Douluo Continent: The Peerless Tang Sect, Angels and Rakshasa Return

Chapter 359 407408—Physics and Principles, you should at least talk about one of them! (Part 1)

"Ah! Recording!"

Tuoba Xi looked terrified, then said jokingly:

"I'm so scared! Hahahaha!"

Tuoba Xi burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and almost unable to straighten up.

"You've got it all out! You don't actually think you're so smart, do you?!" Tuoba Xi chuckled, arms crossed. This time, he no longer hid his mocking tone. He said:

"You think you can control me just because you have a recording? I'm from the Internal Affairs Inspection Department, and I have more than a dozen different identities."

"All my information, except my name, is fake! You send it out in the morning, and by the afternoon I can have a different identity and continue living my life!"

"But you, you've turned your back on your own people, and you still dare to talk to me like that on my turf? Are you out of your mind?!"

"Who said we didn't record anything! Look at this!?"

Just then, a person suddenly stood up in front of a row of desks a few steps away. She pulled out a small soul tool from between the books, and the front of the soul tool was aimed directly at Tuoba Xi's slightly surprised profile.

"Oh my! It's Miss Orange! Although you may not know me, I've actually heard of you before!"

Even with a hint of apprehension in his eyes, Tuoba Xi's face remained gentle with a smile. He lowered his head and sighed, "Does His Majesty know what you've done? If he gets angry, who will avenge you?!"

"What? You're His Majesty's man?!"

Upon hearing that Xu Tianran was behind Tuoba Xi, Ju Zi's face stiffened, and her hand holding the recording soul tool trembled slightly.

"Within this land, all are subjects of the king! Without His Majesty's support, how could our Internal Affairs Inspection Department, a department that offends so many people, have thrived so successfully?"

Tuoba Xi walked over to Ju Zi, patted her shoulder meaningfully, snatched the recording soul tool from her hand, and said softly, "You've been too far removed from the center of power lately!"

"Just a friendly reminder: as His Majesty and the Empress's henchman, you should act like one. I advise you to recognize your place!"

"Come out when you've made up your mind. I'll be waiting for you at the door!"

After speaking, Tuoba Xi left with the recording soul tool as if no one else was there, leaving Huo Zhongxian standing there helplessly, looking at Ju Zi who was staring blankly with her head down, wanting to say something but not saying anything.

"Yuhao, I'm sorry, I can't help you anymore."

Warm tears fell to the ground, splashing up a few tiny droplets, and Huo Zhongxian's heart seemed to sink as well.

In his mind, oranges have always been a mystery, very enigmatic.

Only today, when he heard those meaningful words from Tuoba Xi, did he begin to understand.

Despite her tragic past, she already had a powerful backer, but unfortunately, it's impossible for Orange's backer to be friendly to Shrek.

"I'm leaving. The next time we meet, we might be enemies!"

At this point, Ju Zi stopped speaking. Every word she uttered was deeply imprinted in Huo Zhongxian's heart.

In the afternoon, Huo Yuhao, who was still busy in the lab, received a message from Keke: Ju Zi had dropped out of school and her whereabouts were unknown.

Despite being prepared, he still stood there in a daze for nearly fifteen minutes before gradually recovering.

"What's wrong with you?! Where do you think Sister Orange went?" Ke Ke asked, looking puzzled. Huo Yuhao shook his head and said:

"I don't know. But she's probably working hard for her ideals."

A few days later, news of the surprise attack and heavy losses suffered by Mingdetang had spread throughout the mainland.

Although the Sun Moon Empire has not officially stated who did it, the fact that Mingde Hall immediately issued a kill order against the Body Sect reveals their target.

The entire continent was shaken. All three kingdoms that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent applauded with joy.

Although they didn't know the extent of Mingdetang's losses, it was definitely a good thing for them!

However, the emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire did not react particularly strongly to this.

On the surface, Mingde Hall's headmaster, Jing Hongchen, was severely punished, and his dukedom was stripped.

But all of this was just a show put on by Jing Hongchen and Qian Renxue to cover their tracks.

Qian Renxue is willing to fulfill all the reconstruction needs of Mingde Hall and guarantee Jing Hongchen's position as the hall master.

Jing Hongchen was naturally happy to give face to His Majesty the Emperor and kindly granted the Empress some privileges, allowing Qian Lingyun to enter Mingde Hall's super warehouse to retrieve some special items under certain circumstances!

Following the attack on Mingde Hall, the price of high-level soul tools on the mainland plummeted, while the price of rare metals surged.

In no time, various rumors and speculations spread like wildfire.

The Body Sect did not remain silent. Instead, it immediately issued a strong condemnation in the Heavenly Soul Empire, accusing the Mingde Hall of issuing a kill order against them without distinguishing right from wrong.

