The whole nation trembled

"Do you think he can distort the truth with just a single imperial edict? It's not that easy!"

"Let those Buddhist Sect monks keep their people in check and spread the truth. This is a perfect opportunity to undermine the Emperor's authority and ruin the Jiang Family's Incense!"

"The Demon Sheep Venerable said through gritted teeth."

Spreading the truth... The Purple-Patterned Woman felt that putting these two words together seemed somewhat strange.

But she quickly agreed and left with the Black-robed Youth.

However, just as they were about to retaliate, suddenly, traces of some top Demon forces appeared in various states.

These Demon forces raised their banners and commanded mountain spirits and river Demon to bypass Frontier cities and infiltrate various states to attack cities where Buddhist Sect disciples gathered.

"Buddha Master is dead, Great Yu is about to fall!"

"Your Buddha Master has been killed by our Demon Emperor! Why don't you surrender now!"

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

These Demon forces include remnants of the Dragon Gate, remnants of the Saint Palace, the Ancient Demon Hall, and the Star Moon Academy, which has a wide influence among Demon, teaching and nurturing demons, comparable to the Hanlin Academy of Great Yu.

The Star Moon Academy has always maintained neutrality among the Demon forces. Unlike the reclusive nature of the Great Void Realm, the Star Moon Academy never participates in conflicts and keeps to itself and the Great Yu Dynasty Great Yu.

Among these invading Demon, the leaders are all Immortality Realm Great Demon, whose status among the top Demon forces is second only to the Demon King Elder.

They raised their banners, gave orders to attack, and marched with overwhelming force.

As cities were ravaged and Demon attacked, the accusations that the Buddhist Sect high-ranking officials had denounced His Majesty for favoritism and protection were instantly disproven.

A single imperial edict can only gain the trust of the All Under Heaven, but the rampant Demon before them have made many Buddhist Sect disciples realize that their Buddha Master was indeed killed by Demon!

After all, those Demons are already raising their flags and shouting!

They had no choice but to believe it.

You Province, Xia Family.

Numerous secret reports arrived from various states and cities. In the council hall, Xia Linglong received reassurance from the eunuch that she had already returned from the Imperial Palace.

At this moment, Demon are causing chaos in various places, raising their banners and seemingly preparing to launch a general attack on Great Yu, causing panic and fear among the people.

"It really was the Demon Emperor who made the move?"

In the council hall, many Xia Family were shocked. They had assumed the young man was the killer, but it turned out there was more to the story.

The older generation, including Xia Yuanwu, revealed a hint of shock in their eyes.

The Xia Family has done a lot for His Majesty, and that old woman is skilled at taming demons. There are some secrets about her, and they have only heard rumors about her, so they can't reveal them.

But now... everything before them seems to confirm some of the rumors they had previously caught.

Xia Linglong was somewhat lost in thought. The reassurance the eunuch had given her earlier had put her at ease, but the current situation... was this the backup plan that His Majesty had provided for General Haotian?

Her thoughts were elsewhere until the discussion below ended, and someone asked how to send troops to deal with the Demon that were invading some Buddhist Sect disciples' cities in You Province.

Xia Linglong snapped out of her daze, her mind racing. After a moment's thought, she said:

"Now that Demon are causing chaos, we must be wary of other places. Have the City Warden there cooperate with the Buddhist Sect disciples to hold out for a while. You all take your troops to guard the other cities and prevent the Demon from using diversionary tactics."

Everyone looked at Xia Linglong with surprise and some doubt.

Instead of aiding the cities under attack, why are troops being redeployed to defend other safe and unaffected cities?

This decision seems rather strange, unlike anything Xia Linglong would come up with as a foolish one.

"This..."

Some hesitated, and the controversy reignited.

Before Xia Linglong could speak, Xia Yuanwu glared and said, "Didn't you hear me? We do what the Family Head says. Do you know more or does the Family Head know more?"

Seeing that the older generation also said so, those who had previously had doubts immediately fell silent, realizing that there must be another reason.

After all, the Intelligence they saw was different from the Intelligence held by the Family Head.

Generals, by virtue of their background, understand best that mastering Intelligence is the key to seizing the initiative. Only decisions made based on Intelligence are the most correct. Otherwise, providing aid based solely on enthusiasm may disrupt the plans of those in power and backfire.

Having fought for a long time, they had heard countless military cases, such as using thousands of soldiers as bait to launch a counterattack out of the city in a desperate situation, and ultimately achieving a great victory.

War always involves sacrifices, not only in charging into battle and fighting, but also in luring, ambushing, and killing soldiers.

That's why there's the saying, "The first requirement in the military is obedience!"

There were no further objections in the council hall. As everyone left to carry out the orders, Xia Linglong exchanged glances with her uncles, all of them understanding each other's thoughts.

Xia Linglong didn't say anything, but went deep into the Xia Family compound to meet the old lady who lived in the farmhouse.

"His Demon does indeed have spies among the demons."

The old lady sitting in the rocking chair, her face full of wrinkles, uttered a surprising statement as she slowly revealed this secret to Xia Linglong.

