Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 411: Taking over the Imperial Palace

Chapter 411: Taking over the Imperial Palace

He strode over to Xiang Yu, who now looked dishevelled, his royal robes slightly torn, a trickle of blood running down his temple. The Imperial grasped the front of Xiang Yu’s tunic, hauling him to his feet. "Where is he?" he snarled, his voice thick with fury.

Xiang Yu, despite the pain and the humiliation, met his father’s gaze with unwavering defiance. "I don’t know," he retorted, his voice hoarse but steady. "Perhaps you should be asking me that question, Father."

The Imperial Lord’s rage intensified. He had already checked the palace security. There were no breaches, no unauthorized entries or exits. And, as Xiang Yu had claimed, there was no record of him leaving his main palace. Everything pointed to Han Xin still being within the supposedly impenetrable confines of his secret lab.

But Han Xin was gone. Which meant only one thing: someone had tampered with the system, someone with access and knowledge. And the Imperial Lord knew, with chilling certainty, who that someone was.

"I know you helped him escape," the Imperial Lord hissed, his grip tightening on Xiang Yu’s collar. "Tell me where he is, or I will torture the information out of you."

Suddenly, a searing pain exploded in Xiang Yu’s mind. It felt like a thousand needles piercing his skull, a relentless, agonizing assault on his consciousness. He gritted his teeth, his body trembling, veins throbbing in his neck and forehead. But his fierce gaze never wavered. He stared back at his father, his eyes burning with a mixture of pain and defiance.

The atmosphere in the room crackled with tension, the air thick with unspoken threats and barely suppressed violence. Just then, the steward, still kneeling on the floor, received a message on his comm device. He trembled, his face turning ashen.

He looked up at the Imperial Lord, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and dread. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The message, whatever it contained, had clearly shaken him to his core.

Xiang Yu, his dishevelled appearance a stark contrast to the cold fury that still lingered in his eyes, slowly pulled his hair back, a grimace twisting his lips. He watched his father storm out of the room, the door slamming shut with a resounding boom. As soon as the sound faded, his communicator buzzed. He glanced at the screen. It was a message from the Marshal letting him know that they were acting now.

A slow, chilling smile spread across Xiang Yu’s face. It was a smile that spoke of dark intentions, of a long-awaited vengeance about to be unleashed. He looked like a sinister spectre, a ghost risen from the depths of pain and resentment, now hungry for retribution.

He turned and walked into his private study. Tapping a specific sequence on the wall, he revealed a hidden safe, concealed behind a seemingly innocuous panel. Inside, a mini armoury lay in the gleaming display. An array of weapons, from sleek pistols to lethal-looking blades, lined the walls.

Xiang Yu’s gaze swept over them, a predatory glint in his eyes. The time had come. It was time to repay the Imperial Lord for all the pain he had inflicted on Han Xin, to return every ounce of suffering tenfold. He had more than enough firepower at his disposal to make his father pay.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted within the Imperial Palace. A convoy of military vehicles bearing the insignia of a stylized viper screeched to a halt on the manicured grounds. These were the vehicles of Marshal Wu’s supposedly disbanded mercenary division.

After the Marshal’s resignation, the Emperor, paranoid about potential disloyalty, had ordered the division disbanded. Or so he thought. In reality, the mercenaries had simply gone underground, operating in the shadows, becoming even more powerful and dangerous than before.

The Imperial Guards caught completely off guard, watched in stunned silence as the convoy barreled through the first gate. As the vehicles approached the second gate, it remained stubbornly closed. The guard on duty, his nerves beginning to fray, contacted his superior. "Sir, is there a scheduled visit from the former Marshal?"

"Let me check," the superior replied, his voice tight. But before he could confirm anything, the convoy rammed the gate, forcing it open with a screech of tearing metal. The Imperial Guards, now fully alert, raised their weapons, the alarm blaring across the palace grounds.

The convoy finally stopped in front of the main palace building. Men dressed in full combat gear, their faces hidden behind black masks, emerged from the hovercars, their weapons drawn and ready. Marshal Wu himself stepped out of the lead vehicle, his expression resolute.

He calmly placed his military cap on his head, the gesture radiating an air of authority and impending doom. He took a step forward, his boots clicking sharply on the paved courtyard.

The head of the Imperial Guard, his face pale and beads of sweat forming on his brow, emerged from behind a line of nervous guards. He desperately hoped this was some kind of misunderstanding. He did not want to face Marshal Wu and his mercenaries. The odds were stacked heavily against him, and he knew it.

Marshal Wu raised his hand, swiping his communicator. A holographic screen shimmered into existence, displaying the official document: Declaration of Military Intervention. This declaration, a powerful instrument reserved for current and former Marshals, granted them the authority to seize control under specific circumstances. It could be invoked if there was substantial evidence suggesting an Imperial Lord was unfit to rule or had committed crimes against the Republic.

The declaration detailed the Marshal’s powers: assuming control of territories, ordering arrests and investigations of the Imperial Lord and their family, suspending their decrees, and establishing a provisional council to maintain order. It emphasized the protection of citizens’ rights and reaffirmed a commitment to peace and justice, all under the authority of the Republic Charter.

"As the appointed Marshal," Wu Zhi Chen’s voice boomed, amplified by hidden speakers and carried by drones livestreaming the scene across StarNet, "vested with the authority to safeguard the welfare and stability of the Republic, I hereby issue this declaration!"

The leader of the Imperial Guard, his face a mask of desperation, lunged forward, attempting to stop him. But he was instantly restrained by the Marshal’s mercenaries, their grips firm and unyielding.

Marshal Wu continued, his voice ringing with authority, "In light of recent developments and the gravity of the situation, it has become imperative to address the malfeasance and unfitness of Imperial Lord Xiang to continue his reign. The evidence substantiates that Imperial Lord Xiang has committed grievous..."

He paused, the words catching in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to utter the accusations that were already spreading like wildfire across StarNet, the scandalous, deeply personal details of the Imperial Lord alleged crimes. He simply couldn’t. It was a treasonous act that was punishable by death three generations over.