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In the world of my own design, demons employ endless methods against humans.

There are numerous ways to replace a person; Mister Hua Pi used a human skin puppet, the Insect Demon implanted itself in the brain to control the body, and then there are even more mystical methods, like Ali, who directly replaces your memories, making you believe they are whoever they wish to be, or like the monsters from the Path of Yin and Yang, who by devouring your soul’s memories, can shapeshift into your appearance.

And each demon requires a different strategy to deal with.

To strike accurately and effectively, the best method is still to find the demon’s weak point and set a trap based on one’s understanding of demons.

But what exactly is the opponent?

Chen Qing felt somewhat uncertain for a moment. First of all, he ruled out Ali and the monsters from the Path of Yin and Yang. Ali wouldn’t be able to escape, and besides, she couldn’t have changed the memories of so many influential people, could she?

The monsters from the Path of Yin and Yang wouldn’t work either; to replace Minister Pang, he would first have to die before they had the chance to devour his soul’s memories on the Path of Yin and Yang and thus shapeshift.

But he knew that the major Sorcerer Families had bound life tokens to their important members; as the Family Head of the Pang Family, Minister Pang’s death would be immediately known to his family, and they would have been the first to cause commotion.

How could it be so calm, allowing a demon imposter to parade around with a host of legitimate family heirs?

They’re not afraid of getting completely slaughtered!

The most likely... are the skin-changing demons...

But it’s said that even with Hua Pi’s art, it’s hard to mimic bones. How could one imitate Minister Pang’s speech and behavior flawlessly before so many bigwigs, and what kind of background does it have?

Chen Qing’s mind was reeling with speculation, recalling the breeds of demons he had designed.

"Everyone seems in the mood to joke about my husband, so you must be in good spirits," said Princess Royale with a smile. "Then while you’re happy, let’s have a good discussion. What do you think about the suggestion of my son-in-law from the Siao Family?"

The laughter among the crowd stopped instantly, and all eyes turned to Chen Qing.

Chen Qing inwardly scoffed; this woman really was trouble.

By openly revealing her connection to the Siao Family, she naturally incited suspicion, and especially since Chen Qing had collaborated with the Princess Royale for some time, who knew if the two had been conspiring in secret?

As expected, the next second saw Minister Pang smiling and saying, "Lord Chen, we understand your intentions. Ancient secrets are of great importance, and it’s indeed thoughtful of you to prevent infighting before their discovery.

However, the timing you mentioned concerning the opening of these secrets is only from your side, making it hard for us to judge, especially since you three have spent two years setting up in Jiangnan and West Sea after the mist dissipated.

How can we, the other two parties so far away, know whether it’s true or false? "

"To put it unpleasantly, what if we listen to you and temporarily cease hostilities, only for us to return and find that you’ve already opened the ancient site? By the time we realize it, won’t we be left with nothing?"

His words not only cast doubt on Chen Qing, but also dragged the Duke of Wei into the fray, instantly tensing the atmosphere once again.

The Duke of Wei frowned; he didn’t like to be used as a pawn by others, but Minister Pang’s words made sense.

If their forces confirmed their participation in this ancient site, they would naturally have to notify their powers to cease hostilities for now.

And even disregarding the ceasefire, they would need to go back and make preparations, deciding whom to bring at the very least. Exploring ancient sites was fraught with great danger, so if they were to be personally involved, arrangements for their affairs in the event of the worst case had to be made.

This would take a great deal of effort and couldn’t be rushed. If the opening time of the Dragon Palace the other party mentioned were true, it would indeed leave enough time for them to make arrangements. But what if it was a lie?

Just as Minister Pang had suggested, could it be an act performed by the trio in conspiracy?

"Minister Pang seems to be joking," said Chen Qing with a smile. "If I hadn’t organized this alliance, the Imperial Court and the Duke of Wei would still be fiercely battling even now. Furthermore, since the court’s campaign to surround and annihilate us in Jiangnan has failed, they won’t be able to regroup for more reinforcements here anytime soon.

Wouldn’t I profit more by keeping a low profile?

Besides, if our three factions were in cahoots, why bother with this charade?

With the gate shut and beneath the mist, you wouldn’t have any intelligence anyway. What could you do?"

The Duke of Wei was startled; it seemed to make sense.

If it weren’t for Chen Qing’s invitation, he would have comfortably stayed in the north and wouldn’t have bothered to learn about the situation here.

Having received food supplies from Chen Qing, he might have been gearing up to launch another assault to take down the Capital City.

