Chapter 894: Monitoring the Jade Pendant

Zu'an said, "After that, I don't know."

The Emperor was bewildered.

Zu'an hastily explained, "At that time, I saw how incredibly powerful that octopus monster was, and knowing it was too formidable to contend with, I quickly covered the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as they made their escape. Who knew the octopus monster would pursue us? I fought with all my might, but in the end, its tentacles knocked me unconscious. When I awoke, only the Crown Prince and Crown Princess remained, and the octopus monster was nowhere to be found."

The Emperor fell silent. Bi Linglong's previous account had several discrepancies with Zu'an's, but it generally aligned. If everything had been exactly the same, he would have suspected collusion.

Bi Linglong had previously mentioned that after Zu'an was knocked out, countless tentacles of the octopus monster surged towards them. In her despair, she suddenly saw a golden light emanating from Zhao Ruizhi's body, and then she was immediately stunned by a powerful shockwave. She wasn't clear about what happened next; when she awoke, she saw the Crown Prince covered in injuries, and the octopus monster had vanished without a trace.

"It seems my soul clone and that octopus monster perished together," the Emperor mused for a while, finding this the most plausible explanation. He also understood that his soul clone thought exactly like him; given his temperament, if it were truly about to be exposed and Zu'an were still awake, he would never have let him live.

Conversely, with Bi Linglong, he could have knocked her out beforehand to save her life. After all, this beautiful and capable daughter-in-law satisfied him in every aspect, and the family power she represented was also very complex. Replacing the Crown Princess again would be quite troublesome.

But what kind of octopus monster could have made his soul clone perish with it?

Zhao Hao found it incredible. He then asked for more details, including how they had triggered the great array.

Zu'an answered each question. He didn't directly reveal the whole truth but allowed the Emperor to infer Xu Fu's identity and his connection to the ancient dynasty from the various pieces of information. That's how people are: you subconsciously guard against what others say, but you're usually convinced by conclusions you draw yourself.

As expected, based on the various clues, the Emperor deduced that the octopus monster was an ancient powerful being who had created such an evil array in pursuit of immortality.

"No wonder it could make my soul clone perish with it. It's a pity that secret realm was destroyed; otherwise, I could have gone to the site to see how the other party planned to achieve immortality," the Emperor mused for a long time, then inquired about many more details.

Seeing that his main concern was the Yin-Yang Five Elements Array, Zu'an immediately understood his thoughts. However, there was nothing to hide: first, suitable Five Elements bodies were incredibly hard to find, let alone pure Yin or pure Yang bodies. Moreover, the array was so complex, and many elements had been lost over time, making it impossible for the Emperor to recreate it.

Just then, Eunuch Wen's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, the item has been retrieved."

"Come in," the Emperor said calmly.

Soon, Eunuch Wen scurried in, carrying a jade pendant. Throughout the process, he kept his gaze straight ahead, not even glancing at Zu'an on the stretcher.

Zu'an, however, frowned slightly. Why did this jade pendant look familiar to him?

The Emperor took the jade pendant and simultaneously asked, "How is the Crown Prince?"

Eunuch Wen replied, "He sustained some injuries, and the Imperial Physicians have treated him. However, he seems to have been greatly frightened, and that will likely take time to recover from."

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. He finally remembered why the jade pendant looked familiar: it was the Crown Prince's personal pendant. Why did the Emperor want it?

At this point, the Emperor spoke: "Let him rest well for now. Don't disturb him."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Seeing no further instructions, Eunuch Wen bowed and exited the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

The Emperor toyed with the jade pendant in his hand, then suddenly said, "I specially placed this jade pendant on the Crown Prince. I originally thought that if anything happened to him, it could record who harmed him. I had hoped I would never need to use it, but unexpectedly, I've had to today."

Upon hearing this, Zu'an felt as if he'd been plunged into an ice cellar. "It's over," he thought. "I've planned for everything but this. If this jade pendant recorded what happened, ten lives wouldn't be enough to pay for it."

His reaction was swift. He immediately said, "Your Majesty is truly far-sighted; we are deeply impressed."

