Three days later.
Grand Star County, Imperial Palace.
Since early in the morning, there had been an endless stream of floating carriages and luxurious carriages in the palace plaza. People from all over the Sea-Ao Empire, as well as foreign guests, were dressed in grand ceremonial attire to attend the royal banquet.
At the end of every year, the royal family would hold such a grand banquet to commend the officials who had rendered meritorious service to the empire that year.
At the New Year's banquet, there would be another banquet to announce new positions. At the same time, it was to show the prosperity of the empire to the people.
Of course, at the year-end banquet and the New Year's banquet, there would be many wrangling and scolding between the provincial officials. This was also one of the favorite New Year programs of the people.
After alighting from the luxurious carriage, Hayashi River glanced at the palace plaza. Half of the luxurious carriages were there, and all sorts of luxurious, custom-made floating carriages could be seen everywhere.
This style of luxurious carriage was the style of thousand-year-old families. Without a heritage of more than a thousand years, no one was allowed to enter the palace plaza.
"There are so many thousand-year-old families in the imperial capital …" Hayashi River muttered.
"Exactly. Our Jing family has nearly two thousand years of history …" Jing Kejing walked in front and conversed with Hayashi River in a low voice.
This time, Hayashi River entered the palace as a distant relative of Jing Kejing. He came to the palace banquet to broaden his horizons and make friends with some of the nobles in the imperial capital. This was a common occurrence among the large families.
"Is this the palace of the Sea-Ao Empire? It's really majestic … "
As a follower, Mossy Bone looked at the splendor of the palace and muttered in a low voice. This was a completely different style from the buildings of the ancient clans.
Jing Kejing glanced at Mossy Bone and the followers behind him. His heart couldn't help but beat wildly.
Even though he couldn't sense the strength of Mossy Bone and the others, he could vaguely understand that these people were experts, and very powerful ones at that.
As a millennium-old clan, the Jing Family also had a level-seven elite holding down the fort. Jing Kejing was very familiar with such elites, but he could sense that the strength of Mossy Bone and the others was probably above a level-seven elite.
If such peerless experts were to gather together and cause trouble in the Imperial Palace, who knew what kind of shocking storm it would cause …
Seeming to have seen through Jing Kejing's worries, Mossy Bone said in a low voice, "Little fellow, don't worry. We're only going to the imperial palace this time to confirm one thing. We won't cause any trouble. Even if something happens, it won't be us … "
Jing Kejing gave a hollow laugh and said nothing. He led Hayashi River and the others into the imperial palace.
Immediately after entering the palace, attendants came forward. The attendants did not dare to slight this powerful young man of the Jing Family.
As the banquet was officially held in the evening, the guests could walk around the palace as they pleased. Unlike the Northern Imperial Palace, only the outer city and a portion of the inner city were open to the public.
However, just these open areas were already much larger than the Northern Palace. Along the way, there were delicacies, pastries, and all kinds of fine wine for everyone to enjoy.
From time to time, music could be heard from the pavilions. Dancers danced, and the atmosphere of the grand ceremony spread rapidly …
One could imagine the extravagance of the banquet from such a scene. It made one sigh that the Sea-Ao Empire was indeed the great human empire of the Eastern Continent.
Many people stood in the pavilions. There were foreign guests and high-ranking officials of the empire. They gathered together and chatted cheerfully.
Jing Kejing pulled his hat down and walked along the small path. He looked a little sneaky, but when the attendants saw that it was the young master of the Jing Family, they all smiled.
These days, news of Jing Kejing's encounter in the Imperial Capital had spread. The scene of him being surrounded by aristocratic young ladies and fleeing like a rat had become the subject of much discussion.
Now, seeing this young master hiding, the attendants and guards of the palace did not find it strange. If Jing Kejing walked openly, that would be strange.
But even so, there were many beautiful and luxuriously dressed aristocratic young ladies looking at him with blazing eyes. If it were not for the occasion, they would have probably pounced on him on the spot.
