Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 644 Master, Your Nemesis Has Arrived
It turns out that the bloodshed in the capital last night was not a disaster without a cause.

That was a colossal wave stirred up by a large number of lurking scoundrels in the martial arts world and several ambitious Jianghu organizations!

Among them, the Heaven and Earth Hall, which is part of the intelligence network, is the most ferocious and turbid force in this storm.

These desperate criminals, like hyenas that have smelled carrion, have recently infiltrated the heart of power in the capital city, secretly driven by their respective leaders.

Last night was the moment they bared their fangs!

Under the cover of night, they set fire to flames of destruction throughout the capital, brandishing their knives as they stormed into unsuspecting homes and shops, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities.

The once bustling streets and alleys were instantly transformed into a living hell.

As dawn broke, the iron chains of the Six Doors, the swords and halberds of the Northern Imperial Guards, and the fire and water clubs of the Yingtian Prefecture yamen runners finally arrived, launching a belated cleansing amidst the city's wailing and ruins.

Amidst the clash of swords and the stain of blood on the long street, a large number of thugs involved in the riot were killed or captured on the spot.

However, what is most chilling is that the core leaders of organizations such as Tianditang, the masterminds who truly planned and remotely controlled this disaster, have vanished without a trace like ghosts and have not been brought to justice to this day!

This morning, some people in the imperial court started making a fuss about this matter.

Many officials submitted memorials stating that the situation in the capital was turbulent, and that relying solely on the Northern Imperial Guards and the Six Doors was insufficient to maintain order.

Therefore, they requested that troops from other regions be mobilized to enter the capital to help quell the unrest and stabilize the situation.

Such a petition naturally drew opposition from some.

The two sides, those in favor and those against, were arguing fiercely and couldn't reach a conclusion.

Later, some officials even believed that the unrest last night had endangered the Emperor's new residence, and that fires had even broken out near the residence.

The official suggested that since the Southern Imperial Guards could no longer guarantee the Emperor's safety, the Northern Imperial Guards should also send personnel to assist in the defense of the new residence.

The debate surrounding the defense of the new residence has once again torn the court apart.

Supporters argued vehemently, using the pretext of "protecting the emperor," while opponents were deeply worried, accusing them of "ulterior motives."

The arguments grew louder and louder.

Later, the attacks became even more unrestrained, targeting the Six Doors, the Northern Imperial Guard, and even subtly affecting the Investigation Bureau!
Memorials impeaching those who neglected their duties, condoned or even colluded with rebels, flooded the emperor's desk like snowflakes.

The entire morning court session was spent in endless arguments, attacks, shirking responsibility, and power struggles.

Like a farcical and absurd drama, it concerned the lives and deaths of countless people and the future of the empire.

Deep within the courtyard, beside the pond.

Zhao Bao's face was so gloomy it could drip water. He lowered his voice and spoke rapidly as he relayed everything that had happened in the court to Liang Jin, as well as the deepest doubts within the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

“Brother Jin, the old eunuch… has caught wind of it.”

Zhao Bao's voice carried a barely perceptible chill:

"The eunuch suspects that it is no coincidence that the commotion last night could have caused such a large fire, so many deaths, and that the ringleader is still at large!"

"The Six Doors and the Northern Imperial Guard... are probably inseparable from 'indulgence' or even 'cooperation'!"

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes:

"Otherwise, with tens of thousands of elite Northern Imperial Guards and the spies and experts of the Six Doors throughout the capital, if they really wanted to suppress them with overwhelming force, how could those rabble have caused such a commotion?"

"They were in charge of maintaining order in the capital. How could they not have received any prior warning of those rebels gathering and infiltrating in such a large number? That doesn't make sense!"

"What's even stranger is that, even now, the Northern Imperial Guards are still keeping the city gates wide open, without imposing any restrictions on the martial artists pouring into the capital!"

"How many different kinds of martial arts figures have flooded in today? Who knows what kind of monsters and demons are hiding among them? And who can guarantee that there won't be any more trouble tonight?"

Liang Jin listened silently, his brows furrowed.

He was overwhelmed by the chaotic proposals and attacks in the court.

He already had limited understanding of the intricate web of interests and factional infighting in the officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty. Based solely on the fragmented information relayed by Zhao Bao, it was extremely difficult for him to make sense of the situation, let alone glimpse the true murderous intent behind those high-sounding words.

