bookrandom Chapter 1278 Wang Fang
Chapter 1278 Wang Fang
After hearing Xiao Ce's nonchalant description, he couldn't help but gasp. His hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and he didn't even notice a few drops of scalding tea splashing onto the back of his hand.
"hiss…"
Yin Weiyong snapped out of his daze, put down his teacup, his face filled with disbelief, shock, and heartfelt admiration. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "Your Highness...you...you single-handedly ventured into the heart of the enemy's lair and...you actually averted such a tremendous calamity?! This...this is simply...divine skill! This old minister...this old minister is truly...utterly in awe!"
After showering him with compliments, Yin Weiyong paused, then said, "However... Your Highness, your status is far too noble. Your actions are far too risky. Although I know you are confident you can do it... we simply cannot do without you..."
"You should know... Don't be fooled by how prosperous everything is here; it's all thanks to your guidance... Without you, it's unimaginable... Especially since our future enemies might be extraterrestrial beings..."
Yin Weiyong became more and more excited as he spoke, and Xiao Ce, looking at Yin Weiyong's expression, felt somewhat moved.
As Yin Weiyong spoke, he looked at Xiao Ce's smiling expression and gave an awkward smile.
"Your Highness, it was I who overstepped my bounds..."
Xiao Ce said to Yin Weiyong, "Father-in-law, you're right... what you said does make sense. I really acted rashly this time. You're right... I won't take such risks next time. Better safe than sorry..."
Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Weiyong nodded, then changed the subject: "Your Highness's actions not only saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Hulong New City, but also prevented a major upheaval that could shake the foundations of the nation! On behalf of the court and the people of the world, this old minister thanks Your Highness for turning the tide!"
Xiao Ce turned around and reached out to help Yin Weiyong up: "Father-in-law, there's no need for such formalities. This is my duty. Those modified humans are acting madly and plotting viciously. If they are not eliminated in time, the consequences will be unimaginable. Fortunately, they are not a monolithic group, which gave us an opportunity."
He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "That Scarface Wolf is nothing more than a pawn being used. His faith has been shattered by me, and we may be able to extract more clues about the so-called 'God' from him later."
Yin Weiyong straightened up, his excitement slowly replaced by new worry...
He frowned deeply: "Your Highness is absolutely right. The cyborg master has been captured, Scarface Wolf has been taken into custody, and the explosives threat has been eliminated. The Dragon Guardian Ghost City is temporarily safe... but..." He sighed, his tone heavy, "So, regarding the whereabouts of Imperial Uncle Xiao Dingshan, this thread... hasn't it been broken again? It seems that the cyborg master wasn't actually the mastermind behind Imperial Uncle's abduction?"
This was precisely what worried Yin Weiyong the most. The Dragon Guard Ghost City was currently their only lead that might be related to the Imperial Uncle's disappearance. Now that the key figure had been captured, it didn't seem to point to the Imperial Uncle's whereabouts, leaving him feeling powerless.
Xiao Ce's face did not show any disappointment. Instead, a confident smile appeared on his lips. He walked back to his desk and tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips: "The thread is not completely broken."
Yin Weiyong perked up: "Oh? What does Your Highness mean?"
“That cyborg! Although he is just a puppet, his core consciousness must contain a lot of information, including his communication methods with God, the source of the instructions he receives, and possibly some key memory fragments that he himself is not even aware of. These things are far more valuable than the brainwashed doctrines that Scar Wolf mentioned.”
"What about Director Mi?" Yin Weiyong immediately understood what Xiao Ce was referring to.
"Indeed, I have ordered someone to secretly send him to Rock Harbor and hand him over to Director Mi. The Creation Council's technology in consciousness reading and memory analysis far surpasses our current understanding. Director Mi will use the most advanced methods to try to extract what we need from the core of that modified human's consciousness. Given enough time and the right technology, by carefully peeling back the layers, we may be able to find clues pointing to the whereabouts of the Allah, or even the Imperial Uncle."
Upon hearing this, a spark of hope rekindled in Yin Weiyong's eyes. He had personally witnessed the incredible technological creations of the Creation Council, such as Creation One and other androids, whose wonders had already overturned his understanding.
If anyone could find the key clues from a tangled mess of consciousness, or even something that might be encrypted, then Master Mi and his team are certainly the most promising candidates.
