383: Survive first before you have the right to talk about other things!

Chu Mo presented two options.

The options were simple.

One was to depose the New Emperor and restructure the imperial court.

The other was to find a reason to kill someone close to the New Emperor, thereby coercing the New Emperor to concede, restore everyone's titles, and provide greater compensation.

Both of these options were quite tempting.

From the crowd, a Marquis stepped forward.

"If we choose the first option, then, who will sit on the imperial throne?!"

At these words,

Everyone's gaze sharpened.

The imperial throne of Great Yan offered the benefits of greater national destiny and access to the nation's resources.

It could be said that the advantages were numerous.

However, the biggest obstacles to ascending the throne, besides the Empress's backing, were the forces behind the New Emperor, the Shen Yan Immortal Court.

This was also why they hadn't immediately stormed the imperial palace.

Now, seeing a Marquis proactively bring up the Great Yan imperial throne, Chu Mo knew that they had already begun to harbor such thoughts.

This Marquis was merely a mouthpiece.

"Heh heh, wanting the imperial throne? Dreaming!"

Chu Mo scoffed at these people in his heart.

Not to mention that the Emperor of Great Yan was not dead.

Just the fact that they gathered at Duke Wus Mansion today, wanting to drag Duke Wus Mansion into this power struggle and make it the first cannon fodder...

Based on this alone, Zhuge Changde, this deeply hidden old schemer, would not let them off.

These people must die!

However, before that,

They still had value.

"Everyone, as I said before, you are all intelligent people and none of you want to take the blame and invite an Immortal Court siege. So, why don't we support a Puppet Emperor to act as a shield and draw fire for us!"

At this point,

Chu Mo took out a recording stone.

He activated it.

A light screen appeared before everyone.

"Please look, everyone. This is a scene from yesterday of the New Emperor speeding through the streets in his carriage. Along the way, countless citizens of Great Yan were killed or injured.

Countless citizens feared the New Emperor, daring not to speak of their anger..."

"Why are you telling us this?" A general stepped out, scoffing at the content on the light screen.

"Aren't they just some Loose Cultivators and commoners? What does it matter if they die beneath the carriage? Don't change the subject, get to the point!"

A reckless fool!

Chu Mo glanced at him, then looked at the current Prime Minister, asking, "The Prime Minister surely knows how to leverage this matter, right?!"

The general glared at Chu Mo.

"I can speak without the Prime Minister."

Everyone's gaze turned to him, only the Prime Minister's eyes held a gloomy expression.

"General Zheng, the imperial court is not the border; it's not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships! While we Dukes leading armies to press the capital can certainly depose the New Emperor in one fell swoop, what then?"

"Don't forget, the current Imperial Uncle holds a position in the Shenyan Immortal Court."

A civil official, dressed as such, nodded in agreement: "Exactly! Wang Xiao, who joined the Shenyan Immortal Court, went on an envoy to the Demon Realm, facilitating a hundred-thousand-year peace between the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm. Now, he is practically a favorite of the Immortal Emperor.

If we rashly Move against the New Emperor and Empress, not to mention the Immortal Court, Wang Xiao alone would absolutely not let us off, and he has the power to wipe out our entire clan!"

Hearing this,

Many people lowered their heads.

Wang Xiao, the New Emperor's maternal uncle and the Empress's brother, was the person they feared the most.

In an instant, many in the hall harbored thoughts of retreat; they even considered negotiating with the New Emperor. As long as the national destiny bestowed upon them was preserved, they were willing to bear the loss of some benefits.

Seeing the desire to retreat in everyone's eyes, Chu Mo chuckled inwardly: "Cowards!"

However, on the other hand,

These people had already come.

How could he let them return empty-handed?

"You all were making such a fuss about rebellion and 'cleansing the ruler's side' earlier in Duke Wus Mansion. If you just leave like this, Duke Wus Mansion will take the big fall, so..."

"To prevent Duke Wus Mansion from taking the blame, I reported your secret plotting of rebellion to the palace."

