Chapter 651: 141: Before the Emperor

Chapter 651: Chapter 141: Before the Emperor

Late night, the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Study Room was still brightly lit.

Ever since Qing Xu’s rebellion, the Emperor became more diligent than before, often staying in the Imperial Study Room to review memorials or discuss matters with ministers until late at night.

Tonight was no exception, the Emperor was still in the Imperial Study Room.

The Imperial Eunuch Feng Cheng holding a telegram hurried to the entrance of the Imperial Study Room, and said softly:

“Your Majesty, an urgent telegram has arrived from Gan Province, reported to the Central Government.”

Normally, urgent telegrams reported to the Central Government don’t need to be presented to the Emperor, as the Central Cabinet can handle them directly.

Only telegrams reported directly to the Imperial presence need to be presented to the Emperor.

But this telegram mentioned someone the Emperor was paying close attention to, so as the Imperial Eunuch, Feng Cheng brought the telegram.

“Bring it over.”

A somewhat weary voice came from inside the Imperial Study Room.

Feng Cheng quickly went inside and presented the already translated telegram.

The Emperor took the telegram and glanced at it, suddenly slamming the page heavily onto the desk.

Feng Cheng quickly bowed his head, sensing the Emperor’s anger.

This telegram reported Marquis Jing’an, Li Fei’s entry into the Tianshui Tomb.

“Summon Lou Hongtao to the palace.”

The Emperor said.

Lou Hongtao, the Supervision Pavilion Master.

A minister of this rank is rarely summoned suddenly by the Emperor at such a late hour.

“Yes.”

Feng Cheng quickly retreated.

Although the assassination attempt at the Heavenly Altar had been handed over to Li Fei to handle, as the Supervision Pavilion Master, Lou Hongtao still dared not be negligent.

The Emperor stayed up late every night in the Imperial Study Room, and Lou Hongtao almost lived in the Imperial City every day without returning to his residence.

Upon receiving the summons from the Emperor, he quickly followed Feng Cheng into the Imperial Study Room.

“Your servant pays respect to Your Majesty.”

“No need for formalities, have you heard about the matter involving Marquis Jing’an?”

The Emperor got straight to the point.

Lou Hongtao had already guessed on the way here that the Emperor summoned him suddenly because of this matter, and he calmly said:

“Your servant just received the telegram before coming.”

“What do you think about this matter?”

“Your servant believes… this matter is a deliberate act by the New Heaven Association, but not necessarily to harm Marquis Jing’an.”

“Oh?”

“If the New Heaven Association truly intended to kill Marquis Jing’an, that day in the Provincial City of Gan Province, with the Martial Arts Master striking unexpectedly for the first time, if their target was set on Marquis Jing’an, there would be a significant chance of succeeding.

But the target was set on a disciple of the Red Dust Pavilion. Afterwards, we verified that the disciple had always been colluding with the New Heaven Association, and this act was to destroy the evidence.

Moreover, according to the intelligence sent back by Marquis Jing’an, initially that Martial Arts Master deliberately concealed their Second Divine Power when fighting against him, only revealing it when forced at the end. If they truly wanted to kill Marquis Jing’an, they should not have hidden their strength and should have gone all out from the beginning due to time constraints.”

Lou Hongtao spoke eloquently, calmly conveying his analysis.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor nodded, “Then why did the New Heaven Association choose to act only after Marquis Jing’an entered the Tianshui Tomb?”

The New Heaven Association clearly had the method to create a rift proactively, allowing them to enter first without waiting for others.

But they acted only after Li Fei entered, this behavior, however interpreted, is deeply malicious!

Lou Hongtao: “This indeed seems targeted, but your servant still believes that if the New Heaven Association truly wanted to deal with Marquis Jing’an, there are indeed better methods than choosing the Tianshui Tomb.”

“Are you saying the New Heaven Association entered the Tianshui Tomb with another plan, and Marquis Jing’an won’t be in danger?”

The Emperor asked.

“This… your servant doesn’t dare to be certain either.”

Lou Hongtao quickly responded.

He had already sensed the Emperor’s anger at this matter and didn’t dare to make reckless guarantees.

What if Li Fei indeed perished inside the Tianshui Tomb?

“Hmph!”

The Emperor snorted coldly, and the temperature in the Imperial Study Room seemed to drop significantly, an overwhelming pressure enveloped the room, causing sweat to bead on Lou Hongtao’s forehead.

As a court minister, Lou Hongtao knew more secrets than others.

Despite the Emperor having average Martial Arts Cultivation, inside the Imperial Palace, if he wanted Lou Hongtao dead, he would not need others to act; even with a Martial Arts Master’s realm it would be useless!

“A Martial Arts Master openly attacking a court prince, have you investigated this person’s identity yet?”

The Emperor asked.

Hearing a tone of blame, Lou Hongtao quickly said: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Supervision Pavilion immediately conducted a detailed investigation based on the intelligence sent back by Marquis Jing’an and initially locked onto eleven forces, now narrowed down to three World sects and one Martial Arts Family.”

Since You Ming suddenly struck, it has been less than half a month. The other party isn’t foolish, leaving evident traits and clues, coupled with the involvement of powerful factions, all of whom have complex relations with local governments, using local Inspection Bureaus to investigate such cases is inherently difficult.

And the Martial Arts Masters under investigation are all local magnates, without identifying a suspect, the Supervision Pavilion must show respect and cannot be aggressive.

In this non-information era, the Supervision Pavilion narrowing down to four forces this quickly is in itself remarkably swift.

But the Emperor was not satisfied: “In five days, I want a result!”

“Your servant obeys the command!”

Lou Hongtao bowed in salute.

Just as he was about to leave, the Imperial Eunuch Feng Cheng suddenly entered the Imperial Study Room:

“Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from Feng Province.”

