The sudden tremor caught everyone off guard.
Xiu Jun, who had just spotted the two figures and a cat near a bright red vehicle in the direction indicated by the soldiers, paused momentarily before quickening his pace. He scooped up his cat, tucking it into his arms, and exchanged a meaningful glance with Marshal Kevin.
Just as he was about to speak, the ground shook again. This time, they clearly heard the muffled explosion from deep below.
Kevin didn't hesitate. "You go down. I'll escort His Majesty back."
"Yue'an comes with me," Xiu Jun said, looking down at the cat in his arms.
Yue'an looked up, licking his small nose softly. "Meow," he replied, his voice as soft as cotton.
Seeing this, Kevin decided against parading the emperor in front of the media. Instead, he carried the still-crying young ruler to the bright red car Yue'an had arrived in. It was out of the question to expose the emperor to the swarm of journalists outside. In times like these, having access to a private vehicle was a godsend.
Yue'an watched Kevin's actions in bewilderment. In the next moment, he raised his paw and frantically patted Xiu Jun's chest, pointing at the shopping container in the car and meowing urgently.
Xiu Jun glanced at the container, then looked up at Kevin.
Kevin looked at Yue'an, then at the container, immediately understanding. He nodded quickly.
With perfect synchronization, one cradled the cat and turned to leave, while the other sped away in the car with the young emperor.
This division of tasks was logical. The situation below was still unclear, so it made sense for Xiu Jun, with his superior physical attributes, genetic enhancements, and combat skills, to investigate.
Taking Yue'an, whose physical capabilities matched Xiu Jun's, ensured they could watch each other's backs.
Most importantly, the young emperor was particularly docile and submissive in Kevin's presence, barely daring to utter a word. This stemmed from Kevin's stern, disappointed demeanor when instructing the newly crowned emperor. It was likely one of the reasons the emperor tended to trust the less restrictive Xiu Jun more.
"Tech team?" Xiu Jun asked the soldier guarding the nearest black market entrance.
In his arms, a small white head perked up alertly, snow-white paws resting on the collar of Xiu Jun's black military coat. Yue'an sniffed the air, heavy with smoke and dust.
The remaining soldiers, all under Kevin's command, felt slightly uneasy about suddenly being led by Xiu Jun. However, their military instincts prevailed, and they obediently followed orders.
"Marshal Xiu Jun, sir! It was a conventional explosion. The source was approximately 120 meters underground. The elevators used for access have been destroyed."
"Has anyone gone down yet?"
"No, sir!"
Xiu Jun nodded, then swiftly kicked open the tightly sealed elevator doors.
Thick smoke billowed out. The shaft was empty, the elevator car destroyed below.
Yue'an, focused on the unusual scents, sneezed as the smoke irritated his nose. He shook his small head and sneezed again.
A nearby tech soldier quickly offered oxygen patches and positioning communicators. Xiu Jun looked down at Yue'an, who was nuzzling against his chest, and waved an oxygen patch at him.
"Meow!" Yue'an dodged backward, swatting away Xiu Jun's hand disdainfully.
Abandoning the idea of applying an oxygen patch to his cat, the Marshal applied one to himself. Standing at the smoke-filled entrance, he announced, "I'm going down."
Yue'an meowed once, gripping Xiu Jun's coat tightly with all four paws.
Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, Marshal Xiu Jun leaped into the billowing smoke without hesitation.
Moments later, the soldiers above heard a loud thud of a heavy object landing, followed by the sounds of violent destruction.
Despite having heard numerous tales of Xiu Jun's superhuman physical abilities, witnessing it firsthand was far more shocking than any rumor.
Apart from the hum of equipment, the soldiers who had just seen Xiu Jun jump from a height of over a hundred meters stood in stunned silence.
A colonel was the first to snap out of it. Looking around at his awestruck colleagues, he shouted, "What are you all gawking at? Get to work! Are we going to let Marshal Xiu Jun do everything by himself? Have some pride!"
His words jolted everyone back to reality. The previously frozen soldiers sprang into action.
Hot smoke and dust continued to billow out as other entrances were forcibly opened. The media and curious onlookers at the perimeter of the Central Commercial District witnessed countless plumes of thick smoke rising into the air.
The First Legion Commander, still surrounded by journalists, quickly deduced that something had gone wrong in the black market. He kept his mouth shut, maintaining a friendly demeanor while steadfastly refusing to answer the barrage of questions from the excited media.
