Chapter 1712: Chapter 843: Audience with the Emperor
"Are you... people of the Tianyuan Empire?" Mo Han steadied himself and asked, his voice carrying a hint of probing.
"Indeed." The soldier nodded, eyes sharp as if to see through the two, "But who exactly are you? Why are you in this forbidden area of the Imperial Palace?"
"We truly are lost travelers." Mo Han’s uncle quickly explained, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, "We come from an extremely distant place, trekking over mountains and rivers, enduring countless hardships, only to stumble upon this place by chance."
"An extremely distant place?" The soldier furrowed his thick brows, clearly dissatisfied with this answer, "Where exactly?"
"This..." Mo Han’s uncle was momentarily speechless, his eyes flickering. He couldn’t possibly say they had crossed over from another dimension, could he? That would only arouse more suspicion.
"We are from... from the Alliance." A spark of inspiration flashed in Mo Han’s mind, and he quickly said.
"Alliance?" The soldier showed a trace of doubt, "What alliance?"
"It’s a coalition comprised of many Sects," Mo Han continued fabricating under pressure, "aimed at upholding justice and eliminating evil. Have you heard of it?"
"No, I haven’t." The soldier shook his head decisively, with a slight irritation in his tone, "I’ve never heard of any Alliance."
"Then... have you ever heard of the Blood Ghost Sect?" Mo Han’s heart skipped, as he threw out a crucial question, wanting to know if the Blood Ghost Sect existed in this world too.
"Blood Ghost Sect?" The soldier’s face changed dramatically, his once calm eyes now filled with intense wariness and hostility, "What is your relationship with the Blood Ghost Sect?"
"No, no, no, we are arch-enemies with the Blood Ghost Sect!" Mo Han quickly waved his hand, his tone urgent, "Our journey here is precisely to eradicate the scourge of the Blood Ghost Sect!"
"Eradicate the Blood Ghost Sect?" The soldier eyed Mo Han and his uncle with suspicion, "Just you two?"
"The Blood Ghost Sect is notorious and should be eradicated by anyone capable." Mo Han said righteously, "Though we are few in number, we will never back down for the sake of the people."
"I see." The soldier’s expression softened somewhat, nodding, "Since you are against the Blood Ghost Sect, you are not our enemy."
"Then... can we leave now?" Mo Han asked tentatively, eager to leave this unfamiliar place.
"Of course you can," the soldier stated, "but before you leave, you need to come with me to see someone."
"See someone?" Mo Han was taken aback, a bad feeling rising in his heart, "Who?"
"Our Emperor." The soldier’s voice carried a tinge of reverence, "He wishes to meet you ’guests’ from afar."
"The Emperor?" Mo Han and his uncle were both shocked at once; they hadn’t expected that on arriving in this strange world, they would have to face the nation’s supreme ruler. Was this fortune or misfortune?
"Why does he want to see us?" Mo Han’s uncle couldn’t help but ask, his voice tinged with unease.
"Because your identities are special and your origins unknown, the Emperor wants to verify himself," the soldier explained, "Come with me and don’t keep him waiting."
"This..." Mo Han and his uncle exchanged a worried glance, but with things as they were, they had no other choice.
"Let’s go, what’s done is done." Mo Han’s uncle took a deep breath and said with an air of forced calm, "We should see what this Emperor wants."
"Alright." Mo Han nodded; at this point, they could only take things one step at a time.
With mixed feelings, the two followed the soldiers into the depths of the palace, their unknown fate awaiting them.
Along the way, they saw many palace maids and eunuchs in elegant attire, each with either a downcast expression or a hurried pace, all filled with awe and caution.
"This... really is the Imperial Palace." Mo Han’s uncle couldn’t help but sigh, "It’s extraordinarily grander than any of our Alliance’s Sects."
"Indeed." Mo Han nodded as well, pondering to himself, "I wonder what kind of person this Emperor is? A wise ruler or a tyrant? Merciful or brutal?"
"We’ll find out once we meet him." Mo Han’s uncle said, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Through repeated palace gates and corridors, they finally arrived in front of a magnificent and resplendent main hall.
The hall was imposing and solemn, with a huge plaque in the center inscribed with the bold characters "Golden Throne Hall."
"This is the Golden Throne Hall, the Emperor is waiting inside." The soldier stopped, telling Mo Han and his uncle, "Go on in."
"Okay." Mo Han and his uncle exchanged a look, took a deep breath, then stepped into the Golden Throne Hall.
Upon entering, a sacred and majestic aura enveloped them. The interior was more lavish and grand than anywhere they had seen before.
At the center of the hall stood a huge golden dragon throne, with a middle-aged man in an imperial yellow dragon robe seated atop it.
He wore a purple-gold crown, his visage majestic, eyes sharp and penetrating, exuding an intimidating aura of authority.
"This should be the Emperor of the Tianyuan Empire, right?" Mo Han’s uncle murmured in a very low voice, his tone carrying a tinge of awe.
"Probably." Mo Han nodded, secretly sizing up this Emperor.
The two walked to the front of the dragon throne, knelt down, and said in unison, "Commoners pay respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
"Rise." The Emperor said, his voice deep and authoritative, echoing in the hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mo Han and his uncle slowly stood, keeping their heads down, not daring to meet the Emperor’s eyes.
"Where do you come from?" The Emperor asked, his piercing gaze fixed on Mo Han and his uncle, as though he intended to see them through.
"Your Majesty, we come from the Alliance." Mo Han respectfully replied.
"Alliance?" The Emperor furrowed his brow slightly, seemingly pondering, "What place is that? I’ve never heard of it."
"Your Majesty, the Alliance is an organization comprised of many Sects, dedicated to upholding justice and ridding the world of evil." Mo Han explained, "We have come to eliminate the evil force known as the Blood Ghost Sect."
"Blood Ghost Sect?" The Emperor’s expression changed slightly, his eyes flashing with an unusual light, "You... you have come to deal with the Blood Ghost Sect?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Mo Han said firmly, "The Blood Ghost Sect is notorious for its crimes against the people, and it’s our Alliance’s responsibility to eradicate it."
"I see." The Emperor nodded thoughtfully, "I have heard of the Blood Ghost Sect, indeed they are a deeply evil organization."
"You are aware of the Blood Ghost Sect, Your Majesty?" Mo Han asked in surprise.
"Of course." The Emperor stated, "The Blood Ghost Sect has several bases within the Tianyuan Empire. They operate in secret, committing atrocities and frequently harassing the people. I have long wished to uproot them to avoid future woes."
"Then why hasn’t Your Majesty sent troops to exterminate them?" Mo Han couldn’t help but ask, feeling that with the Emperor’s power, destroying the Blood Ghost Sect shouldn’t be difficult.
"Because... because I face difficulties," the Emperor sighed helplessly, "The Blood Ghost Sect is vast, with many experts and a secretive presence. I’m concerned that rashly deploying troops may not eradicate them and might instead alert them, causing greater troubles."