Above Destiny

Chapter 604 Suffering Comes From Suffering
The answer is, it's too late!

It is indeed late.

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into tears: "The daylily has been cold for two hours, and you only went to see a doctor after all the children died. It's all over now!"
What the hell were you doing all this time?!

But Ellis also had something to say!
Upon receiving the news, he didn't waste a moment and rushed to Dadu to prepare for support.

Besides, ley line teleportation requires a warm-up period! The Star Core Association is unlikely to provide services for this kind of wartime purpose, and even if they did, it wouldn't be useful, since your Empire made us ban the teleportation function in our garrison bases first!
This isn't a celestial track. As long as you're in the real world, you can get on the train and arrive in no time. For a behemoth like Ellis, who is closely connected to the entire empire, it's already a miracle that they were able to forcibly bring him over in such a rush!

They didn't even have time to put on their shoes, braving the turbulent currents during the teleportation that were enough to crush even celestial beings, and forced their way through the pipes, all so that they could take everything in their faces during the crisis and buy the Empire crucial time. I never expected you guys to be so useless!

Pang Pei is nothing more than an old scoundrel who sells his wares at bargain prices.

"The Annihilation of Heavenly Balance. Heh, the Federation is just putting together a meager meal!"

Even burdened with the responsibility of supporting an imperial military base and wielding the power of the Heavenly Overseer, I, Ellis, remain invincible in this world!

Holy crap, what does it mean the fusion bomb is lost?

In just a few minutes, even Ellis herself was stunned. She was completely dumbfounded, staring at everyone in disbelief.

"Fusion...bomb?"

He gestured the shape of a mushroom: "That fusion bomb that's been sitting in that base for over eighty years and has never been used?"

Passarella nodded, utterly dejected.

So Ellis laughed.

He turned and left, as if he had made up his mind.

Without even taking a sip of water, he immediately carried the airship away without hesitation.

Don't get involved!

You'll have to take the blame for yourselves. It's true I risked my life for the empire, but you can't treat me like a fool. Let's go, we have to go, the sooner the better.

This whole mess is so bizarre and outrageous. If anything goes wrong, not only will those Passarella guys be dead, but we'll also get covered in their blood. What bad luck!

What the hell is going on?!

For over a hundred years, through three dynasties, protecting three emperors, and having witnessed countless storms, the Diyu Cliff has already sensed the approaching storm.

No, it should be said... a precursor to a devastating mudslide.

At this critical juncture?

How could something as deadly as a fusion bomb be lost?
He didn't even dare to think about how deep the waters were, how terrible the consequences could be, or how big the chain reaction could be!

I'm outta here, pretend I was never here!

The person left ten minutes ago, but the entire city went mad ten minutes later.

When the Senate received Passarella's report half an hour later, the entire empire went crazy!

From tribunes to judges, high priests, the commander of the Seven Stars Tower, and the prime minister, every elder's face was filled with question marks. The phone rang like a storm, and everyone's first words were hysterical questions—Passarella, you old dog, what on earth are you doing?!

So what if the previous emperor didn't choose you? Why have you held a grudge for so many years?

Tell me! Are you planning to build a new empire?!

"..."

Passarella stared silently at the old, crooked tree in front of him, hesitant to speak, unable to utter a word.

What else can be said?
No matter how they try to justify it, they cannot escape the primary responsibility.

Regardless of whether the punishment is meaningful, if the missing fusion bomb causes any serious incident or has any consequences, then even killing him wouldn't make up for it.

In less than half an hour, the Senate had unanimously approved a solution—given Passarella's important position, punishment would be temporarily suspended. After interrogation confirmed that he was not a suspect, he was ordered to continue performing his duties and bringing the matter to a close until it was resolved.

It may seem like nothing is happening, but death is not far off.

The border duke's fiefdom has been revoked, leaving him with only the nominal title of court advisor. At the same time, he has been completely sidelined within the base.

As for actual power, it has been taken over by Dordonville, the head of the Imperial Security Service in Middle-earth.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is a move to use the Passatella as a sacrifice or a scapegoat in the future.

at the same time……

The Prime Minister of Dadu signed the permit, and the Senate authorized the mobilization of the Empire's resources, and notified the Tacheng garrison base and all relevant members.

Before things escalate to their worst state, spare no expense or effort to bring back the missing fusion bomb!

