"I have sothing that I must say to the Empress, and only to the Empress."
If such words didn’t co from ng Xizhou, they wouldn’t be taken seriously by anyone.
Zhu Xue gently put down the teacup.
He beca solemn, staring straight into ng Xizhou’s eyes.
In those clear, bright eyes, he saw countless rays of light, eyes as beautiful as a sun, but different from the sun.
Only warmth, not dazzling.
Lin Chou had seen too many people’s eyes in his lifeti.
In these eyes, he also saw many souls. The world has too many secrets, but no matter how deeply they’re hidden, there’s always a trace... He is the Empress’s brother, the Duke of the North Continent, and during the cold purge of the Privy Council last year, he was revered by countless people, all because of his eyes that could see through hearts.
Of so many people, he had never seen eyes like ng Xizhou’s.
Truly clear as a mirror, unstained.
This woman’s soul had no filth, only light.
So much so that Lin Chou had a strange premonition in his heart.
Perhaps...
He should trust this Goddess, who had fled from the West Continent, a little more.
This thought had just erged when Lin Chou forced it down. He secretly marveled at how, despite having weathered countless storms and intrigues within the North Continent Royal Family, he had few people left in this world truly worthy of his trust.
Just a few words exchanged with ng Xizhou, and such a thought arose.
What a terrifying influence!
"I apologize."
He took a gentle breath, regaining his calm: "Besides Aunt Wen... no one is allowed on the second floor, so whatever you wish to say to Her Majesty here, it is to no avail."
"Duke Lin Chou."
ng Xizhou gave a soft laugh, "I understand your point."
"Moreover, I know that even though Her Majesty resides in the loft, she is aware of worldly matters. Every word and action here has been seen by her... As for the visit, it is not so much about whether the Lord of the Legion is willing to let through but rather whether Her Majesty is willing to give this opportunity."
Indeed... that is the case.
Every officer in Northern Continent Central City acts on the Empress’s will.
Climbing the tower to visit, if not permitted, one will be stopped.
This is because the Empress knows all things.
If she does not wish to et, she need not say it personally.
"But..."
Her gaze passed over Lin Chou, looking toward the bright daylight beyond the window, she softly asked, "Her Majesty the Empress sees all life within Central City, but does she also see the entire Five Continents?"
Zhu Xue was slightly taken aback.
He realized... that this was ng Xizhou speaking directly to the loft.
If there are things that this Goddess, for special reasons, can only speak to the Empress and must speak to the Empress about, and if the castle has continually denied her audience, then she has no choice but to say it here.
The Empress knows all.
If she speaks out, the Empress will hear.
However... saying such things might be heard by more than just the Empress.
The breeze outside gently stirred, flowers swayed.
"Lin Chou."
Not long after ng Xizhou spoke, the Purple Rain Commander who had been stationed at the castle sent a spiritual communication.
Her voice resounded directly in Zhu Xue’s Spirit Sea.
Though it was a familiar voice, Zhu Xue vaguely felt it sowhat unfamiliar, because Aunt Wen hadn’t directly ntioned his na in such a manner for a long ti.
"Bring her up. Her Majesty wishes to see her."
A simple sentence.
Made Zhu Xue’s fingers, gripping the handle of the teacup, suddenly stiffen.
He looked again into the Goddess’s eyes.
ng Xizhou’s eyes remained like the azure sky, clear and unfathomable.
She said no more.
After her speech just now, she made no extraneous moves, simply sitting there, quietly waiting for the loft’s response.
...
...
Castle hall.
Purple Rain stood beneath the massive painting depicting the "Iron Do Emperor" who had built the Northern Continent’s fortress many years ago. The emperor stood atop the giant wall, back to all, with a swirling storm on the distant horizon.
But nearby was boundless light and oppressive silence.
Before the storm arrives, it is always like this.
Over the years, people have always associated "light" with goodness, but is it truly so? There are a myriad kinds of light in this world, so warm the heart, while others incite fierce flas.
Truly silent light can also evoke fear.
The stronger it is, the more frightening.
She didn’t understand why Her Majesty suddenly changed her mind, summoned the "Light Goddess" from afar, yet she sensed a vague foreboding from the last ti she saw ng Xizhou...
The aura of light exuding from that woman made her uneasy.
Perhaps due to a special constitution or "exceptional talent," ng Xizhou, even walking in the long night, would attract light fragnts from all directions, and this is precisely what unsettled Purple Rain.
Where there is light.
She is the eyes of the West Continent’s "Divine Throne."
If ng Xizhou is allowed onto the second floor, Her Majesty’s state would be completely exposed, wouldn’t it?
Her thoughts were suddenly in turmoil.
"Beep beep beep!"
The communicator suddenly rang out, a brief ssage from Osmond and Lin Lin aboard the main command boat.
Just with a glance, Purple Rain’s expression darkened.
