Chapter 582: Advance or Retreat Impossible
"Right! Your seven clans must apologize to Senior Demon King!" "Even Domain Lord Qin, an elder of such seniority, took the initiative to publicly apologize. You, as the primary culprits, along with the matter of the Demon Emperor Seal… what reason do you have to refuse! Are you not afraid of becoming a laughingstock before the whole world!" "Clan Master Chiyang, it was your Chiyang Clan who sent people to our Southern Sea Domain to spread the slander about the Demon King… now that the truth is clear, even if your entire clan kneels before the Yun Family to apologize, it would not be excessive. And now, you refuse even to acknowledge your wrongdoing before the Demon King's remains!" "Do you feel no shame or guilt standing before the Demon King's remains! If that is the case, even though you are Guardian Clans, we will look down upon you!" ………………
Everyone who could enter the Yaohuang Hall was no fool. From what they had seen and heard today—the sharply divided camps, Huai Wang deliberately stirring up trouble, the arrogance and insolence of the seven clan masters and their all-too-obvious submission to Huai Wang, coupled with everything Yun Che had gradually exposed—how could they not sense something unusual in the air? The clearest point was… the seven clans had joined forces to fiercely target the Yun Family, and a hundred years ago, they had united to incite and promote the crimes of the Demon King and the Yun Family. This was definitely premeditated, and might even conceal some conspiracy that they dared not think too deeply about.
These regional overlords, a hundred years ago, had become accomplices and pawns under the instigation of the seven clans. They had become sinners who slandered the loyal and righteous. Aside from feeling ashamed before the Demon King, how could they not be angry or resentful? But the other party was, after all, the seven Guardian Clans—they could not afford to provoke them. However, once someone took the lead and the crowd followed suit, the situation would naturally become completely different.
===『Record of the Demon King's Heavenly Tribulation Comic yaowen8./』===. Qin Zheng's words were like a stone cast into the sea, but they stirred up a thousand layers of waves. The domain lords, city lords, and regional overlords all glared at the seven clans with anger, hurling furious words. For a moment, the entire Yaohuang Hall was filled with condemnations of the seven clans, and the shouts grew louder and more intense with each passing moment.
The faces of the seven clan masters were all twitching violently. Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads, and their hearts felt as if they were weighed down by a massive boulder. Even being harshly scolded and reprimanded by the Demon Emperor would not have brought them such pressure. But the people now pointing fingers at them—any one of them would normally have to bow their heads before the seven clans, considered lowly beings in their eyes—when united, they represented the will of the people of the world and the entire Huan Yao Realm!
"Prince Huai… what… what should we do?" The seven clan masters all sent voice transmissions to Huai Wang in panic, cold sweat pouring from their entire bodies. They were painfully aware that if this situation was not handled well today, their ten-thousand-year prestige would plummet, and they might even become the target of public criticism in the Huan Yao Realm.
Huai Wang's teeth were almost ground to powder. In terms of the power he controlled, he had indeed surpassed Xiao Yaohou after years of scheming. But the primary reason he had hesitated to act was precisely the will of the people of the world—something he had dreamed of seeping into his grasp over the years. Today's grand ceremony of the Demon Empress, with all the heroes of the realm gathered, was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for! His ambition was to put his plans into action today. Little did he expect that before his plan even began, it had been completely shattered by Yun Che… but this was not the end. Before he could react, the will of the people had unexpectedly aligned with the Yun Family. The seven Guardian Clans, which he had paid a huge price to control, had instantly become the target of public criticism.
The century-long slander against the Yun Family had not only failed to drive them out of the Guardian Clans as he had wished, but had instead aroused guilt, self-reproach, and anger among the heroes of the realm. The public support he most wanted to control had not only failed to favor him but had turned completely against him. His plan had barely begun, and it had already collapsed utterly, leaving him in a humiliating state—something he had never dreamed of before.
He gritted his teeth and said in a low, heavy voice, "What else can you do! Go and apologize to that corpse… are you waiting to be drowned by the spittle of the world!!"
At this point, apologizing to Yun Canghai's remains was something they had to do whether they wanted to or not. If they did not, the consequences would be too severe for even the Guardian Clans to bear. So the seven clan masters simultaneously gritted their teeth, pushed through the layers of people, and flew to the front of Yun Canghai's remains… then, with immense difficulty, knelt on one knee.
The Yaohuang Hall fell silent. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the seven men. To Helian Kuang and the others, these looks were like staring at criminals on trial, making them feel extremely uncomfortable. None of the seven had ever imagined that as clan masters of Guardian Clans, they would one day find themselves in such a predicament.
