If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

That terrifying divine thought vanished silently from the sky above the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, like the receding tide.

Zhou Yang's tense back slowly relaxed, and a fine layer of cold sweat had seeped out from his back. He didn't turn around, but stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, seemingly admiring the moon, but in reality, all the muscles in his body remained in a state of alert, ready to spring into action at any moment.

The system notification sounded in his mind. That one glance had consumed five years of his lifespan to enhance his eyesight. It wasn't some specific cultivation technique, but simply a burst of pure life energy that allowed him to see the location of the owner of that divine thought—the direction of the imperial palace, above the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"It seems the waters in this capital city are deeper and hotter than I imagined," Zhou Yang thought to himself. The owner of that divine thought was definitely a Grandmaster, and not just a recent one; his foundation was terrifyingly deep.

If it's all for the dragon spine fragment in his possession, then this deal was destined to be a high-stakes gamble from the very beginning.

A few withered leaves were swept up by the night wind and swirled down onto the bluestone slab. Zhou Yang crushed the fallen leaves with his foot and was about to turn around and go back into the house when suddenly, the lantern outside the courtyard gate flickered.

There was no knocking, nor any footsteps.

A faint sandalwood scent suddenly wafted into Zhou Yang's nose. He recognized the scent; it was "tribute agarwood," a type of incense used exclusively in the palace, also known as "imperial production," which was unavailable to the common people even if they had money.

"A distinguished guest arrives in the dead of night, why wasn't a word given in advance?"

Zhou Yang turned around and his gaze fell on the figure that had appeared at the courtyard gate at some unknown time.

He was a thin, old eunuch, dressed in a crimson python robe, with a warm jade pendant hanging from his waist and a whisk in his hand. His face was excessively pale, taking on an unnatural bluish-white hue in the moonlight, as if he were wearing an exquisitely crafted human skin mask. The crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were deep, as if carved by a knife, each line concealing a chilling aura.

"The General Manager of the Imperial Household Department greets Lord Zhou."

The old eunuch bowed slightly, his voice high-pitched yet carrying a metallic quality, sounding like someone scratching porcelain with their fingernails, making one's teeth ache.

Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department?

Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat. This was an old hand of the emperor, a person even cabinet ministers would treat with deference. Why would he personally come to the territory of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the middle of the night?

"So it's the head steward."

Zhou Yang immediately put on his signature smile, an expression that mixed shrewdness, cunning, and a touch of "sincerity." He cupped his hands in greeting, as if he had met a long-lost patron. "I wonder what brings you here so late, Steward? If you're here to collect entrance fees, I certainly won't give you credit."

The old eunuch was not angered by Zhou Yang's frivolity. He straightened up, and his slightly cloudy eyes swept over Zhou Yang, his gaze seemingly tangible, wandering over Zhou Yang's body through his clothes.

"Lord Zhou is so young, yet he has already reached the Grandmaster level and wields great power. His future is limitless," the old eunuch said with a forced smile, flicking his whisk lightly, sending several strands of white horsehair tracing an eerie arc in the air. "I've heard that Lord Zhou has recently been searching far and wide for some... strange and unusual old objects?"

Zhou Yang's eyelids twitched, and alarm bells rang in his mind. Was this the final, deliberate move?

"Oh dear, Your Excellency, your information network is indeed excellent." Zhou Yang showed no fear, but instead went a step further, even reaching into his sleeve for silver notes. "This humble official has no other hobbies than collecting scrap metal. What, does the palace have something good to sell? If the Imperial Household Department wants to entrust it to…"

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound interrupted Zhou Yang's words.

The old eunuch didn't actually move, but the end of his whisk seemed to come alive, resting itself on the heavy stone table in the middle of the courtyard. With a slight flick of his wrist, the stone table, weighing hundreds of pounds and carved from a single piece of bluestone, cracked open like tofu, the upper half of the tabletop silently sliding down and shattering on the ground.

The cut is as smooth as a mirror.

"Lord Zhou is a wise man, so I won't beat around the bush."

The old eunuch put away his whisk, his tone still indifferent, as if what had just crumbled was merely a piece of biscuit. "I smell it. There's a scent on you. It's the scent of royalty, the 'dragon aura' that only the most supreme beings can exude. That kind of thing doesn't belong to you, nor is it something your small frame can handle."

Threat.

A naked threat.

This is a veiled message to Zhou Yang: I know you've taken the Dragon Spine Fragment. Hand it over now, or you'll face the consequences.

The smile on Zhou Yang's face gradually faded, replaced by an emotion called "dissatisfaction." He glanced at the shattered stone table on the ground, his brows furrowed tightly, as if it were some rare treasure.