"But surely you must offer some assurance, Lord Chen?" Minister Pang looked somberly at Chen Qing. "We lack sufficient intelligence, while you know so much more; it’s hardly equitable. If we all cease hostilities, what if you sneak off to the Dragon Palace by yourself?"

"After all, the Myriad Serpents Lock Waters you speak of sound impressive, but the sea is boundless. We have no idea where the spring you mentioned is located. Even if the spectacle is grand, we might not see anything at all."

This guy...

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes, finding Minister Pang to be a persistent nuisance.

Princess Chang, however, looked on at Chen Qing with a smile, having spoken earlier precisely to see how Chen Qing would respond.

"The location of the spring eye cannot be determined at this time," Chen Qing explained, frowning. "Before the Dragon Palace opens, there will be significant signs. At that time, we can confirm its position using certain methods. But for now, it’s not possible."

"Then when will the signs appear?" Minister Pang asked eagerly.

Chen Qing rubbed his fingers together, having a good idea what the other party intended, but since the conversation had reached this point, he could not stop casually as it would provoke even more suspicion.

In the end, he could only say, "In ten days."

"That’s not too long..." Minister Pang immediately smiled, "We can wait for ten days. To ease everyone’s concerns, how about we wait until the location is confirmed before we finalize this alliance, Lord Chen? After all, it’s a major event, and it’s always better to be cautious, right?"

Chen Qing: "....."

"I think Minister Pang is right..." Princess Chang immediately responded, "Lord Chen asks us to cease hostilities from all sides on the pretense of a joint venture into the Dragon Palace. If Lord Chen is as generous as he said earlier, we naturally have no objections, but for such a big matter, we need to see some indications, don’t we? Waiting another ten days shouldn’t be a problem for you, right, Lord Chen? "

"What do you all think?"

Without waiting for Chen Qing’s response, Princess Chang turned to the others and said.

"Agreed!" The one from the West Sea said, drinking his wine without even lifting his head, "Wait ten days!"

Duke of Wei smiled upon hearing this and looked at Chen Qing, "I also find this opinion reasonable. What do you say, Lord Chen?"

Chen Qing, looking at everyone’s amiable smiles, sighed inwardly. A bunch of old foxes, indeed not easy to deal with...

If he refused, they would immediately guess that the barrier he had set up could not hold out for much longer!

And in fact, it was true. The barrier of Nanming Prefecture could last... at most three more days!!

This is troublesome...

If he had known it would come to this, he should have appointed a Gate Deity for Nanming Prefecture.

The reason he did not immediately appoint one was that Nanming Prefecture was strategically located, connecting three places with the most external forces passing through, so he wanted to find a demon with greater potential than the Old Wolf King to appoint.

But he had not anticipated that his greed for a more powerful patron would let such a troublesome character slip through.

Faced with the joint pressure from all sides, Chen Qing could only force a smile and say, "In that case, let’s talk again after ten days!"

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"Your Highness, why did you deliberately make things difficult for Chen Qing today?" On the way back, Fei Fu Ma followed behind Princess Chang and asked with a frown.

Chen Qing had resolved the dilemma of his son Fei Jun, giving him new vigor.

He thought that at least Princess Chang had a favorable impression of Chen Qing.

With Chen Qing’s extensive knowledge of the Dragon Palace, it might be beneficial to foster a good relationship with him for the upcoming ancient expedition. Why take such a stance against him now?

What good would it do for the future?

"How can we know his limits if we don’t make it tough for him?" Princess Chang said in a low voice, "The barrier of Nanming Prefecture can’t possibly be foolproof. The longer we drag this out, the more likely he is to slip up. What I’m waiting for is the moment he can’t hold back anymore!"

"Err... Is that really necessary?"

"Of course it is..." Princess Chang continued, "Chen Qing has managed to build such a force in just two years; he must possess a big secret. If we don’t strike before he is fully prepared, do we wait for him to be ready to strike at us?"

"But..." Fei Fu Ma glanced at the huge barrier in the sky: "Right now... we can’t grasp the full scope. What if Chen Qing still hasn’t slipped up after ten days? Your Highness cannot take risks again, after all... this is his territory!"

"Don’t worry...." Princess Chang sneered, "Someone will test the waters for us."

"Who?" Fei Fu Ma immediately asked, puzzled.

"That woman from the Lu Family... she always thinks her skin-changing art can fool the entire world.

.." Princess Chang looked towards the other side of the restaurant where Minister Pang and his party had taken over and said quietly, "Well, that woman has some skills; we might as well use her to see what caliber that young man Chen Qing really is! "