As Chen Nan's carriage disappeared into the deepening twilight, the smile on the Face of the King of a Different Surname slowly faded. He turned and walked back towards his manor. "Old dog, you come with me!"
"Yes!"
Gao Jinghong quickly followed the King of a Different Surname.
Upon arriving at the study, Gao Jinghong asked a maid to prepare a sobering soup, as he could tell his master had drunk a considerable amount that day.
Even after the maid brought the sobering soup, neither master nor servant spoke.
"Old dog, you are meticulous in your thinking, always like my own thoughts." The King of a Different Surname broke the silence. "Do you know what your master is thinking in his heart?"
Gao Jinghong hesitated for a moment and said, "You want to get rid of the Imperial Tutor."
A hint of a smile appeared on the indifferent face of the King of a Different Surname. "Truly, nothing can escape your old dog's eyes!"
Gao Jinghong smiled and said, "This is all part of my duty, old servant."
The King of a Different Surname picked up the sobering soup and drank a few mouthfuls. "Tell me your thoughts on Chen Nan's visit!"
Gao Jinghong said, "This old servant has investigated Chen Nan."
"He was originally an insignificant nobody."
"He was the live-in son-in-law of the Leng family in Tongcheng."
"But I don't know what kind of fortune he obtained."
"It was as if he had suddenly awakened."
"He repeatedly achieved great feats."
"From a nobody, he became a Level Six Yin Messenger in just over a year."
"Of course,"
"This old servant has reason to suspect that Level Six Yin Messenger is merely a facade."
"His current rank..."
"Is very likely Level Seven, or even Level Eight."
"At first, I thought he had obtained some great fortune, or perhaps had been possessed by someone else."
"Now it seems."
"There is an invisible hand, as if in the dark."
"Helping him clear the thorns ahead, allowing him to grow from a nobody to the Director of the Supervisory Heaven Department."
"And that person is the Great Emperor."
"He is doing this because he wants Chen Nan to become the Director of the Supervisory Heaven Department."
"To monitor the world, to monitor all people."
"To monitor the Son of Heaven, and uphold justice."
"The facts prove."
"The Great Emperor is far-sighted and possesses keen insight."
"Chen Nan truly has many extraordinary qualities."
The King of a Different Surname's gaze was deep. "Continue!"
Gao Jinghong continued, "The Supervisory Heaven Department is the sharpest sword in heaven and earth, and every strike it makes takes lives."
"But in Chen Nan's hands, this sword is not only sharp."
"It also has... warmth."
The King of a Different Surname frowned slightly. "Warmth?"
Gao Jinghong said helplessly, "My lord, do you know when the Supervisory Heaven Department was established? How many personnel it has now?"
The King of a Different Surname shook his head.
In his life,
Up to this day.
There were only two things that had escaped his control.
Things that had exceeded his expectations.
The first was.
The tragic death of his eldest son and the loss of the Imperial Sword.
The second was the matter of Chen Nan becoming the Director of the Supervisory Heaven Department.
If Chen Nan hadn't visited today.
He would not have known that the Supervisory Heaven Department had even been established.
Gao Jinghong said, "We do not know when the Supervisory Heaven Department was established."
"But one thing is very clear."
"Yesterday, our Gao family lost the Imperial Sword."
"And today Chen Nan came knocking on our door."
"He even proposed the idea of copying the Imperial Sword."
"Don't you think this is too much of a coincidence?"
"This old servant has reason to suspect that the Great Emperor must have known something."
"After all, only you, my lord, the Imperial Tutor, and this old servant knew about the loss of the Imperial Sword."
"My lord would naturally not reveal the matter of the Imperial Sword's loss."
"As for this old servant..."
"There is no reason to reveal this matter, as the loss of the Imperial Sword is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of relatives."
"Once the Great Emperor blames us, my family and I will not escape death."
"Therefore, using the simplest method of elimination."
"The Imperial Tutor Zheng Yu leaked this matter."
