Chapter 767: Finding Evidence
Chapter 767: Finding Evidence
"Something's off! Did someone just come in here?"
Manina had just returned to his study and settled into his chair when he suddenly felt something was amiss. Everything around him seemed exactly as it was when he left: the placement of the documents on his desk, the position of the cups, everything was in the same spot. However, as he sat down in his large office chair, he sensed an unusual atmosphere around him. It felt as if someone had been here and stayed for quite some time.
Manina noticed this because Zhongfeng had just left, and he returned to his study within ten minutes. If Manina had come back an hour or two later, Zhongfeng's unintentionally left traces would have completely dissipated, and he wouldn't have sensed anything.
"Sunlight, did someone come into the study just now?" Manina called out loudly.
"Sunlight" was the name of his personal AI system.
"Your Majesty, no one has entered the study since you left, including the attendants," the AI Sunlight replied.
"I don't believe it! Sunlight, pull up the surveillance footage from just now."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Sunlight followed the command and played the surveillance footage from the study. However, as soon as the footage started, Sunlight fell silent.
In the footage, the documents on Manina's desk began to flip through the pages on their own, despite no wind. One document finished flipping, and another started.
Manina's face turned dark: "This is called no one coming in? Open your eyes and look again, is this what you call no one coming in?"
"..." Sunlight was at a loss for words.
As a top-tier AI, Sunlight had a sophisticated biological detection system. If anyone else had come in, it should have detected them.
As for the surveillance footage, it wouldn't pull information from the footage unless necessary. However, who could have imagined that its biological detection system completely failed, and the intruder left a trace in the footage?
"Your Majesty, I..."
"What do you mean, 'I'? Get to work! If you can't catch this intruder, your job will be taken over by 'Cyan'!"
"Understood!"
...
Soon, the entire palace was in motion.
The guards within the palace received Sunlight's command to search for the intruder in various locations. The royal family and high-ranking powerhouses near the palace also received invitations to enter and help in the search.
The golden protective shield enveloping the palace emitted a brilliant golden light. In the golden glow, the shield's thickness increased tenfold and changed to a state where entry was possible, but exit was not.
Emperor Manina personally flew above the study, his powerful mental energy scanning the palace grounds, determined to find this detestable bug.
...
The massive disturbance in the palace naturally affected Zhongfeng as well.
Zhongfeng was still elated about finding the crucial documents when the archives room began to fill with noisy commotion.
First, let's talk about these crucial documents.
Upon entering the archives room, Zhongfeng discovered that the information on the dragon race was surprisingly easy to find!
Unlike in the study, the archivist in charge of the archives room had meticulously organized the documents by type. The categories were detailed, such as water management, infrastructure, official assignments, local finances, treasury expenditures, and more.
Zhongfeng searched under the "foreign races" category, specifically the "dragon race" subcategory, and eventually found some old documents he needed—information about the decline in the dragon race's reproductive capabilities.
The most critical piece of evidence is a letter written by Emperor Manina VII to a prince. This letter provides a detailed explanation of the decline in the dragons' reproductive abilities.
In the letter, it is stated that the dragons' formidable reproductive capabilities posed the greatest threat to the Skrull people. No matter how hard the Skrulls tried, as long as the dragons could continue to expand their population, the Skrulls would never be able to claim dominion over the planet.
At the beginning of the Solar Empire, the dragon population had been suppressed by human counterattacks. However, it was inevitable that the dragons would eventually launch a counteroffensive. One day, they would overwhelm the Skrull cities with their vast numbers.
To solve this problem once and for all, Manina III and the other deities of the time deliberated extensively and finally came up with a solution: the Blood Sacrifice!
At that time, the largest group of superhumans among the Skrulls was not the Spirit Mages or Spirit Warriors, but a more specialized group known as the Curse Mages. These Curse Mages were incredibly powerful and had low talent requirements. Approximately 60% of the Skrull population were Curse Mages.
Two deities emerged from the ranks of Curse Mages: Meria and Wen.
After deliberation, the Skrull deities decided to implement the Blood Sacrifice. In this sacrifice, half of the dragon population would be instantly annihilated by the sacrificial power, while the reproductive abilities of the remaining half would be severely suppressed.
In return, the Skrulls had to pay a heavy price. All Curse Mages, including Meria and Wen, would lose their powers and become ordinary people, and no more Curse Mages would ever be born. Additionally, 30 million Skrulls would sacrifice their lives in the Blood Sacrifice.
Manina III and the other deities' descendants would also suffer a shortened lifespan, even shorter than that of ordinary people. This blood curse would last for eight generations before gradually fading away.
...
Indeed, this is what happened. Starting from the fourth emperor, Manina IV, no emperor of the Solar Empire lived past 70 years, all dying at a young age. Typically, a strong individual of the sixth rank or higher would have a lifespan of around 2000 years. Dying before 70 years was considered a premature death.
It wasn't until Manina XII and Manina XIII that the Solar Imperial family gradually freed itself from the blood curse and began to regain its former strength.
In his letter, Manina VII explained to his brother the reason for the short lifespans of the royal family and encouraged him to have more children to offset the effects of the short lifespans.
...
Zhong Feng was elated when he found this letter! What was originally just a hypothesis about the Skrulls using special means to interfere with the dragons' reproduction now had concrete evidence!
After obtaining the letter, Zhong Feng didn't stop; he continued to search for more evidence. Besides finding evidence, he also needed to find a way to lift the curse on the dragons.
Just having this letter would only make the dragons resentful. To fully turn them against the Skrulls, he needed to give them a reason to eliminate the Skrulls. Only then might the dragons be truly united in their cause.
However, as he began his search, the clamor from the palace outside his door grew louder.
(End of Chapter)
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