Chapter 361: Principal Lin Is Dead?

Collaborating with the enemy and committing treason?

Harming compatriots?

These two words completely baffled Zhou Huai.

He had thought of countless possibilities, but never expected that such heavy and absurd charges would be pinned on him.

Where exactly did something go wrong?

Who was framing him?

Countless thoughts flashed frantically through his mind, finally settling on one possibility.

An extremely ominous premonition suddenly arose.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping past Hou Changfeng's chubby face filled with anxiety, and looked straight at Liu Shaohan, asking tentatively, "Did something happen to the team participating in the exploration of the Kaslandis Ruins?"

Liu Shaohan grinned, revealing a mouthful of ghastly white teeth.

"Remembered now?"

"Since you remember, come back with us and give a clear and proper explanation!"

Liu Shaohan's affirmative reply made the ominous premonition in Zhou Huai's heart grow even stronger.

Something really had gone wrong.

But how could that be?

When he left, everything was clearly still fine.

In that team, there was Great Xia Country's top-tier SS-Rank Expert, with Principal Lin Zhu personally holding down the fort.

What on earth could have happened to cause such a team to get into trouble?

Was it that archbishop from the Free Federation who brazenly made a move?

Or did Sakura Country and Kimchi Country hatch some conspiracy behind the scenes?

Zhou Huai's brain spun frantically, guessing countless possibilities, and the expression on his face grew increasingly solemn.

Watching Gandalf, whose expression was gradually losing composure, Zhao Qi stepped forward, and the chain of forbidden magic in his hand emitted a slight metallic clashing sound.

"Put it on yourself."

Zhou Huai was already upset and annoyed. Hearing these words, a nameless anger suddenly surged up.

He abruptly raised his head, a terrifying cold light flashing through his deep eyes.

"What if I refuse?"

The moment his voice fell, a terrifying aura erupted from Gandalf's body like an awakening ancient dragon!

The air inside the entire governor's office instantly froze, and the temperature plummeted!

That pressure was as heavy as a mountain, suffocating people!

Hou Changfeng, who was standing closest, felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible giant hand, and his breath stagnated at that very moment!

The prized purple clay tea set on his desk turned into dust silently without even making a single sound!

Liu Shaohan and Zhao Qi's expressions changed drastically, and they instinctively took a step back, their eyes filled with shock!

Is this the true strength of an SS-Class Forbidden Spell Master?

Merely by releasing his aura, it made these two battle-hardened generals feel a tremor originating from the depths of their Souls!

"Gandalf!"

Liu Shaohan gritted his teeth, squeezing out a few words from between his teeth with a grim tone.

"So what if you are an SS-Rank Professional? Do you really think our military department can't touch you?!"

As he spoke, a powerful aura similarly erupted from his body, attempting to rival Gandalf.

However, in front of Gandalf's vast ocean-like pressure, his aura was simply not worth mentioning.

"Aigoo, two generals, Gandalf, calm down everyone, calm down!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was taut with tension, Hou Changfeng quickly broke free from the suffocating sensation, his corporeal body blocking the space between both sides, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than crying.

While wiping the cold sweat seeping from his forehead, he tried to smooth things over.

"Whatever you want to say, let's talk it out nicely, let's talk nicely! There must be some misunderstanding in all this!"

Zhao Qi took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the shock in his heart, and his tone also slowed down somewhat.

"Gandalf, I know you are very strong, and you have also made many contributions to Great Xia Country."

"We in the military department of Great Xia Country ask ourselves that we haven't let you down. But for you to do such a thing truly breaks our hearts with grief."

He paused, his voice growing increasingly heavy.

"Now, I can still give you a chance, as long as you obediently cooperate with us in our investigation. We won't resort to lynching against you either!"

"Of course, you can also choose to disobey orders and completely break ties with us."

"With your current strength, the two of us can do nothing about you either. But next time, the one coming to find you will be Marshal Zhao."

"You can't run!"

"I hope you can think this through clearly!"

Hou Changfeng silently closed his mouth on the side.

Having served as governor for so many years, his acute political intuition told him that an extraordinary major event had definitely occurred.

