The Demonic World I designed

"Not leaving?"

"Not leaving..." Inside the Governor-general's Mansion, Chen Qing looked at the fellow who had obviously anticipated his visit with an inexplicable discomfort, but still honestly said, "Lord Chen is right, running away is useless. I can avoid them, but they might not avoid me, and if they succeed, they won't let me off either."

He paused and then added, "Moreover, Lord Chen is highly valued by His Majesty. If Lord Chen doesn't want this official to hide, then I really can't hide, can I?"

"Hey, don't make me sound so harsh," Wang Ye immediately laughed. "But it's for the best that Lord Chen has come around to this thinking."

Chen Qing silently drank tea, not engaging in the conversation, continuing to express his dissatisfaction.

He always felt that this surnamed Wang would be a lot of trouble in the future, and it would be better not to deal with him after this time if possible.

Seeing the other party's cold demeanor, Wang Ye didn't mind and went straight to the point, "Can you really remember the appearance of Cui Yan's wife?"

"Yes!" Chen Qing replied respectfully, "This official traveled to the capital with Cui Yan. During the examination period, Cui Yan's wife was responsible for taking care of his daily life, and I saw her many times. I have not forgotten her features!"

"Hmm..." Wang Ye rubbed his fingers and asked in a lowered voice, "Since you've decided to fully engage in this matter, it's better not to hide anything, Lord Chen."

"How dare I hide anything from a superior?" Chen Qing's indifference turned into a panicked expression.

"There's no need to be nervous, Lord Chen..." Wang Ye quickly reassured with a smile, "I just want to know, Lord Chen, from your childhood to adulthood, have you ever discovered anything unique about yourself?"

"This..." Chen Qing looked puzzled, "Since childhood, I was precocious. Thanks to my father's meticulous teaching, I was also more intelligent than other children in the village... The masters who taught me all said that I had a talent for studying..."

"Besides that?"

"Besides that?"

"What are you implying, Lord?" Chen Qing shook his head with confusion, "I haven't done farm work since I was young. Obviously, I look better than people around me, but of course, I cannot compare to Cui Yan..."

Wang Ye laughed with exasperation, "You have quite a sense of self-awareness, knowing that you cannot compare to Cui Yan."

"This official always deals with facts!" Chen Qing said earnestly.

Wang Ye's face twitched, and he exchanged a glance with Weichi Peng sitting opposite him, who nodded slightly.

After multiple investigations, it was clear that Chen Qing came from a humble background; at least five generations of his ancestors were farming families. Only his father became a scholar. His family's bloodline had never left the range of Longquan County, which meant they likely had no bloodline inheritance.

"Since Lord Chen is so confident, then I will report to His Majesty. The selection for the Crown Prince's wife will proceed as usual!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing hastily stood and bowed, "Such a heavy responsibility fills me with trepidation, but having been so deeply graced by His Majesty, I will give it my all and not shirk my duties!"

"What a spirited declaration!" Wang Ye clapped his hands and laughed, "The Imperial Court needs hot-blooded men like Lord Chen. Well, it's getting late. Lord Chen, you should go and rest in the guest room, we will return to the capital tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

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After Chen Qing had taken his leave with a bow, Weichi Peng, who had been relatively quiet, spoke up, "Is this the interesting lad you were talking about?"

Wang Ye smiled, "Interesting, isn't he? This guy is obviously hiding something, but despite using all my means, I can't find any trace."

A hint of doubt flickered across Weichi Peng's face. He really wanted to say, could it be that you're overthinking it?

Isn't he just a very ordinary scholar? His background is clean, his performance unremarkable...

"Is there a possibility?" Weichi Peng said in a low voice, "Since that thing can alter memories, perhaps, Chen Qing's memories were also deliberately left by the other party?"

"No need..." Wang Ye shook his head, "If the other party only wanted to infiltrate the Harem, then the best choice would have been to not alarm us at the start. As long as no one thought of the Thousand-Faced Fox, the Crown Prince's wife selection would have continued as normal. Why bother with such a complicated scheme?"

"That's true..." Weichi Peng stroked his chin and nodded, "But I really didn't sense any bloodline power on him. It's a bit strange to be able to see through the illusion technique of the Thousand-Faced Fox."

"Indeed..." Wang Ye nodded as well, with no Bloodline Power, yet capable of seeing through the Thousand-Faced Illusion Techniques, something unheard of even in the records of the strange.

"If this Chen Qing truly possesses the ability to see through the Thousand-Faced Fox, then ensuring his safe return to the capital should be of utmost importance. Why would they intentionally send him to stir the grass and startle the snake?"

