Time Reversal

On the other side of the Imperial Palace.

Even though it was the scorching heat of summer, the bedroom remained chilling and eerie.

Xu Tianran sat in his wheelchair, watching the fluctuations in the distant sky through the window, his face devoid of expression.

"Fast work, but unfortunately, too stupid."

He had never expected these people to succeed in the first place, so he shook his head, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of his chair.

"What did they say on that side?"

The shadow behind him hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to broach the subject.

"They said cooperation is possible, but they added a condition: once the deed is done, they must be honored as the state religion of the empire, granted support, and permitted to build churches and spread their doctrines."

"Hmph, a bunch of rats in the gutter, yet they yearn for the sunlight? Are they not afraid of being blinded by it?"

Xu Tianran's eyes turned cold; his fingers paused, gripping the armrest tightly before relaxing again.

"Promising them is fine, but first, make them show some sincerity. You may go."

"Yes."

Although he spoke with utter contempt for those disgusting creatures, he had to admit that their strength was formidable.

Once he became emperor, or even unified the Douluo Continent and became the master of the world, he would deal with them then, making them understand that the majesty of an emperor brooks no provocation.

In a clean and tidy bedroom, Xu Lanqing lay on his bed, wanting to rest, but he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He sat up abruptly, and after much thought, decided to go see that female assassin.

Enduring for a moment only led to more anger; taking a step back only led to more loss. To be assassinated for no reason and nearly lose his life—how could he possibly swallow this insult?

His Martial Soul alone couldn't explain everything. He had only awakened his Martial Soul yesterday, and today he was assassinated. Furthermore, the assassin had managed to bypass the detection Soul Tools that covered almost the entire Imperial City and evade the patrolling guards, reaching his room with pinpoint accuracy. If there wasn't an inside man selling him out, he wouldn't believe it even if he died.

If the spies of the Star Luo Empire were that capable, they would have assassinated the emperor long ago. Wouldn't that be far more effective than killing a prince?

This suggested that the mastermind behind the scenes had likely only provided the assassin with the route from outside the Imperial City to his bedchamber.

He possessed special means to extract the information he wanted from that female assassin, and even if he wanted revenge later, he needed to find the right person, didn't he?

Walking toward the dungeon under the jurisdiction of the Royal Law Enforcement Team, he saw few of the usual palace maids and attendants on the road; instead, it was filled with guards exuding a murderous aura, and many more detection Soul Tools had been deployed in the air.

Upon learning that Xu Lanqing had been assassinated, the emperor was furious and ordered a strict investigation of the Imperial City. Even in Mingdu, many spies from the other three empires had been rooted out.

The journey was silent. The person responsible for protecting Xu Lanqing had changed to the Rank Nine Soul Master, Bupo Douluo, Zheng Zhan. As a royal retainer, he had been stationed in Mingdu, and after the incident, he was transferred in to temporarily protect Xu Lanqing.

"Where is that assassin being held? I want to go in and take a look. Can you take me inside?"

Xu Lanqing looked at the two law enforcement officers on duty. Although it was a request, his tone carried an undeniable air of dominance.

"Fourth Prince, Your Highness. Bupo, Your Excellency."

The two hurriedly saluted, then exchanged glances. One of them smiled obsequiously at Xu Lanqing: "Your Highness, Your Excellency, she is in the interrogation room now. Please, follow me, I will lead the way. Old Li, you continue to keep watch; I will take His Highness and the others inside."

Although there was no official permit, Xu Lanqing's status was such that they couldn't afford to offend him. Besides, it was reasonable for a victim to come and see the results of an interrogation.

Entering the dungeon, which was constructed entirely of alloy metal, they wound through several turns before arriving at a closed iron door. Through the sealed door, one could faintly smell a strange odor.

The leading law enforcement officer took out a key, hesitated for a moment, and said to Xu Lanqing: "Your Highness, she is a tough nut to crack. We have used many methods, but we haven't been able to pry a single word out of her. The scene might be a bit unpleasant; please bear with it."

Xu Lanqing raised an eyebrow: "Open the door."

The iron door opened, and an indescribable, intense, and strange stench—a mixture of blood, rot, and filth—rushed out.

"Ugh."

Xu Lanqing covered his nose and mouth, his brows furrowed tightly. Looking at the horrific scene before him, his small face turned pale, and even Zheng Zhan, standing beside him, silently closed off his senses.

The room was brightly lit and filled with various torture instruments. In the center, sitting on a chair, was the blood-soaked assassin. There was not a shred of soul power fluctuation on her; her meridians had been shattered, and she was completely crippled.

Her body was covered in various wounds that reached the bone. Her fingernails and toenails had been pulled out, and rusted nails had been driven into the beds. Her face was no longer recognizable, and her eyes had been blinded. She was only kept alive by the drugs of the Law Enforcement Team, living a life worse than death.

Xu Lanqing felt no sympathy for her. If not for the warning from Electrolux and the premonition of his Martial Soul, he would likely have been killed by her. Was he supposed to treat her well?

He endured the discomfort, walked in, and turned to Zheng Zhan: "Elder Zheng, I would like to ask her a few questions alone. Is that possible?"

Zheng Zhan glanced at the assassin, who posed no threat, and without asking further, nodded and closed the door with a "bang."

Xu Lanqing walked up to her, but the assassin showed no reaction.

"Teacher, although she is crippled now, she was a Soul Douluo before, and her mental power is far stronger than mine. I will have to trouble you."

"No matter. It is merely a soul search."

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Xu Lanqing manifested his form and allowed Electrolux to take control of his body.

Xu Lanqing's eyes shifted from black to gray, and gray currents swirled around his body. The originally cold interrogation room became even more eerie and terrifying, yet within it lay an aura of sacred light. A gray barrier unfolded, isolating them from any outside observation.

Outside the door, Zheng Zhan's eyes narrowed, and he raised his arm to push the door open, but after a moment of thought, he decided against it.

Obscure and incomprehensible words, belonging to a world other than this one, spilled from Xu Lanqing's lips. He slowly raised his hand, and gray currents permeated the air, drilling into the female assassin's head through her seven orifices.

The female assassin seemed to sense the unease; her head swayed, and the next moment, her entire body began to tremble violently.

Necromancy, Time Regression.

It can read the memories from the deepest parts of a soul or memories from a specific period of time.

Fragmented images flashed through the Sea of Consciousness of Xu Lanqing, and under the control of Electrolux, the assassin's memories from the past few days emerged in a coherent sequence.

He saw the assassin meet a black figure, who gave her a piece of paper and a map of the Imperial City. Unfortunately, that figure was shrouded in a black cloak, making it impossible to see clearly, but they were definitely someone from within the Imperial City, and of no low status.

Who on earth could it be?

Xu Lanqing felt a headache coming on from the thought.

The memories ended there, and the room returned to normal; Xu Lanqing paid no further attention to the assassin and hurried away from this nauseating place.

"Elder Zheng, let's go."

Xu Lanqing strode away; he needed to see his Imperial Father.

"Mm."

Zheng Zhan took a deep look at the calm-faced Xu Lanqing; as expected, none of these royals were simple, and even a six-year-old child hid mists that he could not see through.