Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1411 - 19: An Emperor’s Machinations

Liu Zhongwu looked at the new couplet, momentarily at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

The whole setup must be from a simple-minded character, yet their thought process was straightforward and concise. On the surface, the couplet serves as minor concealment, but what it secretly points to should naturally be higher than scholars. Higher than the nation’s pillars are the palace figures, and the praise of scholars’ vast divine skills is actually a veiled critique of those in power stirring up war. Unfortunately, such low-grade, clichéd conspiracy theories have been seen countless times on the street stalls. Bringing this out during a grand festival, it’s most likely from some clueless "hermit," using their meager Impermanence Skill for cheap notoriety.

"Is this it!" Liu Zhongwu laughed, "Using the old, worn-out tone, the Crown Prince might see it and burn with anger, hastily wanting to settle accounts with someone..."

His voice gradually trailed off as Yan Qi continued to stare at the new couplet, his typically dauntless face now shadowed with a gloomy look.

Situ Yi hurriedly asked, "What troubles you, Yan Qi?"

"Two idiots!" Yan Qi’s voice was deep with anger, "Covered it with a lantern riddle’s skin, and you can’t see through appearances? One surface and one hidden, one in and one out, this is an old, repetitive trick. It’s the basic ’maze’!"

Liu Zhongwu exclaimed with a start, suddenly understanding. Mazes are one of the common memes in various mythologies, often heroes in myths encounter mazes they can’t escape from, inexplicable maze formations, and rely on others or mystical tools to find their way out. The characteristics of the maze, as Yan Qi said, can be two layers of surface and internal, or entering and exiting the same way. The person who arranged it used a lantern riddle as a "maze barrier," structuring the entry and exit conditions with terrain, seamlessly completing a Skill...

"The maze Skill is used to ’protect’ or ’conceal’ something, and upon exiting the maze, we are bound to find something." Liu Zhongwu struggled to keep up with the idea, "But we found nothing..."

"Because that thing was taken by Chi Zijing!" Yan Qi smacked the back of his head hard, "Enough with the damn nonsense, hurry up and calculate! Calculate now!"

"What’s your attitude..."

Rarely seen anxious, Yan Qi was, and Liu Zhongwu harbored a belly full of resentment, thinking how this usually unruly guy suddenly took such concern in royal matters today? Are you turning loyal and want me to help, what’s it all about?

But harboring complaints didn’t impede his hands from moving, he’s always known to separate primary from secondary matters. He scattered eight talismans to anchor the eight directions, intertwining gold and gray lines into hexagrams, and in a blink, the feng shui Compass calculating fate’s mysteries appeared beneath Liu Zhongwu’s feet. Situ Yi flicked out a paper figure from his sleeve, retracing Chi Zijing’s earlier path within the Compass, Liu Zhongwu gestured, chanting: "Power of the four directions, borrowing the laws of heaven and earth. Trace set, true track revealed!"

The golden gray lines in the Compass leapt at the command, weaving into an abstract faceless human face. The mouth of the faceless figure did not move, yet a trace of sound squeezed out from between the lips:

"Before mid-March, west of the Abinos Mountains. Intensity controlled below five hundred people, your side to attack proactively."

"Around the 13th of this month, a new batch of armor will take the secret route on the Northern Wasteland Prairie. Act upon opportunity."

"The biological modification technology has excellent potential. Please delve into it, and choose to experiment in war next month."

...

"Near year’s end, intensity declines, please find ways to boost the army’s morale. Remember, do not cease warfare."

Liu Zhongwu stared blankly, those sounds entering and exiting his ears, hollow like a gust of wind, leaving only confusion swirling in his brain.

What is this saying? A chaotic mess. It seems to discuss warfare. The voice also sounds familiar... can’t figure it out. This gesture also feels familiar... seems like the Crown Prince used it... indeed, it’s the Red Emperor martial arts’ secret transmission technique...

He suddenly remembered, it was the Emperor’s voice.

It was Emperor Chong Xiao’s voice.

Then, his once rigid brain resumed functioning, shock and fear flooded his heart like an avalanche. He understood. He fully understood. The surrounding bright lights seemed like nightmare illusions, his friends beside him turned ashen, acting instinctively before conscious thought, Liu Zhongwu frantically lunged forward, to tear apart the ceaselessly babbling faceless face.

Yan Qi grabbed his arm, Liu Zhongwu’s howl was odd, like a wild beast: "Destroy it! It cannot be left... this thing cannot be left!!!"

Yan Qi’s voice was as still as a dead pond: "That is the Emperor’s voice. Do you know what he’s talking about."

"I don’t know!" Liu Zhongwu screamed, "This is an error in divination! A Skill accident! Destroy it!"

"Yan Qi, don’t be impulsive. It might not be what you think!" Situ Yi was panicking now too. Liu Zhongwu’s actions were right, some things must never be made public, they are secrets to be taken to the grave, they must never be known by others!

"You cannot understand, I’ll tell you." Yan Qi spoke word by word, "That was Emperor Chong Xiao discussing with the gathering, how to wage the next war."

Liu Zhongwu and Situ Yi turned deathly pale, unable to speak, Yan Qi breathed slowly, each breath as heavy as the low growl of a beast in the dark. He let go of Liu Zhongwu’s arm, silently turned away.

The three who had left earlier were approaching, Qin Qianbai running ahead, carrying packaged food: "Uncle Yan, I brought you all..."

She froze suddenly, her outstretched hand halting mid-air. The feeling given by that black-clothed youth had changed, his facial lines were taut, like a piece of hard, pitch-black steel. An icy gaze seeped from beneath the eye-covering cloth strip, as if a mass deeper than night was confined within a human body, evoking an indescribable fear. The feeling was akin to standing at the edge of a thousand-foot precipice...