Chapter 471: The Seasoned Actor Xu Tianran
Suddenly, the captain of the palace guards rushed in, his hurried footsteps echoing sharply and instantly interrupting the ministers' discussion of imperial affairs. All eyes turned to him, scrutinizing his anxious expression and trying to guess the reason for his sudden intrusion.
Xu Tianran frowned, his tone reprimanding as he said, "I recall instructing that unless it was an urgent matter, no one was to interrupt my discussion with the ministers. Speak what has happened that has you so flustered?"
The palace guard captain immediately dropped to his knees, his body trembling slightly as he spoke with a choked voice, "Your Highness, Regent, a grave disaster has occurred! Just now, traitors wreaked havoc in Mingdu, slaughtering a large number of royal family members. Several warehouses storing military grade soul tools were also blown up by these criminals. Some ordinary citizens and soul masters were caught in the explosions and died on the spot!"
The ministers were all shocked.
"What!" Xu Tianran roared, his grip tightening on the arms of his wheelchair, veins bulging. "This is lawlessness! Has the Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment captured these vile criminals?"
The captain swallowed hard, his face filled with unease. "Not yet, Your Highness, but the soul engineers in Mingdu are doing their best to track them down and protect the citizens. We may have good news soon."
Xu Tianran took a deep breath, then flung out a command token. "Pass my order mobilize all available members of the Hand of the Empire still in Mingdu. Find these criminals at all costs! They must pay for their crimes in blood!"
"Understood, Your Highness!" The captain accepted the token, immediately rising and sprinting out. Xu Tianran and the ministers remained in the palace, waiting for updates.
Half a day later, the captain returned, his face filled with shame. "Your Highness, the mission to capture the criminals has failed. Somehow, they have vanished without a trace."
Xu Tianran's face darkened. "So you're telling me that a group of criminals brazenly committed mass murder in Mingdu, destroyed military resources, and yet the Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment couldn't catch a single one? Are they truly that powerful, or has someone within our own ranks betrayed us, warning them and aiding their escape?"
The ministers began murmuring in agreement, finding the situation suspicious. How could not even one of the criminals be apprehended unless there were traitors involved?
"Your Highness is wise!" The captain flattered him first before continuing, "Indeed, we have captured a traitor and extracted information from them. According to their confession, these criminals came from Shrek Academy! Of course, one person's word is not enough. However, upon further investigation, we also found physical evidence at the scene linking the criminals to Shrek Academy. With both testimony and material proof, it is certain that Shrek Academy is responsible!"
Xu Tianran's expression twisted with fury. "Shrek Academy, how dare they! Do they think my Sun Moon Empire is theirs to trample upon? Not only did they collude with the Star Luo Empire to assassinate my father, but now they commit atrocities in Mingdu! This is beyond mere enmity it demands swift and severe retribution!"
As he mentioned the assassination of his father, his eyes turned red, tears welling up as if overwhelmed with grief.
The ministers, already harboring anger over the emperor's murder, exploded with rage. Though the emperor's death had not been officially announced to the public, it had spread among the upper echelons, suppressed only by Xu Tianran's orders. Now, with Shrek Academy's blatant crimes, their long suppressed fury erupted.
"Your Highness, the Empire must retaliate against Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Empire! Especially Shrek Academy, which masquerades as righteous while committing such atrocities. I wouldn't be surprised if they were harboring bloodthirsty evil soul masters!"
"Yes, Your Highness! If we do not act, they will think the Sun Moon Empire is weak. A blood debt must be paid in blood there is no room for compromise!"
Xu Tianran nodded. "Of course, the Empire will strike back against Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Empire. I have decided we will wage war! However, as you all know, because of Shrek Academy's unique geographical position, we must first deal with the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empires before we can march on Shrek City. In the coming days, we will expose Shrek Academy's crimes to the public, gather intelligence, and prepare our military logistics!"
"Understood, Your Highness!"
Shrek Academy, Sea God's Pavilion
Mu En reclined in his chair, lightly tapping his fingers against the armrest. His eyes swept over the elders present before he spoke. "I assume you have all heard the news by now Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy has defeated the Holy Spirit Sect in the finals, successfully defending their championship title.
I have long believed that our so called millennia of glory have become a shackle on Shrek. Therefore, I won't dwell on our academy and Tang Sect's losses in this tournament. The students did their best, and this was simply an experience for them to learn from.
However, I do have one question where is Xu Sanshi? By now, he should have returned with the team, yet I have not seen him anywhere in the academy."
Xuan Zi's heart sank.
Mu En had noticed.
Given Mu En's frail health, even after stepping forward to restore the academy's reputation, he couldn't possibly oversee every detail himself. Xuan Zi, as the second most powerful figure in the academy, had discreetly ensured that Xu Sanshi's imprisonment remained a secret.
But now that Mu En was asking, trouble was inevitable.