Chapter 1242

Jueqing fully unleashed her spiritual power, and combined with the special effects of the enchanted pipa in her hands, her control over melody was amplified by more than double!

Boom! Boom!

In an instant, the intense soul-seizing demonic music spread throughout the entire Flying Fox Wine House; in the hall, the wine cups in the diners' hands all shattered in a single moment—one could well imagine its power.

But Lin Cheng, who poked his head out from a private room on the second floor, watched Jueqing below with his usual leisurely elegance, occasionally flashing a faint smile, cheering her on.

The angrier Jueqing became, the faster she played her pipa, until finally one string, unable to withstand the high-intensity performance, snapped.

The demonic music abruptly lost its effect at that moment; everyone in the Flying Fox Wine House resumed their actions from before the music began—those raising cups raised cups, those eating dishes ate dishes—only to discover in surprise that their wine cups had somehow cracked.

Just when they were eating the most heartily, their wine cups were actually crushed in their own grip—wow… they really were cracking apart inside and out.

Jueqing stared blankly at her broken-stringed magic lute, then glanced resentfully upstairs at Lin Cheng, who leaned against the window as composed and carefree as ever; her confidence took a severe blow, rage surged to her heart, and she nearly coughed up a mouthful of backflowing blood.

As a generation's genius zither player, she had never suffered such humiliation, but what was even more infuriating was that she seemed utterly powerless against him.

If even her most mastered demonic music could do nothing to him, what could she possibly use to take revenge?

The Imperial Capital, the Imperial Palace.

It was already deep into the night; within the palace, aside from the Imperial City Guards patrolling everywhere, almost no one was about. The Imperial City was under curfew—unless one had a special summons from Your Majesty, no one was permitted in or out. At this moment, a special individual had been secretly summoned by Your Majesty, with the Imperial City Guards leading the way.

He was Lord Xuan Wuji! The Commander of the Eternal Night Legion!

Only he could be secretly summoned by Your Majesty at such a curfew hour.

The study.

"Your Majesty, Commander Lord Xuan Wuji has arrived…" the Guard Commander called out forcefully from outside the door.

"Let him in, cough cough."

From within the study, the voice of the twenty-second generation Emperor of the Tianwu Empire soon rang out—aged yet still brimming with strength.

With a creak, Lord Xuan Wuji entered the study, then swiftly closed the study door behind him again.

It's night now, and it's cold outside; better not let the cold wind enter the room and affect Your Majesty's sacred health.

"Your subject Lord Xuan Wuji pays respects to Your Majesty; may our Emperor's sacred health be sound." Lord Xuan Wuji half-knelt on the ground.

Apart from the formal audience etiquette, the Tianwu Empire had no other prescribed phrases; Lord Xuan Wuji's blessing was something he had just decided to add on the spot, after hearing Your Majesty's coughing.

"Rise." The twenty-second Tianwu Emperor waved his hand, gesturing for Lord Xuan Wuji to get up.

"Wuji, there are no outsiders here—you should know why I'm looking for you?"

As Lord Xuan Wuji rose, he relaxed, his face full of helplessness. He shrugged—he really didn't want to complain.

"I know, Your Majesty, but why must you always summon me at night? Wouldn't daytime be better?"

But who would have expected the twenty-second Tianwu Emperor to directly cast a contemptuous glance at Lord Xuan Wuji.

"Do you think I don't want to? During the day I'm entangled in all kinds of official business; in the court, the only people I can trust are just a few of you—especially at a time like this, when a storm is brewing; you're not unaware of my situation."

"Yes." Lord Xuan Wuji sighed with feeling. "That time seemed just like now." The twenty-second Tianwu Emperor's body stiffened for a moment, then quickly changed the subject.

"Come with me to the Star Observatory to see the Imperial Preceptor."

Saying this, the twenty-second Tianwu Emperor suddenly stood up from behind the desk and walked straight toward the study door.

Lord Xuan Wuji froze for a moment, somewhat puzzled.

"It's about the matter of the Heavenly Scripture… the Heavenly Scripture is about to emerge! Whether this is a blessing or a calamity for our Tianwu, I cannot say!"

"Your Majesty seems to…"

Lord Xuan Wuji raised an eyebrow—he had also only just received word about Lin Cheng's account of the Heavenly Scripture; however, Your Majesty clearly knew far more about the Heavenly Scripture than he did.

"Seventy years ago, Harriot secretly sought out my father and spoke of the Heavenly Scripture; he thought that with the Tute clan in decline, the secret would be buried forever in the dust of history—little did he expect… Lin Cheng Tute would still discover it."

"Isn't Harriot just Lin Cheng's grandfather? Back then, the one who seemed most unwilling to accept it was him… how could that be?" Lord Xuan Wuji seemed to have heard something unbelievable.

Back then, the Tute family seemed to have been punished by the late Emperor overnight, then had their estate confiscated and were demoted to commoners; in an instant, the once-vast Tute clan perished or scattered (Zhao Qian's), and yet Harriot, the protagonist of that affair, the one punished by the late Emperor, had actually gone to the late Emperor himself to request the punishment.

Is he… out of his mind?

Even now, Lord Xuan Wuji still could not understand Harriot's thinking.

"I don't understand either… isn't that why I'm planning to go ask the Imperial Preceptor? It works out perfectly—Wuji, you come with me."

The twenty-second Tianwu Emperor had only vaguely heard his father mention that the Heavenly Scripture recorded the secrets of the world; once it emerged, it was very likely to invite a tremendous catastrophe.

"Uh… Your Majesty, may I not go? The Imperial Preceptor, that old man, is bound to lecture me again." The mere thought of the brutal scenes of being lectured by the Imperial Preceptor in the past made Lord Xuan Wuji tremble all over.