The Lord of Void and Real-Chapter 1698 - 1694: 3 Pieces of Fox Spirit Jade

"The Three Realms have enjoyed peace for too long; only chaos can birth a new order. This time, our Qingqiu Fox Clan must no longer serve as anyone’s vassal," declared Chief Strategist You Su.

Her words were immensely stirring, igniting the blood of even those elders who had previously pledged loyalty to the Lord of Qingqiu Kingdom.

"Great Elder, can we truly accomplish this with just the Qingqiu Lineage?" someone hesitated to ask.

"Hmph! Do you think we Qingqiu Fox Clan are the only ones dissatisfied with the current order? Do you believe the Dragon Clan, forcibly subdued by the Human Race and the Immortal Clan, truly wishes to remain tools for conjuring clouds and summoning rain?" Chief Strategist You Su sneered coldly, throwing back the question.

"The Dragon Clan, too, wants rebellion?" the man asked in astonishment.

In his eyes, the Dragon Clan had always been the most steadfast allies of the Human Race in those bygone days.

"The mighty Jing River Dragon King, beheaded by a mere mortal in his dream—do you think the Dragon Clan harbors no resentment? The venerable Crown Prince of the West Sea Dragon King, forced to be a monk’s steed, trudging eighty-one thousand miles—do you think the Dragons feel no humiliation? The illustrious Third Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, skinned and disemboweled by Li Jing’s son—do you truly think the Dragon Clan bears no grudges?" This time, it was Su Xiao who spoke up.

"I once infiltrated the ghostly abyss of the Underworld, finding the remnant soul of the Jing River Dragon King. Together, we disrupted the Great Tang Dragon Vein, inciting catastrophe in Chang’an. Now, we’ve redirected the world’s attention to Qingqiu. Could such efforts possibly be without purpose? Today, as the allied factions besiege our Qingqiu Fox Clan, do you think other Demon Clans won’t feel as if their doom is imminent?" Chief Strategist You Su interjected seamlessly.

"But this time, it was our mistake to begin with—their actions are not without justification..." an elder hesitated.

"Justified, you say? No matter. The Human Race’s exponential growth has long driven us to this precipice. Over centuries, they’ve claimed nearly all fertile lands of the Human World, forcing us demons to retreat into mountain forests and remote valleys. But even this isn’t enough; they hunt, imprison, skin us, dismantle our bones, devour our flesh, drink our blood. If we’re speaking of justification for vengeance, is ours not the more compelling case?" Su Xiao’s tone grew ruthless.

"The world likes to stand upon moral high ground, feigning pity for the weak. Our country’s ruler has already taken her life in repentance, yet they press forward, seeking to annihilate Qingqiu. Do you think the other Demon Clans, or even the Demon Clan itself, will see this and simply remain indifferent?" Chief Strategist You Su spoke serenely, her tone calm, deliberate.

"They will only see the Human and Immortal Clans as exploiters who never relent, drunk on their own power. Once seeds of rumors spread, the Demon Clans and Demon Clan will grow paranoid. This fragile state of peace will melt away like glacier runoff into an avalanche. When that time comes, the power structure of the world will shift dramatically, and our Qingqiu Fox Clan will have its chance to rise."

When Chief Strategist You Su finished, everyone finally understood the purpose of her actions.

"Great Elder, before that time arrives, can our Qingqiu Fox Clan really withstand the wrath of the Human and Immortal Clans?" someone still voiced doubts.

"I know what you fear, but such fears are unnecessary. The Qingqiu Fox Clan is not fighting alone—we have allies of our own. Besides, have you forgotten? We are not like the Jade Fox Clan; we do not specialize in illusions, but in offensive combat and killing," Chief Strategist You Su continued.

When they heard this, the crowd finally fell silent. If there had been differences among them in the beginning, by now they had become united in purpose.