She was involved in this matter, but she did not disobey the Imperial Decree and did not reveal it to Xia Linglong, the current Family Head.

This wasn't because she didn't trust Xia Linglong. First, it was a secret order given to her by the emperor himself, which couldn't be divulged, and she didn't want to secretly disobey it. Second, Xia Linglong knowing about this would only bring harm to the Xia Family, not benefit.

Because when someone knows something, it's very difficult to pretend not to know, and the responses made during long marches and troop movements will inevitably reveal flaws.

Thirdly, although she knew that some of the Demon were under His Majesty's Mastery and had submitted to him, she did not know exactly which ones, so it would be meaningless for her to say so.

Now that His Majesty has already revealed his true colors, Xia Linglong has guessed that there is no longer any need for her to hide it.

Upon hearing the old woman's words, Xia Linglong froze, her stunningly beautiful face filled with shock and horror.

It's actually true!

That emperor has planted far too many spies!

Therefore, this attack was clearly orchestrated by His Majesty himself.

If this gets out, many people's values and beliefs will be shattered.

The Human Race emperor actually sent Demon to attack the city...

"Now, His Majesty has even used the hidden agents buried a thousand years ago for that child; he's truly spoiling him..."

The old lady rocked back in her chair, sighed softly, and a hint of envy appeared in her eyes.

Who in the whole world could receive such favor from that emperor?

I'm afraid even his brothers and those princes never received such favor...

Xia Linglong was somewhat lost in thought and did not respond.

The old lady glanced at her and said softly, "Does it seem a little unbelievable? When His Majesty summoned me to discuss this matter, I was just as shocked as you are now, but soon I was speechless with admiration for His Majesty."

Xia Linglong gazed intently at her.

The old woman continued, "Can Demon in the world be killed? Obviously not. If the Great Yu Dynasty is a piece of delicious meat, then there will always be flies eyeing it covetously."

"But if the meat is already surrounded by flies, will any more flies join in?"

"No more..."

Xia Linglong was stunned, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin and her body hair stand on end.

Is this what His Majesty planned?

"Those Demon forces..." She opened her mouth slightly.

"If I'm not mistaken, there are basically His Majesty's spies in all of them, keeping abreast of the Demon' movements. His Majesty's plan is for these spies to one day directly replace the Demon leader. If I'm not mistaken, then Star Moon Academy... must be His Majesty's most deeply entrenched piece."

The old lady's eyes gleamed as she spoke softly.

Xia Linglong felt a chill run down her spine; she had never imagined that His Majesty could be so terrifying.

"Since Your Majesty has such a spy, why hasn't Your Majesty... [complained about the lack of such a spy] despite the annual wars in recent years?"

Xia Linglong's thoughts raced, and she opened her mouth slightly. If His Majesty were to utilize the Intelligence gathered by these spies, their casualties could be greatly reduced!

It should be noted that powerful figures from the Five Divine General Residences perished here.

The old lady shook her head slightly and said, "It is precisely because the losses were so severe that these spies were buried so deeply. I'm afraid even that Buddha Master never imagined that His Majesty could be so ruthless."

Xia Linglong was stunned.

"That Ninth Prince of the Li Family, if he hadn't been so fiercely independent and hated evil, and hadn't single-handedly broken through the siege and fought his way out of the Frontier, he wouldn't have perished. His Majesty did seem to have some spies involved that time, but unfortunately..."

The old lady slowly shook her head. She had always paid attention to these things, especially after learning some inside information. When she observed them, she could see many traces that ordinary people could not see.

"So, the Buddha Master was indeed killed by General Haotian, but His Majesty... still favors him, and now, for his sake, he's even willing to expose these millennia-old spies?"

Xia Linglong found it somewhat unbelievable; what kind of favoritism could lead to such an action?

He killed the second strongest person in the world without any suspicion or fear. On the contrary, the emperor was willing to expose his hidden agents who had been concealed for many years. Even the most favored crown prince of the current dynasty would not receive such favor!

A complex emotion flickered in the old lady's eyes.

"It is indeed an extreme favoritism, but besides that, it is also because that boy is irreplaceable. With such Heavenly Talent, if he doesn't become a saint, then no one in the All Under Heaven can. What's hard to understand is that His Majesty can so confidently entrust the All Under Heaven to that child. He must be treated by His Majesty as the Future successor of the Dao."

"The Future of the Way!"

Xia Linglong's pupils contracted, and her blood seemed to surge.

These words carry immense weight!

That Buddha Master planned for two thousand years, spreading Buddhist temples throughout the cities, all he asked for was One Incense Stick.

The conflict between Buddhist Dao over the years was nothing more than a struggle to become the lineage of Great Yu and to inherit all of Great Yu's Incense.

Will that General Haotian replace the True Person of the Qian Dao Palace as the object of worship for Future people in the All Under Heaven?

The old lady glanced at Xia Linglong, the complex emotions in her eyes not disappearing, and whispered:

Do you know what this means?