"You're still as popular as before …" Hayashi River said, a little amused.
"Boss, don't be sarcastic. After this is over, teach me your disguise skills …" Jing Kejing said with a wry smile.
Mossy Bone looked at this young aristocrat and nodded to himself. This was what a promising young man should look like, unlike Fowler, whose mind was always filled with women.
The group seemed to be walking leisurely. Soon, they arrived near the inner city of the Imperial Palace. However, they were stopped by the guards and told that it was forbidden to pass.
"I can't go in either …"
Jing Kejing flashed his pass, but these guards were still unmoved. This made him a little annoyed.
With his identity as one of the successors of the Jing Family, he could go unimpeded except for some palaces in the Imperial Palace.
Moreover, his current identity was not ordinary, yet he was being stopped like this.
"I'm sorry. Lieutenant Colonel Kejing, this is His Majesty's will … "The guard captain said softly.
Jing Kejing raised his eyebrows. He could only helplessly lead Hayashi River and the others away, muttering to himself that he would take them somewhere else to broaden their horizons.
After walking for a short distance, Jing Kejing's expression suddenly became a little serious. He knew the rules of the Imperial Palace. There had never been such a thing at the New Year's banquet.
"Could it be that something happened … Boss …"
Jing Kejing smelled a trace of unease and turned to look at Hayashi River, hoping to learn some secrets from the latter.
Hayashi River shrugged. Their purpose for this trip was to confirm something in the Imperial Palace. What happened just now might not be related to their purpose.
After all, there were undercurrents surging in the Great Star Ao Prefecture. The Star Ao Emperor was old, and the other princes were all outstanding. The next successor to the Emperor was still undecided.
This also caused the ministers, the Garrison Department, the Military Department, and the Imperial Knights to have different ideas and secretly support the chosen princes.
In such a situation, it was normal for something to happen at a banquet in the Imperial Palace. Even if there was a sudden mutiny, it would not be strange …
At this moment —
A group of people walked toward them. The leader was wearing a trench coat with a guard uniform underneath. Her beautiful face was covered with a sense of majesty. As she walked, an oppressive aura rushed toward them.
"Chief Hua of the Garrison Department …"
Jing Kejing let out a low cry and quickly pulled Lin Chuan to the side. He didn't dare to look directly at the current imperial capital and this important official who had once held great power.
The people around them all stepped back. Some bowed, some smiled obsequiously, and their expressions were filled with varying degrees of awe …
At this moment, people were surprised to see Hua Fengxue and his subordinates walking straight to Jing Kejing.
"Why is he here? Did he discover Boss's disguise …"
Jing Kejing immediately became anxious, but he did not dare to be negligent. He hurriedly saluted.
"Are you Jing Kejing of the Jing family? You have performed well in the Military Department for the past two years. Come with me … "Hua Fengxue said.
Hearing this, Jing Kejing groaned inwardly. He could only follow behind and walk toward the Imperial Palace with the Chief of the Garrison Department.
On the other hand, he felt uneasy. Minister Hua was from the special forces, and he was also one of the strongest fighters in the Star Ao Empire. His eyes were extremely sharp, and if he really discovered Lin Chuan and the others' disguises, it would be difficult to deal with him.
Although the Jing family was a thousand-year-old family, they did not want to offend an important minister like Hua Fengxue.
In the surroundings, many people were looking at Jing Kejing with eyes filled with envy.
Regarding this young man from the Jing family, all the nobles in the Grand Star Ao Prefecture knew that he had a bright future.
Now, it seemed that even the head of the garrison had come forward. It seemed that they were trying to poach someone from the military. In a few years' time, Jing Kejing's name would be on the list of the empire's powerful ministers.
Walking on a quiet road, Hua Fengxue waved his hand to signal his subordinates to stay away. Then, he looked at Jing Kejing.