Helian Kuang clenched his teeth, then took a deep breath and tried his best to show a calm and composed expression. Bowing his head before Yun Canghai's remains, he said, "Senior Demon King, I was once blinded by a leaf, foolish for a time, thinking I was acting for the sake of the entire Huan Yao Realm. Little did I know I had committed such a grave mistake. I hereby apologize to Senior Demon King."
Although Helian Kuang was apologizing, he downplayed his "crime" to the extreme, turning it into a momentary folly for the sake of the Huan Yao Realm. Yun Che sneered inwardly but said nothing.
Chiyang Bailie, Jiufang Kui, Bai Yi, Nangong Yan, Xiao Xifeng, and Lin Guiyan also stepped forward to apologize, reciting the same words as Helian Kuang. When the seven clan masters rose, their faces were as black as if they had just crawled out of a pot bottom. They glanced at Yun Che from the corners of their eyes, wishing they could tear him to pieces with their teeth.
Although the seven men's "confession" was clearly insincere, as leaders of Guardian Clans, they had publicly bowed to Yun Canghai's remains. Naturally, the crowd could no longer voice any condemnation. Yun Che silently looked at Yun Canghai's peaceful remains, his heart filled with a mix of calm and bitterness… Grandfather, the vindication of the Yun Family is not my doing. If you had not stubbornly guarded the Demon Emperor Seal for a hundred years, if your loyalty had not been as clear as the sun and moon, even with my greatest abilities, I could never have won the hearts of the world for the Yun Family. It was also Grandfather who gave his life in exchange for my chance to see the light again… And all I can do for Grandfather is this much… not even a fraction of your kindness…
"Hehe, the seven clan masters personally knelt to apologize to the Demon King. Although it was only fitting, it is enough to show their extraordinary magnanimity and grace!" Huai Wang stepped forward calmly, expressing praise for the seven who had clearly committed a grave mistake and were despised by all, his expression as peaceful as if he had nothing to do with it at all. He looked at Yun Che and said unhurriedly, "Yun Che, the seven clan masters have set aside their dignity to kneel and apologize to the Demon King. This has completely fulfilled your wish! Now, you should return the Demon Emperor Seal to Xiao Yaohou, correct?"
"It seems Prince Huai's memory is not very good!" Yun Che glanced sidelong and said indifferently, "I clearly stated before that if you wanted me to return the Demon Emperor Seal, these seven men must first kneel and repent before my grandfather, and then they must swear allegiance to Xiao Yaohou! I haven't seen them swear allegiance to Xiao Yaohou!"
Huai Wang's brow furrowed. He said in a deep voice, "Yun Che, this prince and the seven clan masters have been lenient and compromising with you, considering you a junior and the descendant of the Demon King. Don't push us too far…"
Huai Wang and the seven clan masters were indeed being lenient and compromising, but unless one was blind, it was clear they were not willing—they were forced to be lenient and compromise under Yun Che's relentless pressure. To have the seven clan masters publicly swear allegiance to Xiao Yaohou seemed like no big deal to others… because as members of the Guardian Clans, loyalty to Xiao Yaohou was their natural duty. But Huai Wang knew very well Yun Che's purpose!
Yun Che wanted them to swear allegiance… and with a poison oath: "If we rebel, may our descendants be slaves and prostitutes for a thousand generations"! If they swore such a poison oath, it would undoubtedly plant a poisonous nail in the hearts of the seven clan masters. If they continued to follow Huai Wang in rebellion in the future, it would be a curse on themselves and their posterity. Moreover, with the heroes of the world as witnesses today, the poison oath of the seven clan masters would be remembered in the Huan Yao Realm. This not only disgusted the seven clan masters but also disgusted Huai Wang himself!
And if the seven clan masters refused, it would directly tell the world that they had a guilty conscience… Not to mention Yun Che, anyone with a bit of eloquence could easily pin an ironclad charge on the seven clan masters. Yun Che's move was such that advancing would be disgusting, and retreating would also be disgusting… it was even more vicious than a devil's curse.
"Am I pushing things too far?" As expected, as soon as Huai Wang's words left his mouth, Yun Che's counterattack came instantly: "May I ask Prince Huai, in what way am I pushing things too far? As the leaders of the Guardian Clans, it is only natural and just for them to pledge loyalty to Xiao Yaohou! They have been loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan for ten thousand years, and now I am only asking them to voice their oath of continued loyalty! This not only gives them a chance to reaffirm their loyalty to Xiao Yaohou but also allows the Demon Emperor Seal to return. This is the simplest thing in the world, with no excess or difficulty at all!! So where is the pushing too far?"
