If that's the case, doesn't it mean they're admitting they planned to enter the forbidden area?
"Demon Lord, we really don't know what happened." At this point, Liu Xinya clearly wanted to deny it, refusing to admit that they had passed through the first barrier of the forbidden area unharmed.
Even the Demon Lord couldn't explain why he was so stubbornly refusing to admit it. After a moment of silence, he looked at the Demon God with difficulty, only to find that the Demon God wasn't even looking in his direction, completely detached from the matter.
It would have been better if I had just stayed out of it, but I had to ask that question so forcefully just now.
If we don't give the demon god an answer, things will probably get really difficult.
The Demon Lord also realized that it wasn't that the Venerable Lord was unhappy; it was simply because this incident had exposed Liu Lanyan's strength that he wanted to make things difficult for them.
Since that's the case...
"Liu Xinya, go into the forbidden area again and see if you really won't get poisoned." The Demon Lord's decision left everyone staring at him in astonishment.
How did he come up with such a thoughtless decision?
"What does Your Excellency mean?" After finishing speaking, the Demon Lord asked the Demon God in a kind tone.
The demon god glanced at the past indifferently and threw out a remark that left the demon lord speechless: "Whatever the demon lord decides is fine, do as you please."
The Demon Lord's heart skipped a beat. What did this mean?
Is the demon god angry?
He originally intended to laugh it off, but after the demon god's words, how could he save face?
Just as everyone was awkwardly silent, Liu Lanyan suddenly tugged at the sleeve of the man she was looking at and whispered, "Isn't this a bad idea?"
"Hmm?" The Demon God looked at Liu Lanyan and asked in a low voice.
"It wouldn't be good to let Sister Xinya and the others go to the forbidden area again," Liu Lanyan clearly expressed her meaning.
"Isn't it good?" The demon god looked at Liu Lanyan, unable to tell whether it was a question or a statement, and only asked in return with a slight doubt.
"Yes, this is not good." Liu Lanyan said with certainty, "No matter what, it's not just Sister Xinya and the others who entered the forbidden area. This problem is very likely an accident."
Upon hearing Liu Lanyan's words, Liu Jinli, who was most worried, finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly chimed in, "My lord, Your Majesty, this matter is entirely a coincidence."
The Demon Lord glanced at the Liu Xinya and Liu Xinrong sisters but didn't say anything. He couldn't figure out what the Venerable Lord was thinking.
"There's no need to send them again," Liu Lanyan earnestly advised the Demon God.
Never before had Liu Jinli liked Liu Lanyan so much. This girl might be a bit silly and sometimes infuriating, but she was quite sensible when it came to important matters.
“Yes, yes, we’re all family, why put our loved ones at risk?” Liu Jinli chuckled, trying to deflect the issue.
“Exactly.” Liu Lanyan nodded in agreement. Just as Liu Jinli was very satisfied, Liu Lanyan’s next words almost choked him to death.
"What if Sister Xinya and the others go into the forbidden area and something like that happens again?" Liu Lanyan said innocently, completely ignoring the people in the hall whose expressions had suddenly changed.
Upon hearing this, the demon god smiled and nodded, saying, "Well, then let's forget about it."
Regardless of the process, the result was still what the Demon Lord wanted. Although the problem was "cleared up," the Demon Lord still severely reprimanded Liu Xinya and Liu Xinrong.
They were warned that they must never approach the forbidden area again.
Liu Xinya naturally agreed repeatedly, while Liu Xinrong continued to feign a timid and frightened expression.
Actually, there's no way to say for sure whether this was premeditated or not, and it would take a lot of effort to investigate.
However, the Demon Lord's true intention was not to continue the investigation, which was obvious to everyone in the hall.
One is Yu Jinshuo's queen, and the other is the wife of a demon general. They are both daughters of the Grand Elder. The intricate relationships between them make it impossible to investigate or delve into the matter. What good outcome could there be?
Therefore, the Demon Lord was merely asking a routine question here.
If Liu Xinya and the others reveal too many flaws, they will naturally be severely punished. However, it is really difficult to draw a conclusion based on just a little speculation.
After issuing a warning, the matter was dropped. However, the Demon Lord issued an order to all people in the demon realm to avoid the forbidden area recently.
In fact, such an order is completely unnecessary. After the terrifying power of the forbidden area is unleashed, who would be so tired of living as to go there to seek death?
