The room was steeped in heavy silence, filled with unspoken emotions. The crystal chandelier cast soft light onto Trang’s tear-streaked face, her eyes shimmering with profound gratitude. She slowly rose to her feet, her voice trembling yet clear:

  – “So… when C?u D?ng kicked me out of the mansion… I wandered outside for three days with nowhere to go… Then I met the old lady selling sweet soup — she gave me food, and showed me the way to that slum...”

  Seated firmly on the solid ironwood throne, Satan gave a slight nod, his voice deep and warm:

  – “That woman was one of my operatives. I had already arranged for her to be there at the right time. The reason I allowed you to wander for those three days… was to temper your endurance, build your independence, and ignite your survival instincts.”

  Trang’s eyes welled up. Memories flickered through her mind like a slow film reel — the gnawing hunger, the cold nights sleeping beneath the awning of a pharmacy, her scraped feet… and then, that steaming bowl of sweet soup — from the first person who ever called her “child.”

  She whispered:

  – “During those five years in the slum, the landlord barely charged rent… never evicted me, never forced anything…”

  Satan smiled faintly, his eyes soft with a rare fatherly gentleness:

  – “The landlord — that was ?ng Nhan, the junk collector. That was me. I disguised myself and lived beside you in that slum. I charged rent not because I needed money, but to build your will to strive. If everything had been free, you would have grown complacent… and lost your inner strength.”

  A quiet murmur rippled through everyone present.

  Erion suddenly sprang to his feet, that same defiant tone laced in arrogance — a being once sealed for 1000 years, but clearly still stubborn at heart:

  – “Then she’s not really your daughter. Don’t try to emotionally manipulate me with this sentimental act!”

  Satan let out a thunderous laugh, echoing like ancient thunder crashing across a mountain peak:

  – “You’re right. Trang wasn’t born of my flesh… But the day I brought her to this royal stronghold, I infused her body with a portion of my blood. My blood is the primal essence — the catalyst that awakened the dormant energy inside her after all these years.”

  He locked eyes with Erion, cold yet composed:

  – “That means… in her veins now flows my blood. In essence, she is no different than a daughter of my own flesh and bone.”

  The air grew thick, almost tangible with tension.

  At that moment, the Grand Lady Chancellor — petite in figure but commanding in presence, clad in a gothic-inspired Vietnamese silk áo Dài — sipped delicately from her ancient Shan Tuy?t tea. Her voice was casual, almost like reciting a fable:

  – “An egg trying to outsmart the duck…”

  No one could hold it in anymore. Laughter burst around the room — a mix of tension and relief, slicing through the somber mood like morning sun after storm.

  The entire room held back laughter, riding a delicate wave of amusement — all except one. Erion sat frozen, his face flushed red, though no one could tell if it was from anger, embarrassment… or sheer mortification.

  His eyes flicked toward Satan, who sat relaxed with one leg crossed over the other on his solid ironwood throne — the very picture of a cosmic emperor, sipping ancient Shan Tuy?t tea with the calmness of a man who had already won.

  – “Well?” Satan’s voice echoed, measured and regal, the tone of a monarch in full control. “If you still insist on being arrogant and insolent in front of me… don’t expect me to approve your courtship of my daughter.”

  A collective “Oof!” echoed from both sides of the room.

  Din slapped his forehead while Yin tried — and failed — to suppress a crooked smile. The two muttered in unison:

  – “It’s over… The General just lost everything.”

  – “He should focus on winning over his future father-in-law… or he’ll end up single for another thousand years,” Yin sighed, eyes still twinkling with mischief.

  The room erupted in laughter. Even the secret agents and little demons did their best not to throw their heads back and roar.

  As usual, the Grand Lady Chancellor remained unbothered by the chaos. She brought a piece of milk cake to her lips, chewed slowly, and then said matter-of-factly:

  – “The Overlord is ruler of galaxies, lord of many worlds, King of Darkness, and also the godfather of the royal mafia. You… are merely a small diamond in this vast universe.”

  All eyes turned back to Erion. His face now burned redder than vintage wine, his hands gripping the armrests with barely restrained emotion.

  Trang tilted her head, a playful gleam in her eye as she teased:

  – “I seem to remember someone once said... ‘Better to stay single for a thousand years than marry someone like me.’” Her voice was light, but the sting was clear.

  Satan stepped down from his throne and walked toward Trang. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his deep voice echoing throughout the hall:

  – “If that’s how he truly feels… I will simply find a more worthy prince for you.”

  His gaze shifted subtly toward Trúc Di?n, who sat across from him with calm composure. Satan’s voice came slower now, deliberate — clearly meant to provoke:

  – “This Serpent King… is not a bad choice. Royal bloodline, composed nature. If you’re interested in my daughter, I give you full permission to pursue her.”

