“Your Majesty, you are truly valiant.”
“Hahaha, what did you expect?”
Hearing the conversation between the Emperor and the concubine, Zhou Hong couldn't help but feel speechless. This was considered valiant? If he remembered correctly, it hadn't even been five minutes.
"Cough cough!" Zhou Hong didn't want to spy any further and immediately cleared his throat.
"Who?" Hearing the cough from inside the room, the Emperor broke out in a cold sweat. With his strength, he hadn't detected a person hiding in the room. He abruptly rolled off the bed.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into my imperial chambers in the dead of night!" the Emperor roared.
"Take a closer look, you should recognize me." Zhou Hong chuckled. The light in the room was dim at the moment.
The Emperor looked closely and recognized him immediately.
"It's you, Zhou Hong. How are you in my chambers? And when did you arrive? Why didn't I notice?" The Emperor looked at Zhou Hong in disbelief.
"I arrived when you first started. I didn't want to disturb you, so I only spoke after you were done," Zhou Hong said with a laugh.
"How is that possible? Why didn't I notice?" The Emperor was stunned. His strength ranked in the top ten on the entire Zi Xiao Continent, including all the demonic beasts, yet he hadn't detected Zhou Hong lurking in his room.
"Never mind how I managed to sneak into your imperial chambers. I'll tell you one thing right now: your imperial princes have been constantly harassing me, trying to make me their subordinate. Do you know about this?"
"I know." The Emperor nodded, but he was more eager to know how Zhou Hong had infiltrated his chambers so silently.
"I've come tonight to tell you to have your imperial princes stop harassing me, or I won't be polite," Zhou Hong warned.
"Alright, but I also have a question for you." The Emperor asked curiously.
"Ask away." Zhou Hong seemed to have guessed what he wanted to ask.
"What is your realm? Are you really only at the late stage of the Fusion Realm?"
"Heh, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"The truth, of course."
"The truth is, I am indeed at the late stage of Fusion."
"How is that possible?" The Emperor shook his head vehemently.
"Anyway, I'm telling the truth. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
"If you are only at the late stage of Fusion, how could you have snuck into my chambers so silently? How did you do it?"
"I'm sorry, that's my secret. You just need to know to tell your princes not to harass me." Zhou Hong turned and left.
After Zhou Hong left, the concubine still on the bed quickly said, "Your Majesty, this Zhou Hong has a secret."
"Nonsense, do I need you to tell me that? Someone at the late stage of Fusion can sneak into my chambers without a sound. It seems he's hiding a secret. If I'm not mistaken, he must possess an extremely powerful artifact."
"Your Majesty, what are your plans?"
"Hmph, all the land under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people on its shores are the king's subjects. Since he is a subject of my Zi Xiao Empire, then everything he owns, including his life, belongs to me." The Emperor's gaze turned cold, showing a strong possessiveness towards the artifact Zhou Hong possessed.
If he could possess such a powerful artifact, he could unify the entire continent. The other powerful demonic kings on the continent would also have to submit to him.
At this moment, Zhou Hong had already left the imperial palace.
"Zhou Hong, why didn't you let me take him down?" asked the Dark Golden Crow in his mind.
"Forget it. He is, after all, the ruler of a nation. Moreover, I was able to enter his chambers without a sound. If he's a smart person, he already knows what that implies."
Just then, a voice came from above Zhou Hong's head: "Zhou Hong, wait a moment."
Zhou Hong looked up and saw the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, what do you want?" Zhou Hong frowned and asked in confusion.
"I'd like to invite you for a cup of tea. Will you do me the honor?" The Emperor in the sky said with a slight smile.
Zhou Hong immediately guessed the Emperor's intentions and shook his head helplessly. He had intended to give him some face, but it turned out...
In his mind, the Dark Golden Crow said with a cold laugh, "See? This is human nature. Human nature is greedy. As soon as he heard you say your true realm is the late stage of Fusion, he got ideas. Talking about inviting you for tea, he's hundred percent going to ask you to hand over the artifact you have."
Zhou Hong shook his head helplessly. It seemed he still had to ask the Golden Crow to deal with him severely. Just issuing a warning was useless.
"Alright." Zhou Hong nodded and followed the Emperor to a great hall within the imperial palace.
