Chapter 309 - 300: A Court Full of Demons, a Supreme Great Demon! Who Says the Blue Banner Cannot Be the Royal Banner?

Chapter 309: Chapter 300: A Court Full of Demons, a Supreme Great Demon! Who Says the Blue Banner Cannot Be the Royal Banner?

「Twenty minutes later, in the central hall of the Mu Mansion.」

Having returned to his normal form, Fu Juemin had changed into a sapphire blue silk robe and was seated high upon the Taishi Chair, in the seat of honor.

One hand propped up his cheek while the other toyed with a heavy, black Profound Iron Token covered in intricate carvings. His posture was the picture of casual indifference.

Below him, Mu Feng knelt respectfully on the ground, head bowed, flanked by two of the Mu Family’s Martial Tributors.

"Doctor of the Water Clock for the Astronomical Bureau, concurrently managing affairs of yin and yang, Admiral, and Nine Nether Messenger..."

Fu Juemin stopped examining the Profound Iron Token in his hand, his gaze sweeping carelessly over the three men below. "That’s certainly a mouthful of a title."

"Among the Demon Fiends kept as Tributors by the various clans of the Yingjing Nine Banners, what level was your family’s Admiral?"

Mu Feng replied respectfully, "He held the official rank of Junior Fifth Grade."

"Ridiculous."

Fu Juemin couldn’t help but shake his head. "A Junior Fifth Grade Admiral?"

"The Official Rank is based on power... As for the title..."

Mu Feng gave a somewhat awkward smile and trailed off.

’But Fu Juemin understood. The Official Rank was based on the power of the Demon Fiend each family kept as a Tributor. The actual titles, however, were just for appearances—empty bluster.’

’These people from the Nine Banners of the Previous Dynasty are truly obsessed with restoring their fallen empire.’

’It wasn’t enough for them to feed living humans to Demon Fiends; they even went so far as to bestow official ranks and noble titles upon these fiends and evil spirits. If all the Nine Banner families were like this, it would be a literal "court of monsters"!’

"If that’s the system, then there must be quite a few grades above your family’s Admiral."

Fu Juemin gazed at the Profound Iron Token in his hand and spoke slowly, "Among the Demon Fiends kept as Tributors by the Nine Banner families, what rank does the most powerful one hold?"

"That would be the Golden Rice King Banner, the Wuhuan Jin Clan."

Mu Feng answered, "The Royal Banner’s Wuhuan Jin Clan keeps a Supreme Marquis Great Demon as their Tributor."

’A Supreme Great Demon!’

Fu Juemin straightened up slightly, his eyes narrowing involuntarily.

’The Mu Family’s Yin Crow, according to Gu Shouyu’s system of classification, should be considered Elephant Level.’

’Among all the Demon Fiends he’d killed so far, it was probably just a notch weaker than the Medicinal Toad from the Toad Palace.’

’An Elephant Level Demon Fiend is only considered Junior Fifth Grade?’

’Then what level would a Super Grade Demon Fiend be?’

’Flood Dragon Level?’

’Or maybe...’

’Dragon Level?!’

A flicker of light passed through Fu Juemin’s eyes, but his expression remained impassive. "What kind of Demon Fiend is the Wuhuan Jin Clan’s Supreme Marquis?"

"I don’t know."

Mu Feng shook his head.

"Hmm?"

Fu Juemin frowned.

Mu Feng’s face went pale. He said hurriedly, "I truly don’t know! The Top Royal Banner has always had very little contact with us Lower Five Banners. We rarely even see them."

"I only know that among the Upper Three Banners, the Profound Banner Helers’ Tributor is a Senior First Grade Ghost Flood Dragon, and the Purple Banner Jiasu Clan has a Second Grade Deer Demon..."

Mu Feng was clearly terrified of Fu Juemin. The words came tumbling out as he spilled everything he knew about the Demon Fiend Tributors of the Upper Three Banners and the Royal Banner.

However, just as he had said, he really didn’t know much.

With every Demon Fiend Tributor of the Upper Three Banners that Mu Feng named, Fu Juemin felt a flicker of interest.

"That’s enough."

After hearing him out, Fu Juemin slowly set down the Yin Crow’s Admiral Token. He waved a hand dismissively and said, "We can discuss this later."

"First, let’s talk about the matter between us."

As Fu Juemin sat up straight, the light in the vast hall seemed to dim, as if an invisible shadow were rising from behind him, spreading silently across the ceiling.

The three men below immediately shrank back, their postures becoming even more deferential.

Fu Juemin looked down upon Mu Feng. "My proposal," he began calmly, "what have you decided?"

Mu Feng kept his head low, his face pale and his eyes shifting nervously.

After a moment, he kowtowed, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "My Mu Family has lost the Yin Crow, so the Admiral’s position is vacant. That you would allow us to become your Tributors... it’s more than the Mu Family could ever hope for."

"But... but..."

Mu Feng suddenly gave a bitter laugh. "But with the Mu Family’s power and resources, I’m afraid we simply can’t afford to be the Tributors for a... a Transformation Level Great Demon like you!"

’Even now, Mu Feng had no idea what Fu Juemin meant by "Transformation Realm."’