They also firmly stated that this matter had nothing to do with the Body Sect. Anyone who dared to retaliate would bear the consequences.

Regardless of whether the Body Sect acknowledges it or not, after this incident, the Body Sect's status on the continent soared dramatically, subtly surpassing Shrek Academy and Mingde Hall, and it began to resemble the number one power on the continent.

In the central council hall of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial city, during the morning court session, several nobles who were at odds with Jing Hongchen seized the opportunity to launch an attack on him:

"Your Majesty, Mingde Hall was attacked, and not only did Hall Master Hongchen fail to report it immediately, but he deliberately concealed the matter! I believe that Hall Master Hongchen is no longer suitable to sit in this important position!"

"I already knew about this! You just didn't know it!" Qian Renxue leaned back on the dragon throne expressionlessly and waved her hand.

"As for concealing the truth, that was just a tactic the Empress used to avoid alerting the spies. Look, haven't we caught quite a few spies recently?"

"The losses suffered by Mingde Hall are enormous and appalling. The Hongchen Hall Master cannot escape responsibility for this oversight!"

Another person stepped out from the crowd and began to reprimand several 'little tails' in the mortal world who would normally not be considered crimes.

It seems that if Jing Hongchen is not severely punished, it will be difficult to convince the public.

Jing Hongchen remained silent throughout, simply observing this group of clowns dressed as monkeys, thinking to himself:

You little brats! Do you even understand the damn sense of security that comes from relying on His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress?!

"So, if I remove the head of the Red Dust Hall, will you take over as the head of the Bright Virtue Hall?" Qian Renxue glared coldly at the clown—no, the courtier—and said with displeasure:

"There's always been the saying 'a thousand days of thievery,' not 'a thousand days of guarding against thieves.' The Sect Master of the Body Sect, a level 98 Title Douluo, disregarded his reputation and personally attacked. What level can you possibly reach?"

Having said all that, Jing Hongchen seized the opportunity to strike at the snake stick. He first feigned retreat, shedding a few tears, then choked out:

"I am incompetent and have truly failed Your Majesty's trust. The villains of the Body Sect have caused such great damage to my Mingde Hall. I am guilty even if I die ten thousand times."

"Now it seems I'm no longer qualified to be the head of Mingde Hall!"

With that, Jing Hongchen turned around and coldly said to the troublemaker who had been causing him trouble, "In my humble opinion, Lord Wang is eloquent and persuasive. If he were to become the head of this hall, he would surely be able to make Mingde Hall surpass Shrek Academy in one fell swoop!"

"Oh, this!"

Under the mocking gazes of his colleagues, Lord Wang lowered his head tremblingly.

Although Jing Hongchen's personality is not very likable, his abilities are indeed widely recognized.

The fact that he could single-handedly subdue so many aloof and arrogant high-level soul masters in Mingde Hall is enough to describe him as a capable minister!

Qian Renxue's lips curled into a smile as she said, "It seems no one feels more suitable for the position of Hall Master of Mingde Hall than Hall Master Hongchen. Let's not bring this up again!"

"Instead of wasting your energy on internal strife, why don't you think about what to do with the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Body Sect?"

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I have a way to get the Heavenly Soul Empire to 'voluntarily' compensate Mingde Hall for its losses!"

Seeing that the time was ripe, Qian Lingyun slowly walked in from outside the palace. Qian Renxue, sitting on the dragon throne, paused slightly, frowned, and said, "If the Empress has any ideas, she can simply speak them out!"

"It's very simple!" Qian Lingyun raised her right hand and rubbed her temples, saying calmly, "All I need to do is make a trip to the Heavenly Soul Empire!"

"Pfft!" Someone scoffed, but in the eyes of the court officials, Qian Lingyun's idea was nothing short of a pipe dream!

If Qian Lingyun's visit could force the Heavenly Soul Empire to pay her back, they would lick the palace floor tiles clean...

"Your Majesty is being far too idealistic. Right now, the Body Sect and the Heavenly Soul Empire are probably in cahoots. How could they possibly be so obedient as to offer compensation?"

The finance minister looked at Qian Lingyun with a rather sarcastic expression and said mischievously:

"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty should worry less about this and more about how to give His Majesty an heir as soon as possible! That would be more important to ensure the continuation of the royal family!"

"Silence! I think the Empress's method is worth a try!"

The doting husband Qian Renxue raised her hand to stop the ministers' sarcastic remarks, encouraging them, "Prepare whatever you need yourself! I believe in you!"

"Then I shall take my leave!" Qian Lingyun bowed and turned to leave the main hall.

After the morning court session ended, the ministers left the imperial city in twos and threes. Judging from their expressions, they seemed to find Qian Lingyun's showy behavior quite distasteful.

"You guys think... His Majesty really just goes along with the Empress like that? The Heavenly Soul Empire will have to pay compensation! That's impossible!"