Lou Hongtao immediately stopped in place.

The Emperor glanced at him, then looked at Feng Cheng: “Speak.”

“The president of Wu’an University, Shi Caiming, rushed to the Provincial City of Feng Province alone, confronting the president of Hongyi University, Xu Jing.”

Feng Cheng said with his head lowered.

“Shi Caiming?”

The Emperor frowned slightly, “Why did he suddenly go to find Xu Jing?”

Having said this, he turned his gaze back to Lou Hongtao.

Lou Hongtao immediately turned around: “Principal Shi hasn’t taken action for many years, and suddenly making such a big move, perhaps… it is because of the matter of the Tianshui Tomb?”

The Emperor: “What does this have to do with Xu Jing?”

Lou Hongtao: “This… I can’t guess, please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor squinted his eyes, his gaze constantly changing.

He suddenly looked at Feng Cheng: “Feng Cheng, tell me what you think.”

This Imperial Eunuch has already served two Emperors, and being the Chief Eunuch, he holds tremendous power, and he himself is of Great Grandmaster cultivation!

In the entire Imperial Palace, there are only three eunuchs with Grandmaster cultivation, and Feng Cheng is one of them, recognized as having the deepest cultivation among them.

Since it involved the Dead Zone, Lou Hongtao was after all only a Martial Arts Master, so the Emperor instead sought Feng Cheng’s opinion.

Feng Cheng bowed his head: “Replying to Your Majesty, the Dead Zone is related to the Martial Arts Domain; this servant doesn’t know the method those thieves used to open the rift, nor the means by which they enabled a Martial Arts Master to enter. It might be that they are making a fuss over the Martial Arts Domain.

The Martial Arts Domain of the Tianshui Tomb was left by an Eighth Grade Heavenly Water Blue Soul Beast, constructed with Water Attribute Divine Ability as the core. This servant has heard that Principal Xu’s Martial Arts Domain is also centered on Water Attribute Divine Ability….”

Feng Cheng didn’t finish his words.

As an Imperial Eunuch, he cannot show obvious inclination towards any person or matter.

However, the meaning he wanted to convey was already clear.

“Xu Jing?”

The Emperor shook his head.

He knew of the enmity between Xu Jing, the Lu Family, and Li Fei.

But merely due to an old case, to go so far as to kill Li Fei, the Emperor found it hard to believe.

Whether for the Lu Family or Xu Jing, there are many ways to deal with the future investigation of Li Fei. Choosing to kill is the most costly and worst method.

Therefore, this matter is difficult to justify in terms of motive.

Moreover, at present, there’s no way to determine how the New Heaven Association managed to enter the Tianshui Tomb. Merely because Xu Jing’s Martial Arts Domain shares the same attribute with the Dead Zone of the Tianshui Tomb, it would be too childish to suspect him.

“Your Majesty, should we send someone to stop Principal Shi?”

Feng Cheng asked.

The Emperor remained expressionless, glancing at the telegram on the table:

“Forget it, this old fellow has been stifled for so many years, and suddenly wants to vent, let him be, he’s a person who knows his limits.”

“Yes.”

Feng Cheng and Lou Hongtao retreated together.

That night, the lights in the Imperial Study Room remained lit until dawn.

…

Rewinding time.

Li Feiyue leaped into the rift, surrounded by eerie blue light.

After falling for several seconds, the surrounding light suddenly vanished, a vast wave of water vapor swept over him.

Li Fei landed in the water, feeling a chill even through a layer of force and a Divine Cloak.

He had anticipated this, immediately exerting force to emerge from the water, eventually standing atop the water’s surface.

Looking around, it was pitch black, with only the faint blue glow emanating from the water below.

Above, there was a rift in the sky, the very fissure through which Li Fei had entered.

This was the Tianshui Tomb, appearing like a boundless ocean, though the water was utterly still, and devoid of fish or shrimp.

It seemed like a dead sea.

In truth, Li Fei knew that the extent of this Dead Zone wasn’t that vast; it’s just that the Dead Zone affects one’s perception of time and space, creating the illusion of endlessness.

All the ‘treasures’ of the Tianshui Tomb lay underwater, where the temperature was exceedingly low, and the coldness within couldn’t be fully shielded even with force or a Divine Cloak, accumulating over time.

Once the cold invades the internal organs and the implant, it would spell certain doom!

Thus, even without the time constraint brought by the Break Domain Talisman, people couldn’t linger long in the Tianshui Tomb; each exploration could only be superficial, retrieving limited treasures.

Li Fei didn’t hurry to begin exploration but waited in place.

He intended to wait for Xiang Dongliang and the others to enter and explore the Tianshui Tomb together.

But after waiting there for a while, no one came down.

“What’s going on?”

Li Fei looked up at the rift in the sky, and to his surprise, it was gradually shrinking, until it completely disappeared.

“Did something happen?”

Li Fei immediately reached into his bosom and took out the Break Domain Talisman given by Xiang Dongliang to check.

Seeing both talismans were perfectly intact, ready to be activated at any moment, he finally sighed in relief.

Xiang Dongliang and the others hadn’t entered, and the rift closed prematurely.

All this indicated that something had definitely happened outside, likely related to the schemes of the New Heaven Association.

At this moment, activating the Break Domain Talisman to leave might be the best choice, but Li Fei didn’t.

He carefully put away the two Break Domain Talismans and then plunged into the water with determination.

He wouldn’t just leave like that.

After all, he was already here.

…

All this indicated that something had definitely happened outside, likely related to the schemes of the New Heaven Association.

At this moment, activating the Break Domain Talisman to leave might be the best choice, but Li Fei didn’t.

He carefully put away the two Break Domain Talismans and then plunged into the water with determination.

He wouldn’t just leave like that.

After all, he was already here.