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

The morning light filtered through the cracks in the window and fell on Zhou Yang's face.

He opened his eyes and stared at the crossbeam above him for a moment. There was a crack in the crossbeam, like a dried-up riverbed.

I didn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning last night, and now my whole body feels like it's been taken apart and put back together. Especially my right shoulder, where I was once shot with an arrow. The wound has long since healed, but it still aches on rainy days or when I'm overworked.

Zhou Yang sat up and stretched his shoulders.

The room was quiet. Occasionally, a few coughs could be heard from next door; they were from other guests at the inn. These days, many people are in poor health; simply surviving is a feat in itself.

He got out of bed, walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

The cool tea slid down my throat, and I felt much more awake.

Several talismans lay spread out on the table, looted from the battlefield last night. He casually fiddled with them, the talismans making a soft rustling sound. He was hesitant to use the Heavenly Principle Sect's artifacts, but it seemed a waste to throw them away.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

The footsteps were light, yet rhythmic, neither hurried nor slow, each step firm and steady.

Zhou Yang paused for a moment, then put the talisman into his sleeve, a nonchalant expression on his face.

"Come in," he said.

The door was pushed open.

Qin Shuang stood at the door, holding a bundle in her hands. She had changed into casual clothes today; the hem of her light blue skirt was slightly faded from washing, and the cuffs were patched with fine stitches. To an outsider, she would simply be an ordinary girl from a humble family.

Only those eyes remained as cold as well water.

"Awake?" she asked.

"Just woke up." Zhou Yang yawned. "Does Commander Baihu have something to do so early in the morning?"

Qin Shuang ignored his teasing, walked straight in, and placed the bundle on the table.

"Two sets of clothes, a pair of boots, and this."

She took out a copper seal from her bosom and placed it next to the bundle.

The bronze seal was only the size of a palm, engraved with intricate patterns, and the knob was a reclining unicorn. The unicorn's eyes were inlaid with tiny rubies, which gleamed a dark red in the morning light.

Zhou Yang reached out and picked up the bronze seal, weighing it in his hand.

It's quite heavy.

"The seal of a thousand-household commander?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You can keep it for now." Qin Shuang sat down at the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and said, "I've already spoken to the prefect. From today onwards, you are the commander of the Imperial Guard in Anyang County, a fifth-rank official."

"So fast?"

"Not happy." Qin Shuang glanced at him. "You did a great job last night. Everyone saw what happened with the Salt Gang. Wang Jingzhi couldn't suppress it even if he wanted to."

Zhou Yang played with the official seal in his hand, his fingertips brushing against the ruby.

Rank 5.

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to even dream of such a thing. Having transmigrated for so long, climbing from a lowly squad leader to a commander, it was all thanks to fate. And that damned system too.

"Thanks," he said.

"No need to thank me." Qin Shuang picked up her teacup, but didn't drink from it, just held it in her hands. "This official seal was earned with your life. And..."

She paused.

"And what?"

"Besides, this isn't a good seat," Qin Shuang's voice lowered slightly. "Wang Jingzhi won't let this go easily. The Heavenly Principle Sect will also be watching you. They want something from you."

Zhou Yang smiled and put the official seal into his pocket.

"I know."

There are many other things he knows. For example, Qin Shuang doesn't actually know what he got from the Heavenly Principle Sect, such as the so-called "Dragon Spine Fragment," or the burning sensation when the system burns its lifespan.

But he won't say these things.

The two remained silent for a while.

The street outside gradually came alive with activity: the shouts of vendors, the creaking of wheels rolling over the stone slabs, and the laughter of children. As the sun rose higher, the light changed from gray to pale gold.

"There's one more thing."

Qin Shuang took a letter from her sleeve and handed it over.

The envelope was black, without any writing on it, only a dark red coat of arms. The shape of the coat of arms was strange, like a coiled snake or a winding river.

Zhou Yang took the letter and squeezed it between his fingers.

It's very light.

Whose is it?

"See for yourself."

He tore open the seal and pulled out the letter inside.

The letter was thin, consisting of only one sheet. The handwriting was delicate and neat, clearly written by a woman.

"To Young Master Zhou in person:"

I have already heard of your methods in Anyang County, young master. Stirring up trouble and using others to do your dirty work—what a brilliant move! The Salt Gang and the Heavenly Principle Sect are both severely weakened, while you reap the benefits. You truly deserve our admiration.

I have a question for you, young master: When the immortals descend, where will they stand?

Three days later, at the pavilion ten miles outside the city, we prepared a simple feast and awaited your arrival.

Enclosed is a calming talisman, which can block detection, as a token of my sincerity.

——Old Friend"

After reading it, Zhou Yang folded the letter and placed it on the table.

"The Holy Maiden?" he asked.

Qin Shuang nodded.

"It was delivered yesterday. It was left at my door, and nobody saw who delivered it."

