Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Unceasing Carnage
Zhen Le had an audience with the Emperor.
Having saved the drowning Emperor, under normal circumstances, this incident would have ensured the Emperor remembered her. However, she desired more than just recognition.
She craved much more.
Therefore, she orchestrated a severe illness, attributed to her immersion in the water while rescuing the Emperor, thus maximizing the benefits of her actions.
And now…
She had achieved this stage of her plan.
Night fell!
Zhen Le looked up at the moon in the sky.
"Although I cannot see you, we are looking at the same moon."
After gazing for a while, Zhen Le returned indoors. Before a spirit tablet, she lit three incense sticks, bowed, and then placed the sticks in the holder.
'Cui Rong's Spirit Tablet'
She would not forget what had happened.
She would never choose to forget.
Instead, she would forever engrave this matter in her heart. She sought revenge, wanting everyone to pay the price.
Several months later!
The First Prince embarked on a tour.
He journeyed south to Mo City with great fanfare, escorted by thousands of soldiers and flanked by powerful experts. His security was extremely tight.
Only the Empress's son, the current First Prince, the heir apparent most likely to become the next Emperor, enjoyed such privilege.
The other princes, upon hearing this news, felt a sense of foreboding.
This act seemed like preparation for ascension to the throne – inspecting the realm, performing good deeds, winning the hearts of the people, and accumulating prestige.
Night.
Sounds of revelry emanated from the First Prince Zhao Zhuan's chambers. Having perfectly inherited his father's fondness for women, he was never without female companionship. Even before becoming Emperor, he had fathered numerous children, easily numbering in the dozens.
Around the courtyard, seemingly empty, at least six martial arts experts at the peak of their abilities lay hidden. Their mission was to protect the First Prince's safety.
As for other matters, those were none of their concern.
The night was not overly hot, even slightly cool, yet for some reason, the air felt heavy and oppressive.
Inside.
Zhao Zhuan was enjoying himself with two beautiful women.
Suddenly.
He felt the temperature in the room plummet.
As if he were in an ice cellar.
"Who are you?"
Zhao Zhuan was startled. A mysterious figure, wearing an iron mask, had appeared in the room without him noticing. The aura emanating from the figure was chilling, like a breath from the depths of hell.
"Someone! Come quickly, protect me!"
"I am the First Prince of the dynasty, surrounded by numerous experts. If you dare to harm me, you will certainly not leave this place alive. Surrender, and I may spare your life."
He appeared composed.
But his panicked expression betrayed his true feelings. He was terrified, the figure's presence before him implying that the experts protecting him were likely in grave danger.
"What are you doing?"
Zhao Zhuan's face turned deathly pale as the figure approached, the specter of death looming close.
Click!
Princess Zhen Le pinched Zhao Zhuan's cheeks with two fingers, lifting his head and scrutinizing his face.
"Hmph, you truly have a fortunate life. Born into a position of power, your mother the Empress, an heir apparent, universally adored. I'm so envious."
A woman's voice?
Realizing the figure was a woman, Zhao Zhuan's mind raced.
"Lady Knight, we have no quarrel. Why would you want to kill me? As the heir apparent, I am destined to be the Emperor. If you desire power, I swear to the heavens, if you spare my life, the moment I become Emperor, I will elevate you above all others."
"I swear to the heavens, if I utter a single falsehood, may I be struck by lightning."
"I have an even better proposition. We can become husband and wife in name only. Once I ascend the throne, I will make you Empress. I will not interfere in state affairs, leaving everything to you. I will be a puppet Emperor."
"What do you say?"
Zhao Zhuan had no idea what the woman was thinking.
But now… as long as he could survive, he was willing to do anything, even sacrifice his dignity.
"Hehe!"
Princess Zhen Le sneered. Suddenly, she exerted her power. Black mist coiled around the fingers pinching Zhao Zhuan's face, then enveloped his entire head.
Zhao Zhuan's face contorted in agony.
He experienced unprecedented pain.
Then…
His breath grew weaker and weaker.
Black lines spread across his face, his eyes wide and fixed. He breathed his last. Even Buddha himself could not save him now.
The two women who had been with Zhao Zhuan cowered together, trembling in fear, too afraid to speak.
"You saw what happened. Consider yourselves unlucky."
Princess Zhen Le said coldly.
She turned and left.
The two women thought they would be spared because they were women, but they were quickly proven wrong. An unbearable pain surged through them.
They didn't even have time to scream.
They collapsed onto the bed, dead.
Several days later.
The Great Yuan Dynasty was in an uproar.
News of the First Prince Zhao Zhuan's gruesome death in Mo City reached the palace.
