Chapter 2139: Will Use a Stratagem Against a Stratagem

He cleared his throat and composed himself. After washing up with the help of other palace maids, he dismissed everyone, keeping only Shang Liuyu, who was disguised as a maid, to serve them their meal.

Under normal circumstances, this act might have been risky and would likely have aroused the imposters' suspicion. However, since the imposters had orchestrated this plan, such concerns were unnecessary. For the first time, he experienced a thrill akin to Wei Xiaobao's sanctioned romantic escapades.

"Sit down and eat with us," Zu An said, finding it amusing to see Shang Liuyu still diligently playing the role of a palace maid.

Shang Liuyu glanced at the delicious food on the table and couldn't help but swallow. After a night of turmoil, she was, in fact, ravenously hungry.

"But..." she began, still having many reservations. If anyone saw her dining with the Dragon King and the Queen, her identity would surely be exposed.

"Don't worry," Zu An reassured her, guessing her concerns. "With me here, I'll know if anyone approaches in advance."

Shang Liuyu finally relaxed and sat down. She couldn't help but huff, "If you were truly that capable, how could you have been replaced by those imposters earlier? My sister has suffered for so many days because of it, and now we're completely on the defensive."

At this moment, Shang Hongyu's heart sank. The true Dragon King had likely perished long ago; although they didn't share much love, they had been husband and wife for many years.

"At the time, those fellows were prepared while I was caught off guard, which is why I fell into their trap," Zu An explained. Noticing Shang Hongyu's emotional fluctuation, he gently took her hand under the table. He secretly transmitted a message: "Don't worry, I will avenge you."

Feeling the warmth from his palm, Shang Hongyu's mood brightened slightly.

Although Shang Liuyu was very hungry, her eating etiquette remained elegant. After finishing a pastry, she wiped her mouth and asked, "What should we do next?"

Shang Hongyu replied, "From our observations over the past few days, most of the close attendants and palace maids, led by Kachir, seem to have been replaced. We must be very careful."

"Who exactly are these opponents, and how can they be so powerful as to replace so many people without a trace?" This had been Shang Liuyu's biggest question for days.

"Ordinary guards and palace maids might be controlled by Soul-Devouring Demonic Spiders," Shang Hongyu said, frowning. "As for high-level beings like Kachir, we don't know what he's disguised as."

"Soul-Devouring Demonic Spiders?" Shang Liuyu's expression changed slightly.

Shang Hongyu secretly glanced at Zu An, then pursed her lips and smiled. "That's the information your friend, the Regent, sent earlier. Your brother-in-law initially didn't take it seriously, but you were particularly cautious then and kept persuading him, which made the Sea Race implement some preventative measures."

"Unfortunately, it was still too late," Shang Liuyu sighed, wondering when those demons had infiltrated the Dragon Palace.

"Speaking of which, it's all your brother-in-law's fault for being idle and constantly messing around with other women everywhere," Shang Hongyu snorted coldly. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have given the demons an opportunity." She was indeed quite angry now. She didn't really mind the Dragon King's philandering, but if it led to an unprecedented crisis for the Sea Race, that was a different matter.

Shang Liuyu also glanced at Zu An. "Indeed, he's largely to blame for this."

Zu An was speechless. How had he suddenly become the target of criticism? Never mind. Since he was enjoying the Dragon King's privileges, what was a little criticism?

"Cough, cough, as for the faceless monster who impersonated the fake Dragon King before, I couldn't discern its origin either." What worried Zu An most was why his rage value system couldn't identify the opponent's identity at the time.

Upon hearing this, Shang Liuyu no longer bothered to criticize him and also fell into worry. "Those imposters seem very keen on getting the crown in my hands. They must want to open the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons, but I don't know what they hope to gain from it."

"Now we can only turn their plan against them," Zu An replied. "You bring out the crown, and we'll follow them to see what their true objective is."

Shang Liuyu's delicate brows furrowed at his words. She quietly pulled Shang Hongyu's hand under the table, communicating with her sister through a silent, intuitive glance unique to them: "Sister, are you sure he's really brother-in-law?"

Shang Hongyu's face flushed. "Of course he's your brother-in-law; otherwise, why would I have... been with him like that?"

"Is it possible you've been affected by their illusion or deceived?" Shang Liuyu couldn't help but voice her doubt. She still felt that something wasn't quite right, as if this whole situation was the imposters' scheme to trick her out of the crown.

Shang Hongyu was speechless. She had to admit, her sister's vigilance was indeed high.

Seeing the sisters constantly exchanging glances, Zu An roughly guessed what was happening and said directly, "Indeed, this is exactly the imposters' plan—to trick you into handing over the crown."

At his words, Shang Liuyu practically jumped up as if shocked, staring at him with a vigilant expression.

Zu An smiled slightly. "Please hear me out first. Kachir and his group have always known about rescuing you and having you stay in this palace. This was actually a play they put on with our cooperation. However, there's one thing he doesn't know: I am not that fake Dragon King."

Shang Liuyu looked at her sister, who smiled and nodded.

"That's why we can turn their plan against them and uncover their scheme," Zu An continued.

"But won't those guys suspect you at all?" Shang Liuyu asked, still skeptical. The imposters were certainly no fools; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to seize control of the Dragon Palace in one fell swoop, leaving the entire Sea Race stunned.

"Of course they'd be suspicious. Otherwise, what do you think your sister and I have been doing these past few days?" Zu An sighed.

Shang Hongyu's face instantly flushed at his words, and she glared at him irritably. Were these things appropriate to say in front of her sister?

Shang Liuyu was startled at first, then realized: the imposters would suspect her sister wouldn't truly deceive her. So, he had been "tormenting" her sister every day, ensuring her sister couldn't turn back and would have to cooperate with them in humiliation. This would completely put Kachir and the others at ease. Thinking of this, her gaze toward Zu An was filled with apology. She thought to herself, "Brother-in-law is different this time. He's not oblivious to priorities, still thinking about *those things* at a crucial moment. Instead, he's doing it to gain the enemy's trust. I truly misunderstood him." And her sister had truly endured too much hardship. Fortunately, by a strange twist of fate, her real brother-in-law had returned; otherwise, she couldn't even imagine what her current predicament would be.

"Brother-in-law, I'm sorry. I've greatly misunderstood you before," Shang Liuyu said, bowing formally to Zu An.

Seeing her genuine sincerity, Zu An felt awkward instead. "Oh dear, I overdid it. How will I wrap this up later?"

"Cough, cough, these are all minor matters. The key is that the three of us should be eternally united... cough, cough, no, work together," Zu An quickly corrected himself under Shang Liuyu's puzzled gaze. "You first pretend to fall for their trap, get the crown, and then we'll go see what's inside the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons."

Shang Liuyu's delicate brows furrowed. "But those imposters are numerous and powerful. If a conflict arises, we might... suffer losses." Her gaze clearly conveyed her lack of trust in the Dragon King. After all, if he were truly that formidable, he wouldn't have been replaced by these imposters in the first place. "Are you even capable?"

At this moment, Shang Hongyu lightly coughed. "Trust him. With him here, there'll be no problem." Perhaps she had some doubts before, but after spending these past few days with him, she was truly astonished by Zu An's strength—both in general and...

Although Shang Liuyu still had some reservations, she knew her sister was never one to speak idly, so she nodded and said, "Alright, the crown is hidden in..."