Chapter 41: Imperial Stars, Section 6

Assassinating the Emperor on the award stage?
In an instant, Hei Fa understood everything.
No wonder the Nature Grand Guild was trying so hard to win him over. No wonder so many competitors were piling on against him. The reason was surely not just his rise attracting their attention—it was probably related to this award ceremony.
Having the Emperor hand out the prizes in person meant getting a chance to meet him. To many competitors, this might be the best way to advance. But to those with ambitions, wouldn’t it also be the perfect opportunity?
Of course, it was impossible for the Emperor to go unguarded. But it was still far less secure than inside the palace. Add to that the prior preparations and the astonishing number of private troops under Duke Zi Yan—the odds were incredibly high! After killing the Emperor, Duke Zi Yan could simply find a scapegoat, claim revenge, and pose as a loyal subject to take advantage of the chaos. With sufficient preparation, even ascending to the throne might not be impossible!
So what about Hei Fa? As a new noble in the empire, seemingly close to Duke Zi Yan and directly under Duke Tarot, what role was he meant to play? Why did Duke Zi Yan want him to perform well in this competition—just to prove his worth?
With a long sigh, Hei Fa suddenly felt a sharp pain in his forehead.
The answer was already simple. Did he really need to say more? Hei Fa and Duke Tarot behind him, along with Miss Wei Li, were undoubtedly the scapegoats chosen by Duke Zi Yan!
But what good was knowing that?
Hei Fa didn’t think he could turn the situation around in such a complex plot. He knew well Duke Zi Yan’s character and his thousands of years of patience and preparation—this conspiracy must have been meticulously planned. Even if he went out right away to expose it, no one would believe him. Duke Zi Yan would likely have anticipated this. Right now, he was like a drop of water in the ocean—completely insignificant. Even if that drop wanted to leave the ocean, it depended on whether the ocean allowed it!
Unthinkable. Truly unthinkable.
A newcomer who had just entered the empire had ended up caught up in such a massive conspiracy. Hei Fa wasn’t sure if he was lucky or unlucky. Thinking of his once-popular nickname, he couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Lucky Beck… Damn it, it was probably Unlucky Beck, right?

Thinking quickly, amidst the misty vapor. Black Hair remained silent. The monkey beside him didn’t disturb him either. It quietly took the red wine that Black Hair had just opened, drank directly from it without a glass, and then quickly wiped its mouth.

“Head, you don’t need to worry too much. At worst, we can just cause a stir. I’ve already gotten in touch with Blood Pupil. He’s doing well at the 76 Star Station now and has taken control of its operations. We’ve also acquired five Moor giant ships, one of which has already been sent back to our hometown. The Black Prison group is accelerating their research. If needed, I’ll immediately send a message to Blood Pupil to send two more giant ships over. Once things here are settled, we can just leave. Chaos in the Moor Empire only benefits us.”

“It’s easy to say.” After hearing the monkey’s rambling, Black Hair shook his head. “Do you think the Purple Rock Grand Guild isn’t prepared? Since they see me as a scapegoat, they must have considered the possibility that I might run away. And it’s not just me; even the Tarot Grand Duke is probably under surveillance now. After all, as a mere lord, I’m not important enough to be a scapegoat.”

“Think about it—that old guy has hundreds of giant ships at his disposal. If he mobilizes more than just his private army, even a thousand might not be impossible. With such a huge fleet, do you really think you can just run away?”

“Hehe. Stop it.” The monkey sneered dismissively. “I don’t believe that with your abilities, anyone can stop you if you decide to run. Besides, we have our mechs with us. We can just use a trick to get away and mess with that old guy.”

“And then solidify the charges, throwing the Tarot Grand Duke out to take all the blame?”

“Absolutely. That guy isn’t any better. ‘If a fellow cultivator dies, I’ll live.’ What does it matter to me?”

Black Hair fell silent. In fact, he agreed with the monkey. Although the Tarot Grand Duke favored him, he was still an alien race. Human survival took precedence. He really didn’t need to worry about this old man. But sometimes, things can’t be judged just by appearances.

Now that the Tarot Archduke is in power, he can keep control of the 763, the closest forward base of the Moor Empire to humanity, and maintain a false peace. But once the Tarot Archduke falls and Lord Beck goes missing, someone else will likely take control immediately. Add to that the domineering style of the Purple Rock Archduke and his fierce fleet, and humanity’s destruction could be only a matter of time. Thousands of imperial warships launching a joint attack—even with strategic weapons like Thor’s Fortress and Black Hole Cannons—would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

It’s absolutely unacceptable, both for public and personal reasons. Blackhair must not let the Tarot Archduke fall.

After some thought, Blackhair still couldn’t figure anything out. He reached for the wine glass, only to find it empty. Looking up, he happened to see the monkey’s sly smile.

