Free Web NovelChapter 646: Chapter 3: The Key
Su Changxing didn’t linger much and headed in the direction the guard pointed, trying to bypass other guards and reduce the risk of being discovered.
However, the closer he got to the council hall, the fewer guards there were.
"There’s still a battle going on here!"
Su Changxing sensed that the area behind the council hall was still under battle. Guards in blue robes and armor were huddled in a tower, making a last-ditch effort to resist.
He observed from a nearby building and found that the council hall was indeed empty, but entering so blatantly seemed rather conspicuous.
The best way would be to use White Feather Flashing to enter the council hall from a position where no one was watching.
But the problem was that in this world, the distance of White Feather Flashing was greatly shortened, and he probably couldn’t enter directly.
Moreover, if any flaw appeared, the surrounding guards would likely swarm him, making escape impossible.
He stood in the corner of the corridor, pondering for a while, confirming that White Feather Flashing could reach the top of the council hall, and then he could slide down from a hollow spot.
In this process, he needed to find the perfect timing, the moment when the fewest people were watching the council hall, entering from everyone’s blind spot.
This world shields perception quite heavily; his perception ability was quite good, yet things outside his field of view remained very vague, and he could not detect them from a distance.
So this plan was feasible, and it was the most reliable plan he could come up with in a short amount of time.
Such actions seemed highly risky, but in Su Changxing’s mind, he had rehearsed it countless times, with each step meticulously planned.
He thought it was quite reliable.
Su Changxing’s figure suddenly appeared above the council hall, landing softly on the rooftop without making a sound, like a feather falling gently.
Then, without pause, he slid down from a side opening, entering the council hall.
The place was a mess, with white fragments resembling tiles scattered on the ground, and dozens of corpses. At the top, a white jade throne with a red cushion stood, exuding nobility.
A woman in a white gown, with her hair tied up, hung right above the throne. Her fair, delicate skin and perfectly proportioned figure could not hide her dignity and elegance, even in death.
The Empress’ body was intact, with only a red mark on her neck being the fatal injury, as something had pierced through it, leading to her death.
Su Changxing observed and noted that the Empress’ hands were empty, without any rings or other items.
Indeed, they weren’t here.
If he were the Duke, after killing the Empress, he would have scavenged everything off her. How could he leave behind something like a ring?
Next, he looked around the council hall to ensure no rings or similar items were overlooked, casually tossing valuable things from the corpses into his Pocket Galaxy.
He also found a silver short-barreled firearm, a mysterious item.
[Rose Thorn: Upper Rank B, with strong armor-piercing effects, causing eighty percent armor penetration, effortlessly piercing through hard substances.]
"Not a bad name."
Su Changxing casually placed this silver firearm on his waist, intending to find an opportunity to test its power.
Mysterious items in this world are the same, simple in effect yet practical.
The armor-piercing effect seemed unremarkable, yet it could likely penetrate the body of a high-tier Extraordinary.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed the Empress’ eyes were open, staring diagonally downward at the throne.
"Still longing for her throne in death, huh..."
Su Changxing thought it might not be that simple. Could it be that the Empress had sensed something amiss and hid the ring in the throne?
This was just a conjecture, but it had to be verified.
Su Changxing, wrapped in the Shadow Cloak, slowly moved towards the throne. This position was visible from outside, so he had to be cautious.
Very easily, Su Changxing found a colorful square ring in the crevice of the throne’s seat.
This confirmed his speculation.
"This should be the key, consistent with the butler’s description. Truly the Empress, to be so foresighted in such times. If the Duke were to find this ring, the Princess might be captured."
He slipped the ring onto his index finger, then returned to the rooftop the same way and used White Feather Flashing to return to his previous spot.
"What was that?"
A guard organizing files suddenly sensed something, looked up in the direction of the council hall, and noticed the white feathers slowly disappearing into the air.
But after staring for a while, nothing happened.
"Something’s up! Follow me down to take a look."
The guard was decisive, immediately leading his men down the corridor to check the hall.
Su Changxing passed by them, gave them a glance, and walked away silently, quickening his pace.
He knew his time was limited, as those guards would soon detect the anomaly.
On his way back, it didn’t take long; those two guards were still lounging around the corridor, chatting away.
Su Changxing kept his head down, walking up the stairs and brushing past the two attendants, who didn’t notice anything unusual. freewebnσvel.cøm
Upon reaching the top, he saw the attendant who had left earlier returning.
The other person noticed him too.
"Where did you go just now? Weren’t you supposed to stay here? Lucky the captain didn’t find out, or we’d be in trouble again."
The attendant complained, finally showing a smile, "Do you still have a cigarette? Give me one, I’ll pay you back later."
Su Changxing lowered his head slightly, walking past, "I still have."
It was then that the attendant sensed something was off, furrowing his brows, "What’s up with your face?"
He was wary, placing his hand on the hilt of his longsword, ready to act at any moment.
"What’s up with it?"
Su Changxing took out a cigarette from his pocket, walking towards him in a natural and relaxed manner as if they were old friends.
A pitch-black light flashed in his eyes.
He used the Butcher’s Eye ability, making the other person believe in his disguise temporarily, although it was full of flaws.
In that instant, Su Changxing swung out a scythe, piercing the man’s head from below, ending his life.
"Nearly exposed, that was close."
Su Changxing broke out in a cold sweat; using Butcher’s Eye was particularly taxing on him and could plunge his spirit into chaos.
Then, he tossed the attendant’s body into Pocket Galaxy, walking boldly towards the Empress’ chamber.
He gave the impression that this was his home, overseeing everything nonchalantly and seemingly carelessly.
