Chapter 116: Future Situation, the Young Phoenix Seeking to Soar, and the Forged Monster
“Your Highness, I dare not deceive you.”
Ye Xingchen still maintained neither humility nor arrogance.
“Good, very good. Then calculate carefully for this palace—who shall sit as the future ruler of the world?” Xia Chongming’s face spread into a broad smile as he patted Ye Xingchen’s shoulder.
“Your Highness, the secrets of Heaven’s will in the future must not be divulged.”
“However, this humble one can assure Your Highness that within a year’s time, you shall enter the Hall of Virtuous Enlightenment and rule over the Four Seas and Eight Desolations,” Ye Xingchen said.
“A year’s time?” Xia Chongming’s heart immediately burned with excitement.
Ye Xingchen nodded and continued, “But within this year, there is one person Your Highness must guard against.”
“Who?”
Xia Chongming asked.
“Shen Yanzhou.”
Ye Xingchen’s tone was certain. “Because this person’s fate is peculiar—he has already stepped outside the trajectory of the future. I fear his existence will disrupt the true dragon’s fortune that rightfully belongs to Your Highness.”
In his plan, attaching himself to the Crown Prince Xia Chongming was the most crucial step. The next was to eliminate the variable—Shen Yanzhou.
In his memory, after Emperor Mingde’s death, Crown Prince Xia Chongming ascended the throne under the title Emperor Chongming.
During that period, the Empress Dowager ruled behind the curtain, and following the Southern Border incident, the Demon Suppression King’s rebellion failed. Empress Dowager Cui Jingyi held both military and political power in her hands.
The Cui Clan of Hejian’s control over the entire Great Qian Dynasty reached an unprecedented height.
Of course, after that period, the Great Qian declined rapidly from prosperity to decay. The Cui Clan of Hejian’s centralized control and suppression of the great noble houses sowed countless hidden troubles.
In the northern Northern Desert Prefecture, the Beiyu army invaded. Many noble clans defected and betrayed, and the Great Qian Dynasty, which had flourished for over a millennium, quickly disintegrated.
Even the small nations that once paid tribute and allegiance to Qian turned against it one after another. During this time, the Cui Clan of Hejian’s secret “Sacred Origin Ascension” plan was exposed, and the blood-soaked crimes of the past hundred years were laid bare to the world.
The Cui Clan of Hejian became the public’s enemy. Overwhelmed, they carried nearly a millennium of Great Qian’s heritage and fled overseas.
Thus, the glory of Great Qian came to an end.
Of course, that was Ye Xingchen’s memory from his previous life. Having now learned to seek fortune and avoid calamity, he naturally would no longer remain a foolishly loyal servant of the royal family.
Following Xia Chongming was merely his current choice.
If his memory served correctly, the Great Qian royal family enshrined a supreme treasure known as the Heavenly Emperor’s Cauldron, personally forged by the First Emperor of Qian.
Using the Black Bird as its soaring spirit and the nation’s fortune as its fuel, it had been refined for nearly a thousand years, carrying the dynasty’s entire destiny since its founding. Once refined and absorbed, one could immediately attain sainthood.
This was the only treasure that countless noble families fought over during Great Qian’s decline.
As for how to refine it, even the Cui Clan of Hejian had never figured it out.
But as a reincarnator, Ye Xingchen knew clearly that only those of the First Emperor’s direct bloodline, recognized by the Heavenly Emperor’s Qi, could succeed in refining it.
Other than Emperor Mingde, the one most likely to succeed was the Crown Prince Xia Chongming.
Unfortunately, in his past life’s memory, Crown Prince Xia Chongming had died too early.
“Shen Yanzhou?” Xia Chongming’s brows furrowed.
His mother had always urged him to associate with Shen Yanzhou, wanting him to win the man over. Xia Chongming had indeed once considered doing so.
But lately, Shen Yanzhou had grown too close to the Demon Suppression King. He could no longer discern the true nature of their relationship.
