Chapter 203 - 202: Shadow Guard Chief

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: Shadow Guard Chief

That morning, Xia Wuyang removed the Thief Demon’s Spiritual Shackles, but he did not give up his Spiritual Control over him.

The Soul Enchantment Technique, combined with a potent poison, was not as effective as the Spiritual Shackles, but it could still control the Thief Demon for short periods. He would just have to reinforce his hold from time to time.

Besides, the Thief Demon didn’t know his identity, so even if he did betray him later, Xia Wuyang had nothing to fear.

With a Spiritual Shackle now free, Xia Wuyang waited until nightfall, then quietly left the Practice Room and crept toward the residence of the Shadow Guard Chief, Zheng Zhicang.

The man’s residence was within the Imperial Palace. On the surface, it didn’t look luxurious, even appearing rather ordinary. In reality, it was filled with hidden sentries and traps both inside and out, a place in the Imperial Palace second only to Qianqing Palace in its security.

Aside from lacking the protection of a Spirit Array, it was nearly identical in all other respects. It was so secure that even a bird would have trouble getting inside.

At this very moment, the Shadow Guard Chief, Zheng Zhicang, was in his study, sorting through secret reports from various regions. He hadn’t been back to White Jade City for some time, and a great deal of work had piled up for him to handle.

This peerless expert, who had been in charge of the Shadow Guard for nearly a hundred years, had the appearance of a middle-aged man. His features were quite plain—the type you would lose in a crowd—save for a pair of eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

He flipped through the secret reports, making annotations and processing them as he went. His brow would occasionally furrow, a clear sign he had run into some thorny issues.

Suddenly, his brow twitched, and he pulled a Jade Talisman glowing with a faint green light from within his robes.

The Jade Talisman was slightly warm to the touch. It was a Spirit Jade he had obtained many years ago that could serve as a warning.

’Someone’s gotten in?’ A cold glint flashed in Zheng Zhicang’s eyes, and a smirk touched his lips. ’In all these years, no one has dared to break into my residence.’

His figure moved like a ghost, appearing by the bed as he peered outside.

Outside the window, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The snow in the courtyard was undisturbed, with no sign of anything amiss.

But the Jade Talisman in his palm was growing hotter and hotter, a clear sign the enemy was drawing ever closer.

However, with his Cultivation at Super Grade Perfection and his mastery of various Investigation Skills, coupled with the myriad traps and mechanisms laid out all around, he still couldn’t find any trace of the enemy. ’This person is no simple foe,’ he thought. ’No wonder they dared to sneak into my residence.’

Just as Zheng Zhicang was about to sound the alarm, an invisible Spiritual Shock surged toward his Sea of Consciousness like a tidal wave.

Its power was so immense that it had already surpassed the defensive limits of his Sea of Consciousness, forcing him to play his trump card.

"Hmph!"

Zheng Zhicang snorted coldly. A Spirit Talisman he kept close to his body flew out, a faint bloody light flickering across its surface. He had clearly activated it with his own lifeblood.

The Spirit Talisman settled near his Sea of Consciousness, protecting it.

But in the next instant, another, even fiercer Spiritual Power tore through the air, accompanied by a Spirit Talisman of its own. Before Zheng Zhicang could react, the combined force of the Extraordinary Spiritual Power and the talisman shattered his own Spirit Talisman and breached his Sea of Consciousness.

HUM...

A Spiritual Shackle followed close behind, firmly imprisoning Zheng Zhicang’s Sea of Consciousness and enslaving him.

Zheng Zhicang felt a BOOM in his Sea of Consciousness, and then he knew nothing. When he came to, he found himself holding a sharp blade, about to kill his own children who were hiding outside—the people he cherished most.

Faced with such a threat, even Zheng Zhicang, the Shadow Guard Chief, was terrified to his core.

Afterwards, controlled by Xia Wuyang through the Spiritual Shackle, he was forced to nearly kill his other friends and relatives, and even almost attempted to assassinate Emperor Xia. After this series of torments, Zheng Zhicang finally became obedient, no longer daring to show the slightest defiance.

