Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 281 Emperor's Sacrifice
"you……"

Facing this vampire who has lived for over a thousand years, their status and level of existence are beyond imagination.

Theoretically, she was already unconscious, yet she knelt down before him.

Han Su was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond. Should he say "Rise"?
Just as countless thoughts were flashing through his mind, he saw the old vampire suddenly raise his head. His gaze was somewhat strange. Instead of looking at Han Su, he scanned the surrounding night sky, as if chasing after something. After a while, his gaze quickly lost focus.

She slowly got up and fell into a state of self-isolation again, simply standing there quietly.

"What's going on here?"

"Wasn't it supposed to be paying tribute to the great emperor? How come you started showing disrespect halfway through?"

"..."

This unusual behavior startled Han Su. After sensing the changes around him, he suddenly realized what was happening.

This old vampire wasn't bowing to me.

She was paying homage to the fishermen's chant, or rather, to some kind of power activated by the fishermen's chant.

After reciting the fisherman's chant, one can activate a certain power. It is this power that deprives the old count of the right to communicate directly with the world. When this old vampire arrived here, this mysterious power had not completely dissipated, so she, driven only by instinct, came directly in front of him without any discernment and performed some ancient ritual based on instinct.

However, by the time she bowed, this mysterious power had almost dissipated, and her activated instincts also vanished.

So, what exactly was the relationship between the emperor and these nobles?
Why did the old count show such fear, yet the old vampire show such awe?

In theory, shouldn't they be a unified entity and have the same attitude towards the emperor?

"Hello..."

In the somewhat unsettling silence, Lu Neng landed and hurriedly took off his parachute and ran over.

As if afraid that something had been stolen from her, she stared at the vampire for a while, and only felt slightly relieved when she returned to normal.

But the look in her eyes as she looked at Han Su was still a little strange: "When did you start having an affair with my girlfriend?"

"What's this mess?"

Han Su was speechless for a moment, and countless questions arose in his mind.

Of course, Wei Lan, Lü Xiaoba, and Lu Neng were also looking at him with questions in their eyes.

The old count was almost driven mad by fear, and so were they.

For example, most importantly, what about the emperor?

"Take him with you, we still have a lot to do!"

Han Su didn't have time to think much. He immediately told Lü Xiaoba, then looked up and scanned the night sky, sensing an unusual fluctuation of spiritual power approaching.

He knew perfectly well that the old count had made too much of a commotion in his escape, and the people of Giant Horn City would certainly notice the changes here.

More importantly, he sensed an unusual tremor from this mental fluctuation.

That trembling sound was somewhat like the sound of horses' hooves; were the itinerant knights arriving?

"Gentlemen, it's time to begin the final attempt."

He took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and said, "We have a few things to do before the traveling knights arrive."

"The first step is information exchange!"

"Has anyone obtained information on the previous heir to the Fengrang dynasty?"

Wei Lan glanced at Lu Neng, and seeing that he didn't react, she held out her hand to Han Su: "I have some here."

“Miss Fati doesn’t actually want me to help this old count escape; she wants to use me to kill him.”

"So before leaving the city, I had already reached a cooperation agreement with her. She had left this information in my mental world in an encrypted way. As long as the old count dies, the information will be automatically decrypted. Now I can say that I have completed my mission and the information has been decrypted."

"..."

'Miss Wei Lan is really reliable...'

Han Su thought to himself that perhaps he should rescue a few more girls later, since they were so thoughtful.

Unlike the men we're rescuing now, all they know is fighting and killing.

Reaching out to shake hands with Wei Lan, the information was transmitted into his spiritual world, waiting only for him to calm down and interpret it.

Upon hearing Han Su's words, Lu Neng suddenly looked up and asked, "Where will we go when you come out of the castle again?"

"If we go back to our original life path, will we have lost everything we had on that path?"

"..."

Han Su nodded: "Theoretically, that's true. You can refer to my life path; all traces of me in Qinggang have been removed."

