Either appeasement, or dispatching troops to suppress.
Between the two options, one had to be chosen.
Presently, if it were merely dispatching hundreds of thousands of troops, that would still remain within the scope of Princess Sha Yan’s capability.
Yet wanting to eliminate Lan Ling now was no longer something that hundreds of thousands of troops could resolve, but required an army of millions, and even the deployment of formidable aerial legions and terrestrial monstrous beast legions.
This truly exceeded the scope of Princess Sha Yan’s capability.
Of course, with the present power of the Rakshasa royal family, casually extending a single finger could crush Lan Ling to death.
However, that was something only the Little Rakshasa King could do, not Princess Sha Yan.
Because she was a woman, not the heir to the Rakshasa royal family.
To resolve the problem within her own capabilities, the only choice was appeasement.
Next, Princess Sha Yan began considering the pros and cons of remarrying to Lan Ling.
Or perhaps it could not be called remarrying, because she had never formally wed Nai Shu, having only held a nominal betrothal.
Even if she had been married, within the Southern Desolation, remarrying was a very normal occurrence, especially under circumstances where the woman’s status was more noble.
The Pros!
After marrying Lan Ling, it would certainly quell the turmoil of the Black Demon Banner. Accurately speaking, it would quell this disaster relying on Princess Sha Yan’s own strength.
At least Princess Sha Yan absolutely believed so, as in her eyes, Lan Ling was merely a lowly Near-Human exile. Of course, he also possessed very remarkable aspects, such as obtaining the allegiance of the centaur race, and finding a method to deal with the mammoth race.
Yet he remained a lowly Near-Human, and even raising his status tenfold would still make him unworthy of Princess Sha Yan.
Therefore, Princess Sha Yan felt that if she married Lan Ling, it would guarantee to calm everything down. Because that would already exceed what Lan Ling sought by tens or hundreds of times.
The Cons!
Once Princess Sha Yan married Lan Ling, it would cause immense damage to her reputation. Of course, this damage did not refer to changing men and defiling chastity or the like, but rather that Lan Ling was a lowly Near-Human after all, so a dignified princess of the Rakshasa royal family marrying a lowly Near-Human would likely shock the entire Rakshasa territory, and even the entire Southern Desolation.
Practically everyone would point fingers at Princess Sha Yan, mocking her for marrying someone as lowly as Lan Ling.
In fact, it would harm not only Princess Sha Yan’s reputation, but also that of the Rakshasa royal family.
Some people would think along the lines of, has the current Rakshasa royal family become so weak, that upon encountering a rebellion they cannot resolve, they marry off their own daughter?
However, sacrificing herself by marrying Lan Ling was far too great, and the harm brought was equally vast. Most critically, given Lan Ling’s status, he was nowhere near qualified to receive such elevation.
His status and Nai Shu’s were truly worlds apart.
Nai Shu was not only the heir to the Black Demon Banner, but also the direct maternal grandson of the Fire Demon Venerable, and although he was still somewhat unworthy of Princess Sha Yan, with her forceful personality, marrying down yielded greater happiness and initiative.
Yet with Lan Ling’s lowly status, Princess Sha Yan marrying down was simply too severe, and even if lowered down into the mud, Lan Ling would still be unworthy of her.
Although Princess Sha Yan held significant initiative in choosing a consort, if she truly married Lan Ling, her father, His Majesty the Rakshasa King, would likely strike her dead with a single palm, treating her as a disgrace to the Rakshasa royal family.
Needing appeasement, yet unable to make too great a sacrifice, what was to be done?
Not marrying herself, but substituting another woman to marry Lan Ling instead.
For instance, selecting a beautiful maidservant from her side, having a distant uncle from the Rakshasa royal family adopt her as a foster daughter, and slightly exaggerating her status, such as Sha Yan adopting her as a sworn sister and declaring her a commandery princess to the outside world.
Then, marrying her to Lan Ling, which should serve as a method satisfying both sides, soothing Lan Ling while avoiding too great a sacrifice.
Having made the decision, Princess Sha Yan acted immediately, needing to settle this matter before Black Demon City fell.
Next, Princess Sha Yan pondered in her mind over which maidservant by her side should be chosen to marry Lan Ling.
She had to be beautiful, resourceful, and loyal, none of these three essential elements could be missing.
Sufficiently beautiful to seduce Lan Ling, sufficiently resourceful to control Lan Ling, and sufficient loyalty went without saying, able to share her burdens and become an excellent female spy.
Almost in an instant, a single name came to Princess Sha Yan’s mind: Yu Die.
First, she was a supreme beauty, and a Near-Human as well, so marrying her to Lan Ling, who was also a Near-Human, would not provoke excessive criticism.
Second, her martial skill was formidable, useful at critical junctures.
Moreover, she was deeply scheming, capable of handling, and even mastering men.
