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

The imperial city bells rang three times.

The sky gradually darkened.

Zhou Yang walked on the stone-paved path beneath the palace walls.

The footsteps were light, yet echoed.

The lanterns on both sides cast a dim, yellowish light.

The light and shadow flickered on the ground, as if they were alive.

He just came out of the Wenhua Hall.

He held a bright yellow imperial edict in his hands.

The imperial edict contained few words.

But it's very heavy.

"Zhou Yang is hereby appointed to preside over the trial of the Third Prince's treason case. The matter must be thoroughly investigated within three days."

Just that simple sentence.

Zhou Yang put the imperial edict into his bosom.

The fabric clung to my chest, feeling somewhat hot.

He looked up at the sky.

The sun has already set.

Only a blood-red afterglow remained on the horizon.

It's like someone opened a hole in the sky.

Blood is flowing down.

"grown ups."

A voice came from behind me.

It was a small flag of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"The carriage is ready."

Zhou Yang nodded.

He didn't speak.

He got into the carriage.

The wheels began to roll.

The bluestone path stretched out behind us.

The carriage was dark.

There was only one small oil lamp.

The flames were flickering.

Zhou Yang's face flickered in and out of focus amidst the light and shadow.

He recalled the scene in the Wenhua Hall just now.

The emperor's expression was very unpleasant.

It looks like a piece of moldy jade.

That gloomy atmosphere was suffocating.

But the emperor's eyes were very bright.

Like two knives.

They'd scrape a person open alive.

Zhou Yang had his head down at the time.

Pretend to be very respectful.

In fact, he was observing.

Observe the emperor, observe the ministers, observe everything.

This case came at just the right time.

The third prince plotted a rebellion.

Such an important matter would normally not be presided over by a mere centurion.

Unless someone deliberately pushes him out.

Or perhaps the emperor wanted to test him.

The carriage stopped.

Zhou Yang opened his eyes.

Outside is the entrance to the Heavenly Prison.

Two stone lions were crouching there.

His mouth was wide open.

It looked like it wanted to devour the souls of passersby.

"My lord, we've arrived."

The driver's voice trembled slightly.

Zhou Yang got off the bus.

A cold, damp wind swept over me.

It smelled musty and bloody.

It's very strong.

It's disgusting.

The prison was built underground.

The entrance is very narrow.

The stone steps extend downwards.

There's no bottom in sight.

Torches were hung on the walls on both sides.

The firelight was dim.

It can only illuminate the path beneath our feet.

Zhou Yang walked down the stone steps.

Footsteps echoed in the empty passageway.

One sound after another.

It felt like someone was knocking on people's hearts.

He counted the steps.

There are a total of ninety-nine levels.

We reached the very bottom.

This is the core of the Heavenly Prison.

The air is getting colder.

The humidity is very high.

Water is seeping through the walls.

Water droplets dripped onto the ground, making a dripping sound.

It has a good rhythm.

It's like counting down something.

One prison cell after another.

They were all enclosed by thick iron fences.

There were people locked up in every cell.

Some people are crying.

Some people are laughing.

Some people remained motionless, as if they were dead.

Zhou Yang didn't look at them.

He walked straight inside.

His destination was the innermost cell.

The Third Prince is imprisoned there.

Zhao Xun.

The prison doors were made of high-quality steel.

Runes are engraved on it.

In the firelight, the runes glowed faintly.

It looks alive.

The jailer at the gate immediately knelt down when he saw Zhou Yang.

"Master Zhou."

Zhou Yang nodded.

"Open the door."

"yes."

The jailer pulled a large key from his waist.

The key is special; it has seven gears on it.

Insert into the keyhole and turn it seven times.

The lock is open.

The sound was very harsh.

It sounded like metal screaming.

Zhou Yang pushed open the prison door.

An even stronger stench wafted out.

It smelled like rotting meat mixed with the odor of excrement.

He frowned.

I went inside.

The cell was very small.

It was only about three steps wide and five steps long.

The ground was covered with dry grass.

It was already very dirty, a dark, murky mess.

A person was sitting in the corner.

He was wearing tattered clothes.

Her hair was very long, covering her face.

He huddled there, like a wounded beast.

"His Highness the Third Prince?"

Zhou Yang spoke.

The sound wasn't loud.

The person did not react.

Zhou Yang took another step forward.

"Your Highness, I am here on imperial orders to conduct the interrogation."

Still no response.

Zhou Yang bent down, wanting to see his face.

