You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

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Time slipped away quietly amidst the red walls and yellow tiles of the deep palace, and several months passed in the blink of an eye, as we moved from late autumn into the depths of winter.

Several light snowfalls have blanketed the city of Jinling, and the chill seeps into the bones.

Inside the quiet room of the Imperial Study, a warm and inviting atmosphere prevailed.

Lu Zuo sat cross-legged on the futon, with white vapor rising around him. This was a phenomenon caused by the surging of blood and qi in his body, the circulation of true qi to its extreme, and the encounter with the moisture of the cold winter.

His eyes were slightly closed, his face was calm, and only a faint sharpness between his brows showed an inner strength that was completely different from that of the "weak and incompetent ruler" a few months ago.

With his tireless cultivation day and night, and the physique boosts from the system rewards after each instance of "excessive indulgence," the "Imperial Ultimate World-Suppressing Skill" had quietly broken through the acquired shackles and stepped into the innate realm.

The internal energy flows like a stream, gradually growing stronger and more solid, surging endlessly through the meridians. Every movement is full of power, and one's senses are sharper than ever before.

More importantly, this technique, which originated from the study of emperors, is moderate and peaceful yet possesses an aura of dominance over all directions, subtly aligning with his imperial identity, making it twice as effective to cultivate.

He did not rush to learn more lethal martial arts techniques, but instead focused on consolidating his foundation and tempering his physique, making his innate realm foundation extremely solid.

During the day, he remained the same "Emperor Jinghe," indulging in pleasure and paying little attention to state affairs.

Lingering in the inner palace, I am now staying in Wen Qingqing's charming and seductive place, listening to her soft and tender words, and inquiring about some trivial gossip from the women's quarters.

Tomorrow I will go to Qiluan Palace again to watch Yuwen Xue forcefully flatter him while suppressing her discomfort, and occasionally, after drinking, she will express her dissatisfaction with Liu Daoling's "dictatorship" or her hidden worries about Yuwen Qing's "overbearing" behavior.

His performance was spot-on, perfectly capturing the image of a disillusioned emperor who was sidelined by powerful ministers, powerless to reverse the situation, and forced to seek refuge in the pleasures of women.

The news naturally reached Liu Daoling and Yuwen Qing through various channels.

In the Prime Minister's study, the charcoal fire crackled. After listening to his confidant's report that the Emperor had missed three consecutive morning court sessions in the inner palace, Liu Daoling's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile: "Useless mud to be plastered on a wall."

"That's fine, it saves us a lot of trouble."

"It seems the claim that the Black-Clad Guards' lineage has been severed may not be unfounded; otherwise, how could the Lu family have produced such an incompetent ruler?"

"Just keep a close eye on those old fogies and spies in the palace. The emperor himself... is not a concern."

At the Marshal's Mansion training ground, Yuwen Qing was practicing martial arts, wielding a twelve-foot-long lance with great skill and exuding powerful energy.

Upon hearing his daughter Yuwen Xue's veiled remarks about the Emperor complaining about the Prime Minister in front of her, and the hint that he relied heavily on the military families, he sheathed his spear, stood still, and scoffed: "A mere brat, trying to play those games of checks and balances?"

"Don't you even know your own limitations!"

"As for Xue'er, let her continue to feign compliance and coax that good-for-nothing."

"Once we accomplish our great task, she will find her own place."

In his eyes, Lu Zuo's little actions were nothing more than a desperate struggle, childish and laughable.

As Lu Zuo's "tyrannical" behavior continued day after day, their wariness of him gradually decreased to its lowest point.

Their attention was more focused on the "grand plan" they were secretly pushing for each other, and how to force out the hidden royal blade—the Black-Clad Guards—as quickly as possible.

……

On this day, Lu Zuo, using the excuse of "being bored in the palace and wanting to see the snow scenery in the capital region," took only Eunuch Liu and two agile and taciturn imperial guards, changed into the clothes of ordinary rich young men, and rode in an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage out of the imperial city.

The sky remained overcast after the snowfall.

The snow on the official road was compacted by passing carriages and horses, turning into murky slush. The carriage drove out of the bustling city and arrived at the outskirts of a relatively remote royal hunting ground nestled against a small forest in the western suburbs.

This place is rarely visited in winter; the snow covers the forests and fields, creating a desolate scene.

Lu Zuo got out of the carriage, making an excuse that he wanted to enjoy the snow and meditate alone, leaving Liu Gonggong and the other two to wait by the carriage while he strolled deeper into the woods.

The cold wind was biting, cutting his face like a knife, but with his current cultivation at the Innate Realm, he was no longer affected by the cold or heat, and felt refreshed.

Once out of sight of others, he quickened his pace, his figure becoming elusive in the snow-covered mountains and forests. It was the "Swimming Dragon Step," a movement technique from the "Imperial Supreme World-Suppressing Skill." Even without using his full strength, he was as swift as the wind.

As you venture deeper into the forest, the surroundings become increasingly quiet, with only the crunching sound of your footsteps on the snow and the whistling of bare branches swaying in the wind.

Suddenly, Lu Zuo's nostrils twitched slightly as he caught a faint, fishy smell that seemed completely out of place with the fresh, snowy air around him. It also carried a hint of... faint blood.

His eyes narrowed, and he quietly disappeared behind a huge ancient pine tree. He concealed his aura, and his gaze swept across a rocky slope half-covered by snow in front of him.

"Click... rustling..."

A tooth-grinding sound, like claws scraping against rocks, came from the air.

From the shadows of the rocky slope, a monster slowly emerged. It resembled a human, but was hunched over, about seven feet tall, and its body was covered with dark blue, rough skin like rock. Its hands were longer than its knees, with black, sharp hooks at the tips of its fingers.

