Chapter 584: 进退不得

“Yes! Your seven families must apologize to the late Demon King!”

“Even an esteemed elder like Domain Lord Qin Zheng has stepped forward to publicly apologize. As the primary instigators, especially with the Demon Emperor Seal involved, what reason do you have to refuse? Aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed by everyone?!”

“Patriarch Chi Yang, it was your Chi Yang family who sent people to my Southern Sea Domain to denounce the Demon King. Now that the truth is clear, it wouldn’t be excessive even if your entire clan knelt before the Yun family to apologize. Are you now unwilling even to admit your mistake before the Demon King’s remains?!”

“Do you feel no shame or guilt facing the Demon King’s remains? If not, then even as guardian families, we will despise you!”

No one present in the Demon Emperor Hall was a fool. From what they had witnessed today—the distinct factions, Prince Huai’s deliberate provocations, the arrogant behavior of the seven patriarchs and their undeniable subservience to Prince Huai, coupled with Yun Che’s step-by-step revelations—it was impossible for anyone not to sense that something was deeply amiss.

The clearest conclusion was that the seven families’ fierce, united attack on the Yun family, and their concerted effort a century ago to incite accusations against the Demon King and the Yun family, were absolutely premeditated. This suggested a hidden conspiracy, one too sinister for anyone to fully comprehend. These domain and city lords, who had been manipulated into becoming accomplices, pawns, and even slanderers of loyal figures a century ago, naturally harbored deep resentment and guilt towards the Demon King. While they knew they couldn’t afford to provoke the Seven Guardian Families, they also understood that if someone took the lead and others followed, the situation would completely change.

Qin Zheng’s words were like a stone cast into the sea, yet they stirred up a thousand-fold wave. Immediately, all the domain lords, city lords, and other powerful figures glared furiously at the seven families, assailing them with angry words. In an instant, the entire Demon Emperor Hall was filled with condemnations of the seven families, and the shouts grew increasingly deafening and fierce.

The faces of each of the seven patriarchs twitched violently, cold sweat poured down their foreheads, and their hearts felt as if an enormous boulder had been placed upon them. Even a harsh rebuke from the Demon Emperor himself would not have exerted such immense pressure. The people now accusing them were, individually, those they considered inferior, who would normally bow before them. Yet, united, these individuals represented the will of all people and the entire Illusionary Demon Realm!

“Your Highness Prince Huai… what… what should we do?” The seven patriarchs frantically sent a voice transmission to Prince Huai, their entire bodies breaking out in a cold sweat. They understood perfectly well that if this situation deteriorated today, their millennia-old reputations would plummet, and they might even become the targets of scorn throughout the Illusionary Demon Realm.

Prince Huai’s teeth were nearly ground to dust. His years of meticulous planning had indeed amassed a power far exceeding that of the Little Demon Empress. However, the main reason he had hesitated to act was the will of the people—a factor he had always dreamed of controlling. Today’s Grand Ceremony of the Demon Empress, with all the realm’s powerful figures gathered, was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for! His ambition was to finally put his schemes into motion today, but unexpectedly, his plans were utterly shattered by Yun Che before they even began. Yet, that wasn’t the end of his woes. Before he could even react, the collective will of the people had entirely sided with the Yun family. Meanwhile, the seven guardian families he had so painstakingly brought under his control suddenly became the focus of universal condemnation. His century-long defamation of the Yun family had not only failed to expel them from their guardian status but had instead ignited the guilt, self-reproach, and fury of the realm’s powerful figures. The very public sentiment he most desperately wished to sway had turned completely against him.

His plan had just begun, yet it had completely collapsed, leaving him in utter disarray—a result he had never even dreamed of. Gritting his teeth, he muttered in a low, strained voice, “What else can be done?! Aren’t you going to apologize to that corpse… Are you waiting to be drowned by the world’s scorn?!!”

At this point, apologizing to Yun Canghai’s remains was unavoidable. The consequences of not doing so would be too severe for even their guardian families to bear. Instantly, the seven patriarchs gritted their teeth, flew over the layers of people, and landed in front of Yun Canghai’s remains… Then, with extreme difficulty, they knelt on one knee.

The Demon Emperor Hall fell silent, and all eyes were fixed on the seven men. For Helian Kuang and the others, these gazes felt like they were being watched as condemned criminals, making them extremely uncomfortable. Never had these seven men imagined that, as patriarchs of guardian families, they would one day find themselves in such a predicament.

Helian Kuang gritted his teeth, then took a deep breath, doing his utmost to appear calm and composed. He bowed to Yun Canghai’s remains and said, “Senior Demon King, this junior was once blinded by momentary folly, mistakenly believing my actions were for the good of the entire Illusionary Demon Realm. I never imagined I would commit such a grave error. I sincerely apologize to you now.”

