Chapter 614: True Splurge

Hearing the emperor's roar, Zu An found himself wanting to laugh rather than feel afraid. He had entertained a similar thought earlier, though his mind had conjured a public restroom instead of a marketplace.

It was ironic that the emperor had the audacity to scold others. While the palace guards were indeed outmaneuvered this time, it was only because their adversaries were overwhelmingly powerful. The world's top assassin organization, Shadow Tower, and the Demonic Cult's elites had all been deployed, even Grandmasters. Yet, the emperor, the most formidable presence in the palace, remained unseen. What could the guards possibly do in such a situation?

What exactly had he been doing all this time?

Zu An hesitated, wondering if he should announce his presence. Reporting at such a moment seemed likely to incur displeasure.

Just then, a eunuch outside the Imperial Study told him, "His Majesty just announced that Lord Eleven should enter directly upon arrival."

Zu An was overjoyed. "Thank you, Eunuch," he said.

He entered cautiously, only to be surprised that the Imperial Study was empty except for a massive mirror displaying the emperor's image. It was much larger than the audio-visual mirror he had used for video calls with Chu Chuyan.

A jolt went through him as he wondered what was happening. He quickly glanced around, but the other individuals present showed no surprise, seemingly having known this all along.

He discreetly observed the room. Zhu Xie Chixin, an old acquaintance, usually exuded an arrogant, overbearing demeanor, looking down on everyone. Now, however, he stood meekly to the side like a quail, barely noticeable and showing the utmost respect.

The other person being directly scolded by the emperor was also an old acquaintance: General Liu Yao.

Liu Yao was standing there, head bowed, incessantly begging for forgiveness. There was no trace of the arrogant swagger he had once displayed in Bright Moon City.

Despite being the Empress's uncle and nominally an elder to the emperor, he dared not assume any seniority in His Majesty's presence.

He was quite frustrated himself. Although the Imperial Guard General was theoretically the supreme commander of the palace's Forbidden Army, he typically resided at his manor. The specifics of palace defense were jointly managed by the Left and Right Guard Generals, the Guerrilla General, the Cavalry General, along with Zhu Xie Chixin's Embroidered Uniform Emissaries and a small contingent of Imperial Bodyguards under the Grand Usher.

He usually left promptly to enjoy his leisure time. When the assassins infiltrated the palace, it was late at night, and he was still at home drinking and reveling. He simply had no time to react.

Zu An's gaze then moved to the side, taking in other high-ranking officials of the palace: Right Guard General Guo Zhi and Guerrilla General Zhao Yuan, both of whom he had previously encountered at the Eastern Palace.

And there was another bearded man he had recently crossed paths with. That man had been pursuing Qiu Honglei when Zu An briefly stopped him with a flame blade; he must be Left Guard General Cheng Xiong.

The Cavalry General was nowhere to be seen; Zu An wondered where he was.

Furthermore, there was an old man with a refined appearance, whose lean frame, despite his bronze skin, seemed to hold an inexplicable explosive power.

He recalled an illustrated book on official court attire that Shang Liuyu had given him back at the academy. The robes worn by this old man resembled those of the Grand Usher.

Could this be the newly appointed Grand Usher, Murong Tong, the grandfather of the young girl Murong Qinghe?

No wonder Murong Qinghe had such a tanned complexion; perhaps it was a family trait.

Unlike the other subservient figures, Murong Tong stood with a noticeably straighter back. He was responsible for the emperor's Imperial Bodyguards, but with the emperor's unparalleled cultivation, this role was largely symbolic. Furthermore, he had been effectively demoted to this leisurely post through a nominal promotion, so the assassin incident couldn't truly be laid at his feet.

"Hmph, it's all that brat Zu An's fault, making this old man suffer here with these imbeciles!"

[Anger value from Murong Tong +723!]

Noticing the anger value display, Zu An was startled, initially thinking Murong Tong had recognized him. However, a closer look revealed the man wasn't looking his way, so he likely remained upset about being transferred from the Imperial Censorate.

After his torrent of reprimands, the emperor seemed to calm down considerably. He then declared, "Everyone present shall be demoted by one rank and have their salaries withheld for three years. You will temporarily retain your current responsibilities and await an opportunity to atone through meritorious service."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the group chorused, bowing in gratitude. For officials of their stature, a salary was largely negligible, so this punishment felt more like a symbolic gesture than a severe penalty.

Only Zu An looked utterly dejected. He hadn't even received a single payment as a gold badge envoy, and now he was facing three years of withheld salary?

