"My Lord requests immediate execution by beheading, followed by a Spirit Master performing a rite to capture Jin Buhui's nascent soul and confine it within his skull!"

A sudden hush fell over the hall, and the gazes of everyone present turned toward Shi Yue, tinged with unmistakable oddity.

If they hadn't misheard, the speaker was indeed this man.

Shi Yue, however, remained entirely unconcerned, continuing with composed self-possession: "This man is so wildly arrogant, so utterly disrespectful to his sovereign and father. To simply kill him would be far too lenient. Since Your Majesty intends to display his severed head atop the city walls so that Jin Buhui may witness the revival of Great Shang, we might as well preserve his soul so he can watch firsthand whether Great Shang truly perishes within three years. I, too, wish to know if his claim of being 'unrepentant' truly stands."

Yin Yu listened quietly. Initially, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes. A moment later, that expression shifted to one tinged with mockery as he observed Shi Yue with a playful amusement: "Shi Yue, you are trying to save his life? What an elaborate effort! I also hear that your relationship with Zong Shou was actually quite good in the past—a mutual admiration, perhaps?"

Shi Yue remained silent. This was the only thing he could do for Jin Buhui. He had never forgotten the debt he owed Zong Shou years ago, and this might be his sole chance to repay it.

"As you wish, it shall be done!"

Just as the atmosphere in the hall began to feel oppressively tense, Yin Yu suddenly chuckled: "However, this child Jin Buhui, I hate him deeply! Such a traitor who collaborates with the enemy must be executed. It is acceptable to keep his nascent soul, but we cannot let him have an easy time of it. Instead, subject him to the Soul-Rending Torture every seven days—"

Shi Yue's expression finally shifted slightly. He knew the matter was settled and could not be changed; any further persuasion from him would be futile. Yin Yu was astute and wise, not some fool easily deceived.

But this meant that if Zong Shou could not rescue him, Jin Buhui might face a fate worse than death for centuries to come.

Even if he managed to escape miraculously, his path to further cultivation would be utterly blocked.

With a sigh, Shi Yue retreated to his original position. His eyes lowered in solemn reverence; he spoke no more.

The one thing he had not anticipated was that, following the defeat in the Southern Border and the acquisition of the Twelve Imperial Bronze Men, Yin Yu had completely shed his former image of benevolence and mercy.

At this moment, another official stepped forward from the ranks of the court—it was a Vice Minister from the Ministry of Rites.

"Your Majesty, the envoy from Great Qian has already arrived in the Imperial Capital, seeking an audience. He reports that the Dark World Demonic Court is attacking the Tianfang World, and their advance force is less than ten days from the Cloud Realm. At this juncture, Great Qian and Great Shang share a relationship where the loss of one means the peril of the other. He begs an audience to implore Your Majesty to dispatch troops to jointly resist the Night Demon Grand Army, preventing the flames of alien warfare from reaching the Cloud Realm!"

"Seeking aid?"

Yin Yu seemed slightly intrigued, asking with curiosity, "With Zong Shou's arrogant nature, he is actually willing to lower himself to ask Great Shang for help?"

The Vice Minister of Rites bowed once before meticulously detailing the situation: "The Lord of Great Qian has been missing for several days now, and there is still no word. We only know he still lives, but his exact condition remains unknown. This Great Qian envoy must have been sent under the command of the Great Qian Cabinet."

"Under the Cabinet's command? Then why has Minister Li not yet expelled him from the Imperial Capital? Does he agree with his words? The danger is real, does Minister Li find that argument compelling?"

Yin Yu’s chilling counter-question instantly drained the color from the face of the official surnamed Li.

Zuo Xin, the Censor-in-Chief of the Left, let out a cold sneer: "Only now do they remember to seek aid from Great Shang? Yet, in the past, we never saw Zong Shou show the slightest mercy toward our Great Shang armies. If we help them now, allowing Great Qian to recover, will they not turn around and use their forces against us again?"

