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

Night had fallen, and the lights of the capital city twinkled inside and outside the city walls. Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang stood at the foot of the old city wall in the north of the city, discussing in hushed tones.

"We're going to the Ghost Market." Qin Shuang's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"Understood." Zhou Yang nodded, already clutching the silver notes seized from the Eastern Depot.

The two walked along the stone-paved road towards the dilapidated alley in the south of the city. On both sides of the alley were crumbling tile-roofed houses, and stray cats often curled up under the eaves.

The lanterns at the street corner swayed, their red light casting mottled watermarks on the damp blue bricks.

Around the corner, a commotion arose from behind a half-open wooden door. Outside the door was a narrow alley, at the end of which was a row of low shops, with a red cloth hanging outside the door that read "Ghost Market".

This is the only place in the city that is not under the jurisdiction of the government, commonly known as the "no man's land".

Qin Shuang's sleeves trembled slightly as her gaze swept over her surroundings.

Zhou Yang went first and pushed open the wooden door. The air behind the door was stuffy and hot, mixed with the smells of alcohol, fish, and the smoky aroma of roasted meat.

A few oil lamps flickered in the darkness, illuminating a few tattered playing cards, and an old tin box was piled up in the corner.

"Find Bai Xiaosheng," Qin Shuang said in a low voice.

Amidst the commotion, an elderly man leaning on a cane slowly emerged.

His back was slightly hunched, his left leg was wrapped in a blood-red bandage, and the top of his cane was carved with a withered branch pattern.

The old man's eyes were shrouded in a thin layer of gray mist, obscuring his vision, yet they faintly gleamed with a calculating light.

"The All-Knowing Scholar?" Zhou Yang gestured.

The old man nodded, his voice low: "Exactly. You want to buy information?"

Zhou Yang took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and spread them out on the old wooden table. The silver notes gleamed coldly, and the paper bore the marks of an official seal.

"This is silver that the Eastern Depot just received; it's enough to buy a complete ledger."

Bai Xiaosheng tapped the silver note lightly with his fingers, making a crisp sound.

"I'm quite interested in this money," he said, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Qin Shuang stood aside, observing the old man's every move. She noticed a thin bloodstain at the corner of his eye, like an old wound that hadn't healed for years.

"We need a copy of the ledger." Zhou Yang handed over a thin scroll he had prepared beforehand. The scroll was densely filled with dozens of huge transactions.

"Send it to the leader of the Earthly Fiend Sect, anonymously." Zhou Yang's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Bai Xiaosheng took the thin scroll, his gaze instantly sharpening.

He chuckled softly, his voice sounding as if it came from deep within his throat: "Alright, I'll make the arrangements. As long as you guarantee that we'll continue to do business together."

Zhou Yang put away the banknotes and said calmly, "As long as the information isn't leaked, there's no need to say more."

The old man folded the thin roll and placed it into a worn wooden box. The outer wall of the box was worn smooth, as if it had been opened and closed many times before.

"I will send someone to deliver it at dawn tomorrow," Bai Xiaosheng said.

Qin Shuang frowned slightly and asked, "How much does it cost?"

Bai Xiaosheng's cane lightly touched the ground, making a crisp sound.

"I'll only take this much money; you've already paid enough," he said, a greedy glint in his eyes, as if he'd spotted a fat fish.

Zhou Yang looked at Qin Shuang, and the two nodded.

"Deal," the two said.

Then, Bai Xiaosheng stood up and slowly walked into the depths of the alley.

The night wind stirred up the dust on the ground, carrying away some of the smell of alcohol.

Zhou Yang gently brushed the sweat off his sleeves, feeling a slight chill on his back.

Qin Shuang's eyes were fixed on the old man's back, her lips expressionless.

The two turned and left the ghost market, returning to the shadows in the north of the city.

Along the way, lights occasionally flickered, but no one noticed their departure.

Back at his temporary hideout, Zhou Yang put the silver notes into a brocade pouch.

"Today's transaction has dragged us into an even deeper vortex," Qin Shuang said softly.

Zhou Yang lightly tapped his finger on the brocade pouch, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"There is gold in the whirlpool, but also blades. As long as we control the chips, we can still hold the blade in our hands."

Qin Shuang smiled, her voice calm yet sharp.

"As long as you don't get pulled along by that line, you can protect yourself."

Night continued to fall, and in the shadows of the city walls, only the sound of the wind and the distant drumbeats could be heard.

Their plan has already begun quietly in the shadows.

