I Have 10 Equipment Slots

Chapter 402: Chapter 231: Sovereign’s Heir

The guards harbored no suspicion. After a brief salute, they quickly withdrew, fanning out to continue patrolling the surrounding area.

Once everyone had left, Zhang Tao let out a small breath. He turned to face the empty space behind him and bowed respectfully. "Zhang Tao greets you, Master!"

"Zhang Tao?"

Gu Zheng, still concealed in his Invisibility Cloak, did not reveal his form. He used Divine Strange Sound Transmission to speak to Zhang Tao. "You’re not from the Fu Family?"

The Nether Heart Slave Seal!

The moment Zhang Tao turned back, Gu Zheng had hit him with the Slave Seal at point-blank range.

Zhang Tao, a Half-King, didn’t even have time to roar in defiance before he was suppressed. He resisted with all his being for a moment, but in the end, he could not escape his fate.

Of course, his submission was a foregone conclusion. The crucial part was that the process of implanting the Slave Seal hadn’t caused any major disturbance.

"To answer, Master, I am indeed not of the Fu Family bloodline," Zhang Tao replied via Divine Strange Sound Transmission, his body held straight.

"Then how are you in charge of guarding the treasury?" Gu Zheng asked, curious. "The Fu Family trusts you that much?"

"Because I am a man without roots," Zhang Tao answered calmly. "I am also all alone in this world. The Fu Family has saved my life on multiple occasions. Over the years, I have become one of their most trusted confidants."

It made sense. Only a trusted confidant would be put in charge of such an important treasury. How could they rest easy otherwise?

’But a man without roots...’

’So, Zhang Tao is a eunuch. I really hadn’t noticed before.’

The main reason was that Zhang Tao was a Half-King. His aura felt like a state of Primordial Chaos Unity—righteous, vigorous, and fierce, making him seem more virile than most men.

And unlike ordinary eunuchs, he didn’t constantly carry the stench of urine, nor the medicinal smell used to mask it.

He was a eunuch, had no family, and had been saved by the Fu Family multiple times.

After so long, it was no wonder he had become their most loyal subordinate.

In some ways, having Zhang Tao guard the treasury was even safer than entrusting it to one of the Fu Family’s own.

"I see."

Gu Zheng used Divine Strange Sound Transmission to get back to the point. "Will opening the treasury cause a big disturbance?"

"You wish to enter the treasury, Master?" Zhang Tao asked, then answered his own question. "If I use the mechanism, it won’t cause much of a disturbance."

"A mechanism? Not an array?" The words were barely out of his mouth when Gu Zheng realized. "Are there two ways into the treasury?"

"Yes, Master," Zhang Tao replied. "The array is the public-facing defense. There’s a secret mechanism known only to the Fu Family. The other route is much quieter."

"Then use the mechanism," Gu Zheng ordered calmly. "I need to enter the treasury and retrieve something."

"Understood!"

Zhang Tao didn’t ask what Gu Zheng was going to take. He responded respectfully and glanced toward the main gate.

After sensing his surroundings for another moment to confirm no guards were approaching, he immediately darted to a corner. He entered a side hall, and from behind a support pillar, he pressed a switch. A screen wall slid open, revealing a set of stairs leading down.

"Please wait a moment, Master."

Standing at the top of the stairs, Zhang Tao spoke quickly. "There are triggered wards in the passage below. We need to wait for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea for them to automatically shut off before you can go down."

"They’re quite cautious," Gu Zheng remarked with a smile.

An intruder unaware of these triggered wards would indeed be easily caught if they rushed in.

After a short wait, Zhang Tao spoke. "It’s safe now, Master."

"You wait here for a moment."

Gu Zheng nodded, gave the instruction, and with a flicker of his body, he went down the steps and into the tunnel.

With his Five Orifice Divine Techniques active, the layout of the passageway flooded into his mind. As Gu Zheng moved, the information coalesced, creating a detailed map of the entire underground treasury.

The Northern Mountain Tripod was located in the treasury’s central hall.

The information he received revealed that the entire treasury contained more than a dozen stone chambers, three of which were sealed.

The central hall was the largest area.

Gu Zheng floated in and saw rows of chests and shelves laden with treasures. Of course, for the current Gu Zheng, they were of little use.

This included True Skills, Elixirs, and Source Fruits.

Gu Zheng didn’t touch a single thing. He only took the Northern Mountain Tripod that was sitting in a corner.

He then turned and left, retracing his steps.

Zhang Tao was the one responsible for the treasury.

If anything inside went missing, Zhang Tao would have to bear the responsibility.

Gu Zheng had no intention of wasting a Half-King Seal Slave after a single use.

As long as he only took the Northern Mountain Tripod, the Fu Family wouldn’t notice it was gone anytime soon, unless they conducted a specific inspection.

And even if they did notice, it would be difficult to suspect Zhang Tao.

That was enough.

...

He floated along the passage back to the entrance.

