Huo Feng’s two sons were indeed very filial, and the five elders of Black Demon City were likewise extremely loyal.
When the Death Warrior Khan Chi Yan placed his war blade horizontally against Huo Feng’s neck, everyone halted their attacks.
They had originally intended to capture the ringleader to take down the bandits by seizing Lan Ling, never expecting that their own mistress would be captured instead.
“Release my mother immediately, otherwise I will hack you into ten thousand pieces!” Huo Feng’s eldest son scolded furiously.
Lan Ling paid him no heed, and instead issued the order directly, “Enter the city!”
Instantly, the thirteen Death Warriors, Khan Chi Yan, and Khan Xie Li father and son escorted Lan Ling into the grand and colossal Black Demon City!
Huo Feng’s two sons, along with the five elders, followed closely behind, yet did not dare to make any rash moves.
At this time, the battle within the city had practically concluded as well.
The hundred-thousand-plus defenders of Black Demon City were almost completely annihilated, while the three-headed chimera beast was still frantically attacking and slaughtering.
Attacking indiscriminately, it spewed fire frenziedly in the sky.
The colossal and grand Black Demon City was a scene of utter devastation!
Everywhere was filled with flames, dense smoke, and corpses.
The thirty-thousand-strong centaur army had already commenced frantic looting.
Directly kicking open every single door, they plundered all the grain, gold coins, and fabrics inside, slaying anyone on the spot upon the slightest resistance.
Having remained unbreached for fully two to three thousand years, Black Demon City suffered an unprecedented calamity.
Meanwhile, Lan Ling, protected by several hundred formidable centaur warriors and thirteen Death Warriors, walked towards the castle at the mountain summit.
Black Demon Mountain was simply too high, standing at an altitude of several thousand metres, and it took a full hour of climbing for Lan Ling to traverse the entirety of Black Demon City and arrive at Black Demon Castle upon the summit.
This castle was far more magnificent and colossal than Constantine’s castle or the castle of the Silver Alliance.
The final few hundred metres of the summit were entirely within the perimeter of the castle, which was a grand and colossal military fortress in its entirety, with a total built-up area exceeding a thousand mu.
Vast plazas, grand halls.
Although its master was not a sovereign, this castle was already no less impressive than the palaces of monarchs in certain human nations.
The territory governed by the Black Demon Banner Lord exceeded over one million square kilometres, with a population of over ten million subjects, reaching the scale of a grand duchy if placed in a human realm.
Entering the Grand Hall of the Black Demon, Lan Ling stepped upon the thick carpet, walked along the lengthy corridor, climbed tier after tier of steps, and arrived before this black gold throne.
This throne was made of pure metal, extremely hard and cold, and far from comfortable to sit on.
Khan Chi Yan, Khan Xie Li, Khan Chi Huo, several hundred centaur powerhouses, and the thirteen Death Warriors did not follow him up, but stood beneath the steps instead.
Lan Ling first walked a circle around this Black Demon throne, reached out to stroke it, and tapped it a few times.
This chair represented the supreme authority over these one million-plus square kilometres of the Black Demon Banner’s territory.
Lan Ling sat slowly upon the throne.
Instantly, all the centaur powerhouses and Death Warriors beneath the steps knelt down.
“This chair belongs to my husband, you are not worthy to sit on it,” Huo Feng said in fury.
Lan Ling ignored her, leaning back into the chair instead and resting firmly against it.
Then, he stood up again and walked straight out through the back door of the grand hall.
Gou Li and Khan Chi Yan immediately followed, while Khan Xie Li firmly held the hostage Huo Feng and followed along as well.
Lan Ling walked to the highest balcony of the castle, looking down over the entire Black Demon City!
How truly spectacular!
Densely packed houses were built along the mountain slopes, stretching across several hundred metres of vertical elevation.
The entire massive mountain was a city, home to several hundred thousand people.
Whenever the Black Demon Banner Lord stood here looking down upon his domain, he must have felt an immense sense of accomplishment, feeling exceedingly heroic.
Anyone standing here would feel as though they were the master of this heaven and earth.
…
“Huo Feng, I hear that you and the Black Demon Banner Lord are deeply devoted to each other?” Lan Ling asked, “Your husband has had only you as his woman throughout his entire life.”
“So what if he has?” Huo Feng said.
Lan Ling did not bother with her, waving his hand to have Khan Xie Li take her away.
Lan Ling stood alone on the balcony, overlooking the entire Black Demon City.
This city had already been taken, which even signified that the entire territory of the Black Demon Banner had been conquered.
These one million-plus square kilometres of land held practically zero defensive capability against Lan Ling at this moment, open for him to ravage at will.
Lan Ling could plunder, slaughter, violate, and do whatever he pleased.
Yet the only thing he could not do was truly occupy and possess it!
Relying on the current manpower of the Flame Demon Tribe, occupying the entire territory of the Silver Alliance was impossible, let alone the entire Black Demon Banner territory.
Currently within the Black Demon Banner territory, there were still over a hundred and fifty tribes, fifty legions of troops, and over ten million subjects.
