Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Chapter 2646 Dong Zhuo's Specialty, On the Eve of the Operation
Yuan Shao sheathed his sword, bowed to the crowd, glanced deeply at Lin Mu and Cao Cao, then turned around and glared fiercely at Dong Zhuo. He let out a heavy snort and quickly turned to leave.

The speed was like someone fleeing for their life...

Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers did not stop Yuan Shao from leaving, while Dong Zhuo just stared at Yuan Shao's back with a fierce look on his face, trembling all over, seemingly lost in thought, and said nothing.

Lin Mu watched everything unfold calmly, occasionally indulging in some fine food and wine, and even casually stealing some rare delicacies. He had already eaten some of these foods, which increased his elemental attribute points. He could then reward the soldiers who hadn't yet tasted them, boosting their strength.

Yuan Shao opposed deposing the eldest son in favor of a younger one, but this was merely for his own selfish reasons. After dominating Hebei, didn't he also depose the eldest son and install a younger one in favor of a younger one...?

As for loyalty to the Han Dynasty, that's a joke... He just didn't have the chance to become king or emperor... Or rather, he had high aspirations and wanted to unify the land before becoming emperor...

At this moment, Dong Zhuo's voice rang out again: "Ten days from now, the grand ceremony of deposing and installing emperors will be held in the Jiade Hall. All civil and military officials must be present!"

Dong Zhuo's tone was filled with resentment and anger.

"Dismissed!!!" Dong Zhuo then waved his hand, ending the banquet.

After that, he led his men away quickly.

The others stood up and walked out listlessly, without saying a word; the atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Yang Biao, Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, Wang Yun, and others slowly walked out of the hall, their expressions somber, their faces filled with sorrow...

For some reason, many people have a premonition that the situation is getting out of control!
The torches along the mansion's corridors flickered in the wind, illuminating the somber figures of the crowd.

Wang Yun sighed softly, while Lu Zhi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

Dong Zhuo's imposing figure disappeared into the night, yet it felt as if a mountain was pressing down on everyone's hearts.

Lin Mu strolled leisurely out of the banquet hall, watching the somewhat forlorn figures of the civil and military officials, and let out a cold laugh.

These guys are just afraid of their own interests being affected. Whether Liu Bian or Liu Xie becomes emperor, they are both legitimate. But if Dong Zhuo becomes emperor, then they're doomed…

Regardless, Dong Zhuo ultimately did not kill a single person at this banquet...

Lin Mu shook his head and turned to walk towards his residence. That's right, recently, Lin Mu had been living in Dong Zhuo's mansion.

If Dong Zhuo really wants to take action against him, he will be in danger no matter where he is, so it would be better for him to stay at Dong Zhuo's residence.

Most importantly, during this period, assassins will come to kill Dong Zhuo!

He was planning to try and snag a bargain...

Behind Lin Mu stood Cao Cao, his face grim, even more sluggish than Lin Mu. Throughout the journey, he constantly pondered the changing situation in Luoyang, the capital.

First, Ding Yuan was killed, Lü Bu surrendered, Dong Zhuo took control of the palace, then Yuan Shao's incredible courage and decisive departure, and then Dong Zhuo's toughness, all foreshadowed a storm that was about to sweep through the entire capital!
He could sense that the undercurrents of the coming period were beginning to surge, and the tide of the times was about to begin!

Stepping out of the banquet hall, looking at the brightly lit corridor, the incomparably luxurious courtyard, and the countless servants bustling about, Cao Cao felt a lump in his throat...

And so, in a daze, Cao Cao slowly walked out of Dong Zhuo's residence, not knowing how long it took.

Just as he stepped out of his residence and boarded the carriage that his attendants had arranged to wait for him, a messenger approached him mysteriously and said to Cao Cao, "Lord Cao, this is an invitation from Lord Wang Yun."

After handing the invitation to Cao Cao, the messenger quickly left.

When Cao Cao received the invitation, he discovered that it was for Wang Yun's birthday banquet.

That old fool! Even in the capital city, which is in such a precarious situation, he still has the mind to hold a birthday banquet. How pathetic!
Cao Cao sighed softly, casually tossed the invitation into the carriage, and then waved for his attendants to move the carriage away.

Afterwards, Cao Cao returned to his residence and immediately summoned his personal guards. He wrote a letter detailing the recent events in the capital and sent it back to his headquarters by fast horse.

At this moment, Cao Cao, like Lin Mu, had no relatives or fierce generals by his side!
Cao Cao seemed to have foreseen that something was going to happen...

The guards were very efficient; upon receiving the letter, they immediately teleported away from the capital.

Just as they were teleporting, a group of men in black, who had been trailing far behind them, also walked to the teleportation array and used it to travel to a certain city, clearly following them.

However, after a long while, the teleportation array flashed white light again, and the group of men in black returned dejectedly.

Soon, they reported the situation in a courtyard.

