At that moment, silence still gripped the palace. No one dared answer.
"Hmm..." Dijun murmured. His eyes flashed as he surveyed them all. "Why has everyone gone quiet? I gave you centuries to investigate. You should have results by now! I want to see who chose to betray me while I slept!"
His sharp words made the air in the palace oppressive.
No one dared answer. They all lowered their heads. They were no fools. Taiyi's betrayal had infuriated Dijun, yet he had been powerless to do anything about it. He had been nursing that anger ever since. If he found another traitor, that traitor would die.
Dijun turned his gaze on Bai Ze. "Bai Ze... before I was revived, I sent you a message ordering you to investigate this in secret. Do you have the results?"
Bai Ze's expression remained calm, his eyes cold. "Your Majesty... after thousands of years of investigation, I have a general picture. But far too many races once pledged loyalty to you. Some have vanished with the passing ages. Others were wiped out, while still others have only one or two survivors—not enough to constitute a race. I ask that you overlook whatever those fallen or scattered races did in the past."
Dijun's eyes deepened, and he sighed. "Time has changed too much. Even those who once followed me could not escape extinction. Very well. Let the past deeds of those fallen races be forgotten. If their survivors remain loyal, treat them well. If they wish to leave, do not make things difficult for them."
Everyone bowed. "Your Majesty is magnanimous!"
Bai Ze cupped his hands as well. "Your Majesty's generosity is a blessing. On behalf of those fallen races, I thank you. But so many of our races declined for reasons beyond outside