"Excellent! Excellent!" Yin Weiyong exclaimed repeatedly, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing a little!
"With Director Mi taking action, this old minister feels much more at ease. I hope to achieve a breakthrough soon."
He paused, then looked at Xiao Ce with a hint of admiration: "Your Highness is far-sighted and has a long-term plan. This old minister is in awe. In that critical moment, you not only resolved the immediate crisis, but also laid the groundwork for a crucial investigation later on. It is truly... admirable."
Xiao Ce listened to Yin Weiyong's flattery, smiled and waved his hand, not continuing the topic.
He then changed the subject, asking about another important purpose of the trip: "While the matter of the Imperial Uncle is indeed crucial, another lead cannot be overlooked. Father-in-law, how is the investigation of the Hidden Dragon Tomb that I asked you to arrange? Have you made any discoveries?"
Mentioning the Hidden Dragon Tomb, Yin Weiyong's expression turned serious again.
He returned to his seat, picked up a file, and handed it to Xiao Ce: "Your Highness, please take a look. Since your last order, this old minister immediately used the pretext of 'repairing the imperial tombs of the previous dynasty and surveying the earth's veins' to secretly dispatch the top geomancers, geological surveyors, and a team of absolutely reliable elite craftsmen from the Tianji Academy. Led by the vice president of the Tianji Academy, Xuanjizi, they quietly entered the Qianlong Tomb area three days ago."
Xiao Ce took the dossier and quickly browsed through the records.
The document details the composition of the exploration team, their departure time, the equipment they carried, including some specially made detection instruments from the Tianji Academy, and the initial security measures.
Xiao Ce then asked Yin Weiyong, "Xuanjizi? Who is that?"
Yin Weiyong said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, didn't Chairman Lin Zhong mention Mr. Xuanjizi to you?"
Xiao Ce shook his head, then said to Yin Weiyong, "No, although Lin Zhong and I have met, we mainly talked about Xiao Dingshan. I didn't ask much about the Tianji Academy... Lin Zhong got very excited when he heard about Xiao Dingshan, and I'm afraid he forgot about this... Who is this Xuanjizi?"
Yin Weiyong respectfully said to Xiao Ce, "This Xuanjizi is a reclusive master who was the inheritor of the Mo family's mechanical arts. He was only invited out by Dean Lin Zhong after being strongly recommended by some skilled craftsmen recruited by the Tianji Academy, who visited him three times."
"Moreover, his reforms at the Heavenly Mystery Institute and various technological innovations were revolutionary... Of course, I'm not a professional, but Your Highness might understand. In short, this person is very capable..."
Xiao Ce nodded as he listened, thinking to himself that he would like to see it for himself sometime in the future...
"What's the progress?" Xiao Ce closed the file and looked intently at Yin Weiyong.
Yin Weiyong shook his head helplessly, his face showing a hint of confusion and seriousness: "Reporting to Your Highness, at present... there is no definite news. Xuanjizi sends back a brief report every day via encrypted carrier pigeon, indicating that the exploration is underway and everything is proceeding in an orderly manner. However, he does not mention anything about the specific situation inside the tomb, whether any unusual entrances have been discovered, or any obstacles encountered."
He paused, then added, "Xuanjizi is a calm and cautious person, even somewhat... too rigid. Since he hasn't reported any bad news, it means he hasn't encountered any major dangers or changes for the time being. But similarly, the lack of good news also means that there may be... no breakthrough discoveries yet. This old minister has already issued orders to urge them to speed up the progress, while strengthening secrecy and protection."
Xiao Ce frowned slightly. The Hidden Dragon Tomb was a key location he believed to be related to the mastermind's scheme or even the whereabouts of his uncle, based on fragments of the original owner's memories and his assessment of the current situation.
The lack of news could mean safety, but it could also indicate a stalemate or some kind of obstacle they haven't yet grasped.
"Time waits for no one. The thorn in the side of the Dragon Guardian Ghost City has been removed for now, but the true master who is hiding even deeper and the forces that kidnapped the Imperial Uncle will never give up. The Hidden Dragon Tomb is a key point, and we must find out its true nature as soon as possible. Father-in-law, send another secret order to Xuanjizi, authorizing him to use all the non-destructive detection methods brought by the Heavenly Mystery Institute. If necessary, he can try to find and open the false tombs or side doors on the outer perimeter of the tomb passage. Our goal is not to rob the tomb, but to confirm whether it has been used and whether there are any traces of recent activity."