"However, this box in my hand can carry things from different life paths with me..."

"As for where to go, I can only say that I am not entirely sure yet, but I will try my best to return to the original timeline."

"..."

Lu Neng immediately took off his glasses and pocket watch and handed them to Han Su: "Then help me take these back. These are both good things, and we can't just lose them like this."

"..."

Han Su took it and said, "You've thought of this very carefully."

Lu Neng was still somewhat unwilling. He glanced at Miss Ariana, who was standing to the side, and then at Han Su's briefcase.

Suddenly he asked, "Can my girlfriend go in?"

Han Su's gaze towards him suddenly became somewhat strange.

Lu Neng knew this wasn't very reliable. After thinking for a moment, he turned his gaze to Miss Ariane's bare feet and said:

"What if we just chop off the foot and put it in the box?"

Now Wei Lan and Lü Xiaoba looked at him with a strange expression.

Lu Neng scratched his head: "Okay, okay, I know it's not easy to do preservation treatment in a short time..."

After much deliberation, he took out the last syringe and solemnly handed it over:

"Make sure you keep this for me. I'm pretty sure this thing can have a very noticeable effect on her..."

"..."

"Perhaps it's only temporary..."

Han Su thought to herself: Although the medicine was proven to be effective, it was because so many of them entered her body at the same time.

Over time, her own mental strength will dilute the pheromones in these potions, and they may no longer be effective.

However, keeping it around is fine, since the old vampire's keen sense of the power of the fishermen's chants has indeed piqued Han Su's curiosity about their relationship with the emperor. If given the chance, the vampire's tests alone would be a topic worth studying.

While taking the injection, he asked Wei Lan, "Where is Rong Qiyue?"

While Han Su and Lu Neng were talking, Wei Lan had already exchanged information with Rong Qiyue, saying, "He is in Giant Horn City."

"It seems he has already obtained quite a few good things, but he knows that once he leaves, these things will probably not be kept, so he is trying to transfer useful information into his brain. The transfer has only just begun, so let's not worry about him."

Han Su nodded: "Then he doesn't need to come and meet us. He can stay in the city and record the movements of the patrolling knights for us."

"Now, the last question needs to be considered..."

He paused slightly, then said in a low voice, "In the Battle of Qinggang, the greatest enemy was the patrolling knights."

"We need to understand these enemies and assess our distance from them. Gentlemen, don't you think this is a good opportunity?"

"..."

Wei Lan and the others understood his idea, but they also felt it was a bit bold and took a deep breath:
"Should we just take action?"

Han Su nodded slightly and said, "After all, on this life's journey, we can't take anything with us except our own memories, knowledge, and experience, including death. More importantly, I can sense that they are already heading towards us."

"In other words, at this point, we actually have no way to escape!"

"Instead of doing useless work, it's better to get closer..."

"..."

Wei Lan let out a soft breath, exchanged a glance with Lu Neng, nodded slightly, and said, "That's true."

Lu Neng also seemed to be thinking: "Reconnaissance is a must, as is testing the security forces..."

Listening to their serious expressions as they spoke, Lü Xiaoba couldn't hold back any longer: "What are you talking about?"

"If you're leaving and can't take it with you, where are you going?"

"..."

Han Su wanted to explain, but after opening his mouth, he suddenly realized it was difficult to explain, so he could only say, "You'll know once you experience it."

"Now..."

He turned to the old count, who had completely given up resistance, and whispered, "Since that's the case, then we won't run away. I'll conduct this experiment right here, and then wait for them to come!"

"..."

As he spoke, he gently placed the suitcase on the ground, revealing two mechanical fragments inside.

Seeing this, the others quickly dispersed and formed a circle around Han Su.

Wei Lan raised his hand, and simple protective arrays formed by mirrors appeared around him, like an eerie altar in the night.

……

"Has something happened to the old count?"

