Chapter 273: Disgust

The machine failed to start, so the group dispersed in disappointment, returning to their rooms to await repairs.

That night, Su Mu stood alone by the window. A bright moon hung high outside, its cold light illuminating the twisted trees below.

He quietly studied the trees planted around the Law Enforcement Bureau, finding them rather interesting. He wasn't sure if the bureau had done it on purpose, but of all the trees in his line of sight, not a single one grew straight. They were all crooked, with some twisting at exaggerated angles.

"Does the chief of the Law Enforcement Bureau like this kind of aesthetic? It does look quite nice, though."

He admired them for a solid hour, growing fonder of the sight the longer he looked. It suddenly occurred to him that life didn't always have to be a pursuit of surprises and thrills; a plain, ordinary existence was pretty good, too.

Gradually, his thoughts drifted to Nangong Mengli, Duanmu Qing, Yang Dongqing, and the others, a faint trace of longing touching his brow.

"I'm far away in the Imperial Capital now, and I have no idea how they're doing. If the machine can't be fixed soon, I could find some time to go back and visit them."

The thought of the machine made Su Mu frown slightly. Everyone else had succeeded; only his team had failed. Was it really an issue with their souls?

No, that wasn't right. Su Qing was an avatar of King Chi, so her soul was bound to be incredibly strong. The fact that she had broken through his Thousand Illusions of Fleeting Life was proof enough of that, and his own soul was only slightly stronger than hers at best.

Although the Divinity of the Three Gods resided within his soul, Divinity was completely different from a soul. It provided no boost to the mind, and furthermore, he had intentionally suppressed it. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have affected the machine.

When things were too coincidental, they were often the result of human interference.

And the only ones capable of tampering with the machine to cause a failure were the Royal Family!

Did Dongfang Yuan and the others want to stop Su Qing from entering the Nightmare World so badly that they resorted to such underhanded measures?

But wasn't that a little too shortsighted? Not only would it delay the Dragon Seeking Plan, but it also made a fool out of King Chi.

To verify his theory, Su Mu entered his Sleepwalking State and headed for the Chiyan Imperial Palace. Just as he stepped into King Chi's Bedchamber, he happened to hear an argument inside.

"Your Majesty, why did you secretly damage the machine?" Dongfang Yuan cried, beating his chest and stomping his feet. "If this delays the Dragon Seeking Plan, how will we find the former king? How will we find the Supreme Heaven?"

Atop the throne, King Chi sat upright, her expression cold, radiating natural authority without needing to show anger.

She looked down at Dongfang Yuan and Gongsun Quan, her voice icy. "Hmph! Why must we find the former king? I shall surpass the former king! As for the Supreme Heaven? It is merely an external object. I alone can dictate the fate of this world!"

Dongfang Yuan and Gongsun Quan were both shocked and overjoyed. They bowed deeply, utterly won over by King Chi's sheer ambition.

Watching the scene unfold, Su Mu came to an understanding.

So that was it. King Chi truly was a formidable figure. To think she possessed such audacity, planning to completely abandon reliance on the Supreme Heaven.

Yet, upon reaching this conclusion, he froze. A sense of incongruity welled up in his heart, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what felt wrong.

He pondered this carefully as Dongfang Yuan and Gongsun Quan took their leave.

Just then, King Chi pulled out a photograph. Her phoenix eyes brimmed with affection, and she even reached out to gently stroke the picture.

Su Mu slowly approached and glanced at the photo, only to discover that it was a picture of himself. It even had a serial number on it, likely pulled straight from the Law Enforcement Bureau's files.

King Chi stared fixedly at the photograph, entranced for a moment before she muttered to herself, "Susu, please forgive my selfishness. I simply cannot bear to watch you put yourself in danger. The place you are going is far too perilous. For your safety, I had no choice but to resort to this."

Su Mu was dumbfounded. He seemed to have figured out where that sense of incongruity came from. There was no logical reason to abandon a pillar of the nation like the Supreme Heaven. Even if she claimed not to rely on external objects, there was still no need to abandon the Supreme Heaven.

It turned out that King Chi had done it all for him.

Suddenly, a warm current welled up in Su Mu's chest. He was deeply touched.

However, despite being moved, Su Mu's brows remained tightly furrowed. He felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of physical discomfort, as if he had eaten something bad for dinner. He felt a little nauseous.

Forcing down his disgust, he left the Imperial Palace, returned to the Law Enforcement Bureau, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day.

A staff member came to inform them that the machine was severely damaged and would take at least half a month to repair.

Hearing this, Wen Xuan flew into a rage. He grabbed the staff member by the collar and roared, "Half a month? It'll be too fucking late by then!"

Su Qing quickly stepped in to de-escalate the situation, managing to avert a physical conflict.

The staff member apologized profusely. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This was a lapse in the Law Enforcement Bureau's work. As an apology, you are free to leave the bureau and move about freely for the next half a month. We'll notify you once it's fixed."

Since things had come to this, the group had no choice but to leave the bureau, planning to head into the Imperial Capital for some entertainment to kill time.

Su Mu and the others walked along the broad streets of the Imperial Capital, taking in the sights.

Skyscrapers stood tall like a forest of steel, their glass facades flashing with brilliant light, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the hustle and bustle of the city.

The crowds bustled about with relaxed expressions, every face glowing with a happy smile.

Seeing such a thriving and prosperous scene, Su Mu felt his mood lift. He opened his heart, immersing himself in the blissful atmosphere.

Just then, an expensive luxury car drove down the street. Its sleek, dark-gray chassis, square tires, and blade-like spoiler made it incredibly eye-catching.

However, the driver's skills didn't seem very polished. The car swerved erratically before accidentally scraping against a van.

Both vehicles came to a halt. The driver of the van got out, fuming with anger. Wearing grease-stained clothes and holding a metal wrench, he looked like an auto mechanic.

He pointed at the luxury car and started cursing. "Do you even know how to drive?! Are you fucking blind?!"

The driver of the luxury car hurried out as well. He was a young man in a sharp suit with an outstanding temperament. A crest unique to nobles was pinned to his chest, making it obvious that he was of noble descent.

The young noble was full of apologies, bowing repeatedly as he said, "I'm sorry, I'll pay for the damages. I'll pay right now."

"So what if you have money?! So what if you're a noble?! You think being a noble means you can drive like you're blind?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's my fault."

"You think saying you're wrong is the end of it? You nobles are nothing but the Empire's parasites! I'm calling the Law Enforcement Bureau to have you arrested!" the van driver snapped, reaching for his phone.

The young noble immediately panicked. To everyone's shock, he dropped to his knees, crying and pleading, "Please, I beg you, don't call the Law Enforcement Bureau! I'll pay however much you want."

The two were shouting so loudly that they quickly drew a crowd of onlookers. When the bystanders saw the noble kneeling and begging for mercy, they began clapping and cheering.

"Nobles are such scum!"

"Don't let him off the hook! If you spare a parasite like him today, he'll definitely do it again tomorrow!"

Watching from afar, Su Mu sighed in admiration. "The Imperial Capital truly is the Imperial Capital. The people here really are honest and simple; they don't back down even when facing a noble."