Chang'an.
Daming Palace.
Deep within the palace city, there is a garden named "Siyue."
Legend has it that this garden was built by the Former Emperor using the nation's entire resources for a Concubine without formal title.
Every plant and tree in the garden was transplanted from the Shu Region, tens of thousands of miles away from the Region. The pavilions and towers were modeled after the scenery of the Northwest, and the gold and silver expended were countless.
However, the garden's mistress had long since passed away.
The two characters "Siyue," like the name of that concubine, became a taboo that no one in the palace dared to mention.
Who was Consort Ming?
No one dared to say.
They only knew she was the birth mother of the current Sage, originally a common woman from the Northwest.
When the Former Emperor personally led the expedition to conquer the Western Regions Demon Court, he brought this woman back from the battlefield, amidst ten thousand troops... Inside the garden, at the Lakeside Pavilion.
Plump Koi fish chased after fish food in the water, stirring up ripples.
A young man dressed in dark common clothes stood by the railing, slowly scattering handfuls of fish food into the water.
After a long time.
The last handful of fish food in his hand was scattered, and he clapped his hands.
"Is there news?"
The Old Eunuch bowed and nodded, saying, "Yes..."
"Speak."
"...Uh..."
"Hmm?"
The man frowned, and his heart sank sharply.
A bad premonition spread through his mind.
"Speak."
The Koi in the lake were startled and scattered.
The Old Eunuch went weak, trembling as he said, "Reporting... Reporting to Your Majesty, according to those below, we tracked the trail back to Consort Ming Niangniang's hometown a few days ago, but that village... was slaughtered by demons months ago. Now... now it is desolate, with no trace of human life..."
"This servant... this servant dares to suggest..."
"If back then... Princess Guyue was sent back to the Region, I'm afraid she might..."
The man could no longer hear the rest of the words.
He suddenly turned around, his back to the trembling Old Eunuch, and looked at the pool full of startled Koi.
He clenched his hands tightly, his knuckles aching, desperately suppressing the anguish in his heart.
The emotions in his heart were almost impossible to suppress; the sadness continuously burned within him.
"Your Majesty! Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!"
Seeing this, the Old Eunuch was terrified out of his wits, hastily crawling forward on his knees and continuously kowtowing.
"Your Majesty, whether Princess Guyue was truly sent back to the Region by the Former Emperor is not certain; there is still room for maneuver in this matter!"
"Perhaps... perhaps the Princess is blessed with deep fortune and was not in that village... perhaps..."
"..."
He suddenly kicked over the Stone Pillar beside him.
With a tremendous boom, the sound startled the Koi in the entire pool, sending them scattering.
"An entire village of common people slaughtered! What good is the Demon Suppression Division?!?"
"I support them, spending countless gold and silver every year, just so they can stand by and watch the citizens of my Great Tang be slaughtered like pigs and dogs by demons?!"
"A single village! They couldn't even protect it! Is this the Demon Suppression Division's method of protecting my Great Tang?!"
The roar echoed through the empty garden, filled with the thunderous wrath of the Emperor.
He wanted to issue an imperial decree.
He wanted to immediately issue a decree to execute the entire Longyou Demon Suppression Division family!
But reason, like a bucket of ice water, poured over his head.
After a long time.
The young man slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi.
"Now, who is the Commander of the Longyou Circuit Demon Suppression Division?"
"Reporting... Reporting to Your Majesty, the position of Longyou Commander has been vacant ever since... ever since Pei Fengyun..."
You were the one who killed him, damn it.
Naturally, the Old Eunuch dared not speak these words.
Pei Fengyun, the former Commander of the Longyou Circuit Demon Suppression Division.
Because he chose the wrong side during the Palace Coup a year ago, he was secretly eliminated on the third day after the New Emperor ascended the throne.
Although a regional Commander was precious to the Demon Suppression Division, the inherent value of a Commander disloyal to the Emperor was no longer important.
"Then who is currently in charge?"
"It is... it is Wei Wenda's son, Wei He."
"Wei Wenda..."
Seeing that the Son of Heaven's mood had eased slightly, the Old Eunuch quickly interjected, "He is the former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, famous for his impartiality even when the Former Emperor was alive."
"Lord Wei is now old, but... but he still holds the nominal title of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."
"Currently, the case of Jiang Xun is being supervised by Lord Wei."
Hearing this, the young man frowned.
"The case of Jiang Xun... wasn't it already conclusive with human and physical evidence sealed months ago? Why hasn't it been closed yet?"
"Uh... this... this servant does not know."
