Chapter 104: Chapter 72: Initial Comprehension (Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets)_2
[One-Star Mission: Find the mastermind behind the scenes from those years.]

[Mission Reward: Nine Dragons Stealing Sky (Forbiddance)]

[One-Star Mission: Teach the mastermind from those years a profound lesson.]

[Mission Reward: Heavenly Silk Clothing.]

[Note 1: The rookie period is over, and all tasks released by the system come with a star rating and a time limit, ranging from one to five stars, with increasing difficulty. Tasks not completed within one year will automatically be skipped, and the next task will be issued.]

[Note 2: The system does not force hosts to complete tasks; all decisions are left to the host.]

A series of cold voices rose in Cheng Guang’s ears, and his eyes faltered.

He carefully examined the new tasks released by the system.

After reading the mission prompts, his expression turned slightly odd.

Could an exchange between the Martial Academies of the Great Zhou and the Great Wei be subject to theft?

Cheng Guang was not familiar with such matters. The Great Zhou and the Great Wei had always been on good terms, but as close neighbors, competition was inevitable.

He only knew that every few years, the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Wei Dynasty would select exceptionally talented students of Martial Cultivation from their top academies and gather them together for a contest.

The last contest of Martial Cultivation between the two great dynasties was held in the Capital City of the Great Wei.

This time, it was naturally Great Zhou’s turn.

To Cheng Guang’s understanding, this contest of Martial Cultivation wasn’t just a covert measure of strength between the two dynasties; it was also to avoid bloodshed that could lead to a real conflict, settling some interest distribution issues related to both countries through this method.

Exactly what interests were to be divided in holding the contest every few years, Cheng Guang did not know.

The level of involvement was simply too high.

It was beyond his reach.

Cheng Zhihai might be able to.

But he could not.

In fact, it was precisely because the contest between the two great dynasties was so important that Cheng Zhihai saw it as a stepping stone for Cheng Guang to enter the doors of the Bureau of the Lamp.

The Martial Cultivation contests between the Great Wei Dynasty and the Great Zhou Dynasty, both being one of the four great dynasties of the Four Directions Mortal World, were not something anyone dared to disturb.

It was very safe.

And no accidents were supposed to happen.

Everyone believed that the Town-Nation Duke’s Heir just needed to make an appearance and maintain order; the grueling tasks of surreptitious protection could be left to other strong members of the Bureau of the Lamp.

But…

No one expected that someone would actually dare to strike under the nose of the imperial authority, slaughtering all the Martial Cultivation students participating in the contest on the very day it was held.

This was not just a slap in the face for both the Great Wei and the Great Zhou.

It was as if someone was riding roughshod over the face of both great dynasties.

If the Great Zhou Dynasty’s Bureau of the Lamp could find the mastermind afterwards and give an explanation to the world, that would be one thing.

But the crux of the matter was.

They couldn’t find out.

So many had died, and yet there was no explanation to be given.

How could the people of the world stand for that?

How could the Great Wei Dynasty stand for it?

And how could the Great Zhou Dynasty stand for it?

Unable to find the mastermind, the only thing left was to place all the blame on the shoulders of the Bureau of the Lamp.

There was no choice.

They needed a scapegoat to give the people of the world an explanation.

The Bureau of the Lamp admitted to its dereliction of duty.

While still powerful, its authority had tumbled.

The downfall may have started from that moment.

Cheng Guang frowned, feeling somewhat irritable, and gently pushed away the jade hand that was resting on him, not wanting to disturb the weary Qing Luan and Bai Shuxuan.

After rising to his feet, he came and sat down at the desk.

He pondered in silence.

“Those black-robed people’s identities must be far from simple; perhaps they are the same group that previously attempted to assassinate me.”

“I asked Bai Shuxuan before, but she told me that even she doesn’t know who is trying to assassinate her, only that they communicated through a Different Treasure capable of communication.”

“They didn’t even have names, just code names.”

“But since Bai Shuxuan fell under my control, that communicative Different Treasure became useless. It’s clear that they know every move I make here.”

“What exactly are these black-robed people’s identities? They first tried to assassinate me and then slaughtered all the Martial Cultivation students in the contest between the two great dynasties…”

“What is their purpose?”

Cheng Guang murmured to himself, gently massaging his furrowed brow.

As he speculated, his handsome face was as sculpted, his demeanor noble and solemn.

His long black hair gently fell on his shoulders, creating a striking contrast with his luminous skin.

His eyes, those were bright like a profound lake, radiating the light of wisdom.

“Their goal may not simply be to kill me, but rather to kill this identity of mine.”

“No matter who sits in this position, as long as they are the Town-Nation Duke’s Heir, they must die.”

“What will happen after I die?”

“The Duke of the State might rage and withdraw the million-strong Northern Expedition Army from the Border Area battlefield. He might even turn the entire Great Zhou Dynasty upside down to find the murderer.”

“After my death, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in chaos!”

His gaze locked on the space in front of him as if trying to discern the unknown enigma.

Each flash in his eyes seemed like he was carefully weighing various possibilities.

“And the slaughter at the contest of the two great dynasties… perhaps they never knew I’d be there. Otherwise, even if all the Bureau of the Lamp guards by my side died, it still might not be enough to protect me.”

“Their goal was to massacre everyone in the contest!”

“Disrupting the contest was for the purpose of… inciting… a dispute between the two great dynasties!”