Chapter 278

The night has fallen, returning the bustling Imperial City to its most tranquil state . Hanging in the sky are two crescent moons emitting chilling beams of light, as if covering the earth with a gossamer veil .

Under the cold moonlight, the rubbles on the streets only made the Imperial City look more desolate . There was scarcely any people around, only a couple of workers cleaning up the debris and fixing the destroyed pavement .

Fang Fang's Little Store, in the kitchen .

With squinted eyes, Bu Fang twirled the Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife in his hand and diced up a slab of dragon meat . He lit the fire and heated the pot . Then, he summoned a surge of true energy from within and cooked this dragon meat the same way he made his Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs .

Though this was merely the flesh of an eighth grade Flood Dragon, under the nourishment of spirit energy, its meat offered an indescribable texture and a truly intoxicating taste .

Sticking out his tongue, Blacky ogled at the aromatic Sweet 'n' Sour Dragon Meat Ribs that Bu Fang had just scooped out of the pot .

Dragon meat… it must be absolutely delicious!

Bu Fang tasted a piece and became helplessly intoxicated with this gourmet delicacy . The dragon meat had a wonderful texture, very springy and incredibly succulent .

He placed this plate of Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs before Blacky, who had held back the entire night and couldn't wait to dig into the porcelain bowl . He wolfed down the contents inside with pleasure .

The flesh of large reptiles always tasted wonderful, not to mention that they became even more delicious under Bu Fang's magical touch .

Watching as Blacky devoured the ribs, Bu Fang curled his lips . At the same time, he felt it unfortunate that he didn't have the appetizing fruit vinegar to make Dragon Liver Popsicle with an eight grade Flood Dragon's liver . But that is that . This gourmet delicacy demanded an excellent fruit vinegar, without which would simply ruin the dish .

Bu Fang secretly decided that he must find time to brew his own fruit vinegar . However, that was a task for the far future .

After practicing some other dishes, Bu Fang called it a day . He returned to his room and prepared to sleep . He needed to maintain the quality of his rest to ensure he would constantly be in the best conditions . Maintaining a focused mind was certainly conducive to his cooking .

Not after long, a steady stream of snores resounded from Bu Fang's room .

. . .

The Imperial City of the Light Wind Empire, main halls .

Lights flickered beside the fluttering shadows inside the main halls .

Numerous ministers of the empire had convened here to discuss state affairs . The Imperial City of the Light Wind Empire had been shaken by a storm, instilling anxiety and fear in each and every minister .

As the powerholders of the Imperial City, they naturally understood the tense situation of the Light Wind Empire . All seven regions have fallen into mayhem—there were spirit beasts attacking cities and rebel forces revolting .

For these folks, it was simply something unimaginable . Nobody had anticipated the empire to break down and fall into chaos in such a short time .

Ji Chengxue, though a new emperor, was certainly no incompetent ruler . Ever since taking the throne, he had been cautious and attentive, tending to state affairs in an orderly manner . Such a degree of bedlam was uncalled for .

The father-son party from the Xiao family sat cross-legged in the halls with their eyes closed, completely impervious to the incessant quarrels nearby .

Ji Chengxue, situated in the upper tiers of the halls, rubbed his brows . He observed the confrontations and deliberations between his ministers down below, and emitted a long, helpless breath .

Suddenly .

Dong!

There was a loud crash that sounded much like a heavy stomp . Afterwards, a eunuch rushed into the halls, looking flurried .

"Your… Your Majesty, there's someone outside… with a coffin, asking for an audience with Your Majesty!" The eunuch, with terror written all over his face, reported in a panic . Carrying a coffin into the palace, now who was this audacious…

Ji Chengxue instantly propped up his body as the Xiao family members fluttered open their eyelids .

The atmosphere outside of the main halls was dreary . The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the air as numerous figures sauntered into the halls . They came in with a pitch black coffin in their hands .

A chilled wind suddenly began howling within the halls, utterly silencing the chattering ministers, who now almost didn't dare to breathe .

Four shadows, all dressed in black and with bamboo hats covering their faces, strolled into the main halls .

Under the scrutiny of everyone inside, they slowly wandered to the center of the main halls . With a loud thud, they dropped the coffin onto the ground, causing the floor of the halls to rattle .

"Under the orders of King Yu, we have delivered the coffin . "

A raspy voice rang from one among the group . Then, the four gestured to Ji Chengxue, who sat high up in the halls, with cupped hands to express their minimal courtesy . Then, they turned around, ready to leave the main halls .

"This is sheer effrontery! How outrageous!"

Xiao Meng glowered with eyes that nearly shot lasers and ferociously smacked down with his palm . With a bellow, he dashed after the four men withdrawing from the main halls . The palace guards immediately followed his steps .

Ji Chengxue paid no attention to Xiao Meng, who was chasing after the intruders . Instead, he walked down from his throne with a blank face and approached the coffin .

Xiao Yue rushed forward to shield Ji Chengxue from any potential danger hidden within the coffin . However, when he pushed open the lid, there were no planted traps . They were delivered a simple coffin .

Yet when everyone caught a glimpse of the body lying inside, they fell into a deep silence .

The figure resting quietly inside was a heavily wounded Lian Fu with bloody gashes tore through his chest . He who was once a majestic seventh grade Battle-Saint was now only an ice-cold corpse .

Xiao Yue held his tongue and sighed softly . He had no idea how to console Ji Chengxue .