Emerging from the passage, Gu Zheng used Divine Strange Sound Transmission to tell Zhang Tao to close the screen wall.

Zhang Tao was slightly surprised, not having expected Gu Zheng to return so quickly. He didn’t dwell on it, though, and quickly closed the screen wall, reset the mechanism, and stepped back to stand aside.

"Tell me about the Xiang Family."

Not in a hurry to leave, Gu Zheng used Divine Strange Sound Transmission to question Zhang Tao. "The Xiang Family... I remember they’re an Assassin Family. How did they end up as enemies of the Fu Family?"

’The earlier situation didn’t seem like a simple assassination.’

’The Fu Family’s member with the King’s Body had clearly called out the man’s name: Xiang Wansheng!’

"I don’t know the specific details."

Zhang Tao replied via Divine Strange Sound Transmission. "What I do know is that the Xiang Family and the Fu Family are indeed mortal enemies. As for how that feud began, it would have to be traced back to the last millennial upheaval. Legend says that a thousand years ago, the Xiang and Fu families were close partners, but some unknown incident occurred that turned the two families into sworn enemies. Oh, and it seems the Fu Family was the one to wrong the Xiang Family first."

"The Fu Family wronged the Xiang Family first?" Gu Zheng smiled. "Interesting."

Zhang Tao remained silent.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Zheng sent another question via Divine Strange Sound Transmission. "With Fu Jintian dead, who in the Fu Family has the best chance of taking power and being selected as the next Sovereign?"

"The Red Elephant King, Fu Jinlong!" Zhang Tao replied.

"Fu Jinlong?" Gu Zheng’s brows rose. He had met this Fu Jinlong in the Nine Heavens Shadow Realm.

"Yes," Zhang Tao nodded. "After Fu Jinlong comes the White Elephant King, Fu Jinsheng. After Fu Jinsheng is Fuyu—the one with the King’s Body currently fighting Xiang Wansheng up in the sky."

"So the one fighting in the sky is Fuyu. He has a King’s Body, yet he’s ranked that low in the line of succession," Gu Zheng mused with a smile.

But midway through his smile, a thought suddenly struck him.

’After Fu Jinlong comes the White Elephant King, Fu Jinsheng?’

’Fu Changying’s father?’

"Is Fu Jinlong in the Royal Palace?" Gu Zheng asked.

The words had barely left his mouth when he sensed a familiar aura flying swiftly into the Royal Palace from beyond the gates.

It was none other than Fu Jinlong!

The Red Elephant King had clearly been in the Royal Capital.

He must have heard the fighting at the Royal Palace and rushed over.

’Since you’re here, you’re not going to leave.’

Gu Zheng chuckled softly and sent a transmission to Zhang Tao. "You continue to guard the treasury. After this incident is over, find an opportunity to change your post. Preferably to Commander of the Dragon Guard Bureau or the Imperial Guard."

"Yes, I understand!"

Zhang Tao clasped his fist in a salute.

"I’m leaving now," Gu Zheng said, before his figure floated out the main gate.

Outside, the guards were still on patrol.

In every corner, the battle between the Xiang family members and the Imperial Guard, Imperial Guards, and Dragon Guard Bureau members raged on.

Fu Jinlong, having just rushed over, first headed for Fu Jintian’s location.

When he confirmed that Fu Jintian was truly dead, he couldn’t suppress a flash of joy.

Thankfully, he caught himself a second later and masked it, his face twisting into a look of grief.

"Damn the Xiang Family!"

His hands clenched into fists and his teeth ground together in a low growl. Fu Jinlong’s eyes were bloodshot, churning with murderous intent.

WHOOSH!

In a flash, Fu Jinlong leaped over the heads of numerous Imperial Guards, pouncing toward a nearby figure wreathed in mist.

"Xiang Mingquan? All of you from the Xiang Family can go to hell!"

VMMMM!

The very air vibrated as a vortex appeared. The phantom of a Dragon-shaped Giant Hammer emerged from the void, carrying a terrifying aura as it smashed down violently on the charging, mist-wreathed figure.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As the phantom of the Dragon-shaped Giant Hammer descended through the air, the few Dragon Guard Bureau experts surrounding the misty figure rapidly retreated, giving it a wide berth.

The moment the Sky-Splitting Dragon Hammer was unleashed, it locked down the surrounding space, making evasion impossible. One could only meet it head-on!

The mist-wreathed figure, just about to sprint away, felt the surrounding space suddenly grow heavy and become sealed.

Already wounded, its aura weak, and with blood constantly trickling from the corner of its mouth, the misty figure let out a low growl, preparing to risk it all...

SHHIIING!

Suddenly, a blade of Sword Gang—so fast it was invisible, leaving no afterimage—streaked across the night sky and sliced into the locked-down area.

First, it shattered the phantom of the Dragon-shaped Giant Hammer. Then it ripped through space to descend upon Fu Jinlong’s head, splitting him clean in two from top to bottom!