Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 336 A Night of Pleasure, the Emperor Descends

The portrait depicts a figure holding the Emperor's book.

He sat atop a tall, magnificent palace, draped in a heavy black cloak, with a crystal skull-shaped cup beside him. Most of his body was covered by the black cloak, the only thing visible being a pale white mask.

Beneath him lay a long staircase, and on either side of the staircase stood six knights in armor, both men and women, with faces from both the Western and Eastern continents.

They appear to be hosting a banquet or discussing some important matter. The painting style is strong and exaggerated, with the twelve knights at the bottom occupying only the smallest portion of the painting.

The vast majority of the scene was dominated by that high, mysterious, and eerie figure.

The portrait does not directly bear the name, but the imperial inscriptions along the edges of the portrait, which serve as descriptive elements, and the overall domineering demeanor conveyed by the portrait, clearly reveal the person's high status and special identity.

emperor!

The figure in the painting is the emperor!
That emperor who once led humanity to defeat all the supernatural beings, made a pact with the world, and ushered in an era of rebuilding civilization!

He was also the emperor who ultimately betrayed humanity and was erased from all traces of history!

It's no wonder the person on the other end of the phone was so confident. Han Su did indeed understand what the ritual he was asked to perform was after seeing the portrait.

He understood even more than the person on the other end of the phone wanted to tell him, and he had a sudden realization, as if countless fragments had finally been pieced together.

Han Su had already learned about this in his previous discussions with Xu Ji's father and Xue Zhi. Although the emperor's title had been passed down, all the specific details about him had been erased.

The reason is simple: the emperor was ambitious and retained his unusual nature, so later generations could not leave any specific descriptions of him, because that would make his image clearer.

Once his image becomes clear, he may be summoned from history by some ambitious individuals.

It's the same principle as summoning those mysterious sources.

In the mystical realm, a god described in detail is considered immortal, capable of reshaping his true form in the spiritual world at any time.

Erasing its history and making humanity forget it is itself part of the sealing process.

Even traces of its existence were deliberately erased, let alone portraits that directly confirmed its existence.

Therefore, the moment Han Su saw the portrait, he realized its importance. It not only depicted the emperor's image but also showed his relationship with the twelve knights, demonstrating his high and mighty status.

More importantly, Han Su also saw a cloak, a mask, a crystal skull cup, and a huge chair in the portrait.

This is the reward I received for saving someone last time.

Each item is incredibly similar to the one in the portrait, so these things must be... the emperor's relics?

With these things, I can easily recreate the image of this emperor!
"only……"

His emotions surged like a tidal wave. Han Su was somewhat horrified by his discovery, but he immediately realized the key point.

"The person on the other end of the black phone has no idea that I possess these rewards!"

"He doesn't know that I rescued people from the castle, nor does he know that I have traveled to the future many times and learned some things related to the emperor. He also doesn't know about my reward."

"He also believed that I found this secret room in the castle under his guidance, but he didn't know that this secret room and other things were practically given to me by the castle after I rescued people..."

"Therefore, our messages are different!"

"At this moment, all he knows is that I obtained the Emperor's Book, found this secret room where I can move freely, and guided me to different floors to find these hidden things. So, what is the ritual he guided me to perform tonight?"

"..."

As Han Su pondered the person's words, a bold idea gradually took root in his mind:

"This ceremony should be performed, but perhaps it doesn't have to be performed as he suggested?"

"..."

Han Su already had some guesses about the identity of the person on the other end of the phone, and was even quite certain of it. Of course, he understood that if he completely cooperated with that madman, he would fall into a trap sooner or later.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to incorporate one's own ideas into such a crucial ceremony. Even if there are any unexpected changes, one can restart the process by returning to the castle next time.

Just do it!

Upon hearing the chimes echoing from the ancient castle, Han Su immediately busied himself with tasks.

He took out the boy puppet he had retrieved from the fourth floor, cut his palm, and poured his blood onto the puppet.

Then, he chanted the incantation softly: "All things shall obey my will!"

A portion of his own spiritual power was also extracted and stored in the boy's wooden idol.

Observing that everything was changing as he wished, Han Su carefully took out the mysterious potion he had obtained from Madam Meathorn on the second floor and slowly dripped it onto the boy puppet's forehead.

He took some more blood from the floor where Princess Mononoke was, and smeared it on her cheek, watching as the puppet gradually transformed into his own likeness...

……

After a while, Han Su returned to the cellar from the secret room, his expression calm, wooden and docile, as if nothing had happened.

