Chapter 1020
Chu Xuan's Abnormality
"In the past, my Qin state was divided into three dukes and nine ministers. The Dianke was one of the nine ministers, and he was an official in charge of diplomacy and foreign friends. That's why I came here."
Zhu Wen nodded: "It's the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who handles international affairs, right?"
Although Dongfang didn't understand, he wasn't stupid, and he nodded in agreement.
Chu Xuan snapped out of his daze after reading the message.
"You just said that because of war and turmoil abroad, many generals and terracotta warriors had to guard the borders to ensure domestic peace."
"So the warlords in the country are actually no different from before?"
Dongfang nodded helplessly.
“I am His Majesty’s confidant and originally had a plan, but due to other matters, it was repeatedly delayed, and then His Majesty suddenly disappeared, so it ended up like this.”
"The reason why foreign wars have not spread to China is because the Terracotta Army, which is immortal and indestructible, serves as a barrier. Therefore, we cannot spare the manpower to quell the internal strife in the short term."
Zero couldn't help but ask from the side, "Is it that you can't draw it, or that you don't want to draw it?"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang fell silent, or rather, dared not answer.
After all, some problems can be life-threatening.
Chu Xuan felt he had overlooked something, and after thinking for a moment, he asked again:
"If, as Ziyuan said, the Dragon Emperor disappeared suddenly, then who sent those people on the border of Qin?"
"The right to mobilize troops is not something that ordinary people can possess."
Dongfang nodded: "It's another institution. Originally, the Qin state's official system consisted of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and the local official system consisted of four levels: prefecture, county, township, and village."
"However, after His Majesty's resurrection, the Three Dukes were not appointed. Instead, an auxiliary agency called the Inner Palace was established, which was filled with people His Majesty absolutely trusted, with the main purpose of assisting His Majesty the First Emperor."
"This troop deployment was a decision made by His Majesty and many generals after His Majesty and the strange man with the golden mask disappeared."
"Over the years, this has indeed ensured that the Qin state was free from worries, but it has also indirectly created a ruling system that is strong on the outside but weak on the inside."
Hearing this, Zhu Wen looked at Chu Xuan curiously.
"So, is this good news? With those generals and terracotta warriors still around, the Buddha statues are definitely not going to be sold."
"The bad news is that if we want to find the Buddha statue fragments in the next six days, we will need the help of various warlords in the mainland."
Dongfang nodded: "Although His Majesty has re-established the prefecture and county system, it has only been implemented for a few years. Even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. If you are just looking for something, and in such a short time, then their system is more effective than our official system."
"It may be embarrassing to say this, but it's the truth."
"However, these are only temporary. Once His Majesty returns, then..."
Seeing that the person had suddenly become excited and agitated, Zhu Wen did not disturb him.
Chu Xuan then took out a slug and began to explain the situation in front of everyone.
"It can now be confirmed that there is no possibility of any Buddha statue parts leaving the country."
"So next we will start our search along the border from this city, and according to Eastern statistics, there are a total of eight warlord forces in the interior that have the potential to become powerful."
"Remember, no matter how much you find, you must meet outside the ancient tomb that Jonathan mentioned on the last day. I will send the specific location to the Moss on your body."
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away.
As the swirling yellow sand in the air fell to the ground.
Imhotep and his party also appeared on an earthen bridge.
Upon hearing the message from the slug, the group exchanged bewildered glances.
The others are fine, but these warlords who have declared themselves kings haven't been recruited by the Dragon Emperor yet?
On the earthen bridge, Chen Zilong looked at Li Xiao and asked:
"If that's the case, is there still enough time?"
"Even if everything goes smoothly, and we go to the vicinity of the ancient tomb to retrieve the Buddha head that Jonathan hid, and then get information from Yan Xishan."
"Then each of the next forces will need at least half a day plus travel time."
Chen Zilong didn't need to say anything more.
Everyone knew in their hearts that plans could not keep up with changes.
Throughout the journey, Li Xiao continuously activated the third stage of the gene lock in order to mimic Xiao Honglu's contemplation of the next task.
Now we hear the information provided by Chu Xuan in the slug.
Li Xiao immediately spoke up:
"As Chu Xuan said, we will split up. Saito Hajime, Chen Zilong, and Cheng Xiao, the three of you will each be responsible for three locations."
“Brother Jie, your mental enhancement system also has the Eye of Suggestion, which is more suitable for controlling these forces. So, those two troublesome ones in the North and South are all in your hands. Hypnotize them and come to meet me as soon as possible.”
