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

The wind from Black Wind Mountain carried a burnt smell.

Zhou Yang descended the mountain with light steps. Despite traveling all night, he was in surprisingly good spirits. The incomplete scroll of the "Blood Transformation Technique" he carried in his arms exuded a chilling aura even through the fabric, along with the several bottles of pills he had taken from Master Xuanji's secret chamber, each one of considerable value.

This deal was worthwhile.

Instead of rushing back to the Embroidered Uniform Guard's headquarters to make a scene, he first detoured to a notorious brothel in the city. After taking a hot bath and changing into clean clothes to mask the lingering smell of blood and death, he leisurely strolled back to the Hundred-Household Office.

As soon as I stepped through the gate, the courtyard was quiet.

The usually boisterous Imperial Guard captains were all cowering like quails in their duty rooms today, not daring to show their faces. Even the janitors were meek and submissive, not daring to breathe loudly.

Zhou Yang narrowed his eyes.

Something's off.

He ignored the stares of others, walked straight across the front yard, and pushed open the door to Qin Shuang's office.

The room was dimly lit as the lights were off.

Qin Shuang sat behind her desk, clutching a letter in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her usually icy face was now covered with a layer of frost, and her eyes, which were usually shrewd and capable, now revealed an undisguised weariness.

Hearing the door open, she didn't look up, but simply said, "You're back."

"Yes, I'm back."

Zhou Yang didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled up a chair next to him, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea. The tea was already cold and bitter, but he drank it with relish, as if he were savoring some kind of nectar.

"Is Black Wind Mountain cleaned up?" Qin Shuang put down the letter and rubbed her temples.

"A single fire, and it's all gone." Zhou Yang put down his teacup, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "The Heavenly Principle Sect's branch, along with that Xuanji Master, has all turned to ashes. Incidentally, I also brought back some interest."

He spoke of it casually, as if he had simply borrowed a bucket of water from his neighbor.

Qin Shuang nodded, not asking any further questions about the spoils. Normally, she would have given him a good talking-to, demanding he hand over the public property. But today, she clearly wasn't in the mood for that.

"People from the capital have arrived." Qin Shuang's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Zhou Yang paused, slightly raising his eyelids: "Oh? So fast."

"Not a person, but faith."

Qin Shuang pushed the letter she had been holding for a while over. The envelope was made of fine gold-flecked Xuan paper, sealed with the Qin family's private seal, and the sealing wax was intact, clearly indicating that it had not been opened by anyone else.

"My third uncle wrote it." Qin Shuang leaned back in her chair, looking somewhat dejected. "See for yourself."

Zhou Yang reached out and picked up the envelope. With a gentle twist of two fingers, the seal opened. Inside was only a thin sheet of paper.

The handwriting on the paper was vigorous and powerful, exuding the arrogance of a prominent family. The content was brief, just a few words, yet every word was piercing.

"That old bastard Chen Qianhu has climbed up the social ladder."

Zhou Yang glanced at it twice, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

The letter clearly stated that Commander Chen had somehow gotten lucky and connected with the princes' faction. With the political situation at court uncertain, the princes, vying for power, needed to plant spies in the provinces. Commander Chen, determined to climb the ranks, had gone to great lengths, essentially using Anyang County as his pledge of allegiance.

"Ineffective bandit suppression?"

Zhou Yang read the four words on the letter and couldn't help but chuckle. "That's quite a accusation. I've quelled the banditry in Black Wind Mountain, and he just spouts nonsense."

"The focus isn't on suppressing the bandits," Qin Shuang said in a low voice. "The focus is on what comes next."

Zhou Yang's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the last few lines of the letter.

"That man surnamed Chen, on this pretext, has submitted a memorial impeaching you. He suggests transferring you from Anyang Prefecture to the northern frontier to oversee defenses. It's ostensibly a promotion, but in reality, it's an exile. The process is underway, and if there are no unforeseen circumstances, the official document will be issued soon."

"The Northern Frontier..." Zhou Yang stroked his chin, "That place is bitterly cold, not far from death. Commander Chen is trying to use you as a tool to kill you, forcing you onto a dead end."

"That's not the worst part." Qin Shuang took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress some emotion. "My third uncle also mentioned in the letter that Commander Chen, in order to prevent me from resorting to desperate measures, secretly found out the whereabouts of my Qin family's collateral branch."

Zhou Yang's fingers, which were holding the letter, paused slightly.

He knew a little about the Qin family. The entire family was loyal and brave, but almost all of them died. Qin Shuang was the only heir and the last hope of the Qin family. She usually seemed cold and hard, but in fact, she valued that distant relative, who was nowhere to be found, more than her own life. That relative was her only remaining blood tie in this world.

"Did he find it?" Zhou Yang asked.

"I don't know the exact location, but Commander Chen's men are already investigating." Qin Shuang raised her head, her usually sharp eyes now bloodshot. "Once he gets his hands on it, I'll have to go to the Northern Frontier, even if I don't want to."