Lastly was loyalty, for she had once been a Near-Human slave, and when she was eleven years old, Princess Sha Yan had rescued her from the pit of fire, a kindness akin to giving her a second life.
Had Princess Sha Yan not saved her, she would have fallen into becoming a camp prostitute by now, forced to receive a hundred foul-smelling Rakshasa soldiers, or even barbarian soldiers every day, perishing before reaching the age of twenty-five.
Now, she was Princess Sha Yan’s personal sword-bearing maidservant, and because of her peerless beauty, many scions of demon banner families had even proposed to her, while people across the entire Rakshasa City curried favour with her outside, making her status practically no less than that of a demon banner family’s concubine-born daughter.
Yes, she was the one chosen.
“Have Yu Die enter!” Princess Sha Yan said.
A moment later, a woman dressed in tight-fitting green silk attire walked in gracefully.
Indeed, her figure was slender like a willow, and her face bloomed like a peach blossom.
Such delicate allure, such graceful charm, she was truly a stunning beauty.
Especially her slender waist, dainty enough to be clasped in a single hand, sinuous like a snake and supple like a willow.
In the barbarian world, even beauties mostly possessed voluptuous busts and prominent hips with exaggerated curves, rarely possessing a woman like Yu Die.
She was truly brimming with boundless allure.
Her curves were not exaggerated, nor particularly fiery, but truly graceful and enchanting.
Such a slender waist and delicate jade frame appeared frail at first glance, yet brimmed with strength, truly representing a unique aesthetic.
Especially her face, truly a dainty palm-sized face, a pure oval shape, whose delicacy could only be found among the Near-Humans, completely identical to human beings.
Moreover, like most Near-Human women in the Rakshasa race, she had removed her tail, appearing even more like a human woman.
Only her pointed ears revealed her demon heritage.
Within Princess Sha Yan’s estate, Yu Die’s charm was singular and unmatched.
“Xiao Die, Nai Shu lost to that Near-Human named Lan Ling, and he has already been killed by me,” Princess Sha Yan said.
Yu Die knelt down immediately, saying softly, “Yes!”
Princess Sha Yan slaying her fiancé Nai Shu made the entire princess estate tremble in fear.
However, no one dared to utter half a word of discussion, and even before Princess Sha Yan, Yu Die dared not express any stance.
“Lan Ling is a Near-Human, and you are also a Near-Human, which is quite a coincidence, he has always proclaimed that his Near-Human tribe is the homeland of all Near-Humans,” Princess Sha Yan said.
Yu Die kowtowed at once.
Instantly, her willow waist and rounded hips formed an exquisite curve.
“Your Highness Princess, being born with Near-Human blood is Yu Die’s misfortune, which I could not choose. But in spirit, I forever regard myself as a member of the Rakshasa race, and I dream of becoming a Rakshasa in my next life. I would rather be a slave of the Rakshasa than a Near-Human, I beg Your Highness Princess to see clearly,” Yu Die wept.
“I know your heart,” Princess Sha Yan said, “Over these years, how have I treated you?”
“A kindness akin to rebirth, surpassing my own parents,” Yu Die said.
Princess Sha Yan said, “If I need you to do something, would you do it?”
“I would go through water and tread on fire without hesitation,” Yu Die said, “Even being commanded by the Princess to do something is my supreme honour.”
Princess Sha Yan said, “I need you to marry Lan Ling!”
The moment these words were spoken, Yu Die’s delicate body trembled, instantly losing all colour.
Then, she kowtowed desperately, nearly smashing her forehead until it bled.
“Your Highness Princess, Master, if I have done something wrong, you may beat me or kill me, but please do not make me marry Lan Ling,” Yu Die wept.
Princess Sha Yan frowned, “Why?”
“I struggled so hard to become half a Rakshasa, and now I must marry a lowly Near-Human like Lan Ling, which is equivalent to destroying everything I currently possess, turning all the efforts of my past ten-odd years into empty bubbles, reducing me once again to a lowly Near-Human, so I would truly rather die!”
Princess Sha Yan said, “You would rather die than marry that Lan Ling.”
“The lowly Near-Human Lan Ling,” Yu Die wept, “I would rather die than marry him.”
Princess Sha Yan said, “I understand this mindset of yours very well, and I am quite gratified. But if your marrying Lan Ling could help me, would you be willing to do it?”
Yu Die was startled.
Princess Sha Yan said, “Once Lan Ling breaches the Black Demon Banner, the entire Rakshasa race will be shaken. Of course, a single finger of my Rakshasa royal family could crush him to death. But that requires the will of my elder brother, the Little Rakshasa King. Once the Crown Prince is permitted to suppress Lan Ling, it will be very disadvantageous to me. With Nai Shu dead, the responsibility of suppressing Lan Ling’s rebellion falls onto my head, and I must quell this rebellion before Lan Ling captures Rakshasa City. Therefore, I need you to marry Lan Ling, now, are you willing to marry?”