"As for the three of you, Saito, since time is of the essence, let's meet them first using the simplest method."
"Whether it's coercion or bribery, whatever the means, as long as they cooperate, it's fine."
"We will inform you as soon as we obtain the fragments of the Buddha statue from Yan Xishan."
“Even if they don’t have it, your geographical locations will still be able to fully cover all areas of Qin.”
After Cheng Xiao summoned a few more slugs, Saito and the others took them and jumped onto their respective Green Goblin Skates and Fire Arrows, immediately changing direction.
The scattered crowd looked at the silver bracelet behind the God Watch on their wrists.
Although it's described as a silver bracelet, a closer look reveals that it's actually composed of small, specially designed display screens.
The bracelet not only features a 3D projection but also has selection buttons similar to those in a contacts app.
It was the futuristic technology that Li Xiao brought back from the alien world: a personal terminal.
If it weren't for the radiation from the AllSpark in the previous world, the Central Continent team wouldn't have faced so many obstacles.
But now, this high-tech equipment has become their greatest source of confidence to act independently.
Putting everything else aside, the Mos clone in the bracelet alone is enough for them to rely on.
"Moss, set the Green Goblin skateboard to maximum speed, then enter auto-navigation. You heard what I just said, right?"
An electronic voice sounded from the bracelet: "Power is increasing. Full speed mode will be activated in three seconds."
"Destination changed, automatic cruise function activated."
Shanghai.
Dongfang holds a calligraphy brush and wields it with flourish.
As the last stroke was completed, the white paper in front of him condensed into a beam of white light that shot out the window.
They disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Zhao Yingkong and Zhu Wen exchanged a glance, and then looked at Chu Xuan.
The man simply adjusted his glasses without saying a word.
Dongfang looked at them and said:
"From now on, all forces in the Qin state, starting from the border troops and all those subordinate to the imperial court, will search for the fragments of the Buddha statue you speak of."
"I will notify you as soon as there is any news."
-
Time flew by and evening arrived.
The entire city has also entered a nightlife phase, with rickshaws and laborers shuttling through the streets and alleys.
The dancers soliciting customers and the waiter standing at the door shouting their wares.
Of course, besides this scene.
The nimble bronze horse by the roadside, the magical artifact seemingly made of porcelain floating in mid-air in the distance, and the white rainbow light that flashes across the sky from time to time.
All of this symbolizes that this Shanghai is not the Shanghai they remember.
It has a more fantastical feel to it.
Zhao Yingkong and Chu Xuan stood in mid-air, almost blending into the darkness.
Looking down at the brightly lit, bustling city below, Zhao Yingkong asked Chu Xuan, "And then?"
“Li Xiao and the others have already separated, but even so, there’s no guarantee that all the Buddha statues can be gathered, right?” Chu Xuan nodded, standing on a green goblin skateboard: “No, but this approach has maximized the chances. Whether all the Buddha statues can be gathered in the end depends on luck.”
Zhao Yingkong raised her icy gaze:
"So, what exactly are you planning to do by assigning me, Lingdian, and Zhu Wen to the same group as you?"
Chu Xuan stretched out his hand and pointed it at the city below, saying calmly, "Even if you go, or even with me, it will indeed speed up the search, but it will only increase the probability by a decimal point of one in ten thousand."
"Whether it's Saito Hajime or Cheng Xiao, their power is beyond the reach of this world."
"As long as you don't trigger side quests, solo play is absolutely no problem."
"As for why I left you and Zero behind, the reason is quite simple."
"Since Zheng Zha and Xiao Honglu are not here, the only ones who can stand up to me are the two of you, right?"
After speaking, Chu Xuan smiled and looked at Zhao Yingkong with a scrutinizing gaze.
"...It's a really strange feeling. You know, Li Xiao actually guessed wrong."
"Not everyone is like Zheng Zha... able to unlock and advance without restraint."
“Even Li Xiao wasted so much time in the third stage, while Chen Zilong has only just entered.”
"In the last horror movie, I didn't unlock the fourth stage of the genetic lock; in fact, I was still quite far from it. But now..."
Chu Xuan watched as the girl in front of him disappeared.
Then a snow-white longsword appeared at his neck.
He continued with a smile, "Don't be nervous. Right now, I'm just standing at the entrance to the fourth level."
"Even though they are similar, there are differences."
"This feeling of being just one step away from success allows me to sense the mysterious existence of emotions."
"What a tempting thing..."
"I can now clearly feel that they are only a small distance away from me."