Xia Linglong snapped out of her daze, noticed the trace of sadness in her eyes, paused for a moment, and suddenly realized what was happening. She felt as if her heart had sunk to the bottom of an abyss.

When the Future lineage emerges, does it also mean that the current True Person... is nearing his end?

Besides You Province, many other places were also observing this chaotic Demon attack.

A few old-timers vaguely discerned some clues behind the Demon, but dared not be certain.

Perhaps only by asking the Xia Family can we confirm this, since the Xia Family is skilled in methods to lock onto the lifeblood of Demon.

But this is something that should not be tested; one should not touch the dragon's whiskers.

When Demon attacked Buddhist Sect gathering places in various regions, the Arhat in those Buddhist Sect were both shocked and furious, and became extremely angry.

The Buddha Master had just died, and these Demon actually attacked, and their Buddha Master was indeed killed by these Demons!

Many of those who had escaped from Boundless Mountain and witnessed Li Hao slay the Buddha Master were now wavering. They were faced with Imperial Decree edicts and the threat of Demon raising their banners to attack. Moreover, the Demon had a long history of evil deeds and their Demon Art magic had long been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"Kill!"

"Avenge Buddha Master!"

"May Buddha have mercy! I will vanquish this demon!"

Many Buddhist Sect monks removed their Kasaya, donned armor, and went into battle, fighting alongside the Demon.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace and court.

The officials who had previously denounced Li Hao were now trembling with fear, some even claiming to be seriously ill and recuperating at home, too afraid to attend court.

Yu Emperor sat on his dragon throne and tossed aside the Records from the Demon Suppression Division and the Ministry of Justice.

"The truth is yet to come out. Those of you who previously threatened to depose the Gong-rank Noble and strip the generals of their titles, so easily slandering loyal ministers and virtuous generals, do you know your crime?"

These authoritative words, though spoken softly, nearly made many people's legs go weak.

Questioning? How can we question it?

The Demon Suppression Division and the Ministry of Justice are both extremely powerful departments. The Ministry of Justice is under the control of the Li Family, and it would be one thing if the Li Family showed favoritism, but the Demon Suppression Division is a department directly under the Emperor's jurisdiction.

Moreover, news of the chaos in various cities has already quietly reached the Imperial City.

The truth is out; who dares to stubbornly argue now?

Yu Emperor glanced at the ministers, whose faces had turned pale, and snorted coldly, ordering Chu Jiuyue to pass on the command.

Soon, wails and cries filled the hall.

One by one, those who had been entrusted by the Buddhist Sect to receive benefits from the Buddhist Sect, or those who were Buddhists themselves, were dragged out of the main hall.

They tried to explain, but the emperor clearly had no intention of listening.

Xuanhuang Gate, heads rolled and blood splattered everywhere.

When other officials went home after court, they could still see some eunuchs washing themselves. However, the blood, washed away by the water, spread even further, becoming more conspicuous and glaring.

On the other side, the two Purple-Patterned Woman were about to contact the Buddhist Sect to spread the truth learned the news from the Tianji Hall. They were immediately stunned and shocked. They Anger ordered the Tianji Hall to quickly order the Demon to retreat.

Who made them represent Demon and take the blame for this?

They even wanted to use this incident to get rid of that troublesome kid.

However, due to the conflicts in various places, although the elders of the various Demon forces hurriedly summoned them, it was too late.

The Great Yu Emperor Yu's counterattack was too fast and too fierce. It came without warning, yet it quickly shattered their plans and did not follow their path.

It is said that people's hearts are unpredictable and prone to suspicion, but that emperor did not do as they wished, and even went to great lengths to protect the boy.

"We thought we were the only ones infiltrating the Human Race, but it turns out these damned Human Race have also planted spies among us!"

The Black-robed Youth also came to his senses, his face turning red with anger. At this point, the sword of the Buddhist Sect was completely useless.

Even if those two Bodhisattva and some Buddha Child could still be used, they were weak and alone, and any Divine General Residence could easily suppress them. They couldn't cause any trouble in front of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Without the instigation of riots by lower- and middle-level Buddhist Sect disciples, there would be no chaos. If a forced rallying is carried out, only Bodhisattva and Buddha Child with severed heads and necks, as well as a few Arhat, will be able to firmly believe in the truth, while the people below will have already turned their spears against Demon.

"Those useless Buddhist Sect monks..."

The Purple-Patterned Woman also looked grim. In the end, she chose to abandon the necessity of continuing negotiations with the Buddhist Sect and returned to the Secret Hall outside Great Yu Province.

After the two explained the situation, the old man with the cane fell silent.

The Buddha Master easily resolved the momentous event of the Buddha's passing, and the countless Buddhist Sect disciples who had rebelled in the Nineteen Provinces were cleverly used by the emperor to his advantage, becoming the sharpest spear in his hand, their anger directed directly at the Demon.

That's too harsh.

"Report to the Saint Child and let him decide."

A fierce glint appeared in Demon Sheep Venerable's eyes. "Since he's feigning an attack, let's go all out!"