"Elder He, the War Faction has always been hostile toward the human race. If only War Faction members go, I'm afraid there may be misunderstandings inside the Dragon King's tomb. I think it would be best to send members of the Peace Faction as well," Yaojiao Guang said to Elder He.
"Yaojiao Guang, what exactly do you mean by that? Don't you trust me?" the War Faction elder said, clearly displeased.
"I'm sure Yaojiao Guang doesn't mean that. But the fact that your War Faction is hostile toward the human race is well known — surely you're aware of that?" Elder He said.
"Fine, then you go too." The War Faction elder pointed at a first-rank Martial Emperor from the Peace Faction's Yaojiao Royal Beasts, then looked at Yaojiao Guang and said, "That should be good enough, right?"
"That would naturally be fine." In truth, Yaojiao Guang was still not satisfied. After all, the War Faction was sending a second-rank Martial Emperor and two first-rank Martial Emperors, while the Peace Faction was only sending a single first-rank Martial Emperor.
If something truly happened, that lone Martial Emperor from the Peace Faction would be utterly unable to control the situation. But the other party was an elder, and he himself was a clan master in name only — he simply didn't have enough authority. It would have to do.
"Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning, we will open the Dragon King's tomb. Yaojiao Guang, Yaojiao Ba — you two come as well," the War Faction elder announced, and no one raised further objections.
It was only later that Chu Feng learned the Dragon King's tomb could only open on its own during one special day each year. At all other times, it remained sealed.
The only way to force it open was with the bloodline of a Yaojiao Royal Beast. However, doing so placed a considerable burden on the opener, which was why only the elders of the Elder Council, along with Yaojiao Guang and Yaojiao Ba, had ever performed the ritual.
The thought of entering the tomb of a bona fide Beast Emperor the next morning filled Chu Feng with excitement. What he did not know, however, was that a conspiracy revolving around him was already being plotted in secret...
Inside the palace of Yaojiao Ba — the de facto leader of the War Faction — the three Martial Emperors whom the War Faction elder had selected to accompany Yaojiao Tingyu and Chu Feng the following day were all present. Yaojiao Xueran was there as well.
"After we enter tomorrow, eliminate Chu Feng," Yaojiao Ba said.
"My lord, that hardly seems appropriate. Regardless of how we feel about him, Chu Feng is a guest of the Yaojiao Royal Beasts. To make a move against him within the clan — it simply doesn't sit right..." Upon hearing this, the three Martial Emperors were all startled.
"What doesn't sit right? The Dragon King is the greatest secret of our Yaojiao Royal Beasts. It must never be known to outsiders, or it will bring disaster."
"And now, three humans already know about it. Who can guarantee they won't spread the word?" Yaojiao Ba said.
"But even if we eliminate Chu Feng, the other two humans will still be alive?" a first-rank Martial Emperor asked, confused.
"Once Chu Feng is dealt with, I'll naturally find a way to make sure the other two humans die in there as well," Yaojiao Ba said.
"But Princess Tingyu will also be going. She'll surely stay close to Chu Feng, and I'm afraid we won't get an opportunity," one of the demon beasts said.
"Do I really need to teach you how to handle something like this?" A vicious glint flashed through Yaojiao Ba's eyes as he spoke.
"My lord, could you mean...?" At that moment, the expressions of all three Martial Emperors turned to one of horror.
"What is there to be afraid of? The dominion of the Yaojiao Royal Beasts will be ours sooner or later. The human race is a threat, but Yaojiao Tingyu is a threat as well. Seize this opportunity to eliminate that threat, and our War Faction can secure its grip on the next eight thousand years," Yaojiao Ba said.
"My lord, this..."
Hearing his words, the three Martial Emperors exchanged uncertain glances, hesitant.
Within the Yaojiao Royal Beasts, even though the Peace Faction and the War Faction had been locked in internal struggle for tens of thousands of years, there had never been an instance of outright fratricide.
Moreover, Yaojiao Tingyu was one of the most talented prodigies the Yaojiao Royal Beasts had ever produced. Perhaps in the future, she could elevate the clan to unprecedented heights. Asking them to kill Yaojiao Tingyu — they truly could not bring themselves to do it.
"Haven't we, the War Faction, been oppressed by the Peace Faction long enough for eight thousand years?"
"Haven't we lived in humiliation for eight thousand years? Will we continue to fade into obscurity for another eight thousand?"
"The elders are old — they can live for at most another thousand years. What level of cultivation will Yaojiao Tingyu have reached by then? Can you even imagine? At that point, even I may not be her equal. If she decides to seize the clan master's position, who could possibly stop her?"
"Even if she doesn't claim the title of clan master, if her cultivation becomes the strongest in the entire Yaojiao Royal Beast clan, then even with Xueran sitting as clan master, the real power will rest in her hands."
"Therefore, only by eliminating Yaojiao Tingyu can we secure Xueran's hold on the clan master's throne," Yaojiao Ba said.
At that moment, the three Martial Emperors began to waver. After exchanging a glance with Yaojiao Xueran, the second-rank Martial Emperor was the first to drop to his knees, saying, "For the honor of the War Faction, and for the future of the Royal Clan, I am willing to obey my lord's command." Right after, the other two Martial Emperors also sank to their knees.