However, now that she had plans to move the Tree Court to the Flourishing Forest, the Black Bone Demon Clan occupying the southern corner of the forest could become an obstacle to the Tree Court's expansion at any time.
If she could paralyze this potential trouble in advance, Qimeng would naturally be more than happy to do so.
In any case, she currently held two trump cards, Baikui and the Corpse Princess, in her hands. She didn't care at all who ultimately ended up ruling the Black Bone Territory.
The First Young Master or the Second Young Master?
Anyone could win. As long as her inside agents held real power, any potential conflict could be nipped in the bud.
“The most perfect outcome would be for Baikui and the Corpse Princess to achieve great merit during this civil war. When the territories are divided, they can just allocate the piece of land I selected, serving as the landing site for the Tree Court.”
Qimeng propped up her little chin, lost in thought.
As for personally becoming the lord of the Black Bone Demon Clan?
“Tch, I don't have any good feelings toward the demon race. Dealing with a bunch of wild demons and ugly monsters every day makes my head hurt just thinking about it! And as for becoming some Demon King, I don't have such boring ambitions.”
Right then, the black magic book beside her, the Necro Notebook, glowed with magical light.
Through a magic contract array, the Corpse Princess, Camilla, transmitted several beautifully drawn maps.
“Hmm? Candidates for scenic locations around the Black Bone Territory?”
Qimeng casually took one, bit into a magic fruit, and began to make her selection.
“Looking at it, this lakeside forest is quite nice. There's actually a natural warm magic spring here. I'll build our new home near here when the time comes!”
At this moment, Qimeng was still unaware.
Far away at the headquarters in Black Bone City, Baikui had already begun secretly plotting to poison the old Demon Marquis!
“Once the Demon Marquis dies, those two idiot young masters will truly fight to the death. This way, we can present the Black Bone Territory as a gift to Master before she even moves the Tree Court over!”
Baikui let out a wild laugh, a fanatical, almost pathological spark of loyalty flashing in his eyes.
As a vassal whose very foundation was loyalty!
How could he keep his supreme Master waiting?!
Inside the castle of the Black Bone Demon Marquis.
“Halt, routine inspection.”
The Dominator Rank general responsible for guarding the Demon Marquis's castle stopped Baikui with a squad.
“Commander, this is the life potion I have found for my father.”
Baikui cupped his hands, stepping aside to reveal the two guards following behind him.
These two guards had their cloak hoods pulled low.
They were none other than Gaia and Elise in disguise!
The Dominator Rank general carefully inspected the potion held by Elise, which emanated a rich life aura. After confirming there was no poison or assassination runes, he waved them through.
“Go on in. Come out as soon as you are done, and do not disturb the Demon Marquis's rest.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Baikui lowered his head and sneered.
The three of them proceeded without any further obstacles, stepping into the inner palace of the castle.
Just as they entered the corridor, a gorgeous, voluptuous woman with a charming air walked up to greet them.
“Oh, Thirteenth Young Master, you've finally arrived~”
The beautiful woman was a favored concubine of the Black Bone Demon Marquis, and she cast a suggestive wink at Baikui.
“Hehe, I have kept you waiting, Madam.”
Baikui chuckled.
The two of them had clearly reached an unspeakable agreement.
Smiling, the woman handed Baikui a vial of highly toxic poison. Baikui took it casually, taking the opportunity to lightly stroke the soft back of her hand, eliciting a giggle from the beautiful woman.
He then mixed the poison into the bottle of life potion.
A man dressed in servant's attire stood behind the woman.
Baikui stepped forward, pulled back the man's hood, and examined him. Surprisingly, in terms of build, appearance, and aura, he was an eighty to ninety percent match for the bedridden Black Bone Demon Marquis!
“The body double is perfect. The stage has been set.”
Baikui put on a black mask, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
“Come, let us go see our esteemed Lord Demon Marquis one last time.”
He pushed open a carved door.
A decaying aura of death permeated the bedroom.
On the sickbed, the Black Bone Demon Marquis's face was as pale as paper.
He was already taking more breaths out than in, on the verge of death.
Baikui watched this scene coldly.
Honestly, even if they didn't kill him, this old geezer wouldn't have lasted more than a few days.
But as long as he clung to a single breath of life, the First and Second Young Masters would remain hesitant to act, fearing the consequences, and would not dare to bring out their trump cards for a final battle!
Therefore, the old Demon Marquis had to die immediately!
“My Lord~ Thirteenth Young Master Kalu has brought a life-saving potion for you. Please drink it quickly.”
The beautiful woman sat by the bedside, coaxing him in a soft, sweet voice.
The comatose Black Bone Demon Marquis naturally did not react.
