Jin Ling was willing to do anything to hold onto the throne. If he had already managed to get Jinde back, he might not care but as long as he hadn't, he needed to hold onto his current position. Otherwise, he might lose out on some opportunities. Both to find Jinde and to make him forgive him.
After all, he didn't yet know how Jinde would react when they saw each other once again. Would he be happy? Would he still be angry? It could be both. He just didn't know. So he definitely couldn't give up something that might be a bargaining chip in that situation.
Jinde had always wished for peace among the immortal races. And the demons wanted to have the dragons be part of their own race again. Being able to make them submit because they defeated them in the war was one option but they would naturally also be open to other options.
After all, the demons weren't particular about the means they used to achieve something. The only thing that counted was the end result. And the end result in their opinion had to be that there was one strong demon race once again that incorporated everything and that stood against the gods.
This was their pride and they were not willing to abandon this pride. Having to deal with two demon kings that would ask this of them had made quite a few of them unwilling to bow their heads any longer.
Jian Heng had been able to keep them under control because he was strong and an old fox that knew how to deal with everyone and everything. Jin Ling had had much more trouble than his father. He had still been able to deal with it for a long time because he knew how to use people and also use himself. He had no bottom line when it came to this. After all, he had always wanted to achieve Jinde's wish.
Now, he once again entered the same mode of dealing with people. Threatening who he had to threaten, flattering who he had to flatter, coercing who he had to coerce.
The means didn't matter. What he had to give up for that didn't matter either. Whether it was selling himself, selling a wife, or selling out an ally. He was willing to do anything. Now more than ever before. After all, he was just a step short of achieving his goal. He would not give up now. He would persist and he would get what he wanted.
This was a foregone conclusion. After everything he had given to achieve his goal, there was no chance that he wouldn't be able to get it. Heaven couldn't be that unfair.
At the same time, Yin Lin Lin went to talk to Yong Hai. Inwardly, she couldn't help but be nervous. She trusted in Jin Ling's ability to judge the situation but that didn't mean that she was confident that she would be able to pull this off.
Yes, she had originally thought of first checking with Jin Ling to see how he thought and then maybe help him against Yong Hai but seeing just how many people were willing to betray her husband, she finally understood just how grave the situation was. If she didn't manage to pull this off, she would die.
She took a deep breath and then knocked on Yong Hai's door.
There was a slight pause on the other end before the demon called out. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Yin Lin Lin. Didn't you want to know information?"
Steps sounded from the other side and finally, a servant opened the door. Obviously, Yong Hai's current position wasn't too bad. He had managed to get people who were willing to serve him, probably thinking that he would be the next demon king and could offer them some benefits when it was time.
Unfortunately, with every person on his side, his chances against Jin Ling would grow. She had to tell Jin Ling about this when she got back. He had to be prepared to have to fight against this kind of thing. Appearance could mean a lot. If others thought that Yong Hai seemed to be growing in power because there were many people next to him that would be able to help him, then that might also convince them to join his side instead of Jin Ling's. She couldn't let that happen.
Yin Lin Lin walked past the servant into the room, not bothering to acknowledge him. Anyway, even in the Nine Heavens, she had been a high-ranking person. Why would she waste even a second thought on a lowly servant?
She went over to where Yong Hai was reclining with two beauties next to him and sat down opposite him. "So? Didn't I say I would find out?"
Yong Hai nodded and waved for her to go on, not bothering to send the others out.
Yin Lin Lin furrowed her brows. "What about them? Do you really want them to hear?"
Yong Hai shrugged his shoulders and pulled the two of them closer to his side. "I wouldn't know why they shouldn't. These two are loyal to me. You don't have to worry about them. Anyway, what have you found out?" Right now, he was still testing whether or not he could use Yin Lin Lin. Whatever information she could bring him, it wasn't something that he wouldn't be able to get on his own either. So even if these two heard and weren't on his side, he also wouldn't lose too much. There were probably quite a lot of people with the very same information as Yin Lin Lin.
Yin Lin Lin wasn't happy with how he treated her but considering the current situation, she just huffed and then took out the list she had written. "This is a list of people that are willing to cooperate with you. I wrote down all of the names but you should know yourself that not everybody is as trustworthy as they want you to believe.
"We might need to talk to them a few more times and keep an eye on what they're doing to make sure that they are not pretending to be on your side just to make a deal with somebody else, whether that might be my husband or another party. I marked those that I thought might have second thoughts about this."
Yong Hai had one of the beauties reach over and take the list, handing it over to him. When he unfolded it, he couldn't help but raise his brows. It seemed that Yin Lin Lin had kept her word and really done some good research.
A few of the people on this list were actually ones that he had talked to already. It seemed that she wasn't trying to betray him and instead wanted to get into his good graces. Well, that meant that he had another ally. With that, Jin Ling's chances against him were even smaller.