Those in the demon realm who saw the notice simply shook their heads and discussed it, sighing at the matter.
Last night's terrifying experience left a deep impression on them, but because it was resolved safely, there wasn't much panic among them.
The crowd in the main hall dispersed and left, but Yu Jinshuo was left behind.
"My lord, is there something you need?" Yu Jinshuo asked casually as he went straight to the Demon Lord's study, showing no regard for seniority or hierarchy.
The Demon Lord glanced at Yu Jinshuo, waved his hand, and all the palace servants and attendants withdrew, leaving only the Demon Lord and Yu Jinshuo in the study.
"Do you know why I summoned you?" the Demon Lord asked, staring at Yu Jinshuo.
Normally, the Demon Lord rarely speaks to Yu Jinshuo so seriously. It can be said that the Demon Lord is very indulgent towards his younger brother, Yu Jinshuo.
"I don't know." Yu Jinshuo's attitude was nothing like that of a subordinate to a master, much less that of a younger brother to an elder brother.
They showed no respect whatsoever; in fact, they were quite presumptuous.
The Demon Lord did not immediately stop Yu Jinshuo, but stared at him intently for a long time without saying a word.
The Demon Lord didn't speak, so Yu Jinshuo naturally didn't either. Instead, he casually sat down on a chair next to him, sitting there comfortably and openly, as if he were even more at ease than in his own mansion.
"You should know about what happened last night, right?" The Demon Lord seemed to have made up his mind and asked Yu Jinshuo.
"Of course." Yu Jinshuo chuckled, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "My lord, with such a commotion last night, did you really think I wouldn't have noticed?"
The entire royal city, even ordinary people, knew to seek refuge. With his immense strength, how could he not know?
Was that a sarcastic remark?
"Since you know, what did you do?" The Demon Lord's words sounded somewhat like an interrogation, causing Yu Jinshuo to frown in displeasure.
"What for? Of course, I'm going to check out the situation from the city wall." Yu Jinshuo said with a cold snort. "My lord, at least I went to the city wall to take a look. Yu Xinyi has been staying in his residence the whole time without even showing his face, hasn't he?"
The sarcasm in Yu Jinshuo's words made the Demon Lord frown. He stared at him and slowly said, "I would rather you had stayed in the palace and never appeared at all."
The Demon Lord's words provoked Yu Jinshuo to burst into laughter: "What? Is the Master worried about me? Afraid that I'll encounter danger after I go out?"
After Yu Jinshuo finished speaking, his laughter suddenly changed, and it was impossible to tell how much laughter he had. All that could be heard was a strong sense of sarcasm: "Are you really concerned about me, or do you think that I failed in my duty as a prince by not going to the forbidden area to help?"
The Demon Lord twitched the corners of his lips and gave a noncommittal snort.
Yu Jinshuo completely ignored the displeasure on the Demon Lord's face and continued, "The power of the forbidden area is too strong. Wouldn't it be suicide for a nobody like me to go there?"
"Maybe instead of helping, it will just get in the way, that wouldn't be good, would it?" Yu Jinshuo said sarcastically, and the Demon Lord's eyebrows trembled upon hearing this.
"Yu Jinshuo!" The Demon Lord roared in a low voice, his anger clearly evident.
If anyone else had heard this, they would have been terrified. But it was Yu Jinshuo sitting there who simply turned his head slightly and heard it.
"It was all your plan, don't think I don't know." The Demon Lord loudly accused Yu Jinshuo.
"My lord, you're wronging me! What did I do?" Yu Jinshuo shrugged and loudly proclaimed his innocence.
"I didn't want to see something like this happen in the demon realm. Besides, I gave Liu Xinrong a good beating yesterday. Didn't you see she didn't dare to speak in the main hall today?" Yu Jinshuo's innocent look made the demon lord's fingers tremble with anger. He pointed at Yu Jinshuo forcefully, and after opening his mouth for a long time, he finally managed to utter a complete sentence.
"Yu Jinshuo, it's one thing to play these tricks in front of others, but why are you pretending in front of me?" The Demon Lord was not surprised that Yu Jinshuo was not going to harm him, but he just couldn't stand Yu Jinshuo's attitude.
"A trick?" Yu Jinshuo seemed not to understand the meaning behind the Demon Lord's words. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean, Lord. May I ask if you can explain it to me?"
