The war table was a disaster.
Li Qing's meticulously organized frost maps were slowly being dissolved by the Death Queen's "accidental" poison spills. Luo Feng's suggested strategy—"Maybe we just punch the problem?"—had been frozen into an ice sculpture titled "Bad Ideas, Exhibit A."
And then there was the Fox Spirit.
Or rather, the smug, translucent dream-fox lounging across the battle plans, tail flicking through Li Qing's troop deployments like they were amusing fanfiction.
"Wrong," the memory fragment said, grinning. "You're thinking like mortals."
THE DEBATE
Death Queen's Plan:
"Poison the Pantheon's divine coffee supply."
"They run on caffeine and arrogance. Remove one, watch them crumble."
Li Qing's Counter:
"Freeze their celestial bureaucracy."
"Without paperwork, they'll collapse under their own incompetence."
Fox Spirit's Interjection:
"Steal their worshippers."
"Gods are nothing without belief. So—make them fashionable to hate."
"Also, set the moon on fire. Distractions are key."
Luo Feng, watching the three argue: "I'm just here to hit things."
THE COMPROMISE
After:
Two aborted assassination attempts
One frozen poison cloud
Several increasingly ridiculous dream-fox suggestions
They settled on:
Phase One: Li Qing's Frost Siege
Freeze the Pantheon's prayer channels, cutting off their power source
Phase Two: Death Queen's Espionage
Infiltrate as a "divine wellness consultant" and lace their ambrosia with lethal self-doubt
Phase Three: Fox Spirit's Chaos
Use her memory flames to burn their legacy archives, rewriting history to paint them as losers
Phase Four: Luo Feng's Job
"Punch the Sky Father in the face."
[System Notification: BATTLE PLAN APPROVED]
[Efficiency Rating: 87%]
[Likelihood of Betrayal: Also 87%]
THE AFTERMATH
As the council adjourned:
The Death Queen "accidentally" left poisoned wine for Li Qing (antidote included)
Li Qing "coincidentally" froze the Death Queen's boots to the floor (thaw schedule provided)
The Fox Spirit's dream-fox stole a kiss from Luo Feng's subconscious before vanishing
And on the war table, carved in frost and venom:
"We win. Then we settle our battle."
The plush demons started taking bets.
END OF CHAPTER 68