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

Zhou Yang stood in the center of the underground palace.

Hundreds of undead soldiers stood silently. Their clay faces were expressionless, but the deathly aura emanating from the abyss permeated every inch of the air.

He spread out his left hand.

A black iron ring lay in his palm. This was a trophy he had taken from the "celestial envoy" of the Imperial Advisor. The ring had an ancient design, with fine runes engraved on the inner circle. Zhou Yang probed it with a wisp of energy; the inside of the ring was only about ten feet square. Pitifully small.

But that's enough for storing these corpses that won't move around.

"Go inside, everyone."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable command.

The undead soldiers moved. There were no footsteps, no rustling sounds. Like wisps of black smoke, they were drawn by an invisible force, disappearing one by one into the small ring. The deathly aura within the underground palace also receded.

In the end, only the corpse soldier wielding a long spear remained.

Zhou Yang walked up to it, reached out his hand, and gently stroked the cold blade of the long spear.

"You stay outside."

He had personally slain this corpse soldier, and its fighting instincts were at their peak. He kept it, just in case.

He took off his tattered clothes, stained with mud and blood, and took out a brand-new set of black night clothes from his ring to put on. The clothes were soft and clung to his skin, not hindering any movement. He covered the lower half of his face with a black cloth, leaving only his calm eyes visible.

After doing all this, he looked up at the hole leading to the ground.

it's time.

Zhou Yang didn't take the crevice carved by the long spear. He chose to go straight upwards. His feet lightly touched the pit wall, and he rose into the air like a weightless feather. His movements were so light that not a speck of dust was stirred up.

Soon, light appeared overhead at the entrance of the cave.

A damp, cold wind swept in. He took a deep breath. The air smelled of earth, along with the unique scent of the capital city, a mixture of smoke and dust.

He rolled over and landed silently.

This is an abandoned courtyard. Weeds grow taller than a person, the stone path is broken, and a rockery leans in a corner, covered with moss. Moonlight shines down, gilding everything with a cold, silvery edge.

In the distance, the faint sound of a night watchman's clapper could be heard.

It was past midnight.

Zhou Yang determined his direction. He was in the western part of the capital, an old residential area that had long been abandoned. It was half a city away from where he had fallen into the underground river.

He walked to the courtyard wall and slowly drew three horizontal lines and one vertical line on the moss-covered wall with his finger.

This is one of the secret codes used by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He leaned against the shadows in the corner, his eyes closed, like a statue.

Time passed little by little.

The sound of the wind and the chirping of insects were irrelevant to him.

About an incense stick later, a dark shadow silently landed behind him, as if it were a ghost emerging from the ground.

"My lord." The newcomer's voice was hoarse and low, and he was wearing a mask.

Zhou Yang didn't turn around. "Where's Qin Shuang?"

The Imperial Guard sentry stiffened almost imperceptibly, seemingly unfamiliar with the title, but dared not ask further. He lowered his voice and quickly reported, "Commander Qin... was captured by the Imperial Advisor's men three days ago."

Zhou Yang's fingers curled up slightly.

"Crimes?"

"Colluding with evil spirits and harboring wanted criminals." The sentry paused, then added, "The Imperial Advisor announced to the public that you, sir... have been executed."

"Heh." Zhou Yang let out a very soft, cold laugh.

Execute him? The Grand Tutor has quite the plan. Eradicate this "living evidence," then pin all the blame on Qin Shuang—killing two birds with one stone.

"Where is he now?" Zhou Yang asked.

"Demon Suppression Division, Death Row No. 1." The sentry's voice was even lower. "The Imperial Advisor has personally ordered it. Tomorrow... at noon, be executed."

The Demon Suppression Division.

These three words made Zhou Yang's eyes turn completely cold. It was a place even more terrifying than the Imperial Prison, specifically for imprisoning so-called "demons and evil spirits." No one who went in ever came out alive. Not only did it have the most cruel punishments of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it also had magical formations specifically designed to suppress cultivators.

The Imperial Advisor is really trying to kill Qin Shuang.

The message has been delivered.

The sentry stood respectfully to the side, awaiting new orders. He could sense an aura emanating from the captain who had been "missing" for several days, an aura that made his heart tremble. It was... pure killing intent. Without any anger, just coldness, like the waters of a lake in winter.

Zhou Yang did not speak.

He simply raised his head and looked in the direction of the Demon Suppression Bureau. His gaze pierced through the layers of eaves and the darkness.

