Their commission was suspicious.

However, Esdeath did not see any prey in the cage; the cage was completely empty.

"Hmm?" Esdeath looked at the empty room with some curiosity.

I just took a shower, why is everyone gone?

But then Esdeath found a piece of paper on the table... that looked like parchment.

Out of curiosity, Esdeath picked up the paper.

Come and catch me! If you catch me, I'll let you have your way, hehehehe.

"Interesting." Esdeath's face showed an indescribable smile after seeing the contents of the paper, but it looked subconsciously somewhat frightening.

Esdeath looked at the ancient parchment in front of her with a smile.

That sentence was the first sentence written on this ancient parchment, and below it is a detailed explanation of that sentence.

(The game begins at 6 PM, starting from when you see this parchment and sign your name. If you catch me before 6 PM, you can do whatever you want with me, and I'll grant you one wish. But if you don't catch me, you grant me one wish.)

(Activity area: Beijing)

(Event time: 3 PM to 6 PM today)

(P.S.: To avoid being accused of bullying you, I'll be hiding with Abby. Really? Really? I'm playing hide-and-seek with a little kid, and you still lose?)

(If you agree to this bet, please sign this contract and set off an ice firework over the capital as a signal.)

“An interesting idea and an interesting contract.” Esdeath looked at the contract before her with a rather pleased expression.

"Although this is clearly a provocation, I must say it's quite skillful. And the deliberate provocation has indeed stirred up my competitive spirit. I'll sign this contract." Esdeath directly picked up the pen left by Chen Luo and signed her name on the contract.

As the contract slowly disappeared in the flames, Esdeath became even more interested in Chen Luo's experiences over the past few years and what secrets he still held.

Esdeath is a competitive person who believes in the survival of the fittest, and such people generally cannot tolerate being provoked.

However, Esdeath was not a reckless fool, and she knew what it meant to use reverse psychology. But Esdeath was very interested in the contract and its prize.

Esdeath learned a lot from the Baltus tribe, such as the concept of the survival of the fittest, methods of hunting dangerous species, and... how to find the tracks of prey.

Esdeath glanced at the time subconsciously. Just as the contract stated, it was 3 p.m., but a minute had already passed.

The martial arts competition that started at 1:30 PM, plus the fight with the East Sea Dragon, and 10 minutes of live broadcast of the Imperial Capital's Trial of Sin, it's only 3 PM now.

There is still plenty of time before the deadline.

Even if it weren't for the ultimate prize, but simply out of a competitive spirit, Esdeath would accept this contract.

Esdeath walked outside and then sent someone to inform the Three Beast Warriors, as well as the soldiers she had brought back this time.

Chen Luo didn't say that we couldn't invite others, nor did he say that only Chen Luo and Esdeath could participate in this game.

The capital city is so big, how can we guarantee a sure win without using some tricks?

While waiting for her subordinates to come to her, Esdeath pondered why she was so satisfied with this wish and why she was so pleased with Chen Luo.

Perhaps... it's because even without the identity of being a cousin, Chen Luo seems to perfectly meet her criteria for a partner.

The fact that Chen Luo, who was younger than her and also from the border tribe, was able to save her from the East Sea Dragon's lightning and catch her from high above, coupled with his status as a Teigu user, showed that Chen Luo had high potential and the courage to fight alongside Esdeath...

Moreover, the smile Chen Luo showed while taking care of Abi was also quite captivating, pure enough without any desire... If one had to point out a flaw, it would be that this smile wasn't for himself.

However, this is not a problem. Once Chen Luo falls into my hands, I can slowly work on him.

The key is that it looks pleasing to the eye.

After not seeing each other for many years, I felt this person was trustworthy and seemed very friendly on our first meeting.

Seeing Daidas, clad in two black feathers, along with Riva and some elite soldiers, gradually approaching her, Esdeath conjured a giant block of ice in the air and sent it flying upwards.

"Bang!" The huge block of ice exploded into ice fireworks, which then slowly fell from the sky, like a light snowfall in a part of the capital.

Romantic and cool.

"Search separately. If you find anyone, don't take action. Just let me know." Esdeath said before leaving the mansion.

Although she relies on the strength of her subordinates, Esdeath herself is the most skilled at tracking other people's movements.

