Chapter 251: Sleepless Night

Zhao Hu still had an extra thought, and before entering the palace, he sent a message to Chaomu first.

As expected, inside the palace at night, Emperor Jingwu heard the news and flew into a rage.

"Zhao Hu, are you a rice bucket? Such a large number of living people have disappeared, and you only now find out—what use do you have as the Black-Clothed Guards?"

In Jingtai Hall, Emperor Jingwu sat on the dragon throne, his face filled with anger, his eyes fixed on Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu, however, felt cold sweat pouring down.

"Commander Zhao, you have disappointed me greatly!"

Emperor Jingwu's eyes grew colder and more dangerous by the moment!

At this moment, Chaomu appeared in Jingtai Hall wearing a purple-red python robe.

"Your Majesty!"

Chaomu slightly performed the salute, he did not look down at Zhao Hu, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, the current plan is to immediately issue an edict ordering the Qintian Terrace to first contact the various gods in the city for a city-wide search, to prevent the thief from escaping!"

"The time since Empress Yu and the Princess disappeared is not long; perhaps they are still in the city!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwu's expression eased slightly upon hearing the words, he glanced at Zhao Hu, let out a light snort, and seeing the situation, Chaomu then said.

"Commander Zhao, go!"

Zhao Hu rose and hurriedly rushed out of Jingtai Hall to make arrangements.

At this moment, Emperor Jingwu looked at Chaomu and said: "Grand Companion, you must help me find back Baitian!"

At this moment, leaning on the dragon throne, Emperor Jingwu's icy face showed some fatigue!

Chaomu nodded.

Princess Baitian Wei Shi is the daughter of Consort Xian Liu; her birth was accompanied by an omen, she possessed the strange fragrance of a hundred flowers, and later the Qintian Terrace successively found she possessed an acquired Dao body, earning Emperor Jingwu's great affection.

Chaomu spoke again in a deep voice: "Your Majesty need not worry, I will personally take action to trace the Princess's whereabouts and will surely find the thief's location!"

Emperor Jingwu nodded, though his eyes still held some urgency and anger.

In the inner palace, in the Nanyuan Palace, it was already in utter chaos.

The palace had lost the princess, and other palace servants also suffered, being taken away one after another by the Black-Clothed Guards for interrogation.

Consort Xian Liu entered Jingtai Hall overnight to weep and complain, causing Emperor Jingwu both headache and greater anger.

At this moment, above the imperial city, Chaomu opened an altar to perform rites, while on another side, teams of Black-Clothed Guards hurriedly gathered various information.

Before the altar, Chaomu heard the report, slightly furrowed his brow.

This time, besides Empress Yu and Princess Baitian disappearing, there was also a maidservant, and additionally only a bestowed ancient qin.

From this he easily deduced that Empress Yu was not abducted by others, but likely fled on her own.

If she had been abducted, it would not be so that even the maidservant and ancient qin were taken.

This Empress Yu probably has a cat-nap.

"It seems we must also thoroughly investigate the rear palace!"

Chaomu's eyes flashed with cold intent, yet in his hand he pinched a seal, before him lay a portion of Princess Baitian's former swaddling clothes and hair.

He wove thread after thread of seals in his hand, and a magnificent strange power burst forth from his center.

"Search Heaven, Awaken Earth!"

Invisible qi permeated inside and outside the imperial city, penetrating the boundless void.

After a moment, he coldly laughed, his figure vanishing from the spot.

……

Outside the imperial city, Empress Yu had just left the imperial city when she felt a terrifying divine sense chasing her from behind.

"So fast?"

Her expression suddenly changed, and beside her, the maidservant at this moment had demonic aura surfacing all over her body, her eyes turning green pupils, she glanced at the seven- or eight-year-old little girl in her arms.

The little girl, though young in age, had extremely delicate features, emitting a pleasant fragrance of yi wood.

"Your Majesty, this little girl is just a burden; better to just……"

A hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.

That graceful figure was surrounded by countless magnificent demonic auras, intensely dense, behind her appeared a path of intense purple light.

"Empress Yu" hesitated slightly, after a moment she glanced at the beautiful girl, the killing intent in her heart slightly eased.

