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"Your Majesty, you’re back?"

When Chen Qing returned, the first person he saw was Wei Gongcheng, waiting at the barrier, which left him slightly stunned.

Isn’t this guy usually very busy? Has he been waiting here for me all this time?

"Your Majesty, this return of yours is of great importance.

All of us subordinates are very concerned.

This spot is to prevent others with ulterior motives from doing anything here, so Shen Qi, Nezha, and I have been taking turns guarding it.

However, Ghost Doll was recently reassigned by Lady Ziyue, so I have to spend more time on guard duty. "

"Nezha was reassigned?" Chen Qing was taken aback. Since the Dragon Palace incident, Ghost Doll has been almost invisible, mainly because there hasn’t been much use for him.

Ghost Doll used to be in high demand because his combat power was extremely high. At his full strength, it’s likely that only Lumings and Emperor Siao could possibly defeat him in a direct confrontation among the top experts of the Human Race at that time.

But after the Dragon Palace incident, one Transcendent after another emerged, and Ghost Doll’s powers didn’t seem all that impressive anymore.

As the Thunder Department War God, Ghost Doll has exceptional talents, far beyond what Xu Hu can compare to, but due to his high talent, the amount of faith power needed for further growth is also high.

Ghost Doll lacks suitable followers, so his strength has been stagnant.

It’s not that Chen Qing hasn’t paid attention to him; it’s just that Ghost Doll’s current situation isn’t suitable for major investment.

The reason is simple: he has no military talent.

Now, those in command of armies, whether it’s Tian Heng, the Western Sea God, or Xu Hu, who is also a War God, one has a solid foundation and a talent for leading troops, and the other is skilled in training soldiers and has high authority in the military.

Investing in these two not only increases individual strength but also brings a very balanced improvement to the overall military power.

Ghost Doll is different; his life experience consists of fighting alone. If he were to lead troops, he would likely be frustrated, at least for the time being. Thus, he has been in reserve since returning from the Dragon Palace.

Why would Zi Yue call for him?

Could it be related to the recent annexation of the Northern Wolf Country?

Chen Qing felt puzzled, but he also had an ominous feeling, suspecting that Zi Yue’s success in achieving such a significant victory might have involved greater risks than he imagined.

"I’m not quite clear on the specifics...

" Wei Gongcheng shook his head: "Lady Ziyue intended to take Northern Wolf City and initially required the cooperation of the Great Hell Ruler, but the north is different from the southeast. The area is where the Ghost Domain of Hell could pose a significant threat.

At that time, we of the Great Hells all felt we should not open it rashly, yet Lady Ziyue believed it was an opportunity not to be missed. "

"At the critical moment, she took a step back, allowing us to continue holding our original positions. For the north, she found her own way, borrowing only Ghost Doll."

"And then?" Chen Qing asked in astonishment.

"Then... Northern Wolf City was taken!" Wei Gongcheng said cryptically: "I can feel that the Hell on that side is now connected to ours; it’s clearly in a conquered state. But how Senior Zi Yue managed to take Northern Wolf City with just a few people, we still don’t understand..."

Chen Qing: "....."

Really?

Before coming here, he had already found it strange.

Logically, given the cautious nature of both Wei Gongcheng and the Shen Family, they surely wouldn’t have agreed to easily initiate a major battle using the Hell’s powers of the north.

How did Zi Yue manage to take Northern Wolf City?

His worst assumption had been that the other party controlled Wei Gongcheng and the others by force through Ali.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case... because there’s no way they could lie about this. As the main God, if there were significant troop losses, he would have sensed it.

But in reality, not a single soldier was wasted, and his power of faith has surged once again!

It seems like they used some special method to take the faith of Northern Wolf City.

But how...?

Before leaving, he personally inquired about the situation there.

At least three ancient guilds were vying for control of Northern Wolf City.

When Zi Yue had gone there, their arrangements were nearly complete.

To be frank, he hadn’t held out much hope, only wishing that Zi Yue could slow down the unification efforts of one of the factions.

Instead, she stirred up a massive wave.

