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"Oh, isn’t this our Black Empress? Why so distressed?"

Within a void of nothingness, countless stone pillars stood in the sky, forming a dark and endless expanse that seemed deceivingly close, yet unfathomably far.

Following silently behind the Serpent Queen, the Emperor took note of the term "Black Empress" when he heard it, realizing it might be an important piece of information and knowing that his current status afforded him no right to inquire!

The Serpent Queen cast a cold glance towards the source of the voice, which came from a stone figure sitting atop the sky, in a lotus position—clearly a Buddhist statue in appearance, but its face was indecipherable no matter how one tried to discern it.

"You’ve caused quite a delay this time!"

In the void, a muffled voice resounded, making the Emperor’s eardrums buzz and his chest oppressively heavy, his blood uncontrollably beginning to boil within him.

"It was my oversight..." the Serpent Queen said indifferently, "I will take full responsibility."

"Having lost the initiative, what do you have to take responsibility with?" the previously mocking voice asked.

"What I take responsibility with doesn’t require reporting to you."

The Serpent Queen’s voice was very cold, and after a snort from above the void, she said no more. The Emperor beside her silently observed everything, reassessing that the Serpent Queen’s status among those above the horizon seemed not to be low.

"How is King Xiang doing?" the low voice asked.

"The newly born King Xiang is still immature in mind, and fundamentally, he is one of our kind, not overly swayed by the will of King Xiang."

"Is that so?"

"Yes!" the Serpent Queen affirmed confidently.

She knew that against that being, she could not afford to give a vague answer. It might seem gentle now, but everyone had seen... its ungentle side before.

King Xiang... was a player!

"Is his background really trustworthy?" A faint female voice emerged from the void.

"The background of a player is always uncertain. I spent tens of thousands of years vetting him and you all agreed. Are you now questioning his background?"

This was absolute; Reincarnators could only produce Reincarnators. Even using the body of the Serpent Queen did not change the fact that the soul seemed branded, a point they had experimentally confirmed countless times.

Since King Xiang could be born of her, he naturally was a new player, and with new players came the uncontrollable factor of identity...

No one knew who he really was. He could be an enemy you’ve killed, an ordinary person who’s undergone countless cycles of reincarnation, or he might be... a newcomer. No one could be sure!

During the execution of the plan, they tracked the intelligence of any player who might be an enemy of their guild and deemed it unlikely that the enemy was among them. Deliberate arrangements were out of the question; no one could control reincarnation. Such a thing was impossible to arrange...

Thus, the newly born King Xiang could only be a new player or a Reincarnator who had not achieved their ambitions yet.

According to the other party, it was his first time in this world and, after many years of probing, there had been no issues...

Player?

The Emperor rubbed his fingers together, taking note of this term as well.

"Chen Qing’s bewitchment caused him to falter. I showed him some things and prematurely informed him of some of our plans, which somewhat placated him."

"Is that so?" the muffled voice finally said. "Then proceed with the plan. We’ve invested too many resources in this, even committing you to the cause. We must not allow it to fail halfway."

"Yes..." the Serpent Queen responded respectfully.

"What about the Celestial Serpent Palace?"

"A consensus should have been reached...

" the Serpent Queen began: "Northward, they have controlled the Giant Serpents underground, and from the intelligence gathered they are using the Northern Wasteland as a foundation to revive demons and forcefully enhance the quality of the human race with demon flesh, following the old ways. .."

"Tianhua, Shenwu, Wanxu—these three guilds have sided with the Celestial Serpent Palace. It won’t be that simple..."

"Specific intelligence is unknown; we are in the early stages here and can’t muster the power to investigate there yet."

"Fine!"

As the conversation between the two parties continued, the previously silent Emperor finally spoke up!

In an instant, all gazes from the void converged on the man who had remained silent, and for a moment, the Emperor felt extraordinarily peculiar, experiencing a sense of insignificance he’d never known before.