  The room broke into excited murmurs.

  Erion was now visibly trembling, fists clenched tight at his sides.

  – “You… you dare force me like this?!”

  Satan’s smile widened, smug and serene, his voice calm as a mountain spring:

  – “Force you? No… I’m simply offering you a choice.”

  Erion’s fury surged. He wanted to unleash his black flames and turn this entire palace into crystalized ash.

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  – “You’re unbelievable! You’re cornering me!”

  Satan met his eyes directly, voice still gentle — and cutting:

  – “I created you, Erion. You're still far too green. And yet, you once dared to plot my downfall? Now let’s see how you handle this.”

  The air inside the Bình Chánh command center’s grand hall was stretched taut, like a bowstring ready to snap, following Satan’s unexpected declaration.

  Trúc Di?n — usually calm and reserved — now had a sharp gleam in his eye. He rose from his seat, placed a steady hand on the table, and looked directly at Satan:

  – “If I have your permission… then I officially request the chance to court Princess Trang.”

  His voice echoed through the room like the toll of a bell. All eyes turned immediately to Erion — who had been sitting still like a statue, but now clenched his jaw tightly. His amber-brown irises, normally a disguise, ignited into glowing ruby red — a clear sign that wrath was boiling just beneath the surface.

  – “You damned snake…” Erion growled, voice sinking like thunder into the depths. “You dare challenge me? I never lose.”

  But Satan — the ultimate judge presiding over the court — was unmoved by the growing tension:

  – “Then I declare this: Whichever man proves himself respectful, sincere, and truly loving toward my daughter — that man shall become the son-in-law of Satan.”

  A heavy silence fell.

  – “The battle between two royal bloodlines… has officially begun,” sighed old V?nh, shaking his head.

  – “Brilliant!” Din clapped with delight. “Let the romance drama commence.”

  – “Popcorn and binge-watching time,” Yin chimed in, grinning and shrugging in mock excitement.

  Just then, a sharp ringtone sliced through the room’s thick air. Master V?nh picked up his phone:

  – “Thi?n, any news?”

  On the other end was Thi?n, his top disciple, currently out on an investigative mission.

  – “Master, I’ve found details about the accident years ago.”

  Everyone leaned in, holding their breath.

  – “The vehicle involved had license plate number 60Z-XXXXX, registered in ??ng Nai Province. But Ms. Trang’s parents were living in Sài Gòn. The car owner? A woman named Linh — D?ng’s wife.”

  – “According to the report, the car’s brakes failed while descending the Cù M?ng Pass, causing a fatal crash. There were signs of foul play in the file… but no solid evidence at the time.”

  Master V?nh thanked him and ended the call.

  Yin, visibly anxious, asked:

  – “So you’ve got something?”

  Master V?nh nodded and turned to everyone present:

  – “The incident wasn’t just an unfortunate accident. The license plate was from a different province, even though Trang’s family lived in Sài Gòn. And the registered owner… was Linh, D?ng’s wife.”

  Silence gripped the room.

  Loose fragments of a long-buried story were now beginning to form the shape of a dark conspiracy. Trang’s eyes darkened. Her hand curled into a tight fist, and a faint red gleam flickered from beneath the sleeve of her white blouse — a telltale sign that her latent power was rising fast.

  The atmosphere inside Bình Chánh’s war room grew tighter by the second — like a bowstring drawn to its limit. Just as Master V?nh ended his call, Yin’s phone buzzed. He opened it and began reading a long message from his assistant, Chen, aloud to everyone in the room:

  – “Sir, I’ve dispatched vampires disguised as tourists to revisit the accident site. They’ve been gathering information from the locals — most are now in their sixties. According to their recollection…”

  – “The young couple involved in the crash, Mrs. H?nh and Mr. Qu?c, were known to be kind and decent people. They had started a fruit and vegetable farm in Phú Yên, creating jobs for the local villagers. The couple and their little daughter regularly visited the area to check on the farm’s progress.”

  – “On the day of the accident, another couple was traveling with them — Mrs. H?nh’s older brother D?ng and his wife Linh. But here’s the strange part…”

  Din frowned, muttering under his breath:

  – “Why was the vehicle involved registered under Linh’s name?”

  Yin continued reading:

  – “According to the manager of a nearby inn where the families often stayed, the couple’s own car wouldn’t start that day. So Mr. D?ng offered to lend them his wife Linh’s car so they could go sightseeing with their daughter.”

  – “That vehicle suffered brake failure on the descent of the Cù M?ng Pass. Both parents died in the crash. Their young daughter miraculously survived. Afterward, she was adopted by Mr. D?ng and Ms. Linh, who became her legal guardians and took control of the 300-billion-VND inheritance left by her parents — funds meant to be transferred to the girl once she turned eighteen.”