With the blessing of the zero sequence number 01, Han Su's departure and return did not even attract the attention of the children in the cellar.

Three days had passed since they were kidnapped. Although the children had gotten used to the fear, they were also distracted by hunger and had no energy to observe other things. Han Su stayed in the cellar until the hunchbacked man came.

He carried a lantern in his hand and used his crystal finger bone to illuminate it, counting the number of children in the cellar one by one.

After confirming that there was neither too little nor too much, he made a "hehe" sound and beckoned to the children, ordering them to come up from the cellar and follow him.

Following the stairs to the third-floor corridor, then turning left and passing through a narrow door, it felt like walking through a strange spatial interlayer, making it difficult to tell whether one was going up or down. Slowly, one arrived at a bizarre banquet hall with a complex space.

Compared to the restaurant on the first floor, this banquet hall appeared extremely large and grand, vaguely giving off an air of grandeur reserved for emperors.

Looking around, thirteen black gates stood around the banquet hall, exuding a sinister and oppressive aura.

In the very center of the banquet hall was a huge long table.

The table was piled high with food—meat, fruit, cakes, and desserts—almost overflowing the entire table.

The children, who had been starving for three days, could no longer contain themselves and their mouths watered as they looked at the food.

However, the old butler, with his hands gently clasped in front of his lower abdomen and his body standing ramrod straight, wore a stiff smile, but his eyes were sharp as knives.

A single glance was enough to send chills down the spines of all the hungry children, who dared not utter a sound, as if even a sneaky look at the food on the table would bring severe punishment. The banquet hall fell into complete silence.

This oppressive silence lasted until six o'clock in the evening.

As the ancient bronze bell swayed, the thirteen large doors surrounding the banquet hall began to open gradually.

The first to emerge was Madam Flesh Horn, still as tall and mysterious as ever, her face covered by a black veil. In front of her walked Song Yushi.

She had also been carefully dressed, wearing a black dress similar to that of Lady Fleshhorn. At this moment, her figure had a touch more mysteriousness, walking ahead with elegance... or rather, a wooden demeanor. Occasionally, she would sway, only to be immediately supported by Lady Fleshhorn.

She was the chosen child, and of course, she was different from the children who came out of the cellar. Lady Fleshhorn led her directly to a table in the banquet hall and sat her down. Lady Fleshhorn then slowly retreated and came to the door from which she had come out, and stood there quietly.

Then, more children were brought out. The Pale Giant, the Worm Monk, Princess Mononoke, the Pig-Headed Butcher…

Each of them brought a little child dressed in finery and led them to the long table.

Of course, not every monster values ​​the children they choose as much as Lady Fleshhorn does. For example, the half-doctor on the third floor clearly ignores the child she brought and doesn't dress her up in any fancy way.

Instead, as soon as she appeared, she stared intently at the other children around her, as if she were looking for someone special.

But after reading them all, they deflated like punctured balloons, their heads drooping, showing no interest whatsoever.

"Is she still waiting for Lü Xiaoba?"

Her strange appearance even stirred something in Han Su's heart.

In theory, since she rescued Lü Xiaoba, everything in the castle had been reset, and she shouldn't remember Lü Xiaoba anymore.

However, considering the descriptions in the Book of the Emperor and the powers corresponding to these monsters, this half-doctor seems to correspond to the "superbody" among the twelve anomalies. They are a strange existence that embodies all kinds of errors.

So, it seems reasonable that she retained an impression of Lü Xiaoba?

Thinking it over, Han Su looked at the other monsters one by one, matching them with the knowledge in his mind.

Abundance, Superbody, Pale, Copper, Scarlet, Phantom Energy, Dimensional Worm, Dark State, Recognizing Beast, Horrifying Species, Flesh Collection, Antarctica.

The twelve monsters each correspond to a different abnormal power, and each has its own unique temperament and appearance.

Many of the monsters, who usually lie dormant and rarely appear in the castle, were present at this banquet. Some were clear and distinct, exuding a strong sense of oppression, while others appeared blurry, mysterious, and distorted.

Without exception, they all brought the children they had chosen and dressed up to the table, and then returned to the door, standing quietly. From their attitude, one could sense a subtle expectation.

Han Su also remembered something through their gazes, and followed them with his eyes to the direction of the only gate that had never been opened, the thirteenth gate.

If one door leads to one floor, then the thirteenth door leads to the thirteenth floor.

That floor was one that Han Su had never had the chance to set foot on, no matter how many times he had traveled to and from the castle.

