Song Wuya's heart gave a violent shudder. An indescribable chill rose from the soles of his feet and shot straight to the crown of his head.
He had served the Emperor for many years and knew His Majesty's temperament well. Such heartfelt words at a time like this were anything but ordinary.
He lowered his head, not daring to respond. He merely bent his waist even farther, listening respectfully.
The Emperor raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the roof of the imperial study and reach toward the vast, boundless starry sky.
"This throne, this Dragon Throne—it appears to be the supreme seat under heaven, commanding all beneath the skies, holding the power of life and death. But who knows what price the one sitting upon it must pay?"
The Emperor's tone carried weariness and bitterness.
"Enough. On a whim, I said a few extra words to an old thing like you."
The Emperor waved his hand, drawing back the emotions he had revealed moments ago. His expression returned to its usual inscrutable depth.
"How goes the investigation into the World-Cleansing Evil Cult?"
At the Emperor's question—
Song Wuya's heart tightened.
He immediately reported, "Your Majesty, the Imperial City Department has uncovered a few traces. The men we dispatched have also destroyed several World-Cleansing Evil Cult branch altars near the capital and apprehended some low-ranking cultists."
"However, those branch altars were little more than empty shells. Their core members had already scattered at the first hint of trouble, and most of what we seized were merely things used to beguile the masses, with little practical value."
"More troubling still, wherever we investigate the World-Cleansing Evil Cult, we meet with obstruction. It is as though an invisible hand is erasing every trace."
"From these signs, this old servant suspects