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

The Emperor's father-in-law's residence will be sleepless tonight.

The clamor in the backyard and the deathly silence in the front yard seemed like two different worlds. Sun Dehong, the Grand Tutor of the Emperor, was in his study, staring intently at a map of the capital's defenses. Though over sixty, he was remarkably vigorous, his eyes unfathomable. No matter how big or small the events in the capital escaped his notice.

Suddenly, a loud bang.

boom!

It felt like something heavy had hit the roof. The whole study shook, and dust fell from the beams.

"How dare you!" Sun Dehong suddenly looked up, a flash of anger in his eyes. His residence was right under the emperor's nose; who dared to be so insolent?

Outside the door, the leader of the trusted guards burst in, looking flustered.

"Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened! Someone...someone has damaged the roof!"

Before the words were finished, a second loud bang was heard.

Bang!

Directly above the study, a huge hole had been torn in the roof. Tiles shattered, and wood chips flew everywhere. A dark figure, carrying a strong stench of blood, descended from the sky and crashed heavily onto the rosewood octagonal table.

The table shattered into pieces on the spot.

Sun Dehong was startled and took three steps back, leaning against the antique shelf behind him, knocking over a valuable blue and white porcelain vase.

He steadied himself and looked closely.

A person was lying on the ground.

A man covered in blood. His Imperial Guard uniform was so soaked in blood that its original color was unrecognizable, turning a dark reddish-brown. His face and body were covered in wounds. The man struggled to his feet from the rubble, staggered a few steps, and almost fell again.

It's Zhou Yang.

Sun Dehong's pupils contracted. How did this kid, who had recently caused so much trouble, end up like this? How did he end up in his residence?

Zhou Yang raised his head, a strange smile on his face. In that smile, there was pain, madness, and a hint of relief.

He was clutching something tightly in his arms.

The thing was entirely crimson red, like a red-hot iron, and it kept writhing. Even from a distance, Sun Dehong could feel the scorching heat emanating from it.

"His Holiness the Dharma King..."

Zhou Yang's voice was as hoarse as a broken gong.

"Your elixir is here!"

With all his might, he threw the scalding hot object in his arms at Sun Dehong.

The thing drew a crimson arc in the air, carrying intense heat, and hurtled straight towards Sun Dehong's face.

Sun Dehong instinctively wanted to dodge. But he was the father-in-law of the emperor, a long-time ruler. His instinct wasn't to avoid, but to control.

That thing is clearly a priceless treasure.

He watched the crimson pill tumble in the air, his eyes flashing with greed and doubt, but he still reached out his hand.

Hold on tight.

The moment he got his hands on it, Sun Dehong's expression changed drastically.

It's too hot!

That wasn't an ordinary temperature. It was a searing pain that seemed to burn into his very bones and pierce his soul. He felt as if he were holding not a elixir, but a piece of burning coals pulled from hell.

But he held on tightly and wouldn't let go.

Just then, a dark figure silently appeared beneath the hole in the study.

The night wind ruffled the hem of his black robe, yet made no sound. He emerged from the darkness like a ghost.

Blackwater Dharma King.

His gaze did not fall on Zhou Yang, who was half-dead on the ground, nor on the terrified guards around him.

He only saw one person.

I saw Sun Dehong.

He saw the crimson pill in Sun Dehong's hand, which exuded an aura he knew all too well.

The Dharma King's face was expressionless. In those already lifeless eyes, all light vanished at that moment, leaving only pure, undisguised killing intent.

It was like a deep abyss frozen for millennia, which had cracked open, creating a rift leading to hell.

That murderous intent instantly locked onto Sun Dehong.

Sun Dehong felt as if he were being stared at by a monstrous serpent. His blood seemed to freeze. The pill in his hand felt incredibly heavy, scalding hot, and prickly to the touch.

He got it.

This is a trap.

A dead end tailor-made for him.

Zhou Yang? He didn't come to ask for help. He came to his death. Or rather, he came to drag himself to his death!

