To Mine's distraught question, Uchiha Madara could only helplessly shake his head:
"No, Honest has good luck. He usually isn't at his own home, just like tonight, for example. He's staying at the Imperial Palace tonight, so he dodged a bullet."
Uchiha Madara's words greatly disappointed the distraught Mine. If Uchiha Madara's attack could have conveniently killed Honest, the source of all evil, she would have been willing to die herself.
However, things often went contrary to wishes.
At this moment, on the majestic wall of the Imperial Palace, the stout, white-haired Minister Honest, clad in pajamas and a large overcoat, rushed over frantically under the escort of a team of elite Imperial Guards.
As soon as he arrived, Honest saw the tragic state of his mansion!
Rubble filled his eyes, and flames raged to the sky; it was clear that it had been utterly and completely destroyed.
Honest's cruel eyes were filled with pure hatred. The intensity of this violent rage was simply shocking; the sheer violent murderous intent emanating from Honest was enough to make anyone nearby tremble.
Honest's eyes were bloodshot like a maddened wild beast, hugging his head and roaring furiously:
"Which bastard was it?! Which bastard did such a thing?!"
Honest couldn't help but be furious.
Although he was safe and sound in the Imperial Palace, all the gold, silver, treasures, beauties, and concubines he had plundered and embezzled from the Empire were hidden in his home. Now, they were all gone in one fell swoop!
Rage and murderous intent seemed to burn fiercely in Honest's chest. He wouldn't feel comfortable until he vented them!
Minister Honest roared, his hands pressed against the Imperial Palace wall, clenching his fists, desperately smashing against the wall as if to vent his fury. As shattered stones broke apart, he furiously roared:
"Investigate! Find him for me! We must find the culprit, and once we find him, I want him to neither live nor die!"
Honest's shouts were hoarse and strained, like a raging demon.
However, here, there was one person who was quite displeased with Honest's mad roaring. He spoke in a calm voice to stop him:
"Minister, I understand your suffering, but please calm down. This is the Imperial Palace, a vital area; yelling is forbidden!"
Honest, his eyes red, abruptly turned his head to look in the direction of the voice. His gaze was like that of a hungry wolf.
What he saw was a tall, robust man with a rigid, old-fashioned face, clad in black armor.
The only one who dared to contradict Minister Honest, who held sway over the entire court, at a time like this, was the Empire's Great General, Budo.
Budo, the supreme commander of the Imperial Army deeply trusted by the Emperor, and the strongest person besides Esdeath, commanded the palace guards. He was an upright and rigid man, wholeheartedly devoted to serving the Empire. Even towards the Minister, he showed no courtesy at all. He was the man Esdeath and the Minister called "the stubborn old man."
As the head of the Empire's military and a person of extraordinary martial prowess, Budo was one of the few people Honest couldn't deal with.
However, adhering to the Empire's ancestral teachings, Budo, as a military general, had never interfered in Imperial politics. Although he was well aware of Honest's tyrannical and evil deeds, Budo had never interfered.
Budo did not interfere with Honest, and Honest did not manage Budo. The civilian and military heads had always been in this subtle balance.
Of course, the animosity and vigilance between Honest and Budo did not diminish just because they did not interfere with each other.
In short, they both hated each other, and neither managed the other.
With bloodshot eyes, Honest glared at Budo, who stood calmly facing Honest. The air was heavy and still, both sides seemingly on the verge of erupting.
This atmosphere also made the subordinates of both sides tense. Whether it was Honest's guards or Budo's imperial guards, all were in this heavy, tense atmosphere.
Suddenly, Honest burst into laughter, his bloodshot eyes miraculously clearing, and his tone instantly became normal:
"Hahaha... General Budo is absolutely right. However, after all, my home was utterly destroyed by someone, so it's understandable that I'm a bit distraught. I hope General Budo can forgive me!"
Budo still looked calmly at Honest and replied indifferently:
"Not at all... Minister, you're being too polite."
The heavy atmosphere between the two sides instantly eased, and the guards and imperial army under both also let out a sigh of relief.
Minister Honest stood beside Budo, looking at the ruins and raging fire of his home in front of him, speaking as if making casual conversation:
"General, who do you think would do such a thing?"
When it came to serious matters, Budo naturally became solemn:
"Just now, according to the palace guards on duty under my command, a beam of light descended from the sky and landed precisely in the center of your mansion, then erupted in a violent explosion, destroying your entire mansion!"
Honest turned his head, suspiciously looking at Budo and asking:
"A beam of light? Just a beam of light?"
"Exactly. I'm sure you, Minister, also know what this means. This means that the person who attacked your mansion launched a single move, and then caused all of this!"
At this point, Honest also couldn't help but become solemn:
"Oh, I thought someone had buried a large amount of explosives under my house in advance. I never expected it to be like this. One person... one move... so powerful..."
Falling silent, Honest's eyes and face became gloomy and dangerous.
Budo completely ignored Honest's expression and calmly continued to speak:
"To my knowledge, currently, I am barely one of the people capable of doing this. Esdeath might also be able to, but beyond that, I don't know."
Following Budo's line of thought, Honest also said:
"You have always been stationed at the Imperial Palace, and your Imperial Arm ability is lightning, so it definitely isn't you. Esdeath is my ally. She hasn't even returned, and her Imperial Arm ability is ice, which clearly doesn't fit either. It seems there's someone else!"
At this point, Honest suddenly looked towards Budo:
"General Budo's military strength is extraordinary, and he commands the Imperial Guards. I wonder if General can find this culprit?"
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