Imperial Heart Technique, Directly Invade Heaven Dou Imperial City. [First Update]

Heaven Dou Imperial City, Tianhun Imperial Palace.

The grand council hall was long and rectangular, with two rows of massive pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling and a red carpet stretching from the entrance directly to the imperial throne.

Dozens of nobles and courtiers stood on both sides, draped in magnificent cloaks with their family crests embroidered on their chests.

Marquises, counts, and viscounts were lined up on the left and right.

Upon the imperial throne sat the Heaven Dou Emperor.

His aged face was etched with deep furrows, and his clouded eyes swept across the crowd in the hall.

At this moment.

"Your Majesty. This subject has a matter to report."

A middle-aged man dressed in a plain robe stepped out and bowed; his name was Wang Hai.

He was one of the few ministers in the hall without a noble title—

Born a commoner, he had climbed his way up step by step through military merit.

Over a month ago, the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group in Heaven Dou Imperial City had been slaughtered to the last man, and their headquarters had been burned to the ground.

Such a tragic case occurring within the imperial capital had to be handled with the utmost seriousness.

The previous head of city defense had promised to solve the case within three days, but Yan Lingji and her companions had come and gone without a trace, leaving nothing to investigate.

With public opinion in the imperial capital rising, the Heaven Dou Emperor had taken charge in the face of the crisis and appointed Wang Hai to investigate the matter thoroughly.

As a man of common origin, Wang Hai had worked day and night to get to the bottom of the case, finally uncovering relevant evidence.

The Heaven Dou Emperor nodded slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

"Speak."

"Regarding the case of the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group in Heaven Dou City, this subject has been investigating for over a month.

The Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group was a mercenary organization on the surface, but in reality, they were long engaged in human trafficking.

They colluded in secret with evil soul masters across the continent, abducting civilians from border villages and towns, and sending them to unknown strongholds to be refined into evil drugs.

The number of elderly, weak, women, and children victimized is no less than ten thousand."

He paused for a moment, took a thick roll of transcripts from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands.

"The evidence is here; I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

For a moment, the entire hall fell silent.

Ten thousand people.

This Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group was truly ruthless.

Even if commoners were considered worthless, doing something like this was going a bit too far.

Which of the nobles present did not consider commoners to be mere material?

But regardless, those were materials from their own territories.

With that fellow snatching away so many, who knew if they had been poached from their own lands?

In an instant, the hall erupted in discussion.

Who didn't know about the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group?

It had long been the talk of the town, but no one dared to touch them.

Because everyone knew that the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce stood behind the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group, and the master behind the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce was Duke Xue Lingshan.

But that was only "known."

The Heaven Dou Emperor did not take the transcripts.

He glanced at the attendant beside him, who stepped forward to take them and placed them by his side, but he did not open them.

"You have investigated for a month; have you identified the mastermind behind it?"

Wang Hai gritted his teeth.

"The Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group had close dealings with the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce, and all the abducted civilians were transported via the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce.

And the person behind the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce—is Duke Xue Lingshan."

As his words fell, the hall instantly exploded.

"Absurd!"

A marquis draped in a deep blue cloak was the first to step out, pointing at Wang Hai's nose.

"Duke Xue Lingshan is a member of the imperial clan, His Majesty's own cousin!

You dare to slander the imperial family with nothing but empty words and a few scraps of paper?"

"Exactly," another count chimed in. "The Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce is a legitimate business; which shop in Heaven Dou City doesn't source its goods from them?

You want to seal them off just because you find it 'suspicious'?"

"Have you ever audited the Chamber of Commerce's accounts?"

"Do you know how much tax they pay to the Empire every year?"

"It is clearly someone jealous of the Duke's business, trying to use a borrowed knife to kill!"

"A military commander of commoner origin, daring to move against a Duke—what immense audacity!"

Seven or eight nobles crowded around, surrounding Wang Hai, their spittle flying as they shouted.

Wang Hai's face was livid, yet he could not utter a single word. He was only one man.

On the throne, the Heaven Dou Emperor watched all of this, his fingers tapping the armrest in a slow, steady rhythm.

No rush. He was waiting.

With Xue Lingshan not present, these dogs were barking quite merrily.