But besides these, my inner demons... seem to have appeared as well. It's strange that I haven't even truly entered the fourth-order gene lock yet!
You agree, right? Midnight!
Chu Xuan's pupils began to change, then focused.
At the top of the bridge, 10,000 meters away, Lingdian almost pulled the trigger when he heard the sound in his ear.
But thankfully his eyes told him that nothing was wrong, and he calmed down.
Chu Xuan turned around and looked at Zhao Yingkong, who had a serious expression.
"Not bad, you were able to perceive my intentions immediately. It must have been Li Xiao who reminded you, right?"
"Don't worry, keeping you by my side is just in case, so that my inner demons won't be so restless."
"I won't enter the fourth-order gene lock for at least a short period of time, until Zheng Zha recovers."
Zhao Yingkong frowned, but did not put down the Zanpakuto in her hand.
"Why? Is it related to Zheng Zha?"
Chu Xuan had a smile on his face.
His voice was calm: "Because I want Zheng Zha to kill me with his own hands, so that he might be able to reach the legendary fifth-order saint!"
"Of course, it's also possible that I killed him and then advanced to the next level."
"After all, once I enter the fourth stage and gain emotions, I'm afraid I'll develop feelings for Zheng Zha or you guys."
"And killing you while in a state of inner demons, isn't that the best catalyst?"
"It's so funny, really funny!"
"Like right now, I have a kind of illusion."
"It feels amazing to have the whole world under my feet!"
As he spoke, Chu Xuan withdrew his outstretched hand.
Looking at the silent Zhao Yingkong, she smiled and asked a question.
"...Would you like to tell me your story, the story of another version of yourself?"
The words had just been spoken.
A terrifying spiritual pressure instantly surged from Zhao Yingkong's body.
The once brightly lit streets were now completely disrupted by tripped circuits.
Both the streetlights and the rooms were plunged into darkness.
This darkness began to spread rapidly from beneath the two people and spread outwards.
In the end, nearly a quarter of Shanghai lost its lights.
At this moment, there was an indescribable fierceness and sharpness in the girl's eyes.
Zhao Yingkong of the Zhongzhou team usually appears taciturn and acts extremely coldly.
However, his teammates never gave him such looks.
Because an uncontrollable killing intent had appeared in that gaze.
At midnight, thousands of meters away, his palms were soaked with sweat, and he didn't know why.
He found himself even more nervous than when he faced Megatron or even the first God in the previous film.
And it was at this time.
A white light arrived in an instant from afar.
Hovering in mid-air, under the gaze of Chu Xuan and Zhao Yingkong, the white light transformed into a sheet of paper shimmering with white light and unfurled.
Dongfang, dressed in a red official robe, walked out from there.
He stepped on words formed by black ink.
Upon seeing the two confronting each other, especially with Zhao Ying holding a knife to Chu Xuan's neck, he couldn't help but pause for a moment.
Then he remembered the important matter and quickly spoke up.
"Gentlemen, about a minute ago, a Buddha's Hand citron in Pudong, Shanghai, exhibited some unusual phenomena, I think..."
Before they could finish speaking in the Eastern dialect, the two of them turned around and flew towards Pudong.
The air beneath the girl's bare feet kept breaking apart, and there was even a gust of air surging out from her back, propelling her forward.
Seeing the speed Chu Xuan and Zhao Yingkong unleashed, Dongfang couldn't help but gasp.
He then looked down at the chaotic city below, now shrouded in darkness, and sighed.
-
Chu Xuan, who was standing slightly behind, suddenly remembered something and lit up his wrist terminal.
As the information connection was established.
"Li Xiao, did Yellow Turban warriors just attack Jonathan?"
A real-time window popped out of the silver bracelet, and Li Xiao's holographic projection appeared in the window: "How did you know?"
Chu Xuan quickly said, "The appearance of the Yellow Turban Warriors is related to the Buddha statue. Protect Jonathan and don't break those three Yellow Turban Warriors yet."
As soon as Chu Xuan finished speaking, Li Xiao on the other side first showed a look of joy, but then his expression turned strange.
then……
"Well, you're too late. Imhotep already took care of the last one."
"But it's alright. Jonathan has already told Imhotep that the Yellow Turban Warriors' appearance time has now been shortened to less than a day."
"We estimate that it will appear again tomorrow. We will try to delay the time and give you time to find the Buddha statue parts."
"After all, if that's really the case, once we master the ability to make the broken Buddha statue levitate, these parts will be much easier to find." (End of Chapter)