Having children earns benefit, start competing for dominance in the world by marrying a wife

Liang Zong took the intelligence report from Lu Chen's hand, clasped his fist in salute, and said, "Your subordinate takes his leave!"

After Liang Zong left, Lu Chen sat down at his own desk where he fell into deep thought once again.

Who exactly is targeting martial artists above the fifth rank?

He wondered if other dynasties were experiencing similar incidents.

Thinking this, Lu Chen immediately said to his maid, "Xiao Huan, go and ask Lady Wang to come to the study. Tell her this Prince has important matters to discuss with her."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Before long, Wang Qingci appeared in the study. Upon entering, she did not fawn over Lu Chen, who sat with a solemn face staring at the map on the desk. It was obvious that Lu Chen had something serious to discuss with her. Find your next read on empire

Wang Qingci immediately asked, "My Prince, do you have a task for me?"

Lu Chen got straight to the point, "Have the people from Rain-listening Pavilion investigate whether other dynasties have had any large-scale disappearances of martial artists recently."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingci paused, slightly taken aback. She couldn't understand why Lu Chen would assign Rain-listening Pavilion to investigate this matter.

After all, the Brocade Guards had already taken over most of the intelligence work, even the Rain-listening Pavilion had Brocade Guards stationed there, and it had been a long time since Lu Chen had given Rain-listening Pavilion any investigative tasks.

Usually, Rain-listening Pavilion would collect intelligence and then report it to Lu Chen.

Seeing how grave Lu Chen's expression was, Wang Qingci knew the matter must be of great importance, so she immediately responded, "I understand, I will have the people of Rain-listening Pavilion take action right away."

Wang Qingci was about to leave when the voice of a maid came from the door, "Your Highness, the Great Scholar seeks an audience."

Lu Chen responded directly, "Let him in."

The next moment, Zhuge Zhongguang pushed open the door and entered. Sensing that there might be significant matters to discuss, Wang Qingci said to Lu Chen, "My Prince, I will take my leave now."

Lu Chen said, "Don't rush off. You might as well listen to what the matter is."

Wang Qingci replied, "Understood."

After Zhuge Zhongguang entered the study, he greeted with a bow, "Your humble servant pays respect to the Prince."

Lu Chen nodded and asked, "Has the Great Scholar finished reading that report?"

Zhuge Zhongguang answered, "Yes, I have."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Hearing their conversation and seeing their expressions, Wang Qingci grew curious. Perhaps something significant was about to happen; otherwise, the expressions of both Lu Chen and Zhuge Zhongguang wouldn't be so serious.

Lu Chen inquired, "Does the Great Scholar have any conjectures?"

Zhuge Zhongguang responded, "Your humble servant has no clues at all. Logically, there should be no force daring enough to offend so many powers at once."

"Moreover, not even the bodies of those martial artists have been left behind. It is unknown whether they are dead or alive."

At this moment, Lu Chen's gaze fell on Wang Qingci, "We have just received intelligence that a considerable number of martial artists above the fifth rank have disappeared in Great Sum recently. These martial artists seem to have vanished into thin air. No one knows where they have gone, and even many of the Jinyiwei Guards have disappeared."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingci instantly understood why Lu Chen wanted Rain-listening Pavilion to check if other dynasties had any missing martial artists cases.

Rain-listening Pavilion, ostensibly a commercial organization with not many strong members unlike the Brocade Guards—which had many above the fifth rank—the fact that Lu Chen wanted Rain-listening Pavilion to investigate other dynasties clearly showed his concern about the potential risk to Brocade Guard members.

Wang Qingci said, "I understand Your Highness's intent. I will try to involve those below the fifth rank in investigating this matter."

Lu Chen's gaze then returned to Zhuge Zhongguang, "Great Scholar, do you think this matter could be related to the Demon Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Zhongguang thought for a moment, then replied, "It is highly unlikely to be their doing. The people of Demon Sect might seem fearless, but they would not dare to offend so many powers at the same time."

Lu Chen said, "There is one aspect of this matter that is quite peculiar. Martial artists are disappearing in large numbers from various counties and prefectures of Great Sum, but the North Country has not had a single case."

Hearing this, Zhuge Zhongguang asked, "Is the Prince suggesting that the force behind this dare not extend their reach into the North Country?"

