Douluo Dalu: The Eyes That Defy Fate

Chapter 224 Palace Affairs Concluded
Xu Tianran never expected that there would still be people in the palace, which he had arranged for spies to clear out long ago.

At the same time, he was quite certain that such an unfamiliar voice did not match any of the worshippers or ministers in his memory.

Moreover, judging from his words, this unfamiliar powerful figure seemed to have been watching his every move from beginning to end.

This made Xu Tianran subconsciously suspect that the person who spoke might be a powerful figure that his father had secretly recruited.
No, if that were the case, this powerful stranger wouldn't have stood by and watched my father be poisoned to death.

In an instant, numerous speculations flashed through Xu Tianran's mind.

But no matter what, his actions have already been discovered by a third person. In that case, this person either needs to be won over, or he has no choice but to die!

With the strong willpower he had cultivated through years of forbearance, Xu Tianran forcibly suppressed his extremely complicated thoughts.

Then, abandoning his previous madness and ruthlessness, he instinctively adopted a humble and respectful attitude, raising his head and speaking loudly:
"Senior, please come out and see me. There must be some misunderstanding here. If you have any requests, I will certainly grant them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Tianran waited expectantly for a response while subtly signaling to Xue Chen to prepare to make a move.

Looking down at Xu Tianran, who looked like a clown, Lin Po remained seated on the main beam without moving an inch.

Just kidding, he really has no intention of showing up in public.

The reason for staying here was simply to monitor Xu Tianran and, incidentally, to record the entire process of Xu Tianran's murder of the emperor and father, using it as evidence.

In this way, Kong Deming could more legitimately recommend Zhang Lexuan to ascend the throne as Empress.

Lin Po knew very well that in this situation, the only person in the entire Sun Moon Empire who could stand up was Kong Deming; no one else could do it.

The teasing he made just now was also to buy Kong Deming, who was still on his way here, a few minutes.

As for Xu Tianran's ridiculous reaction, it suited Lin Po's wishes.

I'm not afraid he'll stay in the palace; I'm afraid he'll foolishly think of a way to leave the crime scene.

So, for the next few minutes, Xu Tianran maintained what he considered a friendly smile, sitting there motionless, waiting for the 'mysterious man's' response.

However, it was this action that caused Xu Tianran to lose his only, and last, chance to escape.

In an instant, Xue Chen's expression changed drastically. Before she could explain why, she grabbed Xu Tianran by the back of the neck and tried to break through the roof to escape the palace.

He reacted quickly and acted swiftly.

If it were someone else, they might actually have been able to get Xue Chen and Xu Tianran to leave successfully.

But the visitor was Kong Deming. Xue Chen, a mere level 94 ordinary level 9 Soul Master, how could he possibly be a match for a level 96 near-level 10 Soul Master?

Thus, in Xue Chen's despairing gaze, the 'Silver Moon Divine Light Shield' descended from the sky, covering most of the palace and almost completely blocking all his paths.

The next second, more than a dozen silver-white beams of light shot down rapidly, and Xue Chen, who had no power to resist, was instantly severely injured.

He lay on the ground, barely alive.

The sudden turn of events left Xu Tianran somewhat bewildered.

But the familiar yet unfamiliar soul tool in mid-air made him immediately realize what had happened.

What's that old geezer doing here?! Didn't the scouts say he was in seclusion?! What are those idiots doing?!

Little did Xu Tianran know that his intelligence system, which he was so proud of, had long been secretly taken over by Zhongli Wu's people.

The one in control now is none other than Feng Ling, the vice leader of the Holy Spirit Sect, who was transferred back from Xingluo City by Zhongli Wu long ago.

Having no time to ponder the intelligence personnel's major oversight, Xu Tianran, still under the pressure of the near-level ten soul tool, forced a smile and feigned confusion as he asked the old man who was coldly watching him from above.

"Master Kong, what brings you here so late at night?"

After saying that, Xu Tianran stared intently at Kong Deming, trying to find a loophole in his expression to use as a bargaining chip for his own survival.

But how could the shrewd and experienced Kong Deming give him this opportunity? With a cold expression, he secretly took the recording soul guide that Lin Po handed over from behind.

With this, the final piece of the puzzle for Zhang Lexuan's smooth ascension to the throne was complete.

