In the Eastern Sheng Imperial Palace, Zhang Yu sat upright on the Dragon Throne in the resplendent Imperial Court hall.
Although they had won the bet, none of the Four Great Families showed any joy; in fact, they all seemed worried.
Murong Bai stood below the steps, his brows furrowed.
He whispered:
"Your Highness, you should never have made that Bloodline Oath."
Although we have won, what's next—without money and food, how will we keep the country running?
Where did the salaries of officials come from?
How to command the Alchemy Legion?
More importantly, the seals on the Nine Great Demon Caves have not been reinforced for three years. If something were to happen now...
Before he finished speaking, the implication in his words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
Murong Qiushui even complained directly:
Grandpa, this is all your fault.
"If you hadn't brought this so-called 'Imperial Family Princes' back, how could we, under the Prime Minister's leadership, have fallen into such a desperate situation?"
Zhang Yu, however, remained calm, even showing a hint of disdain, and slowly said:
"What's the big deal?"
From beginning to end, I never thought about how to govern Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
Upon hearing this, the members of the Four Great Families were stunned.
Sima Sheng and Zhang Lingyun were not surprised.
"What does Your Highness mean?" Old Master Wang Zhanyong frowned, his voice hoarse.
Zhang Yu surveyed the crowd, his gaze sharp, and slowly said:
"Gentlemen, Four Great Families were once servants of our Ancestors, fighting for the Sheng Family and the Eastern Sheng Kingdom for generations."
But ask yourselves honestly, what did our Ancestors gain in return for their utmost effort and the dissipation of their Fortune to suppress the Nine Great Demon Caves?
His tone grew colder, tinged with suppressed anger:
"It has earned us the resentment of the people, the hatred of the world, and the ungrateful wretches who can never be tamed!"
"Could it be... that Your Highness is preparing to abandon the Eastern Sheng Kingdom?"
Murong Bai's expression changed, first with surprise, then with disbelief.
The Sheng Family has been stubborn for generations, vowing to protect the people of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom to the death, without exception.
"That's right."
Zhang Yu spoke frankly, his voice like a sharp sword piercing the silence:
"I'm prepared to give up on this bunch of ungrateful wretches."
In an instant, the members of the Four Great Families were all stunned, looking at each other in disbelief, their breaths even stopping.
Wang Zhanyong asked Murong Bai in a low voice, "You... didn't pick up the wrong person, did you? This isn't like the Sheng Family's style."
Murong Bai pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"Absolutely not wrong."
Even if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter—it's a good opportunity to leave this poor, remote place, Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
Their Ancestors were all servants of Dao Ancestor Li, which is why they swore to protect the Imperial Family to the death.
They were already tired of the ignorance and selfishness of the people of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom, but unfortunately, all the emperors in succession had been Mind Hypnosis, and their efforts to persuade them were in vain, leaving them unable to extricate themselves.
Now, upon hearing that Zhang Yu was going to give up East Sheng, the members of the Four Great Families felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.
"Your Highness, are we... going back to the Li Family Ancestral Land in Xuanzhou Prefecture?"
Murong Bai asked tentatively.
Xuanzhou Prefecture —that's the third largest state in the world.
It is a land of abundant resources and outstanding people, with Spiritual Qi hundreds of times richer than that of Tiannan Prefecture!
They had long heard of the prosperity and power of Xuanzhou Prefecture from the records of their ancestors, and they also knew that the Li Family Ancestral Land was a prestigious Sacred Land in Xuanzhou Prefecture.
However, due to the fact that the previous emperors of the Sheng Family had been hypnotized, they were unable to leave.
Now, hearing Zhang Yu personally say that he wanted to give up East Sheng, everyone was excited.
Even Murong Qiushui's eyes flashed with longing.
Xuanzhou Prefecture... that's the third largest province in the world.
The Li Family, in particular, is Sacred Land in Xuanzhou Prefecture.
"Xuanzhou Prefecture... the Li Family?"
Zhang Yu's Memory Crystal contained no such memories.
From the conversation between Murong Bai and the others, we can deduce some of the cause and effect.
That Love Brain Dao Ancestor Li must be from the Li Family of Xuanzhou Prefecture, and the Li Family has considerable influence in Xuanzhou Prefecture.
As for why Dao Ancestor Li left home, that remains unknown.
Zhang Yu turned to look at Sima Sheng, Sima Sheng shook his head; how would he know such a thing?