Only when all these people pledged allegiance to Lan Ling could he be considered to have truly occupied the entire Black Demon Banner territory.
However, wanting the Rakshasa people across the entire Black Demon Banner territory to pledge loyalty to Lan Ling was nothing short of a pipe dream.
After Nai Shu’s defeat, the remaining hundreds of thousands of troops would rather be slaughtered by Lan Ling than kneel to surrender.
In fact, practically no one in the Silver Alliance had knelt to pledge allegiance to Lan Ling either, to the extent that out of seven hundred thousand people, Lan Ling had slain six hundred thousand.
Therefore, what Lan Ling needed to do next was to truly conquer this land.
Not only conquering it through military force, but also winning over hearts, thoroughly becoming the sole master of this million square kilometres of land, and the sole master of ten million Rakshasa people.
Thus, Lan Ling required a justification, a tremendous external force to shroud a halo over his head.
Therefore, he was going to initiate another world-shaking gamble!
What he wanted to bet on was the self-importance of the Black Demon Banner Lord, as well as the domineering nature of Princess Sha Yan.
Of course, Lan Ling clearly knew that he was walking a tightrope right now, where the slightest carelessness would result in being smashed to pieces, because with the present might of the Rakshasa royal family, extending a single finger could crush him to death.
The ultimate objective of this gamble was to thoroughly possess the territory of the Black Demon Banner, stepping over Princess Sha Yan’s head to occupy this domain of one million square kilometres.
…
Rakshasa City!
Princess Sha Yan paid a heavy price to have the most worthless royal uncle in the royal clan adopt Yu Die as a foster daughter, and crafted a counterfeit golden plaque engraved with Commandery Princess Yu Die.
Naturally, her name was definitely not entered into the official genealogical records of the Rakshasa royal family.
Then, she went once again to the estate of the Little Rakshasa King, paying respects to the elder brother she did not like, His Highness the Little Rakshasa King!
Inside the magnificent, gold-embellished grand hall, Princess Sha Yan saw Meng Tuoluo once again.
Instantly, she frowned slightly, wondering if this woman was truly so favoured, actually seated right beside the Little Rakshasa King? Could it be that one day, she might even replace the principal consort, Ni Shang?
“What is the matter?” said the Little Rakshasa King, forever a man of few words, his peerlessly handsome face perpetually devoid of expression, appearing as though sculpted from jade.
Hesitating slightly, Princess Sha Yan knelt and said, “Elder brother, Nai Shu was defeated!”
The Little Rakshasa King’s eyes shrank abruptly, sharp as a keen blade.
Yet the one who reacted even more strongly was Meng Tuoluo.
Her beautiful eyes opened wide in shock, completely unable to believe her own ears.
Princess Sha Yan’s voice was not loud, yet it still caused a ringing in her ears, like a sudden clap of thunder.
“Not only was he defeated, he also abandoned his army to flee alone for his life, and I have already executed him,” Princess Sha Yan said.
Meng Tuoluo glanced at her husband, then forced herself to stay calm and said, “Could there be some mistake? I visited the Flame Demon Tribe in person, it was already mostly destroyed by the three-headed chimera beast with countless dead and wounded, Lan Ling’s Flame Demon Tribe was riddled with wounds, and his centaur reinforcements had perished completely due to internal strife. Meanwhile, Nai Shu had a million-strong army, plus two thousand Mammoth race reinforcements, which was more than enough to destroy a hundred Flame Demon Tribes, so how could he have lost?”
Princess Sha Yan said, “Not only were Lan Ling’s centaur reinforcements not wiped out, but he obtained the allegiance of the entire centaur race instead, the three-headed chimera beast also became his mount, and as for the two-thousand-strong mammoth army, Lan Ling seemed to have found an extremely mysterious countermeasure.”
The Little Rakshasa King’s expression flickered slightly as he said, “Lan Ling truly obtained the allegiance of all centaurs?”
Princess Sha Yan nodded, “Yes!”
The Little Rakshasa King closed his starry eyes.
His father, the Rakshasa King, had said that the centaurs were the Scourge of World Destruction. It was precisely because of these words that the Rakshasa territory had always turned a blind eye to the centaurs’ widespread plundering.
Yet Lan Ling had actually gained the allegiance of all centaurs, which was exceedingly bad news.
And the one who suffered the greatest shock was undeniably Meng Tuoluo.
Lan Ling had tamed the three-headed chimera beast as his mount, gained the allegiance of the entire centaur race, defeated the incomparably powerful Mammoth race, and even crushed Nai Shu’s million-strong army.
When Meng Tuoluo had gone to urge his surrender earlier, the Flame Demon Tribe was in precarious ruin.
She had genuinely felt that Lan Ling was doomed without a shred of hope. Before Nai Shu’s million-strong army, he did not possess even the slightest resistance, with the only distinction being how he would die.
Yet she never expected that Lan Ling would actually win, how… how was this possible?
Moreover, among the four feats Lan Ling had accomplished, every single one bordered on a miracle.
Could it be… that he truly was the destined World-Destroying Demon Emperor?
Yet, the World-Destroying Demon Emperor was merely a gimmick drummed up by the Dragon Temple!
