Chapter 255

Imperial palace guest room.

In the dim light, Zhuo Ya locked the door, then immediately quickly took off her maid's clothes, revealing a set of black tight-fitting leather combat armor.

When she turned around, she discovered that the previously dead-drunk Duke Weilan had already sat up, his complexion normal, his eyes clear.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Looks like your sobering spell works well."

Luosen nodded, his gaze sweeping over Zhuo Ya, and then he noticed that Zhuo Ya was taller than Ailin, mainly in the legs, with a pair of straight long legs.

Probably because his gaze was too aggressive, Zhuo Ya instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, eyes showing warning.

He shrugged: "Miss Zhuo Ya, I was just looking, why so sensitive?"

Hmph~

Zhuo Ya let out a light scoff: "I know your character very well. Just now, you were surely turning all sorts of dirty thoughts in your mind!"

"So what? I control my own mind; can Miss Zhuo Ya still dictate what people think?"

"I don't have time to argue with you."

Zhuo Ya handed Luosen a long wooden box: "Hold this, it's your magical implement."

Luosen's magical implement couldn't be brought in himself, so he sent it via the latest research results of the Imperial Department of Sorcery to the Empress's political affairs secretary's office.

Then the Empress forwarded it.

Opening the wooden box revealed his three ghost-resonance wands and a life-and-death ring.

Luosen immediately put them on.

"Put on these two bracelets as well."

Zhuo Ya then handed over another magical implement, explaining its function at the same time.

"The anti-detection bracelet, when worn, lets you evade the palace's active detection array."

After a pause, she explained: "The palace's active detection array is the latest achievement of the Department of Sorcery, and I have the greatest control over the Department of Sorcery."

Luosen understood.

In other words, within the palace, the Lord of Radiance is supreme, almost an absolute ruler.

The reason I say "almost" is because there are still some loopholes; even Zhuo Ya couldn't disguise herself as a maid and sneak her magical implements into the guest quarters.

But outside the palace, Zhuo Ya, who has controlled the empire for forty years, holds sway.

Luosen immediately put on the bracelets.

Zhuo Ya quickly walked to the innermost side of the guest room, pointing at a wardrobe against the wall and said: "Push the wardrobe open, gently, and don't use sorcery, so no one hears any noise."

Luosen did as instructed.

Fortunately the wardrobe wasn't heavy, and his body had been specially strengthened for strength, so he easily moved it aside.

Behind the wardrobe was actually a square wooden board over a meter long and wide, with a hidden latch on its lower edge.

Zhuo Ya grabbed the hidden latch and gave it a light pull; the board swung open, revealing a pitch-black circular opening, its diameter just under a meter.

Luosen looked astonished: "Why would there be such a secret passage hidden in a guest room for receiving foreign visitors?"

Zhuo Ya gave a slightly proud smile.

"The Radiant Empire has existed for over 700 years, and I have held power for 40 of them; during that time the Bu Ye Gong has undergone ten major renovations, and I secretly laid out some underground passages — isn't that reasonable?"

Having said that, she lit a windproof lantern, then slipped into the passage: "Follow me; it's best to pull the wardrobe shut from inside."

Luosen complied.

Fortunately he had enough strength; otherwise he really couldn't have completed this operation silently with just brute force.

After returning the wardrobe as close to its original position as possible and closing the board again, he followed behind Zhuo Ya, crawling along the narrow passage deeper inside.

"I say, couldn't the passage be widened a bit?"

"This passage was originally a maintenance conduit for the underground sewers; later it was abandoned, and we had planned to block it, but my grandfather's overbearing attitude made me think I should perhaps leave myself an escape route."

"So I quietly kept the conduit."

Luosen understood: "Then there must be many such conduits, right?"

"Yes, many, many; through these secret conduits one can reach almost any corner of the Bu Ye Gong, and only I know the exact layout."

Zhuo Ya's voice carried a hint of pride.

She had reason to be proud, for this thing is truly perfect for assassination.

The passage was dark and damp; from time to time one could hear strange humming noises from air currents, and occasionally see rats.

To be honest, it's actually a bit creepy.

Luosen didn't mind, since he was just a combat clone; even if it were lost, it wouldn't matter.

But Zhuo Ya seemed greatly affected; whenever a strange sound occurred, or a rat jumped out, she had to pause for a moment.

After another pause, Luosen couldn't help but say: "I say, does the Empress of the Radiant Empire actually fear mice?"

Zhuo Ya, who was crawling ahead, simply sat down and placed the windproof lantern beside her.

"If I could use sorcery, I certainly wouldn't fear mice, but right now I can't use sorcery."

Any sorcery released from the body could expose their whereabouts, causing the assassination to fail.

Through the lantern's yellowish glow, Luosen saw her cheeks pallid, clearly truly frightened, and said: "How about I go ahead and you follow behind, giving me directions?"

Having said that, he actually rather liked crawling behind Zhuo Ya, because the view was nice.

Zhuo Ya thought for a moment, then nodded: "That works too."

Then she gave a quiet reminder.

"We should now be near the Wu Ying Gong; we must be extra careful, not only cannot use sorcery, but must not make any loud noise."

"Because my grandfather is extremely cautious, he set up many arrays in the Wu Ying Gong to detect abnormal sounds; they are very high-performing and highly sensitive."

Luosen felt a toothache and said: "Just how sensitive? Give me an analogy."

"The clear click of two stones striking inside and outside should be enough for it to detect and draw attention."

Well, this guy is really cautious.

While speaking, he crawled forward, wanting to get past Zhuo Ya's body and go ahead.