"What does this mean, Steward?" Zhou Yang's voice turned cold, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "I respectfully address you as my senior, Steward. But the moment you entered, you smashed my table without even asking what happened. Shouldn't we give you an explanation?"

"statement?"

The old eunuch, as if he'd heard a joke, curled his lips into a mocking smile. "In this capital, I'm the law. Zhou Yang, you're a smart man. A smart man knows what to do. Hand over the goods, and I can vouch for you before the Emperor, that you're 'ignorance is no excuse.' Otherwise…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the air in the courtyard suddenly became thick.

An invisible aura erupted from the old eunuch, instantly locking onto Zhou Yang. Zhou Yang felt as if the surrounding air had solidified, making each breath incredibly difficult, as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

Grandmaster!

Moreover, he is a master far beyond the ordinary early stage of Grandmaster, and may have even reached the threshold of the middle stage!

Faced with this terrifying pressure, Zhou Yang did not back down. He took a deep breath, and his true energy circulated wildly within his body. The horizontal sword that had never been truly drawn before emitted a low hum in his hand.

"Well... let's stick to what we said before."

Zhou Yang suddenly raised his head, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a near-mad calculation. "This stone table is government property. You broke it with your palm, so you have to pay for it. Compensation for mental distress, lost wages, depreciation, plus the damage to the feng shui of this courtyard... One price, 100,000 taels of silver."

"court death!"

The old eunuch clearly hadn't expected that even at this point, the boy would still be thinking about money.

He snorted coldly, and his right hand shot out suddenly. That withered hand instantly turned a jade-pink color, its five fingers forming claws, carrying a sweet, metallic scent as it aimed straight for Zhou Yang's throat. This seemingly ordinary grab sealed off all of Zhou Yang's escape routes; the claw's powerful force tore through the surrounding air, creating a subtle whistling sound.

This is the method of the palace's top experts: ruthless, precise, and leaving no room for error.

Zhou Yang's pupils contracted sharply. He didn't use any fancy tactics; his only response was—speed.

Draw your sword.

There are no special techniques, it's just pure speed.

"Clang!"

A clear, resonant clang of a blade echoed through the night sky. A flash of cold light, like lightning, tore through the darkness, crashing head-on into the old eunuch's claws.

There was no clanging sound of metal clashing as I had imagined.

Zhou Yang felt an overwhelming force travel along the blade, his tiger's mouth went numb instantly, and he involuntarily slid backward several feet, his feet carving two deep white tracks on the bluestone slab.

The old eunuch's figure only swayed slightly.

But he glanced down at his cuffs.

A two-inch-long white mark had appeared on the cuff of the once-glorious crimson python robe. It was the mark left by the blade's energy cutting through the outer fabric; although it hadn't injured the skin, it had still ruined the perfect python robe.

"What a sharp knife."

The old eunuch's nonchalance finally vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. He looked at Zhou Yang as if he were truly seeing this young man for the first time. "A Grandmaster level cultivator, yet you managed to force out thirty percent of the power of a miscellaneous master, and even left a mark on my sleeve. Zhou Yang, you are even more troublesome than the rumors suggest."

Zhou Yang shook his numb wrist, sheathed the knife, and a cold smile appeared on his face.

"You flatter me. Since the steward doesn't want to pay compensation, then there's no point in discussing this matter."

He straightened up and glared back defiantly. "Sir, you may be powerful, but if you want to keep me here, you'll probably have to break a few teeth. I'm tough, but my knife is very valuable. Even if I tear your clothes, I'll charge you five thousand taels, put it on your tab."

The old eunuch gave Zhou Yang a deep look. He didn't attack again. Although his previous strike seemed casual, he knew how sharp the blade energy had been. If it had penetrated even half a step deeper, it would have injured his meridians.

This kid not only has bizarre swordsmanship, but he also seems to possess some kind of secret technique that allows him to unleash power by burning his lifespan.

Having spent his entire life in the palace, the old eunuch knew perfectly well who to mess with and who to avoid. These reckless mad dogs, if pushed too far without a sure-fire way to kill them, would only result in mutual destruction.

Moreover, this is the Imperial Guard territory, and that woman is still in a building not far away. If they cause too much of a commotion and alert that person, it won't look good for them.

"Okay, that's a good 'keep it on the books' approach."

The old eunuch, enraged, laughed coldly. He flicked his whisk and slowly drifted backward, eventually reaching the courtyard wall. "Zhou Yang," he said, "let me give you one last piece of advice. The treasures of this world are worth risking your life for. Your lifespan isn't even enough to feed these things."

