A few people tried to talk to him, but Duke Xuan did not pay attention to anyone. Instead, he turned around and quickly left the place. But everyone could see clearly that, while his expression was clearly one of relief… there was some joy hidden there as well.
“This…”
“Could it be that the Little Demon Empress actually pardoned him?”
Everyone looked at one another in dismay, but Duke Xuan came out unscathed and his face was filled with joy and astonishment, so that caused the pressure in everyone’s heart to lessen several times. The miserable fate of the Duke Huai Palace had caused them to be so anxious that they could scarcely carry on. Moreover, every single moment spent in the presence of the Little Demon Empress filled them with boundless terror, and their minds could not help but illustrate various terrible scenarios. But Duke Xuan had only gone in for a few moments, and he had clearly been pardoned at the end of it.
They began to feel that, perhaps their sheer terror had been overblown… That was right, after all, they all belonged to Guardian Families and Duke Palaces, and they were the pillars supporting the Illusory Demon Realm! The Illusory Demon Realm had just gone through such a big change, so the foundations and supports were even more inviolate at this time!
Among all the Duke Palaces, Duke Xuan was already among the weakest, and his palace could not even compare to the Guardian Families, but he was safe and sound… As long as they gave all their effort to repent and prove their loyalty, the Little Demon Empress would definitely go with the flow and absolve them. They would receive a warning at most…
At this thought, everyone’s hearts immediately calmed down a great deal, and even the atmosphere of the great hall did not seem so stifling and oppressive anymore.
“Helian Kuang, enter.”
The Little Demon Empress’ voice pierced the barrier as it rang out from the stone room, and this time, her voice summoned the Helian Family Patriarch, Helian Kuang.
“Patriarch…” A few of the core elders in the Helian Family looked at Helian Kuang with worried expressions on their faces.
“Don’t worry. After all, I am the Patriarch of a Guardian Family, so nothing will happen to me.” Helian Kuang sucked in a heavy breath as he strode towards the stone room.
Once he entered the stone room, a heart-piercing icy sensation assaulted him and caused him to feel chills all over, so he involuntarily shivered. Helian Kuang did not dare to meet the Little Demon Empress’ eyes, instead he hurriedly kneeled and said, “This sinner Helian Kuang greets the Little Demon Empress.”
“You may rise.” The Little Demon Empress’ voice was incomparably calm, and there was not single fluctuation in her emotions. She gazed at a stone seat to her right and said, “Be seated.”
There was no killing intent, no fury, not even a feeling of oppression, and he did not even need to kneel. All of this caused Helian Kuang’s heart to be steadied. He slowly rose to his feet and carefully shifted into the stone seat.
The Little Demon Empress extended her hand and a delicate white jade teacup appeared in her palm. With a flip of her hand, the teacup rose in the air as if it was being guided by a light wind and it floated across to the land on the stone table in front of Helian Kuang, “Patriarch Helian, please have some tea.”