Warning

While Yan Fei wisely protected himself and quietly distanced himself from the group of princes First Prince's Faction scions who were currently residing in the Chancellor's Residence.

Lu Qianyu had already skillfully concealed her presence, hiding herself near the greenery by the flower window in the northwest corner.

This place was furthest from the targets he wanted to observe, separated by the crowd, and also blurred by the central focus of the banquet.

Therefore, he was able to keep an eye on his two colleagues while maintaining intelligence transmission without being detected.

However, those two colleagues who were constantly being monitored were not to be underestimated.

"Lord Li Nai'an..."

"I know. Once we've confirmed the plan is going smoothly, we'll leave."

Bai Ye nodded imperceptibly, his pale red pupils piercing through the various Sea Race before precisely gliding over a certain spot in the southwest corner.

They made eye contact, then looked away almost immediately. Afterward, she picked up a plate of raw fish with blood on it and began to eat.

Lu Qianyu was completely unaware of the intense eye contact; she simply looked away instinctively, shifting her gaze elsewhere.

The tiny device used to alter another person's perception continued to operate, covering a small area around the two individuals.

Li Nai'an didn't have time to pay attention to Bai Ye's little tricks; as long as he didn't run around or interfere with important matters, it was fine.

They were only there to gather intelligence and to verify the so-called "cooperation sincerity" offered by the White Owl.

After all, that heart-eating madman has escaped the control of the Demon Race, so we must be wary.

The spies began to be wary of each other, while the focus of attention at the center of the meeting continued their conversation.

"Your Highnesses, this is my grandson, Guan Sheng."

Guan Xiangming did not deliberately ignore the First Prince just because he sided with the Second Prince.

After all, on the surface, the two are equals, both being candidates for crown prince.

No one asked Guan Xiangming's son Guan Yu —the nominal current head of the Guan Family— where he had gone.

Everyone knew perfectly well that Guan Yu and the second young lady whom he had sent to the First Prince's residence had both been abandoned by Guan Xiangming.

Decisiveness is key; it seems Patriarch Guan truly values the Second Prince.

Many people were secretly alarmed by Guan Xiangming's ruthlessness.

A family head who has been nurtured for many years can be dismissed so easily; no wonder he has been able to hold the position of prime minister for so long.

Perhaps he really will be able to smoothly navigate the power transition and secure his position.

As it approached six o'clock in the evening, the Third Prince, who was also a candidate for Crown Prince, was still nowhere to be seen.

It should be noted that this banquet hosted by the Guan Family was a birthday celebration, and the invitations were sent in the name of Prime Minister Guan Xiangming.

Aside from a few political rivals and members of arrogant and prestigious families, they won't be coming.

The vast majority of Sea Race who received the invitation would not refuse Chancellor Guan's request.

Therefore, the absence of the Third Prince Yuanli is quite intriguing.

Does the Third Prince think that once he takes over Mao City, it won't matter whether he wins over the high-ranking officials and nobles within the clan?

Without the support of powerful families and high-ranking officials, the Third Prince's current army would absolutely not be able to defend Mao City.

"Clang, clang, clang,..."

The clear, resounding chimes announced the auspicious time had arrived; at exactly 6 PM, the birthday banquet officially began.

According to the customs of the Sea Race, the birthday celebrant must worship the sea god, pay homage to the Dragon King, and offer sacrifices to his ancestors.

Shisui's attention was diverted from the prelude to the sacrificial ceremony at the banquet, and he noticed something unusual outside the main building.

It is a fluctuation of Spatial Energy, and it is quite restrained and concealed.

The source, deliberately concealed, could not be traced through those faint fluctuations.

But he was able to pinpoint the receiving anchor point on this side.

Following the energy fluctuations, a woman, also enveloped by spatial power, stood near the southeast corner of the venue.

Just then, I saw her brush past the sacrificial offerings being pushed by eight servants.

Offerings covered in soft silk were pushed around the field, with seemingly everlasting Everlasting Gardenias outlined in gold thread.

And eight whale patterns symbolizing the prime minister's power.

After the offerings were circled around the area, they were driven out of the gate and headed towards the pre-arranged garden.

According to the sacrificial rites of the Sea Race Prime Minister, eight different groups of marine creatures were used to worship the Sea God.

As for the other candles, drinks, and fresh Everlasting Gardenia vines, they were also arranged in eight groups around the livestock.

The veil was torn off by Guan Xiangming, which should have signified the official start of the ceremony.

But when this was pulled, the revealed offerings stunned everyone.

Nine groups of livestock, clearly the scale of the Dragon Spirit Species Royal Family sacrifice to Heaven.

Guan Xiangming was the first to react, and his face instantly darkened.

He then quickly composed himself and instructed Guan Sheng, who was standing nearby, to remove the extra set of offerings.

He then turned around and respectfully bowed slightly to the two members of the royal family in apology.

The reaction speed is quite fast.

However, those who knew about this in advance would act even faster than him.

A squad of Dragon Palace Imperial Guards suddenly appeared near the Chancellor's Residence, fully armed and clad in armor made of Psychic Energy metal.

They went directly into the Chancellor's Residence, which had few guards because it was quite close to the Dragon Palace.

The journey was unimpeded, and we arrived directly at the garden where the sacrificial ceremony was to be held.

"Don't move!"

The moment the Imperial Guards appeared outside the door, Li Nai'an and Bai Ye, who were hiding in the corner, vanished instantly.

Lu Qianyu, who had been observing the two, suddenly changed her expression and hurriedly tapped on her communicator to warn Yan Fei that the situation had changed.

The moment Yan Fei saw the offerings, she realized that today's events were undoubtedly a warning directed at the Chancellor's Residence.

It's obvious that having a large number of officials and nobles on one side would directly affect the outcome of the competition.

It's impossible to go without giving some kind of warning.

The moment Guan Xiangming saw the Imperial Guards, he understood.

Because the time for choosing Crown Prince is approaching, he is too eager to choose sides.

Even if the problem with the offerings is discovered in advance, issues will still arise in other aspects.

Previously, the Guan Family was torn between the three heirs.

She married her children to two princes of marriageable age and secretly provided supplies to the third prince's army.

This indeed resulted in the Chancellor's Residence not being considered a trusted confidant by the three heirs.

However, the current Dragon King still holds power.

This "neutrality" is actually siding with the current Dragon King.

Now, the Chancellor's Residence has gotten involved in the struggle for the crown Crown Prince position and is even openly taking sides.

The power of prime minister bestowed upon him by the Dragon King would naturally be taken back.

This was both a charge deliberately leveled against Guan Xiangming by the rulers and a warning.