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"Daddy, is it just the two of us?"

Aboard the ship, Ghost Doll, who had not shown his face for a long time, frowned as he looked around, seeming to dislike the chill in the air.

Although Jiangnan was still shrouded in dense fog, in reality, the fog had thinned considerably. Under Chen Qing’s control, a large part of the area could actually be freely entered and exited, but some places were still enveloped in thick fog.

Even Chen Qing could not control those places now, because according to the rules, the arrays could only be opened if Chen Qing could prevent the spread of living corpses. However, the spirits inside the array of this place would not believe Chen Qing even if he asserted control.

That was the area controlled by Princess Bai Yu’s relatives!

The power struggle within the Ancient Worm was now quite evident.

The person from the West Sea held the greatest advantage, possessing the most cities and the largest population in the West Sea.

The Princess Royale represented Fifth Master Shen’s influence and also controlled a portion of it.

Only Princess Bai Yu seemed to have made no moves.

Chen Qing was quite puzzled about this. In his view, when the Princess Royale and the person from the West Sea were in a deadlock, it would have been the perfect time for her to get involved and vie for control over the West Sea, gaining a portion of the population to create a tripartite stand-off.

But the other party seemed completely disinterested. After taking over Shen San’s body, Princess Bai Yu had made no further moves, which made Chen Qing feel uneasy.

And just at this crucial moment, someone he hadn’t been in contact with for nearly a year suddenly reached out to him...

"It can only be the two of us..." Looking at Ghost Doll, Chen Qing sighed, "Right now, everyone in my power circle is tied up!"

Frankly, within his own circle of influence, there were quite a few capable fighters.

On the magician side, there were the Shen Family members, anyone of whom was of the Nine Ministers level.

On the warrior side, there were Xuu Hu and Tian Heng, both Super First Rank.

Even Wei Gongcheng, empowered by the power of the Hell Law, was untouchable as long as he stayed within Lyuzhou.

But almost none could leave now!

Tian Heng and Xuu Hu could not make light moves.

They currently represented the largest military system within Chen Qing’s power, and any mishap would significantly impact Chen Qing’s military strength.

Though the Warrior Army developed quickly, if the leading god died and no one could fill the position soon, the impact would still be significant.

The magicians from the Shen Family had now taken on roles in the Hell Law and were even more unable to leave.

"Why didn’t Daddy bring that woman along?" Ghost Doll suddenly asked.

"Do you like it so much when I bring her along?" Chen Qing asked with amusement, knowing that the cheeky child meant Murong Yunji.

Ghost Doll’s face turned red, then he turned his head away, "Who likes to bring her along? I was just asking since she’s idle all day, not doing any proper work, just freeloading..."

"Right..." Chen Qing chuckled and shook his head, too lazy to reveal Ghost Doll’s little schemes.

Murong Yunji was a very capable fighter. She had nearly finished off Weichi Feihong in a single encounter, and her combat strength was even on par with Weichi Peng. Logically, bringing her would have been the best choice. As for why he didn’t...

"Lord Chen has finally arrived?"

A familiar female voice, not heard for a long time, rang out, causing Chen Qing to look over.

Amid the fog, the huge seashell was still there. However, sitting in the center of the seashell was no longer the once charming woman, but Shen San in white, a man with a face of unrelenting charm and allure. This effeminate style made Chen Qing feel oddly uncomfortable.

"I’ve seen the Princess," Chen Qing said, patting the wary Ghost Doll and smiling as he bowed.

Beside Princess Bai Yu stood Weichi Feihong, enshrouded in black fog, with fiery red pupils that were cold and lifeless, lacking any warmth from when he was human, which made Chen Qing wonder if Weichi Feihong still had any consciousness.

"I hear... Lord Chen has been quite the celebrity of late?" Princess Bai Yu said with a smile, her moves full of charm, making her seem strangely alluring.

"Ah, it’s all about giving face to each other, I’m just playing the role of mediator."

"Does Lord Chen still remember our agreement?"

"The agreement?" Chen Qing said, his smile fading as he looked at her.

They had initially agreed to cooperate in opening the Dragon Palace.

"Does Lord Chen wish to renege?" Bai Yu asked with a smile, "It’s true, times have changed.

Now that Lord Chen commands such a vast power, with hundreds of thousands in the Warrior Army, able to force the Princess Royale to abandon Nanming Prefecture, and even pressuring the Imperial Court into forceful negotiations, you must think little of me, right? "

"The Princess has remained in seclusion for so long yet still well-informed," noted Chen Qing with a smile. "I’m just curious how the Princess came by her news?"

He was very curious about this. Unlike the Princess Royale, who already had profound ties in the human world, Princess Bai Yu, purely an entity of the living dead, had sequestered herself within this area of Jiangnan fog.

Merchant ships avoided this area, Tian Heng’s Sea God Army had strict defenses in place, and no ships dared to approach within miles.

Even if someone did manage a clandestine approach, due to potential infection risks, they would likely be trapped by the array inside.

Under normal circumstances, Princess Bai Yu would have no channels for information from the outside.

Even though what Chen Qing was doing was out in the open and known the world over, it would not include Princess Bai Yu’s secluded circle.

So there was just one possibility... this woman had allies outside!

Now that was interesting...

Chen Qing stroked his chin, pondering who it could be. Who could still collaborate with Bai Yu and communicate across array barriers... Could it be the last unseen Ancient Worm?