Could it be that she persuaded the king of the Northern Wolf Country?

Could it be... relying on Ali? Did they seduce the ruler?

That... it’s not impossible, but as far as he knew, the Northern Wolf Country was in the midst of a new monarch’s succession, a phase full of suspicion toward the country’s leadership.

Even if they managed to control the young lord of the Northern Wolf Country, it was unlikely they could completely take over Northern Wolf City, right?

That wasn’t even the key issue; the key was if they wanted to take over Northern Wolf City, it was necessary to get through the Ghost Domain. With the pathways opened, how had they occupied the part of Northern Wolf City that belonged to the Ghost Domain?

And also... why did they suddenly call away Ghost Doll? What role did Ghost Doll play in the takeover of Northern Wolf City?

All of it was too exaggerated, making even Chen Qing’s daring mind boggle to think of the reason behind it.

"It looks like you are not aware of the situation over there," Chen Qing sighed. "For the specific details, I suppose I’ll have to go and see for myself...."

"Only the lord themselves going there would clarify the situation," Wei Gongcheng did not object. Zi Yue was cunning, and together with Ali, if their intent was to rebel, it would be futile for anyone else; only the lord’s personal attendance would be effective.

"How is the preparation for the migration going?" Chen Qing asked about the critical matter.

"Hmm, everything is pretty much ready," Wei Gongcheng replied, walking with Chen Qing into Lyuzhou City.

"After you left, your compatriots reincarnated one after another.

Most of them are placed in families known for literature and proper etiquette, with only a minority assigned to the lineage families of Jiangnan.

But is it really okay not to erase their memories, my lord? "

"It’s no matter...." Chen Qing chuckled. "If they stir up any trouble, we’ll arrest them under the charges of foreign demons invading. Keep them in the Ghost Domain and do what must be done. It won’t cause you any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Wei Gongcheng felt considerably relieved.

He and Shen Qi knew of their lord’s origin, but the others didn’t, especially the Judges in the Ghost Domain.

During reincarnation, he could use his Divine Skills to fool some and tamper with the process.

However, once they divulged the information themselves, it wouldn’t be appropriate to protect them openly.

"Does your side have any objections to such arrangements?"

"They can only bear any objections they have," Chen Qing replied indifferently. "You need not worry about this. More people will come for reincarnation later. Naturally, not many will retain their memories—only ten thousand slots available, and birth locations are restricted to only the Southeast."

"The Southeast is indeed easier to handle," Wei Gongcheng agreed, nodding. The Southeast was through a demon evolution, where even bred chickens, ducks, pigs, and dogs could turn into man-eating monsters. If children became precociously intelligent, it probably wouldn’t raise too much suspicion, certainly easier to handle than Jiangnan.

"The new souls for reincarnation will all come from the Southeast. Now that the Southeast’s Ghost Domain is not fully staffed, it’s a good opportunity to muddy the waters.

Help me with the arrangements. Zi Yue is urgently calling me over there, and my time here is limited.

I must get these matters settled in two to three days. "

"Yes, my lord... about how many people will there be?"

"Roughly a hundred million..."

"That many?" Wei Gongcheng inhaled sharply. "With so many people, only ten thousand can retain their memories?"

"It makes management easier...." Chen Qing nodded. "However, in the latest conditions, I’ve awarded another million, with the stipulation that they must go to the Ghost Domain of Northern Wolf City for reincarnation."

Wei Gongcheng: "....."

The lord claimed they were from that side, but it seemed... they were quite harsh with their own people.

"Oh, by the way..." Wei Gongcheng suddenly remembered something and spoke up, "Does the lord remember among those compatriots you transferred over, there was a peculiar group with appearances vastly different from the Central Plains People, somewhat resembling the overseas barbarians?"

"Oh?" Chen Qing looked towards him, unsure why he brought them up: "What about them?"

That bunch from the West, weren’t they sent off by him to the West Sea? But what had happened?

"That group is protesting, saying they want to establish a Ghost Domain exclusively for their kind, the ’colorless’ race...."

Chen Qing: "....."

Talk about boldness in making requests!