According to the guard at the gate, Chen Luo seemed to be holding Abi's hand and slowly leaving his home.

It's been such a long, long time since I've encountered such satisfying prey.

Esdeath hadn't enjoyed such a wonderful hunting experience in a long time.

"Is this really appropriate?" The Herrscher of Knowledge couldn't help but turn to look at Chen Luo, and at the Contract that had suddenly appeared in front of Chen Luo and burned away in flames.

When Chen Luo was writing the contract, the Law of Knowledge was watching from the side, and the Law of Knowledge remembered every word of the contract.

"Why do you say that?"

“I don’t think Esdeath will be able to find you,” said the Herrscher of Knowledge.

"So you mean you think I cheated, or you don't want me to win? Have you thought about what Esdeath would do to me if I lost?" Chen Luo asked with a smile.

“Uh… I think it’s better to be a little more unscrupulous,” the Herrscher of Knowledge said seriously.

"And this isn't exactly despicable. Anything not explicitly prohibited in the contract is permissible. Just like I didn't write down how I would evade Esdeath's pursuit, nor did I write down that Esdeath is forbidden from seeking help."

A contract is something like this.

Or rather, Chen Luo had already done more than enough by not leaving any major loopholes in the contract.

If it were Yukari Yakumo, she would have planted at least three plot holes in a single sentence.

"Mmm." The Herrscher of Knowledge nodded perfunctorily.

The Law of Knowledge doesn't care how despicable Chen Luo really is; the Law of Knowledge only cares whether Chen Luo will be deceived by some bad woman outside.

Esdeath... is someone to watch out for.

Hilarious! They've only known each other for 10 minutes, and they're already hugging and cuddling (Esdeath is caught in mid-air by Chen Luo). They've been engaged for less than an hour (asking the emperor for a marriage decree). They've been staying in the same room for less than two hours... It's hard to imagine what Esdeath would do if they spent more time together!

Pah! You wicked woman!

Although the Herrscher of Knowledge also wants to be a bad woman, until she has the ability to be a bad woman, she hates all bad women!

"Snapped!"

"Why did you hit me?" Chen Luo looked at the Herrscher of Knowledge who had just hit him on the head with some confusion.

Do you think I'm a bad woman?

"Of course not! As the most popular female character, how could the Herrscher of Knowledge be a bad woman?" Chen Luo quickly said.

"Hmm... but now it feels like only bad women get screen time, especially when bad women are all the rage..."

"Alright, stop overthinking. What bad woman can compare to the allure of the Lawyer?" Chen Luo quickly comforted her.

Although Chen Luo didn't know what had gotten into the Herald of Knowledge, praising him was the right thing to do!

"Speaking of which, Esdeath's ability to find people is indeed strong. She perfectly replicated my escape route... the route before I used spatial teleportation," Chen Luo said while using his clairvoyance to observe the battle situation.

Chen Luo said he would limit his activities to the capital, and that's exactly what he did. It was clearly stated in the contract, and even Chen Luo couldn't violate it.

If Chen Luo doesn't want to waste money (on raw stones), he really can't violate the contents of the contract.

In order not to lose to Esdeath in this competition, Chen Luo has been using his clairvoyance to monitor Esdeath.

This competition is also related to Chen Luo's mission to defeat Esdeath.

The mission I received from Najenda (the Revolutionary Army) is to defeat Esdeath and make her obey.

This mission doesn't specify who Esdeath should obey, nor does it explain how to defeat Esdeath.

While rationally speaking, it would be much faster for Chen Luo to defeat Esdeath personally than to play hide-and-seek, Chen Luo clearly preferred this game that felt more like a game of manipulation.

Although he rarely showed it, Chen Luo could be quite amusing at times.

"Imperial Advisor, stop daydreaming and tell me your opinion!" the young emperor said, tugging at Chen Luo's sleeve.

"Ah, opinions? What opinions?" Chen Luo asked, turning his head as he sat high on his throne.

"As for the management of the country, although these black feathers did make a significant contribution to purifying the capital, the aftermath is even more troublesome," the young emperor sighed, standing to the side.

That's right, Chen Luo is currently in the palace, and he's even sitting on the young emperor's throne, while the young emperor can only stand where the former minister Ernest used to stand.

However, Chen Luo was much more considerate than the little emperor, and even got a stool for the little emperor next to him.