What if all their prior discord had been nothing but a play?
He had heard quite a few rumors—many officials in the capital speculated that Shen Yanzhou was actually the Demon Suppression King’s biological son, and that the so-called “true and false heir” story was nothing more than fabrication meant to confuse the public.
“Your Highness, not only Shen Yanzhou, but even the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, harbors disloyal intentions.”
“You must beware of both,” Ye Xingchen said, not daring to reveal too much.
He remembered clearly that before long, the Demon Suppression King would rebel and proclaim himself emperor.
Even the foreign demonic kingdom in the Southern Border would seize the chance to rise in chaos.
……
Chilin Guards’ Hundred-Household Command Post.
In the Heavenly Prison, dimly lit by a flickering oil lamp, Shen Yanzhou walked along the dark, damp corridor, hands clasped behind his back.
Behind him followed a figure wrapped tightly in a cloak, completely concealing their identity, seemingly unwilling to let others recognize them.
“Greetings, my lord.”
The jailers on patrol saluted when they saw Shen Yanzhou approach.
The passage wound downward, with guards stationed every dozen steps.
Dim shark oil lamps flickered on both sides, the long, damp stairway slick with moss.
Nearly every cell held a prisoner—unkempt, disheveled, miserable.
Some cursed loudly, while others sat cross-legged in straw piles, cold and expressionless…
“All of you, leave us,” Shen Yanzhou waved to the jailers along the way.
Before long,
He reached the deepest levels of the Heavenly Prison.
From afar came the rushing sound of an underground river, accompanied by a biting chill that made the air even more deathly cold.
The Chilin Guards’ prison was also called the Blackwater Prison, and upon arriving here, one would understand why.
Even prisoners with considerable martial cultivation could not withstand the bone-piercing cold.
“Shen Yanzhou?”
From the left cell came a voice full of hatred.
Qi Haoran, who had been meditating on the straw pile, suddenly stood up, clutching the bars tightly—only to let go at once when the runes carved upon them bit into his palms with icy pain.
“Qi Haoran?”
“It’s only been two days, and I almost couldn’t recognize you.”
Shen Yanzhou stopped in the corridor, amusement glinting in his eyes as he chuckled.
Before him, Qi Haoran’s hair was disheveled, his topknot undone, his previous injuries still unhealed, his face swollen, and the robe that marked him as a disciple of the Confucian Courtyard was filthy—he looked utterly like a beggar.
“Don’t be so pleased with yourself. Sooner or later, you’ll face retribution,” Qi Haoran glared at him with deep hatred.
Negative emotion from Qi Haoran +11 +13 +16…
“Retribution? And what retribution would that be?” Shen Yanzhou sneered.
He noticed that the negative emotions he gained from Qi Haoran these days seemed to be diminishing, no longer as abundant as before.
Though Qi Haoran’s hatred for him had not lessened in the slightest.
This further confirmed Shen Yanzhou’s speculation—it seemed that the luck surrounding these Heaven’s Mandated Protagonists was not constant.
Perhaps Qi Haoran’s fortune had reached its end.
That thought left Shen Yanzhou slightly regretful. Such a fine seedling, yet so frail when harvested.
In the original plot, this one had been a core member of the late-stage protagonist group.
Heaven’s will, are you not going to intervene?
Of course, for now, Shen Yanzhou had no intention of killing Qi Haoran. There was still something crucial tied to him—something that made keeping him alive useful.
In this world’s setting, aside from personal fortune, national destiny was also of great importance. As the future third empire aside from Great Qian and Beiyu, the Qi Kingdom itself carried immense fate.
As a prince of Qi, Qi Haoran naturally bore part of that tremendous destiny.
“You know what you’ve done,” Qi Haoran snorted coldly, his hatred for Shen Yanzhou seething like a flood.
Shen Yanzhou chuckled lightly, then waved his hand, signaling to the cloaked figure behind him. “I did promise you, after all, to grant you such an opportunity.”
