We will test the device as soon as possible, Prince Shen said. In the meantime, I suggest we send the imperial tutor to supervise him.
Agreed, the other voice said. Though we need the tutor, the Breaker project is equally important. Besides, we have support from the entire South ready to intercept the creature. One imperial tutor won’t make a difference.
Moments later, Cha Ming sensed another presence beside him and Guardian Li. “Take care, Grandmaster Pai,” Guardian Li said, seeing him out the palace gates.
“Thank you for the escort,” Cha Ming said, giving him a short bow. He flew down the streets, feigning obliviousness to the expert hidden in the shadows.
“I wonder who that was, sneaking in and out in the middle of the night?” Feng Ming muttered, looking at the tall but burly man making his way out of the palace. Another figure followed, a figure he wouldn’t have noticed except for a coincidental glint from an exposed piece of jewelry. People, he thought, shaking his head. You’d think they’d be more careful if they were sneaking about.
“Should I tail him?” the Sea God Emperor asked, slurping loudly. After watching Feng Ming devour three entire bowls, he, too, had decided to try the restaurant’s famed noodles. Five bowls later, he’d developed a preference for their fish broth, consuming three entire bowls in quick succession.
“Naw,” Feng Ming said. “I have a feeling it’s best to leave him alone.” He looked at the palace with a concerned frown. “There are so many powerful cultivators there. What we need is something to draw them away.”
“You mean like a large creature of the void,” Gong Xuandi said, “hellbent on destroying every living and non-living thing on this plane, culminating in a universe-ending calamity that even Yama might have to step in to stop if it gets bad enough?”
Feng Ming coughed lightly. “I was thinking something smaller in scale but inconveniently timed. He looked to the west, and his face brightened. “I know just the thing. Tell me, old friend, how do you like smashing things to bits and causing a ruckus?”
“I’m not your friend,” Gong Xuandi said, glaring at Feng Ming and putting his bowl of noodles down. “But yes, I like doing those things. I’m a body cultivator. It’s what we do.”
“Excellent,” Feng Ming said. “I want you to go over to that army barracks, where all the generals and important officers are stationed. Start fighting and killing people, making a lot of noise in the process.”
Gong Xuandi winced. “While I’m obligated to aid you, even risking myself to some extent, that’s a little too much heat for me to handle.”
“It’s a good thing you won’t have to handle it alone,” Feng Ming said. “Most of the powerful cultivators are distracted by the aforementioned world-ending calamity, and I’ll be sneaking inside the palace. I’ll be sure to cause a ruckus on the way out, and then I’ll come help you out. I’m lucky, remember?”
“And I’m not, in case you haven’t noticed,” Gong Xuandi said. “I lost my crown, and now I’m forced to put up with you.”
“But your luck’s gotten better,” Feng Ming pressed. “I dare you to say otherwise.”
The old Sea God Emperor grunted. He picked up his bowl and slurped loudly, downing its entire contents. He then stood up, wiped his mouth, and left the room.
A few tense minutes passed before, finally, a large crashing sound filled the air. He heard many shocked yells from the room just over them. Several dozen flashes of light zoomed out from the palace. One of them was a half-step transcendent, and the rest were peak transcendents. These were most of the palace’s reserve, which was a testament to how large a ruckus Gong Xuandi had caused.
“Great,” Feng Ming said. He finished his own noodles with a quick slurp, downed his glass of wine, and proceeded down the steps, where all sorts of important people were scrambling about, trying to figure out what was going on. He left a confused waiter a generous tip and walked out the front door, walking over to a convenient shadow he’d spotted earlier. “It should be here somewhere,” he murmured, pressing the stones until suddenly, he heard a click. A small door opened in the wall. It led farther down the solid structure.
Feng Ming slipped inside the dark area, using his resplendent force to guide the way. After a few minutes of fumbling about, he eventually found a loose stone, which he pushed in. Another door opened, revealing a small but beautiful courtyard. It was completely empty of people, and a large contraption sat inside it.
What’s this? he thought, looking at it. The machine had a dangerous vibe to it. In fact, he had the distinct impression that, should he do something foolish, the device might destroy him, body and soul. “Who just leaves this kind of thing lying around?”
The outer shell of the device was mostly bare, but from the general shape, he could tell that the device behaved much like a spear, if a bit unwieldy. The tip was pointed north toward Bastion Wall, and the entire metallic contraption was mounted on a large stone base.
I wonder how it works? Feng Ming thought. Gong Xuandi’s distraction was good and all, but you could never be too careful when looting a palace vault.
First things first, take care of the imperial tutor, Cha Ming thought as he traveled through the city streets. His movements were confusing, but that behavior was well in line with someone who’d just stolen the most expensive prototype on the continent and betrayed his company.
He soon found himself a few blocks away from his destination: the Blood Master Monastery. There, he slipped into an alleyway and concealed his presence, disguising himself as a small mouse hiding in a hole in the wall. Predictably, the imperial tutor followed. He stopped just where Cha Ming had previously been. He looked down at the mouse in disgust and glared down the alleyway.
Just as