This is a blatant threat.

Without swords or knives, just a few whispers can drive someone into a dead end.

Zhou Yang casually tossed the letter back onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms behind his head. He stared at the roof beams as if he were doing some calculations.

"That old bastard's methods are pretty ruthless," Zhou Yang muttered. "He's trying to find your weakness and mold it into his own pieces."

Qin Shuang didn't speak, she just sat there quietly.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional bird calls from outside the window sounding particularly jarring.

Zhou Yang turned his head and looked at Qin Shuang's appearance. The usually aloof and cold female boss who only knew how to make him work and deduct his salary now looked more like an ordinary person who had been schemed against and had nowhere to turn.

He didn't dislike the feeling.

He even found it somewhat interesting.

"Scared?" Zhou Yang suddenly asked.

Qin Shuang glared at him and said irritably, "Scared? I'm just... annoyed."

"What's the use of getting angry?" Zhou Yang curled his lip. "Chen Qianhu is now relying on the princes' faction behind him, getting whatever he wants. We can't beat him in terms of the rules. He can exile you to the frontier with just a piece of paper, and you won't dare to utter a word."

"Then what can you do?" Qin Shuang asked back, her tone tinged with helplessness. She knew Zhou Yang was full of tricks, but this time he was facing overwhelming pressure from above—absolute power that couldn't be reversed by a little cleverness.

There's always a way.

Zhou Yang sat up straight, extended a finger, and tapped it lightly on the table.

"Commander Chen's move is called 'cutting off the fuel supply from under the cauldron.' He wants to transfer you away to install his own people. He also wants to use your relatives as hostages to prevent you from resisting. This combination of tactics is indeed watertight."

But he forgot one thing.

Qin Shuang looked at him: "What?"

"He forgot that the rules of this world are rigid, but people are flexible." Zhou Yang's face revealed that signature, calculating smile. "Also, he forgot what we have."

"What do we have?" Qin Shuang was taken aback.

"We have me."

Zhou Yang pointed to his nose and said confidently.

Qin Shuang's lips twitched, and she was about to roll her eyes when she saw that Zhou Yang had already dropped his playful expression and his eyes had become deep and unfathomable.

"This matter is actually not difficult to handle. But since he wants to go to extremes, we have to let him know what pain is." Zhou Yang stood up, picked up the letter on the table, and tore it to shreds in a few strokes.

Paper scraps fell to the ground like snowflakes.

"The transfer documents haven't come through yet, so there's still room for maneuver. As for that distant relative..." Zhou Yang patted the scraps of paper off his hands, "As long as we cut off Chen Qianhu's connection, or make him too busy to take care of himself, this threat will crumble on its own."

He turned around and looked at Qin Shuang: "But this will cost extra."

Qin Shuang was taken aback for a moment, and then a hint of warmth appeared in her icy eyes. She knew that although Zhou Yang was a smooth talker and loved money more than anything, as long as he spoke up, there was a chance.

"How much do you want?" Qin Shuang asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"Not much." Zhou Yang held up three fingers. "You need to give me an official position in return for the spoils from Black Wind Mountain this time. Also, after Commander Chen fell from power, I want to pick two of his shops and houses in Anyang County."

"Deal." Qin Shuang agreed readily.

Zhou Yang nodded in satisfaction and turned to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Qin Shuang asked.

"Since they've already put a knife to our throats, we can't just sit here doing nothing." Zhou Yang waved his hand without turning his head. "I'll go investigate how many shady dealings this Commander Chen has up his sleeve. And while I'm at it, I'll empty his pockets."

As Zhou Yang reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Qin Shuang.

"Oh, right, there's something else."

He pointed to the scraps of paper on the ground, "Have someone sweep these up. They're bad luck."

After saying that, he strode out of the courtyard.

Sunlight streamed down his body, casting a long shadow. Zhou Yang stepped out of the Imperial Guard's gate and disappeared into the bustling crowd. The smile on his face had vanished, replaced by the cold ruthlessness of a hunter eyeing its prey.

Chen Qianhu.

The princes' party.

And then there's that Tianli Sect, whose location is unknown.

This game is getting bigger and bigger. But it doesn't matter, as long as the price is right, he can overturn any chessboard, no matter how big.

He touched the copy of "Blood Transformation Technique" in his arms, which he hadn't even warmed up yet, and then touched the fragment of the dragon spine hidden in the shadows.

"life……"

Zhou Yang silently recited it in his mind.

The system panel flashed before his eyes.

[Remaining lifespan: 212 years]

This trip to Black Wind Mountain has been quite profitable. Now, it's time to spend some of it and give Commander Chen a big gift.

He slipped into a narrow alley, his figure flashing a few times before disappearing into the intricate network of lanes in Anyang County. He left behind only a fleeting, ethereal sentence that swirled in the wind.

"Lord Chen, is the money ready?"