The interior of the Dragon Virtue Hall was vast and flat, its floor paved with dark black jade. The faint, mysterious black luster seemed profound and unfathomable under the illumination of the candles placed around.
Nine enormous dark black pillars stood tall and majestic, supporting this immense palace.
At the very center, a nine-meter-long golden jade staircase stood proudly.
Upon this golden jade staircase was placed a five-meter-long dark black couch.
The couch was covered with a thick woolen blanket, and in front of it, a layer of thin, black gauze curtains gently cascaded down, dreamlike and ethereal!
Through these thin black curtains, one could only vaguely see the scene within.
A woman, clad in a black, flowing imperial robe, sat upon this couch.
The black imperial robe was embroidered with stars, moons, suns, mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, with nine dark black divine birds soaring and dancing at the center.
The woman wore a dark black crown, her meticulously combed black hair falling like a waterfall down her back.
This woman was none other than the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Mingyue!
On Xia Mingyue’s exquisitely beautiful and fair face, a pair of gorgeous eyes, as deep and clear as still water, seemed capable of seeing through all things in the world.
Her skin was like jade, and her flawless white legs were faintly visible beneath the black imperial robe.
Xia Mingyue held a memorial in her hands, browsing it carefully.
The content of this memorial was actually about the entire life story of Lu Xuan.
It recorded everything starting from the Lu Family Medicine Shop in Qingyun County all the way to his arrival at White Path Prefecture.
“Lu Xuan? The one the Li family has taken a liking to?”
“Martial arts talent unprecedented throughout the ages?”
“Suspected to be an existence at the External Gang Grandmaster level!”
“At the age of twenty, has he already broken through to the External Gang Grandmaster realm?”
A mysterious, sharp light flickered in Xia Mingyue’s beautiful eyes. She then handed the memorial in her hand towards the right.
“Qingqiu, have you read the contents of this memorial?”
To Xia Mingyue’s right stood a woman dressed in a light pink robe, the robe heavily embroidered with plum blossom patterns.
This woman was none other than the Master of the Plum Blossom Division, Man Qingqiu!
The Plum Blossom Division was a surveillance organization newly established since Xia Mingyue ascended the throne.
Its purpose was to cultivate a large number of Plum Blossom Guards, have them infiltrate every corner of the Great Xia Dynasty, and keep an eye on every move of all forces, big and small, throughout the realm.
As a primary target for surveillance, the most important Dark Bird Guards naturally also had ears and eyes within the Plum Blossom Division.
Upon hearing this, Man Qingqiu quickly bowed down, took the memorial from Xia Mingyue’s hand with utmost reverence, and replied.
“Your Majesty, Your Subject has read it.”
Xia Mingyue spoke calmly.
“Speak!”
Man Qingqiu understood intuitively – His Majesty wanted to know her opinion of this Lu Xuan.
“Your Subject believes that if this intelligence is true, then this Lu Xuan is indeed worthy of being called monstrously talented.”
“In due time, this Lu Xuan will likely break through to that realm.”
“The Divine Mansion True Person realm!”
After listening to Man Qingqiu’s deduction, Xia Mingyue made a decision in her heart.
“The Divine Mansion True Person, is it?”
“Send someone to inform Li Chengxing, tell him to have this Lu Xuan come to the Celestial Capital to see me!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Your Subject receives the decree!”
Having received the decree, Man Qingqiu’s body instantly became ethereal and then completely dissipated between heaven and earth.
In Xia Mingyue’s eyes, even External Gang Grandmaster martial artists were merely slightly larger ants.
Only martial artists at the Divine Mansion realm could earn Xia Mingyue’s attention.
At that moment, three ghostly figures appeared below the golden jade staircase – three women dressed in white palace attire.
Following this, the three women clasped their hands and bowed towards Xia Mingyue on the golden jade staircase, then knelt on one knee.
“Your Majesty, Sun Cheng, Master of the Surveillance Department, and Luo Gongli, Deputy Master of the Surveillance Department, request an audience!”
After hearing these words, Xia Mingyue’s face remained as calm as water, showing no surprise whatsoever.
For Xia Mingyue had already learned of that news in advance.
The Anzhou Surveillance Commissioner, Luo Jin, was dead. The Luo family bloodline he was part of had also been completely eradicated, root and branch, not one left.
“Granted!”
A moment later, two figures walked all the way from outside the hall to the foot of the golden jade staircase.
Then, their movements were fluid and natural, clasping their hands in salute and bowing deeply towards Xia Mingyue.
“Your Subject, Sun Cheng, Master of the Surveillance Department, pays homage to Your Majesty!”
“Your Subject, Luo Gongli, Deputy Master of the Surveillance Department, pays homage to Your Majesty!”
Xia Mingyue looked at them calmly and then said softly.
“Both beloved ministers, rise!”
Upon hearing this, Luo Gongli, the Deputy Master of the Surveillance Department, couldn’t wait to speak.
“Your Majesty, this old minister has an urgent matter to report. Please grant me permission, Your Majesty!”
Xia Mingyue: “Granted!”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Anzhou Surveillance Commissioner, Luo Jin, has been assassinated by a villain.”
“Besides Luo Jin, his entire family, young and old, have also met with violent deaths.”
“Such a bold and heaven-defying, heinous act – we implore Your Majesty to seek justice for our Surveillance Department!”
At this point, Sun Cheng, the Master of the Surveillance Department, also put on a look of deep grief and indignation.
“Your Majesty, please issue a decree! Send personnel from the Mirror Bright Department to Anzhou to investigate thoroughly and seek justice for Luo Jin and his entire family!”
Xia Mingyue frowned slightly, but betrayed no emotion as she softly spoke.
“Then let it be as both beloved ministers have said. Have the Mirror Bright Department send someone to Anzhou!”
Upon hearing this, Sun Cheng and Luo Gongli both bowed once more to Xia Mingyue.
“Your Subject thanks Your Majesty!”
“Your Subject thanks Your Majesty!”
With the Mirror Bright Department stepping in, the culprit who killed Luo Jin would have no escape this time.
The Mirror Technique of those fellows in the Mirror Bright Department was no mere empty reputation.
Thinking of this, a flicker of killing intent inadvertently flashed in Luo Gongli’s eyes.
Luo Jin was one of the more important collateral branches of the Luo family and also had a significant connection with Prince An.
He never thought that someone would dare to kill Luo Jin one day.
This was clearly a slap in the face to our Luo family!
This damned bastard dared to lay hands on someone from our Luo family – the Luo family would never forgive him.
“Your Majesty, Your Subjects shall now take their leave!”
“Granted!”
After the two had left, the great hall returned to its usual tranquility once more.
However, the expression on Xia Mingyue’s face gradually darkened.
Among the Eight Great Families, as well as forces like the Dao Void Temple and the Serene Heart Monastery, it seems some people have already begun to test me.
As ministers of the Great Xia Dynasty, they had just shown no sense of propriety whatsoever, actually daring to make decisions on my behalf!
The Luo family… Hmph!
When Xia Mingyue became angry, a terrifying pressure filled the hall.
But this pressure only appeared for a fleeting moment.
Xia Mingyue turned her head slightly, looking at another woman beside her.
The woman was dressed in a black robe, around forty years of age, but this did nothing to detract from her striking charm.
And she was the leader of the Black Feather Guard, Shangguan Yuqing!
“Yuqing, how is the investigation by the Black Feather Guard progressing?”
