Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 607: In the Night Dragon Hall

In the great hall, the air was thick with speculation as voices rose and fell. The events of the day had ignited a storm of questions, and naturally, the discussion drifted toward the mystery of the Qinghong Aviary.

Chu Liang sat among the crowd as he analyzed and shared his thoughts. "No matter who the victim was, in a place like Qinghong Aviary, the prime suspect is always the person who discovers the body. Even if they aren't the killer, there's usually some connection. After all, there are countless ways for cultivators to dispose of a body, yet someone deliberately left it there. Why?"

He let the question linger for a moment. "The only logical reason is that they wanted the body to be found. "

"And then there's this supposed coincidence," Chu Liang added, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Trespassing into Qinghong Aviary is a capital crime, yet someone just happened to be there, at that exact moment? What were they doing—stealing a fowl? Ha. That is a bit too absurd."

"Uh..." The head of the imperial guards in the hall was also listening to their conversation and he couldn't help but interject. "Your Highness, based on our findings, the individual who discovered the body really was there to steal Qinghong birds."

"Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that excuse," Ling Ao remarked dryly, shaking his head in disdain. "In centuries past, how many people have dared to set foot in the Qinghong Aviary to hunt? Let alone risking their life for a fowl? Are they really hungry? And why today, of all days? Why just happen to stumble upon a corpse? The entire situation reeks of improbability."

"We're not entirely clear on that either." The guard's minor rank meant he only knew the general details and little about the fowl thief's identity.

In fact, apart from the emperor and a select few high-ranking officials like the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, no one else in the imperial city knew the identities of those involved. None of them were punished for it.

As they conversed, a sudden commotion broke out outside the hall. Looking up, they saw a fiery figure striding in.

"Yo, old man, still alive, huh?" The fiery figure greeted Wang Xuanling before brazenly seating herself in the main chair of the hall.

Who else could it be but Di Nufeng?

"Esteemed Teacher? What brings you here?" Chu Liang asked, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Don't get me started! Let me tell you, I just achieved something big," Di Nufeng said, pouring herself a cup of tea. She downed it in one gulp and continued, "You've heard about the consort's murder, right? That body dumped in the Qinghong Aviary? Who knows how long it would've gone unnoticed. Haha, I found it!"

She proudly gave a thumbs-up, pointing at herself.

"Ohhh." Everyone let out a sound of understanding.

With that explanation, everything suddenly made sense.

"I happened to pass by that area. At a glance, I noticed the garden shrouded in a deathly aura, as if something ominous was at hand," Di Nufeng said, gesturing dramatically. "I immediately pointed toward it and said, 'I want this one—' Ah, no, 'I want to go take a look.' After going forward to investigate, I indeed found the body."

"Esteemed Teacher, your instincts are as sharp as ever," Chu Liang nodded in agreement.

After the corpse was discovered, Mingde reported the matter to the emperor, while Di Nufeng came directly to see the team from the Mount Shu Sect.

"It's just strange..." she mused, appearing puzzled. "If I were the one who killed someone in the palace, I'd burn everything to ash without leaving a trace. How could anyone discover it? Leaving such a large corpse out here is just sloppy..."

Her nonchalant tone sent an involuntary chill through the imperial guard leader. The way she spoke, it sounded less like a hypothetical and more like she actually had done something like that before.

"What time do people normally go to the Qinghong Aviary?" Chu Liang asked.

"On regular days, someone enters once a day to deliver food. For today's Qinghong Banquet, someone was supposed to enter two hours before the banquet to catch a Qinghong bird and deliver it to the imperial kitchen," the guard leader replied. This was a question that he could answer.

"So, if Esteemed Teacher hadn't uncovered this crime..." Chu Liang said as he pondered, "the corpse would have only been discovered two hours before the banquet? At that time—"

Jiang Yuebai interjected thoughtfully, "According to the Qinghong Banquet schedule, an hour before the banquet, all members of the imperial family and court officials would already be in the palace, preparing to attend."

"If the corpse were discovered then, the palace would undoubtedly go into lockdown for a full investigation," Chu Liang continued, his expression sharpening. "The banquet would be forced to end temporarily. Could the culprit have discarded the corpse there to disrupt the banquet?"

Before the words had fully settled, a palace attendant entered to announce, "Your Highness, the emperor requests your presence."

...

When Chu Liang arrived at the Night Dragon Hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

The emperor sat behind his desk, his expression as dark and unreadable as still waters, exuding an undeniable sense of authority. Normally, Chu Liang regarded him as a kind and gentle elder, but in this moment, the emperor's sudden sternness reminded him of the unyielding majesty of the throne.

Two elders were seated on either side of him.

On the left was an elder in a long robe, his demeanor elegant and approachable. Chu Liang recognized him immediately—it was the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, someone he was quite familiar with.

On the right sat an elderly palace attendant clad in ornate robes. Chu Liang didn't know him by face, but the man's imposing presence far surpassed that of even Warrior Lao. It didn't take much deduction to realize this was Yao Dengxian, the Dragon-Keeping Eunuch and leader of the Four Great Warriors.

Yao Dengxian's gaze was sharp and penetrating, carrying a weight that seemed to see through to one's very core. With just a glance, Chu Liang instinctively turned his head slightly to avoid meeting his eyes.

"Your Majesty summoned me?" he asked, stepping forward cautiously.

"The matter of the Golden Dragon's Orb... that was your doing, wasn't it?" the emperor asked bluntly.

"Uh..." Chu Liang's shoulders stiffened, and his mind raced, desperately searching for where his plan might have gone awry.