"I said that I had to personally entertain you in the Grand Star Ao Prefecture. Why didn't you inform me that you were here …" Hua Fengxue said.
Jing Kejing was stunned. Then, he realized that Chief Hua was not talking to him. He was talking to Hayashi River and the others.
Hayashi River and Mossy Bone exchanged looks. They were surprised. They thought that their disguise was good enough. How could Hua Fengxue see through them?
Seeing Hayashi River and the others' actions, Hua Fengxue chuckled. "Mr. Chuan, although your disguise is good, I can still sense Mr. Gu's Sword Qi."
Hayashi River was stunned. Then, he thought of the Flame Sword Pattern on Hua Fengxue's body and understood. Hua Fengxue's Sword Qi was far more sensitive than his own strength.
"Chief Hua didn't tell us your real name when we parted last time," Hayashi River replied.
When they parted at the Foka Tower, Hua Fengxue had left behind her identity and address. That had nothing to do with her real identity as the Chief of the Garrison Department.
Of course, both Hayashi River and Hua Fengxue had vaguely sensed this. They just didn't point it out.
"Hua Fengxue is just a name I changed when I was in the Sea-Ao Empire. The previous one was my real name." Hua Fengxue smiled.
Seeing that Hayashi River and Hua Fengxue were conversing in a low voice, Jing Kejing was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
"I didn't expect Lieutenant Colonel Jing to be so familiar with Mr. Chuan …"
Hua Fengxue turned around and looked at Jing Kejing. The latter immediately puffed out his chest. He didn't dare to be so casual in front of the Chief of the Garrison Department.
After exchanging a few words in a low voice, Lin Chuan said, "Since you're here, it's perfect. Can you bring us to the inner city?"
"Hmm …"
Hua Fengxue was startled, but she didn't say anything. She led Hayashi River and the others into the inner city. The guards around didn't dare to stop them at all.
…
The inner city of the Imperial Palace was different from the outer city.
The corridors in the inner city were winding. The group of people walked around casually. Hua Fengxue and Jing Kejing chatted from time to time. The atmosphere seemed very harmonious.
Many people couldn't help but feel suspicious when they saw this scene. No one thought that the Chief of Garrison Police was interested in Jing Kejing, a famous handsome man in the Imperial City.
They were guessing if the Chief of the Garrison Department wanted to rope in the Jing Family. After all, the Jing Family had always been neutral in the current situation.
The group of people went up to a pavilion and sat down. They looked at the scenery of the inner city.
"Now, let's talk about why you're here …" Hua Fengxue looked at Hayashi River.
She was very calm. She didn't ask anything along the way.
Of course, this was also because she trusted Hayashi River. She had a lot of information, so she knew what this young man had done in the Imperial City of the Northern Region after they parted ways at the Foka Tower.
Another thing was that Hua Fengxue realized that in less than half a year, she couldn't see through Hayashi River anymore. This young mechanic seemed to be much stronger than before.
Such a person was just not famous in the Great Eastern Continent. His true strength was enough to shake the entire continent …
Looking out the window, Hayashi River activated the Eye of Wisdom. Soon, he saw the west side of the inner city. The ink-like fog shrouded the sky above a group of palaces …
Pointing at the group of palaces, Hayashi River asked, "What is that place …"
Hua Fengxue and Jing Kejing glanced at each other, and their expressions changed. That group of palaces was the residence of Emperor Xing Ao. Behind it was the royal tomb.
"Emperor Xing Ao's residence, royal tomb …"
Hayashi River couldn't help but frown. The image of the eyeball appeared on his forehead. The eyeball glowed as it stared in that direction.
Instantly, Hua Fengxue, Jing Kejing, and Mossy Bone's vision changed. They suddenly saw the black fog above the group of palaces, as well as the huge figure that was faintly discernible in the fog …
A chilling aura rushed toward them like a gust of wind. Jing Kejing was the weakest among them. If not for his six hands supporting him in time, he would have fallen on the spot.
