Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT) novel Chapter 410

Chapter 410: Where is he?

The late afternoon sun, filtered through the panoramic window of Xiang Yu’s private lounge. He sat in a low, plush armchair, one leg crossed elegantly over the other.

His expression was unconcerned. Almost bored. A crystal glass, half-filled with a shimmering, amber liquid, rested lightly in his hand, catching the light and scattering it in tiny prisms across the polished floor.

In front of him, a holographic screen, seemingly suspended in mid-air, flickered with breaking news. The images were stark: explosions blooming across the ochre surface of a mining planet, Republic cruisers engulfed in flames, and frantic evacuation efforts. The headline screamed in bold, crimson characters: FEDERATION ATTACKS! WAR DECLARED!

The news anchor’s voice, tight with barely suppressed panic, detailed the Federation’s surprise offensive, the devastating losses incurred by the Republic’s outer rim defence fleet. Then, the broadcast cut to a live feed from the Federation capital.

There, standing on a grand balcony overlooking a cheering crowd, was Sirius. His face, usually smooth and composed, was contorted with a fierce intensity.

His dark uniform, adorned with an array of medals, seemed to amplify his already imposing presence. An almost palpable aura of power radiated from him.

"People of the Republic!" Sirius’s voice boomed across the broadcast, amplified by unseen speakers. "This war, this senseless bloodshed, is on your Imperial Lord’s head! His insatiable greed, his lust for power, has brought us to this precipice!"

The crowd behind Sirius roared its approval. The camera zoomed in on Sirius’s face, capturing the glint of malice in his eyes.

"If you truly desire peace," he continued, his voice dripping with condescension, "if you wish to avoid further suffering, you will accede to our demands. Unconditional surrender. The transfer of all disputed territories. And..."

He paused, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his lips. "You know what I want, Your Highness Xiang Yu." He looked directly into the camera, his gaze seemingly piercing through the screen and into Xiang Yu’s very soul. The smirk widened. "You know exactly what I want."

Xiang Yu took a leisurely sip of his drink, the amber liquid swirling in the crystal glass. He swirled it again, watching the light dance within its depths. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t react. He simply...sipped.

The world was burning around him yet here he was taking a casual sip of his drink. His expression remained unchanged, a mask of polite indifference.

He set the glass down gently on a nearby table, the delicate click echoing in the otherwise silent room. He finally looked up at the screen, his gaze meeting Sirius’s through the lens. A flicker of something, annoyance perhaps, danced in his eyes. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same, unnerving calm.

He reached out and, with the tip of his finger, casually dismissed the holographic screen. It vanished, leaving the room bathed once more in the warm, golden light of the setting sun. he leaned back in his chair, his expression serene.

Sirius’s theatrics had, inadvertently, played into Xiang Yu’s hands. The Emperor, consumed by the need to project an image of unwavering strength and resolve in the face of the Federation’s aggression, had been too preoccupied to notice Han Xin’s disappearance.