At those words, Qi Haoran froze slightly. Then, the cloaked figure stepped forward and removed her hood, revealing none other than Zhao Qingchan—the one he had thought of day and night in his cell.
After several days apart, she looked slightly wan, no longer as ethereally cold as before.
“Senior Sister Qingchan…”
Qi Haoran’s emotions surged uncontrollably as he stepped forward, staring at her through the cell bars.
“I’m sorry—it’s my fault that you’ve ended up like this,” Zhao Qingchan said with guilt on her face.
Qi Haoran drew a deep breath and hurried to comfort her. “I was too reckless and impulsive; this isn’t your fault, Senior Sister Qingchan. That wastrel didn’t force you, did he? How did he even allow you to visit me?”
Zhao Qingchan’s face showed hesitation, as if she found it hard to speak.
Not far away, Shen Yanzhou gave a soft laugh. “What do you think I demanded in exchange for allowing her to visit you?”
Qi Haoran’s eyes reddened instantly, his breathing heavy with anger, his fists clenching tight as veins bulged.
What could the condition have been?
Other than offering her beauty, he could think of nothing else.
“Can you leave us for a while? I want to speak to Junior Brother Qi,” Zhao Qingchan bit her lip and looked back at Shen Yanzhou, her voice pleading.
“Fine, but you know my condition,” Shen Yanzhou said with a faint smile.
Zhao Qingchan bit her lip harder, only replying softly, “Mm.”
Shen Yanzhou laughed again before turning to leave the corridor, his footsteps gradually fading.
Sensing his departure, Zhao Qingchan finally relaxed.
Meanwhile, inside the cell, Qi Haoran felt as though he might explode. Just what had Shen Yanzhou forced Senior Sister Zhao into? What conditions had she agreed to?
As a scholar, he knew he should not indulge in base imagination—but his mind refused to stop. Images filled his thoughts, even recalling that night at Chunshui Pavilion.
The difference was that back then, the courtesan who served had only transformed her appearance into Zhao Qingchan’s likeness.
But this time, the one serving Shen Yanzhou might truly be Zhao Qingchan herself.
Qi Haoran’s teeth ground audibly, rage, hatred, and unwillingness all tangled together…
“Don’t overthink it. For now, Shen Yanzhou hasn’t dared to force me into anything. I only agreed to some of his demands out of helplessness.”
At that, Zhao Qingchan, seemingly guessing Qi Haoran’s thoughts, hurried to comfort him.
“Senior Sister Zhao, I’m sorry… it’s my uselessness…” Qi Haoran’s voice was filled with pain.
Zhao Qingchan sighed softly. “In times like these, who can truly live as they wish? For now, we should think of a way to get you out. From Shen Yanzhou’s words, it seems he only intends to imprison you here. In the capital, no one dares to offend him—no one dares to bail you out.”
“Even your friend Liu Zi’an disappeared last night—abducted and gone without a trace.”
“What? Zi’an’s missing?” Qi Haoran was shocked.
Zhao Qingchan’s expression grew heavy. “I suspect Shen Yanzhou had a hand in it, but there’s no evidence. I don’t even know how to investigate.”
Qi Haoran slammed his fist against the ground, growling in fury, “Damn it! If he has a problem, he should come for me! Why target Zi’an? It must be because Zi’an tried to rescue me and that wastrel caught him!”
Zhao Qingchan sighed and said, “The only ones who can help you now are those from the Qi Kingdom. Do you have any way to contact someone from the royal family of Qi, to have them find a way to bail you out?”
“My royal father?” Qi Haoran froze for a moment, his expression dimming.
As a hostage prince sent to the Great Qian Dynasty, everything was already clear.
In Qi, he was never valued, and his mother consort’s family held little power or influence.
If there was anyone he could rely on… it would only be his elder sister.
“That’s right, my royal sister.”
“If my royal sister learns of my situation, she will surely think of a way to save me. At worst, she’ll send envoys.” Qi Haoran suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up once more.
