NOVPUB
Chapter 239: Entering the Imperial Palace
"Did he not realize what he had just done?" Lorenzo thought as he bowed his head.
"I apologize, Sir Aldrian, for my behavior. I acted impulsively, driven by your brilliance. Nevertheless, congratulations on your breakthrough to the next stage," he said to Aldrian. As for what he had just experienced, he did not want to know, nor did he dare to ask. He felt it was too presumptuous of him. The lingering feeling of awe made him believe he was not even worthy of asking anything from Aldrian.
Aldrian looked at Lorenzo, who seemed reluctant to discuss what had just happened. He, too, had no desire to bring it up, so he decided to let it be. However, inwardly, he was more stunned by his sudden breakthrough. He had now entered the new stage—the Low Marquess stage! A newfound surge of power coursed through his body and even his mind, a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
He felt that he could accomplish much more, both within and beyond his domain. New inspirations had already begun to take shape in his refreshed mind after this breakthrough. This filled him with happiness but also left him wondering—how had a moment of self-comprehension enabled him to break through to the next stage? Based on the amount of energy he had accumulated before, he would have needed at least eight more months to reach the Marquess stage.
This was new to him because, until now, he had believed that only by expanding his domain could he accelerate the speed of his cultivation.
"Sir Aldrian, regarding Wei Zhi..." Lorenzo’s voice broke Aldrian’s train of thought, prompting him to respond.
"Forget it. As you said, the information we have about his location is lacking. Until we find some clue about his whereabouts, it’s better for you to preserve your manpower for more urgent matters. However, I won’t sit idly—I have my own methods to search for him, as long as he’s still within this empire," Aldrian said.
He also couldn’t simply ask the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion to search for someone in an area as vast as that, especially not when their manpower was already allocated to other tasks, such as surveilling other regions of the Doria Empire.
Lorenzo nodded. He also felt that way because the imperial family had already dedicated so much manpower to monitor various nobles and groups for potential threats to the empire. All of this contributed to the imperial family’s intelligence network, which provided them with up-to-date information. If they sent some of their people to search for Wei Zhi, it would create gaps in other areas.
"Then, I must excuse myself. My job here is done. As for tonight, Sir Aldrian, you just need to come to the tavern beside Roger’s Blacksmith in the central district. If the host asks, simply tell him, ’I want the highest-level drink you have, one that will take me to the majestic palace.’ Our people will then escort you to the designated place," Lorenzo said.
"We will be waiting for your arrival, Sir Aldrian." Lorenzo bowed his head, turned around, and walked out of the guest room.
After Lorenzo left, Aldrian remained in the room, still deep in thought about what had just occurred.
The unexpected gain he had just received from the conversation was immense. At least now, he was more resolute about what he wanted to achieve with his power of domain. His domain was a force with tremendous potential, and all of it had taken the shape of the triad of divine abilities: Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. All of these had become integral parts of his domain.
"After the meeting with the emperor, I will need to seriously focus on maximizing the abilities of my domain. Maybe I’ll enter seclusion for a while to train," he thought.
After thinking for a while, he stood up and returned to his room. Now, he just needed to wait for the night to come for his meeting with the emperor.
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In an unknown place, a man in casual attire walked down the busy street. He appeared like any other ordinary person, so the people paid him no mind. He then entered one of the houses. The house was silent, without a single sound. The noise from the outside couldn’t enter, nor could any sound escape, as he had already set up a sound barrier.
He then walked toward one of the rooms and entered. Inside, he moved to one side of the wall and injected his energy into it, activating a hidden mechanism that opened a secret door. On the other side of the door was a chamber. Anyone entering this chamber would first notice a strange smell, a mix of blood and something more sinister. After that, they would see many jugs neatly arranged.
However, the man ignored it all, as if he was already accustomed to the surroundings. He walked toward the center of the chamber, where another man sat on a cultivation mattress. The seated man had white hair, pale skin, and black spots scattered across his body. He was in the middle of meditation, his eyes closed, seemingly unaware of the other man’s arrival. The standing man stopped and spoke to the pale-skinned man.
