Free Web NovelChapter 371: Chapter 285: Fighting the Shepherd King, the Insect Eggs Hatch
The remaining Bloodline Crystals were most likely in the hands of the King of Mu Country. If Su Ze wanted to complete the Divine Grace of Evolution, his only option was to go find the King.
However, he didn’t act rashly. He continued to flip through the last few pages of Zhao Yuanyi’s diary.
The later pages revealed that Zhao Yuanyi had also become suspicious of the King, guessing that the Bloodline Crystal extracted from Zhao Lingxiao’s body must have fallen into the King’s hands.
Furthermore, his investigation into the Pan Shi Prison warden’s death also led to clues that pointed to the King.
Zhao Yuanyi sensed something was wrong with the King and secretly searched for information. He ended up discovering many anomalies. Various details indicated that the King of his youth and the King of today were like two different people.
He went to his teacher, Qu Jianbai, and told him about some of his discoveries and theories.
Qu Jianbai was skeptical but said he would pass Zhao Yuanyi’s findings on to the Saint Envoy of Mu Country. After all, he and the King had always been at odds, so he wouldn’t miss an opportunity to sling mud at him.
But after Qu Jianbai returned from his meeting with the Saint Envoy of Mu Country, he avoided the topic entirely. He only told Zhao Yuanyi that there was nothing wrong with the King and became much colder toward him.
Zhao Yuanyi instinctively felt something was wrong. Gripped by a strong sense of danger, he left the notebook behind as a contingency.
Even back then, he had already foreseen his own fate.
One could say he left this notebook specifically for Su Ze. Knowing the properties of the Bloodline Crystal, he had anticipated that Su Ze would one day return to Mu Country.
The end of the journal contained a message from Zhao Yuanyi to Su Ze:
"I know you might hate me, just as I hate you. But regardless, after my death, you are the last remaining bloodline of the Zhao Family. If you aren’t completely sure of yourself, just leave. Don’t provoke the King. He is far more dangerous than you can imagine! Also, be careful of the Saint Envoy of Mu Country!"
Su Ze closed the notebook and tucked it into his Storage Ring. He picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip. It was a little bitter. He added a sugar cube, but it was still bitter.
’Zhao Yuanyi’s theory lines up perfectly with mine and Chen Suifeng’s. It looks like both the Saint Envoy of Mu Country and the King are compromised—possessed by aliens.’
’Qu Jianbai was most likely threatened or under someone’s control. Visiting him would be pointless and might even alert the enemy.’
’In that case... I’ll just go straight for the King!’
’Coincidentally, Chen Suifeng’s arrival has all of Mu Country’s top powerhouses going to greet him. It’s as if Suifeng is tying up the Saint Envoy and all the other powerhouses by himself, allowing me to focus on the King.’
’It’s only been two or three hours since we entered Qinggu City. The Shadow Fruit’s effect will last for a long time yet—more than enough time to deal with the King.’
"Let’s go." Su Ze stood up and said to Mr. Ya, "I’ll give you a tour of the Muguo Imperial Palace."
...
The Muguo Imperial Palace had a history of over four hundred years. After continuous renovations and expansions by generations of kings, it remained as magnificent as ever.
Su Ze and Mr. Ya had both consumed a Shadow Fruit. Combined with Mr. Ya’s superb stealth abilities, they moved through the imperial palace as if it were their own home, wandering about freely. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Of course, they weren’t just wandering aimlessly; they were familiarizing themselves with the layout.
Zhao Lingxiao had visited the palace a few times in the past, but he wasn’t particularly familiar with its interior. As for the King’s personal chambers, he had never been there once.
Entering the palace courtyard, the first thing they saw was a vast, green lawn dotted with ancient trees of various shapes. Bodhi trees and other flora common to Mu Country were planted around the perimeter of the lawn. The palace’s pagoda-style spires pierced the clouds, and its fish-scale-like glass tiles glittered magnificently in the sunlight.
Their destination lay further ahead. After passing through the palace’s second main gate, a majestic and beautiful three-story building came into view. This was Muye Hall, where the King typically met with his ministers.
The King’s personal residence, Muyun Palace, was to the east of Muye Hall.
For the past decade or so, the King had been reclusive, spending most of his time inside Muyun Palace.
Su Ze and Mr. Ya circled Muyun Palace. It seemed the King preferred peace and quiet; there were only two or three maids and guards inside.
Two guards stood watch at the entrance to Muyun Palace. Without the King’s summons, no one could even get through the door.
Su Ze’s Perception Tentacles probed inside Muyun Palace. He saw the King sitting alone at a long table within his chambers, a newspaper laid out before him and a cup of hot tea at his side.
Su Ze and Mr. Ya exchanged a look. ’The two guards at the door are merely at the Cocoon Stage, and the few maids inside Muyun Palace have no combat ability whatsoever. If we move on the King now, this would be the perfect opportunity.’
’The two of us only need to deal with the King, a powerhouse-level expert. The others are no threat to us.’
’But the question is, is the King just an ordinary powerhouse?’
Su Ze didn’t hesitate. He had come this far; there was no turning back. He had to press on.
...
The King picked up his cup, blew gently on the scalding tea, and took a small sip. The fragrance of the tea filled his mouth.
He closed his eyes in satisfaction and put down the newspaper—it was today’s edition of the Lin Hua Daily. The bold, black headline on the front page was striking: CRISIS! NATIONAL BORDERS SUFFER FREQUENT ATTACKS FROM ABERRANT BEASTS!
After a couple of seconds, the King, his eyes still closed, suddenly spoke. "You’re here."
His tone was that of someone greeting an old friend who often dropped by for a visit.
Su Ze, who had just stepped into the chambers, immediately froze, keeping as much distance from the King as possible.
The King slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Su Ze, not at all surprised by his arrival. "I thought it would take you at least a few years to find your way here," he said. "I didn’t expect... you’ve grown faster than I imagined."
