Chapter 1156: Who is the Pawn? Who is Setting the Game?

The night, like flowing radiance, cast a silvery glow over the Immortal Palace. Yet, it couldn't obscure the celestial music and melodious sounds of women drifting from the Hundred Flowers Palace.

Floating gently, the sounds reached Zhong Chi's ears outside the Shaoji Hall, and also drifted into the hall, heard by Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked up, his gaze falling on the figure outside the hall.

"Today's Zhong Chi is a bit strange..."

A hint of thought appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. Normally, his attendant would leave when night fell, unless specifically instructed otherwise. It was rare for him to stay so late.

Pondering this, Xu Qing raised a hand, took out a chessboard, and spoke casually.

"Zhong Chi."

The attendant outside the door immediately turned his head at the sound, quickly walking a few steps closer to the hall entrance.

"Young Master, I'm here."

"Come play chess with me."

Xu Qing's gaze was fixed on the chessboard as he spoke casually.

"Alright!"

Zhong Chi quickly nodded and hurried to Xu Qing. Xu Qing picked up a piece and placed it on the board. As the piece landed, the wind began to howl.

The cold night wind whistled through the Punishment Thunder Palace. In the wind, the middle-aged penal official quickened his pace.

"My identity has most likely been compromised. All the signs within the Punishment Thunder Palace today give me a sense of urgency, and the information regarding the movements of those three True Monarchs was also only obtained today."

As he moved forward, thoughts raced through the official's mind, despite his seemingly normal expression.

"In some inexplicable way, it feels as if I must act tonight, or I will lose the opportunity forever."

"This matter is strange..."

The middle-aged official squinted, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Someone is using me as bait, forcing me to act today."

"The information I possess is indeed time-sensitive. If I delay, its effectiveness won't be enough to support an act of palace rebellion, and the turmoil it would cause wouldn't meet my objectives."

"So, by all accounts, acting tonight is the last chance."

"And then there are the recent rumors..."

The middle-aged official mused.

"Is the one fishing the person who spread the rumors, or the one mentioned in the rumors?"

"If the latter truly is the Fourth True Monarch, then their goal is naturally to lure out the former."

"But it's also possible that the Fourth True Monarch himself spread the rumors to confuse others into believing there's an opposing figure."

"Leading to a greater error based on this mistaken perception."

As he thought this, a cold glint flashed in the middle-aged official's eyes.

"Regardless, since they've included me, Xie Lingzi, in their calculations, then..."

The next instant, his heart suddenly stirred, his thoughts were interrupted, and his steps faltered. His expression instantly turned solemn, and he bowed low to the figure ahead.

"Master."

Ahead of him, a figure emerged from the night. It was an old man, dressed in the Punishment Thunder Palace's Daoist robe, exuding natural authority. As he emerged, his gaze fell upon the middle-aged official, and his brows slowly furrowed.

"So late, and you're in such a hurry. What's the matter?"

The middle-aged official's heart tightened. The person before him was the Master of his current host body, and also a Punishment Thunder Palace steward, wielding great power. Though usually distant, the memory of his stern authority was deeply ingrained. Especially since there had been a few times before when the old man seemed to have questioned his identity. He had to be careful in his response now.

With this in mind, the middle-aged official spoke softly. "Master, your disciple Leiguang has recently had an excess of Yang energy. I plan to visit the Thunder Pool to collect some night thunder light, to neutralize my lightning techniques."

Hearing this, the old man's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over his disciple. Under his gaze, which seemed to penetrate everything, he confirmed that the disciple indeed had an excess of Yang lightning. Only then did he nod slightly and speak meaningfully.

"There have been some rumors in the Immortal Palace recently. But since the Immortal Lord, the various Palace Masters, and the elders have given no instructions, this old man hasn't investigated too deeply."

"As for you, if you get any information later, you can inform me."

With that, the old man's figure merged with the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

The middle-aged official bowed his head in affirmation, waited a moment longer, then strode away, gradually disappearing into the distance. Only after his figure had completely vanished, the Punishment Thunder Palace steward's figure reappeared in the darkness. He gazed into the distance, his eyes profound.

The gaze from behind made the middle-aged official feel immense pressure. Fortunately, it didn't last long; the gaze dissipated. This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief, and he walked even faster.

His destination was a long-distance teleportation array beside the Thunder Pool. He had already mastered all the conditions required to activate the array. So tonight, as long as he entered the teleportation array and successfully activated it to leave, he could transmit the message. He would use this matter as the foundation for his rebellion against the palace.

This was his Dao. He intended to rebel against the palace here, even if it defied history. As long as he succeeded, it wouldn't matter if this segment of history was merely a mirror image. The Constitutional Treasure remnant sword within his body would be greatly nourished, thereby unlocking its full potential.

"But the prerequisite is that I must leave alive!"

As he pondered, he drew closer and closer to the Thunder Pool. As he neared, a temporal-spatial ripple, perceptible only to those with a Temporal-Spatial Constitution, continuously grew stronger and more intense. Like a torch in the dark night, it registered in Xu Qing's perception.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm as he placed a chess piece on the board. He didn't know what the Fourth True Monarch was going to do tonight, but Li Mengtu's unusual behavior made him ponder. Additionally, he had been waiting for the Fourth True Monarch's reaction to the rumors these past few days. And now, with such temporal-spatial ripples appearing...

