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

The horses' hooves pounded on the official road, kicking up a cloud of dry dust.

The gray outline of the capital city finally appeared on the horizon.

Zhou Yang reined in the reins.

The black horse beneath him was panting heavily, its mouth and nostrils filled with white foam. It had been resting for a day and a night.

Zhou Yang dismounted.

His legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground. His muscles trembled uncontrollably, and a series of needle-like aches and pains came from the soles of his feet.

He held onto the horse's neck and took a breath.

It felt like a fire was burning in my throat. Every breath I took carried a sweet, metallic taste of blood.

He has no time to rest.

He tied the reins to a tree by the roadside, took a water bag from his pocket, unscrewed it, and took several large gulps. The cool water flowed down his throat, slightly easing the burning sensation.

He looked up and gazed at the capital city.

The enormous city resembled a crouching beast. The outline of its walls, bathed in the setting sun, was tinged with an ominous crimson hue.

He straightened his cloak to conceal his weary face, then strode toward the city gate.

It's easier to get into the city than usual.

The soldiers guarding the city seemed to be in a state of panic, and the checks were just a formality. There was an undisguised tension in their eyes when they looked at people.

Something in the air is different now.

As Zhou Yang walked down the street, he could clearly feel it.

There were far fewer pedestrians on the street. The vendors' cries were weak and feeble. People on the road walked a few paces faster than usual. Their faces were tense, and their eyes would occasionally glance in the direction of the palace before quickly looking away.

It was like an invisible net, covering the entire capital city.

The net is slowly tightening.

Zhou Yang lowered the brim of his hat and turned into a quiet alley.

At the end of the alley was a shop with a sign that read "Zhang's Cloth Shop." This was a secret contact point for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He pushed the door open and went in.

A shop assistant was doing accounts; when he saw him, he merely glanced up.

"What would you like to order, sir?"

"A scroll of plain brocade from Jiangnan," Zhou Yang said softly.

"That's all. Only one bolt of tribute silk from Jianzhou remains." The shopkeeper said without looking up.

"I want that one."

The waiter put down his abacus and gestured, "Please come to the backyard."

Zhou Yang walked through the shop and came to the backyard.

Various fabrics were piled up in the courtyard, and a figure was leaning against a pillar, stroking the embroidered spring knife at his waist.

It's Qin Shuang.

She seemed to have lost some weight, and her face was somewhat pale. But her eyes, in the dim courtyard, shone with an astonishing brightness.

"You're back."

Qin Shuang spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.

"I'm back." Zhou Yang walked up to her. "How did it go?"

"It's worse than I thought." Qin Shuang pointed to the side room. "Let's go inside and talk."

The two went inside.

The room was dimly lit, with no lights on. A map of Beijing's defenses lay on the table.

"The Crown Prince hasn't attended court for three days," Qin Shuang's voice rang out in the darkness, calm as if she were speaking of someone else's affairs. "Everyone who wants to see him is being kept outside the Eastern Palace. Including me."

"Where is Wuchen?"

"Nobody knows where he is." Qin Shuang pointed heavily at the location of the imperial city on the map. "He's like a ghost. But I know he must be somewhere in the imperial city. Like a spider, guarding the center of its web."

Zhou Yang remained silent for a moment.

He took the fragment of the dragon's spine from his pocket and placed it on the table.

The cold gleam of metal flashed in the dim light.

"I know what he's doing."

Qin Shuang's gaze fell on the fragment, and her eyes flickered.

"This is no ordinary divine weapon." Zhou Yang's voice was low, carrying a hint of weariness he himself didn't realize. "The Heavenly Principle Sect's purpose is not to use it to kill people."

He paused, then continued, "They want to repair it, using the blood and soul of countless people. To turn it into a... a 'root'."

"root?"

"Yes. A root that can take root in this land and draw upon the martial arts essence of the world." Zhou Yang looked into Qin Shuang's eyes. "Once it succeeds, it will control the martial arts lineage of the world. They want to cut off any possibility of resistance from the very foundation for all martial artists. What techniques they want to learn depends on their approval. Whoever's cultivation can break through also needs their nod."

"This is true enslavement."

Qin Shuang's breathing visibly paused for a moment.

The veins on the back of her hand, which was gripping the knife hilt, were bulging.

She had seen darkness, power struggles, and the darkest aspects of human nature. But this madness—the desire to uproot the entire martial arts world and completely manipulate it—still sent a chill down her spine.

"The Crown Prince... is he a sacrificial offering?"

"Yes and no." Zhou Yang shook his head. "The Crown Prince is the 'key.' Only the blood of the royal family can ultimately ignite this altar. Wu Chen controlled the Crown Prince to wait for the perfect moment. That moment is when the altar is fully set up."

Qin Shuang closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, all that remained was a cold determination.

"We can't wait any longer."

"We can't wait," Zhou Yang agreed.

He took a heavy, long package out of his bag and pushed it in front of Qin Shuang.

"What is this?"

"Sent by the Xie family. Heavy armor made of black iron." Zhou Yang unpacked the package, revealing the black armor inside.

The armor had a simple, ancient style, was entirely black, and lacked any luster. The patterns on its surface weren't carved on; they looked more like natural veins. It had a strange, warm feel to the touch, completely unlike metal.