"Our assets inside the Information Guild have already been compromised. The Rivas family has caught wind of it and is moving quickly, dispatching the Iron Fist Order. The security is now so tight that I’ve only just managed to get this information."
The pale-skinned man opened his eyes and sighed, his sigh carrying an air of boredom.
"Truly surprising. How did the Rivas family manage to sniff out our assets inside the Information Guild, and even my puppet within the Rivas family? We’ve practically lost half of our eyes and ears in this empire," he said.
"But whatever. They’re so foolish to only now realize that one of their main family members has been inflicted with my gu and controlled for over 17 years."
"That’s why our lord decided to take drastic measures this time. He’s ordered us to eliminate the ’head of the dragon’ tonight and plunge the empire into chaos for a while. We need to make that person the next ruler, so when the time of the prophecy comes, it will be easier for all of us," the other man said.
Hearing what they must do, the pale-skinned man grinned. Suddenly, small creatures began slithering under the surface of his skin, visible to the eye. The sight was grotesque, as his body seemed to contain many of these creatures within.
The man then stood up and walked toward one of the jugs, picking it up.
"Finally, I can test my new poison. This one can even kill someone at the emperor stage, let alone that weakened old man!" His grin grew more sinister, and the creatures inside his body moved faster. It was as if these creatures could sense their master’s emotions and mood.
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Later that night, Aldrian walked toward the location Lorenzo had told him. The tavern Lorenzo mentioned was in the central district, an area where many high-status individuals resided. It was not far from his mansion.
Once he entered the tavern and sat at a small table, a man approached him with a warm smile.
"Welcome to Paradise’s Taste. May I take your order?"
"Ah, yes. I want the highest-level drink you have, one that will take me to the majestic palace," Aldrian replied.
Hearing Aldrian’s reply, the man continued smiling and bowed toward him.
"I apologize, customer. To taste our highest-level drink, you must come to our VVIP room. This drink is special and available only to those who visit the VVIP room. Please follow me if you’d still like to try it," the man said.
He then led the way, with Aldrian following him behind the main building, where a carriage was already waiting. However, this was not a luxurious carriage, but one typically used for transporting supplies or logistics.
The man bowed once again to Aldrian.
"I apologize, sir. We have to use this carriage to avoid raising any suspicion or attention. It’s used as a supply carriage meant to deliver necessities to the imperial family. Please just wait inside the carriage, and don’t worry about anything else. Once you arrive at the imperial palace, someone will be waiting for you."
Aldrian nodded and, without hesitation, entered the carriage before it was covered with a blank white tarpaulin. Inside, Aldrian could only wait, unable to see outside due to the tarpaulin, but he could still sense his surroundings, so it didn’t matter much.
After the carriage had been moving for more than 30 minutes, it stopped, and Aldrian heard the imperial guards checking the outside of the carriage. However, one of the guards seemed intent on checking the inside as well.
"What are you doing?!" the driver shouted.
"We still have to check it thoroughly," the imperial guard replied.
"Are you crazy?! As I told you, this carriage contains necessities for His Majesty, and it needs to be delivered as soon as possible without anyone touching it! Do you want to take responsibility if something happens to the supplies? What if something goes wrong? If you want to die, don’t drag me into it, because if anything happens, you and I will be the first to fall!"
The imperial guard’s sweat began to bead, and only then did he abandon his intention.
"I’m sorry, you’re clear to go," the imperial guard said.
After that, the carriage continued on its way and finally came to a stop after a few minutes.
"Sir, we have arrived," the driver’s voice resonated.
Aldrian then stepped out of the carriage and raised his eyebrows upon seeing someone already standing near it. He had never seen this man before, but he instantly recognized that the face was just a disguise. Because Aldrian knew at once that this man was none other than the First Prince himself!
