Three Women Return Hearts Threefold, Yet Wang Hao Begins to Play a More Sordid Game

Gu Han remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking, "At least give us an explanation."

"I have one," Wang Hao nodded. "All participants in this battle will have their names and merits recorded. In the future, if the Great Zhou and the Avengers Alliance hold a Demon Suppression Conference, or during the upcoming Prodigy Roll and Martial Arts Tournament, when the secret vaults are opened for exchanges, you all will have priority access."

Bai Zhantang blinked.

Wait a minute.

This didn't sound like a completely empty promise.

Given Wang Hao's current posture, he might not just be all talk.

If he really intended to set up a larger chessboard later on, then today's "merit and seniority" might actually be worth a lot.

Thinking of this, everyone surprisingly felt a bizarre sense of relief.

It could only be said that what people feared most wasn't suffering a loss.

What they feared most was suffering a loss for nothing.

Seeing that the timing was right, Wang Hao stopped squeezing them and casually added a remark:

"Of course, those who performed exceptionally well will receive additional rewards. Especially certain individuals who dared to stand in front of me at the crucial moment, I will not forget."

At these words, Xiao Chen's expression stiffened slightly.

He knew Wang Hao was talking about him.

Sure enough, several gazes immediately turned his way, carrying a mix of complexity and a hint of envy.

Xiao Chen's mouth twitched.

He suddenly had a very bad premonition.

Was he really going to be roped in step by step by this dog emperor?

Just as his thoughts were churning, a muffled, thunderous boom suddenly echoed in the sky above Mount Yan.

Boom—!

Everyone looked up in unison.

In the distant southwestern sky, they saw that a bizarre phantom of a blood moon had appeared at some unknown time.

Even though it was broad daylight, the blood moon forcefully hung on the horizon. Its edges seemed to drip with fresh blood, so demonic and eerie that it chilled the heart.

And beneath the blood moon, a black corpse shadow, unimaginably massive, faintly flashed by.

The Night Fiend corpse had moved again!

The crowd was in an uproar.

Yun Meng's expression changed drastically. "In the direction of the Crimson Moon!"

Shen Xue's eyes turned icy. "It came so fast..."

Wang Hao slowly raised his head. As he looked at the blood moon, the exhaustion on his face gradually faded away.

A very faint smile slowly surfaced in the depths of his eyes.

Excellent.

A new storm had already begun.

And this time, the initiative might just be in his hands.

Great Zhou Imperial City, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The aftermath of the battle at the Mount Yan Secret Realm seemed to have grown legs, sweeping in all directions within just a few days.

The Great Zhou Times printed an extra edition overnight. The speed was so fast that it hardly seemed like a newspaper; rather, it was as if the drafts had been written in advance, just waiting for Wang Hao to come out of the secret realm alive to sign and stamp them.

In streets and alleys, sect relay stations, taverns and teahouses, and provincial gazette offices, the exact same contents could be heard almost everywhere—

"The New Emperor of Great Zhou Personally Suppresses Evil, Martial God Battle Seal Crushes the Night Fiend Remnant!"

"Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Secretly Alters the Seal, Nearly Causing a Catastrophe in the Eastern Wastelands!"

"The Battle of Mount Yan, Personally Witnessed by Three Holy Maidens: The Great Zhou's National Destiny is Prosperous, Truly the Orthodox Lineage of the Mortal Realm!"

"Prodigies from All Directions Appointed by His Majesty, Braving Life and Death Together to Fight for the World!"

These articles were written with brilliant literary grace, making blood boil with passion. Their logic was tight, and the emotional appeal was pushed to the absolute maximum.

Especially for the most critical scenes, there were Recording Jades broadcasting synchronously.

In the footage, bizarre formation runes appeared first, causing the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's suspicion to skyrocket. Then the Night Fiend went berserk, placing everyone in perilous situations. Finally, the battle seal on Wang Hao's glabella lit up; with one hand suppressing the evil, a pillar of light crushed down on the altar—it was so incredibly awesome that it made people's scalps tingle.

They even gave plenty of screen time to Xiao Chen and the others fighting bloody battles to the death.

However, the editing sequence was extremely meticulous.

No matter how fiercely anyone performed in the middle, it would always conclude with a shot of Wang Hao from a tricky angle, his aura completely maxed out.

As a result, after watching the entire recording, everyone's first impression was:

Oh, so those few prodigies were quite strong.

But the strongest, most critical, and most reliable one was still the Emperor of Great Zhou.

Now that was called being professional.

At this very moment, in the side hall of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Xiao Chen, Bai Zhantang, Gu Han, Rong Xiaotian, Ye Guyun, and the others were sitting in a circle, looking at the sample copy of the Great Zhou Times spread out on the table. Their expressions were each more colorful than the last.

Looking at the headline, Bai Zhantang couldn't help but read it out loud:

"His Majesty Alone Suppresses the Evil Eye Before an Army of Ten Thousand, Heroes from All Directions Follow Him at the Risk of Their Lives..."

