Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 984 - 984 0588 The Terrifying Emperor Jianwu_1

Chapter 984: Chapter 0588: The Terrifying Emperor Jianwu_1 Chapter 984: Chapter 0588: The Terrifying Emperor Jianwu_1 Chapter 0588: The Terrifying Emperor Jianwu

Although Qi Tian was ninety percent certain that Emperor Jianwu was the strongest cultivator within Jianwu Palace, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of being wrong. Therefore, he did not seek out the individual with the highest cultivation realm. Instead, he scanned and marked on a three-dimensional map the locations of the ten strongest individuals in Jianwu Palace, including that person.

However, after analyzing the locations of these ten individuals one by one, Qi Tian dismissed them all. Without exception, none fit his expectations of Emperor Jianwu.

This was intriguing. Could it be that Emperor Jianwu was not currently in Jianwu Palace? Had the Prince gone out to play?

Qi Tian did not understand Emperor Jianwu’s character and thus could not make an accurate judgment. Yet, from deep within his heart, a vague sense of worry began to surface. For some reason, Qi Tian suddenly remembered something that had happened a few days ago.

Counting on his fingers, it was actually just the day before. Yesterday, Xiang Bo, along with him and Gao Jinmei, had gone to Wanjie Commerce to buy gifts for Zhao Ninglu. While at Wanjie Commerce, Qi Tian also took advantage of the Heavenly Dao Engine’s sensitivity to Spirit Qi to scan the branch in the Imperial Family Secret Territory. To his surprise, he discovered a spot in the very center of Wanjie Commerce where the Heavenly Dao Engine detected nothing at all. Qi Tian remained ignorant about what was in that place, for the Heavenly Dao Engine had yet to feed back any valuable information.

Qi Tian was now incredibly worried. The scene that occurred yesterday at Wanjie Commerce—could it play out again today in Jianwu Palace? Did Emperor Jianwu possess some treasure capable of blocking the Heavenly Dao Engine’s perception? If so, it would certainly not be good news for Qi Tian. On the contrary, it indicated a significant problem.

Although anxious, Qi Tian could do nothing at that moment. He felt like a small monkey that had wandered into a dangerous place, trembling with fear yet forced to wait apprehensively for fate’s decree.

Upon entering the Imperial Family Secret Territory, Qi Tian set a small goal for himself: to avoid direct contact with the royal family as much as possible. Should contact be necessary, he intended to use an intermediary. However, plans do not always keep up with changes. Not many days into his arrival in the Eastern Capital City, he faced one of the six most powerful individuals.

After walking for several minutes, the Chief Guard, Su Jinghan, brought Qi Tian to the front of a palace. The palace was splendid and opulent, identical to the Diligent Government Hall of Great Zhao Nation’s imperial palace. As they walked, Qi Tian noticed that the layout of the structures within Jianwu Palace was essentially the same as that of the Great Zhao Nation’s imperial palace, despite some minor differences. Many of the palaces were almost copies of those in Great Zhao Nation’s imperial palace. This detail showed that Emperor Jianwu still dwelled on his past days as emperor, despite hundreds of years passing by. He seemed to cling to his dream of being emperor, perhaps hoping to enjoy wealth and rule forever.

Su Jinghan paused, slightly turning to say to Qi Tian, “Master Qi, please wait here a moment. I will go in to announce your arrival.”

Qi Tian quietly asked, “Chief Guard Su, is Emperor Jianwu inside?”

Su Jinghan glared at Qi Tian and said sternly, “Master Qi, you may be capable, but one’s duty as a subject must be upheld at all times. Do not break protocol.”

Qi Tian quickly said, “I’m truly sorry, Chief Guard Su. As a naive countryman, I am unfamiliar with palace rules. If I have misspoken, kindly correct me and please forgive my ignorance.”

Su Jinghan said, “I’ll teach you one lesson. You are now a retainer of the Prince, which makes you one of His Highness’ people. In the future, when you see the Prince, you should refer to yourself as ‘your humble servant’ or ‘a commoner.’ When addressing the Prince, call him ‘Your Majesty’ or, at the very least, refer to him as ‘Prince.’ Moreover, when you meet the Prince, you must perform the full monarchical rites. Bear this in mind.”

Qi Tian nodded. He was not a person incapable of adapting, especially in a life-threatening crisis. He would make adjustments and not flaunt his pride at this juncture.

Su Jinghan left Qi Tian outside the temple while he ascended the steps and entered the Diligent Government Hall to report to Emperor Jianwu.

Through Su Jinghan, Qi Tian confirmed that Emperor Jianwu was indeed inside the Diligent Government Hall. With no one around, why would he hesitate? Once again, he activated the Heavenly Dao Engine’s Spirit Qi sensing function, covering the entire Diligent Government Hall in an attempt to scan every inch, inside and out, to find where exactly the master of Jianwu Palace was hiding and why he couldn’t be detected.

But quickly, Qi Tian had to acknowledge his failure again. The Heavenly Dao Engine still had not found a trace of Emperor Jianwu within the nearby Diligent Government Hall—as if Emperor Jianwu had simply vanished from the world.

Despite his confusion, Qi Tian was without recourse. All he could do was to keep the Heavenly Dao Engine active, continuously scanning his surroundings. Even if he couldn’t detect Emperor Jianwu, he could still be alerted to any potential danger early enough to prepare and avoid being caught off-guard.