Chapter 2413: Conspiracy

Zuan had been pondering how to distance himself from her without causing offense, but her words left him dumbfounded. It seemed he had overestimated his own importance.

Seeing his reaction, the Mermaid Queen's lips curved into a slight smile.

She had already guessed what he was about to say even before he spoke.

So she immediately changed the subject, seizing control of the conversation.

Over the years, she had been surrounded by countless men, and she was intimately familiar with all their tricks and ploys.

To handle so many men, without offending them or letting them gain an advantage, required considerable skill.

She hadn't initially wanted to resort to such tactics. However, she knew that if she did nothing, this man would completely vanish from her life, likely never to be seen again.

She didn't want that, so she decisively began to employ her strategies.

Since he seemed to be avoiding contact with her, she decided to talk about other people's affairs.

Through their recent conversation, she had keenly noticed his unusual concern for the Peacock Princess.

"Let's talk inside," the Mermaid Queen invited, seizing the opportunity.

Mogad had just destroyed the palace with a single strike, so Cherry had already led her people to prepare an adjacent room as the queen's new residence.

Zuan was indeed concerned about the Peacock Princess, and he didn't want to remain outside, being gawked at by everyone. He nodded and followed her in.

Once inside, Cherry presented Zuan with tea as if offering a precious treasure, saying, "Your... Young Master, please have some tea. This is Coral Gem, which the Queen has treasured for years and never brought herself to drink..."

The Mermaid Queen lightly coughed, cutting her off. That girl was truly embarrassing.

Cherry stuck out her tongue. After arranging the refreshments, she stood smiling beside the Queen.

Zuan didn't want to rebuff the young girl's kindness. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, immediately feeling refreshed. Much of the fatigue from his long journey seemed to dissipate, and the mental and vital energy he had expended in the recent battle rapidly recovered.

"Indeed, excellent tea," Zuan said, nodding in approval. "Thank you, Queen, and thank you, Miss Cherry."

Cherry's face lit up with a smile.

The Mermaid Queen thought, *This girl truly understands my intentions; she's trying to win him over.*

However, she couldn't show it, so she returned to their previous topic.

Zuan replied, "I just used my divine sense to perceive the area; the Peacock Princess is not in the Four-Directional Palace."

"You should have left a few survivors to find out the Peacock Princess's whereabouts," the Mermaid Queen sighed.

Zuan shook his head slightly. "Mogad handled this personally. Most of those demons below wouldn't know anything, and I can probably guess Mogad's intentions."

"Oh? What are his intentions?" The Mermaid Queen blinked curiously. The man before her seemed quite familiar with Mogad.

She had no basis for this, as they should have just met for the first time.

Zuan mused that it was no wonder so many strong individuals from the Sea Race were manipulated by this woman. When she looked at you so closely with her beautiful, captivating eyes, brimming with curiosity, what ordinary man could possibly refuse her?

In any case, he hadn't intended to keep this a secret. "I've been wondering something," he began. "If he came to form an alliance with the Sea Race, why did he put an official envoy in front while secretly hiding himself within the delegation?"

The Mermaid Queen paused slightly, seemingly pondering. "Indeed, it is a bit strange. The Dragon King was already thoroughly intimidated. So even if a regular delegation had arrived, he would have already decided to pledge allegiance to the demon race. Mogad truly had no need to come... Hmm, could it be that he received news that the Monster Race was also seeking an alliance with the Sea Race, and so he deliberately hid in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity?"

"No," Zuan shook his head. "If that were the reason, the demon envoy wouldn't have had his head cut off. Besides, the demon race currently holds a clear advantage. Given his standing among them, a grand, open arrival would have been more effective. The Monster Race, knowing it was him, wouldn't have dared to assassinate him easily."

The Mermaid Queen was inherently intelligent. His words suddenly made her realize a possibility. "Indeed, his discreet hiding within the delegation is truly suspicious. If he didn't come for an alliance, then was it to target our Sea Race?!"

"Precisely," Zuan said gravely. "According to my deduction, he likely didn't come for an alliance at all. Quite the opposite, he came to sabotage it."

"This... that can't be right," the Mermaid Queen said. Even though she had no fondness for demons, this hypothesis greatly surprised her. "He has no motive to do that. The Sea Race pledging allegiance to the demon race would be entirely beneficial to them, with no harm. Why would he sabotage it?"

"Two possibilities," Zuan said, raising his finger. "The first is that there's an internal disagreement within the demon race regarding the alliance. The decision to form an alliance might have come from the Demon Lord, and King Wulun has always been at odds with the Demon Lord. Perhaps he doesn't want to see the Demon Lord's achievements increase further."

"What? King Wulun is at odds with the Demon Lord?" The Mermaid Queen was astonished. Their understanding of the demon race was still too limited; they hadn't known such high-level information.

However, she quickly realized that demons, being intelligent beings, would naturally possess human weaknesses.

Neither the Sea Race nor the Monster Race were monolithic; similar situations occurred everywhere.

But how did he know such high-level secrets?

Could he also be part of the demon race?

No, that wasn't right. His aversion to demons couldn't be faked, and Mogad clearly didn't recognize him earlier.

Mogad, being the third most important figure on the demon side, couldn't possibly be unaware of such a powerful existence within the demon world.

"Of course, there's also a second possibility," Zuan paused, slowly speaking as the Queen looked on in shock. "Perhaps the demon side never intended for you to pledge allegiance at all. They might just want to pacify you with an alliance first, and then find a way to deplete the Sea Race's strength."

"How would they deplete us?" the Mermaid Queen wondered. Both possibilities seemed plausible, and in either case, the demons clearly had malicious intentions.

"If it were me..." Zuan mused for a moment. "I would best use your Sea Race to fight the Monster Race to the death. While completely eradicating the Monster Race's last remaining strength, it would also severely weaken you, leaving you utterly powerless to resist any future commands from the demon race."

The Mermaid Queen was somewhat confused. "Though the Dragon King lacks backbone, he's certainly not a fool. He understands the principle that 'without the lips, the teeth will freeze.' He might put on a show of attacking the Monster Race, but he would never truly engage in a full-blown conflict, would he?"

She had known the Dragon King for many years. While she disliked his conduct, she had to admit he was truly capable.

"Normally, no," Zuan said coldly. "But what if Mogad successfully incites conflict between the Monster Race and the Sea Race? For example, by using the previously captured Peacock Princess."

"Are you referring to that evil ritual from before?" The Mermaid Queen was startled.

"Yes, that's right. Before, I didn't know about the Peacock Princess. When I was in the Four-Directional Palace, I detected lingering array formations that seemed to be for brainwashing or control," Zuan said gravely. "After combining that with various pieces of information, I suspect Mogad most likely used that ritual to temporarily control the Peacock Princess."

"Consider this: if the Peacock Princess, harboring resentment over the failed alliance, were to cause various forms of sabotage within the Sea Race—for instance, by assassinating important figures—what do you think the Sea Race's reaction would be?"