Its head resembled a wolf's, with a protruding muzzle and exposed fangs. A pair of scarlet eyes gleamed with cruelty and hunger in the dim light.

Most peculiarly, there is a twisted, dark red brand on the center of its forehead, as if it were left by burning, which is emanating an ominous aura.

demon!

Moreover, judging from its shape and the mark on its forehead, it is definitely not an ordinary mountain spirit or monster, but more like some kind of demon that has been artificially catalyzed or controlled!

Lu Zuo felt a chill run down his spine, recalling Liu Daoling and Yuwen Qing's debate in the palace about the chaos caused by demons, and the possible underhanded tactics they might have employed.

The wolf-like monster seemed to be injured, with a deep, bone-revealing sword wound on its hind leg. The flesh was torn open, and thick, dark green blood flowed out, emitting a strong, foul stench.

It looked around warily, its scarlet tongue licking its wound, making painful hissing sounds.

"Perfect timing to test my skills on you," Lu Zuo thought to himself.

He had cultivated for several months and felt that his strength had greatly improved, but he had never fought against a truly strange demon.

The fact that this demon is injured presents a good opportunity to test its strength and search for clues.

He stopped hiding, slowly walked out from behind the tree, and deliberately broke a dead branch.

"Snap!"

The wolf demon became alert, turned around abruptly, its scarlet eyes fixed on Lu Zuo, and let out a threatening growl.

It seemed to sense a threat from Lu Zuo and did not pounce immediately, but instead bared its teeth and made a threatening gesture.

Lu Zuo remained silent, took a step, and a white lotus bloomed in the snow. His figure shot out like an arrow!

Without using any weapons, he joined his right fingers like a sword, channeling his inner energy into his fingertips, and unleashed a fierce move from the "Imperial Ultimate World-Suppressing Skill," "Finger Severing Mountains and Rivers," directly piercing the wolf demon's throat!

Before the fingertips even arrived, the sharp, piercing wind had already made the wolf demon's neck fur stand on end!

Although the wolf demon was injured, its ferocity remained undiminished. With a roar, it advanced instead of retreating, one sharp claw carrying a foul stench as it viciously grabbed at Lu Zuo's wrist, while the other claw silently dug towards his abdomen, its actions ruthless and vicious.

Lu Zuo neither dodged nor evaded; the finger aimed at his throat suddenly changed its move, transforming into a palm.

A faint golden glow emanated from the edge of his palm (a sign of true energy being released), which was the "Mountain-Suppressing Style" of the "Imperial Supreme World-Suppressing Palm"—steady and powerful, striking first despite being delayed, and slamming heavily onto the wolf demon's attacking claws and wrists!

"Bang!"

The muffled thud was mixed with the sound of bones cracking!

The wolf demon howled in agony, one of its front paws drooping limply. But its other paw, reaching for its belly, had already touched Lu Zuo's robes.

Lu Zuo's abdominal muscles instantly tensed like iron, and his true energy flowed naturally, forming a barely perceptible protective aura around his body.

"Sizzle!"

The sharp claws tore through the brocade robe, but only left a few shallow white marks on Lu Zuo's skin, failing to penetrate deeper.

"Such tough skin!"

The wolf demon's eyes flashed with horror. Its claws, capable of tearing through iron, couldn't even penetrate the opponent's flesh.

Lu Zuo pressed his advantage, twisting his body to avoid the wolf demon's gaping maw. His left hand, already poised, delivered a simple yet powerful straight punch, imbued with 70% of his true energy, which slammed into the wolf demon's injured abdomen!

"boom!"

The wolf demon's massive body was sent flying backward as if struck by a charging rhinoceros, crashing heavily onto a snow-covered boulder, causing snow to fall in a flurry.

It spewed out dark green blood and fragments of internal organs, its breath instantly weakening, struggling but unable to get up.

Lu Zuo slowly stepped forward, placing one foot on the wolf demon's chest, pinning it down firmly. His gaze was icy cold: "Speak, why are you here in this strategically important area of ​​the capital?"

"Who sent you? What brings you here?"

The wolf demon's crimson eyes were filled with resentment and fear as it hissed, "You lowly... lowly human... don't even think about getting a word out of my mouth..."

Lu Zuo slightly exerted force with his feet, and his true energy flowed into the wolf demon's body. The wolf demon immediately let out a pig-like scream, feeling as if its internal organs were about to be crushed.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The demon was ultimately afraid of death. "I... I came following the call of the 'King'... The King's mark is guiding me..." It struggled to raise its intact paw and pointed to the dark red brand on its forehead.

"King? What king? Where is he?" Lu Zuo pressed.

A strange light flashed in the wolf demon's eyes, a mixture of piety and fanaticism. It stared intently at Lu Zuo, as if trying to etch him into its soul. Its voice was hoarse and broken, yet carried a chilling quality:

"The Queen... is our supreme queen... her presence... resides in the very heart... the most prosperous... and also the darkest place... of this human capital..."

"She's...waiting for us...to gather..."

Before he finished speaking, the wolf demon's eyes flashed red rapidly, and the brand on his forehead suddenly became blazing brightly!

Lu Zuo knew something was wrong and quickly retreated.

"puff--"

With a soft thud, the wolf demon's head exploded like a ripe watermelon, splattering red and white matter onto the snow in a horrifying display.

The dark red mark faded and disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Lu Zuo stood a few steps away, his face solemn. On the snow, only the headless corpse of a demon remained, along with those chilling words that echoed for a long time in the biting cold wind.

The Queen of Demons...is in the capital?

The most central, most bustling, and also the darkest place?

He suddenly looked up at the majestic outline of Jinling City, his gaze seemingly trying to penetrate the layers of palace walls and streets to see the unsettling shadows hidden beneath.

The water was deeper and muddier than he had expected.