As he spoke, he tried his best to suppress his body's reactions; even his heartbeat showed no significant abnormality. He dared not use any vital energy throughout the process, or the Emperor would surely detect it. He could only rely on his strong mental fortitude to remain calm. Truth be told, it was thanks to his extensive experiences that his nerves had become incredibly resilient. Otherwise, anyone else would have long since been exposed by the suspicious Emperor.

The Emperor scrutinized him for a moment, then slowly spoke, "So, I will ask you one last question: Is there anything untruthful in what you just said?"

Zu'an hastily replied, "This humble subject is terrified and would not dare deceive Your Majesty." Confess and face severe punishment; deny it and perhaps walk free. How could he possibly admit anything now?

The Emperor nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the jade pendant in his hand, as if pondering something.

A bead of sweat began to trickle down Zu'an's temple at this moment. The Emperor immediately seemed to notice, raising his head. "Are you nervous?"

Zu'an replied, "My whole body aches terribly. The Imperial Physician just gave me some medicine, and now my stomach feels a bit uneasy. I'm worried about losing my composure before Your Majesty."

The Emperor frowned. However, being familiar with various palace methods, he quickly realized that his subordinates had likely given Zu'an some potent medicine to ensure he could come and answer questions.

"You may withdraw for now," the Emperor waved his hand. Noticing Zu'an was still on the stretcher, he called in two young eunuchs.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

As the two young eunuchs carried him out of the Imperial Study, Zu'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The reason he had been sweating was his fear that the Emperor would play back the jade pendant's contents right in front of him. If that happened, no matter what the pendant had recorded, he would be silenced. The fact that the Emperor let him leave proved that, for now, he still believed his previous statements. As long as there was nothing incriminating in the jade pendant, he would be in the clear.

"Hmm, as long as there's nothing incriminating inside..."

Honestly, at this point, he had done everything he could. The rest was up to fate.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study, a faint golden light appeared on the Emperor's fingertip and touched the jade pendant. Immediately, the jade pendant floated into mid-air and projected a scene like a projector. A massive octopus monster was seen wrapped around Zhao Ruizhi, its countless tentacles filling the screen. Even through the projection, one could feel its terrifying oppressive aura. Zhao Ruizhi's body glowed with golden light as he resisted the attacks of the tentacles. However, as the golden light intensified, the projection from the jade pendant cut out.

The Emperor remained silent. He figured the forces exerted by both sides at that moment must have been too powerful, damaging the jade pendant's recording function. However, the scene he had just witnessed was enough to explain the situation. The Emperor could naturally see that his soul clone had been forced to use all its strength.

"Alas, man proposes, God disposes. How was one to know that such a formidable beast was hidden within a small secret realm?" The Emperor's expression shifted between cloudy and clear. He suddenly looked towards the academy's direction. "That secret realm is usually managed by the academy's people. Did that old fellow, the Headmaster, truly not know, or did he deliberately set a trap?"

Zhao Hao was naturally suspicious; in that instant, numerous possibilities flashed through his mind. He then immediately issued an order, summoning his trusted ministers to the palace for an urgent discussion.

Meanwhile, Zu'an, still on the stretcher, felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly, knowing he had passed the test. If the Emperor had truly seen anything he shouldn't have in that jade pendant, he would have already been chased down and utterly destroyed by now.

At this point, the two young eunuchs said, "Lord Zu, His Majesty has specially arranged a guard's chamber for you to stay in the palace. This is an immense imperial favor!"

"Yes, yes. So many outer officials aren't even qualified to stay overnight in the palace. It must be His Majesty's compassion for Lord Zu, who was severely injured saving the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, that prompted this special permission."

The two young eunuchs chattered away, clearly believing that Zu'an, having rendered such a great service this time, would surely become a favorite of the Emperor in the future and naturally wanted to curry favor.

Zu'an, however, sneered inwardly. The Emperor's move was clearly to place him under house arrest in the palace first, preventing any news from leaking out. Still, this was fine; staying in the palace had its advantages.

He pointed eastward. "Don't go back to the guard's chamber yet. I want to go to the Eastern Palace."