Chapter 162 - 97: I Can’t Sleep Until You’re Dead

Chapter 162: Chapter 97: I Can’t Sleep Until You’re Dead

The wish left Zhao Ci reeling for a long moment.

’For a moment, I actually thought Old Deng cared about me.’

Of course, his safety was closely tied to the Alchemy of Wine and his Kidney Water Divine Treasure.

But those two things alone weren’t enough to make the Emperor lose his composure like this.

’First of all.’

’The Alchemy of Wine is precious, true, but the way he casually used it to play games with Gu Xiangzhu proves it’s not his top priority. Besides, if I really died, he could find ten thousand reasons to hire a bunch of master craftsmen to safely dismantle the equipment and reverse-engineer it.’

’As for the Kidney Water Divine Treasure... I may have shown some cultivation talent, but talent for physical cultivation isn’t strongly correlated with talent for the Five Elements Divine Treasure.’

’Besides, some of the young princes who come after me are also suited to specializing in the Kidney Water Divine Treasure.’

’So...’

’There’s only one explanation!’

’The Demon Monarch!’

’The mere mention of this person’s name was enough to make an Emperor gallop through the night from Lingge all the way to the Northern Three Prefectures.’

’Makes sense.’

’Even though I’ve never heard Zhao Huan mention the Demon Monarch, that battle back then was legendary.’

’The Demon Monarch, single-handedly, had nearly smashed through the entire defenses of the Imperial Palace and committed regicide.’

’No wonder Old Deng is so anxious. Judging by the description of the wish, he’s got a bad case of PTSD.’

’This is a bona fide main quest. Not only is it gold-level, but the reward is the Great Yu Human Emperor Seal!’

’This is a Supreme Skill hidden within the Great Yu Human Emperor’s Crown! When cultivated to mastery, it can topple mountains and drain seas with a single person’s power. Only emperors can begin to comprehend it, and only after ascending the throne.’

’I can’t believe this skill can be copied!’

’But the Demon Monarch has been missing for so many years. Could he really have planned this ambush?’

’Something feels off!’

’If someone else had orchestrated this, I’d say they were sinister and ruthless, putting me in what was almost a perfect death trap.’

’But if it was the Demon Monarch’s design...’

’It seems a little... beneath him.’

’The Imperial Clan Court’s power as a deterrent is immense because every one of its Stewards has mastered a life-or-death technique. Even against a master several realms higher, they can self-destruct their Divine Treasure to fight them to a standstill and forcefully keep them from escaping.’

’Then, using a Secret Skill, they can quickly summon other experts from the Imperial Clan Court, creating a situation where they have the numerical advantage.’

’That’s why no expert, regardless of their power, would dare to lay a finger on a Prince right under the Imperial Clan Court’s nose.’

’This incident, with the threat of the Black Fog Space, is the only exception.’

’But...’

’The Demon Monarch is a peerless powerhouse who tore through the Imperial Palace on his own. If he really wanted to rip my memories out, would he need to use the Black Fog Space as a bargaining chip?’

’The logic doesn’t track.’

’But Old Deng’s anxiety doesn’t seem fake.’

’This affair is probably related to the Demon Monarch, but maybe not so directly.’

’So... the mastermind is someone from the Demon Sect?’

’Gu Xiangzhu orchestrating this herself?’

’Not likely. There’s not much point, the risk is too high, and if she wanted to forcibly take my memories, she wouldn’t need such an elaborate production.’

’In that case... is there another faction within the Demon Sect?’

’When I think back to the conversation between Lady Yue and Gu Xiangzhu I overheard on the night of my Heaven-Forming Demon Body, that actually makes a lot of sense.’

’My brain is fried. I’m not thinking about this anymore!’

Zhao Ci shook his head. He had far too little information. Speculating like this was just a waste of brainpower, no matter how high his IQ was.

’With a mind like Old Deng’s, his judgment is rarely wrong.’

’In other words, if this keeps developing, it’ll likely turn into a fight between the big players.’

’If I get sucked into that kind of vortex, I’ll end up dead or severely injured.’

’The smartest thing to do is to pull out now, as cleanly as possible.’

He had originally been thinking about how to bait Zhao Yong into exposing himself, but now, it seemed best to drop the idea.

"Royal Father!"

Zhao Ci looked deeply moved. "Why have you come in person?"

Rage flickered across Zhao Huan’s face. "Someone tried to kill my son. Am I supposed to just sit idly in Lingge? Zhao Qing, rise and speak!"

Only then did Zhao Qing rise, making a gesture of invitation. "Your Majesty! This group’s methods are exceedingly bizarre. I investigated the area around the armory and found traces of an Array. While I’m unsure of the Array’s specific function, I believe it’s connected to the abnormal appearance of the ruin’s exit.

Furthermore..."

He continued, gesturing for Zhao Huan to take the seat of honor.

The Imperial Clan Court could be incredibly domineering toward the Emperor when it came to internal clan affairs, but outside of those matters, they were no different from any other subjects.

Especially this time. He had committed a grave error, which already made him a guilty official, so it was only natural for him to be utterly respectful toward Zhao Huan.

Once Zhao Huan was seated,

Zhao Qing pointed to a tooth riddled with tiny tunnels and said, "Everyone who was swallowed into the Black Fog Space with the two Princes has these tunnels in their teeth. Although I can’t find the insects themselves, I opened up their skulls and discovered similar nest-like lesions on their Spirit Platforms. I suspect it is some kind of Gu Insect that erodes the mind. Furthermore..."

He spoke eloquently, methodically laying out everything he had uncovered for Zhao Huan in full, clear detail.

This, of course, included the testimony provided by Zhao Yong and his accompanying officials.

Zhao Ci listened attentively from the side, unable to help but admire Zhao Qing’s competence. He had managed to organize such a tangled mess of information with perfect clarity and had even reached several conclusions very close to Zhao Ci’s own.

’As for Zhao Yong’s testimony, it’s probably genuine. The guy faced considerable danger in there, too. If it weren’t for the handful of experts near the guard post who got sucked in with him, he likely would have been a dead man.’

’This act... it’s very thorough.’

’It’s very possible he’s the only actor in this whole production. That’s the only way to be sure it’s safe.’

’That Yongzi... he’s a ruthless one!’