Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 441 Face to Face
My first impression of the trip was the heat.

And it's not just ordinary heat!
It felt as if my whole body had been thrown into a furnace; my skin, bones, and even every cell were being scorched by the flames. It would drive me crazy in just a few seconds.

How could those people from the Evil Suppression Division have endured such torture for decades?
Even amidst this agony, Zhou You felt a chill run down his spine—

Moreover, for some reason, even though his soul was almost burned away, his body was perfectly healthy. The people accompanying him simply saw him standing still for some reason, and then he stopped moving.

Finally, it was Cang Le, whom he knew well, who came over.

"Mr. Zhou, what should we do next?"

However, the moment his hand touched Zhou You's body, he immediately screamed.

"Damn it, it's burning me!!"

Zhou You glared at him fiercely, opened his mouth wide, and exhaled a wisp of black smoke.

"you"

"My hand! Hmm? It seems it's actually okay?"

"You bastard"

"Um, Master Zhou, what are you saying?"

"I told you to give me a push!"

Upon hearing the roar, Cang Le paused for a moment, but still instinctively raised his foot and kicked Zhou You in the buttocks with all his might.

Someone suddenly burst out cursing.

"I didn't fucking tell you to use that much force!"

Despite his insults, he managed to knock the bone into the heart of the Jingguan (a mound of bones).

—That's also a bone, a section of the human spine.

In an instant.

Zhou You could only sense that the karmic fire condensed into a single point, and then suddenly erupted!

The explosion was so violent that even those behind them felt the impact, and for a moment, howls and screams echoed through the courtyard, but they quickly ceased.

It was as if they were being choked, forcibly suppressing all their voices.

Then, right before everyone's eyes.

Suddenly.

A burning bone hand crawled out from the Jingguan (a mound of skulls).

Then came the second one, and the third one.
Like vengeful spirits returning from hell, the skeletons in the temple were pieced together, wrapped in flames, and walked out of them, swaying as they went, and then moved forward.

They didn't shy away from the others, and seemed to have no ill intentions—after decades of torment, their minds had long been destroyed—but judging from the flames that could even burn bricks, the consequences of being touched by them would probably not be good.

However, just then, a sigh was heard.

Unexpectedly, the moving skeletons suddenly stopped.

All the skulls slowly turned and looked at someone.

—That was Zhou You, who was also unable to move.

With their mouths open, hoarse voices rang out in unison.

"--Who are you."

But he didn't finish his sentence.

Then, the mound of skulls collapsed, and flames erupted once more—

This time was different from before; the flames contained no heat, and what was burning was no longer a physical form, but...
This whole world!
--------

When I opened my eyes again, the scenery before me had changed.

The seemingly endless palace walls have vanished, and the burning white bone temple can no longer be seen. All that can be seen is a vast, empty square piled with snow.

And
A magnificent palace that can only be looked up to.

Suddenly, Cang Yue spoke.

"Is this the Hall of Supreme Harmony? We've finally escaped that hellhole?"

Zhou You covered his forehead, seemingly still able to feel the burning sensation, but quickly he took a deep breath and then uttered a sentence to Cang Le.

"You came before?"

Cang Le immediately laughed awkwardly.

"How could I have been here? It's just that everyone knows about it. After all, this palace has stood here for hundreds of years. Although the imperial court has explicitly prohibited it, all sorts of paintings of it have long been circulated throughout the world."

Zhou You nodded ambiguously, but his attention was quickly drawn to the other side.

"Master, and Brother Wei too?"

That's right, it was Old Man Li and Wei Wunian.

At this moment, both groups were also stunned, seemingly unable to figure out what was going on. But soon, the other side also saw this, and Old Man Li took three steps in two and grabbed Zhou You.

"My disciple, did you do this?"

"What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb. We were just wandering around the palace walls, unable to find the exit. How did we suddenly end up here at the Hall of Supreme Harmony?"

After saying that, he turned to Wei Wunian and said.

"Xiao Wei, is it the same where you are?"