He simply abandoned all the roundabout methods and went straight to the point:
Who is the mastermind behind this?

"What exactly are they trying to achieve by making such a huge commotion and causing so many deaths?"

This question made Zhao Bao's expression instantly become even more serious.

He remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words, before finally speaking cautiously:
"Currently... there is no conclusive evidence to definitively identify who the real manipulator is."

"But as the investigation team followed the clues, all the faint hints eventually pointed to two people!"

His voice was lowered even further, almost a whisper:

"One is Shen Wujiu, the God of Arrests of the Six Doors! The other is Tong Shan, the commander of the Northern Imperial Guards who holds a large army and protects the capital!"

Shen Wu Jiu? bare hill?

Liang Jin's heart skipped a beat!
He immediately recalled the intelligence he had received yesterday: Prime Minister Li Qingru had secretly hosted a banquet for the two men last night!
Could it be... that these three have secretly formed an alliance?
If that's the case, the power represented by these three parties is enough to overturn the entire chessboard!
This is an extremely troublesome situation.

But there is another possibility—someone deliberately created clues pointing to these two people, forcing them to choose sides, or even pushing them to the opposite side!
Regardless of the truth, as Zhao Bao said before, the tacit understanding and delicate balance that had been maintained in the court has been completely torn apart!
First came the assassinations: Zhao Bao killed the Prince of Jian'an, and Xu Xu assassinated the Prince of Huaiyang.

What followed was this riot that swept through the entire city and caused immense suffering and death.

These methods are too extreme!
This means that the struggle for the supreme throne has entered its final, intense stage.

The moment of truth has arrived, a life-or-death struggle!

Zhao Bao's voice interrupted Liang Jin's thoughts, bringing even more unsettling news:

"Also, Brother Jin, the police station's mole in the Huaiyang Prince's Mansion has recently discovered something strange."

"The household registration records and the actual population of the Prince of Huaiyang's fiefdom, especially the number of guards in the Prince's palace, do not match! It's as if... many of the fiefdom's residents and guards have vanished into thin air."

"More importantly—"

Zhao Bao's eyes were sharp as knives:

"Just today, the Shenwu Army, which is closest to the capital and guards the Longhai Pass, has been unusually mobilized!"

"The intelligence agency received a secret report that last night... Zhao Hongyi, the heir apparent of the Prince of Huaiyang, secretly met with the commander of the Divine Martial Army!"

Liang Jin's heart sank suddenly!
Divine Martial Army!
That was the last iron wall protecting the capital. Once Longhai Pass was opened, the capital would have no more defenses!
He suddenly remembered the vague message that Prince Zhao Yu of Huaiyang had entrusted to him to deliver to his heir Zhao Hongyi while he was in prison—that the heir should go to the commander of the Divine Martial Army to "reminisce about the past"!
Liang Jin did not know the specifics of those past events. The Prince of Huaiyang, Zhao Yu, spoke vaguely, but it was estimated that someone as knowledgeable as Zhao Hongyi would understand the meaning behind it at a glance.

In retrospect, this "old story" is anything but ordinary!
The Prince of Huaiyang, who seemed to be imprisoned, had secretly laid out such a treacherous move!
He immediately pressed further:
"Does the eunuch... know about these things?"

The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CIS) monitors the entire country, with its eyes and ears reaching every corner of the court and the countryside. In terms of the precision and breadth of its intelligence, no one can surpass it.

Zhao Bao nodded, his eyes filled with complex emotions:
"Of course the eunuch knows."

"But... all this intelligence about the Prince of Huaiyang and the Divine Martial Army has been temporarily suppressed by the Grand Eunuch and kept secret."

Liang Jin understood.

This move by the eunuch at least shows that he is still on the side of Prince Zhao Yu of Huaiyang at this moment!
Liang Jin was well aware that in this current game, the top figures who were actually making moves were all testing each other, scheming against each other, exchanging chips, and pulling each other's allies.

The chain of interests involved is intricate and intertwined; a single move can have far-reaching consequences.

Liang Jin considered himself not to be a member of the imperial court, and he was completely clueless about the complex rules of this power game.

It felt like a group of seasoned veterans who knew the rules well sitting together playing mahjong.

Liang Jin couldn't understand their strategy, why they played this card, why they ponged, why they konged, and why they were ready to win.

