There was a guard post at the entrance to the laboratory building, which had always prohibited unauthorized personnel from entering. Tie Ci was originally prepared to force her way in when suddenly a small window slid open with a crash, and a head poked out, saying slowly: “Who goes there?”

Seeing Tie Ci at first glance, he was so startled that he dropped the book in his hands.

Tie Ci’s shock was no less than his, saying in amazement: “It’s you? Li Yuncheng? It’s your turn to be stationed at the academy? But how did you end up here?”

Li Yuncheng had already been promoted to Hanlin Scholar. If he was stationed here, he should at least be a lecturer. How had he ended up reduced to guarding the gate of the laboratory building?

Tie Ci thought about having Qi You find stationed officials to cooperate with their work, but now that hope was dashed.

Li Yuncheng hastily covered his book and stood up. Tie Ci’s sharp eyes caught that it was a “Basic Chemistry” textbook.

“Your Majesty, how did you come here?” Li Yuncheng was equally astonished. He looked Tie Ci up and down, then exclaimed in shock: “You’re injured?”

Without waiting for Tie Ci’s answer, he looked back at the laboratory building, and his next words were earth-shattering: “You’re injured but came here personally, the academy is locked down today, you’re dressed like this and heading straight for the laboratory building… Your Majesty, has something happened to the Grand Tutor?”

Tie Ci was shaken by his perceptiveness.

He truly deserved to be the person who had previously detected his father’s rebellious intentions early and knelt in the snow with books to prevent the disaster of family extermination.

Li Yuncheng seemed to know time was pressing. He immediately opened the door for them, saying: “Come in quickly, go this way, it’s less likely to be seen… Today most of the laboratory personnel aren’t here for some reason… Your Majesty, I came here because the Grand Tutor wanted me to be a lecturer, but I wasn’t willing. I said I only loved reading, especially miscellaneous books. There are all new things in this laboratory, which I yearned for. I only sought to become an administrator here. The Grand Tutor initially disagreed, so I ran here every day, bringing breakfast to the researchers, cleaning, delivering daily necessities… I served them so well they couldn’t do without me, and finally strongly requested that I join the research institute as an assistant. This was also rejected by the Grand Tutor, but she could only agree to let me become an administrator, able to freely borrow elementary books…”

Tie Ci raised an eyebrow.

The laboratory research building was not open to the public. According to Yun Buci, it was all staffed with professional talent she had gathered. Ordinary Da Qian scholars couldn’t enter this level quickly, so this was the most deserted place in Da Qian Academy. And people engaged in scientific research generally had poor life management skills, while Yun Buci was also careless by nature, probably unable to provide meticulous care.

Under such circumstances, having Li Yuncheng, who came from a wealthy family and was meticulous and perceptive in his actions, infiltrating from within was incredibly easy.

So the question was: was this an unintentional success, or did he foresee this again and act deliberately?

But this wasn’t the time to ask such questions. Li Yuncheng led them into the laboratory building, encountering no obstacles along the way. According to Li Yuncheng, the researchers might have encountered some difficult problem and gone down for a meeting, but he didn’t know where exactly.

The group didn’t change into white coats and shoe covers, entering directly. Before entering, they all put on masks and layered gloves on their hands, carefully wrapping even their boot openings.

When passing through the playground outside the laboratory, they casually picked up several ball clubs.

The laboratory door was locked, but through the large glass windows they could see countless bottles and jars inside.

Tie Ci raised her club and smashed it against the window.

Before everyone could be shocked, they discovered an even more shocking fact.

The glass didn’t break.

Tie Ci calmly pulled out a bottle from the bundle on her back, spraying some black liquid onto the glass window. After a while, she raised the club again.

This time the glass shattered with a crash.

The Ba tribe’s corrosive poison was indeed useful.

Tie Ci waved her hand, and several young people threw their clubs through the window.

The clubs whistled and danced inside the room, smashing row after row of reagent bottles and glassware. The sound of breaking glass continued, red, yellow, black, purple, and colorless liquids flowed everywhere, triggering various reactions—some catching fire, some hissing, some exploding… One bottle was knocked over and fell, its liquid flowing across the operating table, soaking a bag of powdery substance at the edge. Tie Ci saw sparks flash and quickly pressed down the heads of the people beside her.

The next instant came a muffled bang, countless glass fragments shot everywhere, and a black fire dragon rushed out the window, crashing into the snow-white wall opposite and leaving a large patch of blackened, mottled marks.

Looking at the laboratory again, there were scorch marks and fire traces everywhere, a complete mess.

Even though they had been mentally prepared, everyone was still stunned by such a scene.

What kind of terrifying things were in there?

…

In the palace, Yun Buci, who was still searching underground passages for the Emperor, suddenly raised her hand and looked at her wrist.

Her watch was emitting sharp beeping sounds while displaying a small image.

It was a real-time view of the laboratory, facing the laboratory’s direction, vaguely showing the chaotic laboratory and several people standing in the corridor.

The lead silver-clad person leaned over, and at first glance, anger immediately arose: “She actually already entered the academy and destroyed the laboratory!”

