61: Chapter 61 Woman, you have successfully captured my attention.

"Vera, my beloved consort, where have you run off to?"

Cheng Yu had concluded a major matter, and he was in a fantastic mood right now.

Ever since a moment ago, he had been wanting to summon his beloved consort, but even after urging her several times, Vera still hadn't arrived.

"Well, there's no other way then... I will come to find you myself and properly 'discipline' you, my consort, who has become spoiled by my favor."

For some reason, the lights in Vera's sleeping quarters were not turned on. The lighting was very dim, which was a bit strange. Beloved consort Vera usually did not like the dark; she preferred to have the lights on.

"May the Emperor be safe and sound!"

Veronica was wearing Vera's clothes and greeting Cheng Yu at the palace entrance.

"You are... aren't you the Botanical Garden Ambassador? Why are you here? Where has my beloved consort gone?"

"Her Ladyship is feeling unwell today and cannot serve Your Majesty."

Veronica took the outer coat that Cheng Yu had taken off; this task was usually done by the Chamberlain.

"Has the imperial physician examined her?"

"They have, but it is merely a woman's ailment and nothing serious."

As Veronica spoke, she deliberately leaned forward slightly, fully displaying her assets... *You cheap man, you're getting a bargain. If you weren't the Emperor, you wouldn't get to see this even in ten lifetimes.*

"Alright then, let her rest well and drink plenty of hot water. I will come to see her another day."

Cheng Yu saw Veronica's little movements and understood her intentions, but this woman was too smart and had too many little schemes; he didn't like that.

Seeing Main Body turn to leave, Veronica knew that whether she lived or died depended on this next move.

"Your Majesty, this servant believes... that some things said in the 'Imperial Truth' are incorrect!"

"Oh ho..." Main Body turned around. "You certainly have a lot of nerve. A mere palace maid, and you dare to question me!"

"The Master said: 'Qiu is fortunate. If I have faults, others will surely know of them.' If Your Majesty does not wish to hear a single word of dissent, then order me to be beaten to death. Just consider it this servant having eyes but failing to recognize a wise ruler!"

"..."

Cheng Yu didn't speak, because this woman wasn't playing with fire; she was playing with her life.

For those who play with their lives, one needs to show some respect.

"What is her name?" Cheng Yu asked Second Attendant Cheng Yu.

"Veronica."

"Have Veronica beaten..."

"Your Majesty, Lady Istvan has already accepted her as her foster sister."

Second Attendant Cheng Yu quickly sent an urgent message to Main Body via their shared consciousness.

"Add her to the list of consorts and keep her tablet."

Fortunately, Main Body was slow in his speech; just now, he had originally intended to have Veronica given thirty lashes first to break her arrogance.

But since she was Vera's sister, he couldn't beat her... *Just honestly live as a widow then, you still want to manipulate my thoughts!*

*Even if you were as clever as Yang Xiu, with your 'one bite of pastry,' I am not that Cao Cao who could tolerate you for so long. I am Dong Zhuo!*

Main Body stormed off, his good mood completely ruined. Damn it!

...

Rumble... It was thundering and raining.

Cheng Yu Planet, which was dry and cold all year round, was actually raining for the first time. Previously, it had only ever snowed.

Tens of thousands of Hive Cities and the human activity upon them were enough to change the ecological environment and atmospheric composition of this planet.

Adapt to nature? No, let nature adapt to me!

This sudden heavy rain triggered water accumulation problems in the vast majority of Hive Cities... when they were built, no one had ever considered that it would rain.

"Master, Master, where are you?"

The lower levels of the "Yucai" Hive City were almost completely flooded. When Overachiever Cheng Yu had just gone out to deliver food, the water had only reached his ankles. After delivering just two orders, it had already reached his stomach.

Overachiever Cheng Yu had initially thought it was quite fun; after all, he usually ran to deliver food, but today was different—he was "swimming" to deliver food.

Suddenly, he thought... *Oh no, Seraphie is still at home. That area is at a lower elevation, and since she has limited mobility, what if she didn't manage to escape!*

Thinking of this, Overachiever Cheng Yu immediately used his authority, wanting to have the secret agent clones near Seraphie's home go and check on her.

However, it was useless; no clones in the shared consciousness responded to him.

Because Main Body had already adjusted the calling authority of leadership-position clones within the shared consciousness.

Only under extreme states such as war, suppressing rebellion, or counter-espionage did leadership-position clones have the authority to call upon other clones to execute missions that might result in death.

In other words, low-level clones could now refuse unreasonable requests from high-level clones.

Seraphie was already a wreck; her affairs no longer fell under the scope of counter-espionage.

The water level in the lower levels of the Hive City was rising rapidly; he would have to save his own wife himself!

Seraphie indeed hadn't escaped, but she didn't need to run anymore.

Because her memory had been restored.

Cheng Yu was indeed capable; in one day, he had investigated Seraphie's situation clearly.

The information was extremely detailed and could all be cross-referenced with Seraphie's own situation; a fabrication could not reach this level.

Seraphie had a mental breakdown for an entire afternoon to digest this situation, not even realizing that the Hive City was flooded.

After figuring everything out, Seraphie made a decision.

She was going to kill her apprentice, even if it meant perishing together.

*Damn clone, not to mention torturing me, you even deceived my feelings.*

*Today, I'm going to end it with you!*

Seraphie planned to go to the kitchen to get some starch and other materials. With the training she had received, she could easily use the items in the kitchen to manufacture a grenade.

As a result, just as she regained her senses, Seraphie discovered that the floodwater had already reached her bed.

"Damn it, it's all that animal's fault for turning me into a cripple!"

Seraphie's heart filled with growing resentment, but mere floodwater couldn't stump her.

At her physical peak, she could hold her breath underwater for thirty minutes. Although she was now in a semi-crippled state, holding her breath for ten minutes to escape was not a problem.

However, she couldn't make the grenade, but that didn't matter.

Seraphie held her breath and went into the water, then reached into the hidden compartment of her nightstand and pulled out a pneumatic dagger.

This was an extremely vicious weapon. After inserting it into a human body and pressing the button, one could inject high-pressure gas into the opponent's wound.

Aside from spraying the assailant's face with blood, it was simply the perfect tool for torture.

"My good apprentice, Master has come to kill you!"

When Overachiever Cheng Yu arrived at the scene, the Hive City Security Force and the Tech-Priests of the Dark Mechanicum were already dealing with the disaster.

Although the flood was fierce, as long as they opened a few rifts leading to Warp, draining it was fast enough.

This method of using Warp rifts as portals was something only the Dark Mechanicum dared to think of and do; when it came to being crazy, they were about as crazy as the clones.

"Sorry, we couldn't save her; she was truly too unlucky."

The Security Officer Cheng Yu personnel were carrying a stretcher; the one covered with a white sheet on top was Seraphie's "corpse."

Because this sudden accident was handled relatively promptly, although many people were injured, this was the only one who had perished.

"Do you need to say goodbye one last time?" Security Officer Cheng Yu asked.

"No need... Master loved cleanliness when she was alive. Just cremate her."

"Alright, please accept my condolences."

"What a real animal, you're too lazy to even pretend to take a last look, aren't you..." Seraphie lay under the white sheet, feigning death.

Don't look at the fact that her heartbeat and pulse were almost non-existent now; in reality, her consciousness was quite clear.

Years of hard training in the hidden arts of the human body had finally come in handy today.

As long as Overachiever Cheng Yu dared to walk within three steps of her, Seraphie would let him see what a hell of flesh and blood was.