Those who frequently believe in light should know that Chu Liuxiang's lightness skill was unparalleled, earning him the reputation of a master thief.
But today, a clueless time traveler has brazenly impersonated our great Thief King and actually sneaked into the Royal Archives of Weiyang Palace in broad daylight, searching for any possible clues.
Little did he know that the moment he stepped through the gate of the office, he was already being watched by a pair of eyes lurking in the shadows.
Inside the archives courtyard, after glancing at the archives scrolls that were as tall as a five-story building, Shen Zhao went straight up to the fifth floor.
After some searching, Shen Zhao finally found the scroll he was looking for in a corner—"Records of Sinners of the Celestial Empire".
Upon opening the book, the striking red characters for "execute" sent a chill down one's spine.
"This is the evidence of the Empress's crimes that the historian Sima clan insisted on recording until her death. When the Empress ascended the throne, in order to consolidate her power, she did not hesitate to kill 3,784 members of the royal family."
A total of 49,233 officials of varying ranks and members of powerful clans were implicated, becoming victims of this power struggle.
Such a massive purge is extremely rare throughout the entire Nine Realms. Indeed, none of the emperors who have left their mark on history were easy to deal with.
Shen Zhao quickly memorized the contents of the documents and scrolls, then quietly put them back in their original place, intending to look for other clues.
But just as he turned around, a sharp sword aura pierced through the air and arrived.
Shen Zhao sidestepped and stood up to avoid it, but another sword aura shot straight towards his brow.
"Eighth level of the Selfless Realm? Such a powerful expert guards the small Archives Bureau. The foundation of the Dragon Han Dynasty is indeed unfathomable."
Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, Shen Zhao blocked with his folding fan.
The fan ribs collided with the sword energy, producing a slight vibration. Shen Zhao used the force to run towards the open window in the distance.
"You little thief, where do you think you're going?"
The guards, not wanting Shen Zhao to escape, gave chase.
Just as Shen Zhao was about to leap out of the window and shake off the person behind him, the window, which had been open, suddenly closed automatically, and a huge iron cage fell from above.
Boom!
A second before the iron cage hit the ground, Shen Zhao dodged in time and slipped into the nearby bookshelves.
"You little scoundrel, daring to cause trouble in the palace. I advise you to come out and confess your crimes, otherwise you'll get a beating if you're caught."
The desk guards wandered among the bookshelves, listening intently to every subtle sound.
Shen Zhao hid behind a bookshelf, focusing his mind and searching for a new escape route.
"You can't escape! Come out now!"
The guard's voice still echoed in his ears, but Shen Zhao looked up inadvertently and saw a dark cabinet with a color and material that was obviously different from the surrounding bookshelves, which piqued his interest.
He immediately said, "I greatly admire your dedication to your duty. I would not have dared to blatantly trespass into the forbidden area of the imperial city if I had not been forced to do so."
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately moved closer to the source of the sound.
But as soon as the sword was thrust out, Shen Zhao had already vanished from the spot.
"Why are you being so aggressive? I have no ill intentions."
"What a joke! What do you think the Archives Office is, a place you can come and go as you please?"
"May I ask your name, so that I may remember your heroic title?"
"The Four Guardians of the Imperial City—Vermilion Bird!"
Zhuque spun around to the source of the sound, only to find herself missing again.
"You petty thieves are becoming increasingly audacious, daring to desecrate the forbidden area of the imperial city! Do you know that trespassing on the imperial city is a capital offense!"
"As long as you don't tell, and I don't tell, then I won't die, right?"
"presumptuous!"
Enraged, Zhuque leaped to a bookshelf and looked around for Shen Zhao.
"Don't get so angry, let's have a proper talk."
"I'm an official, you're a thief, what do you think we have to talk about?"
"Don't put it so harshly. We've met by chance, so why don't we be honest with each other, sit down and talk it over? That would help clear up any misunderstandings. What do you think of my suggestion?"
"All I want now is to send you to prison."
"Can I ask you one more question?"
"What's the problem?"
"You work so hard, how much salary do you get in a month?"
"His Majesty's grace is boundless. After deducting various subsidies, I receive at least several hundred spirit stones every month."
"You only make a few hundred yuan a month, why are you risking your life?"
"How dare you! How audacious!"
Zhuque was instantly enraged and was about to turn around to find Shen Zhao when Shen Zhao appeared before her.
When he suddenly realized what was happening and turned around, he felt a flash of cold light before his eyes and a chilling sensation running down his neck.
Shen Zhao had already moved behind him, holding a dagger in her hand.
Sweating profusely, Zhuque touched the icy coldness on her neck, still shaken by the experience, and immediately recalled the scene that had just unfolded in her mind.
At that time, Shen Zhao was nine body lengths away from Zhuque, and he could have reacted, but he never expected that his opponent's speed would be so fast, like lightning.
The key is that in the instant he slashed his own neck, he switched the blade to the back of the sword. If he hadn't changed his move...
Zhuque dared not think any further. At his level of cultivation, he knew better than anyone else to cherish his life unless absolutely necessary.
“Friend, I really have no intention of offending you. If the situation were not urgent, I would not have resorted to such a desperate measure as sneaking into the palace during the day. Please do me a favor.”
Upon hearing this, Zhuque's attitude softened somewhat.
"But this is a forbidden area of the imperial city, and it is my duty to guard the Secretariat."
"Your duty is to ensure that the files of the Archives are not lost. Catching thieves is the duty of the Imperial City Security Bureau. What you are doing is overstepping your bounds."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
