Chapter 591: Intuition

In Demon Imperial City, among the Mu clan.

“Although the truth is far more terrifying than we previously knew, the current situation doesn’t warrant excessive pessimism,” Mu Yubai said, frowning. “Over the past century, Prince Huai’s Palace has been able to bring so many forces under its sway primarily because of the Little Demon Empress. Firstly, she’s female; secondly, she didn’t possess the Demon Emperor Seal; thirdly, her bloodline couldn’t awaken, meaning she lacked overwhelming, awe-inspiring power. Furthermore, she had no successor. So, when Prince Huai’s Palace displayed sufficiently strong power, coupled with appropriate temptations and threats, those princely estates and Guardian Families naturally wavered in their loyalty.”

“But now, it’s publicly known that the Little Demon Empress has recovered the Demon Emperor Seal and will soon awaken her bloodline, becoming invincible. I suspect that by now, those forces who leaned towards Prince Huai’s Palace are already feeling uneasy and panicked. What’s more, today, Che’er rallied the hearts of all powerful figures to the Yun family and hinted at Prince Huai’s Palace’s ambition. With this, Prince Huai’s Palace will absolutely not dare to act rashly for at least the next twenty years! Unless they wish to defy the wrath of the world!”

“Indeed,” Mu Yuqing and Mu Yukong nodded in agreement.

Yun Qinghong glanced at Yun Che’s expression and said, “Che’er, you don’t seem to think so.”

Yun Che looked up slightly and said calmly, “But what if the Little Demon Empress suddenly dies? Then, for Prince Huai’s Palace, the threat of the Demon Emperor Seal and all their concerns would vanish!”

Yun Che’s words startled everyone. Yun Qinghong asked, “Are you worried that Prince Huai’s Palace will try to assassinate the Little Demon Empress?”

“That is absolutely impossible!” Mu Feiyan declared, waving a hand dismissively. “Even if Prince Huai’s Palace had ten times its current power and ten times its courage, they would never dare to lay a hand on the Little Demon Empress! The Little Demon Empress herself is immensely powerful, and surrounded by experts like clouds. Even for Prince Huai’s Palace, killing her would be harder than ascending to the heavens. On the contrary, the Little Demon Empress has always wished for Prince Huai’s Palace to attempt an assassination. If they did, she could use the evidence to openly expose Prince Huai’s Palace’s ambition and crime of regicide to the world, making them universally condemned. Prince Huai wants to ascend as Demon Emperor and command the world; he doesn’t have the ability or the courage to become the target of public outrage.”

“I know that,” Yun Che said, his brows still furrowed. “My concern is if the Little Demon Empress were completely alone… and they seized the opportunity without leaving any trace. That would be utterly disastrous.”

“That’s even more impossible, of course,” Mu Feiyan swept his hand again. “Given the Little Demon Empress’s intellect, she would never give Prince Huai’s Palace such an opportunity. The Little Demon Empress never leaves within three hundred *li* of Demon Imperial City. Even if she were to encounter danger alone outside the city, the profound energy fluctuations would instantly alert the entire Demon Imperial City.”

Yun Che, of course, knew this. On the night he first met the Little Demon Empress, she casually unleashed a fire that turned ten *li* into a sea of flames. With the power of an Emperor-level profound practitioner, their full combat profound energy fluctuations could alarm those a thousand *li* away.

However, Mu Feiyan’s words still did not put Yun Che at ease regarding the matter. Frowning deeply, he pondered aloud, “On my first day in Demon Imperial City, I heard Xiao Yun mention that the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is filled with dense lightning and fire, and many lightning and fire spirits are active there. Is it a world where the rules are vastly different from the outside?”

“That’s correct,” Yun Qinghong nodded. “The existence of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is untraceable, but the generally accepted theory is that in ancient times, the divine beast Golden Crow once descended upon the Illusory Demon Realm, and the current Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is where it resided. When it left, it bequeathed its soul and bloodline inheritance, using supreme divine power to transform the area it inhabited into a semi-independent world with transcendent flame laws. As for why there are lightning spirits there, it has always been a mystery; the common legend is that a powerful lightning-element strange treasure exists somewhere within it.”

