Ye Chui, Green, Leisha, Celty, Guni, along with Zask, Meidu, and Neil, left the dungeon. (Jarvis had already been recalled by Ye Chui.) The massive explosion earlier had drawn many palace servants and guards from the Zenith Palace, who were rushing over quickly.
Ye Chui glanced at the white dots rapidly approaching on the map. He hurriedly made arrangements. “We will deal with the Emperor. Zask, the three of you leave the Zenith Palace first. With your strength and familiarity here, it should be no problem. Once outside, go find the River God.”
“River God?” The three looked at each other. They had never heard the name.
Ye Chui recounted the location where he had accidentally left Celty yesterday. He continued, “A River God worship sect has appeared in the capital. It is our companion. You should find them easily. Mention my name, and she will trust you. She has gathered some people. Have them help spread rumours that Bishop Xis killed the Emperor.”
Celty’s River God sect certainly had few members. But judging from their vigour in throwing rotten eggs at Ye Chui on the street, their action capacity was impressive. They could help a little. Mm, for Celty’s contribution here, he would let the rotten egg incident slide.
Zask, Meidu, and Neil immediately agreed.
Miss Neil, while expressing dissatisfaction with her outfit through her eyes, spread her arms and silently chanted for a moment. With a clear cry, a strange phantom beast resembling a giant eagle appeared before her. As the Falcon Beast clan leader among the twelve, she could summon the Falcon Beast phantom and control flying magical beasts.
While covering her short skirt, she jumped onto the Falcon Beast’s back. Meidu and Zask followed, leaping up beside her.
Before the Falcon Beast took off, Zask suddenly remembered something and said to Ye Chui, “The Emperor should have fled into the main hall by now. If you go to kill him, be careful of one person.”
“Who?” Ye Chui asked.
“The Maze Lamp phantom beast, Dapra.” Zask explained quickly. “After the imperial rebellion, we three refused to comply and were imprisoned. The Maze Lamp and Mad Dragon clans remained neutral. Mad Dragon handles the capital’s defences. Maze Lamp protects the Emperor’s personal safety. They do not involve themselves in imperial affairs, only ensuring the capital citizens’ and Emperor’s security. Maze Lamp Dapra guards the main hall constantly. He is very dangerous. His Maze Lamp phantom beast confuses others’ minds. You must be careful.”
Meidu also warned, “Dapra’s Maze Lamp excels at confusion. Remember, its power acts on the victim’s own delusions. The smarter the person, the more easily confused!”
“Got it.” Ye Chui nodded. The smarter, the more vulnerable? Then the dumber, the more immune? He seemed to know what to do.
The Falcon Beast flapped its wings and soared high. Under Miss Neil’s control, it swiftly flew away from the Zenith Palace.
The servants and guards had arrived on the scene.
Ye Chui quickly restored his and his companions’ disguises as Bishop Xis. Among the arrivals were many Church followers.
“Lord Xis, what happened here?” A thin follower asked in surprise, eyes sweeping over the warden’s corpse nearby. The warden had been killed by the Emperor.
“Hmph, the Emperor just ambushed us. It seems the divine has been too lenient with him.” Ye Chui said, imitating Bishop Xis’s tone.
The others exchanged glances.
“Lord Xis, then we…” the follower asked.
“I can no longer tolerate the Emperor. We will kill him now!” Ye Chui declared domineeringly. His eyes turned to the servants and guards. Though they submitted to Church intimidation, hearing Bishop Xis intended to kill their Emperor, they instinctively grew wary, preparing for battle. But their bodies trembled.
The followers, however, grew immensely excited.
The Church entered the Tidal Empire with the Emperor’s facilitation, aiding them to access the Puppet Graveyard. But the Church coveted its contents. How could they let the Emperor use them?
The Emperor and Church vied against each other. As ancestral god heir, he controlled that power, confident that opening the Puppet Graveyard would make him invincible. The Church, in turn, planned to eliminate him once opened.
Hearing Bishop Xis’s words now, the followers showed no hesitation, faces filled with excited cruelty. They prepared to fight the servants and guards.
“Will you raise hands against me?” Ye Chui waved to stop the restless followers, asking the servants and guards coolly.
“We serve the Emperor our entire lives. We swear to protect his safety to the death… If you harm him, step over our bodies!” A servant leader said, voice trembling. Though terrified, his face remained resolute.
“Your determination is admirable.”
Ye Chui was not lying. These people were timid yet showed sufficient hostility towards the disguised Xis. They would sacrifice themselves to protect the Emperor. Ye Chui’s gaze turned utterly cold. Inwardly, he hesitated, feeling they should not die like this. But great deeds required sacrifices. Seeing their stance, they likely would not leave if told.
To frame Bishop Xis, he had to play the ruthless role fully!
