The Elder Council of the dwarf tribe consisted of 39 members. Following the death of Elder Ruijie, the next several elders either waited for the opinion of a certain Grand Elder or directly opposed the nomination of Qite as the new chieftain, clearly revealing themselves as loyal confidants of the current chieftain, Slough.
Only two expressed their support. One had received a favor and had always admired and been grateful to Qite. The other, compelled by fear of Bai Ye, reluctantly agreed.
Half a day passed, and the dwarf elders lay dead in droves, with fewer than a third surviving. Some were out of town, and so was Grand Elder Janpus, thus temporarily escaping the calamity.
As dusk fell, the surviving Grand Elder, with a heart full of trepidation, made his way to the chieftain's luxurious compound.
At that precise moment, by unfortunate coincidence, Dwarf Chieftain Slough and Grand Elder Janpus were in a secret meeting discussing tribal affairs, including how to discreetly inform the demons, Bai Ye and his associates, about their contact and receive rewards from the demons, while simultaneously keeping Bai Ye and the others unaware.
Although they had chosen the demon race, Bai Ye's terrifying strength was not something the dwarf tribe could currently contend with, so they were racking their brains to find a plan that would satisfy both sides.
"Chief, Grand Elder!!!"
"It's bad, it's very bad!!!"
Just as the two were deeply engrossed in their thoughts, a trusted subordinate rushed in through the door.
"What's the panic?" they asked displeased. The chieftain bellowed, "What is it?"
The subordinate's face turned pale. He took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and then said, "Elder Ruijie, Elder Puluelu... and, and many other elders, either died in their homes or have suddenly disappeared!"
After such a long time, news of the bizarre deaths or disappearances of elders, who were high-level core figures of the dwarf tribe, had finally reached them.
The chieftain and the Grand Elder's faces turned ashen, their expressions filled with disbelief. The chieftain grabbed the subordinate by his collar, pulling him closer and demanding, "You're not joking with me, are you?"
"Our elders were perfectly fine this morning, how could such a thing happen?"
The subordinate, startled by the chieftain's roar, turned even paler and dared not speak. The Grand Elder frowned deeply, his face also a picture of panic and distress.
At this moment, another subordinate hurried over, reporting, "Chieftain, several elders outside are requesting an audience, saying they have something extremely urgent to discuss!"
The chieftain shouted, "Quick, have them come in!"
In the spacious conference room, nearly a dozen elders strode in, their faces etched with fear and panic!
"Elder Yarlint, Elder Bazel... Seeing you are safe, I am relieved!" The chieftain stood up to greet them, managing a faint smile.
"Do you know what happened to the other elders?"
Upon hearing the chieftain's question, the elders who had rushed in were momentarily speechless, exchanging uneasy glances. Some even cast looks of veiled animosity towards the chieftain.
This was because Bai Ye had told them that the chieftain had completely surrendered to the demons and was a traitor who obstructed the dwarf tribe's return to freedom!
The Grand Elder, standing silently beside them, had already noticed the expressions of these elders. Furthermore, what unsettled him was that the majority of these surviving elders who had managed to reach them were not from his faction or the chieftain's.
Was this... just a coincidence?
The Grand Elder fixed his gaze on one of the elders, "Barnett, do you know who attacked them?"
The elder called out by the Grand Elder's lips twitched. The thought of Bai Ye's cold, impassive demeanor sent a shiver down his spine, and he stammered, afraid to speak.
"Chieftain, we request that a tribal meeting be convened immediately to decide matters of great importance concerning the fate of our race!" one of the elders who had chosen Qite suddenly spoke out. With him taking the lead, other elders began to chime in.
The chieftain frowned, sensing that something was amiss, but he nodded nonetheless. "Everyone, please be seated."
"Many of our tribal elders have met with misfortune. Today's tribal meeting will begin with this issue!"
"Can anyone tell me what happened? Who was responsible?" Perhaps the demons mistakenly believed we were in league with the enemy and retaliated against us? the chieftain surmised.
However, as soon as the question of who was responsible was raised, the elders present fell silent, no one daring to utter that name!
"It was me." Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from thin air.
The chieftain, the Grand Elder, and all the elders were startled. They all turned abruptly towards the doorway.
Two figures appeared. The chieftain and the Grand Elder's eyes widened in shock and nervousness, while the faces of the other elders showed fear.
"Lord??"
"Uncle Qite!!!"
The chieftain exclaimed.