"Please sit down too!"

In the silence, seeing that everyone had arrived, the old butler gently turned his gaze to the child who had come out of the cellar, his expression carrying a hint of arrogance and disdain.

The children hesitated, not daring to sit down, but the little boy with parted hair immediately took a few quick steps and sat down as soon as he heard the old butler speak, reaching out to grab the big, fat chicken leg.

But the old butler immediately cast a sharp glance his way, and the man froze, awkwardly withdrawing his hand.

The old butler withdrew his displeased gaze from him, then his face hardened with respect and reverence. His gaze fell upon the door leading to the thirteenth floor, a door that had remained unopened until now. His voice rose and fell softly as he spoke:
"Your Majesty, our guests have all arrived. It is time to invite you to awaken from your slumber and host a banquet for our old friends who fought alongside us..."

He even displayed boundless excitement and overflowing emotion, which seemed somewhat insincere.

And when he uttered that name, even the monsters seemed to look at him with even more fervent anticipation.

However, the door remained unmoved.

The old butler was not discouraged. He waited for about seven seconds and then shouted it out again.

His tone rose and fell, as if he were reciting some ancient incantation.

But there was still no movement.

By the time the old butler began reciting the incantation for the third time, the atmosphere in the room had become somewhat awkward and oppressive, and the monsters around them all raised their heads in front of the doors.

A faint, hoarse, and harsh voice rang out among them. Some of the monsters showed expressions of dissatisfaction, and their bodies began to break and twist, as if something was stirring within them.

"it's time!"

At this moment, Han Su felt a chill run down his spine and became alert.

Chaos is about to erupt on this night of pleasure.

He had experienced two nights of pleasure before and knew that every night of pleasure would involve such chaos.

However, the previous chaos was all caused by this guy in the tuxedo.

He keenly sensed the change in the Pig-Headed Butcher's emotions when the old butler called for him for the third time, which drove the Pig-Headed Butcher into a frenzy, attempting to make him kill the old butler and all the other monsters.

As soon as the pig-headed butcher went berserk, Lü Xiaoba immediately started causing trouble as well, picking up a kitchen knife and going to fight the half-doctor. Then Lu Neng also jumped up and started shouting, making the scene extremely chaotic.

Han Su's escape plan was largely prepared during this chaos.

But this time was different. The man in the tuxedo had received his prior instructions and abandoned his plans to cause trouble. Lu Xiaoba and Lu Neng, who were always looking for trouble, had already been rescued. Therefore, this time the scene was even more oppressive and silent.

Han Su, on the other hand, knew that this was his chance to initiate the ceremony.

The man on the other end of the mysterious phone call had explained everything very clearly: "Do as I say, go to different floors, get all sorts of different things, then arrange everything properly in the underground secret room. After that, return to the cellar and join the others for the joyous banquet tonight. After the old butler invites the emperor three times, recite the incantation I taught you..."

"Once the name of the emperor is praised, you don't need to worry about the rest!"

"..."

'Praising the Emperor's name...'

Han Su still clearly remembered the incantation.

Someone recited this incantation when he was diving into the abyss and being chased by the wandering knights.

It suddenly stirred up endless waves of turmoil.

He also used this incantation to confirm that the man on the other end of the mysterious phone call was the one codenamed Doctor Oddity.

If I were truly just a lost child imprisoned in the castle, then I would indeed follow his instructions completely and recite the incantation at this crucial moment.

However, I have already learned a lot of mysterious knowledge and truths from the future, and I also knew that there were countless pitfalls hidden in this place...

Moreover, there are some things in the underground chamber that even that eccentric doctor doesn't know about.

Therefore, the ceremony must be arranged and the incantation must be recited, but it is not done according to his instructions!

At this moment, in the underground secret room, Han Su, who was using the little boy puppet obtained from the fourth floor to impersonate himself at the banquet, slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

As Dr. Strange was instructed, he should have been the one attending the banquet, while the boy puppet was left in the secret room to become the subject of the ritual. However, he changed the subject, putting on a mask and a cloak.

Perhaps I am indeed unpopular in the castle; at least neither the monsters nor the old butler have noticed anything wrong.

Taking advantage of this time, he sat down at his desk, placed the Book of the Emperor in front of him, held the crystal skull cup in his hands, and scanned the scenes on the monitor. His voice was deep and powerful as he recited the key incantation:
"Praise be to the Emperor!"

"..."

In an instant, the ancient castle trembled, and endless dormant power was awakened, sweeping towards him.

(End of this chapter)