The short recording of just over ten minutes in his hand was enough to shut most of the Sun Moon Nobles' mouths; as for those that couldn't be shut, many would probably want to devour them. Kong Deming glanced at the recording in the soul tool, completely letting go of his last bit of resentment, and then coldly rebuked:

"Hmph! If the Emperor hadn't discovered your wolfish ambitions early on and had me place a recording soul-guided device in his palace, he probably wouldn't have died in peace!"

The cold words immediately startled Xu Tianran; something unexpected had happened again.

A recording soul-guided device? When was it placed in the palace?
How could the crown prince not know this!
However, Xu Tianran also understood Kong Deming's extremely rigid personality; he simply wouldn't stoop to lying about such things.

Meanwhile, without Lin Po and others deliberately suppressing it, the commotion in the palace had already spread throughout the entire Ming capital.

The main reason is that the huge silver light shield in mid-air is so conspicuous that it is impossible to ignore.

Therefore, apart from the part that Jing Hongchen and Wuyun cleared, all the forces, big and small, in Mingdu sent people to investigate the situation.

Furthermore, they heard every single word of Kong Deming's angry rebuke of the Crown Prince Xu Tianran.

So much so that, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xu Tianran could only cling to the last shred of hope and feign grievance and anger as he began to roar loudly.

"Master Kong, I respect you as my elder, but that doesn't mean you can slander me at will!"

Seeing this, Lin Po almost burst out laughing on the spot. If he hadn't witnessed the whole thing, he would have been fooled by Xu Tianran's acting skills.

Indeed, a significant portion of the onlookers believed that even if Kong Deming was the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire, he could not humiliate the crown prince in this way.

Just as the discussion reached its peak, Kong Deming smiled coldly and casually tossed out a dozen or so newly made replicas of the video recording soul guides.

And so, Xu Tianran's astonishing feat was broadcast to the public in front of him, to his horrified gaze.

From entering the hall to the conversation between father and son, even Xu Tianran's subtle hints to Xue Chen were captured on camera.

A dozen minutes later, the video ended with a burst of laughter, and the entire palace fell silent.

Faced with this irrefutable video evidence, Xu Tianran knew that all was lost, and even his survival tonight was in question.

He wanted to escape, but the more than ten level-nine soul masters from the Hall of Worship who were stationed in the palace had all gathered, leaving him no room to escape.

Moreover, there was a 'Silver Moon Divine Light Shield' covering the sky. As the crown prince of a country, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the terrifying power of this soul tool.

In utter despair, Xu Tianran's rationality collapsed completely in an instant, and he slumped to the ground, no longer displaying the spirited demeanor he had in the video.

"I am the Crown Prince! How dare you treat me like this! Kong Deming, you are nothing but a dog kept by the royal family, how dare you treat me like this?!"

The barely perceptible sound was so clear in the deathly silent palace that it inevitably evoked a sense of shared sorrow in everyone present.

They knew that the fate of the Sun and Moon Empire was about to change!

Seeing that the farce was over, Kong Deming withdrew the 'Silver Moon Divine Light Shield' and left the Mingdu Imperial Palace without looking back.

Seeing this, the many worshippers couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment. As the most senior and powerful person present, and also possessing royal blood, no one was more suitable to preside over the event than Kong Deming.

But now that old man has left without a word, who would dare to step forward and steal the limelight?

Just when everyone was at a loss, Kong Deming's voice finally came from afar.

"Pass down the order! In my capacity as the Sun and Moon Imperial Family, I hereby command that all ministers attend court tomorrow morning without fail! I will be present at this court assembly!"

"Furthermore, former Crown Prince Xu Tianran committed the crimes of murdering the emperor and killing his father, which are unforgivable. He will be imprisoned for the time being and dealt with later!"

"Snow Dust, kill!"

Ye Yulin and many other level-nine soul masters were delighted and immediately responded loudly without hesitation.

"Yes! We will obey the High Priest's command!"

Ye Yulin then personally carried the still-mad Xu Tianran away from the half-dead Xue Chen, and the others also dispersed.

Only a small number of Soul Masters who were not from Kong Deming's lineage remained in place, lost in deep thought.

(End of this chapter)