Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1766 Qinghuang Disappears, Uprising in the Capital

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……

The corridor outside the emergency room was dimly lit.

Not long after Ye Xiuxin re-entered the gate, Zuo Tinggang seemed to have missed something and had a bad feeling.

Suddenly, he abruptly raised his head, as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind, and exclaimed, "Wait! Qinghuang! Did that old man Qinghuang also fall victim to Azmonk's Blood Escape Curse yesterday?!"

"It's said that he even cut off a piece of rotten flesh, so his condition must be worse than the other four; as the saying goes, 'Don't pursue a cornered enemy,' and given his usual temperament, he would never act so impulsively as to chase after them all by himself without regard for anything!"

Shi Wen'an, standing beside him, also became serious. He stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Qinghuang has always been a man of detachment and composure. He is not greedy for credit or rash, and he always plans things out before acting. This matter is indeed unusual."

Upon hearing this, the bear-like Golaihao's eyes widened instantly, and a fierce aura erupted from him: "That damned curse! In my opinion, it's probably this thing causing all this trouble. It's a blood curse, extremely vicious."

"It could very well cause people to undergo a drastic personality change after being infected, becoming irritable and easily angered, acting impulsively, losing all caution, and completely losing their rationality."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jiqing's expression changed drastically. He immediately turned to his servant and urgently ordered, "Quickly! Send someone to Qinghuang's residence immediately! Ask if he has returned yet? When did he return?! Be quick!"

Zuo Tinggang's heart sank. He calculated with his fingers: "Counting from when he ignored the advice and chased after me yesterday, it's been almost a day and a night!"

"Given Qinghuang's cultivation and speed, whether he succeeded in chasing the enemy or returned empty-handed, there should be definite news coming back by now, or... he should have already returned to his residence."

Outside the emergency room, the atmosphere that had just eased was instantly frozen again by this sudden question.

Half an hour later, the guard who had been sent to inquire returned quickly to report: "Your Highness, Your Excellencies! His Highness Qinghuang... His Highness... has not returned yet! No one in the Lin household has seen His Highness since yesterday afternoon!"

"boom!"

This news struck everyone like a thunderbolt from the heavens!
Not returned! A whole day and night! No trace left!

Xue Jiqing, Zuo Tinggang, Shi Wen'an, Ge Laihao and others instantly turned pale!

A chill, even deeper than when the previous four titled individuals simultaneously fell into a coma, quietly crept into everyone's hearts.

……

"We can't wait any longer!" Prince Xue Jiqing waved his hand sharply. "The matter of the curse is strange and unpredictable. If Qinghuang is corrupted by the Blood Escape Curse and loses his mind, hiding or getting lost in the dark corners of the city; especially since that underground network is huge, if Qinghuang chases after the enemy, his life may be in danger!"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zuo Tinggang's eyes as he interjected, "Your Highness is wise; the underground network is extensive and pervasive throughout the city, harboring filth and corruption that is difficult to uncover with ordinary searches. We must mobilize all our resources for a thorough, door-to-door investigation!"

"Traitorous ministers, their hearts deserve to be punished!" Prince Xue Jiqing's voice was icy cold, carrying the absolute authority of the imperial bloodline, echoing throughout the corridor, "Immediately issue my personal decree!"

"First, order the 'Three Emotions Division' to immediately activate the highest level of response!"
Xuan Niao Division: Dispatch all Shadow Hunters, Tracking Masters, and Stealth Elite to immediately infiltrate the underground network! Objective: Track down any remaining traces of Azmonk's Blood Curse, even the slightest hint of blood! Search with all your might for His Majesty Qinghuang's whereabouts. Upon encountering any remnants of Azmonk or his followers, kill them on the spot without prior authorization. Better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person escape!
Imperial Guard Supervisor: Mobilize Imperial Guard soldiers and Embroidered-Robe Envoys to seal off all known access routes and entrances to the underground network, especially the old temple in the east of the city, abandoned waterways, and black market passageways. Entry is permitted, but exit is prohibited! In the name of the Imperial Family, urgently order all major families, sects, and societies in the capital, regardless of size, to immediately dispatch their best and most knowledgeable members to assist in the investigation! Those who disobey will be treated as accomplices!
Military Intelligence Bureau: Activate the city-wide intelligence network, closely monitoring every node and every suspicious information flow within the underground network. All intelligence, regardless of its size, must be transmitted directly to my desk at the highest level of confidentiality immediately! Those who delay or conceal information will be subject to military law! Before he could catch his breath, he immediately issued a second order: "Secondly, you! Take my seal and immediately enter the palace to meet His Majesty, plead your case, and request an imperial edict! Order the Censorate to fully intervene and thoroughly investigate all illegal transactions, personnel movements, and gang activities within the underground network in recent months, and retrieve all relevant files; arrest all suspicious persons, especially those who have recently been in contact with Azmonk or his associates!"