"Boss, what's going on …" Jing Kejing's expression changed.
Only then did he realize that Hayashi River's purpose of entering the palace was different from what he had guessed.
"That's a terrifying existence in the Great Star Ao Commandery …" Hua Fengxue said after some thought.
Hayashi River looked over. He was a little surprised that Hua Fengxue seemed to have known about it.
Shaking her head, Hua Fengxue explained. She knew that there was a dangerous person hiding in the palace, but she didn't know who he was.
All these years, many things in the Sea-Ao Empire were planned by this terrifying person, including the matter of Hua Fengxue and the other two geniuses …
Hayashi River and the others were stunned. Many people had heard that Hua Fengxue had joined the Sea-Ao Empire. It had caused a sensation back then.
However, few people knew the real process of the fight for the three geniuses …
Hua Fengxue didn't say much about it. She only mentioned that the one who started the fight for the three geniuses was the terrifying existence in the palace. Many things that happened in the Great Star Ao Commandery over the years were also related to it.
Hayashi River and the others understood. From what Hua Fengxue had experienced in the Foka Pagoda, they could imagine how dangerous it had been for her all these years.
Looking at the group of palaces, Hayashi River thought that the one who had infected the Tree Spirit must be the Emperor of the Sea-Ao Empire. This was troublesome. It was the worst situation they could have imagined before they came here.
"Chief Hua, is it His Majesty?" Jing Kejing lowered his voice and asked carefully.
"No … On the contrary, it's the Emperor who is stopping these things from getting worse," Hua Fengxue said.
Hayashi River and the others were stunned. It seemed that the situation was more complicated than they had expected …
"Mr. Chuan. What do you know … "Hua Fengxue looked at him.
She had a deep grudge against this dangerous person. When she joined the Sea-Ao Empire, she was in a dangerous situation. All of her experiences were related to this mysterious and terrifying person.
After her Heart Yuan Inheritance and Flame Sword ability were completely awakened, Hua Fengxue returned to the Great Star Ao Commandery and found some clues in the palace. However, it wasn't as clear as what she saw today.
Lin Chuan frowned slightly. The matter regarding the Tree of Life was complicated, especially since it involved so many things. It was even more serious than the great rebellion in the Star Ao Empire.
Extending a finger, Hayashi River pointed at Hua Fengxue and Jing Kejing's foreheads. A stream of information flowed into their minds, and they immediately learned about the Tree of Life.
Their expressions changed immediately. If it was as Hayashi River had predicted, the situation in the Great Star Ao Commandery was extremely dangerous. Not just the Great Star Ao Commandery, but the entire empire was in a precarious situation.
…
On the other side.
In the Western District of the Great Star Ao Commandery, Fowler, Old Aidan, and the others had gathered. They were making arrangements to prevent any unexpected incidents.
In front of the window on the second floor, Fowler smiled elegantly and greeted a beautiful woman on the balcony next door. They exchanged a few words, and the beautiful woman even told him that her husband wasn't home and that Fowler could go over at any time.
"Beautiful lady, I have important matters to attend to. I have to go to the palace later to attend the banquet there. So, let's meet again later …" Fowler said gently.
In the room, Old Aidan and the others looked at the beautiful lady's infatuated appearance, and they all rolled their eyes. Fowler, this bastard, was really hard to change. They were in the middle of such a big battle plan, and this guy still had the mood to seduce a beautiful woman.
Seeing Fowler walk in, Hayuya said disdainfully, "Hurry up and get to work, you licentious fellow. If such a big mess really happens, it's still unknown whether this beautiful lady can live to meet you later …"
However, when Fowler walked into the room, his expression changed. Before he could speak, Shu Da popped his head out and said softly, "Something is wrong …"
Everyone present was shocked and put on alert, thinking that Fowler had found traces of an enemy.
After all, Fowler had obtained this elf body, and he was a level-seven expert in his previous life. Coupled with his talent in mental energy, his perception was far superior to everyone else's.