Although Helian Kuang offered an apology, he downplayed his “crime” to the extreme, framing it as a momentary lapse of judgment for the good of the Illusionary Demon Realm. Yun Che secretly sneered but remained silent. Chi Yang Baillie, Jiufang Kui, Bai Yi, Nangong Yan, Xiao Xifeng, and Lin Guiyan then followed, offering apologies with the exact same wording as Helian Kuang.

When the seven patriarchs rose, their faces were as dark as if they had just crawled out of a sooty pot. They glared at Yun Che from the corners of their eyes, wishing they could tear him to shreds with their teeth.

Although the seven’s “confession” clearly lacked sincerity, as guardian family patriarchs, they had publicly bowed to Yun Canghai’s remains, and thus, the crowd naturally could no longer voice condemnation. Yun Che silently gazed at Yun Canghai’s peaceful remains, his heart a mix of peace and bitterness. *Grandfather, the Yun family’s vindication is not solely my achievement. Had you not guarded the Demon Emperor Seal for a century, had your loyalty not been as clear as the sun and moon, I, no matter how capable, could never have won the hearts of the people for the Yun family. It was you, Grandfather, who used your life to grant me this new dawn… And what I have been able to do for you is only this much… not even one ten-thousandth of your kindness…*

“Heh heh, for the seven patriarchs to personally kneel and admit their mistake to the Demon King, while their duty, certainly shows their extraordinary magnanimity and outstanding demeanor!” Prince Huai calmly stepped forward, expressing admiration for the seven men who had clearly committed grave errors and were internally despised by all. His expression was so serene, as if none of this concerned him. He then looked at Yun Che and said unhurriedly, “Yun Che, the seven patriarchs have humbled themselves and admitted their mistake to the Demon King, which completely fulfills your wishes! Now, you should return the Demon Emperor Seal to the Little Demon Empress, shouldn’t you?”

“It seems His Highness Prince Huai has a rather poor memory!” Yun Che remarked, casting a dismissive glance. “I clearly stated before that for me to return the Demon Emperor Seal, these seven people must first kneel and repent to my grandfather, and then they must swear allegiance to the Little Demon Empress! I haven’t seen them swear allegiance to the Little Demon Empress yet!”

Prince Huai’s brow furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, “Yun Che, this Prince and the seven patriarchs have shown you extreme tolerance and compromise, considering you a junior and a descendant of the Demon King. Do not push your luck too far…”

Prince Huai and the seven patriarchs were indeed showing tolerance and compromise, but anyone with eyes could see that they were not doing so willingly. Rather, they were being forced by Yun Che’s relentless pressure. To others, making the seven patriarchs publicly swear allegiance to the Little Demon Empress seemed like no great matter, as loyalty to the Little Demon Empress was inherently their duty as guardian families. However, Prince Huai clearly understood Yun Che’s true objective!

Yun Che demanded they swear an oath of allegiance—specifically a venomous oath: “Should there be rebellion, their descendants for a thousand generations shall be slaves and prostitutes!” Taking such a vow would undeniably implant a deeply troubling burden in the hearts of the seven patriarchs. If they were to continue their rebellion with Prince Huai in the future, it would amount to cursing themselves and their future generations. Furthermore, the Illusionary Demon Realm, having witnessed this oath today, would forever remember it. This move was designed not just to humiliate the seven patriarchs, but also Prince Huai himself! If the seven patriarchs refused, it would be tantamount to openly admitting their guilt to the assembled figures. Even if it weren’t Yun Che, any articulate person could seize the moment to heap undeniable blame upon the seven patriarchs. Yun Che’s tactic left them in an impossible situation: advancing was humiliating, retreating was equally so—it was more malicious than any devil’s curse.

“I am pushing my luck?” As expected, the moment Prince Huai spoke, Yun Che’s counter-attack came instantly. “Dare I ask, Prince Huai, in what way am I pushing my luck? As patriarchs leading guardian families, it is only right and proper for them to pledge allegiance to the Little Demon Empress! They have served the Demon Emperor clan loyally for ten thousand years. Now, I am merely asking them to utter an oath of continued allegiance! This not only allows them to seize the opportunity to reaffirm their loyalty to the Little Demon Empress but also facilitates the return of the Demon Emperor Seal. This is quite simply the easiest thing in the world, without the slightest bit of excessiveness or difficulty! So, how is this pushing my luck?”