“I see… Since it’s a semi-independent world with different rules from the outside, then the fire spirits and lightning spirits within it wouldn’t escape from that world, and the profound energy fluctuations and explosions wouldn’t affect the outside. Also, you couldn’t transmit sound to the outside from within… is that right?” Yun Che’s frown deepened further.

“Indeed, that’s correct,” Yun Qinghong nodded. He then understood Yun Che’s meaning. “Che’er, are you worried that the Little Demon Empress suddenly interrupted the ceremony today and left because she went to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley alone?”

“Yes!” Yun Che nodded gravely. “The Little Demon Empress has endured a century of crisis and immense pressure. Her greatest desire should be to awaken her bloodline and possess supreme profound energy. Today was her first centenary ceremony; powerful figures from all over the world gathered, and I had already turned the situation greatly in her favor. Yet, after obtaining the Demon Emperor Seal, she declared the ceremony terminated with incredible decisiveness and urgency… and then left without any explanation. Her reason of worshipping the former Demon Emperor with the Seal is something I simply cannot accept. I’ve considered many reasons, but the most plausible one is that she went to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley immediately to awaken her bloodline, to prevent any complications after acquiring the Demon Emperor Seal!”

“Furthermore, when she left, she was clearly very decisive and hurried, yet she mentioned, ‘It’s still half a month until the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley opens.’ This statement was completely unnecessary at the time, and it sounds like… she was deliberately reminding us that the Valley opens in half a month, thereby concealing the fact that she could open it immediately.”

Yun Qinghong’s eyebrows raised. He finally fully understood why Yun Che had suddenly asked him if there were other ways to open the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley besides its automatic opening after the ceremony was interrupted. He turned to Mu Feiyan and said, “Father-in-law, have you ever heard of any secret method within the Demon Emperor lineage to forcibly open the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley?”

Mu Feiyan frowned in thought, then slowly shook his head. “I have never heard of such a thing. The Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley has always opened and closed on its own. No one has ever been able to break the barrier that seals it. In ten thousand years of the Demon Emperor lineage, I have never heard of any Demon Emperor or anyone else entering it when it was closed. This worry should be unnecessary.”

“Nothing is absolute in this world!” Yun Che said calmly. “It never happened before because the Demon Emperor lineage never faced a crisis like this present one, so there was no need to force entry. Plus, out of reverence for the Golden Crow’s land, they would certainly not trespass without reason. But that doesn’t mean the Demon Emperor clan definitely doesn’t have a method to force entry. If such a method truly exists… we Guardian Families might not know it, but that doesn’t mean the princely estates don’t know. As they are also part of the Illusory Demon royalty, they would naturally know some secrets exclusive to the royal family.”

“And even if all the princely estates don’t know… that still doesn’t mean Prince Huai’s Palace doesn’t. At the beginning of their rebellion, the very first thing Prince Huai’s Palace would have done is to use every possible method and means to uncover all the secrets and trump cards of the Demon Emperor clan. Over these years, they killed the former Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Emperor, caused the Guardian Families’ forces to crumble, and reduced the Demon Emperor lineage to only the Little Demon Empress, all while keeping the entire Illusory Demon Realm deceived by a false facade. We cannot deny that Prince Huai’s Palace’s methods are malicious, yet also extremely sophisticated. I absolutely believe they have the ability to uncover many secrets of the Demon Emperor clan unknown to outsiders.”

No one would deny the power of Prince Huai’s Palace. Especially now that the truth was gradually being uncovered today, they were shocked to realize that Prince Huai’s Palace was far more terrifying than they had known. Yun Qinghong frowned deeply. “So, your concern is: the Little Demon Empress might know a way to forcibly open the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, and her sudden interruption of the ceremony was to go there immediately. And to avoid alerting anyone, especially Prince Huai’s Palace, she would definitely go alone… and Prince Huai’s Palace might also know this secret, guess her destination, then follow her in to assassinate the Little Demon Empress!?”

