Chapter 470: Shrek Academy's Assassination of Royal Family Members – Irrefutable Evidence!
A look of feigned helplessness appeared on Xu Tianran's face as he let out a long sigh. "Master Zhongli, of course, I want to be a ruler remembered throughout history. And in the process of becoming such a ruler, I will need the Holy Spirit Cult's assistance. After all, the combined strength of the Three Douluo Empires and Shrek Academy is formidable. With the Holy Spirit Cult's help, I am confident we can shorten the time needed to unify the Douluo Continent." He then narrowed his eyes and continued, "But right now, there is a problem. While I have full confidence that I will successfully ascend as the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, there are certain individuals who will interfere with my rule. Tell me, what should be done about them?"
"Kill them," Zhongli Wu replied concisely.
"Indeed, they must die," Xu Tianran nodded.
Zhongli Wu immediately followed up, "Your Majesty, give me their names, appearances, residences, and strengths. I will personally lead a team to eliminate them."
If it was merely a matter of getting rid of some people who opposed Xu Tianran, as long as they weren't absurdly powerful, Zhongli Wu had no problem with it. After all, this wasn't the first time he had done such things.
However, Xu Tianran shook his head, a sly smile forming on his lips as his tone became more relaxed. "Master Zhongli, these individuals are members of the royal family. And given your long standing friendship with the Sun Moon royal family, how could it be you who led the assassination? No, these wicked murderers have another identity! These royal family members all held high ranking positions. Even in a vast empire like ours, they were pillars of the state. Shrek Academy has always supported the Three Douluo Empires and opposed the Sun Moon Empire. In order to delay our military campaign and instill fear, they sent assassins to kill key royal figures and destroy military soul tool storage facilities, leading to devastating losses. The explosions even affected nearby soul masters and civilians, causing immediate deaths."
He continued, his expression darkening, "Upon investigation, we discovered undeniable proof at the scene of the crime linking this to Shrek Academy. Furthermore, spies planted by Shrek Academy within our empire, when subjected to interrogation, admitted to their crimes and exposed Shrek Academy as the mastermind! The interrogators learned that these spies had been gathering intelligence on royal officials and military soul tool warehouses in preparation for Shrek Academy's attack. That is how today's tragedy unfolded. Now, with both material evidence and witness testimonies, the proof is ironclad!"
Zhongli Wu froze for a moment before realization dawned on him. Xu Tianran was a master of deception. He was framing Shrek Academy to stoke hatred among the Sun Moon populace. Ever since Xuanzi's previous confession had tarnished Shrek Academy's reputation within the Sun Moon Empire, only a small group of die hard supporters remained loyal to the Academy devoted fanatics, essentially.
Now, this accusation would be another devastating blow to Shrek Academy's reputation within the Sun Moon Empire. While there were some members of the royal family who were oppressive toward the common folk, they were, after all, the minority. Most of the royal family had undergone rigorous education for generations and knew how to maintain appearances. As a result, the royal family's reputation among the people was generally positive.
A large scale assassination of royal family members, coupled with the destruction of military soul tool warehouses and civilian casualties, would enrage the Sun Moon Empire's populace. The internal hatred for Shrek Academy would reach unprecedented levels.
This scheme would also greatly benefit the Sun Moon Empire's preparations for war. Not only would it justify an offensive campaign, giving it a veneer of righteousness, but it would also drive more citizens to eagerly enlist in the military.
"Your Majesty is truly wise!" Zhongli Wu praised.
Xu Tianran smiled. "Now, Master Zhongli, I leave the next steps to you." He then turned to Ju Zi and ordered, "Ju Zi, bring the prepared documents."
Ju Zi bowed. "As you command, Your Highness."
From her storage soul tool, she retrieved a thick stack of documents and handed them to Zhongli Wu. As he flipped through them, he found they contained two main categories of information.
First, detailed records of the names, appearances, residences, and strengths of key royal family members.
Second, precise information on the locations of military soul tool warehouses and how to infiltrate them.
This undoubtedly made Zhongli Wu's job much easier. After carefully reading through the documents, he concluded that eliminating these targets and destroying the warehouses wouldn't be too difficult. Of course, given Xu Tianran's cunning, he suspected that the so called "military soul tools" in these warehouses had already been swapped out with useless scrap.
Zhongli Wu turned to Xu Tianran and asked, "Your Majesty, what about the matter of my position as Grand Preceptor and the Holy Spirit Cult becoming the official state religion?"
Xu Tianran's expression turned serious. "Master Zhongli, rest assured. As long as you complete this mission and agree to have the Holy Spirit Cult assign an Ultimate Douluo to serve as my personal protector after my ascension, I will personally meet with Elder Kong and persuade him to endorse your appointment as Grand Preceptor and the Holy Spirit Cult's recognition as the Empire's state religion.
Furthermore, I swear on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy that once the Sun Moon Empire unifies the Douluo Continent, I will honor you as the Empire's Guardian Deity, ensuring that you are revered by all, paving your path to godhood."
Hearing this, Zhongli Wu felt a wave of relief. He suppressed his excitement, ensuring that Xu Tianran wouldn't see just how much this meant to him. Keeping a composed expression, he nodded and said, "Very well. It's a deal. I will gather my forces immediately."
With that, Zhongli Wu left the room.
To him, assigning an Ultimate Douluo to protect Xu Tianran was a trivial matter. Although the Holy Spirit Cult had only two Ultimate Douluo, he could easily ask his mother for help. After all, Long Bo was utterly devoted to her he would follow any command she gave.
Moreover, Long Bo was already protecting Xu Tianran, albeit only during the tournament. With so many powerful figures gathering in Mingdu, his mother didn't want Xu Tianran to be assassinated before their investments in him bore fruit.
Now, extending Long Bo's protection beyond the tournament was merely a formality. As long as his mother approved, Long Bo would not refuse.
The Next Day.
Inside a grand palace hall, Xu Tianran sat discussing state affairs with his ministers.
The Sun Moon Empire was vast, with countless events unfolding every day. As the de facto Emperor, Xu Tianran had to handle a massive workload, overseeing the governance of his empire.
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