The Vice Minister Li was helpless, trembling with fear and shame: "It is my own lack of consideration, Your Majesty, please forgive my offense! I heard that the Dark World Demonic Court possesses legions of soldiers, controls four hundred worlds, and maintains seventy military districts. In years past, they swept through the Cloud Realm, successively pressuring three Saint Emperors of our realm to their deaths. Great Qian lies in the Central Plains, squarely in their path. Upon hearing of their invasion, they lost their composure."

"If the Tianfang World is lost, so be it. I have my own methods for repelling the Night Demons! Minister Li, you worry too much."

As Yin Yu spoke these words, he was already considering the matter internally. This official was too easily swayed, utterly unsuitable for the post of Vice Minister of Rites. He would be best placed in a sinecure without real power.

However, the very next moment, a line of script suddenly pierced his mind.

—His Majesty pretends to listen earnestly to counsel, but is in fact self-willed and stubborn, unwilling to heed unwelcome advice. He often regards his subjects as mere pawns to be used, rather than pillars of support.

This was one of the many remarks Jin Buhui had recorded in the memorial Zuo Xin had just presented.

Yin Yu’s complexion instantly turned sickly white. He momentarily abandoned the thought of reprimanding or dismissing the official, instead stating gravely, "However, it is not impossible for Great Shang to dispatch troops! But Zong Shou must first hand over the Five Continents of Jiangnan that he occupies, and also cede the Nanfeng Yun Continent, and then I will consider sending aid!"

After a slight hesitation, he continued with a cold laugh: "Furthermore, I have seen that his beloved consort, Kong Yao, is devastatingly beautiful, unparalleled in the mortal realm. I have been missing her presence recently. She should be sent to the capital as a hostage—"

Before the words were finished, all the assembled ministers stared at Yin Yu above them, their expressions veiled with unconcealed shock.

This statement, by all accounts, should never have left the mouth of a wise ruler.

They all felt that this Yuan Chen Emperor seemed somehow different, subtly altered from his former self. His methods in dealing with Jin Buhui, and his words just now, were unlike the Yuan Chen of old.

Zuo Xin also showed a hint of confusion and instinctively moved to offer counsel.

But the next instant, he saw the cold, sharp gaze of the Yuan Chen Emperor sweep over him—a gaze of such intense frostiness that it chilled him to the bone. He immediately fell silent, lowering his head. Provoking Yin Yu at this juncture would be supremely unwise.

These terms were extremely harsh. Yin Yu’s intention was likely just to humiliate Zong Shou and vent some personal grievance. Thinking it over, it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. If Great Qian truly agreed, only Great Qian and Zong Shou would be shamed.

Shi Yue, watching from the side, seemed to grasp something. Was this perhaps a consequence of Yin Yu having devoured the Dragon Qi and the true spirit of the First Qin Emperor? History recorded the Qin Emperor’s tyranny for a reason. While Yin Yu’s kingly martial arts were currently formidable, his martial foundation was inherently weak; being influenced by the Qin Emperor’s true spirit was an expected outcome.

Legend says the Dragon has an inverse scale; touch it, and death follows! Zong Shou was undoubtedly a true Dragon, yet Yin Yu had, in two consecutive actions today, crossed Zong Shou's boundaries. Shi Yue wondered what reaction Zong Shou would exhibit.

Shi Yue shook his head, feeling that Jin Buhui hadn't been wrong after all. In trying to secure the destiny of Great Shang, he had lost his perspective. By indulging the court officials to win over the noble houses and the Confucian scholars, he had allowed rampant corruption to fester domestically. He could no longer see clearly, nor did he understand the plight of the common people. Even with the Twelve Imperial Bronze Men in hand, the popular support was lost. Famine plagued the land, and the few pockets of stability were crushed under the heavy taxes imposed by the powerful noble families and the imperial court, making survival unbearable.

It would take at least a decade of proper governance to untangle such affairs and secure the peace of the populace. To seek war again after only half a year seemed, to Shi Yue, utterly insane.

