"The list," Allen said flatly. "List everyone who needs to be eliminated. Douma is good at manipulating people's hearts; let him go and turn those who can be used."
"Don't recommend any useless people for promotion, or you know what will happen."
"Yes," the Emperor quickly bowed, not daring to look directly into Allen's eyes.
"You may leave," Allen waved his hand, signaling the Emperor to depart.
"Ancestor, please rest well. Xiao Ren will take his leave now." After bowing to Allen, the Emperor left his own bedchamber.
The hoot of an owl came from outside the window, and the Emperor suddenly realized that after this night, Neon would usher in an unprecedented reshuffling of power, and he would become the apparent protagonist of this revolution.
The next morning, an unusual tension permeated the streets of Tokyo. A cordon had been set up outside the Prime Ministers Official Residence, and pale-faced police officers guarded the gates. Passing citizens whispered to each other, but no one dared to approach.
"I heard that the entire family of Lord Matsumoto was wiped out," a newspaper vendor whispered.
"Their heads were hung in the entryway, but their bodies were gone."
"Shh!" The fishmonger next to him nervously looked around. "Don't spread rumors; the gendarmerie is arresting people for that."
Not far away, Shinobu Kocho held a purple parasol, disguised as a young lady from a wealthy family. Her exquisite kimono concealed a nichirin blade, and a porcelain bottle containing wisteria poison was tucked into her obi.
"Lady Shinobu, something is wrong," a member of the Kakushi Corps appeared silently behind her.
"Since last night, high-ranking officials of the shogunate have been continuously murdered, and…" He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There doesn't seem to be any demon scent at the scene."
Shinobu Kocho nodded. Ever since Allen disappeared a few months ago, traces of demons in Neon had become rare; at least, the Demon Slayer Corps had not found any traces of Muzan or the Upper Ranks.
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps believed that Allen had already left this world and that Muzan and the Upper Ranks had also been slain by him. It was only a pity that they couldn't kill Muzan themselves to avenge a thousand years of blood feud.
The thin morning mist enveloped Kyoto. Shinobu Kocho closed her purple parasol and stood on the second floor of a teahouse opposite the Prime Ministers Official Residence. Her gaze swept over the nervous guards in front of the official residence.
"Lady Shinobu, this is the third incident this morning," the Kakushi Corps member whispered, handing her a list.
"Last night, an Army Minister and an Interior Minister died, and now even the Prime Minister's entire family has been wiped out."
Shinobu Kocho took the list, her wisteria-like eyes narrowing slightly. The paper neatly listed over a dozen names, all important cabinet members. At the bottom, the same cause of death was marked in red: heads cleanly severed, bodies missing without a trace.
"Are you sure it wasn't a demon?"
"There was no demon scent at the scene. I suspect that after Muzan's death, the remaining remnants may have undergone a special change," the Kakushi member hesitated, stating his conjecture.
Shinobu Kocho's slender fingers gently caressed the list, a hint of doubt flashing in her wisteria-like eyes.
"No demon scent, yet such cruel methods," she murmured to herself. For a moment, a cloud of suspicion hung over all of Kyoto.
"Lady Shinobu," the Kakushi member whispered, "His Majesty the Emperor suddenly called an emergency Imperial Conference this morning. All surviving cabinet members have been summoned to the palace."
"The current Emperor might be a demon, and after Muzan's death, the Emperor felt the shackles disappear and is preparing to rule autocratically, so he united with the surviving remnants to slaughter the cabinet ministers." Shinobu Kocho's pupils suddenly contracted. This was the only possibility she could think of that was most reasonable.
"Immediately inform the Master. This should be the last meeting. Once the last remnants are cleared, the Demon Slayer Corps can disappear into history."
At the same time, deep within the Imperial Palace, Emperor Yoshihito was adjusting his court attire in front of a bronze mirror. Reflected in the mirror was no longer the timid middle-aged man, but a smooth-skinned, sharp-eyed young man.
He greedily caressed his firm cheeks, his lips curving into an exaggerated smile.
"Your Majesty, it's time for court," the old attendant gently reminded from outside the door.
Yoshihito suddenly appeared at the doorway, startling the old attendant, who stumbled backward. Only then did he notice that His Majesty's fingernails had, at some point, become sharp as blades, gleaming coldly.
"Why are you panicking? Are you afraid of me?" Yoshihito's voice carried a hint of chill.
The old attendant trembled all over, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty! This old servant is just… just…"
Yoshihito suddenly reached out and squeezed the old attendant's neck, lifting him into the air. "Just what?"
"Mercy, Your Majesty!" The old attendant thrashed his legs, his face turning purple.
A cruel pleasure flashed in Yoshihito's eyes, but he then remembered Allen's warning not to eat people indiscriminately and reluctantly released his hand. The old attendant collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Get out," Yoshihito adjusted his cuffs. "Tell those ministers that I will be there shortly."
The old attendant scrambled away, and Yoshihito took one last look at his appearance in the bronze mirror, ensuring that no non-human features were visible, before striding towards the council chamber.
Inside the council chamber, over a dozen cabinet ministers waited anxiously. Many of them had received news of their colleagues' gruesome deaths last night, and now everyone feared for their own lives.
"His Majesty the Emperor arrives!"
With the attendant's loud announcement, Yoshihito strode into the council chamber with steady steps. The ministers knelt in unison to pay their respects. They all noticed that the Emperor's appearance and demeanor had changed significantly, but no one wanted to be the first to speak out and become a target.
"All my beloved ministers, rise," Yoshihito's voice was louder and more forceful than usual.
Inside the council chamber, Emperor Yoshihito sat on the throne, looking down at the trembling ministers below. He noticed that Vice Prime Minister Matsumoto's hand was slightly shaking, and beads of sweat formed on the Foreign Minister's forehead.
The trembling ministers in the council chamber made Yoshihito feel even more pleased and satisfied. Usually, they all looked down on him, thinking he was incompetent. Now they were trying to curry favor with him, but it wouldn't be that easy.
"Something unpleasant happened last night," Yoshihito's voice echoed in the silent hall.
"I am deeply saddened. Let us observe three seconds of silence to show respect for this matter."
After everyone observed three seconds of silence, the Finance Minister bravely stepped forward. "Your Majesty, regarding the murder of Prime Minister Matsumoto's family, what are your thoughts?"
"Matsumoto colluded with foreign powers, attempting to betray the interests of the Empire." Yoshihito, without batting an eye, pulled a stack of documents from his sleeve and threw them to the ground. "The evidence is conclusive!"
The ministers exchanged glances; no one dared to pick up the documents, as no one would stick their neck out for a dead person when there was no personal gain to be had.
Yoshihito sneered at the scene, clapped his hands, and the palace doors suddenly opened. A handsome man in a black suit slowly walked in, gently fanning himself with a golden folding fan.
"This is my new advisor, Mr. Douma," Yoshihito introduced. "He will assist me in handling some special affairs."
Douma gracefully bowed to the ministers, dangerous light flickering in his ice-blue eyes. "Greetings, esteemed sirs~"
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