emanating a chilling aura, like a fierce tiger lurking in the darkness, ready to devour.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to His Majesty," the burly middle-aged man said, kneeling on one knee respectfully.
"Rise, how is the investigation progressing?" the Emperor asked in a low voice from his desk, his back to the burly man.
The burly man looked up, revealing a stern and handsome face. He cupped his fist and said,
"Your subordinate has investigated thoroughly. Yuwen Tai is hiding in a manor three li from the Imperial Palace."
"Good, take men and apprehend him immediately. There must be no mistakes!" The Emperor stood up abruptly.
His deep voice carried a sharp killing intent. As an emperor, his word was law, and he would not tolerate a rebel like Yuwen Tai acting with impunity.
"The Imperial Palace's defenses are quite stringent. It will be difficult to infiltrate silently," Chu Chen said, standing on the branch of an ancient tree, overlooking the entire palace.
This Imperial Palace occupied a vast area, about five to six li in circumference, with countless magnificent buildings.
Pavilions and towers were connected, with rockeries, flowing water, flowers, and trees, creating a pleasant environment.
"Chu Chen, how should we get in?" Ouyang Jing asked. Chu Chen did not reply, his gaze swept the vicinity, and then he leaped, landing on a tree trunk.
The ancient tree had a dense canopy, with lush foliage. Its trunk was as straight as a sword, and under the shade of the leaves, it was difficult to be discovered.
Moreover, Chu Chen's cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Gathering. Even if patrolling soldiers passed by, they would not detect Chu Chen hidden on the trunk.
Ouyang Jing followed Chu Chen's example, soaring up and landing on a nearby branch.
At this moment, both were dressed in ordinary clothes, making them indistinguishable from noble scions. Due to years of martial arts training, their figures were well-proportioned and robust.
Chu Chen rested his head on his arms, gazing into the distance, and murmured, "Yuwen Tai must know I'm tracking his movements.
He wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal his hiding place to me, so he will choose to evade. This way, the scope of our search has been greatly narrowed."
"You mean he's hiding within the Imperial Palace?" Ouyang Jing asked doubtfully.
"The possibility is very high," Chu Chen nodded, his gaze fixed on the north of the palace, where the Imperial Guards were stationed.
"The Imperial Guards are stationed throughout the palace, and they are a disorganized rabble. It won't be difficult to fool them. Yuwen Tai is likely hiding among them.
After all, he was once the commander of the Imperial Guards and has some influence within their ranks. Our manpower is severely insufficient.
We cannot attack rashly. If we disturb others and cause unnecessary trouble, we can only start with the Imperial Guards..."
As he spoke, Chu Chen looked at Ouyang Jing beside him. "If you trust me, I'll put on a show for you tonight, so you can see how many traitors are still hidden in the palace."
"Of course, I trust you!" Ouyang Jing agreed without hesitation. She had been bored for a long time and was looking for an excuse to cause trouble.
"In that case, I'll go make arrangements first." Chu Chen finished speaking and quickly walked towards the Imperial Guards' camp.
The Imperial Palace was heavily guarded, especially the Emperor's palace, which was of utmost importance. Chu Chen did not dare to get too close.
He stopped a hundred meters away and observed for a moment, then walked over after confirming no one was around.
Chu Chen entered the Imperial Guards' camp. The first thing he noticed were the commanders within the camp, who were usually responsible for the safety of the Imperial Palace.
"Lord Commander," Chu Chen bowed to the commanders, showing great respect.
"Who are you?" one of the commanders asked suspiciously.
"My name is Chu Chen, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial City Guard. I am here to report to you, the commanders, on the clues regarding the assassin," Chu Chen said.
The commanders exchanged glances, their expressions wary as they stared at Chu Chen. "Are you really the Deputy Commander? What proof do you have?"
"I was appointed Deputy Commander by His Majesty. Do I need any further proof?" Chu Chen asked in surprise.
"Hmph, if you are impersonating someone from the Imperial City Guard to frame us, can you bear the consequences?" one commander said coldly.
"Heh heh, I don't have time to argue with you. You want proof, right?" Chu Chen sneered, took out a dragon-patterned jade pendant, and handed it to the commander.
"Open your dog eyes and look carefully. Do you recognize this?"
"This is..." The commander examined it carefully for a long time, his pupils suddenly constricting. "A dragon-patterned jade pendant!"
"That's right, it is the jade pendant bestowed upon me by His Majesty," Chu Chen said proudly. "Do you still think I'm not qualified to be the Deputy Commander?"
"So it is the new Deputy Commander. I apologize for my rudeness." The commander took back the jade pendant and quickly cupped his hands in apology.
Chu Chen glanced at him dismissively. "Do I have the right to mobilize the Imperial Guards now?"
"Please follow me." The commander bowed again and led the way, his heart churning like a stormy sea.
As one of the Emperor's most trusted personal guards, how could he not know what the dragon-patterned jade pendant represented?
It symbolized supreme honor and power!
"No wonder this kid is so arrogant and overbearing. He actually has the dragon-patterned jade pendant. No wonder he's not afraid of our suspicion."
The other commanders sighed in unison, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Chu Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. He had only produced the dragon-patterned jade pendant as a bluff, intending to intimidate the commanders.
Soon, they arrived at a palace on the north side of the Imperial Palace. This palace was very spacious, with Imperial Guards stationed all around.
On the top floor of the palace was where the commanders of the Imperial Guards resided.
"We need to search this sleeping quarters," Chu Chen said indifferently, pointing at the magnificent palace.
"I recall the Imperial Guards have the right to search imperial relatives, officials, and wealthy merchants. You won't stop us, will you?"
"Of course not." The Imperial Guard commander was slightly taken aback. He could tell that Chu Chen's words carried a hint of aggression.
Chu Chen nodded and pushed the door open, walking inside. The Imperial Guard commander frowned and shook his head inwardly.
"This kid is a bit too arrogant. Although he has the identity of the dragon-patterned jade pendant, it's a bit inappropriate to search imperial relatives based on that alone."
However, after a moment's thought, the Imperial Guard commander felt relieved. Perhaps Chu Chen was new and didn't know what imperial relatives represented.
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and follow! If anything goes wrong, we'll be in trouble!" The Imperial Guard commander glared at the other Imperial Guard commanders beside him and reprimanded them.
"Yes, yes, yes. Your subordinate will go immediately!" The commanders quickly followed.
Inside the sleeping quarters, the interior was resplendent and luxuriously decorated.
Chu Chen wandered around the sleeping quarters but found nothing.
"Strange, why is there nothing here?" Chu Chen's brow furrowed. He had expected to find some clues here, but he found nothing.
"Could I have been overthinking it?" Chu Chen murmured. "Never mind, whether there's a spiritual energy fluctuation or not, I must figure this out."