My Beautiful Duchess Wife

Nadas and Ray both nodded, then shook their heads helplessly.

"By the way, where's Lundy?" Xia asked casually, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Only then did Lin Peng realize that Lundy wasn't there, and he was somewhat flattered. At least, it proved that he was probably more important to her than Lundy! To be remembered by such a stunning beauty was definitely one of life's greatest pleasures.

However, things still needed to be said. He narrowed his eyes, a chill running through him, and said, "He's a traitor, well… how should I put it! He's been Jess's man ever since he arrived in Darkmoon City. Heh… so… we just executed him on the spot! Now… we can only find him through Hades!"

Sia and Eileen exchanged a glance, both somewhat confused. Lin Peng, of course, understood from their expressions. He nodded slightly and began to recount the events of that day to the two princesses.

After a long silence, once Lin Peng finished speaking, the two realized that their scheme, which they had been setting up all along, seemed utterly foolish to others. What was most infuriating was that, knowing their plan, they had been completely outmaneuvered all along.

At this moment, Xia also remembered what Lin Peng had said before he went to the Abyss: their spies were really everywhere.

"So now... what should we do!" Sia asked directly, without any unnecessary words. At the same time, she looked at Lin Peng, Nadas, and Lei with the same question in mind.

What if... those three are also spies?

Eileen glared angrily at Lin Peng and the other two, then fell into deep thought.

"I want to know our current situation. And... all the forces of the Dark Empire, including yours!" Lin Peng suddenly became serious. His deep black eyes flashed with intelligence.

It's been two months since I arrived here, and... it's time for me to make a choice!

Sia and Eileen exchanged a glance and gave each other a wry smile. With his intelligence, he should have realized that while his power had barely maintained its current position, it was merely a precarious hold on power; they were essentially being suppressed.

Perhaps it's time to truly lay all our cards on the table. Otherwise... even the smartest person might not find the best solution, nor come up with the most effective strategy.

"The current King of the Dark Empire is my father. And also... Sister Shia's uncle. Heh... it's quite ironic. The current King doesn't actually have much power; he only has a small amount of real authority. Generally, major decisions still require the Prime Minister's approval. Well... ever since the era of the Dark Emperor passed, the Prime Minister has been in power. And like Darkmoon City, it's divided into three factions. Prime Minister Curabrans is one faction, General Kathy Halledi is another—of course, this faction is ours. And the third faction is Eileen's faction, centered around the imperial power..."

The more Lin Peng heard, the more alarmed he became. He hadn't expected that Prime Minister Kula had amassed such power. Only a united front between the two factions could truly put them on equal footing. And yet, they were still being suppressed.

Otherwise... perhaps the faction that held imperial power would have perished long ago. And as for the current Dark Emperor Charon Lucifer, if he hadn't directly ascended the throne back then, perhaps the imperial power would have already been abolished by the prime minister.

The Grand General was the representative of the previous emperor and a true supporter of imperial power. The current imperial faction was only won over by Shia's uncle, Eileen's father.

However, it was originally Sia who ascended to the throne, but now... it's Karon who has taken the throne!

Hearing the somewhat frightening and startling revelation, Lin Peng rubbed his chin with two fingers, lost in thought. This revealed that the Empire's original three dukes had split into two factions, with only one faction belonging to Xi Ya. The other two factions were essentially subordinates of the Prime Minister.

The duke was merely a military general, a Grand General! As the prime minister, he could use other petitioners to send him to guard the borders of the Moon Demon Realm. In this way, the prime minister would practically have absolute power.

The current power dynamics are simply being navigated by the incumbent Dark Emperor and Sia. And because they fear the Grand General might change his mind… Prime Minister Kula and the others can't go too far.

The Moon Demon Realm is currently the most powerful empire in the Demon Realm. However, this is merely what outsiders call them. Their true name is the Moon Demon Empire!

The Moon Demon Emperor of the Moon Demon Realm is extremely powerful; even the Prime Minister is no match for him in terms of individual strength. It should be said that the Dark Empire is currently the weakest nation. The other empire, Shadow, is far stronger than Dark.

However, it also formed a triangular formation similar to the Dark Empire. The Moon Demon Realm dared not attack the Dark Empire, and at the same time, the Shadow Realm allied with the Dark Empire to resist.

Lin Peng clenched his temples, pursed his lips, and twisted his neck. "Hmm... It seems that Darkmoon City is just a small battlefield between you and Prime Minister Kula. Heh... And those two families are the local bullies. Only by winning them over can we truly win. Hmm... But... why didn't you consider... why we can't support the local forces?"