Unlike those officials who had other sources of income, he was expected to risk his life for the emperor, complete dangerous missions, and yet be exploited for three years?

Not even a production team's donkey would be worked this hard for free!

Unfortunately, having just witnessed the emperor's display of power, Zu An, despite his intense internal grumbling, dared not step forward and provoke displeasure at such a critical moment.

Seeing their reactions, the emperor nodded contentedly and continued, "Cheng Xiong, you are to apprehend the assassins from the Empress's bedchamber incident and simultaneously uncover their identities!"

"Guo Zhi, you will investigate the assassination attempt at the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace and eliminate all escaped assassins."

"Liu Yao, Zhao Yuan, you are to conduct a thorough search of the capital. Arrest any suspicious individuals on sight, and those who resist are to be killed without quarter!"

"Understood!" the group affirmed, accepting their orders.

Zu An inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Qiao Xueying had decisively left today. Had she delayed even half a day, she and her clan might not have been able to leave the capital tomorrow. It would have been a terrible tragedy if her years of enduring hardship in the capital to rescue her clan had been for naught.

In contrast, he was more worried about Qiu Honglei. Night had fallen, and the capital's four gates were now sealed, making it impossible for her to leave the city. He wondered if she could evade the search efforts of Liu Yao and Zhao Yuan.

At this point, the others received their orders and departed, leaving only Zu An and Zhu Xie Chixin in the Imperial Study.

The emperor looked at Zhu Xie Chixin. "Has that woman been apprehended?" he asked.

Zu An's heart pounded. He knew the emperor was referring to Qiu Honglei's master and quickly perked up his ears.

Zhu Xie Chixin shook his head. "This subordinate is incompetent," he replied. "I pursued her for a long time, but I couldn't find her whereabouts. I'm not even certain if she has left the palace."

This time, the emperor's tone softened. "That woman is a Grandmaster, after all," he said. "Even severely injured, she's not easily caught. However, with the city gates now closed, she surely hasn't left the capital. You remain responsible for finding her."

"Understood," Zhu Xie Chixin replied with a bow.

The emperor then inquired, "You are known for your familiarity with various intelligence from across the land, and you engaged that woman for the longest time. Do you know her true identity?"

"The woman initially wielded a short sword and consistently presented herself as a Master cultivator, clearly intending to conceal her identity," Zhu Xie Chixin explained. "However, when she faced Your Majesty's final strike, she was forced to use her true weapon, which allowed me to discern her origins."

"Her weapon is the Crescent Wheel, and she's also a light-element cultivator whose ultimate technique has a time-slowing effect," he continued. "The only person who fits all these criteria is Yun Jianyue, the Demonic Cult Leader."

Zu An's heart pounded. It was over. With her identity revealed, Qiu Honglei's plan to frame Prince Qi would surely fail. Furthermore, the court would undoubtedly unleash swift retaliation against the Demonic Cult, bringing disaster upon them.

Still, Qiu Honglei's master's name truly suited her ethereal demeanor. When he had seen her floating in the Eastern Palace, she possessed an otherworldly grace, like a moon veiled by clouds, intangible and remote.

The emperor fell into deep thought. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Have you disclosed this information to anyone else?"

Zhu Xie Chixin quickly responded, "This subordinate naturally understands the gravity of the matter and has not spoken of it to anyone."

The emperor nodded. "Good," he said. "Keep this matter strictly to yourself. Do not mention it again."

Though Zhu Xie Chixin harbored doubts, he refrained from asking, simply replying softly, "Understood!"

Zu An, however, was utterly bewildered. What was happening? Was Qiu Honglei's master an old lover of the emperor, which was why he was showing leniency? No, that couldn't be right; if she were, he wouldn't have failed to recognize her during their recent exchange.

"You may leave. Zu An, stay," the emperor's faint voice instructed from the mirror.

"Understood," Zhu Xie Chixin replied, casting a surprised glance at Zu An before quietly exiting and thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

At that moment, the emperor's gaze fixed on Zu An, his eyes suddenly turning extremely sharp. "I hear you embraced the Crown Princess today?" he stated.

Even though he was only facing a mirror, the pressure emanating from it in that instant caused Zu An's clothes to become drenched with cold sweat. "Reporting to Your Majesty," he began, "the situation was critical then, and I was merely attempting to save the Crown Princess..."

He was cut off before he could finish. The emperor stared at him indifferently. "Which hand did you use for that embrace?" he demanded. "Cut it off yourself."