However, if Lan Ling was not the true Demon Emperor, how could he have gained the allegiance of the entire centaur race?
If… Lan Ling truly was the Demon Emperor?
Would that not mean she, Meng Tuoluo, had chosen the wrong path, and that forsaking Lan Ling was a mistake born of blindness?
Meng Tuoluo suddenly recalled something, back when they were at the Dragon Academy of the Flame Capital Temple, they seemed to have visited the Demon Laboratory, which contained specimens of the Mammoth race.
The Dragon Temple had continually studied the demon territories, conducting research on practically every formidable species.
Normally, Yin Ji, just like Meng Tuoluo, would not be qualified to access top-secret information from the Demon Laboratory. However, the Young Lord Zhi Li of the Raging Wave Kingdom and the Crown Prince of the West Cold Kingdom held that qualification.
And at that time, the Crown Prince of the West Cold Kingdom happened to be Lan Yin’s fiancé, so could there be some connection here?
Yes, it definitely had something to do with Yin Ji.
Guessing blindly, Meng Tuoluo had actually guessed correctly.
However, she was merely trying everything possible to deny Lan Ling’s miracle.
“Your Highness, this person Lan Ling excels most at conspiracies and schemes, we must investigate thoroughly how he obtained the allegiance of all centaurs and not make groundless assumptions,” Meng Tuoluo nodded and said, “Behind the so-called miracle, there must be unspeakable conspiracies and deceit.”
The Little Rakshasa King nodded, as this new wife of his had hit the nail on the head.
All centaurs pledging loyalty to Lan Ling was an extremely grave matter, and only after investigating thoroughly could certain actions be taken.
Princess Sha Yan said, “Currently, Black Demon City is in grave danger, and once Lan Ling occupies Black Demon City, it will inevitably deliver a massive shock to the entire Rakshasa territory. Therefore, we must take immediate action now, should it be military suppression, or appeasement?”
The Little Rakshasa King nodded, “Continue.”
“If we use military suppression, we will need to deploy a million-strong army from Rakshasa City, and even dispatch certain mysterious demon armies,” Princess Sha Yan said, “Given the current delicate situation across the Southern Desolation, Father is currently lobbying the other six demon kings to confront King Tiansha. If a large-scale war breaks out within our Rakshasa territory, it will be very disadvantageous to Father’s negotiations.”
The Little Rakshasa King nodded.
If the war remained contained within the Black Demon Banner territory, it would not matter much, but once troops had to be dispatched from Rakshasa City, the issue would be grave.
His father’s negotiations with the other six demon kings had reached a critical juncture, and an offensive and defensive alliance would soon be formed. At this crucial moment, the Rakshasa territory absolutely could not fall into great turmoil.
Princess Sha Yan said, “I believe we should use appeasement measures to first stabilize Lan Ling, preventing the fall of Black Demon City, and eliminate him later using other methods.”
The Little Rakshasa King said, “How to appease?”
Princess Sha Yan said, “A bestowed marriage, I have had the Ninth Royal Uncle adopt my maidservant Yu Die as a foster daughter, verbally conferring upon her the title of Commandery Princess Yu Die, to then marry her to Lan Ling and enfeoff the territory of the Silver Alliance to him.”
Meng Tuoluo glanced towards her husband, and having received permission, said, “I do not agree! This is a form of compromise, a sign of weakness, which will make people think the Rakshasa royal family is soft and vulnerable. I believe we must use military suppression, directly dispatching the most elite and powerful demon army to instantly wipe out Lan Ling’s Flame Demon Tribe and all the centaur armies with the force of thunder, as long as the speed is fast enough, it will definitely not provoke great turmoil. We can even completely resolve the crisis before the other twelve demon banner territories and the other seven demon realms can react!”
At this moment, Meng Tuoluo truly was not scheming.
Because she felt a sense of crisis, wanting to use every possible means to prove that Lan Ling was not the true Demon Emperor.
How to prove it, as long as he was killed, it would be enough to prove it.
That way, her choice would not have been wrong. Because the choices she, Meng Tuoluo, made were never accompanied by regret.
Just as back then when she disregarded everyone’s objections to love Ji Mengbai, even severing ties with her parents. And the result was being betrayed and abandoned by Ji Mengbai, losing everything and even being reduced to a black widow, yet she had not regretted it.
This time, having chosen to forsake Lan Ling, she would definitely not regret it either, walking this path all the way to the dark end.
In Meng Tuoluo’s dictionary, the word regret did not exist.
“We must never let others think the Rakshasa royal family is soft and vulnerable, for once appeasement is used against Lan Ling, a second Lan Ling and a third Lan Ling will rise in rebellion,” Meng Tuoluo said coldly, “Therefore, we must use forceful military suppression, utilizing the most powerful might to instantly turn him to dust, demonstrating the formidable will and strength of the Rakshasa royal family to all tribes!”
With that, Meng Tuoluo stood up, dropping to one knee before the Little Rakshasa King, saying, “Your Highness, the dignity of the Rakshasa royal family cannot be violated! Lan Ling’s rebellion and unrest must end in him being shattered to dust.”