As soon as the words fell,

Above Duke Wus Mansion, countless armored soldiers broke through the air, forming an array in the sky. A terrifying Aura enveloped the entire Duke Wus Mansion.

At the same time,

On a carriage pulled by nine Flood Dragons, the New Emperor, Gao Shou, dressed in luxurious imperial robes, roared down at the crowd below.

"A group of rebellious traitors! I have just ascended the throne, and you are already plotting rebellion. Men, execute these rebellious traitors on the spot, and annihilate their entire nine generations!"

In an instant, everyone's faces changed dramatically.

Some even looked at Chu Mo with furious, trembling voices: "You, it's you, you framed us!!!"

"Framed? No, no, no, it's not framing! You were already planning a rebellion, and you even came to Duke Wus Mansion to loudly conspire, wanting to drag Duke Wus Mansion into it. I'm merely clarifying Duke Wus Mansion's reputation!"

The Prime Minister's face was as dark as water: "From the very beginning, you had already decided to use our lives to pledge allegiance to the New Emperor. All those words you spoke to us earlier were just to buy time until your secret message reached the New Emperor's ears!"

Chu Mo said as a matter of course: "Otherwise? You all came with ill intentions, wanting to drag Duke Wus Mansion into trouble. I'm merely making rational use of resources and maximizing benefits."

The Prime Minister's face was gloomy, "Do you think you have victory in your grasp? We Dukes are not pushovers. Before the New Emperor purges us, we can completely kill you and then contend with the New Emperor!"

At this point,

They had no retreat.

Either rebel,

Or be exterminated to the ninth generation.

The Prime Minister glanced at the military formation in the sky, then at the New Emperor standing on the carriage, and then said to Chu Mo: "This path we're on, you've caused all of it. What good does this do you?"

Chu Mo smiled: "Guess."

The Prime Minister spoke coldly: "Everyone, we have no retreat. To survive, we can't worry about those things anymore. Kill!"

As soon as the words fell,

The Prime Minister acted first, transforming into a streak of light and charging towards Chu Mo.

Clang—!

A sword cry, brilliant Sword Qi streaked across the sky. Countless Dharma Swords, enveloped by the Dao of the Sword, tore through space and surged like a torrent towards the attacking Prime Minister.

"A single sword opens mountains and rivers, the Heavenly River rolls in!"

His words were like heavenly decrees, his will manifesting as Law.

Endless scholarly Qi transformed into a long sword, like the Heavenly River pouring down, impacting the incoming torrent of swords with unparalleled Aura.

"Scholarly Qi? Is he a Confucian Cultivator?"

It was Chu Mo's first time facing a Confucian Cultivator, and he couldn't help but develop a strong interest in the Moves of such Cultivators.

However, he also knew that now was not the time to discuss the profoundness of Confucian Cultivator Moves.

Thousands of Sword Qi shattered the scholarly Qi-transformed sword, and then Chu Mo, holding a sword, and the Prime Minister simultaneously plunged into the sea of swords.

A suffocating Aura swept through the entire area; countless people were caught in it, turning into a pile of minced meat.

The other Dukes, who were confronting the military formation, were also drawn to the battle here.

"This, how terrifying!"

"Prime Minister Fei cultivates both the Confucian Dao and the Dao of the Sword. His ability to transform scholarly Qi into a sword is unrivaled in Great Yan, yet he still can't take down this young punk!"

"Stop commenting on them. You few, put more effort into breaking through this military formation! We need to go back and gather personnel to overturn this Great Yan!"

"Overturn Great Yan? Are you all tired of living! Have you forgotten the forces behind the New Emperor? The Shenyan Immortal Court, that is the Shenyan Immortal Court!"

"Only by surviving can we talk about anything else!"

"..."

The military formation was forcibly torn open by these powerful Dukes, and then they fled in all directions.

On the carriage, the New Emperor, Gao Shou, seeing this scene, roared in fury: "Useless, a bunch of useless people, you can't even keep a few! Chase them, kill them!"

The military formation re-condensed, forming a crimson Dragon, pursuing the fleeing Dukes.

Meanwhile, inside Duke Wus Mansion,

The great battle had not yet ended.