"I didn't expect them to shake us off again... Cao Cao's messenger, he's got some skills..." a man in black exclaimed in surprise.

“Forget it, Cao Cao is a very vigilant man, and he definitely doesn’t want outsiders to know about his headquarters!” another man in black said calmly.

"Currently, Cao Cao's relatives and confidants are not in Luoyang, the capital, which shows that he is wary of everyone."

"Keep gathering information; one day we'll catch them red-handed..."

……

In the following days, just as Lin Mu had predicted, several groups of assassins came to kill Dong Zhuo every night.

Lin Mu originally wanted to take advantage of the situation and see if he could snatch one or two historical generals from Dong Zhuo's dead body... Unfortunately, they were basically all suicide soldiers, and were easily killed by Lü Bu, Hua Xiong and others.

Several times, assassins used special tools to get close to Dong Zhuo, intending to kill him. However, let's not forget that Dong Zhuo was also a fierce general.

The moment his aura erupted, he was actually a Five-Element Divine General!
This was not unexpected for Lin Mu, but it also showed that Dong Zhuo was working very hard to improve his own strength.

He's not just a pretty face or a weak lord!
On the seventh night, after watching the commotion, Lin Mu leisurely returned to his temporary residence.

In the courtyard, Xi Zhicai and Huang Zhong sat at a stone table, drinking tea.

Lin Mu walked over and sat down with him, the atmosphere becoming somewhat relaxed.

Lin Mu recounted the events of the banquet in detail, then asked, "Zhicai, what are your thoughts on the current situation?" Xi Zhicai and Huang Zhong had only entered Dong Zhuo's residence today. Lin Mu's stay at Dong Zhuo's residence, however, was at Xi Zhicai's special request—venturing into the lion's den, after all. This perfectly suited Xi Zhicai's reckless and daring nature…

Xi Zhicai stood up, his face slightly grim, and said, “My lord, Dong Zhuo’s forced deposition and installation of a new emperor will surely arouse dissatisfaction throughout the court. Although Yuan Shao has left, the Yuan family’s influence in the court is still enormous, and they will certainly not let this go easily. Let the two sides fight it out… The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind… Dong Zhuo may not be able to run rampant for long…”

Huang Zhong chimed in, "Yes, my lord. Dong Zhuo is now very powerful. If we confront him head-on, we may not be able to win. But we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom. We need to find a suitable opportunity to strike."

The two men's suggestions were actually the best in the current situation in Luoyang, the capital city, but things rarely go as planned.

Yuan Shao stole the show at that banquet; now it's probably Cao Cao's turn to shine next...

There have been quite a few assassins lately, but even more guests. Even Cao Cao has visited Dong Zhuo's residence several times, enjoying a considerable amount of wine.

Lin Mu also attended the banquet, and Dong Zhuo kept making empty promises to Cao Cao and others in an attempt to win them over.

In Dong Zhuo's view, this was considered giving Cao Cao a significant position...

Cao Cao was indeed a brilliant politician. He flattered Dong Zhuo to the skies and offered him many political suggestions, from which Dong Zhuo greatly benefited. Overjoyed, Dong Zhuo drank with Cao Cao for a long time...

In response, Lin Mu risked his life to keep the gentleman company, drinking all night without any ill effects...

However, during this period, Lin Mu gathered a lot of intelligence.

For example, among the beverages, Dong Zhuo's forces definitely have a special earth-rank specialty beverage called: 【Red Spirit Sea Buckthorn Wine】!
Lin Mu has been drinking quite a bit of this [Crimson Spirit Seabuckthorn Wine] recently, and its effects are very good. The first time he drinks it, he gains 15 points of original attribute points, and his cultivation speed increases by 30% and his stamina recovery speed increases by 30% for three hours. The attributes are quite good.

After drinking it again, you will no longer have any original attribute points, but the subsequent buffs will still be there.

Therefore, Lin Mu shamelessly asked Dong Zhuo for twenty-five jars of [Crimson Spirit Seabuckthorn Wine]. No more than that, and the guy wouldn't budge.

I wanted to buy some, but I was misled by the claim of insufficient production...

Lin Mu also gained some delicacies, military rations, and so on. Dong Zhuo may have one or more master chefs under his command, and there are two kinds of local specialties. One is [Xuanling Cistanche Cake], which is comparable to [Chiling Seabuckthorn Wine]. Lin Mu has tasted this delicacy a few times.

Another type is called "Ice Heart Snow Lotus Soup". This delicacy is even rarer, and Lin Mu has only tasted it once.

He used the Tai Long Qi Observation Technique to identify it as a specialty product, and even a Heaven-rank specialty product!
Each time he tasted it, he felt an extreme coolness spreading through his body, greatly accelerating the circulation of his cultivation technique and increasing his original attribute points by 30. At the same time, it had a significant auxiliary effect on ice-attribute cultivation techniques, increasing cultivation speed by 200% and allowing him to learn ice-attribute skills or special abilities.

