491: Chapter 491 Night Visit to the Eastern Palace

[As you walk, Murong Zhaozhao suddenly stops. She points to a restaurant ahead with a plaque reading "Star-Picking Tower" and glances back at you:]

["Let's stay here first."]

[Before you can speak, she has already stepped inside.]

[Following behind her, you can't help but ask via voice transmission:]

["What are we doing in a Mortal Dynasty? Why didn't you let that old man Taichu help you find the tear of eternal frost directly?"]

[Without looking back, she transmits her reply in a lazy tone:]

["Do you think the tear of eternal frost is that easy to find? It's formless, qualityless, and has no scent; even old man Taichu might not be able to find it. The most reliable way is to have the Tianqi Dynasty help us look."]

["Besides, this thing loves to hide inside Mortal bodies, using a person's aura to mask itself."]

[You understand immediately.]

[The Tianqi Dynasty has a vast territory and a massive population, and its people are spread throughout the major cultivation Sects—having them help search is indeed better than wandering around blindly.]

[Currently, you are also completely in the dark, so you can only follow her lead.]

[After settling into the Star-Picking Tower, the two of you sit in a private room on the second floor for the entire afternoon. Listening to the idle gossip from the lobby below, you get a good grasp of the imperial capital's situation.]

[Until night falls.]

[Murong Zhaozhao changes into night-traveling clothes and hands you a set as well.]

[She then pulls out two Magical Artifacts to cover your faces and slaps a Talisman on each of you to conceal your auras.]

["Let's go."]

[Two black shadows silently vanish into the night.]

[A moment later, you arrive at the Eastern Palace.]

[You crouch in an inconspicuous corner, an Invisibility Talisman hiding your forms, as you cast your gaze into the hall.]

[At this sight, you can't help but frown.]

[All around the Eastern Palace, there are guards lying in ambush—under the walls, behind the pillars, atop the beams; they are everywhere, densely packed.]

[The entire Eastern Palace is surrounded like an iron barrel.]

[And that's not all.]

[On the open ground outside the hall, a eunuch is leading over a dozen people, searching every inch of the ground.]

[The light from the torches flickers about, casting swaying shadows.]

[Inside the main hall.]

[A long table is filled with various delicacies, steaming hot.]

[The Apocalypse Crown Prince sits upright at the table, dressed in his bright yellow ceremonial robes, yet he stares at the dozen or so dishes with a deep frown.]

[He raises a finger and points at the food, saying to the three eunuchs beside him:]

["Eat."]

[The three eunuchs step forward, pick up chopsticks, and taste each dish one by one.]

[After each taste, they pause, waiting to see if there's any reaction.]

[After all the dishes are tested, nothing happens.]

[The Crown Prince is still uneasy. His gaze sweeps over the palace maids nearby, and he casually points out three of them:]

["You eat too. Take a bite of every dish."]

[The palace maids do as they are told.]

[Still nothing.]

[The Crown Prince remains silent for a moment, then orders someone to bring a cat.]

[The cat is held as it is brought to each plate, sniffing and licking every dish.]

[The cat is also fine.]

[Only then does the Crown Prince breathe a sigh of relief. He pulls a pair of silver chopsticks from his sleeve and begins to eat cautiously—specifically picking from the edges that had already been tested and eaten.]

[Watching this scene from afar, your brow knits into a knot.]

[How is this the Crown Prince of a nation?]

[He is clearly a poor wretch who has been scared out of his wits.]

[Just as you are thinking this, a eunuch hurries into the hall and bows to report:]

["Your Highness, we have searched every inch of the grounds; there is nothing suspicious."]

[The Crown Prince nods, his expression softening slightly: "Good."]

[After a pause, he adds: "Check the four main gates of the Eastern Palace again. Don't let even a single fly in. If you encounter anyone suspicious, seize them immediately for questioning. Investigate their entire clan to see if there are any issues."]