The people of Giant Horn City and William, the vampire nephew of Skinner Manor, also realized at the same time that something was wrong.

The two sides were fighting to the death, but at the height of their battle, they felt a violent mental shock.

Both sides stopped fighting at the same time and looked urgently towards the cannibalistic forest. They could vaguely hear the old count's fearful and indistinct cries hidden within the turbulent mental storm.

They realized something was wrong at the same time, abandoned their opponents, and rushed in this direction.

A vague premonition arose in my heart: "Wrong, all of it is wrong..."

"We're locked in a life-or-death struggle, but it seems there really is a hidden and terrifying enemy in this wilderness?"

"..."

The surrounding area was in turmoil, and the forces of Giant Horn City and Skinning Manor were mobilized simultaneously, rushing to the scene.

But in this turmoil, the faint sound of horses' hooves began to echo from all around, growing louder as they approached. The sound was not real; only those with a mental activity level of 70% or higher could hear it, as if it were a hallucination.

But upon hearing the sound of hooves, a deep fear appeared on everyone's face:
"It's the sound of Nightmare Horse's hooves..."

"The patrol knights have arrived..."

"..."

Even more people with over 80% mental alertness recognized that the sound of horses' hooves was coming from all directions simultaneously, and their faces turned deathly pale.
"They came from three directions, and before they even showed themselves, they had already occupied the blocking positions..."

"Is this because they're afraid we'll escape?"

"..."

Knowing that the matter of the Abundant Forest could no longer be hidden and would inevitably be discovered, the only question now was what kind of outcome they would face.

The way the itinerant knights appeared has now yielded a terrifying result.

If the intention was not to detain everyone present, then why lock up the Great Horned City before even showing up?
Harboring this same fear, in Giant Horn City, the investigator Via, the fifth secretary of Giant Horn City, the head of the Black Goat project, several key members, and the investors behind the scenes all despaired and accepted reality, without attempting to escape.

They walked out of the building together, came to the empty intersection, and looked up to the west.

Looking out along the empty road, all you can see is a dark night sky.

And in the night sky, it seemed as if something was running.

The clattering of hooves grew more frequent and clearer.

In the blink of an eye, they had rushed into the city from hundreds of kilometers away.

But still, no shadow could be seen; only vast expanses of darkness could be seen flowing and approaching.

Wherever it went, the streetlights on both sides of the road and the lights in the buildings went out in large sections, and the city began to sink into darkness.

But darkness also has layers. They could discern that in the rapidly approaching darkness, horses covered in tentacles were vaguely visible, galloping in with endless night. Where darkness enveloped, all ordinary people seemed to suddenly crash. No matter what they were doing, they suddenly lost consciousness, their heads tilted to the side, and their hands fell limply to their sides.

The impact came extremely quickly, and even after entering the city, it did not slow down at all.

In the blink of an eye, it had already run across most of the city and was rushing towards them like a nightmare.

"Giant Horn City is guilty of secretly researching the Abundance Vessel, but we..."

The fifth secretary of Giant Horn City couldn't help but step forward, first confessing his guilt, and then loudly expressing his resentment.

But nobody listens!
The other party didn't even look at them directly.

He rushed forward, waved his hand, and instantly the rolling darkness swept in, the violent impact overwhelming everything.

Those who had voluntarily stood at the crossroads, awaiting the judgment of the patrolling knights, were smashed to pieces before they could even utter a complete sentence.

Their bodies and minds, along with the doubts and questions in their hearts, vanished simultaneously.

Only the investigator, Via, because of his identity, had to stand to the side of this group, thus avoiding being directly hit. He was only caught in the aftershock, but even this aftershock had a terrifying impact. The spiritual power around him was devoured, his bones shattered, and he was out of control. He flew all the way to the building next to him before falling down like a kite with a broken string.

When he landed, he was barely clinging to life. He watched as the patrolling knights didn't even turn their heads and flew straight through the city. Even when they passed the projection of the lush forest, they didn't stop at all, as if they couldn't see it, and flew straight past them.

