NOVEL WEB Chapter 256: The Holy Emperor Summons! (Two in One)
As the gates of the Imperial Palace opened wide, outside the Sangyu Room behind the Imperial Palace, the Black Armor Guards stood at attention every three steps, forming five tight layers inside and out, their expressions solemn.
In the shadow of the grand walls of the Imperial Palace, this place did not appear dark at all. The golden jade floor shimmered bright under the warm lights.
Moreover, there were no shadowed corners where the Black Armor Guards stood, allowing a clear view around the entire study.
Between the gaps in the golden jade floor were diamond-shaped crystal stones engraved with talismans, the flickering light skittering along the strokes of the symbols.
Yet, such stringent security still seemed inadequate. At least, in the eyes of Deputy Commander Jiang Ziqi of the Black Armor Guards, the protection of the array only prevented demons from approaching Emperor Wei closely. To ensure true safety, even stronger individuals were needed.
"Sir, with you being so tense, it's making us all nervous too."
"Yes, Sir. At this moment, inside the study there is not only the Great Master but also the Nine Thousand Years. It is utterly impossible for any evildoers to break in."
"Stop with the nonsense!"
Jiang Ziqi stood straight, his Black Armor glistening with metallic luster, the mask on his head revealing only his eyes. In a muffled voice, he huffed:
"So much happened last night. Do you think it was just Third Master who died? Do you know..."
At this point, Jiang Ziqi paused, casting a sidelong glance at the Black Armor Guards beside him, but he did not continue.
"In short, you all must stand straight and watch carefully. Do not let even a single fly get within ten paces!"
"Yes!"
The Black Armor Guards, unclear on what he didn't finish saying, did not press further.
After all, while on duty within the Imperial City, making no blunders was secondary; more importantly, they were to pretend to be deaf, blind, and mute, not speaking of what they saw or heard.
Once it quieted down, Jiang Ziqi exhaled, looking ahead without further words.
Inside the study behind him, near the red lacquered wooden door, another Black Armor Guard stood watch beside the screen.
Dressed similarly to Jiang Ziqi outside the door, the difference was the ring of gold thread along the seams of his Black Armor.
He was taller and more robust compared to the other Black Armor Guards, none other than Tuoba Yan, the Commander of the Black Armor Guards.
He personally guarded inside the door, watching over the last line of defense for Emperor Wei.
From inside the screen behind him, the sound of anger could be faintly heard, but Tuoba Yan remained unperturbed.
This night, he had heard Emperor Wei's angry voice more than once, almost rebuking both the Great Master and Nine Thousand Years repeatedly, blaming them for letting Yang Huan, the Third Master's identity, die so easily.
It was no wonder Emperor Wei was furious.
Even with Tuoba Yan's knowledge, after guarding against an enemy for three hundred years, finally getting a clue, one should at least attempt to capture him alive, so they might trace others hidden in the shadows.
Now with Third Master dead, once again, everything in the Wei Dynasty would return to the way it was, requiring heightened vigilance against those hiding in the dark since no one could predict their next move.
Inside the study.
Thinking akin to Tuoba Yan, Emperor Wei's face didn't look well, his expression cold as he asked:
"Great Master, tell me, what should our next move be? Where will those hawks' claws reach next?"
The Great Master sighed inwardly but spoke earnestly: "Currently, we know very little about the 'Eagle.'"
Throughout the night since arriving at the Imperial City, he hadn't been able to discuss a conclusion with Emperor Wei.
"So, you still refuse to tell me how you discovered that Yang Huan was the 'Eagle' person?"
Emperor Wei huffed, taking a sip from the teacup on the table while casting a glance toward Nine Thousand Years, saying:
"Have your person come in and let him tell the Great Master what happened last night!"
The Great Master, puzzled, looked toward Nine Thousand Years; besides the Kyoto Academy, was there something else last night?
For a moment, he thought of many things.
Originally, he didn't intend to implicate Li Qingzhou because it might draw Emperor Wei's attention from himself to Li Qingzhou and Chen Yi.
Before contacting Chen Yi, the Great Master, out of caution, only planned to gather more information before revealing it all to Emperor Wei.
Now, it seemed there were things that had happened last night that he was unaware of.
Nine Thousand Years did not respond to his gaze, his effeminate face showing a slight smile as he clapped his hands, saying:
"Come in."
As soon as he spoke, someone silently appeared from the illuminated corner of the study, bypassing Black Armor Guard Commander Tuoba Yan directly, causing his eyes to narrow coldly.
But Tuoba Yan did not act, for he recognized the newcomer—it was Yang Wanli, the commander of the Heavenly Prison guards!
After showing himself, Yang Wanli did not survey his surroundings but knelt on one knee and called out long live.
"Rise," Emperor Wei gestured, stating, "Tell us what happened in the Heavenly Prison last night for me and the Great Master to hear."
"Yes!"
Yang Wanli rose and said, "Before midnight last night, there was unrest in both the Earth Prison Building and the Sky Prison Tower."
"Upon investigation, the former was caused by Wang Yang, the University Scholar of the Kyoto Academy previously sent in. Somehow, he managed to devour all the evil demons and demons in the Earth Prison Building."
"If not for Lord Heroic Marquis arriving in time and slaying him, we might still be in the dark."
"And as for the Sky Prison Tower, that person inside..."
"Hold on!" Before he could finish, the Great Master couldn't help but interrupt, asking, "Commander Yang, did you just mention someone? Chen Yi?"
He wasn't surprised by Wang Yang's unrest, or rather, ever since Wang Yang made such an error in the Academy's Book Storage Tower, he had already sensed something unusual about Wang Yang.