Thus, Ye Chui said coldly, “I had intended to spare you. Since you seek death…”
“I surrender! Please spare us…”
The servant who had just appeared resolute suddenly clanged, dropping his sword and raising his hands. Seeing him, the other servants and guards discarded their weapons, following suit.
Ye Chui: “…”
What the hell, give me back my earlier sentiment!!!
“Lord Xis, these people cannot live.” The thin follower said with a cold smile. Killing the Emperor was their original plan, but best done secretly. The Tidal Empire held deep Emperor worship. Letting citizens know they killed him would make establishing Church influence extremely difficult.
“No.” Ye Chui quickly dissuaded. “Let them go.”
Seeing the followers’ puzzled looks, Ye Chui pretended deep strategy with a smile. “The Church’s current power relies not just on citizens’ faith, but the fear we spread. I want them to tell the Tidal Empire people we killed the Emperor. We are that ruthless. I will sow seeds of fear in every Tidal citizen’s heart. This is our Church’s method!”
The followers remained doubtful. This seemed different from what you said before. Did you not say to use benevolent disguise to deceive and corrupt these fools? Why switch to terror now… Mm, the archbishop is indeed profound.
Seeing Ye Chui say this, the servants and guards fled at once. They could not be blamed for lacking loyalty. The current Emperor was too unpopular. Citizens were fine, not knowing him well. But they knew him best. They vaguely guessed the Church’s entry was his doing.
Everyone harboured buried resentment towards such an Emperor.
Ye Chui’s group and the followers soon stormed menacingly into the main hall. Some servants and guards still protected it, but none dared block. They let Ye Chui’s group enter. Via the iPad map, Ye Chui confirmed the Emperor hid in the rear of the main hall. There were the Emperor, Empress, and many consorts’ bedrooms. A door on one side of the council chamber connected to them.
Ye Chui’s group entered smoothly. Along the way, they encountered many panicked fleeing attendants and maids. Most followers beside Ye Chui had pirate backgrounds, accustomed to cruelty and killing. They tried to strike the pitiful attendants but were stopped by Ye Chui.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in attendant clothes appeared before them.
His hair was somewhat grey, face wrinkled, yet beardless, giving a feminine feel. Ye Chui instinctively thought of eunuchs, though the Tidal Empire had no such tradition. This man was simply effeminate.
Facing the menacing group, his expression remained indescribably calm. He carried a white lamp.
Ye Chui had guessed his identity. “Maze Lamp Dapra.”
“Lord Xis, what do you intend?” Dapra asked without panic.
Ye Chui replied sincerely, “Kill the Emperor.”
Dapra’s body trembled slightly. “So you are this impatient already. But I cannot allow it.” With these words, layers of smoke suddenly emerged from the white lamp he held. The smoke instantly enveloped his body.
A follower immediately used holy word attacks. They struck the smoke, which rapidly dispersed. But Dapra’s figure had vanished.
In truth, from the moment Dapra appeared, Ye Chui had sensed this Dapra was not real, merely an illusion. Upon entering the bedroom doors, they had silently entered the Maze Lamp’s illusion realm.
The eerie smoke grew denser, instantly enveloping everyone.
Ye Chui had received warnings from Zask’s trio. The moment Dapra released smoke, he summoned his companions close and cast several defence spells. But they could not stop the smoke’s spread.
“A bit troublesome. Looks like I have to try this…” Ye Chui thought of something and immediately summoned a heroic spirit. Under the wondrous holy aura from that spirit, the smoke indeed could no longer advance!
Followers who accidentally touched the mist suddenly went mad like ferocious beasts, frantically attacking those nearby. The mist confused their minds, making them see allies as enemies!
In moments, Ye Chui could only vaguely discern Green, Leisha, Celty, Guni, and the heroic spirit beside him. The other followers seemed utterly gone.
“So this is the Maze Lamp phantom beast’s power?” Sounds of followers killing each other rang constantly in his ears. Ye Chui checked the magic guide book map. White dots representing followers gradually extinguished. The map’s detection range shrank rapidly, finally limited to one or two metres around—the area illuminated by the heroic spirit’s glow.
“Now only you remain.” Dapra’s voice suddenly echoed near and far.
“President…” Green’s face suddenly darkened terribly. His eyes reddened slightly. He summoned his vibranium brick, eager to attack. “I, I seem controlled… Hurry and knock me out!”
Some smoke had invaded him.
Guni immediately eagerly (…) raised her greatsword.
“Wait!” Ye Chui suddenly stopped them. Whoosh, he cast a spell into Green’s mind.
Green, originally in pain with red, confused eyes, instantly perked up, as if no longer affected by the terrifying confusion.
“What did you do!?” Dapra’s voice asked in surprise.
Ye Chui chuckled. “Luckily, Meidu warned me just now. Looks like lowering intelligence is indeed the best counter to Maze Lamp mental confusion.”
The heroic spirit Ye Chui summoned was Goddess Aqua. Under the great “Idiot Light Wave” goddess glow, the smoke truly could not approach them…
