Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The chains rattled, and the cold metal buckles pressed against Gu Xiang's wrist, leaving a red mark.

Gu Xiang was completely stunned.

The talented men and beautiful women around them, who had just been praising Su Qing's "great truth," retreated faster than rabbits when they saw the Six Doors arresting people, fearing they would be tainted by bad luck.

"Hey? Hey! You've got the wrong person!"

Gu Xiang was dragged out by two burly constables, his heels leaving two furrows in the ground.

He twisted his neck frantically, his face flushed red: "I'm a scholar here to take the imperial examination! I have a travel permit! I have an honest background!"

The leading constable was a middle-aged man with a scar across his face and eyes as cold and sinister as a venomous snake.

He completely ignored Gu Xiang's shouts and simply waved his hand: "Take him away."

"Wait! I refuse to accept this!"

Gu Xiang, with a strength she didn't know she possessed, gripped a willow tree tightly, her fingernails almost digging into the bark.

He shouted, "I'm not just an examinee, I'm also here on business with the Six Doors! I have something to give to your Chief Constable! It's from Constable Li San, entrusted to me by Constable Li San!"

Upon hearing the name Li San, the lead constable paused for a moment.

Seeing this, Gu Xiang assumed the other party was being reasonable and quickly pointed to his chest with his chin: "It's right here in my arms, that gold medal! Constable Li sacrificed himself to save the whole village, and I'm here to deliver his belongings! You can't arrest me, I'm a righteous man! According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, those who return official belongings are rewarded. If you don't want to reward me, fine, but why are you arresting me?"

The lead constable turned around and walked up to Gu Xiang.

He reached into Gu Xiang's arms and pulled out the blood-stained waist token.

Gu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief: "See, I didn't lie to you, did I? This is..."

Snapped!

The constable slapped Gu Xiang across the face, making Gu's head buzz.

"Possessing an official's badge is an even more serious crime." The constable stuffed the badge into his pocket, sneered, and said, "Li San has been missing for half a month, and it turns out it was all because of you, you poor scholar. Take him away! Interrogate him thoroughly!"

Gu Xiang stared wide-eyed at the other person in disbelief.

How can there be such people in this world who turn black into white?

"You're talking nonsense! That was given to me by Constable Li! How can you make false accusations!" Gu Xiang was so angry that he trembled all over. His righteous anger was surging in his chest, but because he didn't know how to use it, he could only suppress it and his face turned red.

Su Qing stood to the side, still holding the unfinished candied hawthorn in her hand.

She took a bite of hawthorn, squinting from the sourness, and then mumbled, "Tsk, is this the capital? I thought people under the emperor's nose would be more law-abiding, but it turns out it's even more unreasonable than Black Wind Stronghold. At least Black Wind Stronghold shouts a slogan when they rob, but you guys are just openly robbing people!"

The lead constable whirled around, his gaze piercing Su Qing like a knife: "Where did this pretty boy come from, daring to meddle in the affairs of the Six Doors? Get lost if you don't want to die!"

Su Qing tossed the bamboo skewer aside, patted the sugar crumbs off his hands, and looked at Li Yu with a smile: "Brother Li, it seems your capital isn't all that great. In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you can arrest people for no reason? If word gets out, I'm afraid no one will dare to come to this wretched place to take the imperial examination."

Li Yu's face had already darkened.

He originally didn't want to cause a scene at his sister's poetry gathering, but these constables had really gone too far.

They twisted the truth right in front of him and even tried to arrest his friends.

This isn't just a slap in the face to Gu Xiang, it's a slap in the face to the entire Zhou royal family!

Li Yu stepped forward and stood in front of Gu Xiang.

Release them.

Li Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a coldness that came from someone who had long held a high position.

The leader cupped his hands in greeting and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Highness, the Six Doors are handling this case, please grant us your assistance. I am merely following orders."

"On orders?" Li Yu sneered. "On whose orders? Which provision of the Great Zhou law allows for the arbitrary arrest of candidates on their way to the imperial examinations without any investigation? And for falsely accusing innocent citizens of murdering officials?"

The constable gritted his teeth and said, forcing a smile, "Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me. This person was specifically requested by our superiors."

"Which one?" Li Yu pressed closer. "The Ministry of Justice? The Court of Judicial Review? Or Father?"

The constable looked around, then leaned closer to Li Yu and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "It's the Imperial Advisor."

