Your Lord Has A Screw Loose?
Chapter 671 - 673: The Right Way to Gather Intelligence

Chapter 671 -673: The Right Way to Gather Intelligence

[The update code is garbled, it will be restored by 3:50, if it cannot be restored, press and hold the chapter in the catalog to re-download]

…

‘Once the Rebel Army overthrows the Emperor Qian and seizes the Imperial City, I will have you flayed and sliced a thousand times!’ She Xi was itching with hatred inside, but the problem was that he had to endure for now.

“Your Majesty has already reviewed the memorial to the throne, please enter to see the Emperor,” the eunuch said, opening the door with a very calm tone.

“To answer elder’s question, the specific details were not mentioned by the eunuch, but many officials in the court have been summoned,” the Snake-man replied.

“How are the preparations for the ritual sacrifice?” She Xi still resembled a Snake-man, only now he was wearing a set of exotic garments, evidently for this particular sacrifice.

“As to where the other 9th-ranks are, further investigation is necessary, but there’s a high probability they might be sealed?”

“Activate the Magic Network protection, prepare for memory extraction, prioritize the term ‘Snake Father’ as the keyword aside from the ritual sacrifice.” Several Spirit Monsters emerged from the shadows and immediately began extracting memories from the guards and the altar.

“It can be confirmed that the power within the Snake-men comes from an entity behind the communication transmission channel, granted by the Snake Father, not evolved from within themselves.”

“Elder, an Imperial Decree has arrived from the palace, summoning you to discuss matters,” a Snake-man said urgently after entering.

“Similar to a communication transmission channel, no coordinates have been found yet, but from the existing data, it appears not to be from outside this world. The being called Snake Father is likely within a certain area of this world, presumably sealed.”

“No? Other Alien Clans don’t have a similar communication transmission channel, which could explain why the Snake People have a higher status.”

“Strange, I feel something is off, but let’s clean up the altar just in case.” Although he sensed something wrong with himself, because there was no tangible feeling, he considered it a delusion.

“The Snake People can still contact the entity behind them, but other Alien Clans cannot, so where do the other Alien Clans’ 8th-ranks come from?”

“Data collection complete, prepare for withdrawal, remember to cover our tracks to avoid leaving any clues.” The Spirit Monsters decisively left the secretive altar of the Snake-man Clan after obtaining what they needed.

“Activation requires the corresponding secret key, which is the so-called sacrificial ritual; this suggests that the Snake People’s civilization might have been highly advanced but fell into decline for unknown reasons.”

“Further investigation is necessary, and if there are no issues, then the Snake Father is likely one of the 9th-ranks of this world.”

“Everything is ready, only waiting for you, Elder, to communicate with the Snake Father,” a Snake-man handed over a ceremonial instrument.

“From this, it can be seen that there may also be similar existences behind the other Alien Clans.”

“Is it possible these are remnants from before they lost contact?”

“What is Emperor Qian up to now?” She Xi looked troubled, thinking he must go; if he missed the timing of the sacrifice, he could only wait for the next one.

“Stay alert to prevent the enemy from returning, and be ready to withdraw at any moment.”

This whole Rebel Army affair had already been enough of a headache, and this ritual sacrifice was for that cause; but if any problems arose at the rear and allowed Emperor Qian to turn the tables, that would be the real issue.

After all, their plan had not yet completely succeeded and was still in progress; better safe than sorry.

To not go would certainly pose a problem, and if it were a summons for him alone, it could very well be targeted at him; but with so many being summoned, something else might be afoot. If he didn’t go, what if he was trapped again?

His body and thoughts came to a halt in an instant.

The other party was the Emperor, with the leeway to act shamelessly, something he and his companions did not have the privilege of doing.

After exchanging glances and non-verbal communication with the others, they reminded each other that not only must they not let Emperor Qian get his way, but they also must be careful with their acting, lest they give away any flaws.

After taking off the ceremonial instrument and sacrificial garments he said, “Arrange the carriage, I shall go to the palace to see the Emperor.”

The response was naturally swift.

It was more importantly difficult to explain, for they now looked like people in their eighties; getting hit didn’t really affect them, but an eighty-something-year-old being beaten out of the Imperial Palace and still lively would look suspicious to anyone observant.