Bai Xiaosheng's figure gradually faded into the distance in the lamplight, the tapping sound of his cane echoing in the alley, like a seed that had been planted.

In Beijing, the sky brightens rather slowly.

A thin mist shrouded the gray-black tiles, like a layer of dirty cotton covering the entire city. Shop planks were being removed one by one, and shopkeepers yawned, casting the dim yellow light from their doors onto the bluestone slabs.

Xicheng is a place where people and news are never lacking.

"Have you heard? Something big has happened at the Green Dragon Society." A breakfast stall owner poured steaming hot soy milk into a bowl and said in a low voice to the shop assistant at the cloth shop next door.

"What's going on? Who dares to touch Master Zhao's territory?" The cloth shop assistant mumbled, munching on a fried dough stick.

The stall owner leaned closer, his voice barely audible. "Zhao Kun... Hall Master Zhao, he's got ties with the Embroidered Uniform Guard! This time, things are about to get really out of hand."

The cloth shop assistant paused, his eyes widening in surprise. "Really? This is a life-or-death deal. Aren't the Green Dragon Society and the Embroidered Uniform Guard irreconcilable enemies?"

"Shh—keep your voice down!" The stall owner looked around. "It's all over West City now. They're saying Zhao Kun sold several of his men in his territory to the Imperial Guards in exchange for benefits. Otherwise, why do you think his gambling dens haven't been raided lately?"

Rumors spread like wildfire.

It has no source, yet it burns the fastest.

It spread silently from the idle chatter in teahouses, from the whispers in brothels, and from the gambling games of gamblers. Every storyteller embellished the tale, and every listener understood without a word. Zhao Kun, the leader of the Green Dragon Society, became the number one traitor in the West City underworld overnight.

At noon, the sun came out and the fog dissipated somewhat. But the air in some streets and alleys in the western part of the city felt even heavier.

The people from the Earthly Fiends Sect have arrived.

It wasn't a large group, just three or five of them. They were dressed in matching black short-sleeved shirts, with ferocious ghost heads embroidered on their chests. Unlike the loud and boisterous members of the Green Dragon Society, they entered the shops on Green Dragon Society territory without uttering a single word.

"Bang!"

In a tavern bearing the sign of the Azure Dragon Society, a thug from the Earthly Fiends Sect smashed a wine jar on the ground. The clear wine, mixed with shards of pottery, splashed all over the floor.

The tavern owner's face turned pale. This was the territory of Zhao Kun, the leader of the Azure Dragon Society.

"Sorry," the thug grinned, revealing yellow teeth, "my hand slipped. Give us the best food and drinks on our tables as an apology to the innkeeper."

The shopkeeper glanced at him, then at his accomplices standing with their arms crossed by the door. His lips trembled, and he dared not speak. He knew this wasn't a slip of the hand. This was a provocation.

On the other side, a gambling den owner was dragged out and kicked twice in the street. The thugs from the Earthly Fiend Sect who beat him up claimed they were cheating, but everyone knew that the gambling den belonged to Zhao Kun and had very strict rules.

The conflicts were not numerous, but they occurred frequently.

Like countless invisible needles, they pierced the flesh of the Azure Dragon Society. The pain wasn't fatal, but it was humiliating and annoying. The Earthly Fiends Sect was using this method to tell everyone that the Azure Dragon Society's western city was no longer secure.

The headquarters of the Earthly Fiends Sect, a secret room.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of light streaming in from a tall window, barely illuminating the tea table in the center. Zhao Kun sat opposite him, his face ashen. He was a burly man, a scar running from his brow to the corner of his mouth, making him look like a raging lion.

Sitting opposite him was Shi Xiao, the leader of the Earthly Fiends Sect.

Shi Xiao wore a long white silk robe and held two smooth iron balls in his hands. He looked like a wealthy old man, but his eyes were like those of a venomous snake. The iron balls clinked together in his palm, making a dull "tap-tap" sound.

"Shi Xiao," Zhao Kun finally spoke, his voice barely audible, "your men are causing trouble on my turf. What's the meaning of this?"

Shi Xiao smiled, a faint smile. "Master Zhao, please calm down. My subordinates were ignorant; I'll deal with them later. However, I've heard some interesting rumors. It's said that you, Master Zhao, are looking to find a new employer?"

Zhao Kun slammed his fist down on the table. The wooden table shook.

"Bullshit!" he roared. "Who's been gossiping behind my back, trying to sow discord between my Earthly Fiend Sect and the Azure Dragon Society? And you, Shi Xiao, believe that?"

