Chapter 42: Emperor Moore, Section 4

The interior of this giant warship was truly vast, with a myriad of living areas within. From certain perspectives, it was even equivalent to a massive city. But in Black Hair’s eyes, it resembled more of a fortress—a fortress built solely for the empire’s emperor.

Following behind the royal guards, Black Hair witnessed many advanced technologies on this warship that far exceeded what was normal. He also made a rough assessment, to his great surprise. According to his estimates, such a warship equipped with extraordinary technology should be able to face over five imperial warships without any damage. It was simply unimaginable.

Of course, this was only Black Hair’s rough estimate. As for how things would go in actual combat, only heaven knew. But one thing was certain: it explained why the empire’s emperor could roam the universe freely without worrying about his own safety.

It was simple—having such an armed fortress that could rival five imperial warships meant that no matter how vast the universe was, it was like a backyard. Even if they accidentally encountered a cosmic storm, the warship’s formidable defenses would likely keep it intact.

This was power—absolute power. The strength of the Moore Empire could be seen in the warships prepared for their emperor.

However, it was no secret that the emperor possessed such warships. That old bastard Zi Yan must have been prepared long ago. So what countermeasures might he have?

Throughout the journey, Black Hair remained silent, constantly guessing Duke Zi Yan’s next move. The time for the emperor’s private audience was approaching rapidly, leaving him with less and less time. The exquisite statue was now in his arms, weighing him down even more.

Fortunately, the journey wasn’t long. Though the warship was huge, its internal transportation systems were exceptionally well-developed. Everyone moved through thick, transparent tubes. Inside these tubes, gravity was completely eliminated, allowing people to move at high speeds without even moving their fingers, guided by some strange force. It might seem slow, but in reality, it was extremely fast—often covering thousands of kilometers in an instant. No matter how large the warship was, such efficient transportation made it seem like a short distance.

After passing through three such stations, the group finally arrived in a magnificent room, its walls adorned with exquisite stone carvings. A beautiful and luxurious chandelier illuminated the entire room, making it shine brilliantly. Upon reaching here, the royal guards leading the way suddenly stopped and bowed to everyone.

“Please rest here for a while. Someone will lead you to meet the Emperor shortly. But until then, do not move around casually. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences.”
“Understood.” Everyone nodded in unison. It was only natural—although this was merely a warship, with the Emperor here, what was the difference from the palace? Wandering around there would be seeking death. Even without the royal guard’s warning, no one would be foolish enough to take such risks.
It was good though; the upcoming audience had already made everyone nervous. Now that they had time to rest, they should make good use of it. After all, the private audience ahead would be different from before. For these Moorish officers who regarded the Emperor as more important than themselves, this was nothing short of divine favor. They had to stay alert and focused.
So as the royal guard left, the room fell silent. Everyone found a spot on the luxurious sofas around and closed their eyes to rest. Only Hei Fa continued to observe quietly.
He was searching. Including himself, there were only five contestants left. Adjutants wouldn’t qualify for an audience with the Emperor and could be ruled out entirely. So among these five, there must be the assassin sent by Duke Zi Yan.
But who could the assassin be?
Discreetly, Hei Fa glanced around again. Still, nothing unusual was visible. In fact, among these five, aside from him and the three he had kept an eye on, there was only one ordinary Moorish man—a guy who had won the ship cannon shooting competition. He looked extremely thin, almost like a skeleton. But he didn’t carry any weapons, and given his physique, he didn’t seem strong enough. So Hei Fa didn’t pay much attention to him. Such a person couldn’t possibly assassinate the Emperor. With his physical strength, he probably couldn’t even tear apart the Emperor’s magnificent robes.
So, after ruling him out, only the three he had been focusing on remained. How many of them were arranged by Duke Zi Yan? Or were all three?
Hei Fa pondered silently before shaking his head with a wry smile. That was impossible. If all three were involved, then Duke Zi Yan would control most of the empire’s power, spanning various fields. With such influence, why resort to assassination? Wouldn’t it be easier to overthrow the entire kingdom directly?
With that in mind, Hei Fa mused for a moment before crossing off another name from his list. The one he crossed off was the artist. The reason was simple—he was too conspicuous.