He knew about the Demon Suppression Division, of course. It was surrounded by high walls, heavily guarded, with sentries both visible and hidden. Most importantly, the demon-suppressing magic array there, once activated, could suppress the flow of all internal energy. Any martial artist who dared to enter would be crippled.

Walking right into a trap?

He doesn't think so.

"You can leave now," Zhou Yang said.

"My lord..." the sentry hesitated.

"Walk."

Zhou Yang only said one word.

The sentry dared not linger any longer. He bowed deeply, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

Zhou Yang was left alone in the courtyard again.

He raised his hand and touched the black cloth covering his face. He wasn't surprised that Qin Shuang had been arrested. This woman was his public "patron," and since the Grand Preceptor wanted to get rid of him, he naturally wouldn't let go of this lead.

However, he did not expect the other party to be so fast and so ruthless.

He was to be executed at noon. Time was of the essence.

Zhou Yang's mind raced with calculations.

To storm the Demon Suppression Bureau, rescue Qin Shuang, and then fight their way out of the capital—this plan sounds incredibly foolish, like something only a hot-headed protagonist in a novel would do.

But for now, it seems that this is all he can do.

Qin Shuang cannot die.

With her dead, a significant portion of his financial resources was cut off. More importantly, her connections in the capital and her identity were his best cover in the open. Without her, he was truly a lost soul in this city.

Everything has to be started from scratch.

This is not worth it.

Therefore, they must be saved.

Zhou Yang's gaze shifted from icy to sharp. He began to consider the details of the entire operation: the terrain of the Demon Suppression Division, the timing of the guard rotations, and the energy nodes of the magic array. He had seen these things in the files of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Using his lifespan, he directly pushed the prison break plan to its most perfect form.

This is the fastest way.

But just as he was preparing to burn through his lifespan, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

wrong.

Everything went too smoothly.

The Imperial Advisor knew that Qin Shuang and he had a close relationship. Capturing Qin Shuang was like setting bait in front of him—a deadly bait. Did the Imperial Advisor not realize that he would definitely try to rescue her?

His high-profile announcement of Qin Shuang's execution at noon was as if he wanted the whole world to know. It didn't seem like an execution; it was more like a public challenge.

A trap was waiting for him to fall into.

Zhou Yang stopped in his tracks.

He changed his approach. If he were the imperial advisor, and had set this trap, where would the snare be?

It's definitely not outside the Demon Suppression Bureau. That would be too obvious.

The trap lies within the Demon Suppression Division.

At the moment when he rescued Qin Shuang, thinking he had succeeded, and was most careless.

Zhou Yang's lips curled into that cold smile once again.

Far from being afraid, he was actually quite excited.

If the Grand Tutor wants to act, then he'll act in one with him.

He moved.

With a swift movement, he vanished into the night like ink dripping into water. He sped towards the Demon Suppression Bureau, avoiding the main streets and weaving through the shadows of rooftops and alleyways.

He was very fast, and landed silently.

The corpse soldier wielding a long spear followed him like a real shadow, sometimes disappearing and sometimes reappearing.

Soon, the towering silhouette of the Demon Suppression Division came into view.

It resembled a colossal beast crouching in the night, exuding an unsettling aura. Torches blazed atop the wall, and the patrolling guards, their helmets and armor gleaming, were sharp and alert, their eyes as keen as eagles.

Ordinary people would feel their legs go weak just by looking at this spectacle.

Zhou Yang did not approach.

He stopped atop a clock tower in the distance, observing coldly.

His gaze swept over the walls, surveying the interior of the building. He knew the location of the death row cells very well. Cell number one was located at the very back.

But that's not what he was looking at.

He was looking at people who shouldn't be in the Demon Suppression Division.

He found it very quickly.

Across from the death row, on an inconspicuous watchtower, stood two figures. They were dressed in the uniforms of officers of the Demon Suppression Division, but their posture and breathing rhythm were completely out of place with the guards around them.

There was a bloody aura about them.

An aura of someone accustomed to killing, even taking pleasure in it.

Zhou Yang's pupils contracted slightly.

Blood Shadow Guard.

The Imperial Advisor's most elite private army. Every single one of them is a monster who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, skilled in stealth and assassination.

The Imperial Advisor had indeed laid a trap here.

They were just waiting for their prey to rush in, eager and impatient.

Zhou Yang withdrew his gaze. Far from backing down, he felt even more confident.

The enemy has revealed their hand, making the game much easier.

He looked down at the black iron ring on his hand.

Inside, his "gift" was still locked.

Since the host has prepared such a warm banquet, wouldn't it be too impolite not to bring a decent gift?