Xu Qing suddenly spoke.

"Zhong Chi, has something happened? You look troubled while playing chess with me."

Zhong Chi hesitated upon hearing this, then noticed the Young Master's gaze sweeping over him and forced a wry smile.

"Indeed, nothing can be hidden from Young Master. Ah... yesterday, I confessed my feelings to Xiao Hui from the Spirit Governing Palace. Although she didn't refuse, she said she needed to think about it, so... I've been preoccupied with it ever since."

Xu Qing smiled and waved a hand.

"Alright, if something's on your mind, there's no need to continue playing chess. Go and invite the Fourth True Monarch instead. Playing chess with my fourth senior brother is more interesting."

Zhong Chi hesitated again upon hearing this. He didn't think much of it, as his memories indicated that the Young Master and the Fourth True Monarch already had a good relationship and often played chess together. It was just that the Aurora Immortal Lord's rotation was imminent, leaving only one True Monarch in the entire Immortal Palace, which meant more affairs to handle, so they hadn't played as usual.

*This might be an opportunity... If I can get him involved in disrupting the Fourth True Monarch's plans, that would be interesting.* A thought flashed through Zhong Chi's mind, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

"What is it now?" Xu Qing frowned.

"Young Master, the True Monarch might not have time today..." Zhong Chi quickly said.

Xu Qing looked at Zhong Chi. Zhong Chi's mind raced, and he continued speaking.

"Young Master, I heard that the True Monarch is going to do something important tonight."

Xu Qing was taken aback. "Who told you that? What 'important matter'?"

"It's a rumor among the disciples. Haven't there been rumors recently? And the news from the True Monarch's residence is that he's going to apprehend someone tonight." Zhong Chi carefully chose his words.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's smile slowly faded, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

"Rumors are baseless and unreliable; how can you believe them! And those who spread rumors are often the biggest beneficiaries! Especially when they involve my fourth senior brother."

"And since my fourth senior brother works for the Immortal Palace, it's inevitable that some people will be dissatisfied and try to malign him! I thought everyone would just laugh it off, but I didn't expect it was still being discussed!"

"Tomorrow, relay my oral instruction: such rumors are no longer allowed in the Immortal Palace, and especially you, control your tongue!" Xu Qing rebuked him.

Zhong Chi sighed inwardly. Under his usual perception and way of thinking, he naturally saw that the person before him truly believed this. He then understood that using the Young Master to spoil the Fourth True Monarch's plans would be too difficult. So he quickly nodded in agreement.

Only then did Xu Qing's expression soften slightly. He glanced at Zhong Chi and spoke calmly.

"However, you're quite well-informed. Do you enjoy gathering information so much?"

Zhong Chi was startled and quickly replied. "To serve the Young Master, one must be resourceful!"

Xu Qing smiled at his words.

"Alright. You've followed me for many years, and I know your nature. You've certainly been working hard lately; your complexion has grown paler. Go get some good rest. As for Xiao Hui, I'll have someone help you out tomorrow."

Zhong Chi feigned a look of gratitude, bowed deeply, then left with a sense of regret in his heart.

Watching Zhong Chi's retreating back, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, then shifted his gaze towards the Thunder Pool. That was the area where the temporal-spatial ripples in his perception were growing stronger. At this moment, these ripples appeared like a raging sea of fire in Xu Qing's eyes.

"It seems this is the Fourth True Monarch's response to me."

"Someone is altering history there."

"So, for me, should I go, or not..."

"If I don't go, and the Fourth True Monarch successfully prevents it, ensuring order is maintained, then it means I'll have one less stone in my hand."

Xu Qing pondered, glancing at the endgame on the chessboard. He picked up a piece and placed it himself.

Meanwhile, the night wind outside howled even more fiercely. In the unseen chess game, someone... was also making a move.

Thus, the middle-aged penal official's figure sped through the wind. His speed increased, until he flashed past the Thunder Pool, racing towards the teleportation array. In an instant, he was already close.

But the moment he stepped within the array's perimeter, the surroundings trembled. An invisible seal seemed to envelop the area. A chill instantly surged from his body, spreading throughout him in the blink of an eye, transforming into a fierce killing intent that locked down his mind.

Along with it came a calm voice. "Xie Lingzi, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

From the void, chains representing order appeared out of thin air, encircling the area. In the very center of these chains, the Fourth True Monarch's figure was stepping along them, approaching with each stride. As he drew near, a terrifying pressure, earth-shattering in its might, emanated from him. Countless chains rattled, producing clanking sounds. These sounds were like the very words of order in this world, calming the turbulent temporal-spatial realm and guiding all disordered things back to their original paths.

"Xinghuanzi!" the middle-aged penal official spoke in a low voice. "Even if your Constitution and the Fourth True Monarch's Constitution are one and the same, so what!"

Almost at the instant the middle-aged official's words rang out, a sharp sword qi erupted from within him. Behind him, a shattered iron sword materialized. The moment it appeared, an unparalleled killing intent surged forth.

At the same time, the moment the two made their moves, within the Punishment Thunder Palace, the middle-aged official's Master — the steward old man — his eyes glinted with a sinister light as he gazed in the direction of the teleportation array. A cruel smile appeared on his lips, and he murmured, "Xinghuanzi, you are fishing, but do you know that I am fishing for you!"