Zhang Lingyun stood beside Zhang Yu, pondered for a moment, and said:
"The Li Family of Xuanzhou Prefecture... can be considered a local overlord in Xuanzhou Prefecture. My sect, the Soul Refining Sect, is located in Qingqiu Mountain in the northwest of Xuanzhou Prefecture, so I have heard of the Li Family's existence."
However, the four great continents of Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow are far superior to this remote Tiannan Prefecture.
That place is so vast it could contain hundreds or thousands of Tiannan Prefecture, and its Spiritual Qi is incredibly abundant, but the competition is equally fierce.
She paused, a hint of regret in her voice:
"If I hadn't been held up by matters concerning Eastern Sheng Kingdom, I would have wanted to take you back to my sect first."
Zhang Yu lowered his eyes, his knuckles resting on his chin.
He had no desire to go to Xuanzhou Prefecture; that place was too dangerous.
With the system's support, he can increase his One Year of Cultivation a single day, so why take the risk?
But ever since he started his Incarceration Mission, he has been caught in a cycle of events, with one thing after another, leaving him no chance to develop his skills discreetly.
Murong Bai stood below the steps, and seeing his appearance, couldn't help but take half a step forward, his voice tinged with urgency:
"Your Highness, the Li Family of Xuanzhou Prefecture has a 'Spirit Gathering Mansion' in Qingqiu Mountain, where Thousand-Year Vermillion Fruit are grown. The Spiritual Qi energy is transformed into liquid, and drinking a sip can increase one's Cultivation by ten years."
There's also the Li Family's "Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion," where even disciples from the Jixia Academy go to hunt for treasures...
This is blatant temptation.
Temptation had no effect on Zhang Yu; Zhang Yu only wanted to develop his strength stealthily.
"Knew."
Zhang Yu suddenly interrupted him, "After the coronation ceremony tomorrow, you must immediately gather your clansmen and have them reside temporarily in the Imperial Palace."
Zhang Yu didn't specify where he was going, but he gave them hope.
"If you're going back to your Ancestral Land, why bother with the throne? There's nothing good about being a lousy emperor."
Wang Zhanyong appeared somewhat impatient; he couldn't wait to return to Xuanzhou Prefecture with Zhang Yu.
However, as servants, they could not leave without permission, otherwise the Li Family would not let them go. This was also the reason why their Ancestors had always protected the Imperial Family.
"Since I have no intention of dealing with these ungrateful people of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom, then I will naturally reclaim all the Fortune and Merit that my Sheng Family —no, the Li Family's Ancestors dispersed, as well as those divine Divine Artifact that suppressed the Demon Grotto."
Zhang Yu's voice was very soft, yet it was like a brick soaked in ice, smashing onto the golden bricks in the hall, splashing up chilling water droplets.
When Dao Ancestor Li used up Fortune suppress the Nine Great Demon Caves, what he received in return was not gratitude, but the resentment of the people, the Grand Council's powerlessness, and the ingratitude of these subjects.
"Yes, we can't let those ungrateful wretches get away with it."
Wang Zhanyong slapped his thigh hard.
He has incurred the wrath of the Grand Council and the people over the years, but due to the constraints of the Imperial Family, he has never dared to lash out.
Now that he has the opportunity to retaliate, he is naturally delighted.
Murong Bai also gripped the jade pendant at his waist, his fingertips tracing the engraving of the character "Li" on it, his voice trembling slightly. "Your Highness, how do we absorb the Ancestors's Fortune?"
Zhang Yu lowered his eyes and said:
"The Ancestors' Fortune was all used to help the Divine Artifact suppress the Demon Grotto."
"Once I ascend the throne and become emperor, controlling the National Destiny, I can naturally Qi Restoration fortune."
"However, I cannot Qi Restoration and Divine Weapon in one fell swoop."
There is a risk of Devil Creature invasion during this process, so for everyone's safety, you are all living together in the Imperial Palace.
I will then use the retrieved Divine Weapon to redeploy the formation and ensure the safety of the Imperial Palace.
Zhang Yu explained his considerations, Murong Bai and the others nodded silently.
But Murong Qiushui asked doubtfully, "Could there really be Demon Grotto? If so, what will happen to the other citizens of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom?"
She hadn't believed in any kind of "Demon Grotto Fortune" before, but hearing everyone speak so earnestly, she began to panic.
She had lived in the Eastern Sheng Kingdom for many years and still had feelings for the people there, especially for the Reform Faction and Zhu Wusheng.
Unfortunately, she didn't know that Zhu Wusheng was a woman.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu frowned, pointed a finger, and knocked her unconscious.
Then he looked at Murong Bai: "Keep an eye on her. I don't want anything to happen tomorrow."