"Yes, sir!" The courtier who was called bowed in response and turned to run away.

Before the prince could finish speaking, Golaihao roared at the waiting messenger, his voice booming, "Pass on my orders! All city guards, get moving! Seal off all the entrances, exits, and ventilation shafts of the underground passages in the capital! I don't care if it's an official road or a rat hole, divide the area into sections and search every inch!"

"Dig three feet into the ground, turn it upside down! Anyone who secretly harbors or conceals suspicious persons or items, anyone who dares to obstruct the search and rescue, shall be regarded as a traitor and arrested! Severely punished! Kill without exception!"

"As the Marshal commands!" The messenger accepted the order and rushed out of the corridor with a soaring aura of menace.

The will of the Prince and Golaihao, the top two leaders of the Imperial Military, was transformed into the swiftest orders. Through these rushing figures, in less than a quarter of an hour, the forces of various departments were in motion like gears.

As for Zuo Tinggang, the third-in-command of the military who has not yet stepped down as a councilor (similar to a chief of staff), his position as the Director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is still just a formality.

The message was relayed to the city guard camp, the heavily guarded offices of the Inspectorate, and the secretive and efficient outposts of the "Three Intelligence Bureaus."

Heavy footsteps echoed at the not-so-small entrance of the old temple in the east of the city. The inner guards, covered in heavy armor bearing the royal insignia, sealed off every inch of space, and the torchlight illuminated their grim eyes beneath their helmets.

The embroidered messengers leaped across rooftops and walls, entering the underground network through various openings.

The shadows of the Blackbird Division had long since vanished. They had silently infiltrated the vast and deep underground labyrinth of the capital, following the faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood and fluctuations of soul power.

Military intelligence cavalry launched from various outposts, delivering urgent military orders to key locations throughout the capital.

The heavy iron boots shattered the tranquility of the street. Large groups of heavily armed city guards marched off in formation at the shouts of their officers, heading straight for the areas in the west and south of the city where underground forces were entrenched. A chilling atmosphere permeated the streets.

The Inspectorate's iconic black uniforms appeared in the narrow alleyways, holding command tokens and expressionless. With precise and ruthless efficiency, they knocked on the hidden doors of underground chambers of commerce and pawnshops that were masquerading as legitimate businesses, their cold eyes scrutinizing every shadowy corner.

At the same time, Xue Jiqing issued a strongly worded edict with the seal of a prince, proclaiming it to the entire city and mobilizing the entire capital's power.

The prince's handwritten letter was delivered to the Lin family residence by the most elite knights on horseback at top speed.

The news struck the Lin family like a bolt from the blue, instantly igniting an uproar! Grief, indignation, anxiety, and profound worry filled the air!

Countless guards and clan soul masters poured out, led by the clan's strongest members, and in coordination with the elite of the "Three Emotions Division," recklessly surging into the bottomless underground world.

Other prominent families with deep-rooted traditions, such as the Shi and Ge families, as well as various branches of the royal family, responded to the prince's call and were inspired by the Lin family's grief and indignation.

In the Shi family, an elder with white hair and beard and a profound aura personally donned his armor and led the best members of the clan to join the search.

The Ge family was even more formidable. The bravest among their sons and nephews, like tigers unleashed from their cages, surged into the perilous underground labyrinth with the unique wildness of the Ge family.

It can be said that the 2500 square kilometers of the capital city are like charcoal, scorching and explosive.

(End of this chapter)