Chapter 175 - 101: Zhao Ci: Ha? I’ve Become the Demon Monarch?

Chapter 175: Chapter 101: Zhao Ci: Ha? I’ve Become the Demon Monarch?

The Demon Sect Headquarters.

Only the highest-ranking members of the Demon Sect were permitted to enter.

Among them, the most esteemed were, naturally, the Saintess and the Four Guardians.

Normally, Gu Xiangzhu was in the Imperial Palace, while the other three Dharma Protectors managed their own factions at important sub-branches. The daily operations of the Main Altar were maintained by Huangfu Song, whose territory was close to Lingge, and the loyalists left behind by the Saint Monarch.

But just a few days ago, Huangfu Song had sent an urgent, secret message to the other three Dharma Protectors, telling them to rush to the Main Altar as soon as possible.

At first, they thought Huangfu Song’s message was fake. After all, the Saint Monarch had been missing for twenty years, and the Divine Pupa Fragment he left behind had been dormant for just as long. Many suspected the Saint Monarch was actually dead.

But when they arrived and saw it, they found that while the Divine Pupa Fragment hadn’t changed much, it had gained a trace of spiritual energy, which filled them with excitement.

And the violent eruption of the Divine Cocoon just now was definitive proof: the Divine Cocoon had connected with the Saint Monarch.

Lord Saint Monarch!

He must still be alive!

It was just...

Why did it feel like the Lord Saint Monarch was cursing them?

The Four Guardians couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

’After all, the four of us are the most loyal.’

’Even if he is going to curse someone...’

’...it should be that rebellious woman, Gu Xiangzhu!’

’Forget it.’

’Let’s not dwell on it for now.’

One of them asked, "Huangfu Song, have you found the Saint Monarch?"

"No!"

Huangfu Song said gravely, "We have no idea what this Divine Cocoon even is. The Saint Monarch only ever mentioned it in passing. We don’t know its function, so how could we possibly use it to find someone?"

The four fell silent. It was true.

Back then, the Saint Monarch had only said that the Divine Cocoon was a god-tier talent for Demon Cultivators, and that every time it hatched, it would undergo a qualitative transformation.

But he never provided any specific details.

The Divine Cocoon’s halo had dimmed considerably, as if from the violent exertion just now, and it settled back onto the Lotus Platform.

Someone asked doubtfully, "Since the Lord Saint Monarch has reappeared, why won’t he see us?"

Huangfu Song’s face was grim. "The Lord Saint Monarch has his reasons for not showing himself. Perhaps... he hasn’t recovered his full strength and is staying hidden because he’s wary of someone."

Everyone nodded. That explanation was plausible.

The enemies the Saint Monarch made back then were all now formidable figures in their own right.

The Holy Sect had been forced to lie low for so many years precisely because of the pressure from these individuals.

Just then, someone knocked on the hall’s doors.

The Four Guardians frowned, and one called out sharply, "Who is it?"

"Me."

A woman’s voice came from outside the doors.

The Four Guardians exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

Huangfu Song cleared his throat. "Miss Shuimo, please come in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the great stone doors of the hall rumbled open.

A young woman wearing a flowing ink-wash dress, her face as lovely as a painted masterpiece, entered gracefully.

The girl looked impossibly young, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years old.

But the Four Guardians didn’t dare show the slightest disrespect.

This was because Miss Shuimo was none other than the Saintess’s personal handmaiden from long ago. She now managed the Saint Monarch’s loyalists who remained at the Main Altar.

So many years had passed, yet her appearance hadn’t changed at all.

Within the sect, she had never been one to vie for power.

For this reason, the Saintess and the Four Guardians treated her with considerable respect.

Shuimo walked forward slowly. She looked at the Divine Cocoon with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, then glanced at the men, her brow furrowing slightly. "Why isn’t Gu Xiangzhu here?"

Huangfu Song replied in a low voice, "I did not inform her!"

"Oh!"

Shuimo gave a faint nod, then turned to leave. "In that case, we can talk once she arrives."

Hmm?

’Does she have business with us?’

Huangfu Song hurriedly said, "Miss Shuimo, if there’s something you need to say, you can tell us directly!"

Shuimo stopped and shook her head. "The Saint Monarch said that some matters can only be discussed when the Saintess and the Four Guardians are all present."

Huangfu Song’s gaze sharpened. He had a growing feeling that something major was happening. Otherwise, why would Shuimo seek them out right after the Divine Cocoon’s eruption?

He quickly pressed, "Even if Gu Xiangzhu has turned traitor and might pose a threat to the Saint Monarch, Miss Shuimo will still wait for her return?"

Shuimo’s delicate brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"Miss Shuimo, you must be aware of what our sub-branch in the Northern Three Prefectures has suffered, correct?"

"I am."

Shuimo nodded slightly. While she didn’t interfere in the affairs of the various sub-branches, the Lingge Sub-Branch was right under her nose, so she was naturally aware of their current difficulties.

Huangfu Song took a deep breath. "I was preparing a gift to celebrate the Lord Saint Monarch’s return, which required taking a few risks. The plan was meticulous, and I was certain I could obtain the gift without too great a cost.

But Gu Xiangzhu acted willfully, not only preventing me from presenting my gift to the Saint Monarch...

...but, knowing full well that the Saint Monarch’s return was imminent, she murdered seventeen of my subordinates overnight, successfully shifting the suspicion onto me.

Now, my men are being forced to withdraw from the Lingge Sub-Branch. Our main base of operations, built up over many years, is lost just like that!

Tell me, Miss Shuimo, does that not count as turning traitor?"

Hearing this, the other Dharma Protectors couldn’t help but feel a little schadenfreude. After all, ever since the Saint Monarch left, the Saintess and the Four Guardians had never seen eye to eye and had been busy building their own power bases. They wouldn’t have minded seeing Huangfu Song suffer a setback.

But right now, Huangfu Song was clearly not the one they should be kicking while he was down.

The three of them put on angry expressions.

"That Gu Xiangzhu is truly outrageous!"

"Back in the day, out of everyone in the Holy Sect, she was the one who listened to the Saint Monarch’s orders the least. She must have developed traitorous intentions by now."

"To harm our own comrades like this... her heart is truly wicked."

In truth, their own conflicts with Gu Xiangzhu weren’t that significant.

But now, Shuimo was clearly about to announce news regarding the Saint Monarch’s return. This was a golden opportunity for them to earn merit, so of course they would take any chance to eliminate a rival.