His mouth twitched. "Follow him at the risk of our lives?"

Rong Xiaotian said in a muffled, booming voice, "I was forced into it."

Gu Han remained expressionless. "Me too."

Ye Guyun was rather calm. "The contents are basically true, just that the wording is somewhat... enthusiastic."

Xiao Chen sneered. "Enthusiastic? This is called being shameless."

He slapped the newspaper onto the table with a smack, staring at the line "His Majesty has an eye for talent, appointing young heroes amidst a crisis." No matter how he looked at it, it was an eyesore.

Although he was a temporary worker, he had entered the secret realm to fight for fortuitous encounters.

But after coming out, he had unexpectedly become a talent reserve "recognized for his worth" under Wang Hao's command.

This was even more frustrating than losing a fight.

Bai Zhantang sighed. "You have to admit, they really know how to write. Now the rumor outside is that we are already half-considered people of the Great Zhou."

"Bullshit," Xiao Chen exploded on the spot. "Who is a person of the Great Zhou?"

"Don't get agitated just yet," Bai Zhantang began to analyze seriously. "Look here, you blocked the Evil Eye for him in the secret realm, which is in the recording; after he came out, he even singled you out for praise, with the Great Zhou Times as proof; and the commoners outside love hearing dramas about 'young prodigies assisting a wise ruler' the most—"

"So now, in the eyes of most people, even if you aren't, you have to be."

Xiao Chen: "..."

He suddenly felt his chest grow even tighter.

Right at that moment, an announcement came from outside the hall doors:

"Holy Maiden Shen Xue of the Ice Snow Divine Palace has arrived."

"Holy Maiden Yun Meng of the Illusion Sea Spirit Sect has arrived."

"Daughter of the Ren Family, Ren Mingyue has arrived."

The group was taken aback and turned their heads in unison.

In the next moment, three figures, each with their own distinct grace, walked into the hall one after another.

Shen Xue, clad in white, remained as cold and aloof as frost. However, when she looked toward the main seat where Wang Hao was, the pure repulsion in her eyes had noticeably faded, replaced by a complex mix of scrutiny and wariness.

Yun Meng still had her lively and bright appearance. Although her lips were pursed, her steps were more natural than before, lacking that strong sense of alienation that screamed, "I'm only here because I'm forced to do business."

As for Ren Mingyue, her expression was the most complicated.

She was inherently good at weighing pros and cons and was most accustomed to controlling the situation. But after the trip to Mount Yan, she had to admit one thing—this man, Wang Hao, was not someone she could easily lead by the nose.

In fact, if she wasn't careful, she might end up being used by him instead.

Wang Hao was currently leaning back in the main seat, drinking medicine. His face was still a bit pale, giving off an air of "I just saved the world, it's not too much to rest a little, right?"

Seeing the three women enter, he put down his medicine bowl, his smile perfectly standard.

"You three have arrived."

"Have a seat."

Shen Xue said flatly, "How are Your Majesty's injuries?"

Wang Hao sighed. "Not too good."

"My meridians ache, my sea of consciousness is trembling, and I'm prone to nightmares at night. If it weren't for my firm willpower, I fear I would have already collapsed."

Wei Zhongxian immediately played along from the side, his face full of distress. "His Majesty has had to force himself just to read memorials these past few days. He truly exerts himself too much for the sake of the world."

Yun Meng looked at Wang Hao suspiciously.

Why did she always feel like this person was exaggerating a bit?

But the news coming from the imperial physicians did indeed confirm that he was severely injured and yet to recover.

So, her old habit of having a sharp tongue but a soft heart flared up again. She gave a light snort, "Then try not to push yourself too hard."

Wang Hao looked at her, an unexpected hint of amusement in his eyes. "Is Yun Meng worried about me?"

Yun Meng's face heated up, and she denied it on the spot, "Who's worried about you! I'm just afraid your reckless actions will drag the Eastern Wasteland down with you!"

"That still counts as caring," Wang Hao nodded. "I will remember it."

Yun Meng, "..."

She suddenly didn't want to speak anymore.

Bai Zhantang watched from the sidelines with great amusement, thinking to himself that this Fairy Yun truly never learned her lesson. When bickering with Wang Hao, nine times out of ten she would just dig her own grave.

Shen Xue ignored all of this and asked straightforwardly, "At the end of the secret realm, what did the Night Fiend's remnant soul transmit to you? You didn't tell us everything that day."

The hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze landed on Wang Hao.

Ren Mingyue also narrowed her eyes slightly. A large part of the reason she came today was precisely for this.

Wang Hao fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options.

Then, he slowly spoke:

"The main seal of the Night Fiend is not in Yanshan."

"It is in the territory associated with the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult."

Everyone's expressions changed simultaneously.

"At most one year," Wang Hao continued. "Perhaps even shorter. If left unchecked, it will completely break the seal sooner or later. When that time comes, the incident at Yanshan will only be considered an appetizer."

The breathing of the several people present hitched slightly.

