Chapter 74
Chapter 74
The quest had been completed successfully.
Zhou Ming opened his inventory and immediately spotted a cloak. It was pitch-black and finely made, and beneath the night sky, it carried an air of mysterious elegance.
“Ying’er,” Zhou Ming said.
Qianying understood at once. With her enhancement, the Gold Nightfall Cloak advanced to War Soul grade.
[Nightfall Cloak] (War Soul)
Defense: 250
HP: 6,000
Trait: Defense +20%, HP +50%
Trait: Familiar Mastery, Required Level -10
Effect: Sprint, Movement Speed +30%
Special Skill: [Nightfall]
Required Fame: 1,000
Required Level: 60
Description: A cloak once worn by Abyssal Sword Demon · Cangxuan. It possesses excellent attributes.
[Nightfall] (Passive): While moving at night, All Attributes +5%.
The cloak’s attributes were exceptional. Better yet, Familiar Mastery reduced its required level. Although it normally required Level 60, Zhou Ming could equip it immediately.
Rustle!
The moment Zhou Ming draped the Nightfall Cloak over his shoulders, all his attributes rose sharply.
“Impressive!”
Qianying praised him. “I never imagined you could really talk the Sword Saint into considering joining you!”
That was the Sword Saint they were talking about, a powerhouse capable of fighting the second Demon God, Cangxuan, to a draw!
If Zhouyou Shijie fulfilled Ye Zhibei’s conditions and brought him into the fold, then added Qianying’s aid, they might finally make the gods feel a measure of pressure and fear.
“Chirp, chirp!”
The ever-eager spectator Xiaoyou fluttered in circles around its master, clearly sharing Qianying’s opinion.
“I couldn’t have done it without Ying’er,” Zhou Ming admitted honestly. “If you hadn’t told me that no one except the highest-ranking figures knew the Sword Saint’s whereabouts, and that he usually handled the emperor’s dirty work in secret, the idea would never have occurred to me.”
Treating the Sword Saint as a chess piece instead of showing him genuine respect was a colossal mistake in Zhou Ming’s eyes.
If the emperor had not done so, Zhou Ming could have talked until his tongue fell out and still found no opening to exploit.
“That only proves how perceptive you are.”
Qianying gently shook her head, refusing to take any credit. Then she reminded him, “Now you truly have no choice but to capture Juyan City!”
The Sword Saint’s condition still revolved around the coming siege. Clearly, he intended to use that battle to judge whether Zhouyou Shijie was worthy of his allegiance.
Moreover, until Zhouyou Shijie rescued his wife and daughter, Ye Zhibei would never betray the Light Faction.
“That’s right.”
Zhou Ming nodded. “But tonight’s gains were enormous. At the very least, Cangxuan won’t participate!”
A secondary city could accommodate no more than three god-tier powerhouses on each side of a battle.
The same limit applied to attackers and defenders alike.
Now that Cangxuan had explicitly promised not to defend Juyan City, the pressure on Zhou Ming had fallen considerably.
“By the way!”
As if a thought had just occurred to her, Qianying asked curiously, “You said Xuanniao and I weren’t the only allies on our side. Was that true?”
“Of course it was!”
Zhou Ming answered with complete certainty, then added under Qianying’s astonished gaze, “Although right now, you two really are the only ones.”
Qianying fell silent.
So did Xuanniao.
He had made the whole thing up?!
“It’s late. I’m going to sleep.” Zhou Ming yawned. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
After removing his gaming helmet, Zhou Ming stretched hard, went to the bathroom to wash up, and collapsed onto his bed. Before long, he was fast asleep.
At the same time, deep within the imperial palace of the Eastern Region’s super main city, Lei Qianjue stood with utmost respect and reported everything he knew.
Beyond the gauze screen before him, the silhouette of a figure with an unfathomable aura could just barely be seen.
“Fool!”
The emperor flew into a rage. “How could you be so careless? You let Zhouyou Shijie follow the trail straight to the Sword Saint!”
“Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!” Lei Qianjue pleaded in terror, hurriedly trying to shift some of the responsibility onto Ye Zhibei. “I thought it was the perfect chance to trap and kill Zhouyou Shijie, claim the God-Demon Orb, and atone for my failures. But I never expected…”
“Never expected what?”
“The second Demon God intervened and held off Ye Zhibei. I was no match for the Divine Ember Queen, so he escaped!” Lei Qianjue recounted the events without daring to omit a single detail.
“Why would Cangxuan interfere…?”
The emperor’s voice shifted. “Zhouyou Shijie went out of his way to meet Ye Zhibei. What did he say?”
Lei Qianjue dared not conceal anything. He reported every action and every exchange between the two sides.
“He brought the traitor Cangxuan with him and attempted to recruit the Sword Saint…”
Suspicion filled the emperor’s voice.
No matter how he considered the matter, he felt there was far more to it than appeared on the surface.
After thinking for a long while, he gave Lei Qianjue an order. “Arrange additional guards around Ye Zhibei’s wife and daughter. This is your chance to redeem yourself. You must not fail!”
As far as he was concerned, Zhouyou Shijie’s intentions did not matter. As long as he controlled the Sword Saint’s wife and daughter, the Sword Saint could never escape the palm of his hand.
“This subject obeys!”
Lei Qianjue felt as though he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly withdrew.
The next day, Zhou Ming returned to the game.
Only two days remained before the siege. He had to accelerate his preparations.
“I have to find a way to rescue the Sword Saint’s wife and daughter today!” Zhou Ming frowned. “But after what happened yesterday, finding them and getting them out will probably be extremely difficult!”
His family was the Sword Saint’s weakness.
The emperor knew that perfectly well. He was certain to place them under even tighter security with heavily reinforced guards, especially after yesterday’s incident.
“Zijin City is the Eastern Region’s imperial capital,” Qianying said. “For you right now, entering it would be no different from walking into a dragon’s den.”
“Which means you’re the only one who can go in my place.” Zhou Ming calmly picked up her train of thought. “The only viable plan is for you to place a marker in a safe area and teleport them there directly!”
The guards of a super main city possessed terrifying levels and strength. If Zhou Ming trespassed in the imperial capital, he would give its residents all the justification they needed to attack him. Going there himself truly would be delivering his life into their hands.
“I’ll do my best!” Qianying nodded and prepared to leave.
“Wait!”
Zhou Ming quickly stopped her. “I still need to find you a helper!”
A helper?
Qianying looked surprised.
Anyone capable of helping with this rescue would need to be at least god-tier.
Without any attempt at mystery, Zhou Ming took a golden compass from his inventory.
The Sword Saint had given him this compass to locate his wife and daughter. But since it could find people, Zhou Ming naturally intended to put it to full use.
[Heavenly Secrets Compass] (Rare SS Rank)
Description: Every glimpse into the secrets of heaven demands a sufficient price.
Item Effect: Sacrifice an item of equivalent value to locate any person or object.
Note: This is a quest item. It cannot be damaged, discarded, or traded. Upon completion of the quest, it will be returned to Sword Saint · Ye Zhibei’s inventory.
There was no question about it. This item was invaluable. Whether Zhou Ming needed to find a person or some rare treasure, he could use it.
Of course, the price was steep.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Ming activated the Heavenly Secrets Compass.
Flash!
Brilliant golden light erupted from the compass. Countless strange symbols floated above it, forming a wondrous sight.
“Ding!”
[Please select the person or object you wish to locate!]
Zhou Ming drew a deep breath and said solemnly, “I want to find…”
…