Just then, the person suddenly moved.

high speed.

Like a cheetah pouncing on its prey.

His hand grabbed Zhou Yang's ankle.

He is very strong.

Like iron clamps.

"Traitor!"

He roared.

His voice was hoarse, yet filled with hatred.

"You treacherous villain!"

Zhou Yang lowered his head.

I saw the Third Prince's face.

That face no longer resembled a human face.

The eyes are sunken, very deep.

Dark circles under the eyes.

My lips were chapped and covered with scabs.

His face was ashen.

There was no color in her skin.

But what Zhou Yang cared about most was his eyes.

There was no reason in those eyes.

Only madness.

There is also an aura of death.

A strong sense of death pervades the air.

It was like a black mist swirling in his eyes.

Zhou Yang had seen this kind of deathly aura before.

In the followers of Tenrikyo.

This is what happens to those who are corrupted by evil magic.

"open."

Zhou Yang said calmly.

"I kill you!"

The third prince roared, increasing the force in his hands.

Her fingernails had dug into Zhou Yang's flesh.

But he soon realized something was wrong.

This person's ankle is as hard as stone.

No matter how much I pinched it, it didn't work.

Zhou Yang flicked his wrist lightly.

The third prince was thrown out.

It slammed into the wall with a dull thud.

"you......"

The third prince wanted to charge again.

But then he found himself unable to move.

Zhou Yang's foot was on his chest.

It wasn't very heavy, but it rendered him unable to move.

"Your Highness, calm down."

Zhou Yang squatted down.

He brought his face close to the Third Prince's.

"Let's talk this out."

"What did you say?"

The third prince was panting, and the madness in his eyes intensified.

"What did you say? Why did I rebel? Why did I want that position?"

"Hehe...hehe..."

He laughed.

The laughter was strange.

It sounded like an owl calling.

"You all know, you all know!"

"But you don't know, it wasn't me, it wasn't me who wanted that position!"

"It's him! It's that immortal master!"

The Third Prince's voice suddenly became very shrill.

It sounded like she was screaming.

He said he could help me, he said he could give me everything!

"But it's a lie! It's all a lie!"

Zhou Yang's eyes narrowed.

"A Celestial Master?"

"Yes! Immortal Master!"

The third prince struggled to sit up.

He wore a gray robe, his face was obscured, and he always stood in the shadows...

"He gave me pills, saying they were elixirs of immortality that would grant me eternal life..."

"But...but..."

The Third Prince's voice suddenly stopped.

His eyes were wide open.

It was as if they had seen something terrifying.

"But...my body...my body is dying..."

His voice turned into a whisper.

"I can feel myself dying..."

Zhou Yang looked closely at the Third Prince.

Indeed, there were signs of evil magic affecting him.

That deathly aura was exactly the same as that of the people of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

Strangely, the Third Prince's cultivation level was not high.

According to the usual practice of the Heavenly Principle Sect, they would not put so much effort into this kind of person.

unless......

Where is that immortal master now?

Zhou Yang asked.

"I don't know... I really don't know..."

The third prince shook his head, tears streaming down his face.

He came to me, not the other way around...

"He gave me many pills, red, like blood..."

As he spoke, he suddenly grabbed his own throat.

It felt like something was choking it.

"Cough cough... cough cough..."

He started coughing violently.

He coughed up blood.

The blood is black.

It landed on the ground, making a sizzling sound.

It looked like strong acid had corroded the ground.

Zhou Yang took a step back.

This blood is poisonous.

Moreover, it is highly toxic.

The third prince coughed for a while, then stopped.

He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Help me...help me..."

He reached out his hand to Zhou Yang.

"I don't want to die... I really don't want to die..."

Zhou Yang looked at him.

This once high and mighty prince is now crawling on the ground like a dog.

He begged him to save his life.

What an irony.

"I can save you."

Zhou Yang spoke slowly.

The third prince's eyes lit up.

"real?"

"real."

Zhou Yang nodded.

"But you have to tell me everything."

"Everything!"

The third prince nodded without hesitation.

"You tell me! I'll tell you everything!"

"When did that immortal master arrive?"

"About...three months ago..."

The third prince tried hard to recall.

That night, he suddenly appeared in my bedchamber...

"Without alerting anyone..."

He said he saw my ambition and was willing to help me...

As Zhou Yang listened, he tapped his fingers lightly on the wall.

Three months ago.

That was precisely the time when he was handling Fang Tian's case.