"It's not an enemy. It's that beautiful lady who is not right … "Fowler said softly with a solemn expression.
Everyone was a little puzzled. Just now, the two of them had talked so ambiguously. If not for the battle plan, Fowler might have already entered into a deep conversation with the beautiful lady. What was wrong again?
Fowler said in a low voice, "Last night, I got to know that beautiful lady …"
Hearing this, the expressions of Old Aidan and the others changed. The conversation between Fowler and the beautiful lady just now was clearly the first time they had met.
Immediately, everyone activated the monitoring device to monitor the situation in the neighboring room, and soon they found an abnormality …
It was clearly noon, and the sun was shining brightly outside, but the beautiful lady had put away her clothes one by one, and then began to clean the spotless room.
"The blisters on this woman's hands …"
The group judged that this woman's entire body was exquisite, and it was clear that she was used to living like a princess.
However, such a woman was very diligent in cleaning the room, and the blisters on her hands showed that she had not been doing this for a long time.
Then, everyone realized that this beautiful woman's behavior was like that of a mechanical puppet. Only when she received a few phone calls did she return to the appearance of a normal person.
Old Aidan glanced at Fowler, and it was obvious that this was some kind of brilliant mental energy control.
Fowler shook his head.
"I can't do this, but perhaps Mr. Chuan can do it now …" Fowler said.
Old Aidan's expression became solemn. After spending so much time with Fowler, he naturally knew the latter's strength and attainment in mental energy.
After obtaining this elf's body, Fowler had demonstrated a few moves, and could be said to be a master in this field, but even he said that he could not do this.
As for Mr. Chuan, his level of mental energy had long reached an unimaginable level …
If the person who made the move was such an expert, then it would be too troublesome …
"I've checked, this woman is of noble birth, and her husband is a guard of the palace, guarding the palace of Emperor Xing Ao …" Hai Wuya's expression was also very ugly as he revealed the information he had found.
Everyone's expression became more and more ugly. They all understood that the situation was more complicated and worse than they had expected …
Old Aidan picked up the communicator, ready to inform Hayashi River and the others in the palace of this news.
Suddenly, there was movement in the neighboring room. The beautiful woman suddenly fell to the ground, and let out a low growl in the direction of the palace. Her eyes kept shaking, and only the whites of her eyes remained, and her pupils were gone …
"This …"
Fowler's heart ached. He could not bear to see the beautiful woman like this, and was about to rush over to see if there was any way to save her.
At that moment, everyone realized that strange sounds were coming from the houses on this street. Many of the residents who were originally fine were experiencing the same thing.
Bang, bang, bang …
Bodies exploded one after another, and wisps of dark fog floated up, carried by the breeze, and drifted towards the west side of the palace.
Fowler immediately stopped moving. Since the beautiful woman was dead, he calmed down and hid there quietly, waiting for the subsequent changes.
"Damn, why do I have a bad feeling about this …" Old Aidan muttered in a low voice.
In fact, it was not only him, but the others also felt the same. They had a vague feeling that they had encountered some kind of unforeseen event on this trip.
At that moment …
Hai Wuya looked at the surveillance device, then looked up at the street below, and his expression changed again.
"That person … is not in the range of the surveillance device …" Hai Wuya said in a low voice.
Everyone was shocked, and looked down at the street below. They saw a middle-aged man standing there, looking at them, and the surveillance device clearly showed that there was no one there …
This surveillance device was specially made in the Mausoleum Fortress. At such a close distance, other than Fowler, who was proficient in mental energy, everyone else would be exposed.
"Watch out!"
Old Aidan shouted in a low voice. In a flash, the middle-aged man on the street disappeared without a trace.
"What … are you doing here …"
Behind them, a calm voice rang out. It was the mysterious middle-aged man.
Bang!
Hai Wuya burst out, put on his mask, and attacked the middle-aged man like a ghost.
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