“Rui, I told you my disciple is a formidable person,” Yun Buci said. “She should have already guessed many things.”

The leader called Rui sneered: “She dares destroy the laboratory—isn’t she afraid of death?”

He turned to ask Yun Buci: “Where are the things? Still inside or taken out? Where are they kept?”

“‘Little Rascal’ has always been the responsibility of the Management Bureau’s Flying Wing Unit. As for ‘Game Meat,’ it’s somewhere else.”

“Where did it go?”

Yun Buci didn’t answer, only saying: “In the place where it can best ensure safety.”

“Are there radioactive materials in the laboratory?”

“The inner layer has them. If they extensively damaged the laboratory and penetrated the protection, they might encounter them.”

Rui let out a cold laugh and said ambiguously: “Let them smash away.”

…

Tie Ci pressed her ribs, waiting for that wave of pain to pass before standing up. Confirming that there would be no more reactions inside, she looked in and saw a row of password-like protrusions on the wall.

She didn’t recognize those characters.

Li Yuncheng said: “There should be a more important secret chamber inside, where the researchers also hold meetings.”

“Is there a way to open it?”

Li Yuncheng shook his head but walked forward. Without looking at the password wall, he reached out and randomly pressed buttons.

Each time he pressed, there were beeping sounds from within the wall, and a mechanical female voice said: “Input error.”

“Input error.”

“Input error.”

The young people looked at each other in confusion.

Li Yuncheng paid no attention and continued pressing randomly until the female voice said: “Password has been input incorrectly continuously, reaching today’s maximum limit. System self-lock program activated, time limit 24 hours.”

Only then did Li Yuncheng stop, saying: “Your Majesty, I don’t know the password, but I can temporarily prevent them from coming out.”

Tie Ci smiled: “It can be even longer.”

Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Instinctively turning to look at the laboratory.

The laboratory was as dilapidated as before, nothing unusual.

Then she heard one of the Shenzhong Society youths beside her say: “Eh, what’s this?”

Then he walked over.

Tie Ci turned her head and saw a red dot that had landed on his face.

It should have been at her throat position, but since he was taller than her and had walked over to block her, the red dot fell on his brow.

Tie Ci: “…Get away!”

At the same time, she had already grabbed him, not caring whether it was teleportation or lightness skill, trying to dash away with full force.

But just as her hand grabbed his shoulder, the youth facing away from her suddenly trembled all over.

Tie Ci watched helplessly as his head suddenly jerked backward, a faint wisp of smoke rising from his forehead, followed by a hot thin stream spraying into her palm.

The next moment she was holding the youth and had appeared in the flower garden outside the laboratory building, her feet on soft ground, the person beside her also soft, leaning back against her shoulder with something dripping down. She lowered her head to see red and white constantly spattering onto the black soil.

I did not kill Boren, but Boren died because of me.

The remaining people were still in the corridor. Li Yuncheng was leaning on the railing, looking in shock at the youth who had just been speaking and now had an extremely thin hole through his brow, a hole through which daylight could be seen.

His palms were ice cold, and he looked at Tie Ci in horror, unable to speak.

Tie Ci shouted sternly: “Come out! Immediately!”

She put down the youth, turned and leaped to the rooftop, finding several black flat panels in the tall trees that shielded the roof.

The black panels were about half the size of a table, with white diamond-shaped dots made up of countless small squares, facing the sunlight at the treetop.

Tie Ci drew her short knife and smashed them all.

While chopping these black panels, she saw through the tree shade that Li Yuncheng below was jumping and waving, seeming to want to say something.

Tie Ci didn’t know why this steady person was so anxious, but she destroyed everything as quickly as possible and came down.

As she leaped down, she saw a flash of light on the outer wall of the laboratory, faintly glimpsing what seemed to be a human figure.

Li Yuncheng came toward her, pointing at that section of wall: “Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor’s… shadow appeared here earlier.”

Tie Ci was startled, looked at that white wall, and had a vague understanding in her heart: “What did she say?”

“The Grand Tutor said that since she appeared, it meant you had destroyed the laboratory. You exposed your location just to destroy the laboratory first—she doesn’t know if you’re clever or foolish. She said there are demons in the laboratory, but demons will run out by themselves, and told you to take care of yourself.”

Tie Ci fell silent. Suddenly there was a clanging sound. Everyone turned to look and saw a small black cylinder roll out of the destroyed laboratory, its lid also deformed, with a string of things rolling out.

It looked like a necklace—a gray chain hanging a grayish-black stone.

Someone curiously crouched down to pick it up: “What is this?”

Before their fingers could touch it, Tie Ci shouted: “Don’t touch anything from the laboratory!” She used her club to flick the thing back into the cylinder and threw it back into the laboratory.

Everyone was startled by her shout, their hair standing on end, fearfully looking around, afraid that like before, someone would inexplicably lose their life.

But nothing happened.

Tie Ci looked up and saw on the opposite wall a white tubular object the same color as the wall, protruding slightly from the surface, as if it had been stuck while retracting.

This should be the weapon that had nearly taken her life earlier, embedded in the wall and activated when the laboratory was attacked.

Then because she had chopped off the black panels above, it couldn’t continue.