’He didn’t even know if this handsome, aristocratic young man was a human or a genuine Demon.’

’But regardless, judging by Fu Juemin’s ability to instantly kill the Junior Fifth Grade Yin Crow, this "Transformation Realm" he mentioned had to be at least Fourth Grade or higher.’

’How could the Mu Family possibly afford to be Tributors to a Great Demon of the Fourth Grade or higher?’

’The entire Blue Banner combined might barely be enough.’

So, in that sense, he wasn’t wrong.

But he never expected that after he finished speaking, a placid voice would drift down from the head of the hall.

"Don’t worry. I don’t require Human Pill offerings..."

"Huh?.."

Hearing this, Mu Feng looked up in astonishment.

The handsome young man had already risen from the Taishi Chair and was now descending the steps one by one.

"Human Pills... only worthless Demon Fiends bother to eat those things."

"A Great Demon such as myself... when I feast, I feast on my own kind: other Demon Fiends."

Fu Juemin’s gaze fell upon Mu Feng. "Your Mu Family," he said casually, "only needs to provide me with three to five Demon Fiends on par with that Admiral Yin Crow each month, and I’ll consider your tribute fulfilled."

"What?!"

The moment Fu Juemin spoke, Mu Feng froze, stunned. Even the two Mu Family Martial Tributors kneeling on either side of him couldn’t help but raise their heads.

"I... I..."

Mu Feng’s expression was dumbfounded. He gaped, but no words came out.

By now, Fu Juemin had reached him. He placed a hand gently on Mu Feng’s shoulder. "Is that so difficult?" he asked, his voice soft.

"It’s not difficult at all, really."

"You just need to tell me which families within the Nine Banners keep which Demons, roughly what their power level is, and then help me coordinate things a little."

"What could be simpler?"

"As for the benefits..."

Fu Juemin swept his smiling gaze over the three men. "Your former Yin Crow ate its Human Pill tribute, and at most would carve a piece of its rotten flesh from its body for you to transplant."

"But I’m different. If I accept the Mu Family as my Tributors, I will naturally lift your family up with me."

"If I devour every Demon in the Blue Banner, the Mu Family will become the Blue Banner Lord."

"If I devour every Demon in the Lower Five Banners, the Mu Family will be the shared master of all five..."

GULP—

Mu Feng’s expression tightened, but his Adam’s apple bobbed convulsively.

Seeing this, Fu Juemin chuckled softly. He leaned down slightly and said in a low, slow voice that only they could hear, "And if my power manages to rise all the way to Super Grade..."

"...then among these vast Nine Banners, why... couldn’t the Blue Banner become the Top Royal Banner?"

BUZZ—!

As the words landed, Mu Feng’s mind went blank. He was completely stupefied.

For a long moment, he was too stunned by the sheer impact of Fu Juemin’s words to even think.

Seeing Mu Feng’s expression, a look of faint satisfaction touched Fu Juemin’s lips.

’Back in Taimei County, the moment he’d learned that every banner and clan of the former Nine Banners kept a Demon Fiend as a Tributor, Fu Juemin had already formulated a plan.’

’He cultivated by killing Demons, but you can’t get fat from a single bite.’

’Yingjing City, teeming with Demon Fiends, was his "Blessed Land Grotto Heaven," his personal "leveling zone." He had to make full use of it.’

’So he figured that once he got to Yingjing, he would pick a banner and clan at random, seize complete control over them, and then slowly nibble away at and consume the other eight banners.’

’If, in the process, he could provoke internal strife and get the Nine Banners to attack one another, all the better.’

’In any case, even if his actions caused some earth-shattering disaster, the only ones to die would be from the Nine Banners. He could eat his fill, have his fun, and then just walk away without a care.’

’Truly another brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.’

’Even before this conversation with Mu Feng and the other two began, Fu Juemin had already placed the Five Poison Life and Death Talisman on every single person in the Mu Mansion.’

’That was the threat. But to make the Blue Banner Mu Family genuinely commit to "doing great things" with him, threats alone weren’t enough. He needed to provide a lure.’

’He was dangling the positions of Blue Banner Lord, shared master of the Lower Five Banners, and even the Top Royal Banner to tempt Mu Feng—painting him a picture of a glorious, pie-in-the-sky future.’

’But this pie was poisoned!’

’He was forcing Mu Feng and the Mu Family to utterly betray the Nine Banners.’

’He didn’t know Mu Feng’s temperament, so he feared the man might not have the stomach for this particular pie—or the will to eat it.’

’So...’

’Fu Juemin decided to offer him another "grand prize"!’

’If he added this prize to the pot, Mu Feng would probably make up his mind.’

Thinking this, Fu Juemin removed his hand from Mu Feng’s shoulder and ordered in a flat tone, "Go and bring me my personal Human Servant."

Mu Feng blinked, asking instinctively, "Your Human Servant?"

"The person who came with me."

Fu Juemin walked back to the seat of honor at the head of the hall and sat down calmly in the rosewood Taishi Chair.

’Since he was now in the role of a Transformed Great Demon associating with mortals, wasn’t it only natural that anyone with him would be considered his "Human Servant"?’

.....