Yu Die raised her delicate and stunning face, tears flowing forth like a torrent.
The two large eyes on her small face were watery like a dream, weeping and sorrowful, a grievance that would soften even a heart of iron and stone upon seeing it.
Then, she bowed gracefully, saying, “I have stated that Your Highness Princess showed me kindness akin to rebirth, and for you I would go through fire and water without hesitation. Since Your Highness Princess requires it, I shall marry that lowly Near-Human Lan Ling.”
Princess Sha Yan said softly, “It has been hard on you.”
Yu Die wept, saying, “Your Highness Princess, my master. After marrying Lan Ling, will there be an end to my bitter days?”
Princess Sha Yan said, “There will be, there will be. Appeasement is merely a temporary measure, and once he is pacified, I will find a way to eliminate him, and then select a good husband for you.”
Yu Die bowed once again, saying, “Yes!”
This scene might appear somewhat peculiar, was the status of Near-Humans in the barbarian domains truly that low?
It truly was that low, for after the Flame Demon Empire, Near-Humans had always been the two-legged sheep of the barbarian territories. Especially after being destroyed by the Motuo Empire, countless Near-Humans had fled into exile.
In Rakshasa City, Near-Humans possessed only one single identity, and that was slaves!
Because the skin of Near-Humans was smooth, and their appearance relatively beautiful.
To describe it using an analogy, the relationship between the Rakshasa race and Near-Humans was equivalent to that between black slaves and white people before the American Civil War.
At that time, no matter how destitute a white woman was, she would not marry a black person who was still in the status of a slave. No matter how remarkable that black slave appeared, Lan Ling leading an assault against the Black Demon Banner territory, in the eyes of the Rakshasa race, was equivalent to white Americans in the early nineteenth century witnessing a slave revolt.
Of course, the appearance of the Near-Humans might be far superior.
Yet the weakness and helplessness of the Near-Humans made them an even more lowly existence in the eyes of the Rakshasa race.
…
Black Demon City!
The seven Demon Master level powerhouses led by the wife of the Black Demon Banner Lord were undeniably matchless in strength.
Lan Ling’s thirteen Death Warriors were all at the peak of the Demon Martial Master rank, merely half a step away from the Demon Master level.
However, two fighting one were still completely outmatched.
Every ten seconds, one Death Warrior perished.
This astonished Lan Ling greatly, as the Demon Master rank and the peak of the Demon Martial Master rank were separated by merely a thin line, yet their combat prowess was worlds apart.
Two battling one were not only completely outmatched, but slain within a few moves.
Of course, at this moment, no words could describe the shock on Huo Feng’s side.
In her view, although the lineup protecting Lan Ling was formidable, it was completely no match for the seven Demon Masters she led, effortlessly breachable to capture Lan Ling.
She had guessed half of it right.
These thirteen Death Warriors of Lan Ling were indeed no match, slain with utter ease.
However…
Just after being killed, they were resurrected once more.
Continuously being slain, continuously being revived.
They were actually immortal, which was simply astounding.
Khan Chi Yan, having become a Death Warrior, battled Huo Feng alone.
His strength far exceeded Huo Feng’s, his cultivation was even higher than hers, and he had broken through the bottleneck of the centaurs, capable of releasing energy attacks.
However…
He was a centaur after all, a powerhouse of the battlefield rather than one of individual martial duels.
Although his martial cultivation was superior to Huo Feng’s and he held the upper hand in combat, it was difficult to translate into immediate victory.
This was the sorrow of battlefield powerhouses, suited for crushing slaughter on the battlefield, yet unsuited for single combat.
Thus, this bland yet top-tier martial contest fell into a stalemate!
Khan Chi Yan held the upper hand, yet found it difficult to thoroughly defeat Huo Feng quickly.
Khan Xie Li possessed martial skill clearly higher than his opponent, but unable to release energy attacks, he fell into a disadvantage instead.
The seven Demon Master level powerhouses beside Huo Feng held the complete upper hand, effortlessly slaying Lan Ling’s Death Warriors, only for them to revive time and time again.
Just like that, with sword beams slicing through the air and fist energies exploding with shockwaves, they fought for a full half-hour, neither side able to overcome the other, forming a vast equilibrium.
However, the demonic blood energy within Huo Feng’s body was destined to be exhausted.
Meanwhile, the bloodline power within Khan Chi Yan’s body was nearly endless.
With merely a single stumble.
Khan Chi Yan’s figure transformed into a streak of lightning, charging forward violently, placing his war blade horizontally beneath the delicate jade neck of the Black Demon Banner Lord’s wife, Huo Feng.
The battle concluded.
The dignified wife of the Black Demon Banner Lord, and daughter of the Fire Demon Venerable, was officially captured.