"Yu Jinshuo, is this really necessary? There's no one else here besides you and me." The Demon Lord couldn't stand Yu Jinshuo's pretense of ignorance.
"Liu Xinrong and Liu Xinya went to the forbidden area. Don't tell me you didn't know? If it weren't for your instructions, why would Liu Xinrong, a princess, go to the forbidden area?"
The Demon Lord glared angrily at Yu Jinshuo.
Some people wanted to trespass into the forbidden area for two reasons: fame and fortune.
Those who want to prove themselves and show the world that they are strong will venture into the forbidden area to demonstrate their strength.
Liu Xinrong is already a queen of the demon realm, does she still need to go to the forbidden area?
Don't tell him that it was Liu Xinya who was going.
Liu Xinya is much smarter than Liu Xinrong. Even if she can't survive in the Demon Realm, she can simply come back to Liu Jinli for protection. There's no need for her to risk venturing into any forbidden areas.
They definitely didn't go there on a whim.
Who would go to such an inauspicious place for no reason?
Moreover, both of them grew up in the demon realm, so how could they not know what the forbidden area of the demon realm looks like?
Accidental entry?
That's a lie; even ghosts wouldn't believe it.
"Then I don't know." Yu Jinshuo clearly didn't want to admit it. No matter what the Demon Lord said, if he didn't admit it, the Demon Lord couldn't do anything about it.
There is absolutely no evidence for this; it's all just speculation.
Just like in the main hall, it was only a routine matter to ask Liu Xinya and Liu Xinrong.
Actually, if it weren't for the attack by the forbidden area forces last night, who would have asked Liu Xinya and Liu Xinrong why they went to the forbidden area?
There are plenty of people who can enter the forbidden area; do we really need to ask them one by one?
"So many people have gone to the forbidden area, yet the power of the forbidden area has never broken through its barrier. What do you have to say about that?" The Demon Lord slightly suppressed his anger and pressed Yu Jinshuo for an explanation.
"How would I know? I wasn't the one who entered the forbidden area." Yu Jinshuo spread his hands, finding it even more amusing. "My lord, the questions you asked have nothing to do with me, and none of them are questions I can answer."
The Demon Lord stared at Yu Jinshuo in silence for a long time before asking, "Yu Jinshuo, do you hate me that much?"
"I wouldn't dare." Upon hearing the Demon Lord say this, Yu Jinshuo hurriedly waved his hand, saying he wouldn't dare, but his relaxed posture showed no sign that he wouldn't dare. "Your Majesty's words make me feel apprehensive."
"Is that so?" The Demon Lord scoffed. "How many people in the Demon Realm know a way to enter the forbidden area safely?"
Seeing Yu Jinshuo's nonchalant expression, the Demon Lord said, word by word, "And how many people know how to break through the barrier of the forbidden area?"
As the Demon Lord spoke, Yu Jinshuo's eyes flickered, and he chuckled softly.
Hearing Yu Jinshuo's deep, meaningful laughter, the Demon Lord remained silent, staring at Yu Jinshuo with a heavy, gloomy look in his eyes, like the terrifying calm before a storm.
"The forbidden area has been sealed for a thousand years, it always needs to be aired out," Yu Jinshuo said with a smile, showing no fear of the Demon Lord's imposing aura.
Saying this is tantamount to admitting the Demon Lord's guess—that the events in the forbidden area were arranged by Yu Jinshuo.
"What do you want to do? What exactly do you want to do?" The Demon Lord shook his head angrily. "Breaking through the protective barrier of the forbidden area, do you want to destroy the demon realm?"
"Do you even know that if the power of the forbidden area hadn't been stopped in the end, the royal city would no longer exist?" The Demon Lord trembled with rage, his face turning pale.
He knew that Yu Jinshuo was used to being willful and reckless, but he never expected that Yu Jinshuo would do something like this.
"I won't say anything no matter how much trouble you cause on a normal day, but do you think I'll tolerate your disregard for the safety of the demon realm?" The demon lord wasn't without temper, but he had been too indulgent towards Yu Jinshuo.
"What happened in the demon realm?" Yu Jinshuo asked with amusement, shrugging. "It was just a burst of power; it didn't cause any damage to the royal city, nor did it do anything to the demon realm, did it?"