One sentence immediately made Sia and Eileen's eyes light up. Yes, given the current situation in Darkmoon City, it wouldn't be a problem for them to cultivate their own power.

“But now Jess and the others have stabilized. There’s simply no way to get involved!” Eileen’s charming willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her delicate nose wrinkled slightly as well.

"Well... how should I put it? If we were using those dark forces—like a large gang of petty thugs, or an armed organization of wandering knights—then those forces would be quite powerful." Lin Peng paused, then chuckled, "And... the Furen family and the other Chris family should be reshuffling. By the way, this is Ray from the Chris family... though he's not actually part of the Chris family. He... might be able to help us!"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Joyce the Ranger

"The original Kuris family, though now in decline. Of course... even a dying tiger is still stronger than a horse. Besides, Kuris's decline is also related to the Chris and Furen families. So... first, we need to unite with the real local boss, the Kuris family. Then... the Furen family is mainly in business, so... we can outmaneuver them in business. Hehe... this business dominance, of course, requires the help of the underworld..." His words seemed to encompass all families and all forces. Even Xia was somewhat bewildered by his explanation. Of course, Lin Peng wasn't truly deceiving her.

Eileen narrowed her eyes, then gave Nadas and Ray a wink. The two of them immediately stood up and walked out of the garden, even taking up positions as sentries at the entrance.

“Your plan was good, but… what if Jess uses some high-level power? If it comes down to real strength, we’re no match for him!” Sia shook her head helplessly, looking at Lin Peng with a glimmer of hope.

Fortunately, Lin Peng wasn't really paying attention to Sia right now. His mind was completely focused on helping these two vulnerable women, so after chuckling, he said, "The real high-level power, you're at the Demon King level, right? So… that's roughly even. Then… it comes down to the number of Greater Demons and High-Rank Demons. Hehe… this time, we were lucky enough to kill the snake demon. His inner core fell off and was taken by that firebird. But… the flesh and blood near the inner core are truly excellent medicinal materials! Nadas and Lei advanced by eating that flesh and blood!"

"You said... Nadas has been promoted!" Although Sia's expression was still cold, her voice was full of surprise.

Lin Peng nodded and smiled slightly: "As long as there are good pharmacists, then... within two months, a batch of high-level demons should appear! Besides, although I am an outsider, I really don't believe that the Duke's subordinates would be completely without any strength!"

Eileen nodded: "We do have a fairly strong unit, but... can we... trust you?"

At that moment, Xia also stared intently at Lin Peng. This guy, with such wisdom and such methods... if... what if... he really did side with someone else, then... it would mean her demise!

Angelina, who had been listening silently, grew tense. What if… Lin Peng said the wrong thing? It could mean death. Her hand, gripping Lin Peng's, was sweating profusely.

Lin Peng pursed his lips and suddenly stood up. Looking at the clear spring flowing from the artificial hill on the other side, he said, "Hmm... my current strength isn't very strong, but... hehe... I really want to protect a delicate woman! I don't like seeing that delicate woman always being bullied! Hehe... well... then... I'll go and rest first!"

Before Xia and Eileen could react, Lin Peng stood up and quickly left the garden.

Xia's face turned bright red, and at the same time, she felt an urge to kill Lin Peng on the spot: "You'd better... not have any other ideas!" Lin Peng, who was about to leave the garden, heard this and felt depressed.

Do I... have other ideas? Thinking this, I shook my head and headed towards my residence.

Eileen covered her mouth and chuckled, then mocked, "Sister... actually, I think this guy is not bad! At least... his brain is definitely his biggest weapon."

Sia's eyes turned cold, she gave a soft snort, and then walked out of the garden.

……

In stark contrast to the harmony within the royal palace, Jess was furious inside the city official's residence. He had received news that Fowles, the two high-ranking demons' henchmen, and… Lundy and other family members had all perished at the hands of magical beasts!

With a loud crash, the table, originally made of redwood, shattered into a pile of fragments. An old man in a black magic robe shook his head slightly and said calmly, "Young Master, now is not the time to lose your temper. That Fowles is dead, so be it; he wasn't a very good strategist. As for Lundy, I didn't expect him to die too. Now… let's try to contact the snake demon!"

Jess nodded helplessly, gently stroking the ring on his hand. A flash of dark light appeared, followed by a trumpet-like object. However, the moment the trumpet touched his hand, it shattered.