Lu Chen said, "No, I suspect that the influence of that power only extends within the Great Sum's borders to the south of the North Country, which is why they manage to abduct people without anyone noticing. If they were to capture people outside their sphere of influence, it's very likely they would be discovered by others."

Zhuge Zhongguang fell into thought once again. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly thought of someone and said, "Prince, I fear this matter may have something to do with the royal family."

Hearing this, a trace of a smile appeared on Lu Chen's stern face, "It seems the Great Scholar and I have come to the same conclusion. I also suspect this is the doing of my father, the Sum Emperor."

The first thing that came to Lu Chen's mind about the sudden and stealthy disappearances was the methods of the Shadow Guards. Thus, he believed it was very likely the work of his own father, the Sum Emperor.

"However, what puzzles me is why he would capture so many martial artists. Even if he gathered them all, they would not likely pledge allegiance to him."

Zhuge Zhongguang speculated, "Could it be to practice some kind of evil cultivation?"

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat; it was indeed a possibility. If those martial artists were truly captured by the Sum Emperor, they might well be used for some dark practice.

With the North Country's power already so strong, especially with the enhancement of firearms, Great Sum's traditional troops had no capacity to resist. The Sum Emperor likely felt that he couldn't ascend to a Celestial through normal means, and so might have resorted to unorthodox and forbidden methods.

Lu Chen said, "If it indeed was my father who captured those martial artists, then it is quite possible that he did it to practice some evil cultivation. I just don't know what evil practice would require so many martial artists."

As the words fell, Lu Chen and Zhuge Zhongguang once again lapsed into silence. Wang Qingci glanced at them and felt that there was no longer a need for her presence. She spoke again, "Prince, I am now aware of the situation. There seems nothing more here for me, shall I take my leave?"

Lu Chen said, "Very well, attend to your duties."

No sooner had Wang Qingci left the study than the voice of a maid came from the door, "Prince, Commander Liang seeks an audience!"

Hmm?

Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback.

Hadn't Liang Zong just left a short while ago? Why had he returned so soon?

Lu Chen then said, "Let him in."

Liang Zong immediately entered the study, "Greetings, Prince!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Zong handed a letter to Lu Chen, "Prince, this is an urgent report just arrived from the South. The Jinyiwei Guard who delivered the letter said it was very important. I haven't had the chance to read it yet."

Hearing this, Lu Chen quickly took the letter from Liang Zong's hand and began to read it intently.

Frowning again at the contents of the letter, Lu Chen looked troubled.

Seeing the Prince's expression darken, Zhuge Zhongguang asked, "Prince, what has happened?"

Lu Chen handed the letter to Zhuge Zhongguang and then said, "Recently, a detachment of Heavy Cavalry have been deployed in the region of the South, directly under my father, the Sum Emperor. They seem to be escorting something to the Capital City, and even the royal Grandmaster has been sent out."

Since the defeat of Great Wu by the North Country, the Sum Emperor had been quiet for a long time. This sudden deployment of Heavy Cavalry to the South, and the fact that the royal Grandmaster had been sent there too, gave the impression that he was brewing a new conspiracy.

Moreover, the recent disappearances of so many martial artists within Great Sum's territory indicated that another grave event was about to unfold.

After reading the letter, Zhuge Zhongguang fell into thought once more. Even he could not determine what the Sum Emperor was planning at this time.

After a long while, Lu Chen spoke to Liang Zong, "Have the Brocade Guards investigate why the Heavy Cavalry have gone to the South."

"As you command, Prince!"

…

Within a month of receiving the report about the widespread disappearances of Great Sum martial artists, more martial artists, ranked fifth grade and above, continued to vanish within Great Sum's borders. Their disappearances were complete, as if they had simply vanished into thin air, leaving no trace whether alive or dead.

This matter was now being investigated not only by the North Country's Brocade Guards but also by all major powers within Great Sum's borders. The turmoil of the Seignior's rebellion had already left the common people anxious, and now the inexplicable disappearances of powerful martial artists from these forces were causing even greater chaos.

Before long, the investigation results from the Rain-listening Pavilion reached Lu Chen. According to their findings, such a large number of martial artist disappearances did not occur in other kingdoms; one or two cases were already many, unlike in Great Sum where seven or eight fifth grade martial artists vanished from just one county.

The most peculiar aspect of these disappearances was the thoroughness with which these martial artists vanished. The only thing they had in common, other than their rank of fifth grade or higher, was that they did not know each other.