Huai Wang's chest heaved violently. He knew very well that Yun Che would say such things, and he also knew that before the heroes of the world, these words were simply irrefutable… The Guardian Clans exist to serve the Demon Emperor Clan—this was common knowledge in the Huan Yao Realm. If any Guardian Clan betrayed the Demon Emperor Clan, it would undoubtedly incur the scorn and hostility of the entire Huan Yao Realm.
Huai Wang's mind raced. He forced himself to say, "The Guardian Clans have been loyal to the Demon Emperor for ten thousand years without any dissent. The whole world knows this! Yet you want these seven clan masters to swear a poison oath of loyalty—this is clearly a slander and desecration of their loyalty! Hmph, all so-called oaths in this world are nothing but empty words. If they truly had treacherous intentions, even a hundred times more vicious oath would mean nothing!"
"Prince Huai is absolutely right!" Yun Che nodded with a faint smile. "Since even a poison oath is just empty words, then casually shouting a few empty words would both show loyalty and allow the Demon Emperor Seal to return to Xiao Yaohou's hands. I think no one would have any reason to refuse, right? Then why did Prince Huai just accuse me of pushing things too far?"
"…" Huai Wang was instantly speechless.
"Heh…" Yun Che sneered. "If I had demanded that they swear on behalf of their entire clan, that would indeed be a bit excessive. After all, even as clan masters, they cannot represent or decide the will of every member of their clan. But what I ask for is merely for themselves! If these seven clan masters are truly loyal to Xiao Yaohou, then even if the oath were a thousand times more vicious, they would face it calmly, without the slightest hesitation or panic! On the contrary, they would gladly take this opportunity to express their loyalty to Xiao Yaohou before the heroes of the world!"
"If they resist and panic even at this… heh, doesn't that tell everyone here that they have guilty consciences! If they swear this oath, will it become a curse upon themselves!!"
"And also!" Without waiting for Huai Wang or the seven clan masters to speak, Yun Che suddenly raised his hand, pointing at Huai Wang, and furrowed his brows. "Prince Huai, I truly don't understand. Something so simple and so beneficial to the Huan Yao Demon Emperor Clan—as a commandery prince, you should be happy to see it. Yet you are speaking out to obstruct it. Could it be that you, Prince Huai…"
Yun Che's words stopped there, but anyone could understand what he meant. After a brief pause, Yun Che's expression and tone changed simultaneously. "Prince Huai, although I am only a junior, I still have a word of advice for you… In this Huan Yao Realm, if anyone rebels against the Demon Emperor, even if they are from a Guardian Clan, at worst they will be cursed by others. But if you, Prince Huai… or any of the royal clans here harbor rebellious intentions, even the heavens will not tolerate it!"
Among the eastern seats, all the royal clan members changed color. Prince Zhong said in a deep voice, "Yun Che… what do you mean by that!"
"Is it so hard for Prince Zhong to understand?" Yun Che squinted slightly and said with extreme solemnity, "As everyone knows, it was the Founding Demon Emperor who unified the Huan Yao Realm, ending millennia of endless chaos and bringing ten thousand years of peace. And those who accompanied the Founding Demon Emperor through countless battles to unify the Huan Yao were the twelve Guardian Clans! Ten thousand years ago, the twelve Guardian Clans were the Founding Demon Emperor's arms, and over these ten thousand years, they have remained the Demon Emperor's protective barrier. Their merits are illustrious. The Guardian Clans have earned their current status and prestige."
"But you royal clans—simply because you inherit a trace of the Demon Emperor's bloodline, you are born as noble royalty, enjoying the most exalted status, the best resources, and riches and honors that commoners dare not even dream of in a lifetime. You have never had to make any contribution, let alone shed blood in battle! And all of this is because you have the bloodline of the Demon Emperor Clan—it is the Demon Emperor Clan's gift to you!!"
"You may enjoy all this with peace of mind, but you must not forget who brought all this to you! Nor must you have the slightest rebellious intent; otherwise, you are ungrateful and unpardonable by heaven!"
"And now, the Demon Emperor Clan is facing its greatest calamity in ten thousand years. The Former Demon Emperor is dead, the Little Demon Emperor is dead, leaving only Xiao Yaohou to support everything… and yet, because she is a woman, she faces countless doubts. You royal clans have enjoyed ten thousand years of blessings from the Demon Emperor bloodline. Now, when the Demon Emperor bloodline is in unprecedented trouble, isn't this the best opportunity for you to repay the Demon Emperor bloodline!"
"And if, at this time, any member of the royal clans, instead of fully supporting and assisting Xiao Yaohou, harbors treacherous intentions—then they have truly lost all conscience, are worse than beasts, and are so ugly and shameless that they deserve to be struck by heavenly lightning!"
(End of Chapter)