Perfect Villain Life: Universal Job Change-Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Civil War?

The once relatively harmonious atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became charged with tension. The air seemed to bristle with the threat of conflict, and the faces of Song Qi, Ren Xun, and the other secretaries turned pale with fear.

Could it be that the Imperial Regent and the Chancellor were about to clash?

The thought sent shivers down their spines.

Lu Ji, the Level 90 Stellar Sword Saint, and Qin Ming, the Level 89 Psionic Sovereign, were the two strongest individuals in the human world. If the two were to come to blows, the Imperial Capital itself would likely cease to exist within ten seconds.

The consequences, however, extended far beyond personal power. Qin Ming represented the thousand-year-old Qin family, with its vast influence, countless powerhouses, and control over half the Empire’s provinces.

On the other hand, Lu Ji, as the Imperial Regent and former Imperial tutor, had rallied the remnants of the pro-Emperor faction under his banner, including the Eastern Army led by his disciple, Wen Yu.

A conflict between them would plunge the entire Empire into civil war.

Lu Ji’s expression remained unreadable as he stared at Qin Ming for a long moment. Finally, his gaze darkened, and he said coldly, “Very well. I trust the Chancellor will properly instruct your son.”

“Qin Xian is extraordinarily talented, destined to be humanity’s strongest, and will likely ascend to the Celestial Sacred Realm in the future. I hold high hopes for him. I don’t want to see him stray from the right path.”

Qin Ming responded with a faint smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It was clear he had little regard for Lu Ji’s words.

Nevertheless, the tension in the room dissipated, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Qin Ming slowly stood, nodded at Lu Ji, and said calmly, “Now that we’ve discussed everything, I’ll take my leave.”

With that, he turned and left without hesitation, his departure leaving behind a stony-faced Lu Ji, a tense Ren Xun, and a handful of shaken secretaries.

After waving the secretaries away, Ren Xun cautiously approached Lu Ji. Once they were alone, he asked hesitantly, “Regent, we’ve made progress in locating His Majesty.l

“At such a critical moment, wouldn’t it be better to placate the Qin family to avoid unnecessary complications?”

The Regency Office had received word of Zhao Tong’s death mere minutes after the incident. After much deliberation, Lu Ji’s advisors had unanimously suggested downplaying the matter to avoid provoking the Qin family.

Lu Ji’s expression turned mocking as he replied, “If I pretended to know nothing, that would truly arouse the Qin family’s suspicions.”

Ren Xun, no fool, immediately realized the truth. His face paled as he exclaimed, “The Ministry of Supervision! The Qin family… they already know?”

He suddenly remembered the Ministry of Supervision’s head, Sheng Junchen—a ruthless, cunning, and utterly unscrupulous man who was nothing less than a lapdog of the Qin family.

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Sheng’s meteoric rise to the ministry’s top position in just ten years wasn’t solely due to his loyalty to the Qin family; his personal capabilities were formidable.

Originally tasked with overseeing governmental corruption, the Ministry of Supervision had, under Sheng’s leadership, transformed into a terrifying intelligence network with spies embedded across various departments.

If the Regency Office’s secret investigation into the Emperor’s disappearance had been compromised, the Qin family was undoubtedly aware.

Ren Xun realized with alarm that if Lu Ji had responded indifferently to the Zhao Tong incident, the Qin family would have grown even more suspicious.

After all, if the search for the Emperor hadn’t made progress, Lu Ji’s usual temperament would have led him to express outrage. A flat response would seem entirely unnatural, signaling that the Regency was hiding something.

Ren Xun nodded, his admiration for Lu Ji deepening. “I see. You’re right, Regent.”

Still concerned, he asked, “But can we outmaneuver the Qin family? While we’ve roughly determined His Majesty’s whereabouts, pinpointing him will take more time…”

Lu Ji shook his head, his tone grave. “Let’s hope so. The Qin family has become increasingly bold over the years.”

His gaze sharpened as he added, “There are even voices calling for the Qin family to replace the Ying family as the Empire’s new royal lineage. We must act quickly.”

—

Outside the Regency Office

As Qin Ming entered the car with Song Qi, their convoy began to roll away from the building.

Song Qi, reflecting on the tense exchange in the meeting room, couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, given the Regency’s strong reaction to the young master’s actions, does this mean they’re still far from finding the Emperor? Could they simply be bluffing?”

Qin Ming’s lips curled into a faintly mocking smile. “No. They’re close. Very close. Lu Ji wouldn’t have held the position of Regent for twenty years while retaining real power if he were an idiot.”

“He knows full well that many of his people have been bought by us, and he’s fully aware of it.”

Song Qi quickly understood. Lu Ji’s apparent anger was a calculated move—a reverse strategy to mislead the Qin family.

Song Qi was both awed and shaken by the subtlety of the confrontation. The depth of strategy between these two giants was staggering. He nodded solemnly. As one of Qin Ming’s most trusted aides, he knew that the Qin family’s success or failure would determine his own fate.

Though the Emperor had been missing for two decades, the possibility of his return sent a chill through Song Qi.

Even for him, the thought of the Emperor reclaiming the throne was deeply unsettling.