He had an elder sister of the same father and mother, born with extraordinary talent in the Confucian Path, who had entered the Temple of the Sage at an early age.
Even though he had been living in the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty all these years, without setting foot outside, he had still heard many rumors about her.
Now, his royal sister was greatly favored by their father.
If she intervened, his father would surely take his plight seriously—perhaps even personally negotiate with Great Qian to have him brought home.
Moreover, by custom, he had lived in Great Qian for many years, following all its laws, performing well, and never committing any crimes. Qi itself had remained peaceful for years—it was perfectly reasonable to send envoys bearing gifts and treasures to request his return.
Or they could send one of his younger brothers to take his place.
“Senior Sister Qingchan, see if you can find a way to contact my royal sister in Qi and tell her what’s happened to me…”
“If she doesn’t believe it, then tell her this line of verse—it’s something I wrote back in Qi, and only she and I know it.”
“Only my royal sister can save me now,” Qi Haoran said hurriedly, lowering his voice to a whisper.
He feared Shen Yanzhou might use some secret art to eavesdrop.
Zhao Qingchan leaned close to listen, her expression serious, though a faint, fleeting gleam passed through her eyes before she composed herself again.
Before long,
Zhao Qingchan donned her cloak once more and left the depths of the Heavenly Prison. After turning a few corners, she saw Shen Yanzhou waiting for her on the steps ahead.
“How did it go?”
Shen Yanzhou smiled as he walked toward her.
Zhao Qingchan nodded lightly and said softly, “Qi is but a small kingdom, smaller even than the neighboring Zhou and Chu. Is it really worth all this effort of yours?”
“You wouldn’t understand. The nation’s fortune is already condensing in the unseen. In the future, Qi might well become the new protagonist of this world.” Shen Yanzhou smiled faintly.
Zhao Qingchan looked surprised. “You can even perceive national fortune?”
The main sacrificers of the Bureau of Immortal Inspection used the Black Bird to divine a nation’s destiny, to seek fortune and avoid calamity, and to steer the flow of fate. If a small kingdom’s destiny was surging in the unseen, how could he fail to notice?
“Of course I can see it. Otherwise, why would I go through all this trouble? Don’t worry—follow me, and you’ll live well and eat well.”
As he spoke, Shen Yanzhou reached out and pulled Zhao Qingchan into his arms.
Zhao Qingchan didn’t resist; she merely thought of the grand promise he had painted before her—that Qi’s fate was rising like a dragon taking flight. If its fate were severed prematurely, it would scatter into fragments, and just by seizing one portion, one could gain boundless fortune.
“Qi Haoran’s royal sister—what sort of person is she? You’ve even investigated her background so clearly?” Zhao Qingchan suddenly asked.
“A young phoenix on the verge of soaring,” Shen Yanzhou replied after a moment’s thought.
Qi Haoran’s royal sister—the original female protagonist, the beloved of that Heaven’s Mandated Protagonist—in the original story, she had been aided by him and eventually became the Empress of Qi, her position equal to that of the Empress of Beiyu.
……
It was already deep into the night, yet in the courtyard beside the main bedchamber of the Duke’s Residence, the lamps still shone brightly. Several maidservants stood by, holding golden lamps.
“That Shen Yanzhou refuses to admit that he abducted Zi’an.”
Madam Liu, who had acted so fiercely earlier that day at the Chilin Guards’ headquarters, now sat on a stone bench, wringing her hands, her face filled with worry.
“The main issue is that we have no evidence, and even Liu Ci trusts him so much,” Liu Fu said, frowning, hands clasped behind his back as he paced restlessly within the pavilion.
“Then what do we do? Are we supposed to just watch as Zi’an is taken away? That Shen Yanzhou will never let him go easily—perhaps Zi’an is being tortured right now.”
Madam Liu’s voice was filled with anxiety.
“Wait a little. When that senior arrives, we’ll see what he says,” Liu Fu sighed.
