The ten-thousand-foot imperial war-galley hovered over Central Capital Plaza like a lead coffin.
Astral ballistas bristled from its armored sides, aiming at the scholars outside Taichu Immortal University.
High on the prow, Chief Imperial Eunuch Zhao shook the crimson scroll in both hands. The blood-seal of Emperor Ji Wudao pulsed with cold sovereign pressure.
“Lin Mo!” Eunuch Zhao screamed, his voice scraping like broken porcelain. “Kneel and receive the imperial mandate! Surrender your Black-Gold Card! Hand over all thirty-six planetary spirit-veins and nine hundred billion Immortal Jade to the Crown! If you hesitate for half a breath, our fleet will reduce this peasant school to ash!”
On the terrace, Lin Mo took a slow sip of jade-leaf tea. He looked up at the war-galley with a mild gaze.
“Nine hundred billion in cash,” Lin Mo said to Su Wan. “The imperial court cannot even pay its border guards on time. Yet the palace accountant demands nine hundred billion without an itemized invoice.”
Su Wan gave a cool smile. “The imperial treasury has run an annual deficit of two hundred billion for fifty years, Chairman Lin. If they took your vault, they would waste it on gold leaf for the Emperor’s palace in six months.”