"Keep your hands to yourself and don't overreach. Otherwise, next time it won't be the table that gets broken."

As soon as the words were spoken, the purplish-red figure vanished into the night like a ghost, leaving only a faint sandalwood scent in the air, proving that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Zhou Yang stood still and did not immediately give chase.

Only after confirming that the terrifying aura had completely disappeared did he exhale a long breath, sway slightly, and lean against the pillar behind him.

"Phew... I almost killed that old bastard."

Zhou Yang touched his chest, which was heaving violently. That last strike, seemingly simple, had actually involved the "instant kill" prediction granted by the system, and he had burned ten years of his lifespan to enhance the explosive power of that instant.

As a result, all that was left was a white mark on the other person's sleeve.

Mid-stage Grandmaster, even approaching late-stage. Is this the power of the royal family?

"It seems the waters of this capital city are deep enough to drown a person."

Zhou Yang looked down at his hands. Although they were trembling slightly, his eyes shone even brighter. That attack, while failing to injure his opponent, had allowed him to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a top-tier expert.

Grandmasters are strong, but not invincible. As long as I have enough lifespan and good enough equipment, I might be able to kill this old eunuch.

"It's just the repair of this dragon spine fragment..."

Zhou Yang took out the ancient jade from his pocket. The old eunuch's words had reminded him that this thing was a hot potato, but it was indeed a treasure. If he wanted to gain a foothold in the capital, and if he wanted to survive under the nose of this "Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department," simply hiding wouldn't be enough.

We have to be quick.

I must find other fragments as soon as possible, or improve my cultivation level as soon as possible.

"System, the damage from that last strike has been assessed and corrected."

[Ding! Host has voluntarily burned ten years of lifespan to enhance attack; correction complete. Current lifespan reserve: 1237 years.]

Zhou Yang pursed his lips and stuffed the ancient jade back into his pocket.

Over 1,200 years sounds like a lot, but when you actually encounter such a tough opponent, it burns like a roaring fire.

"This old eunuch still owes me 105,000 taels of silver."

Zhou Yang glanced at the rubble on the ground and sneered. He'd remembered this money. He'd get it back, principal and interest, later.

Just then, the door to the neighboring yard creaked open.

Qin Shuang emerged wearing an outer robe, carrying a sword in her hand, her expression aloof, clearly awakened by the commotion.

"Did someone just come by?" She glanced at the broken stones on the ground, then at Zhou Yang's slightly disheveled posture, and frowned slightly.

"It's nothing, just a stone thief."

Zhou Yang waved his hand and said casually, "This thief didn't know what he was missing. He thought our table was too hard, broke his hand, and ran away."

Qin Shuang clearly didn't believe it. She walked to the broken stone table and picked up a shard of stone with her finger. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and it exuded a chilling aura of residual true energy.

"This is... a subtle, feminine palm strike." Qin Shuang stood up, her gaze sharp. "Someone from the Imperial Household Department?"

"It's better to see through it but not say it, Lord Qin."

Zhou Yang shrugged, turned and walked into the house. "Anyway, they're gone. Time to sleep. I still have to investigate the case tomorrow. This capital city, it never lets you have a moment's peace."

Qin Shuang watched his retreating figure, hesitant to speak. She knew Zhou Yang was definitely not telling the truth, but since he didn't want to talk, she couldn't get anything out of him by asking.

"Remember to blow the whistle next time you encounter this situation," she said to Zhou Yang's retreating figure.

"Blowing a whistle is too much trouble, just shout for help, it's so much faster!" Zhou Yang's voice came from the crack in the door, tinged with a hint of mockery. "As long as the money is right, Lord Qin will be my best bodyguard."

Qin Shuang shook her head helplessly and turned to go back to her room.

Zhou Yang was not asleep in the room.

He sat on the bed, toying with the ancient jade in his hand, his eyes fixed on a point in the void.

The old eunuch's appearance was a signal. The royal family had taken notice of him. The claim of "dragon aura" might just be an excuse, or it might be true. But in any case, the peaceful days were over.

"Since you don't want me to live a good life, then don't blame me for stirring up this mess."

Zhou Yang's lips curled into a ruthless smile.

"System, activate repair acceleration. Tomorrow, I'm going to the black market. Since that old bastard said I'm not worthy, I'll show him what a real 'nouveau riche' looks like."

Outside the window, the night was deep. The watchman struck the fourth watch gong.

There are still two hours until dawn.

But Zhou Yang's hunt has only just begun.