[As he speaks, he takes another bite of food, still picking only from the very edges.]

[You withdraw your gaze and transmit a message to Murong Zhaozhao, your tone filled with confusion:]

["You went through all this trouble to infiltrate the Eastern Palace just to find this coward?"]

[Murong Zhaozhao turns her head, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiles at you, replying via transmission:]

["Cowards are the easiest to control and trade with."]

[You curl your lip and continue transmitting: "Then how do we approach him?"]

[Murong Zhaozhao glances at you, frowns, and transmits with a hint of disdain: "How can you be so silly? Watch me!"]

[She flips her hand to produce a Jade Talisman and gently crushes it with her fingertips—]

[The moment the Jade Talisman shatters, an invisible power of Time ripples out, instantly enveloping the entire Eastern Palace.]

[Time stands still.]

[The eunuchs who were searching remain in their bent-over positions, digging into the ground, motionless.]

[The guards lying in ambush on the beams have their gazes frozen in mid-air.]

[Inside the hall, the Apocalypse Crown Prince is holding a mouthful of food on his chopsticks, stopped right at his mouth.]

[The palace maids stand with lowered eyes, looking like clay statues.]

[The entire Eastern Palace, along with the wind, the light, and even the floating dust, is frozen in this instant.]

[Your pupils shrink slightly, and you roll your eyes—is this really a matter of being silly?]

["Quick!"]

[Murong Zhaozhao's figure flashes, and she has already glided into the hall.]

[Her gaze sweeps over a palace maid. With a thought, a faint halo of light rises around her—as the Illusionary Form Technique activates, her face, figure, and aura all transform into that of the palace maid.]

[She reaches out to take off the palace maid's clothes and puts them on herself.]

[In an instant, you can no longer tell which is the real palace maid and which is her.]

[And she isn't finished.]

[She extends a finger and lightly touches the palace maid's forehead.]

[A moment later, she withdraws it, a flash of understanding in her eyes—those are the palace maid's memory fragments, now fully poured into her mind.]

[Looking at the memory fragments, she beckons to you: "Hurry up, what are you standing there for?"]

["Why go through all this trouble? Why not use the Slave Contract Secret Method to control them?" You frown.]

["Huh?" She looks at you with a confused face, "I don't know how to do that!"]

["Oh, stop nagging, there's no time left," she says, pointing at the head eunuch, "Quick, take on his appearance."]

[Your face darkens—this girl wants you to turn into a eunuch?]

[But on second thought—a confidant of the Crown Prince would indeed make things easier.]

[You stop overthinking and immediately circulate the Illusionary Form Technique.]

[As your form twists, you transform into the head eunuch and casually strip off his clothes to put them on.]

[You also mimic her action, touching your finger to the eunuch's forehead and extending your Divine Sense—countless memory fragments rush in.]

[How many years this eunuch had served in the Eastern Palace, who he was friendly with, who he had grudges against, even which year and month he had snuck pastries from the Imperial Kitchen—it's all recorded clearly.]

[You withdraw your finger, now confident in your role.]

[Murong Zhaozhao nods with satisfaction and produces a Magic Treasure with a flip of her hand.]

[It is a palm-sized Exquisite Tower, translucent throughout and glowing with a faint spiritual light.]

[With a tap of her finger, the tower door slowly opens, and a suction force emerges—the palace maid and the head eunuch are pulled inside, their forms shrinking until they vanish into the tower.]

[You glance over and can vaguely see two tiny figures through the semi-transparent walls, lying quietly on one of the levels.]

[It's actually a top-tier spatial Magic Treasure.]

[Murong Zhaozhao puts away the Exquisite Tower and winks at you.]

[The Domain of the Time Law quietly dissipates.]

[The Eastern Palace returns to normal.]

[The eunuchs continue digging, the guards remain in ambush, and the Crown Prince continues eating—no one knows that in those few breaths, two people were replaced.]