Chapter 211: Heart-Stopping Moment
In the palace, Xu Tianran and Jing Hongchen faced each other, the air filled with an awkward tension. Xu Tianran had initially planned to exert some pressure on Jing Hongchen. Although the theft of the soul devices couldn't be blamed on him, the power he wielded was immense. Given Xu Tianran's naturally suspicious nature, it was normal for him to consider knocking Jing Hongchen down a peg.
However, before he could even formulate his words, a sudden realization struck him—if the Mingde Hall was robbed, then the royal treasury, which was only slightly more secure, might also have been targeted!
At that moment, Xu Tianran felt an unprecedented sense of dread.
As time passed without any news from the messengers he had sent, the atmosphere in the palace grew increasingly tense. It was only broken by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. A palace guard, his face flushed with panic, rushed into the great hall and knelt on one knee, his voice trembling, "To report to Your Highness, the Regent, the royal treasury has been..."
"Robbed!"
Xu Tianran felt darkness encroach upon his vision, nearly fainting.
His worst fears were confirmed—the royal treasury had not been spared either.
"Report the losses!" Xu Tianran said through clenched teeth, barely holding back his murderous rage.
"820 level seven war soul devices, 240 level eight war soul devices, five level nine soul devices, including the updated Sun-Moon Divine Needle, and all 500 level eight soul power replenishing soul devices have been stolen!" The guard reported the stolen items one by one.
With each item listed, Xu Tianran's face grew darker. By the end of the report, his complexion was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Is there more?"
"Yes…" the guard nodded weakly, understanding that the worst was yet to come. Even as just a guard, he knew the stolen soul devices' importance.
"Out with it!" Xu Tianran demanded, his teeth nearly cracking from the pressure.
"One hundred level eight fixed-installation soul cannon shells and twenty level nine fixed-installation soul cannon shells have been stolen..." The guard quickly prostrated himself on the ground, fearing Xu Tianran's wrath and possibly a swift execution.
"Pff—" Xu Tianran spat out blood in fury.
The theft at Mingde Hall had been painful enough, but he could somewhat contain his emotions since the devices there, although accessible during emergencies, weren't considered part of the royal family's personal assets.
But the stolen items from the royal treasury? That was a direct hit to the empire's own coffers! The amount of high-level soul devices and the importance of the stolen fixed-installation soul cannon shells could not be overstated. These weapons were crucial in the empire's defense against powerful soul masters from other nations.
The losses were less than those at Mingde Hall, but the value of the numerous high-level soul devices, especially the level eight soul power replenishing devices—equivalent in cost to level eight fixed-installation soul cannon shells—was immense.
Together, the stolen items from both Mingde Hall and the royal treasury accounted for nearly five hundred years of the Sun Moon Empire's reserves of high-grade soul devices.
Jing Hongchen, too, could no longer sit idle.
Initially, he thought only Mingde Hall had been emptied, but the royal treasury had suffered equally, if not more, severe losses. These were the foundations of their nation, and he couldn't let those evil soul masters get away with it so easily.
"Your Highness, now that it's clear these evil soul masters are behind this, should we not..." Jing Hongchen's eyes glinted with a fierce light as he made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.
If they have the goods, let's see if they can use them without losing their heads.
Xu Tianran took deep breaths, trying to calm his raging emotions. He considered Jing Hongchen's suggestion but soon quelled the impulse.
"It's not yet time. They still have their uses to us," Xu Tianran shook his head, looking earnestly at Jing Hongchen. "Collaborating with the evil soul masters is not my wish, but to unify the continent, we must utilize all available resources. Once the Sun Moon Empire's dominance is assured, then we can deal with them. And right now, acting against them is too hasty; we also need time to prepare. In the coming period, I hope Head Hongchen can lend his strength to support this cause."
Jing Hongchen looked at Xu Tianran with a complex expression, ultimately sighing inwardly and nodding slightly.
Xu Tianran's words were clear. He was courting Jing Hongchen, suggesting that if he aligned with him, today's events in the palace would be overlooked, and they could settle scores with the evil soul masters after unifying the continent. How much they could recover then would be up to fate.
This theft could have provided an excuse to remove Jing Hongchen from power, but Xu Tianran chose instead to extend an olive branch—if Jing Hongchen aligned with him, he would act as if he knew nothing about today's events. Everything else could wait until after the continent was united.
With no other options and the vast number of soul devices lost, Jing Hongchen could not afford to fall from power. Not just for his sake, but also for his siblings, Laughing Hongchen and Dreaming Hongchen, whose fates would likely not be much better if he were ousted.
Thus, he had no choice but to accept Xu Tianran's overture.
With this, Regent Xu Tianran and Head Jing Hongchen formed an alliance. Both men would harbor a deep grudge against the Holy Spirit Sect, ready to exact their most ferocious revenge once the Sun Moon Empire triumphed—assuming they lived that long.
"Head Hongchen, we have one year. The day after the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition will be when our Sun Moon Empire launches its sacred war," Xu Tianran declared, his eyes blazing with ambition as he looked towards the direction of the Douluo Continent.
"In this year, I hope Mingde Hall can assist our national soul guide masters in preparing for war. I want this continent to no longer bear the name Douluo but to be known by our Sun Moon!"
The Sun Moon Continent—that was the original name of the Sun Moon Empire, which had failed in a war four thousand years ago. But this time, they were determined to succeed.
(End of Chapter)