Li Yu's pupils dilated slightly.

Imperial Advisor?

That woman who rarely left her home and whom even the Emperor had to treat with deference.

Why did she arrest Gu Xiang?

How could a scholar from a remote, impoverished area have disturbed such a great Buddha?

Seeing that Li Yu remained silent, the constable assumed he was afraid and straightened his back: "Your Highness, you are a noble person and should know the weight of the Imperial Preceptor. The person she wants, let alone the Six Doors, even if they turn the Luo River upside down, they will find him. If I can't bring him back, my whole family will die. Please be lenient and don't make things difficult for me."

Li Yu fell silent.

If it were anyone else, he could have made them leave on the spot simply by revealing his identity as a prince.

But since the matter involves the Imperial Advisor, its nature changes.

The Grand Preceptor held a transcendent position in the Great Zhou Dynasty, even surpassing imperial power.

Gu Xiang was still struggling behind: "Brother Li! Brother Su! Don't worry about me! These people are bandits! I refuse to believe they can still cover up the truth in court! I'm going to appeal to the emperor!"

Su Qing raised an eyebrow when she heard the words "Imperial Preceptor".

She walked over to Li Yu and poked him in the ribcage with her folding fan: "Hey, what's this Imperial Advisor? He sounds more imposing than your father!"

Li Yu gave a wry smile, ignoring Su Qing's blatant disrespect.

He took a deep breath, looked at the constable, and said, word by word, "I'll bail him out."

The constable's expression changed: "Your Majesty, are you going against the Imperial Advisor?"

"Go back and tell the Imperial Advisor," Li Yu said, pointing to Gu Xiang. "This person is my friend. If the Imperial Advisor has any questions, tell her to come directly to me."

He spoke with conviction.

The surrounding constables were so frightened that they almost dropped the iron chains they were holding.

The head constable turned pale. He hadn't expected that His Highness would dare to confront the Imperial Preceptor so directly for the sake of a poor scholar.

On one side is the future crown prince, and on the other is the powerful imperial advisor.

He was like a rat caught in the middle, suffering from both sides.

"Your Highness...aren't you pushing me into a fire pit?" The constable was on the verge of tears.

"Get lost," Li Yu uttered only one word.

The constable trembled, glanced at Li Yu's resolute attitude, then at Su Qing, the "pretty boy" beside him who was watching the show with amusement, and finally gritted his teeth.

Although the Imperial Advisor is formidable, he is, after all, far away.

The man before me is a prince currently under my jurisdiction, and I've heard he has a rather bad temper.

"Release them!"

With a wave of his hand, the constable's men quickly untied the chains binding Gu Xiang.

"Li San's waist token." Li Yu held out his hand.

The constable tremblingly pulled out the bloodstained waist token and placed it in Li Yu's hand. Then he and his men slunk away without daring to utter a single harsh word.

The crowd dispersed when they realized there was no more excitement to be had.

Gu Xiang rubbed his wrist, which was red from being bound, and walked over, his face full of gratitude: "Brother Li! I can't thank you enough! I was really scared to death just now. I thought I was going to die here today."

He then looked at Su Qing: "Brother Su, you wanted to speak up for me just now, didn't you? Although your words were a bit harsh, I know your heart was good."

Su Qing rolled her eyes: "Stop trying to make yourself look good. I'm just worried that if you die, no one will pay me back for the meal."

The three of them found a quiet tea stall and sat down.

Gu Xiang held the recovered waist token and carefully wiped away the bloodstains.

Su Qing toyed with the teacup in her hand, her gaze falling on Li Yu: "Tell me, who is that Imperial Advisor? He scared you so much, your legs were shaking just now, weren't they?"

Li Yu coughed awkwardly, "Brother Su, you're joking. I was just angry."

He sighed, his expression turning serious: "Actually, I know very little about the Imperial Preceptor. She is a taboo subject in the capital."

"A taboo?" Su Qing's interest was piqued. "What kind of taboo is it? Eating children?"

"It's even more terrifying than that," Li Yu said in a low voice. "She's a woman."

Gu Xiang interjected, "So what if she's a woman? Brother Su... isn't she also a woman, and she's just as formidable?"

Li Yu shook his head: "It's different. The Imperial Advisor has no name, no one knows where she came from, and no one knows how long she has lived. All we know is that she has been here since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Founding of a nation?" Gu Xiang's eyes widened. "Then it must be several hundred years old?"