Tie Ci didn’t know what all these things were, but she had heard both Master and senior brother mention the word “energy.” Master had said that many things she used couldn’t be produced or used in Da Qian because they lacked the technology to convert energy, while second senior brother had said solar power was still usable, grumbling that Master always refused to give him solar panels, affecting his great inventions.

Since they were called solar panels, they were naturally related to the sun and used outdoors.

Tie Ci raised her hand, and a piece of broken stone whistled away, smashing that tube.

Then she ordered that no one could take anything away, they must leave quickly, and had Li Yuncheng spread the word that afterward this laboratory ruins must be sealed, with troops stationed to guard it, allowing no one to enter or exit.

When they came out of the laboratory building, they passed by the academy auditorium and indeed saw it was empty inside, the floor littered with garbage. After asking the janitor responsible for cleaning, they learned that earlier the debate had been going strong, with pros and cons fiercely arguing over the topic “whether reforms should be implemented immediately.” At that point, Qi You had burst in with a group of Celü Academy exchange students.

Da Qian Academy’s debate rules were unrestricted by stance, personnel, or school of thought—anyone could speak freely and join in to express views at any time. So it wasn’t strange for Celü Academy people to join, but the students led by Qi You actually criticized both sides equally, also accusing them of being short-sighted, radical-minded, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and blindly foolish, spending a full half hour creatively insulting them. Originally everyone wanted to show their scholarly magnanimity of embracing all rivers, but even the sea has its boundaries. After half an hour of such troublemaking, anger was finally provoked.

And Qi You was both glib-tongued and annoying, bouncing around asking for a beating. Finally, one hothead couldn’t stand it and threw a punch at Qi You’s face.

Then he was beaten and sent flying by Qi You’s retaliation, crashing hard into the crowd and knocking down a large group. Qi You was still on stage with hands on his hips, laughing wildly and provocatively calling them a bunch of weaklings. This stirred up a hornet’s nest, and all the students rushed up roaring.

Qi You immediately led the Celü Academy students jumping off the platform, rushing toward the back door, directly climbing over the wall out of the academy and running madly toward Celü Academy, shouting as they ran that the bastards of Da Qian Academy were bullying people!

The Da Qian Academy students were both angry and wanted to explain clearly, so they had to give chase in great numbers.

The Da Qian Academy teachers had to maintain order, so they could only follow behind shouting themselves hoarse.

Other teachers and students who hadn’t originally been in the debate hall, hearing of such a major incident, had to come either to mediate or watch the excitement, and in an instant the place was cleared out.

Celü Academy was already not far from Da Qian Academy. In recent years when Celü Academy expanded, following Tie Ci’s instructions, it had deliberately moved closer to Da Qian Academy. From Da Qian Academy’s back gate, across one street, was the back gate of Celü Academy’s newly built Jingshan campus.

The back gate of Jingshan campus was already wide open, with Shen Mi personally leading a large group of students waiting there. Qi You led his people and slipped into the crowd. When Da Qian Academy students chased over and saw the Celü Academy supervisor present, they instinctively formed up, preparing to be courteous before forceful and have a good talk. But before they could catch their breath, Shen Mi waved his hand and shouted: “How dare you! You actually dare to chase and attack our Celü Academy students! Close the gates! Take them down! Tie them up!”

Most Celü Academy students looked down on Da Qian Academy students anyway, so they were overjoyed at this order.

Bang—the gate slammed shut.

With a great shout, the students swarmed forward.

Many pulled out wooden clubs they had prepared long ago, one club per person, knocking them unconscious.

Mixed in the crowd were many Shengdu Guard soldiers who moved even more quickly and precisely, instantly bringing down a large group.

In less than half an hour, students were lying all over the vast playground of Jingshan campus. Shen Mi directly ordered them all tied up and locked in empty classrooms.

Meanwhile, one street away, Shengdu Guard soldiers beat gongs and passed through streets and alleys: “Residents of Fuming Street and surrounding three li listen: His Majesty decrees: Due to damage to Da Qian Academy’s laboratory, there may be toxic leakage. Residents within five li are to be evacuated immediately. All households must gather with clothing within one quarter hour at the red flag soldiers’ banners… Residents of Fuming Street and surrounding three li listen…”

With the sound of gongs and drums and orderly military boots, residents continuously emerged carrying small bundles, supporting the elderly and leading children, gathering under the red flags of soldiers at street corners and following them to evacuate to safe areas.

Viewed from above, it was like countless streams converging into the sea, orderly and organized.

In Tie Ci’s four years on the throne, she had ordered Shengdu Prefecture to organize disaster response and emergency drills by districts and wards every year. In daily life, officials and soldiers on patrol also conducted regular education about fire prevention, theft prevention, earthquake prevention, and disaster emergency knowledge. The people were familiar with this and no one panicked.

The area several li around Da Qian Academy was quickly evacuated and cleared. Vice Commander Buqing of the Flying Cavalry Battalion took direct control, relocating all remaining people from the entire academy and setting up a blockade line.

But neither Buqing nor Shen Mi found Dan Shuang among the captured Da Qian Academy students.