Her slender white hand trembled slightly: "Dead... How is that possible? The snake demon is at least at the peak of the Demon King level, how could she be dead! Even if Lundy is dead, he can't possibly be dead! Unless, Sia and Eileen join forces!"

The old man in black robes who had been standing there trembled slightly, his white beard shaking a little. "It seems that Sia and Eileen have other trump cards up their sleeves. Hmm... Young Master, let's test the waters according to that second plan of Fowles! Heh... It seems that Sia has found a good ally!"

Jess frowned, his thick, sword-like eyebrows furrowing. His once handsome face was now contorted with rage. "Heh heh... these two little wench have really found some good helpers. Well... I should probably keep them in check. Hmph... if they really manage to revive me, I'd rather not have this Darkmoon City!" With that, he let out another heavy snort and walked out of the hall.

The old man's deeply lined face slowly relaxed. Suddenly, he spoke to the air, "Report the recent events to the second young master!" The previously dark space trembled and then disappeared.

The old man shook his head again, saying helplessly, "Jess really wasn't a good choice! He's too hot-tempered, and... what kind of strategists did he choose? That Fowles, he's simply not cut out to be a strategist! Heh, luckily he has a good relationship with the second young master!"

After saying that, he followed Jess out.

……

The night was unusually quiet.

It seemed that the events that had occurred among the various families during the day were merely temporary bouts of bad mood. But anyone with eyes to see could tell that the undercurrents in Darkmoon City were surging even more fiercely. A small squad of about seven or eight soldiers under the command of the sheriff had blocked the entrance to an alleyway.

Inside, their captain, Koss, coldly looked at the burly man in front of him and sneered: "What... my boss Joyce, haven't you found out anything about Lin Peng yet? Heh heh... you're supposed to be the most powerful ranger organization in Darkmoon City, yet... you can't even find out such a small thing!"

The burly man opposite him, known as Joyce, had a face crisscrossed with scars, and his towering frame reached a height of two and a half meters. Blood vessels dangled from his muscles. Looking at Captain Kos before him, he cursed inwardly, but outwardly feigned a pleading expression: "Give me a few more days. Our rangers can only gain some influence in this city. They can't even get a foothold anywhere else. And there's absolutely no news about Lin Peng in Darkmoon City. Ah..."

Before he could finish speaking, Koss's standard-issue battle sword struck Joyce's shoulder once more. Although it was the back of the blade that struck, the combined power of two high-ranking demons resulted in a bloody gash appearing on Joyce's shoulder.

Joyce was actually much stronger than Coase. However… Coase was a member of the Chris family, and also the captain of the security team. Basically, even if he killed Joyce, he wouldn't get away with it.

The wandering knights only earn money by collecting protection fees and completing certain missions. In reality, they are just insignificant, low-level characters.

Joyce clenched her fists tightly, but she couldn't fight back, making her teeth bleed from holding back her anger.

"A few more days? Heh... then our matter will just drag on and on. Hmm, this time, I'll fine you thirty dark gold coins! Hmph, if you don't give me an answer within three days, you're dead!" Without waiting for Joyce's reaction, he snatched the leather pouch from Joyce's waist. Opening it, he found about forty or fifty dark gold coins, and laughing loudly, prepared to leave.

Just then, a mocking voice rang out: "To be a wandering knight, to be robbed by someone like this. Heh... I must say, truly pathetic!"

"Who?" Koss sneered, holding his standard-issue military knife horizontally in front of his chest. Joyce, on the other hand, could only manage a wry smile.

At that moment, a person slowly floated down from the rooftops on both sides of the alley. Wearing a white ghost mask, the person landed and grinned as they stared at Kos!

"As long as you pledge your allegiance to me, I guarantee you will never be bullied like this again! Hmm... As for people like this, I can just kill them for you!" The masked man smiled faintly and said this to Joyce.

"Hmph, who do you think you are? I am a member of the Chris family..." The word "person" had barely left his mouth when a burst of flames erupted, and at the same time... Koss's head shot straight into the sky.

Joyce's heart tightened as she looked at the cloaked figure, who, though not tall, possessed formidable strength. A jet-black cloak, including a cape, obscured most of his face. Below, he wore tall leather combat boots. Looking up, he saw a white mask adorned with eerie patterns. In his hand, the glowing light from the burning flaming sword was surprisingly warm. There was not a trace of savagery about him!