After tasting the [Ice Heart Snow Lotus Soup], Lin Mu wanted to bring a portion for Chen Donghai's daughter. Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo was too stingy. He said he had no stock and that all the soups were made and transported from the Xiliang Snow Mountain. He also said that the ingredients were rare and the production process was complicated, etc. All of this was to express how much he valued Lin Mu. He was giving him precious treasures to taste, so Lin Mu had to support him!
Lin Mu wanted to inquire about the Flying Bear Divine Army, but he was blocked from entering, not even its camp. Dong Zhuo didn't even dare to open the Xiliang Iron Cavalry camp to Lin Mu.

"When is the right time to strike?" Lin Mu smiled upon hearing this.

"Dong Zhuo spent the night in front of the dragon bed!!!" Xi Zhicai sat down, took a sip of fragrant tea, and said with certainty.

Lin Mu was so determined to come to the capital because he had an agreement with the Crimson Dragon and with the late Emperor Liu Hong...

He must save Liu Bian's life!

As for the Dragon Luck and the Yongzhou Cauldron on Liu Bian's person, that's none of his business...

This was something Lin Mu and Xi Zhicai had discussed before coming to Luoyang, the capital.

Since we want to pull teeth from the tiger's mouth, let's just live in the tiger's den. This is the plan that Xi Zhicai devised based on his lord's purpose.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu seemed to be deep in thought. After pondering for a while, he nodded and said, "You handle the arrangements for Night Shadow; you have a better grasp of details. I'll cooperate with you..."

“Hmm… If possible, all the dragon luck bestowed upon Emperor Liu Bian should be transferred to Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu. As for the Yongzhou Cauldron, let’s give it to Dong Zhuo, otherwise he might even kill Liu Xie if he goes berserk,” Xi Zhicai said solemnly.

"What are your plans?" Lin Mu asked.

"As the ceremony of deposing and installing emperor draws closer, Dong Zhuo's ambitions may grow ever wilder, and he should be spending the night on the emperor's bed in the next few days," Xi Zhicai speculated, not answering Lin Mu's question.

"You mean, Dong Zhuo will reveal his true nature before the ceremony to depose and install the emperor?" Lin Mu frowned and asked.

He didn't know the exact time when Dong Zhuo spent the night on the dragon bed, and there was no related information in his previous life, so it's possible that the player hadn't come across it.

However, considering Dong Zhuo's increasingly powerful and ambitious nature, which led to his growing arrogance and disdain for others, it is indeed possible!
"Yes... Recently, Dong Zhuo has been indulging in the company of many palace maids, which is no longer enough to satisfy his appetite and lust. Empress Dowager He is an absolute beauty, and she holds a high position of power and prestige. Conquering her would be much more satisfying and fulfilling than conquering those palace maids."

"Dong Zhuo is probably just waiting for the right moment, waiting for his greed to reach its peak..." Xi Zhicai said meaningfully.

Lin Mu and Huang Zhong nodded repeatedly when they heard Xi Zhicai's incredibly professional analysis of Dong Zhuo's character.

"The night after tomorrow, which is the night before the ceremony for the deposition and enthronement..."

"It seems he spent the night on the dragon bed, enjoying himself for the night before taking Liu Bian and Liu Xie directly to the Jiade Hall," Lin Mu said meaningfully, his eyes gleaming.

“Yes…when power and greed reach their peak, his sense of gain can also reach its maximum…that way, Dong Zhuo can enjoy the most brilliant and comfortable night of the Han Dynasty!” Xi Zhicai sneered.

"My lord, actually, that night was a good opportunity to deal with Dong Zhuo. If we had attacked and killed him, the chances of success would have been over 80%!" Xi Zhicai changed his tone and whispered to Lin Mu for advice.

Even the way he addressed me changed from Dao Jiu to Lord, which shows that he was making his suggestion very seriously!

However, Lin Mu waved his hand and shook his head, rejecting Xi Zhicai's suggestion.

Killing Dong Zhuo wasn't impossible, but the chances were slim. The restrictions of the imperial palace couldn't be underestimated, and Dong Zhuo's trump cards were equally limited.

Moreover, Heaven cannot allow Dong Zhuo to die suddenly. If he does, someone else must take his place, facing the combined forces of the eighteen warlords, and ultimately meeting a tragic end. That person might just be him…

It's not worth it... He can't be Dong Zhuo!
Seeing Lin Mu reject the suggestion again, Xi Zhicai sighed and said, "Hansheng and I will go into the palace in advance to make arrangements. Before nightfall, Daojiu, you will use the Kun Stone to go to that location point and then personally appear to persuade Empress Dowager He and Liu Bian."

"Okay." Lin Mu nodded.

"Come on, let's skip the tea today and try Dong Zhuo's specialty wine." Lin Mu said with a smile, taking out a red wine jar from his backpack.

(End of this chapter)