Before he could formulate a response, Yao Dengxian stepped forward and raised his hand. Resting in his palm was a radiant golden halo of light, within which a small dragon appeared to be struggling.

The World In One's Palm was a move that Yang Shenlong was good at so Chu Liang obviously knew.

But when Yao Dengxian used it, its power was exponentially greater. Trapped in his palm was a young dragon with the cultivation level of the seventh realm.

FUCK.

No matter how many scenarios he had considered or how carefully he had crafted the plan, there was one crucial detail Chu Liang had overlooked: the Little Golden Dragon's overconfidence in its ability to hide from Yao Dengxian. He had been caught far too easily.

WHAT ABOUT THE PROMISE OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP YAO DENGXIAN OCCUPIED FOR A WHOLE DAY WITH THOSE FIVE SCALES? Chu Liang screamed inwardly.

"Chu Liang!" the Little Golden Dragon, trapped in Yao Dengxian's palm, shouted desperately. "I didn't rat you out!" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"He didn't reveal your name, but he did mention locating a Mount Shu Sect disciple who inherited the cultivation legacy of the dragons," the emperor said calmly.

You might as well have just said my name—it would've been simpler... Chu Liang thought, feeling a little speechless.

"Hehe." After a brief pause, he chuckled. "It told me that the Dragon Orb wasn't of much use in the palace and asked me to help take it out..."

Seeing his mischievous grin, the emperor couldn't help but shake his head. "Indeed, the dragon orb wasn't of much use. Warrior Yao only kept the Golden Dragon's Orb here to lure out the Golden Dragon."

"Warrior Yao is quite the strategist," Chu Liang remarked as he stepped forward, placing the Golden Dragon Orb on the desk and giving the elder eunuch a thumbs-up.

Yao Dengxian remained silent.

The emperor glanced at Yao Dengxian and, in a tone that seemed to carry a deeper meaning, said, "I don't think it's unreasonable to release this dragon. With the Yu Dynasty's flourishing destiny, divine phoenixes and qilins will fight to safeguard our fate, even if we no longer have the Golden Dragon to suppress the fate of our dynasty. Since the Golden Dragon is still young, there is no need to force it to remain here."

"Your Majesty is wise. I will release it once I return," Yao Dengxian replied, turning his palm to put the Golden Dragon away.

The emperor added, "Just have the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner set it free later on."

Chu Liang glanced between the two of them, sensing an undercurrent of tension.

The emperor's words were true. Suppressing the fate of a dynasty was not a burdensome task; on the contrary, it was a coveted opportunity for a celestial beast.

In ancient times, the old Golden Dragon had claimed this role among many celestial beasts through sheer strength. Since then, as dynasties rose and fell, it had continued to suppress the fate of the dynasty, reaping immense benefits for its cultivation and growing ever stronger.

That was why, even after its fall, it wanted to pass this opportunity on to its offspring.

However, after Yao Dengxian seized the Great Dao from it, the Golden Dragon could no longer leave, even if it wished to.

But with enmity already established, whether the Little Golden Dragon stayed to suppress the dynasty's fate or was directly killed, either outcome would be preferable to letting it go.

With how long the dragons live, there was no guarantee as to whether it might take revenge in the future.

If the court and Yao Dengxian remained united, there was no chance the dragon would be set free—unless some hidden conflict lay between the emperor and Yao Dengxian...

Chu Liang looked at the elder eunuch's humble demeanor and understood. Warrior Yao might not be as submissive behind the scenes as he appeared on the surface.

The matter of seizing the Great Dao of Cloud Dominion and imprisoning the Golden Dragon was bound to spread sooner or later. By then, not only the Golden Dragon but the entire dragon race would harbor hatred toward the Yu Dynasty. Although the dragon race had remained hidden for years, once they gathered, they would still be a formidable force.

It could be said that Yao Dengxian's act of seizing the Great Dao back then had also been an act of creating enemies for the Yu Dynasty. Yet, with his ascension to the eighth realm, his skyrocketing strength, and his steadfast loyalty to the court, the Yu Dynasty had chosen to overlook it.

Now, with Yao Dengxian capturing the Golden Dragon and the emperor ordering its release, all the resulting enmity would fall squarely on Yao Dengxian alone.

If Warrior Yao's loyalty remained unwavering, then making a few enemies would be a small price to pay for a dragon capable of passing down a Great Dao. However, if he harbored ulterior motives, the court could easily sever ties with him if the dragons retaliated in the future.

This move could be considered a subtle warning.

However, Chu Liang was unaware of the deeper intricacies of the situation. The matters of the imperial city were as opaque as deep waters. Whatever conflicts existed between the emperor and Yao Dengxian would undoubtedly remain hidden, fought behind closed doors and never openly revealed. It certainly wasn't his place to intervene, so he simply feigned ignorance.

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, much like Chu Liang, remained composed and detached, keeping his thoughts and expressions carefully guarded, refraining from getting himself involved.

The emperor continued, "Do you know how it escaped?"

"I don't know," Chu Liang replied, shaking his head.

"Someone infiltrated the Dragon-Keeping Pool in the palace, instructed it on how to escape, and told it how to retrieve the Dragon Orb afterward," the emperor said. "The chaos at the Dragon Pool was no coincidence. Someone had planned for it to happen."

"I see."

No wonder. With the Little Golden Dragon's limited intellect, it could never have come up with such a thorough plan on its own. Too bad that even with the plan handed to it, it still failed to execute it properly.

"Do you know who that person is?" the emperor asked suddenly.

Chu Liang blinked and replied, "Her Highness the Imperial Consort?"