"Yes, sir! I will carry it out immediately!"
Yin Weiyong solemnly replied, knowing that Xiao Ce was determined to break the deadlock.
Just then, a series of hurried but deliberately low footsteps came from outside the study, followed by the steward respectfully reporting from outside the door: "Prime Minister, the secret guard Lord Night Cat has an urgent confidential document to present to the Prince!"
"Come in!" Yin Weiyong said immediately.
The study door was pushed open, and Night Cat's figure flashed in. He was still wearing that smart black uniform, and his face looked travel-worn, obviously having just arrived from the headquarters of the secret guards.
He first bowed to Xiao Ce and Yin Weiyong respectively, and then presented them with a small metal cylinder, only two fingers wide, sealed with special sealing wax.
"Your Highness, President. This is an encrypted document transmitted by Director Fan of Panshi Port through General Qi Lin's radar, specifying that it must be presented to Your Highness for personal attention immediately! We haven't translated it yet."
Night Owl's tone carried a hint of seriousness.
After listening to the letter, Xiao Ce opened it and found it was from Director Mi.
It was covered with densely packed, complex, and completely unfamiliar symbols and dotted lines. This was the encryption code used by the Creation Council to transmit highly confidential information; without a specific key and procedure for deciphering, it was completely incomprehensible to ordinary people.
Xiao Ce then said to Night Cat, "It's up to you now..."
After taking it, the night owl began translating diligently...
Xiao Ce stood by the window with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly.
He gazed calmly at the deep night outside the window, but his fingers, clasped behind his back, unconsciously clenched slightly. The news from Rock Harbor had arrived too quickly, unusually quickly.
The director's ability in the field of consciousness analysis is beyond doubt, but the fact that he was able to intercept the key memory and send an urgent message in such a short time can only mean that the information in the modified human's consciousness is not only extremely important, but may also be... extremely shocking.
After a while, Night Owl put down his pen.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that the translation process had taken a great toll on him. He picked up the paper covered in writing, quickly glanced through it, and his face suddenly turned extremely pale; even his fingers, gripping the paper tightly, turned slightly white from the force.
He suddenly looked up at Xiao Ce, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, confusion, and a hint of...fear.
“Your Highness…” Night Cat’s voice was dry and hoarse, with a noticeable tremor, as if something was tightly gripping his throat. He handed the paper containing the earth-shattering secret to Xiao Ce with both hands, his movements stiff as if he were carrying a thousand-pound weight.
Xiao Ce slowly turned around, his gaze locking onto the paper like lightning. He didn't take it immediately, but calmly commanded, "Read it."
Night Owl took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tried his best to keep his voice steady, but every word he uttered still struck the silent study like a heavy hammer blow:
"A urgent report from the Director of the Panshigang Fan Club to Your Highness:"
"The initial in-depth analysis of the core consciousness of the target modified entity (codename 'Master') has been completed. The transcribed fragments of its core personality's underlying memories have confirmed its identity in its previous life as..."
The night owl paused, swallowed hard, and then continued:
"Wang Fang. Former Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Battalion under Prince Zhenguo Xiao Dingshan, General Wang Fang."
"boom...!"
Xiao Ce was quite surprised; was it someone from the Imperial Uncle's faction?
This was unexpected.
However, Xiao Ce did not recognize this person, but judging from Ye Mao's expression, it seemed that he knew him.
Xiao Ce looked at Night Cat and asked, "Do you know this person?"
Night Owl nodded: "That's right. Wang Fang was a famous general under the King of Zhen... but after the news of the King's death spread, he resigned due to illness and retired to his hometown..."
Xiao Ce listened and nodded, feeling that things seemed to be heading in an increasingly absurd direction...
Is he Wang Fang?
So how did it come to be in this inhuman, ghostly state?
Xiao Ce grew increasingly curious and said to Night Cat, "Night Cat, continue..."
The night owl's voice continued, each word like a cold steel needle piercing Xiao Ce's ears:
"Fragments of memory show that General Wang Fang did not die in the Battle of the East China Sea. After the death of the King of Zhen, he was seriously wounded and on the verge of death, and was stranded on a deserted island. He was later found and rescued by a mysterious person. The mysterious person claimed to Wang Fang that he possessed a secret method to bring people back to life."