Prince Huai’s chest heaved violently. He knew perfectly well that Yun Che would utter such words, and he knew even better that, in front of all the realm’s powerful figures, these words were impossible to refute. The very existence of the guardian families was predicated on their loyalty to the Demon Emperor clan; this was common knowledge throughout the Illusionary Demon Realm. Should any guardian family betray the Demon Emperor clan, they would undoubtedly face the scorn and enmity of the entire realm. Prince Huai’s mind raced, and he managed to say, “All the guardian families have served the Demon Emperor loyally for a full ten thousand years, never with a trace of disloyalty, which is known to all! Yet, you force these seven patriarchs to swear a venomous oath of allegiance; this is clearly a questioning and desecration of their loyalty! Hmph, all so-called oaths in this world are merely empty words. If they truly harbor ill intentions, what difference would an oath a hundred times more malicious make?!”

“Your Highness Prince Huai is absolutely right!” Yun Che nodded with a faint smile. “Since this venomous oath is merely empty words, then simply uttering those empty words can both express loyalty and allow the Demon Emperor Seal to return to the Little Demon Empress’s hands. I believe anyone would have no reason to refuse, wouldn’t they? So why did Prince Huai just say I was pushing my luck?”

“…” Prince Huai was instantly speechless.

“Hmph…” Yun Che sneered. “If I had demanded that they swear on behalf of their entire clan, that would indeed be asking too much; after all, even as patriarchs, they cannot represent or decide the will of every individual in their family. But what I asked for was merely *themselves*! If these seven patriarchs are truly loyal to the Little Demon Empress, then this oath, even if a thousand or ten thousand times more venomous, would surely be taken with perfect composure, without the slightest hesitation or discomposure! On the contrary, they would gladly seize this opportunity to express their loyalty to the Little Demon Empress in front of all the realm’s powerful figures!”

“But if they resist and show panic even at this… hah, wouldn’t that be telling all of us that they harbor ill intentions? That if they make this oath, it will truly become a curse upon themselves?!”

“And furthermore!” Without waiting for Prince Huai or the seven patriarchs to speak, Yun Che suddenly extended his hand, pointing at Prince Huai, and said with a deep frown, “Your Highness Prince Huai, I truly don’t understand. For such a simple matter that brings immense benefit to the Illusionary Demon Royal Family, as a Prince of Illusionary Demon, you should be pleased to see it. Yet you speak out to obstruct it. Could it be that you, Prince Huai…?”

Yun Che’s sentence stopped there, but everyone understood his implication. After a brief pause, Yun Che’s expression and tone changed simultaneously: “Your Highness Prince Huai, though I am merely a junior, I must offer you a warning. In this Illusionary Demon Realm, anyone who rebels against the Demon Emperor—even those from a guardian family—will, at most, be scorned. But you, Prince Huai… and all the royal families present, if you harbor rebellious intentions, even Heaven itself will not tolerate it!”

Among the Eastern seats, the faces of all the royal family members changed. Prince Zhong said in a deep voice, “Yun Che… what do you mean by that?!”

“Is it difficult for Your Highness Prince Zhong to understand?!” Yun Che’s eyes narrowed as he spoke with utmost solemnity. “As everyone knows, it was the Ancestral Demon Emperor who unified the Illusionary Demon Realm, bringing it out of endless chaos and into ten thousand years of peace! And those who accompanied the Ancestral Demon Emperor through countless battles to unify the realm were the Twelve Guardian Families! Ten thousand years ago, the Twelve Guardian Families were the Ancestral Demon Emperor’s right hand, and throughout these ten millennia, they have served as the Demon Emperor’s protective barrier, truly earning immense merit. The Twelve Guardian Families’ current status and reputation are indeed well-deserved.”

“But all of you, the royal families, merely inherited a trace of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, thus being born into nobility. You hold the most distinguished status, enjoying the finest resources and a lifetime of wealth and glory that common people could never even dream of, without having to make any sacrifices or ever having fought in bloody battles! And all of this is because you possess the bloodline of the Demon Emperor clan; it is a blessing bestowed upon you by the Demon Emperor clan!!”

“You may rightfully enjoy all of this, but you must never forget who bestowed it upon you! And you must not harbor the slightest rebellious intention; otherwise, you would be ungrateful, and Heaven would not tolerate it!”

“And now, the Demon Emperor clan faces its greatest disaster in ten thousand years: the former Demon Emperor is dead, the young Demon Emperor is dead, leaving only the Little Demon Empress to bear all burdens… yet, she faces countless doubts simply because she is a woman. You royal families have enjoyed the Demon Emperor lineage’s ten thousand years of blessings. Now that the Demon Emperor lineage is in unprecedented difficulty, isn’t this the best opportunity for you to repay them?!”

“And if, at this critical moment, any members of the royal family not only fail to strongly support and assist the Little Demon Empress but instead harbor treacherous intentions, then they are truly devoid of conscience, worse than beasts! Their ugliness and shamelessness will be so profound that they are bound to be struck by divine lightning!”