Perhaps having steady hands and sharp eyes made this artist more like a killer, but the black-haired man wasn’t so quick to judge. In his view, if such a conspicuous individual were truly a killer, then Duke Ziyan would be extremely incompetent. Anyone would be wary of such a person, and a real killer wouldn’t put themselves in danger. The essence of a killer lies in hiding behind a thick disguise and striking at the right moment. Exposure only leads to a worse death, with no other benefits.

At this thought, the black-haired man was shocked. He glanced back at the artillery champion once more. Suddenly, he realized that according to his earlier deduction, wasn’t that guy the most suitable candidate? He had hardly doubted him throughout, even letting him go easily just now. Such a person seemed to better embody the true nature of a killer.

He regretted not bringing his blood-pupiled eyes with him. But the black-haired man had no time to think further. At that moment, the door opened again. The old man in the magnificent robe stepped in. He glanced casually at the contestants in the room, a faint smile on his face.

“Get ready, kids. Your Majesty wants to summon you for dinner. If you’re ready, let’s go now.”

“Yes.” Hearing the old man’s order, everyone in the room stood up, including the black-haired man. At the same time, he gave his companion a signal to stay behind and provide support.

The monkey understood immediately, nodding firmly at the black-haired man before returning to his seat silently.

This was something the black-haired man and the monkey had agreed upon earlier. As an officer fortunate enough to meet the imperial emperor up close, he had long known it wouldn’t be that simple. Attempting to assassinate an emperor in such a heavily guarded fortress was almost tantamount to seeking death. Conversely, if such a madman actually appeared and he wanted to play the savior, the difficulties would be equally great.

The monkey’s armband contained the mechs for both of them, their last resort. According to the black-haired man’s estimate, even if the emperor summoned them, his adjutant wouldn’t be far away. This meant he would have a temporary backup. In case of any trouble, the monkey’s mech could provide immediate support, giving him an extra advantage.

Of course, it would be better if they didn’t have to use this trump card. This could only be a last-minute preparation by the black-haired man. Once the mechs appeared, anyone would doubt their origins—there were no self-propelled armor with such features in the Moore Empire.

With these thoughts, the black-haired man kept moving forward. After following the old man down a long corridor, they arrived at the door of another room. Two exquisitely carved doors, adorned with nude figures, opened to reveal a sea of gold.

It was a small room, but its decoration was extremely lavish. Almost everything visible were rare treasures of the empire, and even the most precious gems paled in comparison. Several delicate wall sconces illuminated every corner of the room. The emperor of the empire sat at a massive dining table, smiling at the black-haired man and the others.

At this moment, there was no dense mist surrounding him, making his figure exceptionally clear. The black-haired man then realized he was actually a very young man. Perhaps due to lack of sunlight over the years, his complexion was somewhat pale, but he seemed in high spirits. His shiny golden hair fell loosely over his shoulders, appearing casual yet exuding nobility. His magnificent robe shone under the light, like stars in the sky.

In short, such a person, simply sitting there casually, gave off an air of being far away. His almost tangible sense of elegance made others feel inferior, as if they could only look up at him.

For a moment, everyone around the black-haired man was deeply shocked, until the old man in the robe beside him reminded them. They then stepped forward together and knelt on one knee.

“We come to pay our respects to Your Majesty. Thank you for inviting us.”

“Enough, no need for such formalities. This is a private dinner, and you are all elites of the empire. There’s no need to be formal—come, sit down.” The emperor waved his hand and smiled casually.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Only then did they follow the servants to their respective seats.

Speaking of which, although the emperor of the Moore Empire held a high position, he wasn’t as bureaucratic as those in the Huaguo in the past. Apart from actual power and spiritual belief, the emperor didn’t have much pretense at all. This surprised Hei Fa Xiao a bit. As they took their seats, the emperor’s dinner finally began. Various delicacies were served one by one by the servants, quickly filling the dining table. Once everything was ready, the servants quickly left, and soon only the emperor and the contestants remained in the room. Even that old man in the Huaguo robe was nowhere to be seen.
It was then that the emperor of the empire smiled and tapped his wine glass, producing a crisp “ding” sound.
“Everyone, I suppose I don’t need to say much, right? Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. Only after eating and drinking to your heart’s content can you have the energy to enjoy the show…”
What!?
Hei Fa Xiao was shocked, his expression instantly changing.