As they spoke, the sudden caw of a cold crow echoed from the depths of the night. Liu Fu’s expression hardened at once, and he waved his hand, sending the servants and maids away.
Madam Liu quickly rose and stood waiting in the courtyard.
Before long, a chilling wind swept through the courtyard. It wasn’t the night breeze but something colder, like a wind blowing down from a mountain of ice and snow—piercing and bone-deep.
“Caw, caw…”
“Was I right? Your son’s gone missing, hasn’t he?”
A swirl of black and white mist coiled through the air like a miniature storm. A palm-sized black-feathered crow descended, cackling eerily in a human voice.
“Greetings, Senior Cold Crow.”
Liu Fu dared not show the slightest disrespect. Though before him stood only a crow, his manner remained humble.
“Senior, please save my son. He truly was taken by that Shen Yanzhou,” Madam Liu pleaded.
“I warned you long ago that Shen Yanzhou would act against your son, but you didn’t believe me. Now do you see?”
The Cold Crow landed, one-legged, upon a locust tree branch in the courtyard, speaking in a strange, rasping voice.
“I believe, I believe! Every word!”
“Senior, your powers are vast and your foresight divine. If only we had trusted you sooner, the Duke’s Residence wouldn’t be in such disaster,” Liu Fu said quickly.
About half a month ago, this Cold Crow had suddenly appeared at the Duke’s Residence. Every night it would perch on the locust tree outside Liu Fu’s chamber and cry out, waking him from sleep.
After several nights, Liu Fu realized the crow was extraordinary—perhaps a spiritual bird. He had tried to capture it, only to discover that it possessed great intelligence, no lesser than a human’s.
He guessed it might be the spiritual pet of some Daoist master, sent as a messenger.
The Cold Crow had spoken human words, claiming that a calamity was about to befall the Duke’s Residence, and that it had come to help them avert it.
The crow said the Duke’s Residence had ancestral ties with it, and that it had come upon a sudden premonition of fate.
At first, Liu Fu hadn’t believed the crow’s words, thinking it might be the trick of a Daoist trying to extort the family.
But later, the “jokes” the Cold Crow told all came true—one by one.
And now, even its warning that his son would be abducted by Shen Yanzhou had come true.
Liu Fu had come to trust the Cold Crow completely, convinced of its power—perhaps even of its ability to foresee the future.
“Senior, please tell me what to do. Shen Yanzhou is highly favored by the Chilin Guards—even if we know he abducted Zi’an, we have no evidence. We can’t do anything to him.”
“The Chilin Guards won’t investigate thoroughly either—they’ll just brush it aside,” Liu Fu pleaded.
“I only came to warn you of this calamity. But since you didn’t believe me before, what can I do for you now?”
The Cold Crow laughed harshly, its tone filled with a disturbingly human mockery.
Hearing this, Liu Fu secretly breathed in relief. Having been in office for years, his mind was sharp—he could tell from its tone that the crow likely had a way to help.
“Senior, what must we do for you to help us resolve this disaster?” he asked hurriedly.
The Cold Crow’s black eyes gleamed as it blinked, flapping its wings as though in thought.
It was just about to speak—
When suddenly, a streak of pale blue smoke burst open above the Duke’s Residence. The smoke coiled like fog, shimmering like morning glow—bright and unmistakable even in the deep of night.
Within the residence, many maidservants startled awake, rushing to the windows and doors to look outside.
On the street outside, patrolling guards immediately noticed the disturbance and hurried toward the Duke’s Residence.
The sudden commotion startled both Liu Fu and the Cold Crow.
Liu Fu, accustomed to the intrigues of the capital, reacted instantly—his face changing color. “Not good—that’s the Bureau of Immortal Inspection’s Demon-Detection Talisman!”
The Cold Crow also realized what was happening and tried to take flight on the cold wind. But from the distant sky, a dazzling light of talismanic power tore through the night like a sword’s cry, cutting across the heavens.