Shi Xiao wasn't annoyed. He picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "Whether I believe it or not is unimportant. What's important is that everyone in Xicheng believes it now. Your Qinglong Society's venues have been vandalized three times today. Tomorrow, I'm afraid no one will dare to come here. Hall Master Zhao, this will affect your business, and it will also affect our profit-sharing business."

He put down his teacup, his tone turning icy: "I only care about the results. Your territory is in chaos, and people's hearts are scattered. That's a loss for me. As for whether your collusion with the Embroidered Uniform Guard is true or not, I don't care. I'm only giving you three days."

"Three days?" Zhao Kun narrowed his eyes, his scar twitching.

"Yes," Shi Xiao said, "within three days, quell the rumors in Xicheng and win back the hearts of those who are causing trouble. Otherwise, our agreement ends here. From now on, the Earthly Fiend Sect will take over this land in Xicheng itself."

This is a blatant threat.

Zhao Kun's chest heaved violently. He knew that Shi Xiao was forcing him. Once the Earthly Fiend Sect no longer recognized the Azure Dragon Society's control over the Western City, other forces would pounce like sharks smelling blood. He, Zhao Kun, would be devoured alive.

"Fine," Zhao Kun spat out through gritted teeth. He abruptly stood up, the chair legs scraping loudly on the stone floor. "Three days it is!"

After he finished speaking, he strode out of the secret chamber without looking back. The heavy stone door slowly closed behind him, shutting out Shi Xiao's cold eyes.

The rift between the Earthly Fiends Sect and the Azure Dragon Society has appeared and is rapidly widening.

The tallest teahouse in the western part of the city is Wangjiang Tower.

The best view is from the window seat on the second floor.

Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang sat here with a pot of tea and two plates of melon seeds. They had a panoramic view of the streets and alleys below. They were like two idle spectators watching a play.

"Zhao Kun is out." Qin Shuang gently tapped the windowsill with her fingertips. Her voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Zhou Yang followed her gaze. He saw a burly figure, filled with anger, stride out of an alley in the distance, followed by several trusted men, and quickly disappear into the crowd.

"It seems the negotiations didn't go very well." Zhou Yang peeled a sunflower seed, popped the kernel into his mouth, and casually tossed the shell onto the table.

"Shi Xiao of the Earthly Fiends Sect is cunning and shrewd. He won't easily believe those rumors, but he'll use them to his advantage." Qin Shuang picked up her teacup, the steam blurring her vision. "He's forcing Zhao Kun to pledge his loyalty, and also using this opportunity to give him a warning. Zhao Kun might be forced into a corner this time."

Zhou Yang smiled. "It's better to be forced into a corner. A cornered dog will jump over the wall, and that's when the wall will collapse."

He picked up the teapot and refilled Qin Shuang's cup with water. The tea swirled in the cup.

"Is Bai Xiaosheng really reliable?" Qin Shuang suddenly asked. Her gaze shifted from the window to Zhou Yang's face.

"The All-Knowing Scholar of the Capital," a mysterious information broker. For money, there's no information he can't obtain, no rumor he can't spread. The core of Zhou Yang's plan this time was bribing this man, making him the one stirring up trouble.

Zhou Yang put down the teapot, leaned back in his chair, and put his hands behind his head. He looked out the window; the capital city looked like a giant steel beast, breathing in the sunlight.

"Qin Shuang," he said slowly, "who do you think is the easiest person to control in this world?"

Qin Shuang did not answer immediately.

"It's not about morality, nor is it about feelings," Zhou Yang answered himself, "it's about money."

He turned his head and looked at Qin Shuang, his eyes filled with a knowing and playful gaze.

"A greedy person, as long as you pay him the price he wants, will be more loyal than a dog. Because the cost of betraying you is too high for him. To get more money, he won't sell you out for a little less. Bai Xiaosheng is that kind of person."

Zhou Yang picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was a little cold and had a slightly bitter taste.

"He's greedy, so he's predictable. Every move he makes will be in the direction of maximizing his own gain. Isn't that the most reliable pawn?"

Qin Shuang fell silent. She looked at Zhou Yang's profile, the sunlight casting a pale golden hue on his features. He always managed to describe dark and cruel things with such naturalness and clarity.

It's as if this is the law of the world.

Downstairs, another group of thugs from the Earthly Fiends Sect and members of the Azure Dragon Society got into a verbal altercation and shoved each other a few times before being quickly separated by the neighbors. The conflict spread like ripples.

The deep waters of the capital have finally been stirred up.

Zhou Yang looked at his blurry reflection in the tea and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The wind has already picked up.