"Perhaps the Empress has some way out!" Another minister said, spreading his hands in reassurance. "No matter what, she is still the Empress of the country. At the very least, she will be able to meet with Tianhun."

Upon hearing this, the Finance Minister scoffed dismissively, sighed, and shook his head, saying:

"If she can make the Heavenly Soul Empire pay me back, I'll lick the floor of the palace clean with my tongue!"

Hearing this, Yuma could no longer hold back. She shoved aside the ministers blocking her way, half-jokingly and half-threateningly grabbed the finance minister by the back of the neck, and coldly snorted:

"I've noted this down for my daughter. If you dare to renege on your debt, I'll roll your entire family's heads like soccer balls throughout the entire capital!"

After speaking, Yuma, with her gloomy face that seemed to drip water, found Qian Lingyun in the harem garden, who was researching level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells.

"What are you doing with that thing in the palace? Aren't you afraid it'll explode?" Yuma glanced at the long, thin shell with considerable apprehension and asked Qian Lingyun about her compensation plan in a low voice.

"You're asking about this? It's simple. I'll go into the Heavenly Soul Palace, hold this thing, and force them to pay me. If they don't pay, I'll detonate it!"

Qian Lingyun turned around unconcerned and continued tinkering with the level nine fixed-position soul-guided shell, whose main characteristic was high explosiveness.

Yuma had anticipated Qian Lingyun's eccentricities, but was such a simple and crude plan really okay?

That night, Qian Lingyun and Yuma set off under a sky full of stars, and arrived at Tiandou City, the capital of the Tianhun Empire, the next day.

Based on the usual guidelines for envoys traveling to other countries:

First, they had to go to the post station, find the person in charge, and then explain their identities and hand over their visiting cards and other documents.

It wasn't until the post station manager reported it up the chain of command that it finally reached the emperor.

Upon reading the visiting card, the Emperor assessed the urgency of the matter and left with the comment: "Hmm, this requires a meeting. You, so-and-so, go and arrange a time, inform them that I'll be waiting for them at such-and-such place," and so on...

If the emperor feels there's no need to see you or wants to leave you hanging, he'll leave a message saying, "Let him stay here for now. I'm busy lately, and I'll let him know when I have time."

In fact, emperors are either busy with state affairs or have many concubines, so how could they possibly think about when they need to see someone they have rejected?

Therefore, Qian Lingyun skipped contacting the person in charge of the post station and instead went through the higher-ups in the notification chain to reduce wasted time!

After having lunch in Tiandou City, Yuma, who had visited Tiandou City in previous years, used her connections to find out some information. Then, she and Qian Lingyun "amiably" found a minister who could speak to the Emperor of Tianhun.

"I am a duke of the Sun Moon Empire, and this is the Empress of the Sun Moon Empire. We have come specifically to pay our respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Heavenly Soul Empire! Please inform him of our arrival!"

"Huh? It wasn't an assassination attempt! Alright, alright! Let's talk this out, put down your knife! We'll talk slowly..." The minister of the Heavenly Soul Empire stared dumbfounded at the guards lying all around him, and nodded, barely suppressing his guilt.

As evening fell, the mother and daughter received a reply from the emperor of the Heavenly Soul Empire from the minister:

The emperor of the Heavenly Soul Empire will meet with them at the morning court session tomorrow.

"Knowing our identities, yet not even sending a close advisor to check on us, either he's backed by the Body Sect and is arrogant, or he thinks we're swindlers!" Yuma glanced at the minister expressionlessly and waved him away.

"If they think we're scammers, we probably won't get a reply, we'll be besieged!" Qian Lingyun smiled faintly, gazing at the setting sun outside the window.

"This is an attempt to intimidate us!"

"Should we use force first and then diplomacy, or diplomacy first and then force?!" Yuma asked suddenly as she lay down on the bed in the inn.

"Well..." Qian Lingyun crossed her arms and said in a deep voice, "Adapt to the situation!"

At dawn the following day, a pair of fully armed soldiers from the Heavenly Soul Empire knocked on the mother and daughter's door: "Gentlemen, His Majesty requests your presence!"

With a creak, the door opened, and Qian Lingyun poked her head out, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and asked indistinctly, "Seriously! Do you have court sessions so early here?"

"right!"

The guide soldier spoke concisely and to the point.

"Wait for me to change my clothes!"

After closing the door, Qian Lingyun shook Yuma awake, who was still taking her beauty nap, and mumbled, "Mom, get up! They're having their morning court session!"

"Ha! What did you say? Court? What time is it?! Court now? Don't the people of the Heavenly Soul Empire get any sleep?"

Yuma sprang up from the bed and looked out at the pitch-black sky, feeling a pang of pity for the ministers of the Heavenly Soul Empire.

(End of this chapter)