"Investigate, investigate, start with the base."

That afternoon, seventy-one minutes after the base was attacked, Doledonville, who had taken over all power, sat down in the Passatella's leather seat. He glanced at the distraught Passatella beside him, showing no anger or gloom, but instead gave everyone a warm, gentle smile:
"We should investigate, just in case we find something."

Meanwhile, a temporary special investigation team had already been dispatched.

More than eighty Ethers, twenty Mirrors, and sixteen Heart Pivots have arrived at the base under emergency mobilization, led by Ether Celestials from the Imperial Observatory.

The chosen ones were scattered like a swarm of bees, and immediately a steady stream of clues began to converge upon them.

In less than ten minutes, a large number of reports had been compiled by Tianren.

It was just a piece of paperwork to check for omissions and fill in gaps. For Ether, it was a piece of cake. Moreover, with the understanding of celestial beings regarding 'reading,' 'observing,' and 'understanding,' even the most scattered fragments of events could be categorized into complete forms.

No matter how much pollution there is, it cannot hide all the clues.

Even the slightest clue is enough to trace the culprit.

"A wolf?"

Dorrdonville nodded: "I understand."

The most remaining traces at the scene, besides the contamination from the Great Evil's ritual, were the barely concealed scent of wolves.

At the base, based on personnel comparison, interrogation, and inspection, the first person identified was a foreign mercenary listed in the missing persons report.

His body was soon found in the toilet.

No head.

The corpse, instantly severed by the claws, had already begun to rot. Based on the backtracking of the Ether Records and the dog tag, his identity was confirmed: Smith, a temporary cannon fodder mercenary of the Third Foreign Legion.

What an unlucky guy.

You can encounter wolves even when you go to the toilet.

They must have just stumbled upon the other party's disguise, and their heads were cut off and swallowed. These sixth-class citizens were already outside the protection of the base's Heavenly Laws, so their deaths were pointless.

Soon, the pilot of the Revenge bomber was also identified—Lieutenant Colonel Erica from the original base flight formation.

But now it seems that he probably died in the line of duty long ago.

He was a wolf disguised in human skin, infiltrating the base and lying in wait for who knows how long.

The agent who was attacked was later found. After being rescued and revived by the guards of the confidential warehouse, the entire incident was reconstructed by comparing the memories and testimonies of both parties.

"This was probably a premeditated attack."

The Etherian beings, who monitored the entire process, concluded: "The enemy first put the base into a state of emergency by attacking the phlogiston refinery, and at the same time, by destroying the fighter jets, they made the base paranoid and suspicious."

During this phase, Passarella's inaction led to a further deterioration of the situation.

While the situation remained unclear, the opposing side used the Revenge, a ship with a deterrent mechanism, to draw everyone's attention. Simultaneously, two accomplices, disguised as agents, used special privileges to enter the vault, thus successfully carrying out the raid. They also exploited the chaos at the scene to create conditions for their retreat.

The ethereal being at the observatory took off his glasses and sighed softly: "A simple trick of feinting to the east while attacking in the west, yet effective. They've probably been planning this for a long time."

There should be the involvement of the Dark Abyss and the Insects behind this, and we cannot rule out other possibilities.

"insect?"

Dordonville's expression was grim: "That thing, Shadow Sun, wasn't it already sealed off?"

"The blockade can only be temporary. It is already remarkable that the Celestial Orbit sacrificed itself to gain two hundred years of time. It is normal for there to be some leaks, especially with those insects constantly digging holes. The phase lock went out of control because of this. The other side used at least two, no, more than three Celestial Crafts to dig a tunnel, take away the fusion bomb, and interfere with our tracking and reading."

Dordonville remained silent for a long time, then an uncontrollable malice and coldness surfaced in his otherwise warm smile: "Can you be sure it's a wolf?"

"I wouldn't dare say 100%, but it's over 90%."

Instead of giving a decision, Ether handed over a video clip from the surveillance footage, showing a barefoot monk practicing asceticism in the wilderness.

These are images taken by a drone from high altitude.

At the same time the base was attacked!
Incredibly, even a camera that can capture every single hair on the ground from high in the air can't capture his face clearly.

Along the way, all the cameras could only capture a blurry human figure.

It is difficult to see its true form.

Doledonville's expression gradually turned serious:

"Who is this?"