The young man let out a sneer, his tone full of indescribable ridicule.
"This Wei Clan truly seems to be regressing the longer they live."
He waved his hand, as if too lazy to mention the matter again.
"Forget it."
"You are to continue the investigation. Do not overlook any trace or clue. Bring out everyone who served Guyue back then, whether they are alive or dead, and interrogate them thoroughly."
"Yes!"
The Old Eunuch quickly replied, but his heart was bitter.
Those who are dead must be brought out for questioning too?
The young man paused, seemingly remembering something, and added another sentence.
"Also."
"Tell Wei Wenda to close the case soon and not delay any further."
"You may withdraw."
"This serv... this servant takes his leave."
The Old Eunuch felt as if he had received a great pardon, scrambling and crawling out of the garden, not daring to look back.
In the vast garden, only he remained.
Looking at the scenery in the garden, he suddenly understood what his Imperial Father had once told him.
An Emperor is not a being who can do whatever he wants.
Often, the most powerful person in the world is the one who is least free.
Even if he wishes certain things to happen, and ostensibly has the power to make them so, he may not necessarily succeed.
His gaze fell upon every plant and tree in the garden; all of them were transplanted from the Region.
Imperial Father, oh, Imperial Father.
You spent so much effort pretending to mourn after Mother Concubine died, building this garden for her, telling the world how much you missed her.
But what did you give her when she was alive?
And why did you keep me in this palace, yet send Guyue away from the Imperial Palace?
That's right.
You are the Emperor.
Emperors always have their own concerns.
But none of this concerns him.
Everyone in the world thinks he is ambitious, but sadly, they don't understand that he lacks nothing.
He is simply doing this for one person.
"Guyue..."
He murmured to himself, reaching out as if trying to grasp the ethereal reflection in the water.
"I will definitely find you."
He slowly withdrew his hand, clenching it into a fist.
"Your Brother is now the Emperor of the Great Tang. From now on, I must spoil you to the extent that you search heaven and earth and still cannot find another person who spoils you like I do."
In fact, that is still not enough.
I must spoil you until only I can tolerate you... Outside Yumen Pass.
Bang—
With a loud crash, a black shadow smashed in from outside the hall, rolled several times on the ground, and raised a large cloud of dust.
It was precisely The Effeminate Man, who had transformed into a Vulture.
He had now returned to his human form, but his face was deathly pale.
Beside him, another figure was even more disheveled, with scattered hair, torn clothes, and a face full of lingering shock.
Especially his walking posture—his rear end was sticking out, and he gasped in cold Qi with every step, as if that area had suffered some unspeakable heavy injury.
"What happened?!"
"Only you two came back? Where are Dog Second and the others?"
The demons in the hall were all in an uproar upon seeing this.
The Effeminate Man braced himself on the ground, trying to stand up, but the movement aggravated his injuries.
"Defeated..."
His voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with the terror of surviving a catastrophe, "Except for the two of us, the Entire Army was Wiped Out."
The entire army wiped out?!
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was shocked.
Those were nearly a dozen Great Demons of the Minggu Realm!
Although they were suppressed inside the Pass, they weren't just some random cats and dogs!
How could they... just vanish like that?
A Fox Demon gritted his teeth, his voice full of malice, "That woman's strength is terrifying; she alone was able to cut down over a dozen of our brothers."
"Nonsense!"
A Wolf Demon immediately retorted, "Did you perhaps lose the battle and are now making up excuses?!"
"Excuses?" The Effeminate Man gave a bitter laugh, "You have no idea what we were facing..."
"One strike... just one strike of a blade!"
"Dog Second couldn't even block one strike from her; his head flew right off!"
"And Snake Third, Rat First... all taken out in one strike! One strike per person!"
"More than ten of us were like cubs in front of her!"
Inside the hall, it was instantly silent enough to hear a pin drop.
One strike per Ming Gu Great Demon?
What kind of concept is that?
Could it be a Core Formation Realm master?!
The Fox Demon added, "That's not all. When she struck, a Phantom Image of a Fierce Tiger would appear behind her!"
"That tiger phantom was almost solidified, carrying monstrous Murderous Qi! Our Demonic Power was already suppressed by the Demon Sealing Array, and in front of that tiger phantom, even circulating our power felt sluggish!"
"Tiger?"
Upon the main seat, the Old Ape, who had been holding a Scroll as if deaf to the commotion, finally stirred.
He slowly, slowly raised his head.
In his pair of cloudy old eyes, a terrifying light erupted, brighter than a Spacium Ray.