What a coincidence?

What did he give you?

"Pills... and a cultivation manual..."

The Third Prince's voice lowered even further.

"He said it was a celestial technique, and that practicing it would grant immortality..."

"I practiced... I really practiced..."

"But the more I practiced, the colder I felt..."

"My health is getting worse and worse..."

Zhou Yang's brows furrowed even more.

Celestial martial arts techniques?

This sounds like a scam by the Heavenly Principle Sect.

They often use this kind of rhetoric to win people over.

"What else did that immortal master say?"

"He said...he said something big is about to happen in the capital..."

He said all members of the royal family would die...

"Only by following him can we survive..."

Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat.

Are all members of the royal family going to die?

This doesn't sound like a simple rebellion.

It's more like a conspiracy.

Where else has he appeared?

"I don't know... I really don't know..."

The third prince shook his head, his expression pained.

"He always comes suddenly, and he leaves without a trace..."

"Like...like a ghost..."

Zhou Yang stood up.

He has obtained the information he wanted.

"etc!"

The third prince suddenly called out to him.

"You have to save me! You said you'd save me!"

Zhou Yang turned around.

"I will."

He said something simple.

Then he turned and walked out of the cell.

The jailers outside are waiting.

Zhou Yang locked the door again.

"Find a good doctor and have him examined."

"Yes, sir."

The jailer agreed, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes.

The imperial physicians have examined the Third Prince's condition.

Everyone says it's hopeless.

Does this new adult have a solution?

Zhou Yang offered no explanation.

He walked back the way he came.

The sound of footsteps continued to echo.

But he was thinking about something else.

The matter concerning the Third Prince is just the tip of the iceberg.

There must be an even bigger conspiracy behind this.

Tianlijiao.

The gray-robed immortal master.

All members of the royal family must die.

These words swirled in his mind.

When I reached the ground, it was completely dark.

The moon has risen.

Like a cold eye, it looks down on the earth.

Zhou Yang took a deep breath.

The air still had that chilly smell.

"grown ups."

The little flag from before has reappeared.

"Is there anything else you need?"

Zhou Yang thought about it.

"Where is the Third Prince's personal eunuch now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, he is being held in the east wing."

"take me."

"yes."

The two walked towards the east wing.

This place is better than the Heavenly Prison.

At least good ventilation.

There's a bed and a table.

It looks like an ordinary prison cell.

The eunuch was locked in a separate room.

Zhou Yang had someone open the door.

The eunuch was sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

Upon seeing Zhou Yang enter, he immediately knelt down.

"My lord, have mercy on me! My lord, have mercy on me!"

"Get up."

Zhou Yang sat down at the table.

"I have something to ask you."

"Please ask, sir, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

The eunuch stood up, but his head remained bowed.

I dare not look at Zhou Yang.

"Your Highness, does the Third Prince have a personal eunuch?"

"Yes...yes..."

The eunuch's voice trembled slightly.

"What's your name?"

"Call him Xiao Dezi..."

Where are they?

"Dead..."

"Dead?"

Zhou Yang's eyes turned cold.

"How did you die?"

"He committed suicide three days ago..."

As the eunuch spoke, he secretly glanced at Zhou Yang.

"A chopstick was inserted into his throat..."

Zhou Yang tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Suicide?

What a coincidence!

Just before he was about to interrogate him, the eunuch who knew the most about the matter committed suicide.

This was not an accident.

Someone is trying to silence them.

"Who does Xiao Dezi usually associate with the most?"

"this......"

The eunuch hesitated.

"explain."

Zhou Yang's voice was very calm.

But the eunuch trembled with fear.

"Reporting to you, sir, Xiao Dezi... he doesn't usually talk to people much..."

"But...but he often goes to Ankoku-ji Temple outside the palace by himself..."

Anguo Temple?

Zhou Yang wrote down the name.

"Shall we go somewhere else?"

"And...and Juxian Tower in the south of the city..."

"Xiao Dezi sometimes meets guests there..."

"Who are you meeting?"

"This little man doesn't know... Xiao Dezi is very careful..."

The eunuch wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Every time he goes, he's alone..."

"And...and he can change clothes..."

"Changing clothes?"

"Yes... sometimes I dress up as a merchant, sometimes as a scholar..."

Zhou Yang nodded.

That's all the eunuch knows.

"And you?"

Zhou Yang suddenly asked.

What do you usually do?

"Me? I'll be serving Your Highness..."

