SWDnovel Chapter 53: The Emperor's Wrath
Chapter 53: The Emperor's Wrath
Four days!
Four whole days!!
When the dusty bamboo slip was finally delivered to the depths of Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng learned that Zou Yun had disappeared.
Inside Zhangtai Palace.
The palace was deep and spacious, yet strangely dark. The pale sunlight filtering in from outside cast long, dark shadows on the cold ground.
The air was heavy and eerily quiet!
It was as if time itself had stopped in Ying Zheng's silence.
He stared intently at the bamboo slip in his hand, his fingers turning bluish-white from the force, almost crushing the bamboo slip.
On the bamboo slips, Zou Yun's handwriting is clearly imprinted.
"Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night and deduced that the large number of people involved would hinder the search for the Mandate of Heaven. Therefore, I will only travel lightly with Chief Guard Meng to Yunzhong."
With just one glance, Ying Zheng could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.
The next sentence was like a red-hot branding iron, searing his eyes.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry or fret!"
"Don't worry...?"
Ying Zheng's lips barely moved; his voice was as deep and resonant as molten lava, rolling through the empty hall.
"Don't think about it...?"
He remained expressionless, repeating those words in a low voice.
Even from the moment Zou Yun left Xianyang, Ying Zheng had privately considered the possibility of such a scenario.
But... it was too fast, so fast that he was caught off guard.
next second!
“Pah!”
Ying Zheng swung his arm down suddenly, slamming the rolled-up bamboo slips heavily onto the imperial desk. The force was so great that the objects on the desk scattered all over the floor.
But this is just the beginning.
"Bang—Smash!!!"
The anger that had been building up in Ying Zheng's heart was like molten lava, which could no longer be contained!
He suddenly sprang up from the throne and kicked the edge of the imperial desk hard.
With a chilling sound, the entire wooden table was kicked away and rolled down the steps like a kite with a broken string.
The wooden slips piled up on the table scattered and flew everywhere, crashing and clattering.
Precious bamboo slips and silk scrolls were scattered all over the ground, with ink flowing and meandering, turning the once solemn and majestic hall into a mess in an instant.
"Zhao Gao..."
A low growl burst from the depths of Ying Zheng's throat, sounding less like a human voice and more like that of a wounded wild beast.
His chest heaved violently, and beneath his wide, dark dragon robe, his muscles bulged and taut.
how many years?
How many years has it been since he's been this angry?
This anger was not only directed at Zou Yun's disappearance, but also at the feeling of being out of control. Ironically, this feeling of being out of control made him even more furious than any provocation.
"thump!"
Zhao Gao, who was standing below the steps, had already turned pale the moment the bamboo slips were struck.
Upon hearing this, he felt as if he had been struck on the knee by a heavy hammer, and immediately knelt down on the ground.
He pressed his forehead firmly against the ground, not daring to even lift a single glance from the corner of his eye to spy on the supreme being of the world at this moment.
"Were all three groups you sent blind?!"
Ying Zheng's voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder, causing the palace to vibrate and hum, "You can't even see this group of people?!?"
Every word carried a chilling killing intent, slamming heavily onto Zhao Gao's back, causing him to kneel even deeper.
"Zhao Gao...you have disappointed me greatly!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
Any explanation now would only add fuel to the fire. He dared not argue that the Grand Master was no ordinary person, but possessed supernatural powers.
Zhao Gao could only speak in the most humble manner.
"Upon learning of this news, I immediately dispatched more than ten elite units, working day and night to reach Yunzhong..."
His voice trembled uncontrollably as he struggled to convey his remedial measures.
"not enough!!!"
Ying Zheng's roar instantly drowned out Zhao Gao's weak defense.
"Send three thousand men to find the Grand Master!"
"Three thousand people aren't enough... so let's have thirty thousand...!! Thirty thousand isn't enough... so let's have three hundred thousand!!!!"
Ying Zheng's voice was resolute, even carrying a hint of desperate madness.
Immediately, he waved his arm into the void, and his wide, black dragon robe swayed as if to turn the world upside down.
"Even if it means turning the sky upside down and the earth overturned, I will find him!!!"
"...Yes...Yes!"
Zhao Gao responded tremblingly, while Ying Zheng suddenly fell silent.
quiet!
In an instant, the hall fell into an eerie silence!
It's even worse than before.
All that could be heard was the sound of Ying Zheng's chest expanding and contracting violently in his rage.
The sound was like a terrifying monster, coiled above the hall, ready to unleash its fury upon the world.
The broken desks, scattered bamboo slips, and winding ink marks... all became a shocking backdrop to this frozen scene.
Zhao Gao knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound, as if he were a lifeless decoration.
And so it went on for a long, long time...
Time flowed slowly in silence, each breath feeling like years.
The murderous intent permeating the hall did not dissipate; instead, it simmered in the silence, becoming even thicker and heavier.
"Zhao Gao..."
Finally, Ying Zheng's voice rang out again.
This time, the raging fury contained in that voice seemed to be forcibly suppressed back into the abyss.
Ying Zheng's face regained its composure, but beneath that composure lay a chilling coldness more terrifying than a raging storm.
"Go and announce to the whole country that Meng Yi, the Imperial Physician, has been demoted to Marquis within the Passes due to dereliction of duty!"
The cold, emotionless decree made Meng Yi the first victim caught in the storm.
Following this, the pursuit efforts were once again intensified exponentially.
"In addition to the additional men you previously dispatched, send another twenty Tiger Warrior units to Yunzhong County!"
"Then, immediately bring Master Shi here to me."
"only!"
Zhao Gao was granted a general amnesty.
He dared not delay, immediately got up, and almost instantly ran out of the hall.
-----------------
Meanwhile, inside the Immortal Temple.
Unaware of the situation, Master Shi was comfortably sitting cross-legged on a futon in the quiet room.
The room was filled with the gentle fragrance of incense, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
He slowly took out a tortoise shell from the wooden box, then picked up a small brazier that was warming nearby, preparing to divine his recent fortune.
Since those two damned guys escaped, the newly promoted Grand Master Zou Yun left Xianyang, and several other Grand Masters were busy in other places with their own methods of achieving immortality.
Now, only Master Shi remains in charge of the entire Immortal Temple.
During this period, Master Shi was living a very comfortable life.
That's why he was unusually interested today, wanting to see how long this good fortune could last.
Shi Gong carefully placed the tortoise shell on the charcoal fire to roast it, and attentively observed the subtle changes in the shell under the heat of the flames.
"Crack!"
The cracking sound of the hexagram being formed came.
With satisfaction, Shi Gong used copper tongs to remove the tortoise shell from the brazier, placed it in front of him, and prepared to decipher the intricate secrets of heaven on it.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
"Bang--!!!"
With a loud bang, the wooden door to his quiet room was kicked open by an external force.
Several guards clad in black armor, exuding a chilling aura, filed in, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere inside.
"His Majesty summons the Grand Master to the palace immediately, without delay!"
"Master Shi, please follow us immediately!"
Seeing this, several armored soldiers said "please".
But the hand on the sword hilt and the ever-approaching encirclement conveyed a strong sense of urgency.
"Bitter." 』
Shi Gong sighed inwardly, but his expression grew increasingly calm as he slowly put down the tortoise shell in his hand.
This saves him the trouble of deciphering it.