“It hasn't been long since we entered the 'Era Archive,' has it?” Dr. Lou couldn't help but exclaim, “To be able to win over a loyal subject in such a short time in this era, Your Majesty's imperial power truly remains undiminished from years past...”
Hearing Dr. Lou's words, Ying Fu's brows furrowed imperceptibly, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face. “I've told you, I am not the First Emperor you speak of. You have the wrong person.”
Dr. Lou chuckled. “Then why did Your Majesty's speech have such an archaic flavor before?”
“My manner of speaking is an instinctual remnant within my soul... Soon, I will adapt to the language of this era,” Ying Fu replied calmly. “The Way of the Imperial Gods is a product abandoned by time. The ancient order has been superseded by humanity. If I wish to forge a new order, I must first adapt to this new world.”
Seeing that Dr. Lou still looked unconvinced, Ying Fu stated in a low voice: “I will say this one last time: I am not Qin Shi Huang. Believe it or not, that is up to you.”
“Who Your Majesty is, is not important. What matters is that we can cooperate,” Dr. Lou said with a faint smile. “In the short term, Your Majesty needs this ‘Era Archive’ that I can replicate for you, and you need my power of reconstruction. I, in turn, need Your Majesty's strength to clear obstacles for me. In the long term, Your Majesty represents the king of an ancient era, while I represent the pinnacle of modern science. Our cooperation is a powerful alliance of past and present. Whether it's sweeping across Earth's Grey Realm or finding the source of the Red Star's power, it will be effortless!”
Despite Dr. Lou’s highly persuasive words, Ying Fu’s expression remained as calm as still water. He glanced indifferently at Dr. Lou, his eyes, bearing the weight of a thousand years of history and dynasties, as unfathomable and inscrutable as an abyss. That single look was enough to freeze the smile on Dr. Lou’s face, which then slowly receded.
“Cooperation is acceptable,” Ying Fu said calmly after a long pause. “However, how my people are utilized is for me to decide.”
“Naturally, they are Your Majesty’s subjects after all,” Dr. Lou immediately replied.
“Nie Yu, did you hear all of that clearly?” Ying Fu tilted his head slightly, his profound eyes fixed on his subject’s.
The man, Nie Yu, met Ying Fu’s gaze, then immediately knelt down respectfully. “Nie Yu obeys Your Majesty’s command.” He paused for a moment before speaking again. “However, Your Majesty, killing people is not easy in this era. Your humble servant is alone and lacks influence; I fear...”
Ying Fu was not surprised by Nie Yu's sudden interjection. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly responded: “Oh? What else do you need? Speak freely.”
“I need money, a lot of money! Money makes the world go round, and with enough of it, the entire operation will be much smoother,” Nie Yu replied without hesitation.
“As I have just arrived, I naturally have no funds,” Ying Fu said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “What shall we do about this?”
The air fell silent.
Feeling Ying Fu’s gaze, Dr. Lou’s mouth twitched slightly. He chuckled immediately: “Your Majesty is unfamiliar with this era, so acquiring funds would naturally be inconvenient... In that case, allow me to relieve Your Majesty of this concern.”
As Dr. Lou finished speaking, he bent slightly and placed his palm on the ground beneath his feet. With a faint glow, the atomic structures of several massive rocks were instantly shattered and reassembled. The originally dull, gray stones visibly began to turn golden, their purity continuously increasing. Within mere seconds, several hundred-kilogram blocks of gold appeared before Nie Yu!
This scene utterly dumbfounded Nie Yu. As a modern man, the phrase “transmuting stone into gold” only existed in ethereal tales... Yet now, he had witnessed the process firsthand. With just a raise of his hand, he could conjure hundreds of millions worth of high-purity gold. Who exactly was this man?!
Seeing the shock in Nie Yu’s eyes, Dr. Lou smiled faintly and then said: “Your Majesty, as I said before... a collaboration between the two of us is enough to overturn any era.”
Ying Fu glanced at the gold at his feet, his expression unchanged. He replied indifferently, “Pleasure working with you.”
The smile on Dr. Lou’s face deepened. After bidding Ying Fu farewell, he casually brushed some dust from his clothes. Then, he slowly levitated from the mountaintop, ascending silently into the sky as if repelled by Earth’s magnetic field like an opposing pole... The next moment, he shot away at an astonishing speed, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Only when the figure had completely vanished into the distance did Nie Yu hesitantly speak: “Your Majesty...”
“There are no outsiders present now; speak freely,” Ying Fu’s voice was slightly softer than before.
“Your Majesty, I served as a mercenary abroad for over a decade and have met many kinds of people... This Lou Yu is too cunning. On the surface, he appears respectful and eager to please you, but I fear he doesn't truly mean it. In the future, he might even try to scheme against you,” Nie Yu said gravely.
Ying Fu’s robes fluttered in the evening breeze. He did not answer directly but turned around and slowly walked to Nie Yu, helping him up from his kneeling position with both hands. Nie Yu was startled, his eyes showing a mix of surprise and apprehension.
“General Nie, you are both wise and courageous, and your loyalty is unwavering; truly worthy of being my confidant,” Ying Fu said slowly. “I have seen many people with devious intentions... While this Lou Yu may be calculating, in my eyes, he is as naive as a child and is truly nothing to fear. A double-edged sword, if wielded properly, can also be controlled by me.”
Hearing this, Nie Yu realized how redundant his warning had been... In ancient imperial courts, there were countless old foxes as cunning as demons, and Ying Fu had long since grown accustomed to such people. No matter how deep Lou Yu’s schemes ran, he was merely a modern man with some ambition. When it came to strategic plotting, how could he outmaneuver an emperor so skilled in the art of governance?
“I overthought it,” Nie Yu said with a self-deprecating laugh. “So, those on the list... should they still be killed?”
“Kill them, but skip the first person on the list and only kill the second.”
“Only the second person on the list?” Nie Yu asked, puzzled. “Why?”
A glint flickered in the depths of Ying Fu’s eyes. “This Lou Yu intends to use my hand to eliminate his obstacles, while simultaneously pushing me into direct opposition with the Nine Lords, thereby completely binding me to his cause... I naturally will not humor him. Since Wu Tongyuan is listed as the first person to be killed, he must pose a significant threat to Lou Yu... The more this is the case, the more I must keep him alive. Only by his continued existence can he restrain Lou Yu and prevent him from dominating. This is 'checks and balances'. However, since I intend to temporarily leverage Lou Yu's power to maintain our cooperation, I must show some sincerity. Killing the second person on the list will serve as an explanation to him, an act of 'bestowal of favor'.”
Only then did Nie Yu comprehend, and he immediately knelt and replied: “Your Majesty is wise.”
Nie Yu's gaze fell upon the second entry on the list, a name that jumped out at him:
— Su Zhiwei.
[29 seconds from now] Chapter 335: Drumbeats and Echoes
[1 minute ago] Chapter 543: Breaking the Deadlock?
[5 minutes ago] Chapter 670: For Others to Wear the Wedding Dress
[9 minutes ago] Chapter 1334: Taixu Heavenly Book
16852 · 0 · 45
13277 · 0 · 27