King Tu's decree quickly spread throughout the entire dynasty.
The dynasty, which had inexplicably begun to stir with internal unrest, settled in an instant. Its fortune, which had been roaring warnings without cease, also fell silent and sent its ruler no further alarms.
It was as though the dynasty had returned, in a heartbeat, to a time when all its people stood as one.
In a darkened space.
Black shadows gathered. Some bore outlines resembling the powerful ministers of the Datu Dynasty's court, while one broad-shouldered shadow looked strangely familiar.
"He yielded?"
"How unoriginal."
The hawk-bodied woman said coolly, "That works out well. An heir or a general who seizes the throne could serve too, but the dynasty's fortune would inevitably be somewhat weaker. Since the original ruler is willing to yield, the result could hardly be better."
"That means more merit for us as well."
Merit was a system of evaluation used within the Xingtian Dao Court. A deity's rewards, promotion to higher divine offices, and the crafting of magical treasures were all tied to it.
"Haha."
"That's best, of course."
A broad-shouldered shadow laughed. "After that arrow, I thought we really would have to kill him. With the dynasty's dragon fortune protecting him, even we couldn't control every last detail. Luckily, things went our way, and we won't have to replace him."
"A replacement might be easier to control, but the fortune wouldn't be perfect. With the Divine Son watching this matter, we can't afford to be so careless."
"What do you think?"
"Could he only be pretending to yield?" another shadow asked.
"The path of fortune..."
"Give ground once, and you'll keep giving ground. He has no choice."
The broad-shouldered shadow sneered. "The dynasty's dragon fortune has despaired. The fortune of the Human Path has despaired. Neither