The young emperor's throne was quite large, big enough to accommodate Chen Luo and the Herald of Knowledge sitting side by side, with Abi also on his lap.

The spring night is fleeting, and the sun rises high; from then on, the emperor no longer holds morning court!

Even if Esdeath has the wildest imagination, she probably wouldn't go to the palace to find Chen Luo, right?

"Why not just hand it over to him?" Chen Luo said, pointing to the Minister of the Interior, Shaoer, below.

"It's possible, but I feel it's still not perfect. Imperial Advisor, quickly use your invincible knowledge of this other world to think of a solution!" The young emperor's brows revealed a strong thirst for knowledge and a sense of longing.

Although the young emperor has watched a lot of otherworldly emperor compilations these past two days and learned a lot from Morgan, his mind is currently in a state of confusion.

Chen Luo later said not to learn any nonsense from Morgan, but since he had already learned it, the young emperor couldn't forget that knowledge.

The young emperor always felt that Morgan's knowledge was somewhat magical, such as using force to control the country and shooting anyone he didn't like with a light cannon. Ordinary people could never do that!

Well, it's not like the young emperor is completely incapable; he does have a Supreme Imperial Arm that he can use.

"Don't call me National Teacher. As for what to do, isn't it already obvious? First, confiscate the ministers' homes. On the one hand, it will serve as a warning to others, and on the other hand, it will use the wealth accumulated by the ministers to alleviate the country's financial pressure. Then, grant a general amnesty and reduce taxes for one or several years."

"Abolish all kinds of exorbitant taxes and levies to revitalize the country."

"While these measures are indeed common, common means they are useful."

"anything else?"

The young emperor thought about it and agreed.

If these measures were ineffective, different dynasties would not have all chosen these methods at the same time.

"An edict of self-reproach. This thing is very effective. After issuing an edict of self-reproach, recruit talents throughout the country, find capable people, and try to fill the gaps in the large number of civil servants and administrative personnel. Otherwise, the country will be in great chaos."

"As for the revolutionary army... let's offer them amnesty. I've already dealt with their high command, so this shouldn't be difficult. However, there's no rush to offer amnesty in the next couple of days. Your first priority is to win over the hearts and minds of the people," Chen Luo said.

"What about a night raid?" the young emperor suddenly asked.

No matter how powerful Night Raid is, it's still just an assassination squad. Before the Revolutionary Army develops, it can only eliminate some of the evil.

Under the current circumstances, if the young emperor were willing, having Esdeath summon General Budo and bring along the elite Imperial Guard would be enough to raze the Night Raid base to the ground.

However... the young emperor was still taken care of for a period of time during the night raid. Moreover, every single Imperial Arms user is an exceptional talent.

"We definitely need to offer them amnesty, but what will they do after that... Do you remember what my mission was?" Chen Luo turned to the young emperor and asked.

"The rebirth of the empire...?"

“But the progress is only 81% now… it’s 83% now. The capital city is now resolved, but the empire is so vast that the progress gets slower and slower as we go on. Only by extending this purification movement nationwide can my mission be completed. So… let’s establish an organization and have the Night Raids help deal with corrupt officials. The reward will be the revocation of arrest warrants and a large reward. What do you think?” Chen Luo discussed with the young emperor.

The empire was ultimately still the empire of a young emperor.

"Oh, I see, something like the Embroidered Uniform Guard, right?"

"Mm." Chen Luo nodded.

“Okay, no problem. Let’s call this organization the Embroidered Uniform Guard,” the young emperor said.

"No, call it the Eastern Depot!" Chen Luo said firmly.

"???"

Chapter 975 Chen Luo: So you're the one who reads my message but doesn't reply, huh? I'll punch you! (Bonus chapter for the Lunar New Year!)

The young emperor was thoroughly shocked by Chen Luo's otherworldly experience.

What is a person who enjoys life? This is what a person who enjoys life is.

You think people from another world haven't watched TV dramas?

That's absolutely outrageous!

"Alright, then let's call it the Eastern Depot." The young emperor nodded.

Although the name "Eastern Depot" might be hard to stomach for those who know about the other world, people from the other world haven't watched many TV dramas.

The young emperor did know, but wouldn't it be fine as long as the people who launched the night raid didn't?

Besides, it's as if the young emperor's opposition could have any effect.