"The comparison between the spiritual sample and the remnants of events has been completed."

The Etheric being answered decisively, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the former High Priest of the White King when the White Kingdom still existed, a confidant and subordinate of the White King, Rotscale Sheikhri." "..."

Dorrdonville didn't speak again. In the long, long silence, he looked down at the photo in his hand, and after a long time, he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

In a state of extreme speechlessness and anger, he couldn't help but utter a mocking remark.

But they didn't know what they were laughing at.

"That's incredible!"

He sighed sincerely, "A mere scoundrel who can't stand the light of day has actually managed to infiltrate Tianyuan's headquarters. He's truly a wolf in sheep's clothing, quite extraordinary indeed."

In the deathly silence of the huge conference room, no one dared to utter a sound.

Only this celestial being, who had even given up on faking a smile, sighed softly, raised his head, and asked curiously: "The White Bang Restoration Front? Sheikhi? A bunch of chickens and dogs, a bunch of cowardly terrorists... Now they actually swagger right under the noses of the Imperial military base, wearing Imperial uniforms, walking into the Imperial armory, and taking away the Imperial fusion bombs, and we, the dutiful Imperial soldiers, are still saluting them?"

It's truly bizarre and strange.

He paused, scrutinizing the pale faces, and asked sincerely, "Can any of you tell me—what mistake has the Empire made to be looked down upon like this?"

What have you insects done to give them so many opportunities to exploit?

Dead silence, still dead silence.

Only the sweat of fear slowly dripped from his forehead, tapping crisply on the table.

Outside, an even clearer sound rang out.

Gunshots.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang

Like the sound of firecrackers, on the firing range, one officer after another was judged to have neglected his duties. Those once arrogant and domineering men who had amassed wealth and power in the Central Plains were now facing the dark muzzles of guns.

Pull the trigger.

Then, they turned into one corpse after another.

"Keep investigating, everyone, continue the investigation."

Dordonville remained expressionless, his withered face revealing a cold light in his gray eyes: "You have already brought shame upon the Empire."

Once dignity is lost, it must be regained at a price ten or a hundred times greater.

So, hurry up and investigate.

I don't care what methods you use, I don't care what means you employ—if you can't wash away the shame you've caused with the blood of these worthless scoundrels, then use your own blood, it won't matter.

On the firing range, blood seeps into the fertile soil, silently extending and spreading.

Countless threads, a furious rage.

It's like a series of hands reaching out towards the Central Plains once again.

The gunfire at the firing range continued incessantly, from the afternoon until late at night.

From military equipment to warehouse management, from defense to military police, more than twenty high-ranking officials at the base were convicted of dereliction of duty, and all those involved were sent to the base's prison, which became overcrowded.

The gates to the entire base have never been closed since.

A constant stream of cars and people emerged in a mighty torrent.

Armored vehicles loaded with supplies drove into the streets and alleys in an endless stream, and countless soldiers, fully armed, stormed into the city and began a brutal search.

At Dordogneville's request, the Senate of Dadu passed a temporary emergency management decree, granting everyone permission to fire without warning and kill dangerous targets, while also authorizing the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to act expediently in this matter.

Two hours later, all communication within the entire city of Tacheng and the surrounding thousands of miles was cut off, and checkpoints were set up on all major transportation routes.

Then, like mad dogs unleashed from their cages, they began the search!

All surveillance cameras were activated, and a large number of drones took to the sky, rising and falling like clouds.

The once incredibly rare Aether Chosen Ones were unleashed like water, and under special protection, they began to investigate every seemingly insignificant clue.

The entire city of Tacheng was placed under martial law, and all surveillance and camera backups were moved back to the military region by the Imperial Army, along with the servers.

The police station has been taken over by personnel dispatched by the Empire, and all previous cases are being investigated by specialists.

Everyone who had spied on the Empire's intelligence and the inner workings of the garrison was dragged into the military base for questioning and then given a choice: whether to go to the firing range to eat purple eggs or to go to the labor camp to grow vegetables.
The once bustling city of Tacheng, which was filled with unease and fear, fell silent in an instant. Under the indifferent gaze of the airships, not even the slightest sign of riot or chaos could be seen.

