Inside the Scorpion King’s chamber, all the elders sat quietly with their faces filled with tension and panic.

The atmosphere had become so heavy that even breathing felt difficult.

They frequently glanced at the door as if waiting for something to burst right in.

And indeed, they were waiting for something to burst right in.

But with each passing second, the uneasiness in their hearts grew. The longer the silence continued, the more dreadful their thoughts became.

Many could not control their nervousness and began to tap their feet against the ground.

Some gripped their armchairs tightly as if hoping they would provide some sort of support. Their knuckles had long turned pale from exerting too much force.

As for the Old Elder, his withered face had become even more wrinkled, each fold of skin pressing upon another, making his already frightening appearance even more sinister.

Instead of staring at the entrance like everyone else.

He stared at the now silent King.

Previously, the King had disappeared for a few hours before returning. No one knew where he had gone or whom he had met.

And when he returned, he only left behind one statement.

"Wait for the good news."

This alone confused the Old Elder and all the other elders.

They had expected to receive a positive response that would turn the tide of the incoming war, not such a vague statement.

Still, they all chose to remain quiet and wait for the good news. After all, none of them dared to openly question the King’s decision at such a critical moment.

However, it had been hours since the King returned, but there was still no trace of the good news.

Many times, the Old Elder wanted to question the King, but whenever he saw the King’s sharp gaze, he restrained himself.

’I hope the King’s plan will save us... If not, I will be forced to visit the Ancient One,’ he thought, his face grim.

That was the very last option.

Once the Ancient One was disturbed, no one could predict what consequences would follow.

Bang!

Just then, a figure rushed into the chamber, banging the doors open without caring whether this was the King’s chamber or not.

The loud crash instantly shattered the suffocating silence.

Looking at the figure, the slight frowns that had crept onto the elders’ faces vanished.

This was the elder responsible for monitoring the news from outside.

His breathing was ragged.

Sweat drenched his entire body as though he had run all the way from the city walls without stopping.

"What happened?"

"Have they breached our gates?"

"Tell us quickly!"

The elders rose from their seats almost simultaneously, bombarding him with anxious questions.

Even the Old Elder leaned slightly forward, his eyes fixed intently on the elder.

Only the Scorpion King remained seated upon his throne. His expression did not change in the slightest.

He simply watched the panting elder quietly, waiting for the report to finally reveal whether the "good news" he had spoken of had truly arrived.

Listening to the questions, the elder took a deep breath and shook his head. The panic on his face gradually disappeared as a faint smile slowly crept across his lips.

"You’re wrong."

"What do you mean?" all the elders asked, puzzled. Their expressions immediately changed from anxiety to confusion.

As for the Old Elder, he cast a glance at their King before a knowing smile appeared on his face.

Unlike the others, he immediately noticed that His Majesty’s expression had remained calm from beginning to end.

’This must be the good news His Majesty was expecting,’ he thought.

"The Horn Lizard soldiers did not attack us. Instead..." Before the elder could continue, an impatient elder interrupted him.

"Instead what? Are they willing to negotiate with us?"

"If that is the case, then that is good news. Right?" His bright eyes swept across the gathered elders before finally resting upon the King.

To him, avoiding a direct war was already the greatest blessing they could hope for.

"Will you be patient and let him complete his statement?" the Old Elder chided, glaring coldly at the impatient elder.

"Hmm?"

The elder was confused.

To him, this was the best possible outcome they could ever get.

So what were they hoping to hear from him?

The elders glanced at each other before their eyes finally rested on the messenger elder once more. This time, no one dared interrupt him again.

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, the elder cleared his throat.

"The Horn Lizard soldiers did not ask for negotiations. This is where you are wrong."

"But they did something entirely different."

"Hmm?"

Everyone’s confusion deepened, but they knew better than to interrupt him again. Their hearts pounded with curiosity while countless thoughts raced through their minds.

What could it be?

"Since we started fighting with the Horn Lizard Clan, they have never done something like this," the elder said in a serious voice.

Every word he spoke made the atmosphere inside the chamber become even stranger.

"I believe this must be the work of our mighty King," he continued proudly.

The more the elders listened, the more confused and curious they became.

What did their King do?

"The Horn Lizard soldiers did not attack us..."

"But do you know who they are attacking right now?"

He deliberately paused, allowing everyone’s anticipation to reach its peak.

"The humans."

"The treacherous humans."

"Can you believe it? Hahaha!"

"We are not their target, but the humans. They deceived the humans into thinking they were going to attack us, but instead, the humans were the real target from the very beginning."

"Right now, as I speak, the humans are dying outside our city walls." His face was full of pride and relief.

What!

All the elders froze in their seats, unable to believe their ears. Their eyes widened in disbelief while their mouths slowly fell open.

None of them had expected such an unbelievable turn of events.

For a long moment, no one reacted.

Then, almost instinctively, every pair of eyes shifted toward the Scorpion King. The Old Elder’s wrinkled face trembled slightly with excitement.

’His Majesty... truly planned this all along.’

The remaining elders shared the same thought.

"Long live the King!"

They rose to their feet and shouted in unison.

Their thunderous voices echoed throughout the royal chamber, their fear completely replaced by excitement and reverence.