jdhmnovel Chapter 173 A New Chapter in the Demon Palace, Yao Maiden Sets Sail
Chapter 173 A New Chapter in the Demon Palace, Yao Maiden Sets Sail
The celebration banquet was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of people drinking and toasting.
Dai Yao sat upright in the main seat, with a standard Demon Lord smile on her face—the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, and her eyes held three parts indifference and seven parts disdain.
He appeared arrogant, but inside he was panicking.
He hasn't even warmed up his position as Demon Lord yet; it feels like sitting on a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
She glanced down at the elders without making a sound. On the surface, the elders were very respectful to her, shouting "Demon Lord is wise and sagacious!" but their eyes were filled with all sorts of ulterior motives.
Some were tinged with doubt, some with hidden resentment, and some...
Dai Yao felt that the look in his eyes was like that of a lamb to the slaughter.
Haha, it seems this generation of elders is not easy to manage!
"Yaoyao, this position of Demon Lord is not easy to hold," Lingfeng leaned closer and said in a low voice, her tone tinged with worry.
Dai Yao gave him a knowing look, picked up her wine glass, and took a small sip.
Is it uncomfortable to sit in?
It's more than just uncomfortable to sit in!
It was absolutely unbearable!
This demonic palace is like a giant time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
"These old foxes are all as cunning as monkeys, just waiting to see me make a fool of myself!" Dai Yao thought to herself, but on the surface she still maintained the image of a cold and aloof demon lord.
Suddenly, she sensed an unusual fluctuation in her aura. The fluctuation was faint and subtle, but it did not escape her keen perception.
Dai Yao calmly turned her gaze towards the direction from which the fluctuations came—the side hall of the Demon Palace.
Several unassuming disciples sat there, one of whom, a young man, was looking down, seemingly deep in thought.
interesting!
Dai Yao's eyes flashed, and a plan came to her mind.
She put down her wine cup and said loudly, "Lingfeng, Zixing, you two will come with me to the side hall to discuss matters."
"Your Excellency, this..." The First Elder frowned, seemingly wanting to say something, but was stopped by a look from Dai Yao.
"What, does the Grand Elder have objections to my decision?" Dai Yao's tone was icy, carrying a hint of oppressive power.
The elder's expression changed, and he quickly lowered his head, saying, "I wouldn't dare."
Dai Yao ignored him and walked straight to the side hall.
Lingfeng and Zixing followed closely behind, both filled with doubt.
Why did His Majesty suddenly summon these few unknown disciples?
Inside the side hall, Dai Yao got straight to the point, assigning several important tasks to the disciples she sensed possessing loyalty and good fortune, and granting them corresponding authority.
The disciples were flattered and overwhelmed, and all swore to serve the Demon Lord to the death.
Dai Yao nodded in satisfaction. She knew that she had begun to build her own core strength.
"I have important matters to attend to, you may all leave now," Dai Yao waved her hand.
Everyone bowed respectfully and took their leave. Dai Yao turned to look out the window, a confident smile playing on her lips.
The game has just begun!
Suddenly, the Grand Elder's voice rang out from outside the hall, "Your Majesty, I have some thoughts regarding your proposed reform of the old rules..."
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow. This old guy, he arrived really fast! "Come in."
The First Elder strode into the side hall with heavy steps, followed by several other elders, each with a solemn expression, as if someone owed them millions of spirit stones.
"Your Excellency, I cannot agree with your proposal to abolish the rule of 'the Demon Lord's seclusion for a hundred years'!" the Grand Elder said with great distress, as if Dai Yao were about to demolish his ancestral graves.
"Oh? Elder, please tell me, what is it that you disagree with?" Dai Yao sat leisurely in the chair, pretending to listen attentively, but inwardly she was cursing wildly: a hundred years of seclusion?
play?
I didn't transmigrate here just to sleep all day!
"This rule has existed since the founding of the Demon Palace and is the foundation of the Demon Palace! How can it be changed so easily?" The Grand Elder blew his beard and glared, with an expression that said, "This child is beyond redemption."
Dai Yao almost burst out laughing. Foundation?
Is this some kind of ancient foot-binding cloth?
"Elder, times are changing, and the Demon Palace must keep up with the times! A hundred years of seclusion is too late!"
Other elders echoed this sentiment, spouting clichés such as "the laws of our ancestors cannot be violated" and "stability overrides everything."
Dai Yao was completely exasperated by these stubborn old folks!
She took a deep breath and decided to unleash her ultimate move.
"Elders, I understand what you're saying, but I think it would be better for you to go out and explore... no, I mean to observe the lives of ordinary people! See the world outside and learn advanced cultivation techniques, wouldn't that be better?"
The elders looked at each other, wondering why this new Demon Lord had such a peculiar style.
Seizing the opportunity, Dai Yao rose and walked outside the hall, addressing the gathered Demon Palace citizens loudly: "Brothers and sisters of the Demon Palace! I know that you have many questions about the newly appointed Demon Lord and many concerns about the future development of the Demon Palace! Today, I will have a good chat with you all!"
After a passionate yet somewhat comical speech, the initially hesitant crowd was moved by Dai Yao's sincerity and humor, and many began to shout "The Demon Lord is wise!"
Standing in the crowd, Zi Xing looked at Dai Yao, who was radiating confidence on the stage, and her wavering heart gradually became firm.
Perhaps, this new Demon Lord can truly lead the Demon Palace to new glory?
After Dai Yao finished her speech, she returned to her palace and rubbed her slightly sore temples.
Winning people's hearts is no easy task!
Suddenly, she keenly sensed an unusual fluctuation in the aura, a fluctuation...
It carried a hint of greed and corruption.
Dai Yao's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Interesting..." She slowly walked to the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote a name on a piece of paper.