"To be precise, she assisted five generations of emperors." Li Yu held up five fingers. "Every emperor had to get her approval before ascending the throne. Even my father, when faced with important decisions, would consult her at the Star-Picking Tower."

Su Qing narrowed her eyes.

Assisting five generations of emperors?

The lifespan of mortals is no more than a hundred years. Even cultivators, if they cannot break through their cultivation level, will find it difficult to escape the five signs of decay.

The fact that this imperial advisor has lived for so long and is still the mastermind behind the scenes in a mortal dynasty means that he must either be a powerful cultivator with extraordinary abilities or possess some special method to prolong his life.

"She is the true pillar of this nation," Li Yu said with a complex tone. "Some say she is a celestial being descended to earth to protect the fate of the Great Zhou Dynasty; others say she is a demon who survives by absorbing dragon energy. But regardless of the rumors, her position in the court is unshakeable."

"Why would someone so powerful arrest me?" Gu Xiang pointed to his nose, looking bewildered. "I'm just a poor scholar, and the most valuable thing I own is this waist token."

Li Yu looked at Gu Xiang, hesitating to speak.

He probably guessed the reason.

A mind with seven orifices, exquisite and ingenious.

This legendary physique is a fatal temptation for some cultivators.

An existence of the caliber of a Grand Preceptor might have already sensed Gu Xiang's special nature.

Su Qing laughed, a hint of amusement in her voice: "Interesting. This old hag, who served five emperors, is actually interested in a blockhead like you. Gu Xiang, you wouldn't happen to be her long-lost great-grandson, would you?"

"Brother Su! Watch your words!" Gu Xiang was terrified, his face turning pale. "This is a grave disrespect!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Su Qing rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the towering Star-Picking Tower deep within the palace.

She sensed a demonic aura there.

"Since she specifically asked for you, even if she didn't catch you this time, there will definitely be a next time." Su Qing withdrew her gaze and looked at Gu Xiang. "It seems your path to becoming the top scholar is going to be a bit difficult."

Gu Xiang asked with a pained expression, "Then what should we do? Should we run away?"

"Run?" Su Qing scoffed. "All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. Where can you run to? Besides, didn't you say you wanted to file a complaint with the emperor? You're afraid even the imperial advisor. How can you possibly fight against the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiang straightened his back instantly: "Who said I'm scared! I... I'm just making a strategic retreat! Since Brother Li protected me, I can't let him down! At worst... at worst I'll never go out again!"

Li Yu shook his head helplessly: "There's no way to avoid it. But since I've already made my statement, the Imperial Advisor should give me some face and not make a move openly for the time being. But secretly..."

He paused, then looked at Su Qing: "Brother Su, the safety of Guxiang will probably depend on you even more."

Su Qing slammed her teacup on the table: "It costs extra."

Just then, a black crow suddenly landed on the roof of the tea stall and let out a hoarse caw.

Su Qing suddenly looked up, a golden glint flashing in her eyes.

The crow's eyes were red, and it was staring intently at Gu Xiang, as if it were looking at a piece of delicious, fatty meat.

"It seems that the Grand Preceptor is very well-informed."

Su Qing casually picked up a peanut from the table and flicked it with her finger.

call out!

The peanut flew through the air and pierced straight through the crow's head.

The crow let out a miserable cry, fell to the ground and turned into a puddle of black water, emitting a pungent stench.

Gu Xiang was startled: "What...what is this?"

"Eyeliner." Su Qing clapped her hands, stood up, and said, "Let's go back to the inn. We'll probably have guests coming soon."

Li Yu's face turned extremely ugly as he looked at the black water on the ground.

Those are the "Shadow Crows" unique to the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion.

The Imperial Advisor had already set his sights on them.

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, atop the Star-Picking Tower.

A woman dressed in a black and gold robe was sitting cross-legged in front of a huge astrolabe.

She wore a bronze mask, revealing only a pair of weathered and deep eyes.

The soul lamp in front of her suddenly went out.

The woman slowly raised her head, looking towards the direction outside the palace, her voice hoarse as if grinding sand: "There are... two variables."

"Go and bring back that lad with the air of righteousness. As for the other one..."

She tapped the astrolabe lightly with her fingers, making a crisp sound.

"Let's invite them as well."