Wei Wunian scratched his head, puzzled, and then said.

"We haven't even seen the palace walls yet. We were being chased by a giant beetle, but we've gotten here in the blink of an eye. It's definitely not our doing."

Zhou You frowned.

It seems that the barrier of the palace was burned through, and then they were sent directly to their destination. In fact, not only this group, but also Old Man Li and Wei Wunian were sent over together.

But those people in the Demon Suppression Division had already been tortured to the point of complete madness, and who was it?
Besides, in the scorching heat of karma, can anyone really maintain their rationality?
But before he could come up with an answer, he heard a 'squeak'.

Suddenly.

The gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
It just opened like that.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made everyone look up.

The hall was very dark, seemingly without any lighting, and the swirling incense smoke also concealed all traces of movement.

However, very soon, a stout figure emerged from within.

There were no more doubts, and everyone instinctively gripped their tools.

To be honest, although this group of people is quite capable, they are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. They have never even been to their local prefecture more than a few times in their lives, let alone the imperial palace.

So nobody knows what kind of thing will come out, and we can only be on high alert.

Unexpectedly, the body of the giant did not launch any attack. Instead, after opening the door, it glanced at the square and then shouted weakly.

"Twenty-six civil officials passed through the East Chang'an Gate, and thirty-three military officials passed through the West Chang'an Gate. Their pledges are in order. Open the left and right side gates!"

Everyone was stunned.

After a while, one of the constables or similar people spoke.

"Is this... the procedure for attending court?"

Of course, he was just guessing.

The figure—who now looked like a eunuch—ignored everyone's reactions and continued to shout weakly.

"Open the side gate wide, bow your head and proceed with caution! Anyone who whispers or murmurs will be recorded by the Imperial Censor!"

This time, finally someone realized what was happening.

He glanced at it, then silently made a hand seal. The next moment, a guillotine appeared out of thin air above the eunuch's head, and then slammed down!

There was no resistance, and there was no counterattack.

The eunuch's head rolled to the ground with ease, but even so, his voice continued.

"Please have the Imperial Seals presented by the Imperial Seals Bureau—one Seal of Imperial Mandate and one Seal of the Emperor's Respect for His Parents—to be placed on the east side of the Dragon Table!"

"Three sticks of ambergris incense are offered to the Supreme God of Heaven—we now invite the Holy Ruler to attend court!"

This time, everyone was completely baffled.

Logically, this should be the final hurdle. The Empress Dowager should be on the dragon throne, and everyone is ready for the final battle, just like the common people when they entered the city, and the rainforest within the palace.

but now.
What on earth is going on here?

The leaders looked at each other, but none of them made any rash moves.

But just then, the headless eunuch pulled out a whip from somewhere and shouted.

"The Emperor has arrived! Silence! Sound the whips!"

"What is he doing?"

Seeing that even the constable was silent, Cang Le could only sigh before speaking.

"My lords, this should be the three cracks of the whip, done by the eunuchs of the Imperial Guard. After that, the emperor should have ascended the throne."

Zhou You and Old Man Li glanced at each other and asked in unison.

"How do you know it?"

This time, however, Cang Le simply gave her a disdainful look and then spoke eloquently.

"Haven't you ever heard of storytelling? Putting aside everything else, the story of the prime minister ascending the throne at the Great Front Gate has been told over eighty times. Even if you had to guess, you could probably guess what's going on, right?"

"I haven't seen it."

Seeing Cang Le's disapproving look towards an illiterate person, the two of them fell silent in shame—but soon, Zhou You asked again.

"Then it should be that next batch?"

"I'm not entirely sure either, but I remember it was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial who announced: 'I hereby proclaim this emperor.'"

Sure enough, the head eunuch shouted again.

"I have received the mandate of heaven and rule over all lands—all officials, you may dispense with formalities and proceed to your ranks!"

Looking at the head of the man who had screamed in despair, Zhou You couldn't help but sigh.