"This girl's Dao body is greatly related to our clan, and it also aids my cultivation; first take her, we will first leave Dayan, enter Beichu, then speak!"

Her body seemed to have threads of strange light flowing, in an instant enveloping the three people, transforming into flowing light and vanishing at high speed into the void.

Just a breath, Chaomu's figure appeared in the void.

"Flash of Splendor? Is it the Flash of Splendor Demon Lord?"

His gaze swept over the surroundings, his eyes icy, the chilling intent in his depths suddenly surged.

The Flash of Splendor Demon Lord is a great demon of extraordinary peculiarity deep in the barbarian wilderness, rumored to have a truly extraordinary true form, mastering a special true intent of time.

Demon clan rumors say that if this demon lord attains the Demon God Realm, he will surely become one of the supreme demon gods between heaven and earth.

But today she dared to sneak into the imperial city to cause chaos, Chaomu felt the opportunity had arrived!

"Come, then do not leave!"

……

In the Zhuangyuan Mansion, within the River and Mountain State Diagram, Zhang Jian's body erupted with boundless righteous fire.

Countless squeaky tragic cries echoed through the void, but these cries were confined to a small fragment of void.

The vast black-red evil qi was cleansed away.

That ancient book, woven from countless feathers, at this moment reappeared in its true form, but inside the surging solar true fire became even more intense.

The gold-red solar true fire surged, within it faintly appeared a gold-red divine bird, intending to spread its wings and fly out from within.

Observing its form, it was exactly the Golden Crow divine bird from myth.

"Vermilion Bird Imitation Technique!"

Zhang Jian's spirit eyes remained unchanged, his five fingers spreading once more, only to see countless strands of crimson flames filling the void.

The Heavenly Pure Fire flowed forth, transforming into a magnificent and vast Vermilion Bird divine beast.

In an instant, this Vermilion Bird divine beast swooped upward, its wings scattering the unformed divine shape of the Golden Crow divine bird.

Countless strands of Heavenly Pure Fire enveloped the《Solar True Scripture》, burning it, with thread-like crimson runes piercing the void and merging into the scripture; moments later, the malevolent aura surrounding it gradually dissipated.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian casually gestured and took the ancient text into his hand, but what met his eyes was a lifelike Golden Crow divine bird, as if it could take flight at any moment.

At the beginning was also a line of extremely strange ancient characters.

"It seems to be extra-realm runes!"

Zhang Jian's gaze flickered; he had never encountered such runes before, but he had heard the Transmission Elder mention them.

Because many lineages within the realm had developed and grown strong by receiving transmissions from beyond the realm.

He casually grasped it deep in his palm, glanced at it a few times, and then employed the Starlight Binding Soul Seal to seal it.

Zhang Jian prepared to find an opportunity to return to Tong Mountain, consult relevant classics, and further contemplate.

After removing the Map of Mountains and Rivers, Zhang Jian subsequently noticed that the interior and exterior of Haojing City had suddenly become 'lively'.

He stepped out of the courtyard, opened the door, but saw outside, outside, threads of divine light wandering about, with numerous divine generals leading troops on patrol outside.

However, many deities clearly avoided the Zhang family.

Zhang Jian casually summoned several divine generals to come forward; after a moment, he learned that a major event had occurred in the palace.

"Someone has abducted the Jade Consort and the Hundred Flowers Princess!"

At this moment, that divine general also said: "Please rest assured, Mr. Zhang, His Highness has instructed us not to disturb your rest!"

Saying this, he clasped his fists and departed.

In place, Zhang Jian pondered deeply, then in an instant returned to the courtyard.

The disappearance of the Jade Consort and the Hundred Flowers Princess caused an uproar, but it had little to do with him.

After dawn, Zhang Jian still proceeded to the imperial court in the capital as usual, though he clearly sensed a different atmosphere within the capital.

However, during the morning audience, he learned of a major matter.

Chancellor Yuan Hongli is gravely ill.

Among the Three Dukes, the Chancellor holds the highest rank; his current illness is like a single stone stirring up a thousand waves!