Zhou Yang leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-closed.

Saintess.

The mysterious saintess of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

He recalled the first letter he had received, which had also appeared suddenly, without any warning. The contents of that letter seemed more like a probe, but this one carried a sense of invitation.

"Where will we stand when the immortals descend?" He repeated the question in a low voice.

This sounds mysterious, but the meaning is very clear.

The Heavenly Principle Sect is preparing something, and this matter is related to the so-called "Immortal Realm." They need manpower, or more precisely, they need someone like Zhou Yang.

"What do you think?" Qin Shuang asked.

Zhou Yang did not answer immediately.

He picked up the talisman that had been included with the letter. The talisman was thin and cold to the touch, covered with densely packed lines. He couldn't understand the runes, but he could sense the power contained within them.

Calming Charm.

It is said to be able to block all detection, even the divine sense of high-level cultivators.

The Heavenly Principle Sect simply gave away something like this.

"This is a trap," he said.

"I know."

"But I can't not go." Zhou Yang put the talisman into his sleeve. "The Heavenly Principle Sect has been watching me for more than just a day or two. Since they've extended an invitation, refusing will only arouse their suspicion. Besides..."

He paused, his gaze falling on the sky outside the window.

The sky was blue, with a few white clouds drifting by, looking no different from usual. But he knew what lay hidden beneath this calm.

"And I need to know exactly what they're trying to do."

Qin Shuang picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"You want to go?"

"I want to." Zhou Yang smiled. "Only a fool wouldn't. The Heavenly Principle Sect has so many trump cards; I'll go take a look, maybe I can find something. Besides..."

He pointed to the official seal on the table.

"I'm a commander of a thousand men now, with dozens under my command. If something really happens, I can just hide inside the government office. What can they do to force their way in?"

Qin Shuang didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.

That gaze made Zhou Yang feel somewhat uncomfortable, as if he were being looked at a piece of merchandise waiting to be sold.

"What?" he asked.

"It's nothing." Qin Shuang withdrew her gaze, stood up, and said, "I'll go with you in three days."

"Need not."

"This is not a matter for discussion."

Zhou Yang looked at her.

Qin Shuang's face remained expressionless, and her voice was calm. But he could hear the determination in her tone.

"You're my superior," he said. "What will I do if something happens to you?"

"If anything happens to you, I won't be able to hold this position as a centurion," Qin Shuang said calmly. "The Heavenly Principle Sect's target is you, but their methods never target just one person. We're all in this together."

Zhou Yang thought about it and didn't refute it.

She's right.

From the moment they decided to cooperate with her, they were in the same boat. If the boat capsizes, no one can escape.

"Okay." He nodded. "Then let's go together."

Qin Shuang didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards the door.

She suddenly stopped when she reached the door.

"I picked out that outfit," she said. "You should throw away your old one."

After saying that, she pushed open the door and went out, her footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Zhou Yang paused for a moment, then turned to look at the bundle on the table.

He reached out and untied the bundle, revealing two sets of brand-new clothes. One was a casual outfit, made of blue cloth with fine stitching; the other was the official uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with a flying fish pattern and of excellent quality.

There was a pair of boots under the clothes.

He picked up the casual clothes and held them up against himself.

The size is just right.

"This woman..."

He muttered something, it was unclear whether it was a complaint or something else.

He put down his clothes, picked up the letter again, and read it once more.

"When the immortals descend, where will they stand?"

These words were like a thorn stuck in his heart.

What exactly is the Heavenly Principle Sect plotting? And what exactly is this so-called "Immortal Realm"?

He recalled the constantly fluctuating numbers on the system panel, the burning sensation of burning lifespan, and the people who died by his blade.

From the time he traveled to the present, he has been walking a tightrope.

One wrong step and you're doomed.

But no way.

He has no chance to turn back from this path.

Zhou Yang folded the letter and put it in his pocket.

Three days.

Three days is enough time for him to make some preparations.

He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The sun was shining brightly outside, and the streets were bustling with people, their cries of vendors rising and falling. In the distance, tall buildings were silhouetted against the sunlight, their upturned eaves resembling a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Zhou Yang squinted as he watched all of this.

His hand rested on the hilt of the knife at his waist, his knuckles slightly clenched.

three days later.

Shili Pavilion.

He would go wherever the Heavenly Principles Sect wanted to do.

It wasn't for any grand cause, nor for the sake of the common people.

It's all just to survive, to live better, and to live longer.

As for the rest...

He smiled, turned and left the window.

"Just add more money."

---

The room returned to quiet.

The tea in the teacup on the table had gone cold.

The sunlight slowly moved, climbing from the tabletop to the wall, and then from the wall to the ground.

Outside the window, a sparrow landed on the windowsill, chirped a few times, and then fluttered its wings and flew away.

Days passed by like this.

Three days later, a momentous event will unfold.