"The Emperor's father-in-law...is secretly hoarding... elixirs..."

With his last breath, Zhou Yang squeezed out a few words. He stared intently at the window on the other side of the study, his eyes hardening, and then, like an arrow released from a bow, he charged towards it.

Whoosh!

The window, frame and all, shattered. Zhou Yang's figure disappeared into the night.

The moment he escaped, his loud voice echoed throughout the entire Imperial Father-in-Law's residence.

"The Emperor's father-in-law is hoarding elixirs; he intends to keep them all for himself!"

The voice was shrill, filled with despair and the thrill of exposure, carrying far and wide through the silent night. Everyone in the mansion heard it clearly.

The air in the study seemed to freeze.

The guards looked at the dark figure at the door, then at their master, their faces turning ashen. They wanted to step forward to protect him, but found themselves too weak to even take a single step.

That was the Blackwater Dharma King.

A living, breathing humanoid evil god.

Sun Dehong's hands trembled uncontrollably. The scorching heat of the pill seemed to burn his palms to a crisp. But he dared not let go. He knew that if he loosened his grip even slightly, his head would be crushed like the pill in the next instant.

"Dharma... Dharma King..." Sun Dehong's voice was hoarse as he tried to offer a final explanation, "There's... a misunderstanding here..."

The Blackwater Dharma King ignored him.

He slowly raised one hand.

The hand had no nails, and the skin was an ominous bluish-black. The hand clenched, then slowly opened again.

As he moved, the air in the study seemed to be sucked out. The flying wood chips and broken porcelain shards all floated in mid-air.

An invisible pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, distorted and deformed the entire space.

Sun Dehong felt like he was suffocating. His bones were cracking, and the internal energy in his meridians felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, making it impossible to circulate.

He finally realized that he was facing a level that was completely incomprehensible.

Political maneuvering? Wealth? Status?

It is worthless in the face of this absolute power.

"No...don't..."

For the first time, genuine fear appeared in Sun Dehong's eyes. He wasn't afraid of death itself; he was afraid of dying meaninglessly. He had planned his entire life meticulously, calculating every move flawlessly, only to end up as a discarded pawn on someone else's chessboard.

Or it was a pawn used to draw enemy fire.

The Blackwater Dharma King finally made a move.

He took a step forward.

This step was very light.

No sound was made.

But the entire study, and even the entire mansion, shook violently.

He has taken another step closer to Sun Dehong.

Sun Dehong could see the strange runes on his face and smell the stench emanating from him, like that of a rotting swamp.

Death had never been so clearly revealed to him.

The guards scrambled out, knowing that staying meant certain death. They didn't even dare to think about what would happen to them if their master died. Right now, all they wanted was to survive.

Only Sun Dehong and the Blackwater Dharma King remained in the study.

A powerful minister, his face ashen, clutching a scalding hot pill.

An evil god radiating endless killing intent, pressing forward relentlessly.

Blackwater Dharma King raised his hand again, this time targeting the torn night sky above Sun Dehong's head.

He wanted to take back what was his. And, incidentally, to crush this foolish mortal who dared to lay a finger on his treasure.

Sun Dehong closed his eyes.

He could feel the wind pressure from that hand. The wind dried the cold sweat on his forehead.

It’s over.

Only those two words remained in his mind.

Just then, a clear, cold shout came from outside the mansion gate.

"This is an operation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard! All bystanders, please step aside!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like an icicle piercing the deathly silence of this frozen space.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of synchronized footsteps rang out.

Squads of elite soldiers, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, poured into the gates of the Imperial Father-in-Law's residence. They moved swiftly and solemnly, instantly taking control of the entire front courtyard and surrounding the entire backyard.

The leader was tall and had a cold and beautiful face.

Qin Shuang.

She stood in the center of the courtyard, glanced up at the hole in the roof, her cold gaze sweeping over the Blackwater Dharma King before finally settling on the doorway of the study.

Her face was expressionless.

It was as if everything before her eyes was completely under her control.