Chapter 8: The Kidnapped Soul Speaker
At 8 PM that evening, Bubu Wang arrived at the Imperial Capital and successfully rendezvoused with Su Xiao. Baha was not far from the capital either and would arrive in the latter half of the night.
Su Xiao was currently in a two-story civilian residence. The identity of the Ninth Army Commander did not come with a luxurious estate, as he was often away fighting wars. This dwelling had just been rented by Su Xiao.
The Crow's Eye intelligence organization was already in his hands. What Su Xiao needed to do next was to go all out in searching for the Soul Speaker. As for what the Moon Goddess said about the Crow's Eye never being able to find the Soul Speaker, that was nonsense—sour grapes.
Although the Old Saint King had previously "expelled" Su Xiao, hoping to shield him from disaster through this method, judging by the Moon Goddess's earlier actions, the "expulsion" had some effect, at least ensuring the Moon Goddess wouldn't directly turn hostile. However, the actual impact wasn't significant.
Su Xiao had no intention of putting himself in a pincer attack between two old schemers. Therefore, in the afternoon, he chose to side with the Old Saint King and join forces against the other old schemer.
Su Xiao sat at the dining table, across from the Little Adjutant who was eating dinner. Bubu Wang crouched by Su Xiao's feet. Just moments ago, when the Little Adjutant sat next to Bubu Wang, the latter realized how protective she was of her food. Bubu Wang nearly got bitten by the Little Adjutant, startling him into a "Don't mess with me" expression.
"Woof~"
Bubu Wang was asking Su Xiao: "Master, where did you find this person? She's so protective of her food."
"Secret Prison."
Su Xiao tossed aside the documents in his hand. Clearly, what the Moon Goddess had said earlier about the Crow's Eye never being able to find the Soul Speaker was just a casual remark.
The Crow's Eye had found the Soul Speaker in just an hour and a half and had even pinpointed the Soul Speaker's exact location. Su Xiao absolutely did not believe this was a recent discovery.
The Soul Speaker was within the Imperial Capital. To be precise, he had been captured and brought here by Eagle Marquis.
Su Xiao knew it was impossible to demand the person from Eagle Marquis, so he would have to take him by force.
"No wonder that old fellow was willing to protect me. So this was his plan all along. The Moon Goddess's attitude was similar. With such a big piece of cake, it's already surprising that woman could resist turning hostile outright."
Su Xiao muttered under his breath. Now, he fully understood the situation. What he needed to do next was simple: go to the Lurenfei Palace to see the Old Saint King. Something big was about to happen.
"Bubu, go keep an eye on the Moon Goddess's side."
"Woof?"
"Play it by ear."
Su Xiao rubbed his forehead. Bubu Wang's earlier meaning was: record 24/7 video?
Bubu Wang headed to the first floor of the residence. As soon as he reached the first floor, he blended into the environment.
"Stop eating. Come with me to the Lurenfei Palace."
"Almost done! Just two more bites! No, don't!"
Su Xiao grabbed the Little Adjutant and headed out. As it turned out, in the face of absolute power, being protective of food was useless.
...
At 9 PM, inside a greenhouse in the inner area of the Lurenfei Palace.
The Old Saint King was dressed in loose pajamas, holding a long-spouted watering can in one hand and a piece of fine cloth in the other, wiping dust off the leaves of the flowers.
"When people get old, they just like to tend to some flowers and plants."
The Old Saint King had returned to his image of a kind old man. Su Xiao sat on a wooden chair on the other side of the greenhouse, holding a small flowerpot in his hand.
Crack~
Cracks appeared on the flowerpot. This pot, which could be considered an antique, couldn't be held like that. Su Xiao calmly placed the flowerpot on a nearby shelf.
The Old Saint King walked over upon hearing the sound. Seeing the fine cracks on the flowerpot, he pointed at Su Xiao, his hand trembling.
"Ah~"
The Old Saint King picked up a wooden clamp wrapped in fine cotton cloth and carefully adjusted the position of the flowerpot.
"What's the Goddess's stance?"
The Old Saint King spoke with a pained expression but didn't scold.
"She wants to kill me. Didn't succeed."