He hadn’t forgotten that among the nine Ancient Worms, there was still one without a trace to be found!

"Lord Chen must allow a young woman like me to keep some secrets, right?" Bai Yu said, gazing at Chen Qing. "Just as you, sir, have so many secrets, you don’t share everything with me either, do you?"

"It is I who have asked too much," Chen Qing admitted with a smile. "Since the Princess has not contacted me for so long, I was a bit unaccustomed, and curious why you suddenly thought to reach out to me now?"

"Because the Dragon Palace is about to open, of course." Bai Yu replied with a smile, looking at him. "Lord Chen said it himself, didn’t he? The Dragon Palace... is about to open very soon. Now... it’s about just one month away, right?"

Chen Qing: "...."

The news that the Dragon Palace was about to open had indeed been discussed during several meetings, but those in attendance were key figures from various powers.

Such news would absolutely not leak to the public, and even within the Imperial Court’s council, it should only be brought up when important personages gathered in a small assembly—ordinary noble scholars didn’t even have the qualifications to be involved in this matter.

So the question arises, how did she come to know of it?

With this thought, Chen Qing suddenly became more vigilant.

The identity of the other party’s contact must be no simple affair, being privy to internal intelligence.

Either they were planted close to the Princess Royale and the eldest of the Shen Family, or they were like Fifth Master Shen, having a collaborating noble family within the Imperial Court.

More dangerously, that collaborating individual could be within his own forces!

Within his own forces... those who knew the important news about him... tsk...

Who could it be?

Several faces surfaced in Chen Qing’s mind, and even someone as quick-witted as he couldn’t easily guess, for there was more than one suspect.

"What is Lord Chen thinking about?"

"I’m pondering who your inside agent could be," Chen Qing replied straightforwardly.

"Has Lord Chen figured it out?" Princess Bai Yu asked with a smile.

Chen Qing shook his head, "I can’t figure it out momentarily. Your Highness didn’t invite me here to play guessing games, did you?"

"This servant came to seek a sense of security."

"A sense of security?"

"After all, Lord Chen has negotiated how to divide the Dragon Palace, how to enter it, everything seems well-arranged. Yet this servant has received no such promise, truly disheartening, considering that I was the first to collaborate with you."

Chen Qing smiled, "Your Highness’s concerns, Chen Qing dare not forget. What Your Highness desired was the Dragon Palace Secret Medicine, and I assure you, the moment Chen obtains it, it will certainly be shared with the Princess. Wasn’t this the very reason we formed a Technique pact?"

"Lord Chen really knows how to play with words."

"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

"If Lord Chen has no interest in that secret medicine, never intending to seek it from the start, what should this servant do?"

Chen Qing was startled. This woman had quite an accurate feeling; he truly had no interest in that Dragon Palace Secret Medicine and had never planned to get involved with that cursed thing.

So when he made the pact with Bai Yu, he was very casual about it, because as long as he didn’t seek the item, he had no obligation to provide it to the other party, and whether she could obtain it herself was her own concern.

"What would you like to propose, Your Highness?"

"This servant remembers that area—something has been amiss recently; it must be the location of the Dragon Palace Spring Eye.

This servant cannot count on Lord Chen to help at a critical moment, so at least some preparations are in order, right?

" Bai Yu watched Chen Qing with a smile, "Lord Chen is also looking to pinpoint the exact location, isn’t he?

Could you possibly take this servant along? "

Chen Qing: "...."

Why... how does this woman know even this?

He hasn’t told anyone about his intention to scout the location!

--------------------------------------------

"Princess Bai Yu?"

Wei Gongcheng and Shen Qi both frowned deeply, especially Seventh Master Shen.

He was quite familiar with Princess Bai Yu; the Shen Family’s secret records held detailed accounts of that venomous woman.

After seizing the body of his third brother, she had dropped off the radar for over a year, and now she abruptly reappeared at this critical moment, calling Chen Qing away.

Was it a coincidence, or was it done deliberately?

"Is there a problem?" Seeing the two frown, Chen Ying felt unease and curiously asked.

Wei Gongcheng solemnly explained the situation.

"A Super First Rank Demon?" Chen Ying was taken aback and became serious, "Can Seventh Master Shen be certain?"

"Certainly not completely sure," Seventh Master Shen glanced at the young lady, "It could be even more troublesome than Super First Rank!"

Chen Ying couldn’t help but smile wryly, "Please don’t scare me, Seventh Master Shen. Lyuzhou can’t withstand any turmoil now; the situation in Daqing Mountain just occurred..."

"What happened at Daqing Mountain?" Wei Gongcheng’s interest was piqued.

"Well... I’m not exactly clear on the details," said Chen Ying, frowning, "It seems that Zi Yue has been somewhat unstable recently, with bursts of spiritual energy erupting from her occasionally, especially after the Emperor left today.

She became even more unstable—before it was once every three days, but in less than two hours after the Emperor left, her spiritual energy went awry four or five times! "

"This..." Wei Gongcheng felt a jolt in his heart. Although he did not know why, the unease inside him grew stronger, and he looked towards Shen Qi.

Now, the only living person here who had a profound understanding of magicians was this member of the Shen Family.

Shen Qi’s eyebrows furrowed; he too felt that something was amiss.

Demon invasions, Chen Qing being suddenly called away, the unstable Zi Yue at Daqing Mountain who had been sealed...

All of this... could hardly be a coincidence!

"Take me to see!"