Chapter 146

The martial arts tournament between Great Wei and Great Zhou ended abruptly.

It concluded without goodwill.

Black-clad individuals led by Qiu Zhiman disrupted the original course of events.

Great Zhou was shaken to its core by this incident.

No one had expected Qiu Zhiman, a high-ranking official of the Martial Academy, to betray Great Zhou, and to stab both Great Zhou and Great Wei in the back during the much-anticipated tournament.

He even attempted to slaughter all the students, officials, and martial artists from Great Zhou and Great Wei who were participating in the tournament.

Even more shocking to the world,

Besides Qiu Zhiman’s betrayal of Great Zhou,

There was another person.

It was the Town-Nation Duke’s Heir, Cheng Guang!

Cheng Guang’s performance during the martial arts tournament spread far and wide through oral and written accounts from various circles within the Capital city.

As word of his deeds spread, everywhere was shocked.

Many high-ranking officials couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

The Town-Nation Duke’s Heir seldom made a move, and there had been no talk of his cultivation level; they had assumed that Duke Zhen’s Mansion had no worthy successor. Yet unexpectedly, at this juncture, Cheng Guang suddenly rose to prominence.

Many secretly felt a surge of alarm.

Duke Zhen’s Mansion, already immensely powerful, now boasted an heir, Cheng Guang, with astonishing talent, whose performance in the tournament was dazzling.

Many warriors pledged even stronger loyalty to Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

If it came to pass that…

Apart from their royal blood, the Great Zhou Imperial Family had nothing on Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

If Duke Zhen’s power began to overwhelm the Imperial Family, should he declare his betrayal and establish his own nation, that would truly be a simple matter.

To abduct a few princesses of royal blood could even solve issues of lineage.

Thus, within Great Zhou, tensions rose and turmoil ensued.

After the incident subsided, Empress Wei of Great Wei did not stay long in Great Zhou.

She never intended to stay; she had planned to leave after watching the opening ceremony but hadn’t expected an accident to occur during the tournament.

That forced her to remain there for a while.

Now, she also learned of the death of Lin Qingye. The death of the head of Great Wei’s Martial Academy on Great Zhou territory, a martial artist of the Ninth-order Martial Emperor Realm, was a devastating loss for Great Wei—it was extremely difficult to cultivate such a talent!

Now that the incident was resolved, and the news had traveled back to Great Wei, she didn’t know what kind of turmoil it would cause.

Empress Wei, with a stern face, immediately returned to her country.

The aftermath of this event still required further communication with Emperor Zhou.

For a time, the winds did not cease, and the waves did not calm.

All discussions revolved around Cheng Guang, around Duke Zhen’s Mansion, and around the Bureau of the Lamp’s negligence in its duties, having failed to detect Qiu Zhiman’s covert actions…

Such discussions spread like waves, beginning in the Capital city and sweeping across the land.

…

Late at night, at the hour of the Dog.

The night unfurled like a deep, profound scroll, quietly enveloping everything in its shadow.

The stars twinkled like diamonds against the dark curtain of the sky, emitting a faint and mysterious glow, while the Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a ribbon, adding depth and vastness to the night.

Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Taihe Hall.

In the depths of the palace, Taihe Hall was gently shrouded in the tranquil moonlight, appearing dignified and mysterious.

Emperor Zhou stood quietly beneath the great hall, holding a scroll in his hands, his icy countenance bearing majesty, watching the scroll without a trace of a smile.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps disturbed the tranquility of the hall.

Emperor Zhou turned to look behind him and saw Cheng Zhihai.

His authoritative expression remained unchanged as he slowly lowered the scroll, gazing at Cheng Zhihai.

Cheng Zhihai approached Emperor Zhou and with due respect bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, this matter occurred because the Bureau of the Lamp failed to detect Qiu Zhiman’s actions beforehand.”

Cheng Zhihai admitted the Bureau’s oversight without delay.

He offered no excuses for its failure.

In Cheng Zhihai’s view, a failure was a failure, and there was no need for justifications.

Emperor Zhou responded with a soft “Hm,” examining Cheng Zhihai for a long while without speaking.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment as the flame of the Ever-bright Lamp rose slowly, scattering a faint scent.

Under Emperor Zhou’s gaze, Cheng Zhihai felt the pressure bearing down on him.

Although they were contemporaries, and his wife was Emperor Zhou’s sister,

That was their private relationship.

At this moment, Emperor Zhou was interacting with him on the basis of a sovereign and subject.

The sovereign was sovereign, and the subject was subject.

On this matter, Cheng Zhihai dared not overstep.

Emperor Zhou watched Cheng Zhihai for a while longer before slowly picking up the scroll again and continuing to read.

“Have you found anything on Qiu Zhiman?”

Cheng Zhihai nodded, took the wooden ring that Cheng Guang had given him from his sleeve, and presented it to Emperor Zhou.

Emperor Zhou glanced at it and his awe-inspiring gaze sharpened as a terrifying aura emanated from him, sweeping around like a tempest.

Standing at the center of the storm, Cheng Zhihai turned slightly pale, but he remained upright, respectfully standing in the hall.

The fearsome aura appeared just for a moment before Emperor Zhou retracted it back into himself, and the atmosphere relaxed, reverting to its former ease.

However, Emperor Zhou’s expression remained grim,

Even bordering on unsightly.

The cause of Emperor Zhou’s displeasure was not only the numerous human bones contained within the wooden ring but also a token.