Upon hearing this devastating news, the Empress felt as if the sky was falling, her world collapsing. All her hopes had rested on Zhao Zhuan.
The future Emperor.
And she, the future Empress Dowager.
But now…
Everything had vanished, her dreams shattered.
Unable to accept this reality, she fainted. Upon regaining consciousness, she immediately rushed to the Emperor, wailing and crying inconsolably. The Emperor, upon learning of the incident, felt a chill in his heart, his fury boiling. He issued orders to immediately find the culprit.
This was not merely the murder of the First Prince, but a slap in the face of the Great Yuan Dynasty.
The incident caused widespread panic.
Some rejoiced, others grieved.
Consort Xian, for instance, was overjoyed. Although her own son was dead, the thought of the Empress, who had constantly humiliated her, suffering such a loss brought her immense satisfaction.
For the servants attending Consort Xian, this was perhaps the happiest they had ever seen their mistress.
As for the officials who had placed their bets on the First Prince, they felt like dying.
Which bastard had done this?
Were they insane?
They could have killed anyone, but why the First Prince? Didn't they know how much they had invested in him?
Now… everything was gone.
Ruined.
Utterly ruined.
The palace's experts, upon hearing the news, mobilized, tasked by the Emperor to investigate the matter.
They gathered around the First Prince's body, carefully analyzing the scene.
"Such domineering martial arts. His meridians are shattered, his body riddled with poison. Even a god could not have saved him."
"Demonic arts, swift and merciless, and wielded by someone with profound cultivation. This is no small matter."
"What kind of demonic art is this? With our knowledge, we've heard of every martial art in existence, yet we can't identify this one."
The experts' task was to examine the injuries and determine the martial art used.
But now…
They were stumped.
Expert Chen stared at the First Prince's body for a long time, lost in thought. Then he said:
"I must make a trip. We need to consult a demonic arts master."
The other experts nodded in agreement.
Several days later!
Expert Chen brought a demonic arts grandmaster to the palace. This grandmaster was the most powerful demonic cultivator in the Great Yuan Dynasty, his demonic arts unfathomable, possessing terrifying abilities.
He was known as the Demonic Arts Grandmaster of the past few centuries.
The Demonic Arts Grandmaster carefully examined the First Prince's body. His heart trembled, and he exclaimed in disbelief:
"Impossible…"
Expert Chen and the others were startled by the grandmaster's exclamation.
"Have you discovered something?"
The Demonic Arts Grandmaster placed a finger on the First Prince's body, channeling a surge of potent demonic energy into the corpse. But in an instant, as if encountering an obstacle, the demonic energy was forcefully expelled.
"If I'm not mistaken, the person who killed the First Prince cultivates the Nine Nether Divine Scripture."
Upon hearing these words, Expert Chen and the others were shocked.
"Are you referring to the lost Nine Nether Divine Scripture?"
The Demonic Arts Grandmaster nodded. "Indeed, the Nine Nether Divine Scripture. I didn't expect it to reappear after a thousand years. This technique is terrifying, and those who cultivate it are incredibly vicious, their hearts more evil than demons."
Their expressions revealed the weight of the Nine Nether Divine Scripture's implications.
Expert Chen said, "This is troublesome."
The other experts nodded. It was indeed troublesome. Although they had never witnessed the true terror of the Nine Nether Divine Scripture, the legends that had been passed down spoke volumes about its horrifying power.
The Demonic Arts Grandmaster asked, "In recent years, have you noticed any areas with an unusually high number of deaths?"
Expert Chen and the others looked at him, puzzled.
The Demonic Arts Grandmaster explained, "According to legend, the Nine Nether Divine Scripture is extremely difficult to cultivate. To succeed, one must absorb the essence, energy, and spirit of others and refine it into oneself. Those who lose their essence, energy, and spirit can only die. If there's been a large number of deaths in any particular area, the cultivator of the Nine Nether Divine Scripture is likely to be there."
Upon hearing this, Expert Chen and the others shook their heads.
They hadn't heard of any such incidents.
In the courtyard!
Lin Fan, who was tending his garden, paused his work and looked around curiously.
"Strange, Zhen Le was clearly watching me, why didn't she appear and speak to me?"
He had just sensed Zhen Le's presence in the distance.
But it had vanished in an instant.
Others would certainly not have noticed, but Lin Fan was exceptionally perceptive, able to detect anyone observing him.
He pondered for a moment.
"Perhaps… she has something to do." Lin Fan muttered to himself.
It had been a long time since they last met.
He didn't know the reason.
But to Lin Fan, Zhen Le must be busy with her own affairs. Once she was finished, she would surely reappear.
However…
He sensed a sinister aura about Zhen Le.
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