https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-671-The-Rebel-King-s-Enjoyment-the-Old-Snake-s-Sacrifice/12852607/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-673-I-Suspect-This-Mission-Was-Outsourced/12852641/
Chapter 672: The Proper Way to Gather Information
Chapter 672: The Proper Way to Gather Information
"Is the sacrificial preparation ready?" She Xi still appeared in the form of a snake person, but he was now wearing a peculiar set of attire, clearly prepared for this sacrifice.
"It’s all ready, just waiting for you to communicate with Father Snake." A snake person handed him a ritual instrument.
After receiving the ritual instrument, She Xi was about to begin the sacrifice to gain Father Snake’s support when a hurried voice came from outside.
His alert expression froze his movements, and he crouched, ready to act at any moment.
"Lord, an imperial decree has been sent from the palace, summoning you for a meeting," a snake person rushed in to report.
This made She Xi frown: "What’s the matter? Who’s been summoned?"
"The eunuch didn’t specify, but many high-ranking officials have been called," the snake person replied.
"What is Emperor Qian planning now?" She Xi’s expression was grim. If he went, he would miss the sacrifice and would have to wait until the next time. If he didn’t go, there would definitely be a problem. If he was the only one summoned, it might be a targeted move against him. However, with so many people being summoned, something significant was likely to happen. If he didn’t go, he might be caught off guard.
The issue with the rebel forces was already giving him a headache, and this sacrifice was meant to address that problem. But if there were issues in the rear and Emperor Qian turned the tables, that would be a real problem.
As for the rebels, they could be dealt with next time; the court currently had no way to suppress them.
After removing the ritual instrument and his ceremonial attire, he said, "Arrange the carriage, I need to go to the palace to meet the emperor."
There was no other choice but to go; what else could he do?
He hastily put on his human disguise and left the sacrificial site. He wasn’t worried about it being a ruse, after all, who would fake an imperial decree for no reason?
After She Xi left, the snake person responsible for guarding the altar could only dismantle the prepared ceremony. Just as he was about to start, he suddenly felt his body and mind freeze.
From his body to his thoughts, everything halted in an instant.
"Activate the Demon Web protection, prepare to extract memories. Prioritize keywords related to Father Snake, aside from the sacrifice," several spirits emerged from the shadows and immediately began extracting memories from the altar and the guard.
"Be on high alert to avoid the enemy’s return, and be ready to evacuate at any moment."
The spirits divided their tasks and quickly began collecting data from all aspects.
"Similar to a communication transmission channel, no coordinates found yet, but from the available information, it appears that this channel is connected to a certain area within the realm, possibly sealed."
A specialized spirit, after analyzing the altar, came to this conclusion.
"It requires a specific key to activate, which is the essence of the sacrifice. This suggests that the snake people’s civilization might have been highly advanced but declined for some unknown reason."
Such a sophisticated communication and transmission channel was not something a typical civilization could achieve. However, they were certain that, whether it was the snake people or the rat-faced humans, their essential civilization level was not high. Without some unknown power providing a significant advantage and external support, they wouldn’t have risen to their current position.
"The power the snake people possess comes from the entity behind the communication transmission channel, Father Snake, and not from their own evolution and growth."
"This suggests that other races might also have similar entities behind them."
One by one, the records were uploaded to the Demon Web, and the think tank and command center quickly initiated investigations into other races.
The feedback was swift.
"No? Other races don’t have similar communication transmission channels. This explains why the snake people have a higher status."
"The snake people can still contact the entity behind them, but other races cannot. So where do the other races’ 8th-rank individuals come from?"
"Is it possible they were left over from before the loss of contact?"
Various discussions and proposals formed within the Demon Web, and controversies were resolved, leading to new plans.
"Further investigation is needed. If there are no issues, then Father Snake is likely one of the 9th-rank entities in this world."
"Where the other 9th-rank entities are located needs further investigation, but they are likely sealed?"
The spirits were not arrogant or self-important; they were pragmatic. The idea that a 9th-rank world would have only one 9th-rank being was laughable, even to the most unimaginative mind.
If that were the case, it would indicate a significant problem: the other 9th-ranks had been killed by this one. In other words, if a 9th-rank world had only one 9th-rank being, that being must be invincible.
"Data collection complete, preparing to evacuate. Remember to cover your tracks to avoid leaving any traces." After obtaining what they needed, the spirits decisively left the snake people's hidden altar.
The snake person, who had been frozen in place, returned to normal, his expression tinged with confusion. He felt as though he had paused for a moment.
"Strange, something feels off, but I’ll just clean up the altar." Although he sensed something amiss, he dismissed it as a mere illusion.
She Xi waited outside the imperial study with a group of others. Emperor Qian seemed to be deliberately keeping them waiting, but the longer they waited, the more certain he became that something significant was about to happen.
As time passed, his unease grew. The emperor’s tactic of making them wait was becoming excessive.
He wanted to go inside, but he was in the palace, surrounded by the emperor’s people, and in the place where the national fortune was most concentrated. Even though the national fortune had waned due to the chaos in half the kingdom, the palace still held a powerful influence.
Outside the palace, he could use some of his power, but inside, he was still at mortal risk. Thus, he was stuck, unable to advance or retreat.
Leaving was out of the question, as they had already been ordered to wait.
All the non-human officials present were in a dilemma, and they considered communicating with each other, but anyone who spoke up was quickly silenced by the guards, who cited the noise as a reason to expel them from the palace.
This was unacceptable to She Xi and the others, as they held high positions and valued their dignity. Being expelled would be a severe loss of face.
More importantly, it would raise suspicion. Their human disguises were already in their eighties, and while the physical punishment wouldn’t affect them, an eighty-year-old man being beaten out of the palace and still appearing lively would clearly indicate something was amiss.
Thus, their refined lifestyles were more about maintaining their disguise than enjoying luxury.
She Xi wanted to speak up, but the emperor’s current behavior was reckless, and he feared being expelled. While this could be useful, allowing him to operate in secret under the guise of recovering, it also meant losing his influence in the court, which could lead to unpredictable outcomes.
He even suspected that Emperor Qian had a two-pronged plan: using the wait to provoke him into action and then using that as an excuse to remove him from power, or even more sinister, to eliminate him. After all, the emperor was unaware of their true nature and assumed they were ordinary humans.
If he fell for it, a group of elderly humans standing outside for a couple of hours, then entering the palace to discuss matters, would leave them exhausted and defenseless.
So, if the emperor played dirty, they were at a loss.
The emperor had the capital to play dirty, but they did not have such privileges.
‘When the rebel forces enter the capital and overthrow Emperor Qian, I will have you torn apart limb by limb!’ She Xi seethed inwardly, but for now, he had to endure.
Small compromises can ruin great plans!
Two hours passed, and finally, a eunuch appeared.
"His Majesty has finished reviewing the memorials. Please enter for the audience," the eunuch said calmly, opening the door.
She Xi felt a sense of relief. The emperor’s actions confirmed his suspicions, but the real battle was about to begin. Various thoughts raced through his mind, trying to guess what power Emperor Qian sought that warranted such a dramatic move.
He exchanged glances with the others, communicating silently. They agreed not to let the emperor achieve his goals and to be cautious with their performances, avoiding any slips.
After all, their plans were not yet fully realized and were still in progress. They couldn’t afford to take any risks.
(End of Chapter)
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