“Monster! Where do you think you’re going?!”
At that moment, a cold voice resounded high above the Duke’s Residence. The air trembled with spiritual force as a massive Daoist handprint formed from vital energy descended upon the courtyard.
A tall, shadowy figure stood in the air, the token of a Chilin Guards’ Hundred-Household Commander glinting at his waist—its cold light sharp enough to oppress the soul.
The Cold Crow, its wings hard as iron, flared with a layer of icy light as it tried to resist the descending strike.
But it had gravely underestimated the talisman’s power. In an instant, its wings were torn apart, and the great handprint crushed it from above, sending it crashing to the ground in a flurry of feathers.
“It’s over…”
Liu Fu stood frozen, staring at the young man descending from the sky, his face turning deathly pale.
Behind him, Madam Liu trembled, her expression twisting with rage and disbelief. “Shen Yanzhou—it’s you…”
The entire Duke’s Residence was thrown into chaos. Guards and retainers rushed toward the courtyard, while maidservants carrying golden lamps followed in panic. The noise had already awakened everyone.
Outside, the patrolling Chilin Guards were racing toward the scene as well.
Within the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, several Immortal Officers had already sensed the activated Demon-Detection Talisman and transformed into streaks of light, hurrying through the night toward the residence.
For many years, no trace of demons had appeared in the Great Qian capital. The reappearance of one meant a grave failure of the Bureau’s duty.
Monsters were adept at beguiling hearts. Once, a demon from a foreign kingdom had slipped past the Bureau’s detection, transformed into a peerless beauty, and entered the palace to bewitch the emperor—nearly causing disaster.
“Lord Liu Fu, the Dukes of your line have always been wise. How did it come to you harboring demons? That’s a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations.”
At that moment, Shen Yanzhou descended from the sky, raising his hand. The battered, feather-scattered Cold Crow fell into his grasp.
His expression was calm, but his eyes glinted with ridicule.
He had noticed something odd at the Duke’s Residence earlier that day. When night fell, he had used a Heaven-Veiling Pearl to conceal his aura and secretly hidden within the estate.
Only in the deep of night had he sensed an anomaly—and as expected, behind the Duke’s Residence’s troubles lurked this so-called “master.”
Liu Fu’s face went pale. He stared at the Cold Crow in Shen Yanzhou’s hand, his lips trembling but no words coming out.
He had thought the Cold Crow was some Daoist master’s spiritual pet—never had he imagined it to be a monster.
Moreover, he had sensed its aura himself before. As a Fifth-Rank Realm of Governance expert of the Confucian Path, if that crow were truly a demon, its demonic aura would have been burned away by his Righteous Qi. How could he have failed to detect it?
“Shen Yanzhou, stop slandering others with your foul tongue! This Cold Crow is the spiritual pet of a Daoist master—how could it possibly be a monster? You must be framing us on purpose!”
Madam Liu was also a clever woman. She quickly realized the situation and lashed out in anger, certain that the commotion caused by the so-called Demon-Detection Talisman was Shen Yanzhou’s doing.
“Are you suggesting that I am the monster? That the demonic aura that filled this place just now was stirred up by me?”
Shen Yanzhou glanced coldly at Madam Liu, his gaze carrying a suffocating pressure.
Madam Liu, having no cultivation of her own, felt at that moment as if a wild beast had fixed its eyes upon her—she could hardly breathe.
Liu Fu hurriedly stepped forward to shield her, barely managing to block that terrifying sense of oppression.
By now, many people had gathered in the courtyard.
The guards and retainers of the Duke’s Residence, thinking a monster had attacked, had all rushed over in alarm—only to find the situation before them utterly different from what they had imagined.
As Shen Yanzhou was one of the most prominent figures in the imperial capital, none of them could fail to recognize him.
For a moment, everyone was at a loss as to what had happened.
“The Young Duke, Liu Fu, has been secretly harboring a monster. Earlier today at the Chilin Guards headquarters, I sensed traces of demonic aura, so I came tonight to investigate—and caught him and his wife conspiring with the creature in person.”