As suspected, this was the doing of King Yu . The fall of Chief Eunuch Lian was a crime committed by Ji Chengyu .

It didn't take long for Xiao Meng to return . His somber face was covered with sweat . After a light round with the four men, he realized that none was easy to beat . He couldn't gain the upper hand on such short notice and besides, the other party had no interest in fighting with him . Since they were determined to get away, he had no choice but to come back .

Xiao Meng also caught sight of Lian Fu's corpse and emitted a grave sigh .

"Give Chief Eunuch Lian's body a proper burial . " A voice finally broke the prolonged silence within the halls . This was Ji Chengxue ordering for Lian Fu's body to be taken away .

Boom Boom Bang!

A thunderous noise caused the main halls to shake . Everyone inside was seized with terror and charged out of the halls one after another .

Helpless guards completely overwrought bolted in .

"Your Majesty! The national treasury has been robbed!"

The lips of these guards shivered . To have a state's treasury robbed was simply an unthinkable concept . There were more than thousands of guards patrolling the national treasury . Under such circumstances, being raided was a huge blow to the reputation and dignity of the Light Wind Empire .

This news drained the blood from Ji Chengxue's face . At present, the national treasury was the last backbone of the Light Wind Empire . They could not afford to suffer such a huge loss .

The crowd scurried to the national treasury in trepidation only to see a large hole smashed through the heavily guarded, but now completely distorted gates .

They drew in sharp breaths, scared out of their wits in witnessing this sight .

Not after long, Ji Chengxue emerged from the national treasury . He breathed out a sigh of relief .

"Your Majesty, is anything missing from the national treasury?" Xiao Meng asked with scrunched brows .

"The money is all here, but one item is lost . " Ji Chengxue was somewhat relieved but still looked toward Xiao Meng with a bitter smile . Then, he uttered slowly: "What has gone missing is the Departed Soul Orb . "

"Huhn? The Departed Soul Orb? The one that Zhao Musheng stole but later discarded?" Xiao Meng was taken aback as he asked in confusion .

"Yes, but judging by this, the thieves must have been members of a sect . The Departed Soul Orb is a treasure of the sects anyway . Retrieving it by force… is somewhat understandable . "

There was a sour expression on Ji Chengxue's face . The national treasury easily at other people's disposal . This was a complete trample over the Light Wind Empire's dignity . Yet at the same time, one could now be certain that the raiders must have intimidating cultivation levels .

"In any case, the Departed Soul Orb still counts as a semi-divine tool . What do its new bearers… have in mind?" Xiao Meng squinted his eyes and pondered with a heavy heart .

. . .

An inn within the Imperial City .

The wrinkle-faced Shura Sect Venerable played with a gray orb the size of a fist . The orb was smooth to the touch, and on its surface were intricate patterns of mystifying lines .

"The Departed Soul Orb… is finally mine . " The muscles on the Venerable Master's face shook as he laughed uncontrollably .

Outside, the streets of the Imperial City fell into disorder, with guards treading through the crowds and keeping vigilant watch of the city .

Carefully extracting a talisman from his pocket, the Venerable Master curled his lips and crushed it into pieces . It instantly impelled a howling silhouette spirit with snarling claws to float out .

The Venerable Master flicked a disdainful glance at this spirit while lifting up the Departed Soul Orb in his hand . He focused his mind and prompted a strong force to burst out of the orb, sucking in the spirit of a brawling Xia Yu .

Terror filled the eyes of Xia Yu's spirit, but his entire silhouette disappeared after a split second .

Having absorbed Xia Yu's spirit, the lines of patterns on the Departed Soul Orb began to radiate . As it glimmered, black smoke circulated within .

"I thought I'd have to massacre an entire city as the stimulus for awakening the Departed Soul Orb . Who knew I would come across someone with the body of a Supreme-Being and capture his spirit . Though we're not working with a true Supreme-Being here, he did suffice as a catalyst for reviving the Departed Soul Orb . " The Venerable Master squinted his eyes into a smirk .

"The great rejuvenation of my Shura Sect . . . has finally been initiated…"

…

For the next two weeks, everyone in the Imperial City remained in a state of anxiety .

However, none of this affected Bu Fang at all . He continued to open for business every day, practice his cutting and carving techniques, train Yu Fu and Xiao Xiaolong's cooking, test their grasp of the dishes, and so on .

Whenever he had a break, he would sprawl over a chair by the entrance, gaze at the sky, and take a comfortable nap .

During this half of the month, the entire Light Wind Empire had sunk into utter chaos . Battles and revolts sprang up everywhere as the armies under Ji Chengyu's command continued to roll in . In reality, they had already conquered much of the empire's territory, already occupying a huge region .

For the emperor himself, this was a painful reality . Xiao Meng was sent off to the battlefields, leading his men to resist and suppress Ji Chengyu's troops . Xiao Yue, on the other hand, stayed behind to safeguard the Imperial City .

During this troubled period of the Light Wind Empire, those from the Godly Temple of the Wildlands also retreated . They weren't in a much better mood than the emperor of the Light Wind Empire, since the Great Elder Xia Yu who had accompanied their trip to the empire… had fallen!

The death of a Great Elder in the Godly Temple of the Wildlands stirred up pandemonium amongst themselves .

Throughout this havoc, Bu Fang lay comfily before the entrance to his restaurant . Suddenly, he opened his sleepy eyes and triggered a new temporary task assigned by the system .

This time, the final reward for the assignment caused Bu Fang's heart to pound with excitement .