Only in the intervals between the violent sounds of engines and brakes, and the constant knocking on doors, were people from those once luxurious hotels, apartments, and villas. Anyone who had come within twenty kilometers of the Imperial military base or whose origins were unknown was crammed onto buses and taken away as a whole.

As for the numerous gray and black industries, it goes without saying.

He couldn't even speak...

What can I say? These Imperials are fucking insane. Forget about resisting, they'll shoot you the moment you try to make a move. If you dare to run away, they'll just blow you to bits with cannon fire.

We'll even send your damn lair flying into the sky.

What a desolate place!
The authorities should take charge of this mess!

Faced with a barrage of tearful pleas and calls, Shaban, the leader of Tacheng, ignored them, gave a few perfunctory replies, hung up the phone, and then looked at the Imperial Celestial sitting across from him at his desk.

"Investigate, investigate, the innocent will clear themselves."

He smiled and said, "Since the leader has spoken, then investigate carefully and slowly. We will cooperate fully, so please make sure you don't miss anything."

Huang Ji said that if he wanted to investigate, then let him investigate.

Immediately, countless people began to panic.

Are they investigating you?!
Is this something that can be checked casually? Everyone is involved in the trafficking of military equipment, people, organs, banned drugs, and all sorts of other unspeakable shady dealings. If it gets exposed, you might be fine, but we'll all be left with only one person alive!

What about the federal government?
He's so arrogant, Federal Government, you'd better say something!
The Federation is still completely bewildered.

Seeing the Empire searching everywhere like a mad dog, at first they would make sarcastic remarks: "They're getting anxious, the Empire is getting anxious, hahaha... Don't be in such a hurry, what's bothering you? Tell us what's making you unhappy."
You're not going to tell me?
Then I'll have to laugh at you!

Unfortunately, they didn't even have time to laugh.

That evening, after the two sides' agents held an emergency meeting in a private, informal setting, the federal government also became anxious.

Seriously, buddy, are you an idiot?!
Such a huge fusion bomb, and you're telling me it's lost?

Are you kidding me?! Haha, I laughed. Okay, stop joking. Let's be serious. This joke is a little scary, isn't it?

Fan Yun cursed for two and a half hours in his office, from the dead emperor of the Empire to the Passarella to the dog in front of the base gate, cursing until he was spitting blood.

Then, following the elders of the capital, the saints of the central city also began to sweat.

You bunch of bastards in the empire, you've really done a terrible thing!
It's important to know that the Federation has always been a major target of White House terrorist attacks!
Imagine a fusion bomb suddenly appearing in Midtown...

Can't even think about it.

Just thinking about it has driven the military crazy!
Then, the security bureau went crazy too!
When everyone starts to go crazy.

Some people are already on the verge of death.

The once magnificent and bustling urban area is now deathly silent, with constant gunfire and screams echoing through the air.

The old men who were once high and mighty are now... well, still high and mighty, even higher, step by step, reaching the very top.

Then, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, they leaped down.

Snapped!
Many more, clinging to a sliver of hope, allowed the Imperial and Federal investigators to turn their hometowns upside down under orders, instructions, coercion, and even intimidation, then prepared to take the blame for their entire families' lives, and boarded the bus to the interrogation room.

Tears streamed down her face like rain.

Bitter...

Isn't it possible to survive by being a dog? Why are you even killing dogs?

Inside the buses, former sworn enemies, once locked in a life-or-death struggle, were now speechless, embracing each other and weeping bitterly.

It's so bitter! It's unbearably bitter!

Life in this ditch is so hard...

Tears, wails, accusations, and roars echoed in the dead of night, and in that instant, dawn broke.

Literally, it lit up.

A magnificent and boundless light descended from the darkness, enveloping the entire city of Ta.

Disgusted by the sluggish process of dealing with each trialee, the Empire could no longer tolerate the dragging on. In the cascading sunlight, a giant eye, invisible to ordinary people, suddenly opened.

From the highest heavens to the deepest hells, I survey all!
It was as if it were a tangible sweep across the entire city of Tacheng, inch by inch.

We will not overlook any part of the area.

Search the heavens and examine the earth.

On the top of the abandoned building of the coastal industry, Ji Jue sat on a beach chair, gazing at the magnificent scene, and couldn't help but chuckle and applaud in admiration.

"Great is the Heavenly Root! How magnificent is the Heavenly Root!"

(End of this chapter)