“Yes,” Yun Che slowly nodded. “Although it’s just a guess, but what if… even if by just a slim chance it’s true, the Little Demon Empress would be in danger! If the Little Demon Empress dies, the Demon Emperor bloodline would completely disappear. Then, the most powerful Prince Huai’s Palace could openly take the Demon Emperor’s throne!”

“Hahaha.” Yun Che spoke with great gravity, but Mu Feiyan burst out laughing. “Truly worthy of being my grandson! Your mind is indeed extraordinary, even more cautious and meticulous than Prince Huai. However, this worry is still unnecessary, isn’t it?”

Mu Feiyan said, completely unconcerned, “Che’er, even if all your conjectures are true—that the Little Demon Empress truly knows a method to forcibly open the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, and then secretly went there alone, and that Prince Huai’s Palace also, as you said, happened to know this secret, guessed the Little Demon Empress’s destination, and sent experts to follow her into the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… But, the Little Demon Empress would have entered first. Even if Prince Huai’s people reacted quickly enough, they would enter second. With the Little Demon Empress’s power, she would certainly reach the Golden Crow Ancestral Land before they could catch up to her. The Golden Crow Ancestral Land can only be entered by someone possessing the Demon Emperor bloodline and holding the Demon Emperor Seal. Once the Little Demon Empress is inside, Prince Huai’s people, even if they had three heads and six arms, would be utterly powerless against her. If they were to force their way in… they would be even more likely to incur the wrath of the Golden Crow’s soul, burning them all to ashes.”

“When the Little Demon Empress emerges from the Golden Crow Ancestral Land, her bloodline will be awakened, and she will have the Golden Crow Records of the Burning World. Even if Prince Huai’s entire palace were to mobilize, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to her.”

“So, there’s no need to worry in that direction. The Little Demon Empress suddenly interrupting the Demon Empress Grand Ceremony might not have been to worship the former Demon Emperor, but it certainly had a special reason, and a reason she didn’t want us to know. If she really did go to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley to awaken her bloodline early, preventing prolonged complications, then it’s a truly excellent thing.”

Compared to Yun Che’s conjectures, Mu Feiyan’s words were logical and unassailable. If the Little Demon Empress truly wanted to go to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley to awaken her bloodline immediately, she would certainly travel at full speed, not wasting a single moment along the way.

Yun Che silently recalled Prince Huai’s reaction after the ceremony… He had left in seething anger, his killing intent palpable towards Yun Che, but his footsteps were not rushed, and his eyes, though filled with murderous hatred, showed no sign of anxiety. If his worries were true, Prince Huai should have left swiftly, as arranging personnel takes time.

Could it be that all his conjectures and worries were truly just him overthinking things?

Since they were at the Mu clan residence, it was natural that Mu Feiyan strongly insisted they stay for dinner.

By the time they left the Mu family, night had fallen. The streets of Demon Imperial City had already begun to quiet down, and seemed even more silent than usual.

Less than a *li* from the Mu family’s main gate, Yun Che suddenly stopped and said seriously, “Father, Mother, Xiao Yun, you all go back first… I want to go to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.”

“Ah? Why?” Xiao Yun asked, surprised.

Yun Qinghong frowned. “Are you still worried about your conjecture coming true?”

“Che’er, your grandfather already said that even if all your worries became reality, the Little Demon Empress wouldn’t be in danger,” Mu Rourou said softly.

“Grandfather’s words are indeed not wrong, but I just have a bad feeling,” Yun Che said, his brows furrowed.

“A feel… feeling?” Xiao Yun stammered.

“I never doubt my intuition,” Yun Che stated solemnly, “because it has saved my life countless times!”

“Uh…” Xiao Yun looked bewildered.