“According to the laws of Great Qian, what is the punishment for one who keeps monsters and colludes with the demonic nations?”
Shen Yanzhou’s gaze swept lightly across the crowd, his voice calm yet ringing clearly in everyone’s ears.
His words landed like thunder in the hearts of everyone in the Duke’s Residence. Many loyal servants felt their heads buzz, their minds going blank, almost fainting on the spot.
Madam Liu couldn’t hold back and shouted furiously, “Shen Yanzhou, you vile liar! How dare you frame us out of nothing—”
“The evidence is right before your eyes.”
“If you have anything to say, you can explain it in the Chilin Guards’ Heavenly Prison.”
Before she could finish, Shen Yanzhou flicked his hand against the scabbard at his waist.
A streak of blade light flashed through the air, cold enough to pierce bone. It whistled past her neck, leaving behind a fine red line, before embedding itself in the wall behind with a ringing clang.
Madam Liu had never seen such a scene before. Fright drained the color from her face; she clutched her neck and would have collapsed had Liu Fu not caught her in time.
Liu Fu’s lips trembled as if he wanted to speak, but when he saw Shen Yanzhou’s cold expression, the words died in his throat.
As a Hundred-Household Commander of the Chilin Guards, Shen Yanzhou had the authority to act first and report later. Even if there had been no so-called “evidence,” he still had the power to do as he pleased.
Right now, any explanation was useless.
They could only wait for the Bureau of Immortal Inspection to investigate the true origin of that Cold Crow.
The Duke’s Residence, after all, was an ancient noble house that had existed since the founding of Great Qian. Such a major case could not be decided rashly.
Liu Fu stood frozen in place, speechless.
The gathered guards and retainers looked at one another uneasily.
If harboring monsters turned out to be true, it was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations. The entire Duke’s Residence would be implicated—including them.
Soon, from outside the residence came the clatter of armor and weapons. A large number of Chilin Guards had arrived in response to the alarm.
In the night sky, several figures dressed in the official robes of Immortal Officers from the Bureau of Immortal Inspection descended swiftly.
“Greetings, Commander Shen. What has happened here?”
Several Chilin Guards Hundred-Household Commanders rushed forward—among them were Zhou Yang and Li Yunpeng.
“The Young Duke has colluded with monsters, conspiring to harm high ministers of the court. The evidence is conclusive. Escort him to headquarters.”
Shen Yanzhou’s voice was calm.
“What?”
Zhou Yang and the others were shocked.
The Immortal Officers from the Bureau of Immortal Inspection hurried forward, forming hand seals to activate a great formation, preventing the Cold Crow in Shen Yanzhou’s hand from escaping.
At that moment, the Cold Crow lay motionless, unable to struggle. Waves of strong, thick demonic aura surged from its body—so dense that one could perceive it clearly even without a Demon-Detection Talisman.
Expressionless, Shen Yanzhou channeled faint streams of Primordial Qi into the Cold Crow through his palm.
Having reached the second stage, Ten Thousand Transformations Returning to Flow, this Primordial Qi could now evolve into embryonic forms of myriad powers, mimicking the auras of martial or spiritual energies—demonic aura included.
This Cold Crow was, of course, no monster. Yet with the refinement of the Primordial Qi, Shen Yanzhou could easily turn it into a “forged monster.”
After briefly explaining the situation, Shen Yanzhou ordered Zhou Yang and the others to escort Liu Fu away toward the Hundred-Household Command Post.
Outside, more soldiers and Chilin Guards surrounded the Duke’s Residence from all sides, sealing it off so tightly that not even a fly could escape.
That night, the entire imperial capital of Great Qian was shaken. Many noble families and aristocrats lay awake.
No one had expected that the Duke’s Residence would be accused of harboring monsters—this was no ordinary noble household.
If the charge of collusion with monsters proved true, the consequences would be unimaginable.