Above all spirits

Chapter 223 Decision

Zero simply turned his head to the side, unconvinced by Gu Yun's flattery, but he did not deny Gu Yun's identity as a member of the Temple of War.

Wan Wu Hui glanced at Ling's posture, finding it hard to suppress his doubts. Despite his fear, he tried his best to speak clearly and slowly said...

"Lord Heavenly Demon, you and the Temple of War..."

Gu Yun naturally understood his meaning. Many of his subordinates had the tendency to become demons or harbored demonic seeds, but these people were not true demons after all, and they did not know the will that Gu Yun had instructed Xiao Tian to convey to all demons.

He repeated it again.

"The Temple of War Gods will no longer participate in the campaign against the Heavenly Demon, nor will it interfere with any of the Heavenly Demon's actions, but there are a few conditions that we hope you will understand."

"First of all, we must not provoke conflict. Secondly, we must not act tyrannically in the human realm. If we violate these rules, not only might the Temple of War intervene, but I will also nip such a thing in the bud."

Wan Wuhui thought calmly, but still had some concerns, which she mentioned to Gu Yun.

"The Temple of War entered the fray as an observer, but the Star Alliance probably still can't tolerate the demons."

A cold smile played on Gu Yun's lips.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll take care of the external pressure. What do you think made the Temple of War compromise?"

"Beg for mercy? Or offer up your benefits?"

"I won't let the demons cause trouble, but I won't let them be oppressed either. If any of the Star Alliance dares to come, they won't get any benefits."

"At the same time, I will remember the concern shown by the people who come at that time, and they will surely repay me handsomely."

Wan Wuhui immediately understood what Gu Yun meant. He glanced at Ling again, then quickly got up and knelt down, showing none of the arrogance that royalty is born with.

He had been suppressed by Wan Xingchen for too many years, and this feeling of pent-up frustration was too much to bear.

As a prince, from the very beginning he was thinking about how to survive after Wan Xingchen ascended the throne rather than competing with him for the throne. This mindset shows how much resentment he suffered.

Gu Yun in front of him undoubtedly gave him hope. Is being suppressed by a prince the same as being suppressed by a demon? Can they be compared? He should still be timid.

"Lord Heavenly Demon, what's done is done. If you don't mind, I'm willing to manage all the internal affairs of the Canglan Empire and even the Canglan Star for you. As long as you can protect the Canglan Star and prevent the foundation that the Canglan Empire's ancestors fought for from being lost in my generation, you can do whatever you want!"

Upon hearing Wan Wuhui's words, several powerful ministers of the time immediately became restless.

What's the difference between this and handing over the Canglan Empire?

Even though they knew Gu Yun possessed extraordinary abilities.

But that's just how people are.

Some things are more important than life itself.

One of the elderly men, with white hair, quickly stepped forward, staggered, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Second Prince, you mustn't! What you're doing is no different from treason!"

"Or is he the culprit who single-handedly caused the Canglan Empire to fall into this predicament?"

Even if the Canglan Empire...

The second prince did not get up, remaining kneeling before Gu Yun, but he interrupted loudly.

"Uncle Qi!"

“I know that you have devoted a lot of effort to the Canglan Empire and have watched it grow to its current state. However, you are only good at running state affairs and are unaware of many dark aspects. I can say frankly that the current situation of the Canglan Empire is due to the cause of the Emperor, Father.

"Get it straight. In the current situation, if Canglan Star doesn't have a powerful backer, it will only be fish on a chopping board. And the Heavenly Demon and the War God Temple, which have been incompatible for generations, are now working together. Don't you understand what this means?"

"Please forgive me, Lord Heavenly Demon. Qi Bo was not a bad person at heart."

Gu Yun squinted at Wan Wu Hui, who was speaking eloquently. In fact, the reason why he tried so hard to make peace with the Temple of War, even bringing up a zero, was precisely this.

The Temple of War God undoubtedly represents the righteous side of the lower realm, without any vested interests involved.

If the Heavenly Demons and the Star Alliance were to cease hostilities, the underlying conflicts of interest would likely send chills down the spines of many.

But anyone with eyes can understand what the conflict between the Heavenly Demon and the Temple of War signifies.

This signifies that the Heavenly Demon's strength surpasses the norm, and on this basis, it has gained a certain degree of recognition from the Temple of War.

After all, in this world, if you want to gain the approval of others, or even those with opposing views, you must at least be on equal footing. Otherwise, what right do you have to negotiate?

As for the meaning behind all this, Wan Wuhui was able to make a rough deduction in such a short time. Gu Yun didn't know much about his personality, but at least he was a smart man.

A wise person will naturally have a wise approach and know how to act appropriately.

However, one thing at a time, we still have to ask. There are witnesses in the audience, so let's go through the formalities," Gu Yun said slowly.

"It doesn't matter, but how can you expect me to trust you?"

“Just like you said, I certainly won’t stay here any longer. How can you expect me to trust a stranger?”

Gu Yun emphasized the word "stranger" by a little more.

Wan Wuhui naturally understood the meaning behind it and said repeatedly.

"If you don't mind, I am willing to become a demon. All demons will be above you, so you can rest assured."

"Moreover, we have already been corrupted by that strange mist, which has given rise to inner demons, and it is only a matter of time before we gradually turn into demons."

These words were like a sharp sword piercing everyone's hearts. The facts that no one wanted to face were ruthlessly torn open by Wan Wuhui, and everyone's face showed a complicated expression.

Gu Yun withdrew his imposing aura and chuckled lightly.

"Get up. I wasn't wrong about you. I was arguing with Old Han about the right person to choose from. He didn't recommend you because he thought you were too ruthless and wouldn't win people's hearts."

“But I don’t think so. Whether you are domineering or tyrannical, in a chaotic world, as an emperor, being indecisive will only lead to greater losses. As long as you are not stupid, that’s fine.”

“I can accept heroes, but I don’t accept fools. You are undoubtedly a smart man. As for those bumpkins who have lofty ambitions but are not even holy bodies themselves.”

The saying "kill the Holy Mother first in times of chaos" is not just empty talk.

"In this world, the civil and military are not equal."

"Governing a country requires literature, while defending a country requires military force. If a country cannot be defended, literature is worthless."

Gu Yun's words were not only directed at Wan Wu Hui, but also at the resentful crowd below.

Upon hearing this, Wan Wuhui felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. His father had never praised him in years, yet now he was being praised by another unapproachable being. How ironic! He rose and returned to his seat, no longer feeling any fear, and asked.

"Is Elder Han the Dean Han of Wentian Academy?"

"He's willing to join forces with the Empire?"

"If it were him, he certainly wouldn't have a good impression of me. Dean Han's style is quite different from mine."

Gu Yun nodded in response.

"It's him. After all, he's a teacher. How could his personality be the same as yours? Anyway, I don't dislike your personality. As long as you can understand, that's fine. I've already taken care of things for you."

"After all, he is the strongest force on Canglan Star right now, and he also has immeasurable prestige. Your ascension to the throne as the Canglan Emperor will be inseparable from his support."

"You're a smart person; you know how to approach or even utilize Han Tian."

"Don't be too reserved. Since you've voluntarily agreed to become a demon, you're one of mine."

"I didn't ask you to do anything too outrageous, but don't forget that the Heavenly Demon is behind you."

Gu Yun pondered for a moment and then gave the instructions.

"Let them all step back. It's too embarrassing for an emperor to not even have a holy body. He has no power to protect himself at all."

"I've killed quite a few Sin Envoys, and I still have plenty of 'Blessings' left."

"Which one do you want?"