Wang Ye smiled and said, "If it were merely to have Chen Qing recognize people, they wouldn't have let him leave the capital in the first place. Since they want to catch someone, they will of course want to root it out completely. Master Huang is a Great Confucian from the former dynasty; his status is extraordinary. As you said, without absolute evidence, one cannot rashly act. But what if..." As he spoke, Wang Ye's smile slowly faded and his eyes turned icy, "What if this esteemed Great Confucian is actually a demon hidden among the human race? Are we to let him remain here?"

"This..." Weichi Peng was taken aback, "That's hardly possible, right?"

"What's so impossible about it?" Wang Ye sneered, "Has General Weichi so quickly forgotten about the matter with the King of Qin?"

King of Qin...

Weichi Peng's expression darkened. That name was taboo. During the struggle among the princes, the King of Qin had been the most likely to win the throne of the Central Plains. Yet, who could have guessed that this potential Emperor, followed by many Bloodline families, would turn out to be a great Demon!

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Would Master Huang take action?

This was also the first question that came to Chen Qing's mind after he returned to his room. He was keenly aware of Wang Ye's intention to have him test Master Huang—to stir the grass and startle the snake. Through his probing, Chen Qing also understood all too well that Master Huang, who had taught him for three years, was no ordinary person!

That Wang Ye was far from a good person, sending him to be bait was to provoke Master Huang into action. As a Great Confucian, Master Huang could not be arrested without evidence. If Huang could be forced to act, Wang Ye would have a reason to capture him.

Chen Qing truly did not wish to be involved in such affairs, but he had no choice. In this world, there were things one could not simply avoid if one wished to. Since there was no avoiding it, he had to seek maximum benefit.

Information was first and foremost. He needed to know, to what extent had this world developed methods to resist demons!

Slipping out of his outer clothing and curling up in bed, Chen Qing tried hard to recall the details from when he and his partner had designed this world.

The creatures he had designed were terrifying, and many species, given the right environment, could evolve into their ultimate form with fearsome power capable of ending civilizations. In the test version, countless beta players had been tormented to the brink of madness, heaping curses in the comments section, wishing death upon his family.

His partner, responsible for designing the world's backstory, had to create a corresponding worldview to balance against the monsters designed by Chen Qing. For example... how did the people in the world survive the ravages of these monsters before the players arrived?

He remembered that before the players arrived, the NPCs in the game world depended on something called Bloodline Power to resist the demons.

In the backstory, the power of the demons was overwhelming, and the frail Human Race could not stand against them. To counter the demons, one needed the demons' own power. After a significant upheaval, some humans of mixed demon blood stepped forward. With their formidable demon Bloodline Powers, they carved out a path for survival. It was also during an event that those existences, capable of moving mountains and devastating realms, fell into slumber, providing a brief period of civilizational development for the Human Race.

Which is to say, the Human Race, relying on those terrifying but dormant Bloodlines, barely suppressed the relatively inferior demons still active in the world, achieving a precarious balance!

In the original backstory, there was no Great Jin Dynasty. Chen Qing was clear about this; players were born after the events of the previous dynasty's Thousand-Faced Fox, and with some dormant entities awakening, the balance was broken, and an Inferno descended upon the world once again. The players had to gather enough power within a limited timeframe to change the fate of the Human Race.

That was the grand backdrop they had designed.

In the world where Chen Qing now found himself, there definitely were no players. Otherwise, everything would have been thrown into chaos long ago – what new dynasty could there be?

But Chen Qing was puzzled. Without the players, how did the Human Race survive? The history of the previous dynasty had been destroyed, discussion among the populace forbidden, and possession of any former dynasty literature was considered treasonous. He had no information, yet peace did indeed reign in the world.

Having been in this world for over twenty years, he had indeed neither seen nor heard of any so-called demon events. If it had not been for his involvement in Cui Yan's affairs, he might have continued to believe that this was simply another parallel ancient dynasty.

What had happened back then? What became of the reawakened monsters? How did the Human Race survive and establish a new dynasty? Who were the people now controlling the Imperial Court, and what power did they wield?

He knew nothing...

In such a context, ignorance was a liability. Since he was now embroiled in this event, he would take this opportunity to observe. It was a rare chance, with new talents from the Imperial Court on one side and a Great Confucian from the former dynasty who consorted with demons on the other. What kind of powers did each of them hold?

Without the intervention of players, those power systems that needed to be developed by players, those forces beyond the Bloodline Power – had the new dynasty mastered them? If so, to what extent?

And then, there was the Mirror Demon!

At this thought, a gleam flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. If there was a chance, that entity was a must-have. As a designer, he was well aware that among all power systems, there was one that was most difficult but also the most comprehensively strong. And if he wished to walk that path, the Mirror Demon would be an excellent tool!