  Yin paused, lifting his gaze. His voice was now sharp, cutting through the silence:

  – “But what was the truth? We all know what happened — they seized everything, and five years ago… they cast her out onto the streets.”

  Erion stared at Trang. His heart — frozen for over a thousand years — now clenched in pain.

  All eyes turned to Trang. No longer able to mask her emotions, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm within.

  Din rose abruptly, planting his palms on the table. His voice was cold as steel:

  – “They’re wolves in sheep’s clothing — deceiving the world with kindness while stabbing their kin in the back for wealth.”

  – “We must expose the entire conspiracy, make them confess their crimes — before justice and karma.”

  Satan nodded, his gaze calm yet bottomless:

  – “They believed the heavens did not see, the earth did not hear — that karma did not exist. But judgment day has come.”

  Trúc Di?n and Master V?nh could barely contain their rage. To kill an entire family — including a five-year-old child — for greed was a crime beyond comprehension.

  Trúc Di?n turned to Trang with eyes full of quiet fire:

  – “Their doomsday has arrived. I won’t let them continue this tyranny.”

  Even the Grand Lady Sage spoke up, her voice haunting and resolute:

  – “I shall meet them in hell — in their dreams and illusions to come.”

  The flame of justice now burned in every heart present. Determination surged, ready to consume the guilty in righteous fire. The ceremonial phoenix-dragon candle on the incense altar flickered gently — as if nodding in agreement with the Devil King’s wrath.

  A strange, weighty silence cloaked the grand living room of Bình Chánh headquarters. The story was now unraveling its deepest layers — scattered fragments falling neatly into place like a cosmic game meticulously laid out from the beginning.

  Satan, draped in a black royal robe embroidered with silver thread, his amber-gold eyes as cold as a thousand-tiered abyss, began to speak in a low, measured voice:

  – “At that time… I had urgent matters that forced me to return to the Dark Planet. My second queen had gone into labor and was about to give birth to the little princess. I couldn’t accompany that couple to Phú Yên. But… I was monitoring them through our military satellite feeds.”

  His gaze drifted into the distance, voice even lower:

  – “After ensuring that the queen and our daughter were safe and sound, I immediately replayed the surveillance footage. But all I saw… was a wrecked car at the bottom of the ravine, and two lifeless bodies. I used the dimensional gate to jump there at once, but… I was too late.”

  The room remained silent. No one dared interrupt.

  Satan turned, his eyes now resting on Trang, his voice softening:

  – “And you… you are the immortal Black Diamond. Despite your severe injuries, your body regenerated on its own. I watched over you every step of the way — from when you were just a baby in loving arms, to the day you were cast out of that mansion, wandering the streets alone.”

  He emphasized each word:

  – “The original plan was for you to be raised by a kind and noble couple, in a loving environment — so that you could grow to be a shining gem amidst humanity.”

  – “But the greed of D?ng and Linh shattered that plan. They saw you as a tool… then a burden… and eventually, a thorn they needed to pluck once the inheritance was safely in their hands.”

  A chill — like a breeze from the void of space — swept through the room as Satan’s voice deepened:

  – “I was devastated. But the Empress — mother of Crown Prince Arian — said this: ‘Let the girl grow in hardship. An immortal diamond must be forged in flame. Let her face trials. Let fate be cruel. Only then will she become a masterpiece of her own making.’ So… I agreed. This was the will of the universe.”

  Master V?nh slowly nodded, his eyes reflecting the depth of universal cycles:

  – “Truly… cosmic fate. Even the Devil King could not intervene — because this wasn’t failure. It was preparation.”

  Trúc Di?n tilted his head slightly, his voice ringing clear like struck metal:

  – “If it cannot be changed, it must be accepted and transformed. Only those who rise from pain are worthy to be kings.”

  Satan’s lips curved into a faint smile, his gaze locking on Erion — who stood stiffly beside a carved rosewood table:

  – “And you… Erion… did you think Infernal Prison was some kind of joke?”

  – “I instructed the wardens to allow your escape. So you could reach Earth… at the right time, in the right role.”

  – “I have prepared everything — ever since my daughter descended into the mortal world.”

  Then his eyes narrowed, his voice shifting into a biting sneer:

  – “Whether or not I will give her hand in marriage… depends entirely on your attitude now.”

  No one dared speak.

  Even Erion — who had endured millennia — felt a bead of cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck. Every step he thought he had taken in secret… was already foreseen and allowed by the Devil King. He once believed himself clever for escaping the prison that held him for a thousand years. But now… that too had been part of the plan.

  No one defies the ruler of the cosmos. They were all pieces on his board — and he, the one who decided where each piece moved.