Chapter 482: New Emperor

After half an hour, the towering, date-red palace walls reappeared before Li Huowang. As he stood at the foot of the wall, looking up, a mountain-like sense of oppression washed over him.

Li Huowang didn't have a good impression of this place; he just wanted to finish his task as soon as possible.

Led by the eunuch, they continued deeper into the palace. Even though Li Huowang had been here once before, the maze-like depths of the palace still made him feel a bit disoriented.

This time, they didn't see any of the golden halls. Li Huowang surmised that they weren't heading to the emperor's central residence but rather to the peripheral auxiliary buildings.

Speaking of the Daliang Emperor, Li Huowang recalled getting news from Liu Zongyuan last time that the emperor was close to death. If that information was reliable, he should have been buried by now.

As Li Huowang was lost in thought, the guiding eunuch stopped in front of a round archway and, in his high-pitched voice, said, "This is it. The Grand Supervisor is inside."

"Let me tell you, nephew," Lian Zhibei said, speaking with the air of an experienced person, revealing inside information to Li Huowang, "this Grand Supervisor is quite influential. He used to be from the Directorate of Celestial Observation himself, so he's practically one of us. He's easy to talk to."

The two slowly stepped through the archway. Lian Zhibei led Li Huowang deeper inside; she seemed to know the way.

Soon, they found the so-called Grand Eunuch Supervisor in a storeroom.

Upon learning why Li Huowang and Lian Zhibei were there, the square-faced eunuch complained with a displeased expression, his voice pinched.

"Oh, my! How do you people at the Directorate of Celestial Observation handle things? It's been almost three months, and you're only delivering it now! This is the last item needed, and the Imperial Preceptor is anxiously waiting. You've caused this servant to be punished too!"

"Eunuch Cao," Lian Zhibei replied, "you were also an old hand at the Directorate of Celestial Observation; you know how difficult this item is to acquire, don't you? We spent a lot of effort to catch it. Look how fresh it is!"

Lian Zhibei seemed adept at dealing with eunuchs, managing to make Eunuch Cao beam with delight in just a few sentences.

Before long, a paper stamped with a red seal was placed in Lian Zhibei's trembling hand. "Where do you want to collect the item? Do you need this servant to waste more words?" Eunuch Cao asked.

After saying this, Eunuch Cao no longer paid attention to Li Huowang and Lian Zhibei. He wrote something, then threw it into a copper basin to burn.

Watching the ashes rise and drift out the window, Eunuch Cao's expression immediately relaxed significantly.

He then turned to instruct other eunuchs to place the 'spiritual anomaly' from the box into a jade plate inlaid with agate, which was nearby.

"Eunuch, please continue with your work; we won't disturb you any further," Lian Zhibei said with a smiling face, holding the paper in her hand, and slowly backed away.

"They don't directly give out lifespan here?" Li Huowang whispered.

"Of course not, it has to be retrieved from the storeroom. Let's go quickly. We have another trip to the storeroom. Do you have any loose silver? It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with troublesome imps. Bring some loose silver to bribe the eunuchs at the storeroom."

"Why is this wretched place so complicated!" Li Huowang couldn't help but frown.

Just as Lian Zhibei nervously reminded Li Huowang to be quiet, a long, drawn-out announcement pierced through the layered gates: "His Imperial Majesty arrives!"

Hearing this, Lian Zhibei's face changed. She immediately moved to the corner, knelt respectfully on both knees, and pressed her forehead firmly against the ground.

At that moment, Li Huowang couldn't help but inwardly curse. He had no intention of kneeling before the new Daliang Emperor. He simply walked next to Lian Zhibei, shifted his body's color to match the ground, and became invisible.

"His Imperial Majesty arrives!"

"His Imperial Majesty arrives!"

After three successive announcements, Li Huowang finally saw the main figure: the new Daliang Emperor, clad in a black robe with a golden ceremonial crown, slowly approaching, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs.

As Li Huowang's excellent eyesight clearly discerned the person's appearance, his pupils constricted. He had actually met this Daliang Emperor once before.

He was the young man who, when Li Huowang accompanied Miaomiao for the Shangsi Festival, had been tricked into spending five hundred taels for a fake jade cat!

The Daliang Emperor's entourage gradually drew closer. When they were nearby, Li Huowang scrutinized him carefully and was absolutely certain that this was the person he had encountered that night.

"He's the new Daliang Emperor?!" Li Huowang truly hadn't expected the new emperor to sneak out of the palace on the Shangsi Festival to see unmarried girls.

However, on second thought, it seemed like just the sort of absurd thing a boy his age, around ten, would do.

Although he knew this person was the Daliang Emperor, Li Huowang had no intention of trying to gain favor. In just a few months, three emperors had already been replaced. It seemed being the Daliang Emperor was not an easy position to hold.

The invisible Li Huowang watched silently. Just as he thought he would pass through safely, an old Daoist with white hair, who had been standing with his eyes closed beside the Daliang Emperor, suddenly opened them and swept his gaze in Li Huowang's direction. "Who's there!"

With his alarmed shout, the Daliang Emperor was quickly surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids. And seemingly out of nowhere, guards materialized and encircled Li Huowang's position.

Just as the guards were about to thrust their weapons at him, Li Huowang immediately revealed himself and raised his Directorate of Celestial Observation waist token.

The atmosphere immediately froze. The guards appeared very hesitant. This person didn't seem to be an assassin targeting the emperor, but if he was from the Directorate of Celestial Observation, why would he be hiding in this place when the Emperor was present? They simultaneously turned to the Imperial Preceptor, awaiting his orders.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" This seemingly ordinary question made Li Huowang feel his breathing grow difficult, and his body struggled to move.

This person's power was absolutely terrifying. Li Huowang hadn't felt such an oppressive force since gaining the identity of Hong Zhong.

Li Huowang looked up at the old Daoist who had spoken. During the battle between the Directorate of Celestial Observation and the Forgetful Dao, this man had been present—he was the Daliang Imperial Preceptor, continuously performing rites with the Star Constellation Sword.

Lian Zhibei, standing by, reacted quickly and presented the paper in her hand to prove their innocence.

"We are here only to carry out duties for the Directorate. Disturbing His Majesty is a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths!"

Once they realized it was a misunderstanding, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

The Daliang Imperial Preceptor said to an old eunuch with a displeased expression, "How do you handle things?! You dare let a formally ranked member of the Directorate of Celestial Observation into the palace like this?"

Just as he was about to say more, he was interrupted by a joyous cry: "It's you!"

The Daliang Emperor delightedly emerged from the crowd and started walking towards Li Huowang.

Naturally, he didn't succeed. Just as he was about to reach Li Huowang, he was stopped by two old eunuchs.