Serial Player
Chapter 1659 - 1196: Hidden Danger

Chapter 1659: Chapter 1196: Hidden Danger

News from various worlds has caused great anxiety and unease within the Great Tang Empire. The civil and military officials were especially shocked at the strength of the dark power operating behind the scenes.

Even more concerning for the Great Tang was the severed communications from the frontlines.

The worlds within the Great Tang Empire are far apart from each other, connected only through the Teleportation Gate Network. Now, all seven worlds that connected the Great Tang with the frontline have gone silent. This has blocked the logistical support and various reinforcements from reaching the rear of the Great Tang.

The situation on the frontline is tense, and now the supply line has been cut. This is a big problem!

In addition, more than thirty other Great Tang worlds have lost contact, which has made it impossible for the worlds that need to pass through them to convey accurate information.

From a practical standpoint, the central world of the Great Tang Empire has directly lost control of over a hundred worlds overnight.

There are only five hundred worlds in the Eternal Prosperous Tang Dynasty, to begin with. With over a fifth of the worlds experiencing problems, paralleled by both the blockade of logistics and information from the frontline, the entire Great Tang was deeply worried.

Moreover, many troubles have also emerged in the central world of the Great Tang, where armor battalions were dispatched to Shandong to capture members of the ancient families listed on a dossier but unexpectedly encountered resistance beyond anticipation.

According to the official statement of the Great Tang government, the ancient families attempted to shirk responsibility, casting the blame onto a certain disfavored scion of their own.

Against all expectations, that scion responded to his anger with ironic laughter, brutally killing his clan’s elders.

After that, he led his servants to directly seize the family’s treasury, taking the weapons therein and engaging in fierce combat with the arriving battalions.

As a result, it was revealed that this family had been secretly stockpiling dozens of Great Tang armors—a capital offense!

The steam-powered armors of the Great Tang are critical assets of the empire, and to privately hoard such items is tantamount to plotting rebellion.

Hence, the entire family was thrust into the abyss, and in the assault by the battalions and the surrounding garrisons, this sizable family was extinguished, leaving only a branch loyal to the royal house remaining.

Hearing this news, Li Changhe couldn’t help but speculate whether this was Li Zhi using the incident as a pretext to suppress the ancient families.

After all, those ancient families have always been a hidden threat, leveraging their accumulated wealth and knowledge to monopolize official positions in the ancient dynastic periods, contesting the emperor’s authority.

Some families have even survived into the modern era, like one of the notorious traitor Qin Hui’s sycophants with the surname Liu, whose family has continued to this modern day, still scheming to betray their country. Truly ’a loyal and heroic lineage.’

During the period of the Eternal Prosperous Tang Dynasty, even if the ancient families could no longer monopolize knowledge, they fully participated in the Great Tang’s expeditions, with many serving as governors or high officials in various Great Tang worlds.

For imperial authority, this has always been a hidden danger. Now, it seems that Li Zhi intends to take the opportunity to suppress them.

It was coincidental that the Wuhua Lady had frequent interactions with these scions of the ancient families.

After all, with the power of the ancient families, one could very effectively twist the destiny path of others.

Take for example the Helan, so frightened he could not speak; he is one of the more well-known profligates among the scions.

The Wuhua Lady merely talked with him, without any intentional guiding, yet she managed to make him make choices that would alter the destiny of others.

According to the Wuhua Lady’s arrangement, the Auxiliary Army officer, transferred by the Helan family to another world, would interweave with others whose destinies had been altered, and eventually become a military warlord.

Afterwards, more and more news came pouring in.

With the widespread arrests by the Great Tang officials, murmurs of unrest began to spread everywhere.

Chaos even began to materialise.

A military academy student, under the guidance of the Wuhua Lady, stumbled upon a mysterious room within the academy by accident.

As long as a living creature is placed within the room, some benefits can be obtained the next day. Sometimes it’s gold coins, sometimes drugs that enhance the body, and sometimes even the grace of a certain being.

Under the drive of desire, the student began to continuously sneak living creatures into the room. From rats and frogs to stray cats and dogs to cattle and sheep to even his own warhorse.

From being a mediocre student, he gradually became a talented individual, excelling in both scholarly and martial arts.

He also became smarter, more handsome, stronger. He won the favor of the academy teachers, and many fine young ladies took the initiative to communicate with him.

Even several Great Tang battalions and fleet recruiters took notice of him, and upon his graduation, he could rise to great heights.

However, he was not content. He wanted even more!

To obtain more benefits, he started tricking his human brethren into entering the room, first by luring in beggars he had beckoned to help. Then it was the janitors from the academy.

In the end, he even deceived his closest friends into it.

Thus, he received even more powerful gifts.

When investigated, he suddenly erupted in violence.

In an instant, he killed thirteen scoundrels who had come to capture him, over twenty local constables, and officials and soldiers.

He even struck down an academy instructor who had taken great care of him.

That instructor never imagined until his dying breath that his favored student would join the forces of Chaos.

Ultimately, that student transformed into a Chaos Demon General amidst a bloody battle and died at the hands of the soldiers from the security teams of the fighting forces and the academy.

Just a single student, under the guidance of Wuhua Lady, brought about such a catastrophe.

If such students were to be allowed into the fighting forces, to go to the battlefield, or to join the fleets and pilot warships,

what could the consequences be?

No, or rather, how many such students have already infiltrated the current Great Tang fighting forces or fleets?

All the fighting forces and fleets started conducting stringent inspections.

But it sparked repeated internal strife within the fighting forces.

Out of the fifteen forces tasked with guarding the main world of Great Tang, seven experienced fierce civil wars.

And the Great Tang space navy encircling the main world of Great Tang even witnessed a horrifying scene of fleet against fleet.

One fighting force stationed in the Mediterranean even rebelled outright during an internal investigation; they not only killed the officers of the Inspectorate conducting the investigation but also planned to launch a blood sacrifice in the nearest city, conducting a vile ritual.

Fortunately, the city’s Great Tang governor led one hundred thousand soldiers and citizens, staunchly persevering until support from the nearest loyal fighting force arrived.

Still, this resulted in numerous casualties and a part of the Chaos Catastrophe emerged. All cities were in a state of panic.

Message after message transmitted, instilling fear in the heart of each Great Tang citizen.

Many high officials of Great Tang deemed this operation too rash. With the enemy now retaliating, Great Tang seemed somewhat powerless.

Who knows how many betrayers are still concealed in the shadows?

But Li Zhi remained calm, disregarding the officials’ suggestions, insisting instead that the fighting forces protect his two princes.

"It’s just another rebellion. If we can eradicate the danger, wouldn’t the reign of our Great Tang dynasty last an eternity?" Li Zhi responded indifferently: "Continue the investigation!"

Meanwhile, inside Jinwu Tower, Wuhua Lady suddenly exploded.

Just as Heavenly Water True Immortal intended to delve into deeper secrets, her brain’s confidentiality mechanism was triggered, and it exploded. Her delicate face shattered, and red and white brain matter splashed everywhere, frightening several noble disciples into incontinence.

However, Heavenly Water True Immortal simply raised an eyebrow; he had caught a glimpse of something just now.

So he said to Li Changhe, "This Wuhua Lady... She receives mysterious communications every month. From the palace."

Li Changhe nodded, the Book of Heaven’s Holder in the palace? Or is that yet another layer of proxy?

Well, let them make their move.

Before that, I’ll go see the emperor myself.

As long as he is not the Holder of the Book of Heaven, everything can still be discussed. It’s not too easy to deal with killing the emperor of Great Tang with a single strike.