Chapter 160

The two people inside the room stopped talking.

They were worried, they were anxious!

They truly didn’t believe that Cheng Zhihai, along with themselves, or rather, the entire Bureau of the Lamp, would be able to find the crown prince within such a short month.

Who was the crown prince?

He was someone who had contended with Emperor Zhou of Great Zhou for decades, who, even after being stripped of his qualifications to inherit the throne, could still hide in the shadows and secretly plot rebellion.

Such a person was too cunning!

Such a person was too ghostly!

He wasn’t someone they could simply find.

In their hearts, they felt that this task was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Cheng Zhihai was surely going to leave the Bureau of the Lamp.

Thinking of this, Qian Siyuan and the person next to him felt their hearts turn gray, and their mood inevitably sank.

They knew that once Cheng Zhihai left the Bureau of the Lamp, it would no longer be their brotherly Bureau of the Lamp, but would completely degenerate into an emotionless intelligence agency of the Great Zhou Court.

Although it should have been the case from the start…

For them, who had harbored the intention of discovering a path for the Human Race since the foundation of the Bureau of the Lamp, Cheng Zhihai’s departure was an unacceptable turn of events.

But at the moment…

There was no other solution.

Emperor Zhou had already given the final deadline.

One month!

Only one month left!

Qian Siyuan and the person next to him already felt a sense of urgency in their hearts.

They did not speak further with Cheng Zhihai; after a few more casual words, they hurriedly turned and left, already eager to investigate the whereabouts of the crown prince.

The only way to keep Cheng Zhihai at the Bureau of the Lamp now was to find the crown prince within this month.

If they failed to find the crown prince, then no matter how many strategies they thought of, no matter how much they pleaded with Emperor Zhou, it would be of no use at all.

Qian Siyuan walked briskly out of the great hall. As he stepped out, he saw Cheng Guang’s figure; he was momentarily stunned upon seeing Cheng Guang, then a mild and warm smile appeared on his somewhat stiff face. He nodded slightly at Cheng Guang and then quickly left.

Li Zhengyang, who followed behind Qian Siyuan, also noticed Cheng Guang. It was his first time seeing Cheng Guang at the Bureau of the Lamp, and his face also showed a slight hint of surprise.

“Princely Heir.”

Li Zhengyang appraised Cheng Guang for a few moments, admiration evident in his eyes: “Princely Heir, your skills in the martial competition were impressive. I hold you in high regard.”

“I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb the Princely Heir.” After looking at Cheng Guang a few more times, Li Zhengyang quickly left.

As Li Zhengyang was assessing Cheng Guang, Cheng Guang was also observing Li Zhengyang.

Li Zhengyang, also one of the deputy directors of the Bureau of the Lamp, was upright, his face emanating righteousness. If placed in the court, he would undoubtedly be an official akin to Wei Zheng, known for his outspokenness.

Li Zhengyang’s moral character was just like his appearance—full of integrity. Having come from a humble background, he would not tolerate any abuse of power by the nobility over the commoners. Each time he saw such injustices, he felt compelled to intervene.

The Bureau of the Lamp was already not favored in the eyes of many nobles.

Because of Li Zhengyang’s presence, the Bureau had become a complete thorn in the side of the powerful elite.

But…

Cheng Guang knew that it was precisely because of people like Li Zhengyang that the Bureau of the Lamp could be called such.

Otherwise, how would it light the way for the Human Race?

In a world where only the nobility existed and commoners could not rise, there wasn’t much hope left.

Cheng Guang watched as the figures of Qian Siyuan and Li Zhengyang disappeared, slowly withdrawing his gaze to head inside the great hall.

Seeing Cheng Zhihai inside, who looked slightly anxious and forlorn, a trace of a smile involuntarily curved on his lips.

Although Cheng Zhihai, Qian Siyuan, and Li Zhengyang were currently fretting over how to find the crown prince, Cheng Guang knew that the crown prince would probably be found in the end.

Otherwise, the future Bureau of the Lamp wouldn’t remain in the hands of the true Princely Heir; it would have been completely taken over by Emperor Zhou long ago.

But even if the crown prince was found, it must have taken a long time, and even after Cheng Zhihai’s death, the issue with the crown prince wasn’t completely resolved. Therefore, even if the Bureau of the Lamp remained in the hands of the true Princely Heir in the future, it wouldn’t be of much use.

Emperor Zhou might have supported the establishment of another organization similar to the Bureau of the Lamp later on.

With these thoughts in mind, Cheng Guang spoke to Cheng Zhihai: “Father.”

Cheng Zhihai, hearing Cheng Guang’s voice, promptly turned his head to look at him. The anxious expression on his face was quickly suppressed, replaced by a faint smile.

“Guanger, what brings you here today? Come, are you thirsty? Come drink some tea.”

Saying this, Cheng Zhihai gestured for Cheng Guang to sit down and personally poured him a cup of refreshing tea.

At that moment, Cheng Guang was not much in the mood for tea, he slightly shook his head and looked at Cheng Zhihai: “Father, about the matter Uncle Qian and Uncle Li were talking about…”

Cheng Guang had only spoken halfway when Cheng Zhihai’s expression became a bit awkward.

“Guanger, you heard that, huh?”

Cheng Guang nodded.

Seeing Cheng Guang still staring at him, knowing that his son wanted to understand what was going on, Cheng Zhihai didn’t intend to keep him in the dark. He sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, slowly took a sip, and after setting down the cup, his gaze fixed on Cheng Guang.

“Guanger, our Duke Zhen’s Mansion has a very special position in Great Zhou, very special.”