Two hours had passed by quickly when a eunuch finally emerged.

In a rush, he put on his human skin disguise and left the sacrificial site, not worried about being deceived; after all, who would issue a fake Imperial Decree without reason?

The Spirit Monsters were clear in their division of labor and quickly began collecting data from various aspects.

The Spirit Monsters were not haughty or overly proud; they were practical. A 9th rank world having only one 9th rank was an impossibility even a fool could discern.

However, dimness has to be considered in the context. Outside the Imperial Palace, he could already use some of his Power, but within, it was still lethally restrictive, leaving him in a dilemma, unable to move forward or retreat.

Such a high-end communication channel was definitely not something an ordinary civilization could achieve. However, they were certain that neither the Snake-man nor other Alien Clans like those with human faces and rat bodies had a high degree of civilization. Without relying on some unknown Power for overwhelming strength and external support, it would be unlikely for them to have climbed to such a status.

If he hadn’t been fooled, a group of elderly ordinary people standing outside for an hour or two before entering to discuss affairs would not have had any energy left to fight back.

If this were true, then there would be a major problem. It meant that the other 9th ranks were killed by this one, which implied that if a 9th rank world had only one 9th rank, that one would be invincible.

She Xi did want to speak up, but the Emperor Qian was acting with impunity. He was afraid of being expelled from the Imperial Palace. This situation could potentially be used to his advantage, perhaps to carry out covert operations under the guise of recuperating. Still, there were disadvantages, too, without him at Court to restrain Emperor Qian, who knew what might happen.

She Xi and a group of people waited outside the Imperial Study Room. It seemed that Emperor Qian was deliberately making them wait, but the longer this went on, the more certain She Xi became that there was definitely some significant planning afoot.

Just as She Xi was about to begin the ritual to seek support from the snake father after receiving the ritual vessels, an urgent voice came from outside.

Even now, he suspected that Emperor Qian had a two-pronged plan: intimidate him into taking action and use it as a pretext to kick him out of Court, or more sinisterly, to kill him outright, as the Emperor was unaware of their true condition and assumed they were ordinary people.

Thus, all the Alien Clans present were in a difficult position. They had considered communicating, but when someone spoke up, they were driven out of the Imperial Palace by the guards on the pretext of causing a loud disturbance.

So if the other party resorted to shamelessness, they really had no way to counter.

He did want to go in, but the problem was that he was now inside the Imperial Palace, not only surrounded by the Emperor’s people but also in a place where the nation’s fortunes were most intense, even if said fortunes had waned due to the chaos afflicting half of the kingdom.

Small grievances must be endured to secure the grand strategy!

In the Magic Network, continuous discussions gave rise to various controversies and plans; resolving disputes essentially led to solutions.

A professional Spirit Monster who analyzed the sacrificial altar had arrived at a conclusion.

Record after record was uploaded to the Magic Network, and think tanks and command centers, upon obtaining this information, rapidly carried out investigations on other Alien Clans.

Therefore, their privileged lifestyle was not so much for enjoyment as it was to conceal themselves.

After this, the immobilized Snake-man also returned to normal, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes as he seemed to have paused momentarily.

After She Xi had departed, the Snake-man in charge of guarding the altar had no choice but to pack up the ritual he had prepared, but just as he was about to act, he suddenly felt an inexplicable stiffness in his body.

With a wary expression, he ceased his movements and coiled up, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

This was unacceptable for She Xi and the others; being in high positions, they had their pride to consider, and to be expelled would mean losing all their dignity.

At this point, they had no choice but to go, for what else could they do?

This caused She Xi to frown, “What’s going on? Several people were taken?”

She Xi felt a sense of relief. The other party’s actions confirmed his suspicions. Yet the battlefield ahead was what truly mattered, as he pondered what kind of Power Emperor Qian could be seeking to cause such upheaval.

But as time passed, his unease grew; the intimidation seemed to be lasting quite long.

As for the Rebel Army, they could deal with it next time since the Court was currently incapable of suppressing it.

There was certainly no leaving now, as they had already been ordered to wait by an Imperial Decree.