"Haven't you been to any special places?"

No! Absolutely not!

The eunuch quickly shook his head.

"I've always been very well-behaved..."

Zhou Yang looked at him.

This eunuch is lying.

His eyes were darting around.

And my heart is beating very fast.

Although he tried hard to hide it, it was still obvious.

"Really not?"

"Really, no!"

"That......"

Zhou Yang stood up and walked to the eunuch.

What's in your pocket?

The eunuch's face turned pale instantly.

His hand instinctively covered his pocket.

"N-nothing...it's nothing..."

Zhou Yang extended his hand.

"Take it out."

"grown ups......"

"Take it out."

Zhou Yang's voice remained unchanged.

But the eunuch felt a chill.

That kind of coldness seeps into your very bones.

With trembling hands, he pulled something out of his pocket.

It is a small wooden sign.

There is a single character engraved on it.

day.

Zhou Yang took the wooden plaque.

Examine it carefully in the firelight.

The wooden sign was poorly made.

It looks like it was carved in a hurry.

But the character "天" (tian, meaning sky) was carved very neatly.

Every stroke carries a certain rhythm.

It's like a secret code.

"Whose is this?"

Zhou Yang asked.

"It's...it's Xiao Dezi's..."

The eunuch's voice trembled.

"He...he said it's a talisman..."

"Let me keep it for him..."

Zhou Yang turned the wooden sign over.

There is also a very small character on the back.

Management.

Natural law.

It turned out to be the case.

Zhou Yang understood.

This eunuch was also a member of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

"Xiao Dezi, are you a member of the Heavenly Principle Sect?"

The eunuch suddenly raised his head.

His eyes were filled with terror.

"My lord... how... how did you know...?"

"I not only know this, I also know you do."

Zhou Yang said calmly.

"No...no! I'm not!"

The eunuch panicked.

"I'm really not!"

"Yeah?"

Zhou Yang's fingers gently traced the words on the wooden sign.

"What about this one?"

"This...this is what I found..."

"Found it?"

"Yes! I found it when I was sorting through Xiao Dezi's things after he died..."

The eunuch hurriedly explained.

"I was afraid of getting into trouble, so... so I didn't report it..."

Zhou Yang looked at him.

This eunuch's acting is terrible.

He's even worse than him.

"Raise your head."

"grown ups......"

"Raise your head."

The eunuch slowly raised his head.

There was a very faint mark on his forehead.

It looks like it's been branded on by something.

The shape of the mark is very strange.

It looks like an eye.

Zhou Yang had seen this mark before.

Among the high-ranking members of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

They call it the "Eye of God".

"Your status is higher than Xiao Dezi's."

Zhou Yang said slowly.

The eunuch's face completely lost its color.

"It seems I can't hide it from you."

He suddenly calmed down.

The previous fear disappeared, replaced by indifference.

"Whose side are you on?"

Zhou Yang asked.

And who are you?

The eunuch asked in return.

"I'll handle the hearings, you handle the answers."

"hehe......"

The eunuch laughed.

"Lord Zhou, do you really think this is just a simple case of treason?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Third Prince is merely a pawn."

"piece?"

"Yes, chess pieces."

The eunuch's eyes became strange.

"A grand game has just begun."

"And you, Lord Zhou, you are also a pawn."

"We are all pawns."

Zhou Yang fell silent.

The eunuch knew more than he thought.

"Go on."

"What did you say?"

"Tell me everything you know."

The eunuch shook his head.

"I can't say."

Why?

"Because I want to live too."

"If you tell me, I can let you live."

"hehe......"

The eunuch laughed again.

"Lord Zhou, what makes you think you can let me live?"

"You look down on me?"

"No, I despise this world."

The eunuch's eyes turned somewhat sad.

"In this world, no one can truly live."

"We are all walking corpses."

"A puppet manipulated by fate."

Zhou Yang looked at the eunuch.

Suddenly I felt sorry for him.

No, I feel sorry for them.

Including himself.

"Who is that gray-robed immortal master?"

Zhou Yang continued to ask.

The eunuch shook his head.

"I really don't know."

All I know is that he'll be here soon.

"Coming to the capital?"

"yes."

The eunuch's eyes became very unfocused.

"He will come when the blood moon rises."

"It brings true...redemption."

Blood Moon?

Zhou Yang wrote down the word.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

The eunuch thought for a moment.

"Lord Zhou, let me give you a piece of advice."