"Good heavens, all the work is being done by one person. It seems the Qing court is really in dire straits. By the way, what kind of punishment would we face if we didn't go to court?"

"Refusing to enter the capital is a capital offense, but we're not officials, so what can we do?"

Halfway through his sentence, Cang Le suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky in astonishment.

Zhou You followed his gaze and also tilted his head back.

There were no demons or monsters, but rather...
The snow has started falling again.

Although it was only in this area, the dust filled the sky and was clearly much more intense than the previous time!

"Damn, that's a classic scheme!"

Seeing this, Zhou You, as the leader of the allied forces, could only take a deep breath and speak to the others.

"Since we're already here, we have to brave any danger, whether it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair—but don't let your guard down, that old hag is definitely inside, this is the last battle!"

The others had no other choice but to follow them into the hall.

When passing by the headless eunuch, some people may have found the object too eerie and set it on fire.

However, even as his body gradually turned to charcoal, the eunuch did not put up any resistance. He simply raised his pale face and spoke slowly in a voice that seemed to convey a sense of relief.

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon, you guys."

"They'll be just like me soon."

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Similar to what it looks like from the outside, the room is quite dark inside.

Although electric lights are now commonplace, and the Qing court is said to have acquired some at high prices, there are no lights in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Only a few candles are lit, providing a hazy and unreal glow.

Zhou You found the face very familiar, and it took him a while to realize who it was.

—Isn't this the style of incense and candles from the Black Book Temple?
However, before he could think it through, a voice suddenly called out in the air.

"If there is anything to report, step forward and speak early; otherwise, withdraw from court!"

Everyone looked up at the same time, but no eunuchs or maids could be seen. A thin veil covered the high dragon throne, and only a short figure could be seen sitting behind it in the music room.

—That was the originator of this script, the most famous power holder in the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi.
Zhou You carefully examined the scene—but found nothing unusual. The person behind the curtain had neither three heads and six arms nor any obvious mutations or aberrations, and didn't even have the intimidating aura of the Hidden King.

At first glance, she just looks like a shrunken old lady.

Zhou You gripped Duanxie tightly, somewhat tempted—would it be best to take advantage of the speed of his sword and rush up to cut her down first?

However, someone else acted first.

It was the same guillotine, appearing out of thin air as before, and then slashing downwards again.

Unlike before, the moment the gate closed, the air rippled, and the sharp blade vanished without a trace.

A moment later, a gasp suddenly came from the crowd.

Where is Li Er?

Someone nearby immediately asked.

"what happened?"

The man looked bewildered and just mumbled something.

"Li Er was right next to me just now, but he only made a hand seal, and then he suddenly disappeared."

Zhou You frowned.

Li Er was the nickname of the man who made the move. Zhou You had witnessed his abilities before setting off; although he was somewhat reckless, he was not weak.

Such a master disappeared without a trace.
How did the seemingly powerless Empress Dowager manage to do this?
Zhou You and Old Man Li exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

But this stalemate isn't a solution—after all, who knows how many more tricks the other side has up its sleeve?

However, just as Zhou You drew the Evil-Slaying Sword, preparing to liberate the enemy, and Old Man Li also took out the Soul-Summoning Banner, ready to summon the ruthless one.

On the dragon throne, Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly spoke.

"My beloved ministers, you have finally arrived."

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

First, we don't know who the "beloved minister" she's referring to is; second...
The voice on the dragon throne was clearly not that of an old woman.

To be more precise, it was like a toddler with just turned gray hair pretending to be a little adult, speaking in a clear, crisp voice.

It was extremely eerie.

Seeing the reaction below, the person on the dragon throne continued calmly.

"I have received the memorials submitted by my beloved ministers."

"I have approved most of them, and there is no need for thanks. After all, the court is short of manpower, and most of them are also fighting for the country. But there is only one thing that I am not clear about."

The man on the dragon throne coughed a few times and then spoke.

I'd like to ask you all a question.

"What exactly is this crime of treason?"

(End of this chapter)