Shaking his head in amusement, Blackhair slapped the monkey on the head.

“Speak up. What’s in your mind? Stop grinning like a fool. You look like a little brat.”

“Injustice… I’ve always been at the forefront of battles and enjoyed myself later. What ideas could I possibly have? Haven’t you always been the one to make plans and me to carry them out? Head, aren’t you planning to give up this time? Asking me for ideas is less practical than forcing a sow up a tree.” The monkey immediately cried out in innocence, covering his head to dodge Blackhair’s fierce hand.

But he wasn’t wrong. Blackhair knew that when it came to fighting, the monkey was indeed an excellent fighter. But when it came to scheming, he probably couldn’t compare to Sulei.

At the thought of Sulei, Blackhair’s smile froze. It had been several months since he arrived in the Moor Empire. That little girl must be exhausted from managing Death Star’s affairs. Ever since she followed him, she hadn’t had a moment’s rest. If he went back now, he feared she’d complain nonstop.

But what could he do? Blackhair really couldn’t think of anyone more suitable than Sulei for internal affairs. The entire Death Star and its 31 star systems were kept in perfect order by her alone, freeing him from worries completely. Truly remarkable. It was said that among Death Star’s civilians, everyone spoke highly of her performance—both aliens and humans praised her greatly.

At this thought, a faint smile appeared on Blackhair’s lips. When he returned this time, he might just give her a proper long vacation to relax. As for Death Star’s affairs, they could wait a few days—nothing would die without attention.

“Head, head…” A hand reached out in front of Blackhair, shaking continuously, as the monkey’s teasing voice reached his ears. Blackhair was instantly startled.

“What? Is something wrong?”

“It’s fine,” the monkey chuckled. “It’s just that some people get lost in their thoughts. A bit strange, that’s all. Hey, when will you start smiling foolishly too? Looking at you, it’s kind of ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?”
“Mm. Ridiculous!” The monkey nodded firmly.
“Bang!” A sharp blow landed on the monkey’s head, making him cry out in pain. Immediately after, there was Hei Fa’s sinister laughter.
“Do you believe I can turn you into ridiculous right here?”
“Ouch, I believe it! What’s wrong with that?” The monkey quickly covered his head and dodged around, looking as panicked as a frightened chick.
“Hey, do you have the energy to think about reality? What’s the point of taking it out on me? Ugh, I won’t say anything more…”
He withdrew his hand, feeling both annoyed and amused. Hei Fa seemed at a loss with the monkey. After staying in the hot spring for so long, his whole body felt warm, and a lazy sensation spread through him, leaving him without even the desire to move his fingers. The steam from the hot spring surrounded them, making everything appear hazy and illusory.
Perhaps his own adventures were just illusions? Hei Fa thought. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“What have you decided?” The monkey beside him was stunned, clearly unable to keep up with Hei Fa’s erratic thinking.
“We can’t let Emperor Moore die. No matter how thorough Duke Ziyuan’s plan is, I must find a weakness in it. Otherwise, we’ll be in big trouble from now on.”
“You really want to save the emperor?” The monkey was surprised. “Hey, you haven’t really turned into ridiculous, have you? Do you know how thorough Duke Ziyuan’s plan is? Even with all my efforts to spy, I could only get vague information; I can’t figure out the specific steps at all. How are you going to deal with this?”
“I don’t need to deal with it,” Hei Fa said coldly.
“Since he wants to use me as a scapegoat, the only time he’ll try to assassinate the emperor is when the emperor awards me a reward. And to make it seem real, he’ll definitely contact me beforehand, giving me instructions for what to do during the award ceremony. Or he might plant some evidence on me. Also, since Duke Tarot is also part of his plan, those ships nearby are probably already under Duke Ziyuan’s control. If you have time, go and check around to see if there’s any useful information.”
“That’s it? You think that’s enough to stop Duke Ziyuan’s plan?” The monkey eyed him skeptically, clearly not believing His plan was that simple.

“Of course not. So once we have enough information, we still need to make some preparations. Five days isn’t enough to call in reinforcements from Blood Pupils. I’ll ask Veri for the missing support. I think she won’t refuse my request to increase the number of guards.”
“Do we need to tell her about Duke Ziyan’s rebellion plan?” Monkey asked.
“Well…” The black-haired man paused, recalling Veri’s sharp gaze. He shook his head. “Better not for now. For some reason, I feel that telling her might only cause trouble. Let’s prepare first. I just don’t know how many spies from Duke Ziyan are still among us right now.”
“I’ll remove each one of those spies,” Monkey said with a low hum, a bloodthirsty smile appearing on his thin face.
“I will too,” the black-haired man replied with the same expression.
The steam in the bath grew thicker, turning white and obscuring the shadows of the two men…