Only then did Xia Wuyang appear, wearing a Cloak, and sit down imposingly on the Taishi Chair. "Since you’ve learned your place, tell me about the Shadow Guard."

"Sir, the Shadow Guard currently has two Super Grade Celestial Humans. Including me, that makes three. There are also twelve First Grade Grandmasters, thirty-seven Second Grade Grandmasters, one hundred fifty-five Third Grade Martial Generals... The total number of members exceeds fifty thousand, with one thousand six hundred eighty-two hidden posts established in various regions. We have operations in Jiangnan, the Northern Desert, the Western Regions, the lands of the Southern Barbarians... everywhere," Zheng Zhicang reported respectfully.

As he listened, Xia Wuyang was quite astonished. ’As expected of one of Emperor Xia’s most trusted aides,’ he thought. ’To command such a staggering force.’

There were so many Martial Artists in the Upper Three Grades alone, and even three Super Grade Celestial Humans. No wonder the Shadow Guard was the sharpest blade in Emperor Xia’s hand.

"What has Emperor Xia been investigating recently?" Xia Wuyang asked.

Zheng Zhicang held nothing back. "First, he’s investigating the culprit behind the recent string of incidents in the Imperial Palace. Second, the whereabouts of the Sword Control Skill..."

As one of the people closest to Emperor Xia, and the one who handled many of his unsavory affairs, Zheng Zhicang clearly knew far more than the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, Tantai Zhan.

After confirming that Zheng Zhicang had truly submitted to him and held no other intentions, Xia Wuyang hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that weighed most heavily on his mind.

In the study, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the black Cloak, and beneath it, the pale, anxious face that was concealed by a Disguise.

He slowly sat back down in the Taishi Chair, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the cold armrests. After a long moment, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Zheng Zhicang, do you know the truth about what happened decades ago, when the elder Crown Prince was deposed and the Empress at the time met with a mishap?"

"This..." A glint flashed in Zheng Zhicang’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Xia Wuyang to suddenly ask such a question and shot him a stunned glance.

But the black Cloak concealed everything. He couldn’t see a thing, yet a faint suspicion began to form in his mind.

’Could this person be connected to the elder Crown Prince? Could he... could he be Elder Qing Yin?’

Xia Wuyang’s expression turned cold. "Stop guessing. I am not Elder Qing Yin, and I’m certainly not part of any Crown Prince Faction. I’m simply interested in certain events from those days."

"Could it be... could it be that you, Sir, are also after that Breaking-Through Spirit Treasure?" Zheng Zhicang exclaimed, a look of sudden realization on his face.

Xia Wuyang said nothing, which seemed to be a silent admission.

Thinking of the power this person possessed, Zheng Zhicang grew more certain of his guess. He hesitated for just a moment, but then, considering his current predicament, he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "That year, in the Spring of the 55th year of Dingwu, the Former Empress returned to the Luo River to visit her family. Unexpectedly, while passing near her ancestral tombs, some strange phenomena occurred. The Former Empress happened to discover them and, after a careful search and investigation, found the entrance to a Secret Realm."

The Former Empress Zheng Zhicang spoke of was Xia Wuyang’s Empress Mother Luo Jin. The Luo River was home to the Luo Clan, whose roots ran along the eight-thousand-li Luo River. They controlled nearly all commerce on both its banks, making them as rich as a nation and immeasurably powerful.

Luo Jin was the most outstanding eldest daughter of the Luo Clan of that generation. She won the affection of Emperor Xia, Xia Shengming, and eventually entered the palace to become the Empress. Not long after, she gave birth to her only son, Xia Wuyang.

What Zheng Zhicang was now recounting was the truth behind Xia Wuyang’s deposition and Empress Luo Jin’s "death by illness" all those years ago. This Shadow Guard Chief, who handled all of Emperor Xia’s dirty work, truly did know the truth of what happened back then.