He suddenly realized that the traveling knight had not come to find them at all; he was just passing through.

So, who exactly is it that deserves such a big show of force from them?
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, under the cover of night, deep and clear hoofbeats came from three different directions, carrying the rolling darkness, pointing straight towards the cannibalistic forest about ten kilometers away from Skinning Manor. The air around them was compressed, and the density inside began to increase continuously, forming a mushroom cloud that squeezed into the sky.

"Warning! Warning!"

They sensed something; strange machines began to appear on their bodies, emitting unbearably sharp warning sounds:
"Please immediately cease all sacrificial rites to the emperor!"

"You are violating the Omiral Defense Agreement. Please immediately cease your sacrificial rites to the Emperor!"

"..."

"..."

"Come so fast?"

Feeling the immense power approaching like a storm, Wei Lan's expression changed slightly.

She had thought things through carefully and had set up mirror defenses in advance to protect the surrounding area.

Unexpectedly, before the patrolling knights even got close, the immense pressure alone destroyed all the lenses.

"These guys are fucking..."

Lu Xiaoba also realized that the newcomers were up to no good. As soon as he noticed them, he frowned and immediately rolled up his sleeves.

But the next moment, as the immense pressure drew near, his eyebrows twitched, and he lowered his rolled-up sleeves.

He exclaimed in surprise to Han Su, "This thing is really no match for us!"

Lu Neng glanced at him and said, "I thought you'd dare to hit anyone!"

Lu Xiaoba glared at him angrily: "Say that again and I'll beat you up, you believe me?"

Lu Neng immediately took a step back, but his expression remained arrogant as he said, "I'll pick one to fight later, who's afraid of who's a dog!"

Lu Xiaoba's eyebrows were starting to get a little out of control.

"Are they worried about the old count's life?"

Han Su also realized that the patrolling knights were unusually nervous. He glanced at the old count, but quickly dismissed the idea.

It has nothing to do with the old count. It must be that when the old count was desperately fleeing, he must have leaked some clues, which led these traveling knights to guess a certain possibility.

So, were these nobles so nervous about the "emperor"?

Looking down again, he saw the old count being held in his hand, with several friends standing around him, and the night all around was as dark as ink.

It does really have that mysterious organization vibe, doesn't it?
But a resolute thought formed in his mind: the more tense the patrolling knights were, the more it proved that what he was doing was right...

He opened his right hand, and bronze blood flew up, transforming into a sharp blade, which he used to slash the neck of the old count he was holding.

Blood dripped down, flowing in large swathes into the box.

The mechanical fragment number 2, which had remained silent ever since it fell into his hands, suddenly began to tick.

With the seepage of blood, it began to operate eerily, one step at a time, each sound like a lump in the heart.

"Everyone, get ready..."

With his gaze fixed on the mechanical fragment that had clearly changed, Han Su spoke in a low voice.

Wei Lan nodded slightly, his fingers loosely clenched, and said, "Then I'll go in this direction!"

Lu Neng immediately grasped the old vampire's hand, stared in another direction, and, instead of leaving, deliberately said, "Just a patrol knight, no one's going to back down, right?"

"..."

Lu Xiaoba's eyes were practically fixed on Wei Lan and Lu Neng's nonchalant expressions. He wanted to say something, but then bit his lip.

Although he gritted his teeth, looked around, grabbed a stone from the side, and held it in his hand, he said with a stiff neck:
You guys choose first, the rest are mine!

"..."

"This……"

Even Han Su, whose mind was completely focused on the mechanical fragments, was somewhat bewildered.

Others dare to take on the challenge because they know what they're doing, but this guy is just incredibly stubborn!

But Lu Neng, this guy, is he really not afraid that in the next life, he'll be beaten to a pulp by Lu Neng for dumping him like this?
(End of this chapter)