"Rise."
Looking down at Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao, Zhu Wushi spoke slowly, his voice heavy with authority.
"Thank you, foster father."
The two rose, but their expressions remained grim.
Noticing something amiss in their expressions, Zhu Wushi narrowed his eyes and asked, "Did the mission fail?"
The two exchanged a glance. In the end, the more talkative Duan Tianya shouldered the entire burden.
He stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Zhao Jingzhong killed Li Zhong. Then West Depot Governor Yu Huatian suddenly intervened. Both Zhao Jingzhong and Liu Xi died at his hands."
"Yu Huatian?"
Zhu Wushi frowned as a handsome figure with an extraordinary bearing suddenly surfaced in his mind.
His impression of Yu Huatian was still rooted in the occasion when the emperor had established the West Depot and appointed Yu Huatian as its governor.
Yet for nearly half a year, the West Depot had kept a very low profile.
And its governor, Yu Huatian, seemed to be having an affair with the emperor's favorite, Consort Wan, entering the palace every few days.
Thus, nearly six months after its establishment, the West Depot had yet to achieve anything significant. Yu Huatian had, however, recruited some martial experts from who knew where, considerably strengthening the West Depot.
But why had Yu Huatian suddenly interfered in the East Depot's affairs?
"What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."
Zhu Wushi looked at Duan Tianya and spoke in a grave voice.
"Yes."
Duan Tianya dared conceal nothing. He immediately recounted everything he had seen and heard that night, along with the information uncovered by the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa's covert agents, to Zhu Wushi.
After listening, Zhu Wushi knitted his brows tightly and said slowly, "So the infighting within the East Depot was entirely orchestrated by Yu Huatian?"
"Not quite."
Duan Tianya shook his head. "Wan Yulou's death at Zhao Huaian's hands was entirely unexpected. Zhao Jingzhong and Liu Xi had long coveted the position of East Depot governor. Yu Huatian merely exploited that, letting them fight each other before stepping in to clean up the aftermath, eliminating both Zhao Jingzhong and Liu Xi in one stroke."
Hearing this, Zhu Wushi narrowed his eyes slightly. "It seems I underestimated this West Depot governor..."
Half a year ago, the officials had petitioned the emperor to disband the East Depot. After investigating, the emperor had also felt that the East Depot had grown too powerful, so he established the West Depot to keep it in check.
But over those six months, the West Depot had kept a low profile and achieved nothing of note.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the East Depot remained as powerful as ever. The West Depot alone was unlikely to keep it in check.
Zhu Wushi had thought the same.
Thus, he had planted a covert agent in the East Depot-its second-ranking chief, Liu Xi-hoping that one day he could bring the East Depot under his control.
He had been the one to teach Liu Xi the Energy-Absorbing Great Method. To prevent Liu Xi from turning against him in the future, however, he had taught him only an incomplete version.
Yet the Energy-Absorbing Great Method was so formidable that even with an incomplete version, Liu Xi had broken through to the Grandmaster realm in just half a year.
When news of Wan Yulou's death arrived a few days earlier, Zhu Wushi immediately realized that his opportunity had come.
He intended to seize this chance to install Liu Xi as the East Depot governor, and had begun laying his plans.
He had never expected Yu Huatian to force his way into the affair, ruining his plans and even getting Liu Xi killed.
Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao had arrived one step too late!
Such was timing. Such was fate...
Zhu Wushi sighed inwardly and shook his head, putting the matter aside for the moment.
It was only Liu Xi. If he was dead, so be it.
One covert agent was gone, but there were other ways. He was Zhu Wushi-how could such a trifling setback bring him down?
"But what does Yu Huatian want by forcing his way into this?"
Zhu Wushi frowned. "Even if everyone qualified to succeed as East Depot governor is dead, would the emperor really let him control the East Depot as well?"
Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao said nothing. They did not know what Yu Huatian intended either.
But recalling Yu Huatian's arrogant demeanor before leaving, Duan Tianya felt anger surge within him. Unable to hold back, he repeated Yu Huatian's words to Zhu Wushi verbatim.
Zhu Wushi's gaze turned cold.
"He doesn't even take me seriously?"
"A mere eunuch-where does he find the nerve?!"
Zhu Wushi spoke coldly.
Duan Tianya gritted his teeth. "Foster father, this man is arrogant, overbearing, and consumed by ambition. If he isn't reined in, given time, he may become another Wei Zhongxian or Wan Yulou. Who knows how many innocent officials will die at his hands then!"
Zhu Wushi looked at the furious Duan Tianya and narrowed his eyes. "Tianya, your composure has been shaken."
Duan Tianya froze, then forced himself to calm down and cupped his hands. "Foster father, Yu Huatian truly went too far. He doesn't even take you seriously. Yidao and I nearly failed to make it back tonight."
He dared not admit that Yu Huatian's final look, brimming with dominance and murderous intent, had cast a shadow over him.
He had never seen such an all-encompassing will to dominate the world coexist with bone-chilling murderous intent in anyone's eyes.
He had a premonition that if Yu Huatian did not die, he would one day become a ruthless overlord who plunged the world into chaos-just like Wei Zhongxian, the "Nine-Thousand-Year Lord" whose influence had been unrivaled ten years ago!