Inside the black market, Xiu Jun walked with his cat. The sudden explosion had thrown the hidden underground marketplace into chaos.
Thanks to the widespread use of oxygen patches, deaths from smoke inhalation during fires had become rare. Taking advantage of the confusion, traders in the black market attempted to loot the medium and large shops they had never dared touch before.
However, as these opportunists rushed to escape with their ill-gotten gains, they were horrified to discover that all the exit elevators had been destroyed.
The black market was encased in rare materials that blocked various signals to prevent detection by scientific instruments. Apart from the elevators, there were no other emergency exits. Everyone was now trapped, with no way out.
After the explosions opened several gaps in the market's entrances, the complete shielding network was torn, allowing the tech team to glimpse the full picture below.
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"The first explosion point is to the east, two streets away from you. Turn right, then after 100 meters, it's the third shop on the left."
Xiu Jun followed the directions from the communicator to reach the destination.
Unfortunately, the shop had been completely obliterated. The entire street was affected, with everything at the epicenter reduced to dust. Any evidence that might have explained the cause of the explosion had been incinerated.
The timing of the explosion was suspiciously convenient, occurring just as the military had surrounded the Central Commercial District. Less than five minutes had passed. This timing was far too precise to be coincidental.
Coupled with the recent attempted attack on the emperor, the situation became even more intriguing and concerning.
Xiu Jun lowered his gaze, trying to recall which shop had originally occupied this space.
In his arms, Yue'an remained spotlessly white despite the smoke and dust, clinging to Xiu Jun's collar. His small head swiveled around, ears perked up alertly, occasionally twitching.
The surrounding environment was chaotically noisy. Yue'an listened intently, sensing something amiss. As a precaution, he summoned a few specks of pearly white light to his paw tips, creating an invisible barrier that enveloped both him and Xiu Jun.
Xiu Jun finally remembered who owned this shop.
Prince Kels.
The man who always stood beside the young emperor, almost completely usurping the power that rightfully belonged to the ruler.
"Marshal Xiu Jun?" A soldier's voice crackled through the communicator. "We're ready to come down. What's the situation?"
Xiu Jun surveyed the surroundings before responding, "Bring weapons. There are many people down here."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint 'click' sounded from the rubble at his feet.
Xiu Jun's heart raced. He spun around, diving forward while tightly shielding the soft ball of fur in his arms.
A deafening explosion once again rocked the entire underground black market.
The blast was so close that the sound, transmitted through the positioning communicator, caused noticeable tinnitus and dizziness in the tech team soldiers maintaining contact with Xiu Jun.
At the epicenter of the explosion, Xiu Jun shook his head to clear it and climbed out of the newly formed crater. His first instinct was to check on the cat in his arms.
Yue'an was stunned by the enormous noise. He had never experienced such intense real-world action before—virtual training room simulations didn't count.
The small white furball stared at Xiu Jun with wide eyes. Those azure orbs reflected shock, but no pain.
Still concerned, the Marshal thoroughly examined Yue'an, turning him this way and that until the cat regained his senses and placed a paw on Xiu Jun's overzealous right hand.
"Meow!" The cry was strong and normal.
Xiu Jun finally relaxed, carefully setting Yue'an aside before checking himself. Surprisingly, even his clothes were undamaged.
He turned to Yue'an, who was now surveying their surroundings. "Was that you?" he asked, referring to the protective barrier.
Yue'an, realizing Xiu Jun meant the shield that had protected them, puffed out his little chest proudly. "Meow!"
The Marshal stroked Yue'an's head. "That's twice now," he mused, acknowledging that Yue'an had saved him again.
Xiu Jun decided that upon their return, he would have to help Yue'an secure another high-yield energy crystal mine planet from the political faction as a reward.
The soldiers from above descended quickly, pouring in through various entrances in large groups. The tech team, equipped with bomb disposal gear, swiftly neutralized any remaining threats and apprehended all the surviving individuals in the black market.
With so many media outlets present outside, an explanation for this operation would be necessary for the public. These survivors from the black market would now serve as that explanation.
Xiu Jun returned to the surface, watching as soldiers brought up batches of detainees. He made a point of walking past the media before the prisoners were taken away.
"Meow!" Yue'an's small paws rested on Xiu Jun's chest as he stretched up to nuzzle the Marshal's chin.
Xiu Jun returned his attention to the cat, gently nuzzling back against the soft fur.
Then, rather coldly, the Marshal abandoned his First Legion Commander to the media, getting into a car and using his computer to contact Marshal Kevin.