Then, she looked up at the window. Night had fallen, and the Demon Palace was shrouded in darkness, with only a few faint lights flickering.
“Lingfeng,” Dai Yao’s voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, “go investigate…”
Dai Yao narrowed her eyes and instructed Ling Feng to investigate a small group called "Golden Cicada".
She vaguely remembered that this name had appeared in the original work. It was a small organization in the Demon Palace that specialized in petty theft and other shady activities. Relying on the backing of others, they had been embezzling and accepting bribes for a long time, enriching themselves in the process.
Good heavens, this fat sheep has come to our doorstep, we might as well fleece it!
Lingfeng was very efficient. In less than three days, he found out everything about Jin Chan, including where they hid their stolen money.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao waved her hand and ordered, "Confiscate their property!"
Thus, a vigorous "tiger-hunting" campaign was launched in the Demon Palace.
The leader of the Golden Cicadas, a slick-haired guy, was originally arrogant and domineering, shouting "I have connections," but when he saw Ling Feng reveal the Demon Lord's token, he instantly cowered like a quail.
This raid yielded a great deal. Dai Yao looked at the mountain of spirit stones and treasures and smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits.
This money can be used to improve the food in the Demon Palace and enhance everyone's cultivation resources.
When the people of the Demon Palace learned of this, they were filled with admiration for the new Demon Lord's fairness and decisiveness.
It seems this Demon Lord not only tells jokes, but he's also serious!
With the support of the people, morale is greatly boosted!
That night, after finishing a mountain of official business, Dai Yao rubbed her sore shoulders, feeling completely drained.
Just then, a plate of delicate pastries appeared silently in front of her.
It exudes a faint fragrance and is clearly handmade, brimming with love.
Dai Yao looked up and saw a familiar figure standing in front of her, holding a food box in his hand.
Their eyes met, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.
Dai Yao picked up a piece of pastry, took a small bite, and found it sweet but not cloying, melting in her mouth.
"Is it good?" A deep, magnetic voice sounded in Dai Yao's ear.
"Hmm," Dai Yao nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips, "When has anything you've ever made not tasted good?"
The man smiled, sat down next to Dai Yao, picked up a piece of pastry, and held it to her lips: "Ah—"
Dai Yao smiled and opened her mouth, letting him feed her the pastries.
The atmosphere between the two was warm and sweet.
“Oh, by the way,” the man suddenly spoke up, “I heard…”
Dai Yao rubbed her aching temples. "Buying someone's house is fun for a while, but it'll be a nightmare afterward."
The mountain of ledgers and supplies made her dizzy.
She finally understood that the most tiring part of being a leader wasn't fighting, but dealing with these trivial matters.
"Demon Lord, this is a newly compiled list of supplies. Please take a look." Lingfeng carefully placed a thick stack of ledgers in front of Dai Yao.
Dai Yao stared at the mountain of account books, inwardly devastated, but outwardly remained calm: "Just leave them there, thank you for your hard work." Her inner monologue: Good heavens, this is thicker than the college entrance exam preparation materials!
After Lingfeng left, Dai Yao let out a long sigh.
At this moment, the First Elder slowly walked in, carrying a steaming cup of spiritual tea.
"Your Majesty the Demon Lord is very busy, you must take care of your health." The First Elder had a kind face and spoke gently.
Dai Yao accepted the spirit tea and smiled politely, "Thank you for your concern, Elder." That old fox, the Elder, never comes here without a reason; he's definitely up to no good.
As expected, the elder changed the subject and began to subtly inquire about Dai Yao's plans for the future development of the Demon Palace, his words revealing his dissatisfaction with Dai Yao's reforms.
Dai Yao responded calmly, but inwardly she sneered: Old man, trying to trick me into revealing information?
no way!
Dai Yao spoke in an official tone, circling around the topic, but never directly answering the Grand Elder's question.
Finally, she successfully ended the conversation with the words, "Let me think about it."
After seeing the Grand Elder off, Dai Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to take a rest, a disciple of the Demon Palace rushed in to report: "Demon Lord, Zi Xing requests an audience!"
Dai Yao frowned: Zi Xing? What's this kid doing here?
As soon as Zi Xing entered the door, she knelt down and tearfully denounced Jin Chan's evil deeds, while also subtly expressing her support for Dai Yao's actions of confiscating the property.
Dai Yao sneered inwardly: With acting skills like that, it's a real shame she's not an actress.
However, Zi Xing's appearance reminded her of something.
"Lingfeng!" Dai Yao summoned Lingfeng. "Go, use part of the confiscated supplies to improve the lives of the Demon Palace disciples, and the rest to enhance everyone's cultivation resources. Remember, be open and transparent, so everyone can see it!"
Lingfeng accepted the order and left.
As Dai Yao watched Zi Xing's departing figure, a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
It seems someone is trying to stir up trouble with this.
It was late at night, and Dai Yao could finally rest after finishing all her work.
She was preparing to take a bath and change her clothes when she suddenly heard a slight noise outside the window.
"Who?" Dai Yao asked warily.
A familiar voice came from outside the window: "It's me."
Dai Yao opened the window and saw the person standing in the moonlight, dressed in white, as pure as snow, like a celestial being.
"Why are you here?" Dai Yao asked, somewhat surprised.
The man smiled, holding an exquisite box in his hand: "Here's a small gift for you."
Dai Yao took the box, opened it, and found a sparkling jade pendant inside.
"This..." Dai Yao was about to speak when the man's expression suddenly changed, and he pulled her into his arms: "Be careful!"
Almost simultaneously, a dark shadow flashed past the window, and a sharp sword aura rushed straight towards Dai Yao!
"who is it?!"