The severity of this matter far exceeded the scope of what someone at his level could interfere with.

Zhou Huai gradually calmed down as well.

He slowly restrained that terrifying aura on his body.

After pondering for a moment, he ultimately still controlled Gandalf to extend his hands.

"I'll go with you."

If something really happened to that ruin exploration team, then he had to go back no matter what.

After all, this concerned the Pendulum of Life and his own life.

Breaking ties with the military department at this time was definitely not a wise move.

Zhao Qi said no more, quickly stepping forward and placing that pair of the chain of forbidden magic onto Gandalf's wrists.

The moment the cold metal touched Gandalf's wrists, a bizarre energy surged along the chains and into his body.

Zhou Huai could clearly feel that his connection with the magic elements wandering between heaven and earth was forcefully severed by an overbearing power.

The sea of mana within his body was also frozen instantly, unable to be mobilized by even a fraction anymore.

This feeling was like an eagle soaring through the Nine Heavens suddenly having its wings snapped.

Seeing this, the two generals also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No one had expected that Gandalf would cooperate so unexpectedly.

Having put on the chain of forbidden magic, even if he were an SS-Class Forbidden Spell Master, he wouldn't be able to forcefully break it.

In this way, Gandalf no longer posed any threat to them.

Zhou Huai naturally didn't care about these things.

Gandalf was not his fatal weakness anyway; he was merely one of his many Clones.

If he really wanted to resist, he could control Yasuo or Xiang Yu right now to execute these two generals on the spot.

But what he wanted to know more right now was what on earth happened to that ruin exploration team.

And where on earth was the Pendulum of Life?

Soon, the two of them took Gandalf and boarded a giant white vulture with a wingspan exceeding twenty meters.

The giant vulture let out a clear, resonant cry, flapping its huge wings, carrying the three of them soaring into the sky, and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Nearing evening.

This giant white vulture appeared in the skies above the Imperial Capital.

Without a moment's pause, it flew straight toward the complex of buildings symbolizing the highest military might of Great Xia Country—the location of the Central Military Department.

The giant vulture slowly landed on a huge tarmac.

Dozens of fully armed military soldiers who had been waiting here for a long time immediately swarmed forward.

They surrounded Gandalf, who was wearing the chain of forbidden magic, tightly with vigilant gazes, treating it as if facing a formidable enemy.

Gandalf did not resist, letting them cast several more Seals upon his body.

Afterwards, under the escort of the two generals and a team of soldiers, he walked through rows of heavily guarded, cold metal corridors, and was finally brought before an airtight interrogation room.

The alloy door, thick as a city gate, slowly opened with a dull sound.

Inside the room, the lights were blindingly bright, and the furnishings were simple to the extreme, consisting only of a metal table and a few chairs.

An Old General with white hair and a beard, but with a straight posture and three stars on his shoulders, was sitting behind the table. A pair of falcon-like eyes were coldly sizing him up across the table.

"Bring him in." The Old General spoke in a hoarse voice.

Gandalf was escorted by two soldiers and sat opposite the Old General.

The Old General's gaze was like a physical entity, sweeping back and forth across his body, as if wanting to see right through him.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice devoid of a single trace of emotion.

"Gandalf, according to the mission plan, you should have been in the team participating in the Kaslandis Ruins and returned to the Imperial Capital with them."

"Why did you suddenly appear in Jiangning City?"

"What on earth did you do?"

Zhou Huai did not answer his question.

He raised his head, calmly asking in return, "Principal Lin Zhu? I want to see her!"

Upon hearing this, the Old General let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with mockery and disgust.

"Things have come to this, and you're still talking nonsense?"

"Principal Lin Zhu is already dead!"

"You should be clearer on this point than anyone present here!"

Boom!

This sentence was like a thunderbolt descending from the Nine Heavens, fiercely hacking into Zhou Huai's mind!

He felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible giant hand, and his breath stagnated at that very moment.

"You… what did you say?"

His eyes widened, his voice becoming hoarse and dry due to extreme shock.

"Principal Lin… is dead?"