Chapter Thirty-One: Three-Way Arrangements

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Duan Lang was clever enough not to argue. Instead, he simply admitted his mistake.

With Nie Feng present, someone would naturally plead on his behalf. All he had to do was show the proper sincerity.

Sure enough, Nie Feng spoke up:

“Even Lord Xiongba could not defeat Absolute God. How could Duan Lang have managed it? Senior Brother, you should not be too hard on him.”

“Since Junior Brother Feng has pleaded for you, I shall say no more. However, when we attack Absolute God Palace, you will lead the vanguard!”

Qin Shuang had already decided how Duan Lang would be deployed.

“Yes, sir. This subordinate takes his leave!”

Having settled the matter, Duan Lang felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He withdrew at once.

“With this arrangement, are you satisfied, Junior Brother Feng?”

Qin Shuang looked at Nie Feng and teased him. “Very well, I shall stop teasing you. You may go. I know you are worried about Duan Lang as well.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

After Nie Feng left, Bu Jingyun departed too. Judging by the direction he took, he had probably gone to find Catch-God.

Qin Shuang closed his eyes and continued to contemplate the Ice Jade Nine Heavens and the Ten Strongest Martial Arts.

He had already mastered them in form, but transforming them into something truly his own would require much deeper study.

………

Hidden in the darkness, Xiongba kept constant watch over the movements of the World Society. When he saw that Qin Shuang had finally set his sights on Absolute God, he secretly rejoiced.

Moreover, Catch-God had taken You Ruo away, allowing Xiongba to set his mind at ease. He no longer had any worries about confronting Qin Shuang.

As for the Heaven Gate, which remained concealed in the shadows, it had lost the World Society’s comprehensive intelligence network. Relying solely on the agents Xiongba had planted, it would be exceedingly difficult to find the Heaven Gate’s trail again.

“Doll!”

“Your servant is here!”

Two clear, childish voices rang out.

“Keep a close watch on Absolute God Palace and the World Society. Above all, watch Absolute God. Find out exactly what he is planning. He has even made contact with Eunuch Cao, who serves the Supreme!”

With his back to the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Lake, Xiongba silently calculated his chances of victory.

“Yes, sir. Your servants take their leave!”

As Doll withdrew, the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Lake left together.

“Hmph! A pack of traitors!”

Xiongba glared unhappily at their departing figures. If he had not been so desperately short of capable subordinates, why would he have made use of them?

………

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The Heaven Gate had received the relevant news as well.

“Have you discovered where Qin Shuang went some time ago?”

Di Shitian asked the intelligence officer in a mild voice.

The officer answered nervously:

“Qin Shuang took Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng with him. The three of them traveled along secluded paths, and no one saw where they went. We have no idea where they ended up. However, this time they intend to attack Absolute God Palace, so they must be bringing a large force. This subordinate will certainly not lose track of them again. Please, my lord, give me one more chance!”

Although he was inside an icy cavern, cold sweat poured down the intelligence officer’s face. The last time he had lost track of Qin Shuang, Di Shitian had made the journey for nothing, and the mistake had been a grave one.

If Di Shitian lost his temper and simply drained away his lifespan, that would have been entirely normal. After all, that was precisely how he had risen to power.

The officer had personally watched the previous intelligence chief grow old and die before his eyes in the very same manner.

“Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. I do not eat people. Human flesh is not even very tasty, so what are you frightened of?”

Di Shitian pretended to comfort the panicked intelligence officer.

“Rest assured. If you handle this matter well, I shall forgive all your past mistakes.”

Di Shitian gently placed a hand on the officer’s shoulder, yet the officer’s heart lurched.

After a long while, when he realized he was still alive, the intelligence officer released a long breath.

By then, Di Shitian had already vanished.

………

At Absolute God Palace, Absolute God examined the intelligence gathered from every direction.

“Hmph. It seems the World Society is determined to make trouble for my palace sooner or later. I should like to see what that brat Qin Shuang is capable of!”

Absolute God slammed his hand heavily against the arm of his chair, furious beyond measure. He had only just driven Xiongba away when he was forced to confront the Nameless One. Before he had even caught his breath, the World Society was coming to attack him as well. It was simply too much.

“Juexin, how are the arrangements supported by the Supreme coming along?”

“Father, rest assured. Everything has been arranged. We can proceed in three days.”

Juexin was secretly delighted, though he showed nothing of it on his face.

………

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the imperial palace, Absolute God arranged for a false Supreme to carry out an abdication ceremony. He intended to seize the throne and cloak himself in the mantle of legitimacy before destroying the World Society.

Meanwhile, Qin Shuang had brought Nie Feng, Bu Jingyun, Duan Lang, and Catch-God to hide nearby and watch the spectacle.

Xiongba had also brought the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Lake and concealed himself close at hand, hoping to reap the benefits while others fought.

“Lord Xiongba, since the elites of both the World Society and Absolute God Palace are gathered here, why do we not go and destroy Absolute God’s base?”

The speaker was Hand and Foot Dance, who rarely said anything.

Doll and the other fiend looked at him strangely. They could not understand why he had not discussed this beforehand, only to spring such a scheme on them midway through the operation.

But the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Lake were one body. They would naturally advance and retreat together.

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Doll and his companion remained completely silent.

Seeing them say nothing, Xiongba assumed that the proposal represented both of them. After considering it, he realized there was no need to intervene so quickly.

“You have an idea. How many of you intend to go?”

To guard against unforeseen circumstances, he still needed to keep some people at his disposal. But if several of them left, he would no longer need to remain so wary of the others.

“Hand and Foot Dance and Dog King will go with me. The three of us will do it.”

Doll sensed that something was wrong, but he did not dare expose it in front of Xiongba. Xiongba feared the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Lake, but they feared Xiongba no less.

“Return quickly, and be careful,” Doll warned them.

Hand and Foot Dance and Dog King gave no reply. They merely nodded and departed.

A chill surged through Doll when he saw this. The two of them cultivated the Child Emperor’s True Scripture. How could they fail to understand the significance of such an eerie turn of events?

And precisely because they understood, they found it terrifying.

Doll and his companion exchanged a silent, knowing glance. They both faintly wished to avoid becoming entangled in this muddy water, but they had no freedom to choose.

………

“...Now I, Your Majesty, feel that my virtue is insufficient and wish to abdicate the throne to Absolute God!”

On the platform, the Supreme first launched into a litany of his own shortcomings, declaring that his accomplishments were inadequate and his virtue unworthy. Then he announced that he would abdicate in favor of Absolute God.

The people below erupted in outrage. They had never imagined that the Supreme had summoned them for an abdication ceremony. Abdication alone might have been tolerable—but to hand the throne to a foreigner from the eastern islands?

In their fury and confusion, they could only stare at one another.

One person looked at another, another looked back, yet everyone remained silent.

Clearly, some of the sharper minds had already realized what was happening. But whoever stepped forward first would die.

Perhaps there were those who did not fear death, but they had no desire to die for nothing. And perhaps those who truly did not fear death had simply failed to see through the scheme.

For a time, the entire hall descended into an awkward stalemate.

“Hahaha...”

Absolute God walked forward laughing and stepped onto the platform. He looked down at the assembled crowd.

“What is this? Do you refuse to accept the Supreme’s decision? Are you unhappy that I have become the Supreme?”

“Welcome, Supreme!”

The men Absolute God had planted in advance, together with the numerous Rakshasas, fell to their knees and shouted their congratulations in unison.

“Hahahaha...”

Still laughing wildly, Absolute God scanned the crowd below. Many remained unwilling to bow before him, and a frigid killing intent filled his eyes.

“Who supports me, and who opposes me?”