"What did you say?"

"Don't investigate any further."

Why?

"Because you will die."

The eunuch's voice was very soft.

"Just like Xiao Dezi."

"Like everyone who knows the truth."

"The truth can often kill."

Zhou Yang did not speak.

He was just looking at the eunuch.

Looking at this eunuch who suddenly became very philosophical.

"I'm leaving."

Zhou Yang turned around.

"Sir, you won't kill me?"

The eunuch was somewhat surprised.

"Don't kill."

Zhou Yang said calmly.

Why?

"Because you're still useful."

Zhou Yang walked out of the room.

The moonlight outside is cold.

The sunlight shone on him like a layer of frost.

The eunuch was still talking inside.

The sound was very soft.

It was as if he was talking to himself.

"Chess pieces...we are all chess pieces..."

Zhou Yang ignored him.

He walked out of the prison gates.

The air outside is very fresh.

It smells of earth.

The carriage is still waiting.

When the driver saw Zhou Yang come out, he quickly came to greet him.

"My lord, shall we return to the manor?"

"No."

Zhou Yang shook his head.

"Go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters."

"yes."

The carriage started moving again.

Zhou Yang leaned against the car wall.

Close your eyes.

My mind is filled with too many things.

The Third Prince's Madness

The eunuch's warning.

The gray-robed immortal master.

Tianlijiao.

Blood Moon.

These things are intertwined, like a large net.

He was trapped in the net.

The carriage stopped.

Zhou Yang opened his eyes.

We've arrived at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters.

It's quieter here than in the palace.

It's also very dark.

Only a few lanterns swayed in the wind.

Zhou Yang walked into the yamen.

The guard on duty saw him and quickly saluted.

"grown ups."

"Is the light still on at the Hundred Household Office?"

"The lights are on; Lord Qin is inside."

"knew."

Zhou Yang walked towards the Hundred Household Office.

His office is on the second floor.

Sure enough, the light was still on.

Light shone through the crack in the door.

Zhou Yang pushed the door open and went in.

Qin Shuang was sitting at the table, looking at the case files.

She looked up when she saw Zhou Yang come in.

"You're back?"

"Um."

Zhou Yang sat down in the chair.

"How is it?"

"A discovery has been made."

Zhou Yang briefly recounted what had just happened.

Qin Shuang listened carefully, her brows gradually furrowing.

"People from the Heavenly Principle Sect?"

"Um."

Zhou Yang nodded.

"And it's not just ordinary believers."

"That eunuch has a divine eye on his forehead."

Qin Shuang's expression changed.

"The Eye of God? That's the mark of a core member of the Heavenly Principle Cult."

"yes."

Zhou Yang stretched.

"So this case is more complicated than we imagined."

Who do you think that gray-robed immortal master is?

"have no idea."

Zhou Yang shook his head.

"But one thing is certain: he was an important figure in the Heavenly Principle Sect."

"The Third Prince was merely a tool he used to test the waters."

"What are you testing?"

"To test the capital's reaction."

Zhou Yang looked at the moon outside the window.

"Or rather, to test the emperor's reaction."

Qin Shuang fell silent.

She realized how serious the situation was.

This was not a simple rebellion.

This is a conspiracy.

A conspiracy targeting the entire royal family.

"What do we do next?"

Qin Shuang asked.

"Continue the investigation."

Zhou Yang's tone was very calm.

"That eunuch was right; we are all pawns."

"But chess pieces can also overturn the chessboard."

Qin Shuang looked at Zhou Yang.

His eyes shone brightly in the firelight.

Like two stars.

There is an indomitable light within it.

"I'll help you."

she says.

"I knew you would say that."

Zhou Yang smiled.

"Oh, right, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?"

"We might have to move."

"Move? To where?"

"A more upscale place."

Zhou Yang stood up and walked to the window.

"The emperor won't let me be just a centurion."

"Once this case is closed, I will be promoted."

"Then we'll have a bigger yard."

Qin Shuang also stood up and walked to his side.

"Just a promotion?"

"Um?"

"Nothing else?"

Zhou Yang thought about it.

"There might be... more trouble."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

The light shines on this ancient city.

Late at night.

But for some, things are only just getting started.

Zhou Yang knew that the days to come would not be peaceful.

But he wasn't afraid.

The more troubles you encounter, the more opportunities you have.

This is a principle he has always believed in.

Moreover, he is not alone.

Standing beside him was Qin Shuang.

This is enough.