Watching the headless Koss slowly fall, I realized that this was the person who had killed this mid-level high-ranking demon in an instant. Even a peak high-ranking demon like myself couldn't have killed Koss so quickly!

I couldn't help but shiver.

The soldiers at the alley entrance were trembling uncontrollably as they watched.

"I'm sorry, you saw something you shouldn't have seen!" As the cloaked figure spoke, he raised his flaming sword high and, before the soldiers could even turn and run away, slashed it down.

Countless small flaming blades erupted from the flaming battle blade, hurtling towards them at incredible speed. In an instant, they pierced through the bodies of the seven or eight soldiers. Then, the cloaked figure shook his head, saying jokingly, "Hmm... you really thought the Chris family sent you to investigate Lin Peng? Heh... a family this large needs people like you to provide information, then... their demise isn't far off. It's just... this guy is using the Chris family's name to blackmail you!"

Joyce thought for a moment, then smiled helplessly and nodded.

"Come join me, hehe... At least I have some connections in the Darkmoon City defense force. At least you won't be treated like that!" The cloak extended the invitation once again.

Looking at his burly body covered in scars, Joyce clenched his fists and finally nodded forcefully. Without the protection of a powerful force, a wanderer can only ever walk the path of darkness!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Subjugation and Business Agreements

The term "ranger" originated thousands of years ago during a war between the demon realm and humans. Originally, demons worshipped strength, and the rangers among humans were renowned for their power.

They seemed to be using their power to achieve a fairness that could not be achieved through reason. Meanwhile, a thousand years ago, the Demon Realm, composed of powerful individuals without bloodlines and some vulnerable individuals, formed the first organization of the Rangers: the Dark Night!

This organization is located at the border between the Dark Empire and the Moon Demon Realm, not actually very far from Darkmoon City. If they were in Lin Peng's Flame Chariot, it might only take a month to arrive.

That place is the most chaotic place in the Demon Realm, so... it is called the City of Chaos.

At this moment, Lin Peng looked at the somewhat dilapidated courtyard and the burly men with fierce eyes, a beautiful smile curving his lips. Of course, this was hidden from view outside the mask. Joyce, standing in front of him, coughed awkwardly, seemingly turning the gazes of the wandering knights in his direction.

"This is Lord Ian, who will be the new leader of our Night Moon Society!" No sooner had these words been spoken than one of the burly men, almost as tall as himself, let out a heavy snort. Immediately, a black light flashed, rushing directly towards Lin Peng.

With a snap, a flaming hand reached out and grabbed the black light. Lin Peng glanced at his hand and chuckled. It was a short arrow, quite small, no more than ten centimeters long. And with such a short arrow, if he hadn't been careful from the start, he could have been seriously injured.

"Portland, how dare you be so disrespectful to the leader!" Joyce tensed up and quickly gave the man called Portland a meaningful look. Of course, she wanted him to apologize. However, Portland's somewhat ashen face twitched slightly before he darted out with incredible speed. In the moonlight, a blurry figure flashed by, followed by a beam of white light slashing towards Lin Peng's neck.

Lin Peng sneered, his right hand sweeping upwards to grip the wrist holding the dagger. No matter how hard Portland tried, he couldn't budge it. This startled Portland; while his strength wasn't as great as the original leader Joyce's, he should still be capable, right?

However, at this moment, under this hand that was almost the same size as himself, he couldn't even move.

"A dark elf with stealth abilities?" This dark elf is different from Angelina; their forte is assassination. It's safe to say that, at the same level, if someone were to be entangled by such a dark elf and assassinate them in the shadows, there's a high chance of success.

However, Lin Peng wasn't afraid of dark elves at all. He wasn't even afraid of a high-level demon like Lei, who could truly become invisible, and besides, a mid-level high-level dark elf wasn't even a match for him to use his full power!

With a casual flick of his wrist, the dark elf was sent flying. He then slammed against the wall and dashed behind a giant tree in the courtyard, vanishing instantly. The other burly men stared in astonishment at Joyce and their new leader.

The sheer power, the precise eyesight and technique—just that one move had already earned their admiration. Ultimately, what the demon realm revered most was power.

Lin Peng found it somewhat amusing as he sensed the dark elf's constantly shifting positions, hiding and dodging. The figure radiating heat couldn't escape Lin Peng's perception. It seemed... as if the flames were locking onto it.

He flicked his fingers a few times, the flames dancing and weaving between them. Suddenly, Lin Peng turned and stretched out his five fingers behind him. In the dim night, five streaks of fire appeared with incredible speed.