He tapped the armrest, calculating in his heart.

His cousin had been far too flamboyant lately; the business of the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce was growing so large that even the Martial Soul Hall had been alarmed.

Anything capable of alarming the Martial Soul Hall was undoubtedly a matter involving evil soul masters.

He was well aware of his cousin's character; what Wang Hai said was, in all likelihood, the truth.

He had long wanted to knock him down a peg, but he had never found the right opportunity.

Today, however, someone had handed him the knife.

But he could not strike with his own hands.

The art of kingship: using a borrowed knife is the most exquisite method.

Let these dogs bark for a while longer and see which way the wind blows.

After the hall had been in an uproar for half a cup of tea's time, the Heaven Dou Emperor finally spoke.

"That is enough."

His voice was not loud, but the pressure of an eight-ring Soul Douluo descended instantly, and the hall fell deathly silent.

Wang Hai remained standing, his forehead covered in sweat.

The Heaven Dou Emperor looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and said slowly, "Regarding the case of the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group, the evidence is still insufficient. We shall discuss it later."

Wang Hai's face turned several shades paler.

Discuss it later.

He had heard these four words far too often.

The last time it was "discuss it later," and the time before that, it was also "discuss it later."

Every time it was "discuss it later," it eventually ended in nothing.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

The Heaven Dou Emperor swept a glance at those few nobles and said indifferently:

"However, the accounts of the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce should indeed be audited.

Pass down the order: instruct the Imperial Court to send men to audit the books of the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce and see if there are any issues."

The nobles in the hall exchanged glances. Auditing the accounts? This was meant to warn Duke Xue Lingshan. But it was only an audit, not a seizure. Those who understood, understood.

"Your Majesty is wise." Wang Hai hurriedly knelt and kowtowed.

The Heaven Dou Emperor did not look at him again, his gaze sweeping toward the other ministers.

"Is there anything else?"

The hall was silent.

Just then—

BOOM!

The entire great hall shook violently. Dust rained down from the vaulted ceiling, the candelabras swayed, and several nobles nearly fell over.

"What is happening?!"

"An earthquake?"

"Absurd! How could there be an earthquake inside the Imperial Palace—"

RUMBLE!

Another massive roar shook the very ground.

Rapid footsteps echoed from outside the hall doors, and a palace guard covered in blood rushed in, collapsing before the throne.

"Your... Your Majesty! It is bad! Someone has attacked the Imperial Palace!"

The entire hall was in an uproar.

The Heaven Dou Emperor stood up abruptly, the pressure of an eight-ring Soul Douluo erupting with a boom.

"Who is it?!"

"I, I don't know..." the guard's voice trembled. "Someone has fought their way in from outside... the palace gates have already been cleaved open!"

The Heaven Dou Emperor's face turned livid.

The nobles in the hall descended into chaos.

"How is that possible?! Where are the palace guards?!"

"Where are the imperial guards? The forbidden army?!"

"Go report to the venerated elders! Quickly!"

Before the words had even faded—

A cold, clear female voice drifted in from outside the hall, piercing through the entire chamber.

"No need to look. We have already arrived."

BOOM!

The main doors of the hall shattered into pieces. Debris flew everywhere, striking several nearby nobles and leaving them bloodied and screaming in agony.

Amidst the dust and smoke, several figures strolled in.

The woman in the lead wore a black and red gown, her long hair tied back, her peach-blossom eyes slightly upturned, and a bloodthirsty curve playing on her lips.

Behind her followed two identical figures—the same appearance, the same attire, and the same Venom longswords.

At the very back, a figure in an ink-wash painting style dress with hair like a silver waterfall stood still; the Qiuli Sword remained sheathed, yet its sword intent had already locked onto the entire hall.

Everyone in the hall was stunned.

Yan Lingji raised her eyes, looking at the frail, aged Heaven Dou Emperor on the throne, the corners of her lips curling upward.

"Old thing, you are too old."

"This position is due for a change."

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

They all stared at Yan Lingji and the other women in disbelief.

To think someone had actually attacked the imperial city, intending to overthrow the dynasty.

And they were all women, no less.

It was utterly preposterous.

Then, a roar exploded—

"Insolence!"

Nong Yu suppresses the hall.