The underground passage was really narrow, and since both of them were rather tall, they had to press closely together.

Mmm~ Don't keep squeezing forward, I'm about to be stuck to death by you!

"Stop stop stop~ Wait a moment~" Not long after, Zhuo Ya kept shouting stop, her voice urgent.

Luosen had no choice but to obey, so the two got stuck in the narrow passage.

Oh~ You really came up with a bad idea.

Zhuo Ya complained: "Don't move, I'll move back."

Luosen complied.

Soon, he felt Zhuo Ya wriggling backward bit by bit while pressed against him, and with this motion, through her thin summer clothes he clearly felt her body's curves.

In his nostrils were both the damp mud smell of the passage and a faint fragrance.

Zhuo Ya's complaint came again: "Luosen, I really admire you, at a time like this you actually have the leisure to let your mind wander."

Luosen naturally knew what she meant, he chuckled lowly: "Some things are uncontrollable. Not only us men, but women too."

Nonsense.

Luosen smiled: "Then I ask you, how did the buttons on your chest stand up?"

"."

Zhuo Ya had nothing to say, because Luosen was indeed not wrong.

After a lot of fuss, they finally changed positions.

Luosen carried the candle lamp and crawled forward, with Zhuo Ya following behind.

As they advanced, Luosen began sharing his intel: "I got word that Mísài hired demons and elves as guards; do you have any related clues?"

Zhuo Ya slightly surprised: "I knew there were three more experts in the Shadowless Palace, but I didn't know they were demons and elves; my grandfather kept it from me."

"Obviously, he is already very wary of you; once the opportunity arises, he will demote you, even kill you."

Zhuo Ya nodded: "Exactly. I can feel that in the past half month, he has had murderous intent toward me at least three times."

"But he still has use for me, and for now he can't find a replacement, so he's endured."

Having said that, she lightly sighed and asked: "Then we might face four legendary experts, and we must settle the battle in a short time; are you confident?"

Luosen shook his head: "The intel is too scarce to do any tactical drills; we can only do our best."

After a pause, he added: "Just leave the fighting to me; don't show yourself. If I lose, you leave immediately."

Zhuo Ya was startled: "If we two work together, maybe the chance of success is greater, and I said I will absolutely not let you die."

"Obviously, she completely didn't notice that Luosen is a clone."

"Luosen of course also had no intention to explain."

He stopped, turned his head and gave her a faint smile: "I'm just defeated, not dead; I have my own ways to escape."

Seeing Zhuo Ya still insisting, his expression turned stern.

"Alright, you listen to me about the fight, otherwise I won't do it."

Zhuo Ya pursed her lips: "Since you insist, then fine."

Afterwards on the road, the two didn't speak, just sneaking forward in the narrow passage.

After crawling for about half an hour, the passage reached its end and became a slightly wider square secret chamber.

In the middle of the secret chamber there was a pool, and in the water a faint silver glow could be seen.

Zhuo Ya whispered: "Enter the pool, follow the waterway all the way forward, after about forty-plus meters you'll reach a well; climb up along the well and you'll be in the garden of the Shadowless Palace."

"You already know the garden's layout. But as for the current situation, I'm not entirely clear either; I can only rely on you to feel your way."

Luosen nodded to show understanding: "Then I'll go."

Having said that, he was about to jump into the pool.

"Wait."

Zhuo Ya called out to him, biting her lip and staring at him for a long while, then spoke in a very soft voice: "My promise stands; if you die, I won't live either."

Luosen immediately shook his head: "That won't do; you must stay alive, and you must avenge me."

Zhuo Ya's eyes flashed, she firmly nodded: "I will spend the rest of my life avenging you!"

Luosen seeing her so serious, had a mind to tell her this was his clone, but he held it back at the last moment.

This is his ultimate life-saving trump card; it must not be spoken of casually.

Zhuo Ya is very perceptive, sensed his abnormality, and immediately asked: "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Luosen reacted extremely quickly, immediately came up with a reasonable excuse: "This trip I'm risking my neck; shouldn't you give me some compensation?"

Zhuo Ya blinked: "Compensation? Didn't we already agree on that?"

Luosen shook his head: "That's state-level compensation; I'm talking about personal compensation now."

While speaking, he stared at her chest, tightly wrapped in leather armor yet still striving to hold up, the peak.

Zhuo Ya felt somewhat moved by Luosen's actions in her heart.

Now seeing him like this, thinking that he's risking his life, if I were to be sentimental about this small detail, it would really be too harsh.

She took a deep breath, gently unfastened her collar, revealing a snow-white peak: "If you love to look, just look."

"Just looking isn't enough; I also want to climb it."

"You really are a bastard, but fine."

Luosen began to climb the peak.

As he went too far, Zhuo Ya struggled to endure, but finally couldn't hold back, letting out a muffled grunt and scolding: "Have you had enough?"

"Enough."

Luosen saw a good moment and stopped, turned and stepped back to the poolside: "Your Majesty the Empress, if successful, could you grant me a night of pleasure?"

After speaking, Luosen didn't wait for Zhuo Ya's answer, stepped back, and was already in the pool.

Zhuo Ya watched the rippling surface of the water, felt her cheeks burning hot, and couldn't help thinking to herself, "Ah~ this guy is truly a rare bastard~".

If it were someone else, she would harshly punish them, but she can't bring herself to despise this bastard.

"You must stay alive, otherwise, relying on me alone, I truly have no chance against the Lord of Truth."

As her thoughts whirled, she thought she couldn't just wait: 'I also have to help.'

(End of chapter)