The Grand Elder's heart pounded, his sense of unease growing stronger. Had he guessed our plan? But why? We haven't even sent our message to the demons yet!
"Chieftain, I believe the topic we should be discussing today is the matter of the chieftain's succession!" an elder who had supported Qite stood up and declared loudly. Although Bai Ye instilled fear in them, their fear had now transformed into courage as they had committed to his side.
*Boom!!* The chieftain felt an explosion in his head. Finally, he understood. All these tragedies and the strange behavior of the elders were a move to force him out!
The mastermind behind it all was clearly the otherworldly powerhouse who had brought Qite with him, casting a shadow of terror over the entire city of Ilaish!
"Lord! Didn't we agree to start the action in two days? Why are you changing my chieftain position now?"
"Did I... did I do something disrespectful to you again?" Although the chieftain was filled with rage, in the face of absolute power, he had no choice but to yield.
"Hmph!" Before Bai Ye could speak, another elder slammed his hand on the table and, pointing at the chieftain's nose, roared, "Don't you have any self-awareness? You could have cooperated with the Lord's plan and moved the entire tribe to the free lands long ago, but you kept obstructing us! What are your intentions?"
Another elder pointed and sneered, "Heh! Some people have knelt for so long they can't stand up anymore, their bones have gone soft!"
"Traitor!! We admired you so much!"
"Shame! We were blind."
Once someone spoke, it was like a dam breaking, and the situation became uncontrollable. The conference room erupted in a chorus of curses.
"Nonsense! You, you all!!" The chieftain's face drained of color. He stood up and turned to Bai Ye, his voice filled with terror, "Lord, I've been framed! I have no intention of betraying you! They are lying, they are lying!"
The Grand Elder could no longer remain seated. He stood up and desperately explained, "Lord, we are not trying to be uncooperative. It's just that our tribe has millions of people, and this is too rushed. Countless innocents would die! We were only considering the tribe..."
At this point, the elders who supported Qite would not hold back.
"Hmph! What do you mean too rushed? Going to the free lands and delivering yourselves there is already great fortune. This can be accomplished with a single command! How much more do you want to bring? The treasures the demons rewarded you with?"
"If you can't do it, then step down! Let Uncle Qite take over!"
"Yes!"
...
Bai Ye glanced at the Grand Elder and said, "Let the election begin!"
"Those who support Qite as the new chieftain, raise your hands!"
As Bai Ye spoke, the conference room immediately fell silent. The elders at the table all raised their hands in unison.
"I agree!"
"I agree too!"
...
Including the chieftain and the Grand Elder, there were only eleven of them. Now, the remaining 9 elders all raised their hands in agreement.
The Grand Elder's eyes flickered. He had never expected Bai Ye to be so arbitrary, sharp, and ruthless in his actions!
"I, I agree too!" To everyone's surprise, the Grand Elder slowly raised his hand.
"Grand, Grand Elder!" The chieftain slumped to the ground, gazing at the Grand Elder in disbelief.
??? Wasn't this your plan? And now you're surrendering so readily?
The Grand Elder glanced at him and gave him a meaningful look. The chieftain immediately got up from the ground.
"Since this is the Lord's will, then I willingly step down and fully support Grandpa Qite as the new chieftain of the dwarf tribe..." After speaking, Chieftain Slough slumped back to the ground.
Bai Ye chuckled. "Congratulations, the new chieftain is in office." With a wave of his hand, Bai Ye placed Qite in the seat of honor.
"Clap clap clap!!!!"
The elders applauded excitedly, rising from their chairs and bowing.
"Greetings to the new chieftain!!"
"Thank you, everyone!" Qite displayed a complex smile. From beginning to end, he had done almost nothing and spoken very little, yet he had become chieftain.
"Ahem!" Bai Ye cleared his throat. "Issue the command, the operation begins!"
As soon as the words fell, Bai Ye vanished from the conference room before the new chieftain and elders could react. A terrifying roar echoed from outside the compound, and simultaneously, the entire ground trembled.
Billowing smoke rose from the prosperous city of Ilaish. From the dwarf slums to outside the city walls, a giant dragon of fire was ruthlessly blasting apart building after building, creating ruins for hundreds of kilometers!
"Enemy attack!"
"He's appeared again! That terrifying enemy who destroyed Sky Tower City!"
"Where are the Holy Kings? Hurry and stop him!"
"Ah! Help, save me!!!"
*Rumble rumble rumble!!!*
In the blink of an eye, the entire city of Ilaish descended into chaos. The demon army in the city became vulnerable at this moment!