Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Imperial Palace of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The current emperor, Yu the Great, sat behind his desk, his face ashen.

He held a memorial in his hand, but his face was somewhat gloomy.

"Bang!"

The memorial was thrown hard onto the gold-brick floor, slid several feet, and came to a stop right in front of the kneeling man.

"Hmph!!" Xia Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge. "It's one thing for the Qingyun Sect to threaten my Great Xia, but since when did the remnants of the Demonic Sect dare to wreak havoc in the capital? Qin Hu, tell me, how did you become the commander?! What are your Embroidered Uniform Guards good for? Can't even handle these remnants of the Demonic Sect?"

Upon hearing Xia Yu's chilling voice, Qin Hu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, broke out in a cold sweat that soaked the back of his clothes.

"Your Majesty, I...I am utterly incompetent!" Qin Hu's voice trembled. "I beg Your Majesty to punish me! I have already dispatched more men to investigate day and night, but..."

"Just what?" Xia Yu interrupted coldly. "Just that their methods are superior? Or that your Embroidered Uniform Guard is powerless against them? Qin Hu, what I want are results, not excuses!"

Qin Hu lowered his head. "Your Majesty, I deserve to die! Please grant me another month. If I still cannot wipe out these remnants of the demonic sect within the Great Xia territory, I am willing to atone with my death!"

"A month!?" Xia Yu stared intently at Qin Hu kneeling below, and after a long while, he slowly exhaled. "With your abilities, do you think you can wipe out these remnants of the demonic sect in just one month? Remember, don't easily agree to anything in front of me if you're not confident."

"Alright, get up." He waved his hand, his voice tinged with weariness.

Qin Hu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but he dared not actually get up. He only straightened his back slightly and remained kneeling in place.

Xia Yu raised his eyes and looked out at the deep night outside the palace.

"You lot are ultimately unreliable. So be it! My elder brother will return to the capital in three days. When that time comes, you go to the city gate and bring him back safely."

Upon hearing this, Qin Hu froze.

He slowly raised his head, a hint of reverence on his face. "Your Majesty is referring to... Prince Jin?"

Xia Yu glanced at him, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Nonsense, besides him, who else do I have as an elder brother?"

"But...but..." Qin Hu asked suspiciously, "Didn't Prince Jin say that he would recuperate in Qingzhou from now on, and that we shouldn't disturb him unless necessary?"

"Hmph! I wrote this letter myself." Xia Yu glared at the other party fiercely. "If it weren't for the Qingyun Sect, and these remnants of the demonic sect, do you think I would have bothered my elder brother? What, Commander Qin, do you think anyone other than my elder brother can resolve the two matters I just mentioned?"

"No...no!" Qin Hu quickly shook his head, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

That gentleman is coming back...

Prince Jin, who once silenced the entire court and instilled fear in the feudal lords of the Great Xia Dynasty, and was secretly known as the "Son of Darkness," is returning to the capital!

"Remember," Xia Yu's voice pulled him back to reality, "the arrangements for receiving the emperor must be meticulously handled. My elder brother prefers quiet, so the entourage needn't be too grand, but there must be absolutely no negligence. If anything goes wrong..."

Xia Yu didn't finish his sentence, but Qin Hu already understood the weight of it.

"Your subject obeys! I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life!" Qin Hu kowtowed heavily.

"Go down," Xia Yu waved his hand. "Remember to keep those royal relatives and nobles in the capital in check. I don't want to see any more trouble while my elder brother is back in the capital. Otherwise, if they're looking for their own deaths, I can't help them."

"yes!"

When Qin Hu left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his steps were somewhat unsteady.

He dared not delay and returned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters overnight.

Sure enough, the next morning, news that Prince Jin was about to return to the capital swept through the entire city.

The Duke of Jingguo.

The old king, who was over sixty years old, was practicing his sword in the courtyard when he heard the steward report in a low voice, and the long sword in his hand suddenly stopped.

"Give the order," the old Duke sheathed his sword, his expression grave. "Everyone in the manor, especially those good-for-nothing brats, must behave themselves for the time being! Stay home and study; no one is allowed to go out unless absolutely necessary. Anyone who dares to cause trouble... will be punished according to family rules!"

"Yes!" the butler bowed and hurriedly withdrew.

Prime Minister's Mansion.

Grand Secretary Yang Wenyuan was having breakfast when he listened to his confidant's report and gently put down his silver chopsticks.

"Prince Jin is returning to the capital..." he murmured to himself, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "These are turbulent times."

After a moment of silence, he instructed, "Send a message to the eldest son, the third son, and all branches of the Yang family: from this day forward, restrain your words and actions. There will be changes in the court soon; do not get involved in any trouble."

"Furthermore, in my name, I will send a letter to Prince Jin's residence, stating that I will pay a visit at a later date."

The residences of the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Revenue, the Marquis of Weiwu, and the Earl of Anping...

Almost simultaneously, the mansions of powerful and influential people throughout the capital received similar news and reacted in similar ways.

"Have you heard? That person is coming back!"

"Which one?"

"Who else could it be! The one who caused rivers of blood to flow three years ago!"

"Hiss—Prince Jin?! Isn't he in Qingzhou?"

"Who knows? But with that person returning to the capital, things are getting interesting. The waters in the capital are probably going to get even muddier."

"Huh? I think everyone has to keep their tails between their legs! You all know what kind of temper that guy has..."

Whispers filled the teahouses and taverns, but no one dared to speak loudly. Occasionally, an unsuspecting traveler or out-of-town merchant would inquire, only to be quickly stopped by others.

"Shut up! Don't you want to live?"

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

Xia Jin's nickname "Emperor of the Underworld" is not without reason.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in Kyoto became subtle. The usually arrogant and domineering playboys became reclusive, various factions temporarily withdrew their sharpness, and even street disputes decreased significantly.

The officers and soldiers of the city defense command and patrol battalion found that their duties had suddenly become much easier—after all, no one dared to cause trouble at this time.

Three days later, outside the south gate of Kyoto.

Qin Hu had been waiting there early with several hundred elite Imperial Guards. He was dressed in the uniform of a commander, his back straight and his face solemn, but a closer look would reveal a hint of tension deep in his eyes.

"Uncle." A voice came from beside me.

Beside Qin Hu, another young man dressed in the uniform of a Jinyiwei centurion leaned closer, handed him a plain handkerchief, and asked with undisguised curiosity, "Is that Prince Jin... really that scary? This is the first time I've seen you so nervous."

Qin Hu took the handkerchief, vigorously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and then smacked the other man on the head in an annoyed tone: "Shut up, Luo Qiao! Don't blame your uncle for not warning you—you are not allowed to speak without my permission today. Otherwise, even if your mother pleads for you herself, I'll break your legs!"

Luo Qiao was startled by the knock, shrank his neck, and quickly nodded in agreement.

He had followed Qin Hu for many years and had seen Qin Hu dominate the court and be ruthless in prison, but he had never seen him so...aweful.

Yes, it is reverence.

That deep-seated fear made Luo Qiao inexplicably nervous.

Qin Hu straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and looked towards the end of the official road.

At 3:45 AM, dust began to rise from the distant official road.

A troop of black-armored cavalry escorted a black dragon-patterned carriage as it slowly approached.