Zhu Wushi gave him a long look and said evenly, "With the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa here, Yu Huatian alone cannot stir up any great waves."
"With unrest in the East Depot, the court likely won't remain peaceful. Tomorrow, I will enter the palace for an audience with His Majesty and discuss this matter."
"As for Yu Huatian, so long as he does nothing to endanger Ming, leave him alone for now. If an opportunity arises in the future, I will advise His Majesty to disband the West Depot."
"For Ming, the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa alone is enough!"
Duan Tianya paused, then nodded. "Yes, foster father."
Zhu Wushi withdrew his gaze and turned toward the pitch-black night sky outside, his chest rising and falling slightly.
Soon!
Su Xin, wait for me. Once I become emperor, I will spare no effort in finding the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom so you can awaken...
Although the large-scale fighting at the East Depot the previous night had taken place within its grounds, it had still caused quite a commotion.
Almost everyone who paid attention to the East Depot knew that turmoil had erupted there.
Meanwhile, someone had also leaked news of Wan Yulou's death at the Longjiang Naval Shipyard.
The East Depot had always been arrogant and overbearing, abusing its authority to slaughter the innocent. The officials hated it to their bones. Now that they knew what had happened, how could they miss this opportunity to suppress it?
At that day's court assembly, officials immediately reported the matter to the emperor. Some even petitioned him to disband the East Depot.
Upon learning of it, the emperor flew into a rage and immediately ordered a thorough investigation, ignoring the officials' proposal to disband the East Depot.
The East Depot had been established for so many years. How could it be disbanded so easily?
Besides, although the East Depot was arrogant and overbearing toward outsiders and abused its authority to run amok, it remained deeply loyal to the emperor.
If he disbanded it, where would he find another blade so handy?
Thus, in just half an hour, intelligence on the East Depot's activities over the past few days lay on the desk before the emperor.
Upon learning that the West Depot had also been involved, the emperor immediately ordered West Depot Governor Yu Huatian to enter the palace for an audience.
The West Depot Governor's Residence.
Yu Huatian sat quietly in his cultivation chamber, shrouded in a layer of icy-white True Qi that flickered between brightness and dimness. His aura likewise fluctuated between strength and weakness.
After an unknown length of time, Yu Huatian slowly opened his eyes, two sharp gleams flashing in their depths.
I've broken through!
"System, open the status panel!"
"Ding!"
Host: Yu Huatian Realm: Late Grandmaster Martial arts: Boy Skill (perfection), Sunflower Manual (perfection) Plundered fate: 6588
Looking at the status panel displayed on the system interface, Yu Huatian let out a long breath.
Nearly two-thirds of his original Boy Skill internal energy had now been converted into Sunflower True Energy.
It seemed his earlier assessment had been correct. Once all his internal energy had been converted, he should be able to reach Peak Grandmaster.
As for becoming a Great Grandmaster, that was most likely impossible.
The Sunflower Manual's limit was Peak Grandmaster. To become a Great Grandmaster, one had to forge one's own martial path, or gain insights from another's cultivation method and advance beyond it. Only then would one qualify as a Great Grandmaster.
This realm was not so easy to break through to. Otherwise, the man at the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa would not have remained stuck at Peak Grandmaster for so many years, unable to advance.
"I don't have enough fate for a draw, either..."
Looking at his mere six thousand or so points of plundered fate, Yu Huatian shook his head helplessly.
Fate truly was not so easy to obtain.
Killing Liu Xi the previous night had earned him only a little over three thousand points, and he had to kill someone personally to plunder their fate.
Otherwise, if Zhao Jingzhong and his sister, along with the two Innate experts under Liu Xi, had been counted, he should have gained more than this.
But at the time, he had been occupied with Liu Xi and could not be in two places at once. Without Ding Xiu and the others helping, he could not have dealt with so many experts alone.
"It seems I'll have to think of a way in the future. As much as possible, I should leave the key figures for myself to kill..."
Yu Huatian pondered inwardly.
A moment later, he closed the system and left the chamber, coming face-to-face with an anxious Tan Luzi.
"Governor!"
Yu Huatian frowned. "What has you so flustered?"
Tan Luzi said anxiously, "Someone has come from the palace. His Majesty summons you."
Yu Huatian paused. He had already intended to enter the palace for an audience that day, but under Ming law, eunuchs were forbidden from participating in government affairs.
Thus, he had planned to wait until the court assembly ended before seeking an audience. He had not expected the emperor to send someone to summon him personally.
Worry filled Tan Luzi's eyes as he continued, "Governor, word from the palace says His Majesty has learned about last night's events at the East Depot. Someone has also leaked news of Wan Yulou's death. His Majesty may be summoning you to call you to account."
"I have my own plans. It's fine. Let's go."
With that, Yu Huatian headed straight outside, his expression perfectly calm.
What was coming would come. He had intended to report the East Depot's affairs that day anyway. The man in the palace had merely learned of them ahead of time; it changed nothing.
Everything remained under his control.
--
Books say that if you weren't born into wealth, all success comes from the effort you put in later.
So let's rest today and tomorrow, then put in the effort the day after tomorrow.
Please vote with your recommendation tickets! Please keep reading, everyone-don't leave the book sitting while you wait for chapters to pile up!
(End of chapter)
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