"If this old servant's guess is correct, the Imperial Tutor must have informed the Great Emperor of this matter."
"Although he gave our Gao family ten days to find the Imperial Sword."
"This person is deceptive. It is not surprising that he would do such a thing."
"He wants to inform the Great Emperor of this matter, so that the Great Emperor will exterminate my Gao family's nine generations of relatives!"
"However, the Great Emperor, remembering that my Gao family is full of loyal martyrs, does not want to have my Gao family's entire clan executed."
"It is for this reason that he allowed Chen Nan to appear at the opportune moment."
"The so-called copying of the Imperial Sword is a complete fabrication."
"What he wants to convey is that the Great Emperor already knows about the loss of the Imperial Sword."
"But he does not want to punish my Gao family with the crime of extermination."
"Chen Nan's statement before leaving about coming back in seven days to copy the Imperial Sword is the Great Emperor's final grace to our Gao family!"
"As long as we find the Imperial Sword within seven days."
"Even if that bastard Zheng Yu informed the Great Emperor of this matter."
"The Great Emperor will dismiss it with a smile."
"And will not punish our Gao family."
"This is why this old servant said that Chen Nan's sword has warmth!"
The King of a Different Surname nodded in agreement. "You are right. Chen Nan is a man of extraordinary talent and exceptional character. He is indeed a warm young man."
"Chen Nan, he is someone we can work with."
Saying this.
A sense of lingering fear arose in his heart.
If someone else had become the Director of the Supervisory Heaven Department,
They would have insisted on examining the Imperial Sword today.
If that were the case.
The matter of the lost Imperial Sword could not have been concealed.
What awaited the Gao family would undoubtedly be the extermination of their nine generations of relatives.
"But, we must retrieve the Imperial Sword within seven days."
"This matter is too difficult," Gao Jinghong said with a worried expression.
The underworld is vast and boundless.
They had spent tens of thousands of years without finding the remnants of the Anti-Heaven Cult hidden in the world.
Let alone finding a sword in the vast world.
The difficulty of this task was no different from finding a needle in a haystack!
*Pfft!*
The King of a Different Surname directly crushed the jade cup in his hand, his eyes chilling to the extreme. "The loss of the Imperial Sword is a capital offense. I have failed to live up to the Emperor's grace. Even if the Great Emperor wants to exterminate my Gao family, I will have no complaints."
"But I cannot tolerate someone betraying this King."
"The Imperial Tutor, under the guise of righteousness, repeatedly said he would help my Gao family keep this secret for ten days."
"Yet, he turned around and informed the Great Emperor of this matter."
"Even if my Gao family is to perish."
"I will make the Imperial Tutor pay a heavy price."
He exuded a cold killing intent.
Then he said, "We will handle this from both ends. On one hand, continue to search for the lost Imperial Sword."
"Since the Great Emperor has given us seven days."
"We must go all out and not disappoint the Great Emperor."
Saying this, his face was filled with a sense of grievance. "Because I know the Great Emperor does not wish to exterminate my Gao family."
"He is also powerless."
"Although he could change the law and protect my Gao family."
"But doing so would inevitably lead to opposition from the ministers."
"As a subject, how can I allow the Great Emperor to be criticized by all the ministers for the sake of my Gao family?"
He sighed deeply, and a sharp killing intent flashed in his eyes. "Secondly."
"You will send a contingent of men to Sishui City."
"If I am not mistaken."
"Sishui City is Zheng Yu's ancestral hometown, right?"
Gao Jinghong nodded. "Yes, even though Zheng Yu has become the Imperial Tutor and holds a high position, he has not moved his household registration to Fengdu City. He still returns every year to pay respects to his ancestors."
The King of a Different Surname said, "Since that is the case, then we will also go to the Zheng family's ancestral tomb to offer incense, and perhaps dig out the coffins of the Zheng family's ancestors to let them bask in the sun!"
"Hey, you say, if I personally dug out the Imperial Tutor's ancestors' coffins and let them bask in the sun, would the Imperial Tutor be very touched?"