It was akin to the most insignificant ant being gazed upon by a colossal star!

The Emperor didn’t rush to speak but waited for the other’s response, aware that in this situation, his imperial status wouldn’t have the slightest effect.

"The person you selected back then was a good choice!" the muffled voice spoke again; it was an acknowledgment that relieved the Emperor of the immense pressure he felt within.

Because he could tell that this guy’s voice was the most revered by the Serpent Mother, his status must not be small.

The Serpent Queen smiled faintly. The Siao Family fellow was indeed an unexpected fortune; relying on him to dispose of the King of Qin was something that nobody had anticipated.

And now, that they were occupying the fate of the Royal Family of the Central Plains was also because they had initially invested in the right person.

It was her most successful move!

"Speak, what do you mean by ’can be’ just now?" The voice from the void softened intentionally, providing some comfort to the Emperor’s heart.

The Emperor took a deep breath and said, "The invitation at that time was not only extended to your family!"

"Oh?" As these words were spoken, the smile on the Serpent Mother’s face instantly stiffened!

She had always believed that this man... was under her control, but the result... was that he secretly had connections with other families?

Indeed, the next second, a voice from above that was previously targeting her burst out into a snicker.

"Interesting... why have you chosen to tell us now?"

"Because I too am making a choice..." the Emperor stated bluntly, "You chose me back then, and I believe I haven’t let you down, right? But I do not know if you will end up disappointing me."

’Insolence!’

In the void, an overwhelming pressure descended, but before it could reach the Emperor, it was casually swept aside by a force. The Emperor stood unfazed, feeling as if a storm had swept in but was as lightly fanned away as if one was shooing away a mosquito.

"Do not interrupt my question." That muffled voice from before spoke lightly, causing the entire void to darken momentarily.

In an instant, the previously arrogant fellow was immediately silenced.

The Serpent Mother let out a cold laugh but did not say anything.

"You’re correct," the owner of the voice gazed at the Emperor again, "Since you are valued by multiple sides, you naturally have the right to choose. So, how about it? Have you made up your mind?"

"If I hadn’t made up my mind, I would not have brought this up at this time."

"True, those who want to jump ship are fools if they reveal such news beforehand. So tell us, O Emperor of the human realm, who is it that has contacted you from that side?"

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"The North... are there still living people?"

At this moment, Chen Qing, on his way back to Jiangnan with his beautiful wife, heard a piece of information he had never expected while on the carriage!

"The Empress Dowager told me..." Siao Mingxue said in the carriage. Although she was in the same carriage as Chen Qing, there was a distance between them at this time.

"Not all the people in the North have been devoured by the Giant Serpent, and in fact, a considerable number have been rescued."

"Rescued?" Chen Qing swallowed hard, "Is this news reliable? Where does it come from?"

"It comes from the second son of the Duke of Wei."

"The second son of the Duke of Wei?" Chen Qing was startled, "His youngest son? Isn’t he in Jiangnan?"

The youngest son of the Duke of Wei had been corrupted by a mysterious force and couldn’t be separated from it, still in a semi-frozen state, receiving treatment and study from Zi Yue at the academy. When did he go to the North?

"Not him..." Siao Mingxue shook her head, "The Duke of Wei... has three sons."

"I... How come I’ve never heard of it?" Chen Qing was stunned.

"Very few people know about this second son." Siao Mingxue said in a low voice, "He did not inherit the Duke of Wei’s bloodline, but became a Magician, and it is said he’s a bastard, so..."

"There’s such a thing? When did he contact the Empress Dowager?"

"Just a few days ago!"

"Ah?" Chen Qing immediately became serious, "You mean to say that during the turmoil in the Capital City these past few days, that guy has been around?"

"Yes..."

As the words fell, a voice appeared inside the carriage.

Appearing without any sign...

"I ask Lord King of Qin, to meet at Mount Yuliang after you leave the Capital City!"

Chen Qing: "!!"