Even the usually arrogant Rong Xiaotian subconsciously frowned.

Because they had all witnessed the terror of the Night Fiend's remnant body.

And that was merely one of its husks.

If the main body truly emerged...

The scene would be almost unimaginable.

Ren Mingyue stared at Wang Hao. "Are you sure?"

"More than eighty percent," Wang Hao said. "Furthermore, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult are the main culprits behind this. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion excels in divination and formations, while the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult excels in sacrificial refinement and evil arts. If the two sides truly join forces, their scheme will be far greater than we can imagine."

The hall fell completely silent.

The amount of information was too massive.

So massive that everyone needed a moment to process it.

A moment later, Yun Meng was the first to react. "Then what are we waiting for? Spread the news and let all factions prepare early."

Hearing this, Wang Hao slowly smiled.

The smile was not gentle; it even carried an indescribably profound meaning.

"I will naturally spread it."

"But I cannot spread it all, nor can I spread it recklessly."

Xiao Chen frowned. "What do you mean?"

Wang Hao placed his medicine bowl on the table and sat up a bit straighter, his entire aura changing accordingly.

If he had just seemed like a young emperor resting with injuries, at this moment, he was more like a dangerous chess player who had already begun to scheme for the world.

"It's very simple."

"Information is a blade."

"When to release it, how much to release, and who to point it at determines who ultimately wields the blade and who gets cut."

"If we dump all the inside information out at once right now, there will only be two results."

"First, the world will fall into chaos. Every faction will fear for themselves, beginning to frantically protect themselves, hoard resources, and suspect one another. Some might even actively go to the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult's territory to probe the seal for the sake of a so-called head start, which is equivalent to dismantling the door for the Night Fiend."

"Second, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult will immediately become alert and accelerate their arrangements ahead of schedule. When that time comes, it will be even harder for us to investigate."

Everyone listened in stunned silence.

Because what he said made perfect sense.

And it wasn't some empty rhetoric, but practical consequences that would genuinely occur.

Shen Xue slowly asked, "So what is your plan?"

Wang Hao raised his eyes, a glint of sharpness flashing in their depths.

"Release part of the news."

"Just say: The Yanshan chaos is only the beginning. There is an even greater evil menace deep within the Eastern Wasteland. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the Crimson Moon are highly suspected of unusual movements, and the world must make early preparations."

"Let the world panic a little, but not too much."

"Let everyone know that danger is coming, yet only the Great Zhou possesses more inside information."

Hearing this, Yun Meng had already faintly guessed something and widened her eyes. "You want to use this to force all factions to pick a side?"

"Not force," Wang Hao corrected her. "It is giving them a wise choice."

"..."

Yun Meng almost rolled her eyes.

Fine, this guy could even speak of underhanded schemes in such a high-sounding manner.

Ren Mingyue remained silent for a long while before suddenly speaking up, "Aside from the Avengers Alliance, are you trying to form an alliance that encompasses the entire Eastern Wasteland?"

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction.

"Mingyue is indeed smart."

"That's right. I want to form the Demon-Suppressing Co-Lord Alliance."

"In name, it will be for the common people of the world, joining forces to contend against the Night Fiend, the Crimson Moon Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and all future evil calamities."

"In reality—"

Reaching this point, he unexpectedly didn't hide anything and laid his cards on the table.

"Military deployment, information sharing, resource conscription, the training of prodigies, and border defense—all of it must be centered around the Great Zhou."

"Whoever joins, gets on board."

"Whoever doesn't get on board will have to bear it themselves when the storm truly arrives."

Everyone in the hall felt their scalps tingle as they listened.

This was no longer an ordinary alliance.

This was clearly using the righteous cause of saving the world to slowly gather parts of the military, political, and financial power of the entire Wasteland into the hands of the Great Zhou.

And the most terrifying part was—

This thing actually had a chance of succeeding.

Because the threat of the Night Fiend was real.

The Crimson Moon phenomenon was also real.

And the blame placed on the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was now firmly secured.

Under this situation, the Great Zhou held four major trump cards: the first to discover the conspiracy, the first to suppress the evil, possessing core intelligence, and having the bearer of the Martial God's True Blood. If they didn't step up to be the core, others would actually feel uneasy.

Xiao Chen was so stunned that it took him a long while to squeeze out a sentence:

"You're not saving the world."

"You're taking advantage of a crisis for personal gain."

Wang Hao nodded. "The two do not conflict."

Xiao Chen, "..."

Bai Zhantang burst out laughing.

"I'm convinced, truly convinced."

"Your Majesty, how do you manage to speak of such a dirty scheme with such righteous confidence?"

Wang Hao glanced at him. "Because I have a clear conscience."

"If I do not take the lead, the world will be a host of dragons without a head, and every faction will continue their internal friction. When the evil entities emerge, only more people will die."

"Since someone has to play the villain, why can't it be me?"

After these words were spoken, no one in the hall rebutted for a time.

Because looking at the results, this was indeed the most efficient path.