It was a pity, however, that the Lord of Qingqiu Kingdom had tried to quell the various factions’ anger through her death, transitioning power to satisfy Chief Strategist You Su’s ambitions. Little did she know, Chief Strategist You Su’s schemes could never be contained by her death alone.

...

In the deep night, after the elders dispersed, Chief Strategist You Su slowly walked out of the great hall and toward the altar outside.

Tu Shanxue was slowly stepping out from the altar site. Upon seeing Chief Strategist You Su, a trace of hatred flickered in her eyes.

She was no fool—she understood that her mother’s death was inseparable from the Great Elder standing before her.

"Xiaoxue, I know you hate me. But it’s all right. One day, you’ll understand that everything I’ve done is right," Chief Strategist You Su said, her gaze unwavering and her tone calm.

She knew well that although Tu Shanxue was the daughter of the Lord of Qingqiu Kingdom, her views on the Qingqiu Fox Clan’s plight were strikingly aligned with her own.

"What do you want to say?" Tu Shanxue replied coldly.

"Tomorrow, I’ll announce that you will succeed as the Lord of Qingqiu Kingdom. The future of the Fox Clan will be yours to steer. My life and death—yours to decide," Chief Strategist You Su said plainly.

Tu Shanxue frowned slightly at her words, clearly surprised.

"Don’t be puzzled. When it comes to foresight, you surpass both me and your mother. I trust you’ll make the right choices. The future of the Qingqiu Lineage is in your hands," Chief Strategist You Su said confidently.

"You have a Fox Spirit Jade in your possession, don’t you? Hand it over," Tu Shanxue said, her expression unchanged.

"Why do you want the Fox Spirit Jade?" Chief Strategist You Su’s expression shifted slightly, hesitant.

"You know very well what I want it for, don’t you?" Tu Shanxue raised an eyebrow, disdainful of her feigned ignorance.

"To accomplish that, three Fox Spirit Jades are needed—missing even one won’t suffice. I do have one, and your mother had another. But the third... That year, Wanyan, that treacherous woman, colluding with the Human swordsman Han Jianghang, took it and left the Fox Clan. It’s been lost ever since, and despite my efforts over many years, I couldn’t recover it," Chief Strategist You Su explained.

Tu Shanxue flipped her hand, and the storage bracelet left to her by her mother sparkled. Two Fox Spirit Jades appeared in her palm—one of them obtained by trading Ten Thousand Years Fire Qilin Wood with Shen Luo.

Seeing her reveal two Fox Spirit Jades, Chief Strategist You Su’s eyes momentarily lit up, but only a moment later, her expression turned grave.

"Are you truly prepared for this? The price to be paid—is it something you can bear?" Chief Strategist You Su frowned and asked.

Tu Shanxue gave no reply, merely coldly watching the pretense of concern in the Great Elder before her.

"Very well. Since your mind is made up, I have nothing more to say. Take it," Chief Strategist You Su sighed, seemingly helpless, as she produced the final Fox Spirit Jade and handed it to Tu Shanxue.

The latter raised her hand, summoning the jade into her palm. The three Fox Spirit Jades clinked together with a crisp sound, and streaks of luminous light simultaneously passed over their surfaces.

Saying nothing more, Tu Shanxue turned and made her way back toward the altar.

Behind her, Chief Strategist You Su’s voice called out, "This is only the Mountain Protection Altar. To do what you intend, you must go to the Ancestor Spirit Altar."

Tu Shanxue paused and turned to look back at Chief Strategist You Su.

"The Ancestor Spirit Altar has been sealed for many years, and few in the clan even know of its existence." With that, Chief Strategist You Su tossed her a rhombus-shaped jade token and gestured toward the mountain peak behind Qingqiu City.

Grasping the token, Tu Shanxue leapt into the air, flying straight toward the mountain summit.

Watching the silhouette of Tu Shanxue fading into the distance, the expression on Chief Strategist You Su’s face remained unreadable. After a long silence, she shook her head and said, "It seems she’s much quicker than I anticipated."