The Emperor pretended to brew a pot of tea.
"It is my honor to have Your Majesty personally brew tea for me, a mere commoner," Zhou Hong said.
"No need to be so formal. I have something to ask you as well."
"Oh, really? What does Your Majesty wish to know? Please speak directly."
"Zhou Hong, do you possess a powerful artifact?" the Emperor asked point-blank.
"Heh, what makes you say that?"
"Does this need guessing? I am a cultivator at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul. My strength ranks among the top ten on the entire Zi Xiao Continent, including all the demonic kings. The fact that you could sneak into my chambers without a sound must mean you have a powerful artifact. If I'm not mistaken, this artifact of yours is extremely adept at concealment."
"If you say so, then so be it." Zhou Hong did not deny it. He possessed a sub-world, and it wouldn't be wrong to call this sub-world a concealment artifact.
Seeing that Zhou Hong did not deny it, the Emperor felt a surge of excitement.
"Zhou Hong, I have an impudent request."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"Could you let me take a look at your artifact?"
"I'm sorry, I cannot." Zhou Hong refused without a second thought.
"Not even a glance?"
"No."
The Emperor's face immediately fell.
"Zhou Hong, you are a subject of my Zi Xiao Empire. In the entire Zi Xiao Empire, everything belongs to me, including your life. Strictly speaking, the artifact you possess now also belongs to me."
"Hahaha." Zhou Hong burst into laughter. What a bandit's logic.
"Whether you agree or not, this is the logic. I won't beat around the bush. I want to borrow this artifact from you. Don't worry, I will return it to you later."
"Hmph, 'borrow' indeed." Zhou Hong snorted coldly, a surge of immense anger rising within him. This was too shameless.
The Emperor seemed to have shed his pretense of hypocrisy and said without room for refusal, "You have no choice, otherwise, I have the right to deprive you and your family of the right to exist."
"Are you planning to rob me outright?"
"All the land under heaven belongs to the king. I have the right to directly obtain everything in the entire Zi Xiao Empire."
Zhou Hong was too lazy to argue any further and directly said in his mind, "Brother Jin Wu, it's up to you."
"No problem, I just need to control your body, and I can defeat him. However, I am already suppressed in your sub-world. Now I have to control your body again, which will consume too much energy for me. Therefore, I will be unable to control it a second time for at least a month."
"Ah." Zhou Hong was slightly surprised. But Zhou Hong could understand. The Dark Golden Crow was already sealed in his sub-world. For someone sealed within his world to control the master in turn would indeed require immense energy.
"Does that mean I cannot provoke any enemies stronger than me for the next month?"
"Yes, and your sub-world also cannot let stronger enemies in."
"Is that so? Why didn't you mention this before?"
"This was the first time. I didn't know either, unless you lift the seal on me, but that's certainly impossible. If you lift the seal on me, I can instantly burst your sub-world."
"That's true." Zhou Hong nodded. Lifting the seal on the Golden Crow was absolutely impossible.
"Alright, enough nonsense. I'll control your body now."
The Dark Golden Crow immediately unleashed all its energy. Its first task was to fight against the seal of the sub-world. This step alone consumed 99.99% of its energy. The remaining sliver of spiritual power was then used to control Zhou Hong's body.
After a few seconds, Zhou Hong's body was under the control of the Dark Golden Crow.
"Zhou Hong, how is it? Will you lend it or not?" the Emperor asked.
"I will not."
"Then don't blame me for being impolite."
"Heh, I think you truly wish to die." Zhou Hong said, and instantly attacked. To be precise, the Dark Golden Crow instantly attacked, sending the Emperor flying with a single punch.
"Boom!" The Emperor was sent flying thousands of meters, directly into the imperial palace's rear gardens.
"Zhou Hong, should I kill him directly or subdue him?" the Dark Golden Crow asked.
"Don't kill him. If he's killed, no one will know I did it, and my troubles will still remain. Moreover, you won't be able to help me for a month, so I need a guarantee. Subdue him directly and make him my subordinate."
"Alright." Su Dan novel network
The next second, the Emperor, who had flown thousands of meters away, hadn't even reacted when Zhou Hong's foot instantly stomped on his head.