hearing this, a middle-aged general frowned and said, “Then we must capture Yan Wuyong alive?”

The young civil official nodded. “Precisely. It is indeed troublesome to implant this Gu, but its effects are remarkable. Whether or not this sharp blade named Yan Wuyong can be brought under Your Majesty’s control depends on whether the generals can capture him alive.”

As soon as he said this, all the military generals glared at him in hostility!

Yan Wuyong—what kind of man was he? With a single swing of his axe, he could slaughter a horde of demons!

Who dared—or rather, who was able—to capture this battlefield meat grinder alive?

“Capturing Yan Wuyong alive requires cunning, not brute force.”

As Emperor Ye spoke from the dragon throne, the military generals finally relaxed. They had truly feared that the emperor, on a whim, would order them to bring Yan Wuyong back alive…

A moment later, Emperor Ye rose and declared, “Relay my decree. The human race has long suffered from the demon scourge of the Great Tong Dynasty. Since that traitor Ye Xuliu is willing to co-rule with the Demon Emperor, then for the sake of the people of the world, I too am willing to co-rule with Monarch Yan and split the realm!”

At these words, the ministers were first shocked. But then, as if realizing something, they all prostrated themselves and cried out, “Long live His Majesty’s wisdom!”

…

“Your Highness! I fear something’s not right here!”

Advisor Liu’s eyes swept repeatedly over the imperial edict in his hands. When he saw the jade seal stamped on it, he stared even more intently, as if trying to spot some trick hidden in the crimson imprint.

“Why would Emperor Ye so readily offer up the empire and the dynasty’s fortune?”

Beside him, the burly General Niu waved his hand dismissively. “Advisor Liu, you’re being overly cautious again. I say, that Emperor of the Ye family must know he can’t hold the realm any longer, so he wants to cede land to save himself.”

“If Monarch Yan becomes Emperor Yan, then under the name of co-ruler, should the Great Tong Dynasty ever fall, Monarch Yan wouldn’t be able to lay claim to the entire Great Wu without inviting accusations of betrayal.”

“He might even go down in history as a treacherous usurper.”

Advisor Liu shook his head. “No, it’s definitely not that simple. History is written by the victors. Infamy is only a burden of the present; a generation later, it fades into insignificance.”

“I suspect this coronation is more likely a Hongmen Banquet—a trap with no return!”

“Bah, bah, bah!” General Niu spat three times in a row and grabbed Liu’s hand to rub some wood for luck before saying, “You sure know how to kill the mood. ‘No return’? Our Yan Southern Army is way stronger than Great Wu—you know that!”

“Didn’t the edict also say Monarch Yan can bring ten thousand troops with him for reassurance?”

“With Monarch Yan’s capabilities and ten thousand men, even if we don’t destroy the Great Wu capital, we can at least fight our way out safely.”

Advisor Liu sighed. “General Niu, I admit I’m not as skilled as you in leading troops, but when it comes to schemes and cunning, you’re definitely no match for me.”

General Niu: ???

“If we go deep into the heart of Great Wu and something happens, we won’t be able to send reinforcements in time.”

He set the edict down and continued, “Besides, there’s no question about Monarch Yan’s abilities. Even with only eight thousand, or even five thousand men, I believe he could still break out.”

“But if that force of ten thousand is sabotaged beforehand, and Monarch Yan ends up alone, how can he break through their encirclement?”

“Ai!” General Niu slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that? If they really want to pull something, all they have to do is separate Monarch Yan from his troops.”

“Looks like we shouldn’t go after all.”

“But not going… feels like such a missed opportunity.”

“If we do go, the emperor’s title becomes legitimate, and we gain more recognition from the people. We might even get a share of that elusive imperial fortune!”

“But considering Monarch Yan’s safety, not going is still the safest option.”

“We’ll go.”
Monarch Yan’s voice rang out, drawing everyone’s eyes to him.

He stood and said solemnly, “Dynastic fortune, imperial titles—none of that matters.”

“What matters is that the Great Wu court claims to have information about the Demon Emperor. Even with thirty thousand soldiers behind me, I’m not confident I could defeat him.”

“If this Demon Emperor, who once slew an immortal, reappears, it would be a disaster for all of us.”

“If Emperor Ye truly intends to co-rule, then I’ll gain the support of his armies. With that support—multiplying our strength—even if we can’t kill the Demon Emperor, we can at least stand as his equal!”

“Besides, if the information is wrong, it won’t matter. Once I merge the forces of the Great Wu court with the Yan Southern Army, our strength will reach unprecedented heights!”

“With that, our chances of driving the demon race back to Northern Huangtian increase significantly!”

Hearing this, Advisor Liu quickly stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, what you say is true, but all of this hinges on Emperor Ye sincerely wanting to join forces to fight the demon race!”

“I know.” Yan Wuyong’s face was calm. “The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”

“Too many common folk and comrades have died over the years. Now that we have a chance to drive out the demons, even if I know it’s a pit of fire—I still have to jump in!”

“This… this…”
Advisor Liu hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Then I ask that General Niu carefully select ten thousand elite soldiers. They must not stray too far from Monarch Yan!”

At this, General Niu nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, Advisor Liu. I’ll stay by Monarch Yan’s side every step of the way. If anything seems off, I’ll be the first to cut a path out with him!”

Advisor Liu bowed deeply. “Monarch Yan’s safety will be in your hands, General Niu.”

General Niu burst into loud laughter. “Rest assured!”