Hearing Su Xiao's straightforward answer, the Old Saint King nodded. He knew Su Xiao had grasped the implications. Now, they were on the same side.
"When will Eagle Marquis make his move?"
Su Xiao picked up another small flowerpot. These pots were all exquisitely crafted, adorned with gems that, if appraised, would at least be Light Gold quality.
"Put it down, put it down. Slowly."
The Old Saint King lightly tapped Su Xiao's arm with the wooden clamp. As soon as Su Xiao set down the pot, another crisp crack sounded.
"..."
"..."
The Old Saint King pressed a mechanism, and the flower shelf slowly moved away from Su Xiao, the "dangerous element."
"Later tonight. Removing him from the Empire might be our last cooperation with the Goddess. Be careful of her side. There are very few people who can help me with these things now."
The Old Saint King sat down on a chair next to Su Xiao. When discussing such matters, those who bowed and scraped were the underlings. Now, Su Xiao and the Old Saint King were bound by shared interests.
What the Old Saint King wanted was the supreme power of the Empire. It wasn't that he was greedy for power, but during peacetime, having three rulers of the Empire simultaneously was almost catastrophic.
From the day the war ended, the Old Saint King was ready to eliminate all opponents or be eliminated by someone more capable than him.
And tonight, Eagle Marquis, one of the Empire's three giants, was about to be taken out.
When Su Xiao was still in the Secret Prison, the Old Saint King and the Moon Goddess had already started planning this. They never discussed it but cooperated in another way.
Originally, releasing Su Xiao from the Secret Prison was the Old Saint King's move to counter the Moon Goddess. But when Su Xiao publicly announced he was searching for the Soul Speaker, the situation changed.
The Old Saint King had long known that the Soul Speaker had been captured by Eagle Marquis and brought to the Imperial Capital. The one who uncovered this was the Crow's Eye.
Learning that Su Xiao was also searching for the Soul Speaker aligned perfectly with the Old Saint King's plan. So, he gave Su Xiao control of the Crow's Eye. But before that, Su Xiao had to get past the Moon Goddess—an unavoidable situation.
The Moon Goddess had also prepared people to kill Eagle Marquis, but compared to her people, Su Xiao was stronger. That's why the Moon Goddess wanted to eliminate Su Xiao—because whoever's people killed Eagle Marquis tonight would play a dominant role in the subsequent division of power.
Earlier, when the Moon Goddess mentioned Eagle Marquis, Su Xiao sensed something was off. But since he had just arrived in this world, he couldn't immediately know the arrangements of the Old Saint King and the Moon Goddess.
When he left the Moon Goddess Monastery, Su Xiao had a rough idea of what was going on. That's why he showed this casual attitude toward the Old Saint King. The Old Saint King also saw this, and coincidentally, he urgently needed someone like Su Xiao now.
When Su Xiao left the Moon Goddess Monastery, the Moon Goddess was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred because Su Xiao siding with the Old Saint King was inevitable. It was also tonight that she realized how troublesome Su Xiao was.
"Kill him directly?"
Su Xiao needed to confirm one last key piece of intelligence.
"A tree whose roots have been pulled out should be cut down directly."
The Old Saint King stood between Su Xiao and the flower shelf to prevent Su Xiao from touching his precious treasures again.
"At 3 AM? Or earlier? Or wait for him to invite me?"
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the wrinkles on the Old Saint King's face deepened with a smile.
"Wait for him to invite you."
The Old Saint King didn't specify what reason Eagle Marquis would use to invite Su Xiao to his home. There was no need.
Su Xiao walked out of the greenhouse. Just now, he had triggered a hidden mission.
[Hidden Mission: Fall of the Eagle.]
Difficulty Level: Lv.45
Mission Info: Kill Eagle Marquis·Elvis.
Mission Time Limit: 12 hours
Mission Reward: Random Chest (Random Chest can yield White to ??? quality items, equipment, skill scrolls, etc.)
Mission Penalty: All Attributes -5 points.
...
The difficulty of the mission to kill Eagle Marquis wasn't high because Eagle Marquis had already been thoroughly outmaneuvered by the Old Saint King and the Moon Goddess.