Steeling her nerves, the beautiful woman picked up the bowl and poured the potion, laced with Baikui's bizarre poison, straight down the Black Bone Demon Marquis's throat!
Boom!
The incredibly potent poison took effect within the old Demon Marquis's body!
The Demon Marquis's skin visibly blackened and withered.
“It worked?!”
The beautiful woman's face lit up with joy.
However, in the next second, a sudden mutation occurred!
The old Demon Marquis's physical body on the sickbed actually began to rot rapidly, like a melting candle!
In the blink of an eye.
An eerie and menacing black skeleton sat up from the decaying flesh!
Pfft!
“Ah!”
Before the beautiful woman could even scream, her chest was pierced by a sharp bone spike that suddenly erupted from the old Demon Marquis!
Blood splattered all over the floor!
The black skeleton tossed the beautiful woman aside like trash and stood straight up.
Baikui's eyelids twitched.
“You are... the Black Bone Demon Marquis?!”
“This is your true form? A black skeleton?!”
“Hmph! Do you think I am a useless weakling to be slaughtered at will, when I have held the position of Demon Marquis for so long?!”
Cruel green fire burned within the black skeleton's eye sockets. He spoke in a voice like a booming bell.
“If I didn't have this kind of life-saving measure, how could I have established myself among the demon race?! Damned wench!”
The black skeleton flexed his ribs.
“What a waste of this perfect physical body, which took me three hundred years of bitter cultivation to condense... gone just like that! Once I find that wild demon who came out of nowhere, I will tear him into ten thousand pieces!”
Having said this, the black skeleton turned his head toward Baikui.
“But there is no rush. Let us first deal with you, you ungrateful, treacherous beast of a son!”
Baikui's expression changed instantly as he hurriedly raised his hands.
“Wait! Father! I was only following orders! I was forced into this!”
“Forced? Who ordered you? The eldest? The second? Or the third?!”
Baikui answered smoothly.
“It was the second! You know I am closest to him!”
“Impossible!”
The old Demon Marquis sneered.
“The second has feared me since childhood! If he had the courage to fight for the throne after my death, I might even praise him. But he doesn't have the guts to murder me! Boy, your excuse is too pathetic. The time for your last words is up. Die!”
A terrifying High-tier Dominator Rank pressure crashed down!
The old Demon Marquis waved his skeletal claw.
Pitch-black bone spikes shot toward Baikui like a torrential downpour of arrows!
Facing this world-destroying attack.
Baikui not only didn't panic, but actually calmed down completely.
“My, my, then I shall stop pretending and lay my cards on the table. Brother Gaia, it is time for you to show your stuff!”
“Understood, Brother Baikui.”
Boom!!
A towering figure blocked the way in front of Baikui!
With a wave of Gaia's hand, an unparalleled surge of reddish-black fiendish magic power erupted, crushing all of those bone spikes—which could slice through iron like butter—into dust!
A violent wind swept across the room. The old Demon Marquis was forced back several steps by the immense force, his bones nearly rattling apart!
Staring at the reddish-black demonic energy rising from Gaia, the green fire in the old Demon Marquis's eye sockets trembled as he cried out in disbelief.
“Reddish-black fiendish magic power?! Wait! Back in the human territory, the one who ambushed me and heavily injured my physical body used this exact magic power! You... who on earth are you?!”
Gaia coldly pulled back his cloak's hood, revealing his face.
Upon seeing that familiar, handsome face, the old Demon Marquis's entire skeletal frame began to shake with terror.
“It's... it's you?!! You monster!!”
Gaia remained calm, nodding silently.
“It is me.”
“Who the hell are you?! Do I have some kind of grudge with you?!”
The old Demon Marquis was driven mad, roaring in frustration. Surprisingly, Baikui could actually hear a sense of grievance and mental collapse from a skeleton.
Yet Gaia simply shook his head calmly.
“No grudge.”
“Then did I offend you in some way?!”
Gaia gave it some serious thought.
“Not that either.”
The old Demon Marquis felt like he was going insane.
He pointed at Gaia and bellowed.
“Then why the hell did you try so hard to hunt me down and hack me to pieces last time?!!”
“You even chased me all the way to Black Bone City?!”
Gaia scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed to say it.
“Uh... how should I put this? Actually, last time... it was really just a coincidence. You were simply the most conspicuously dressed one in the middle of the soldiers.”
“???”
The green fire in the Black Bone Demon Marquis's eye sockets almost went out on the spot.
“Th-then what about this time?!”
Gaia's expression turned cold as he drew the longsword from his waist.
“This time, I came specifically to kill you.”
Rate on N.U.
