Purple Pole City, Hall of Supreme Polarity.
Jiang Chengwan sat high on the dragon throne, with a few inexperienced palace maids on either side fanning her with feather fans. The pearl curtain phoenix palanquin that used to be placed beside the dragon throne was nowhere to be seen.
“Long live the Emperor!”
From below, the court officials, divided between civil and military positions, shouted in unison, “Long live the Emperor!”
“Ministers, please rise.”
Even though the Empress Dowager was absent, Jiang Chengwan didn’t seem different from usual, still displaying that submissive and timid appearance, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze.
It seemed like she was still the puppet Emperor, someone who could be manipulated at will. The court upheaval seemed to have no connection to her whatsoever.
After the court officials had thanked her with “Thank you, Your Majesty,” they stood up.
As Lu Chen, who was positioned at the end of the hall, got up, his first action was to widen his eyes and look towards Jiang Chengwan on the dragon throne.
Observing her pale complexion and her seemingly unchanged demeanor, his thoughts started to stir. His gaze shifted lightly and, after a moment, he spotted a figure at the steps beneath the dragon throne. This figure was clad in black heavy armor, wearing a face mask and a black dragon longsword at the waist. Notably, the figure also wore combat boots, emitting a heroic presence.
‘Is that the guy they say commands the most powerful force in the world, one of the Four Territories Kings, the Cangming Holy King, who rules over millions in the Cangming Realm…’
Lu Chen’s gaze swept back and forth over that figure.
After a moment, he squinted his eyes and a trace of unusual excitement flickered in his eyes.
‘Tsk tsk… What an arrogant fellow. On his first day attending court, he’s wearing boots and carrying weapons. And it seems like he didn’t pay his respects to the Emperor just now… What’s that called again? Oh yes, “entering the court without bowing, wearing sword and shoes.”‘
‘Indeed, he’s just like Boss Cao and Erzhu Rong, a powerful court official… If that’s the case, things should be easier…’
As the other court officials saw the Empress and the Cangming King on the raised platform, their expressions were varied.
Some looked heavy-hearted, some appeared contemplative, and others let their eyes flicker, as if they were plotting something.
Then, without waiting for the court officials to report, the Cangming Holy King stepped forward and loudly proclaimed:
“Reporting to Your Majesty, after five days of tireless efforts by the Xuanwu Guards, we have successfully apprehended all 730 individuals associated with the evil cultists who were causing chaos in the court, including the most heinous offenders and their families, who had previously taken advantage of the Empress Dowager’s Ling Tian Feng.”
As his words fell, the expressions of the court officials below suddenly turned strange.
Evil cultists…