Conversely, Great Qian had fewer territories than Great Shang, yet levied light taxes. Should war truly break out again, they might not be the weaker side. In a moment of crisis, they could quickly double their forces. Zong Shou, calling upon the people as a Sacred King to resist the Night Demon Army, would likely command universal allegiance, his prestige even greater than before. Any discerning person knew what a great catastrophe the arrival of the Night Demon Army would spell for the Cloud Realm. Had Yin Yu grown too complacent, believing the Twelve Imperial Bronze Men afforded him absolute security? With an unstable foundation, possessing such divine artifacts might ultimately fail to stabilize the nation’s destiny.

However, in this moment, Yin Yu did possess the confidence of one who felt unassailable. Unless Zong Shou could expel the Night Demons or ascend to the Absolute Realm, he truly was powerless against Yin Yu.

As he pondered this, he heard another official speak from the ranks: "In the battle at Fallen Dragon Plain in the Southern Border, that scoundrel Zong Shou acted despicably! He annihilated nine-tenths of Great Shang’s elite forces. I propose rebuilding the Imperial Guard and training a million Dao Soldiers!"

Immediately, someone objected: "A million Dao Soldiers? Where does Great Shang currently have such wealth? Famine strikes all regions and requires relief. Military uprisings must be suppressed everywhere. While the Spiritual Tide has risen in recent years, droughts are absent, yet floods occur frequently, and river embankments are in disrepair. All of this demands funds—"

"The battle in the Southern Border requires provisioning for the armies at Hundred Victory Pass! The reserves of the Ministry of Revenue are completely depleted. We truly cannot afford it!"

"That's not entirely true! The national taxes still possess some leeway. A slight increase should be acceptable; surely the citizens of Great Shang would willingly contribute to the nation. At most, in two or three years, we can lower the taxes to allow the people to rest and recover!"

"We don't even need to touch taxation! Great Shang possesses countless mineral resources. In recent years, the court has lost track, allowing the majority of these to fall into the hands of various noble houses and powerful families. Worse still are the corrupt officials manipulating things from top to bottom. If the court conducts a thorough investigation and rectification, it will surely yield funds for raising an army!"

Shi Yue listened quietly, stealing a glance at the Yuan Chen Emperor. He saw Yin Yu listening with a blank expression, yet his eyes held a cold mockery. Shi Yue's heart stirred: Could this entire scene be a deliberate arrangement by the Yuan Chen Emperor?

His heart sank again, and Shi Yue secretly shook his head. Whether it was intentional or not, this indicated that Yin Yu was prepared to move against the great families and the powerful regional governors. While not entirely wrong, it was perhaps too hasty, and he lacked self-awareness.

But this matter no longer concerned him, and Shi Yue had no desire to offer further counsel. Things had reached this point; he was disillusioned and weary. To still speak of loyalty to the sovereign now would simply be pedantic folly.

The discussion about conscription lasted for about half an hour before concluding.

Next came the deliberation regarding the Crown Prince, Yin Han, who had not been seen for seven days, his fate unknown. It was only known that several days prior, he had also entered the Qin Emperor’s tomb.

Yin Yu appeared anxious and sorrowful, expressing a few words of concern. Yet, for some reason, Shi Yue felt that the Yuan Chen Emperor did not actually care about Yin Han’s life or death; in fact, he seemed pleased by it. A moment’s reflection confirmed the reason: having devoured the Qin Emperor’s Dragon Qi and true spirit, Yin Yu had extended his lifespan and could rule for another two centuries—what need was there then for a Crown Prince?

While the officials were debating, Shi Yue suddenly felt a profound awareness. He immediately channeled his spiritual energy to his eyes and peered through the layers of obstruction toward a distant spot.

Outside the palace gate, he saw a man clad in a black robe, possessing a strange, captivating charm, standing there.

"I, Li Biexue, am here to take up the position of Grand Preceptor of Great Shang—"

Shi Yue’s pupils constricted violently, then he broke into a silent, knowing laugh. It was the Supreme Primordial Demon! No wonder! This was the true reason Yin Yu dared to act so brazenly, unafraid of backlash from the noble houses.