...
...
When Zhu Xue arrived at the castle with ng Xizhou, he was slightly surprised. The manor was filled with many powerful Extraordinary Auras, surging like an undercurrent and completely unrestrained. From afar, the iron railing could be seen as these iron-like, stern figures stood upright.
These Transcendents were the "exclusive Forbidden Army" that only obeyed the North Continent royal authority, normally responsible for safeguarding Central City. They would only be deployed here under special circumstances.
The authority to summon them belonged to only two people.
One was his sister.
The other one... was the Lord of the Legion serving the castle.
ng Xizhou also noticed these auras.
Her deanor remained calm, yet deep inside, her feelings were not as serene as her expression...
ng Xizhou was sowhat puzzled. If Her Majesty the Empress did not want to see her, she could have just kept the previous stance, not replying and leaving her aside, waiting for soone from Light City to take her back.
But if she was willing to et, why take such a asure?
Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress was worried that she might do sothing unfavorable beneath the castle?
She glanced at Zhu Xue beside her, noticing a trace of confusion in Lin Chou’s eyes... Her inner unease was slightly eased.
"Rumbling..."
The last gate of the castle slowly opened.
Purple Rain Commander stood quietly by herself, with no sign of a welcoming gesture on her face, standing right at the passage leading to the second floor... no matter who ca, they must be led by her to go upstairs, as this was one of North Continent’s iron laws.
And at this mont, her position completely blocked the passage.
She didn’t seem like soone intending to "guide" anyone.
"Lord of the Legion."
ng Xizhou smiled, courteously bowing, saying, "If you wish to arrest , it doesn’t have to be so troubleso. Just say the word, and I will ’walk into the trap’ myself."
"How could I spread false information?"
Purple Rain said expressionlessly, "The Empress wants to see you, this is true... But my dispatching of the Forbidden Army to encircle the castle is also true."
This ti.
Zhu Xue, silent for a long ti, slowly spoke: "Why has it co to this?"
He still didn’t understand what had happened.
"Osmond sent a ssage." The commander looked straight into ng Xizhou’s eyes and said word by word, "In the Disaster Realm, Duke Zhen Yue, ng Xiao violated the North Continent’s iron law, openly slaughtering comrades, and moreover... attempted to summon the Light God’s Seat, but failed."
Lin Chou was stunned.
With these words,
the temperature in the entire hall suddenly dropped.
This news was truly shocking... Twenty years ago, the relationship between the North Continent and Light City was excellent. The forr Duke Zhen Yue had fought hard at the Fortress for the North Continent, thus securing this hereditary position of "Duke."
Unfortunately, the current Duke Zhen Yue seems to have little affection for the North Continent Territory.
ng Xiao, the Blessed Son of Light City, grew up in the West Continent and took over his father’s Duke position seemingly more as a task.
But no one expected.
He actually regarded it all as a "task."
From the mont the news was spoken, Purple Rain stared intently into ng Xizhou’s eyes.
However.
She didn’t find what she was looking for in those eyes.
ng Xizhou was also taken aback, subconsciously opening her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
She fell silent.
The expression on her face transford from shock and astonishnt to tranquility and sadness.
"I have reason to suspect that your intentions in reaching Central City are impure, and your intent to see the Empress is malicious..."
Purple Rain raised her voice; she was speaking for the person in the attic to hear.
In fact, she knew that even if she spoke softly, the person in the attic would hear her clearly.
But having learned about the news from the Disaster Realm, she was truly angry.
Raising her voice was more like a release.
ng Xizhou, standing a short distance away, quietly endured the impact of this news, and after a long while, she spoke softly: "I’m very sorry... I knew nothing about this matter."
Purple Rain silently clenched her fist.
The suppression and restart of the Duolu River Disaster Realm was a strictly guarded secret of the North Continent Army.
Now, with energy in Central City exhausted, Her Majesty is beset by Furnace troubles, facing internal and external crises, and the North Continent urgently needs to excavate new usable materials from the [Old World] to ensure the "Floating City" can continue to burn.
ng Xiao wanting to summon the Light God’s Seat, although it failed, destroyed the long-established trust between the two sides!
Could it be true that the Light Goddess had no knowledge of what Light City was plotting?
But...
After regaining her composure, the commander knew that what ng Xizhou said was likely the truth at this mont.
If she knew such a thing would occur, how could she have stayed in Central City all this ti?
At this mont, the hall was engulfed in a silent standoff.
But the Extraordinary Auras in the manor were gradually intensifying, orderly and somber—
The Central City Forbidden Army had completed its assembly, just waiting for the commander’s order to apprehend the Light Goddess on the spot.
The tension reached its peak.
Just then.
From the end of the corridor on the second floor, a very light, gentle voice drifted in.
"Bring her up here."
...
...
(Another Chapter before 6 PM.)
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