"This thing...something's not right." Qin Shuang's fingers traced across the armor.

"It's no ordinary iron," Zhou Yang explained. "It's forged from a mixture of deep-sea iron and 'Tranquility Stone' powder. Ordinary swords and blades can't damage it in the slightest. Most importantly, it can withstand mental attacks."

He looked at Qin Shuang and said, "This is what Wuchen is best at. If you wear it, at least you can ensure that you won't be easily affected by his illusions."

Qin Shuang did not refuse.

She knew this was not the time to be polite.

"Li Wei's side is all set up." She picked up the pen on the table and circled several places on the map. "The Meridian Gate, the Divine Might Gate, and the East Prosperity Gate have all been manned by his men. As soon as the signal is given, he can control half of the Imperial Guards in the capital."

"Not enough." Zhou Yang shook his head. "Wu Chen definitely has a backup plan. Since he dared to make a move, he won't be so easily blocked."

He pointed to another location on the map.

The Temple of Heaven.

Qin Shuang's pupils contracted.

"That's his altar," Zhou Yang said. "The Crown Prince is just bait, drawing all our attention to the Eastern Palace. The real killing move is at the Temple of Heaven. I'm certain he'll go there."

"The Temple of Heaven..." Qin Shuang's brows furrowed tightly. "That's a forbidden area, heavily guarded. How did he get in?"

"He has a crown prince," Zhou Yang said succinctly.

Everything is now clear.

Using the crown prince as a shield, they could legitimately enter the Temple of Heaven. Then, there, they would complete the final and most outrageous ceremony.

The plan quickly took shape in Zhou Yang's mind.

"Distribute them like this." His finger moved across the map, his movements decisive and forceful.

"Li Wei, continue with the deployment of the Imperial Guards. But the focus is on the outer perimeter of the Temple of Heaven. He doesn't need to charge in; just keep it tightly surrounded, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. This is the first line of defense."

Qin Shuang nodded.

"I'm going to the Temple of Heaven." Zhou Yang's finger pressed against the Temple of Heaven. "Wuchen is mine. I'm going to nail him there, no doubt about it."

His voice was calm, but Qin Shuang could hear the murderous intent beneath the calm.

"Then you'll be alone..."

"I can handle it," Zhou Yang interrupted her. "You, go back to the East Palace."

Qin Shuang suddenly looked up.

"The Eastern Palace cannot be without someone." Zhou Yang looked at her, his eyes more serious than ever before. "Wu Chen is a master strategist; he won't just bet everything on the Temple of Heaven. There must be other pawns of his in the Eastern Palace. You're not going to rescue anyone; you're going to take control of the situation."

"Get the Crown Prince into our hands. If he's alive, we have the upper hand. If he's dead, we'll pin the blame on the Heavenly Principle Sect and make sure they can never rise again. In any case, the Eastern Palace cannot be in chaos."

"The Crown Prince's Palace is now in your hands."

After Zhou Yang finished speaking, the core outline of the entire plan was clearly presented to Qin Shuang.

Li Wei was in charge of the outer perimeter, isolating the inside from the outside.

Zhou Yang focused his attack on Wuchen, severing the core.

Qin Shuang controlled the Crown Prince and stabilized the court.

The three nodes are interconnected. If any one node fails, the other two can remedy the situation.

This is a plan to kill someone, and also to kill yourself. There is no turning back.

Qin Shuang pondered for a long time.

She looked at the heavy armor of black iron on the table, then at Zhou Yang in front of her.

His face was weathered, his lips were chapped, and his eyes were bloodshot. But his spine remained ramrod straight.

Like a gun that can never be crushed.

"it is good."

Qin Shuang only said one word.

But her action of picking up the heavy armor and turning to walk into the inner room said it all.

A moment later, she came out.

Black, heavy iron armor clad her body, completely enveloping her exquisite figure. The cold armor plates reflected the faint light filtering in from the window.

Her already cold demeanor was now imbued with a metallic, chilling aura.

Only those eyes were not covered by armor.

She walked up to Zhou Yang.

You should be careful too.

Zhou Yang looked at her and suddenly smiled.

He reached out to help her straighten her slightly crooked shoulder pad, but stopped halfway through.

There was a layer of cold armor between the two.

"rest assured."

He only said two words.

Then he turned around and walked towards the door without the slightest hesitation.

"Wait a minute," Qin Shuang called out to him.

Zhou Yang stopped and turned around.

Qin Shuang took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom and handed it over.

"Wound medicine. The Xie family's best medicine."

Zhou Yang took it; it was warm to the touch.

He gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, nodded, then opened the door and strode out.

Night had completely fallen outside the door.

Qin Shuang stood still, without moving.

She listened to Zhou Yang's footsteps as he crossed the courtyard and disappeared into the alleyway.

Only when she could no longer hear anything did she slowly raise her hand and touch the armor on her chest.

That cold piece of metal pressed against her heart.

She could feel her heart beating, steady and strong, one beat at a time.

She walked to the table and looked at the map.

Her fingers gently landed on the two characters "Eastern Palace".

It looks like it's going to rain again.

The capital city is destined to be sleepless tonight.