Kevin hadn't taken the emperor back to the palace. Instead, he had brought both the emperor and his secretary directly to military headquarters. He couldn't trust anyone in the palace right now.
Xiu Jun glanced at Kevin's surroundings before asking, "Who agreed to let His Majesty go to the black market?"
The secretary hesitated, but the emperor spoke without reservation. Sniffling, he said directly, "It was Uncle Kels."
Hearing this answer, Xiu Jun felt he had a grasp on the situation.
He pressed further, "Who came up with the idea to move against Marshal Kevin earlier?"
"I didn't agree to it!" the young emperor exclaimed, his eyes wide and neck tense. "I never agreed!"
Indeed, while this emperor lacked political acumen and harbored a natural bias against Kevin, he still understood right from wrong on major issues.
Kevin's star might have dimmed in recent years compared to Xiu Jun's, but he was still an excellent leader who had helped the late emperor shape an era. He was a hero who had protected the empire for over a century.
Daily power struggles between military and political factions were normal. But to consider sending a hero to his grave over such squabbles was absolutely unacceptable.
"I didn't agree," the young emperor repeated, looking deflated and dejected, fully realizing his own powerlessness and incompetence. "But they made the decision anyway."
Fortunately, this decision hadn't been implemented. Those behind it had been caught off guard by the incident with the 500 energy crystals, forcing them to shelve their plans.
After that, worried about being misunderstood due to Xiu Jun's series of bold moves, the young emperor had hastily sent his secretary to Xiu Jun, seeking a clear stance.
Xiu Jun fell silent for a moment but didn't seem particularly surprised by this revelation. He was well aware of how indecisive the young emperor could be.
He continued his questioning, "Your Majesty, was Prince Kels behind the plot against Marshal Kevin?"
The young emperor nodded.
Xiu Jun's gaze finally settled on the secretary standing beside the emperor.
Under Xiu Jun's scrutiny, the secretary held out for half a minute before cracking. With a stiff face, he confessed, "The order not to inform you both also came from Prince Kels. I notified you on my own initiative."
Xiu Jun nodded slightly, offering unexpected praise, "Well done."
Kevin's brow furrowed. "What are you thinking?"
Xiu Jun paused before responding, "His Majesty isn't being obedient, so someone's getting impatient."
The puppet emperor, who had always been compliant, suddenly developed his own ideas and started to oppose them. Naturally, those holding the reins of power wouldn't be pleased.
Whether they intended to frighten the young emperor into submission or replace him with a new, more cooperative ruler—or even ascend to the throne themselves—their goal was clear. They wanted someone completely aligned with their interests in that symbolic position of highest authority.
If the young emperor wouldn't comply, they'd scare him until he did.
Or, if convenient, they might arrange for him to quietly disappear.
Unfortunately for them, whatever their plans, they had encountered unexpected complications.
It seemed the young emperor had managed to escape on his own and fortuitously encountered Yue'an. Meanwhile, the secretary had been unable to suppress his conscience and had informed Xiu Jun of the situation.
The suspiciously timed series of explosions in the black market clearly aimed to tie up loose ends, destroying evidence and silencing potential witnesses.
This was likely an attempt to prevent the military from uncovering anything that could lead to their indictment before the Imperial High Court.
Kevin, evidently realizing this as well, asked bluntly, "Were you able to gather any evidence?"
Xiu Jun shook his head. "No, it was all destroyed in the explosions."
The young emperor looked from Kevin to Xiu Jun on the communication screen. Something seemed to dawn on him, and the bewilderment in his eyes gradually faded.
Finding an unexpected wellspring of courage, he suddenly stood up and approached Kevin. Looking up at the aging hero, he spoke.
"I was wrong before. I'm sorry."
He pressed his lips together, hands clenched into fists, and bowed deeply to Kevin.
When he spoke again, his voice quavered with suppressed tears, but he refused to let them fall.
"Will you... will you help me?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Kevin was stunned, completely unprepared for this level of self-awareness and humility from the young ruler. He managed an awkward "Ah" in response.
"Please help me," the young emperor pleaded, hastily wiping away his tears. "I don't want to continue like this! I... I want to be as great as my father was!"
Kevin looked from the young emperor to Xiu Jun.
His former student nodded slightly on the communication screen, and Kevin felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
"We will," he agreed, nodding.
"Your Majesty, I have a request," Xiu Jun said, stroking Yue'an, who was gazing intently at the young emperor from Xiu Jun's arms. "Could you grant me another energy mine planet?"