They could say that Liang Jin doesn't understand the rules, doesn't know how to calculate, and doesn't understand the subtext at the card table.

but!
This absolutely does not mean that Liang Jin is not qualified to sit at the table!
That doesn't mean he doesn't have the power to overturn this table!

Quite the contrary!

Now, his clone, Meng Xinghun, has quietly entered the capital with the Qingyi Tower.

One soul, two bodies, one bright, one dark.

They may not understand the complex rules of officialdom or the logic of exchanging interests, but they possess the power to break all the rules!

They don't need to follow the rules set by the big shots; what they need to do is—

Let's overturn this card table that's filled with hypocrisy, scheming, and bloodshed!

Power is their only rule!
Just as Liang Jin's heart was churning with emotion, an extremely shrill and heart-wrenching cry came from afar, piercing through the high walls of the mansion.

Then came the piercing sound of the suona, so powerful it could shatter one's heart, mixed with the dull, monotonous sound of the funeral drum, striking the heart of everyone again and again.

A funeral procession was slowly passing by the street outside the mansion.

The cries seemed to carry a plague of despair.

Wherever it went, the people in the nearby alleys who had also lost their loved ones and homes the night before were stirred by the mournful sound, and their suppressed sobs gradually merged into a deep sea of ​​wailing.

In the front yard, the Zhao family, who had just settled down and were still in shock, were also stirred up by the funeral music, which brought back their deep sorrow, and they began to weep as well.

Liang Jin stood by the pond, listening to the cries rising and falling between those inside and outside the wall.

He gazed at the leaden-gray sky reflected on the water, his voice low and suppressed:
"Can you hear that? Those cries..."

"If they continue fighting like this, and there are two more disturbances like last night, this capital city... will probably become a huge graveyard."

"The lives of ordinary people are also lives, and they should not be chips that can be discarded or sacrificed at any time on their gambling table!"

Zhao Bao was slightly taken aback when he saw the almost burning anger in Liang Jin's eyes.

He understood Liang Jin's anger, but in his own underlying logic of struggling to survive since childhood, he had long been accustomed to this kind of cruelty.

He sighed, his tone carrying an almost cold clarity:

“Brother Jin, I know you have a kind heart. But... those people’s lives and deaths are really none of our business.”

"This is how the world has always worked. Only the strong can live well; the weak can only be slaughtered."

He paused, his voice lower and more practical:

"Even if we want to help the Prince of Huaiyang ascend the throne, we must first save our own lives! It's not that we should be indecisive or hedge our bets, but it's always good to leave ourselves a way out."

"What if... I mean, what if, in the end, the Prince of Huaiyang loses? We can't just lose our heads with him, can we? We have to have a chance to switch sides with the winner..."

Zhao Bao's eyes lit up, as if he had some concrete plans for this "leaving a way out" idea, and he was eager to discuss it with Liang Jin:

"I do have some ideas now, such as how we could make contact discreetly..."

He was interrupted by Liang Jin before he could finish speaking.

Liang Jin gave Zhao Bao a deep look, his eyes showing a hint of weariness.

He slowly shook his head, his tone listless:

"talk later."

He stopped looking at Zhao Bao, turned and walked towards the training room, leaving behind only a cold, hard back view.

"I'm going to practice my skills now."

He has been diligently cultivating the Heavenly Heart Tribulation recently and has finally succeeded in entering the first stage, but he still needs to continue to consolidate his skills in order to bring it into play.

Zhao Bao watched Liang Jin's departing figure, opened his mouth, but swallowed the rest of his words, a barely perceptible look of disappointment and helplessness flashing across his face.

He shook his head and quietly left the backyard.

The murky waters of the capital are at their most turbulent right now, and as the head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he still has a lot to do.

Especially today, two very important figures in the Criminal Investigation Bureau—the head of the bureau, Wan Shanglou, and the chief of the criminal investigation bureau, Wang Huaishuang—have returned to the capital together!

The return of these two individuals will inevitably bring new changes, and he must visit them as soon as possible to ascertain the direction of events.

………………

royal palace.

Kunning Palace.

This palace, which symbolizes the empress's virtue, is now shrouded in a deathly gloom.

The former prosperity and bustling crowds are nowhere to be seen.

The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and the corridor was deserted; even the birds seemed to have avoided the area.

The air was thick with the smell of medicine, mixed with an old, forgotten, dusty scent. It was announced that Empress Mu Congshuang was unwell and needed to rest quietly, having closed her doors to visitors for several days.

At a time of political turmoil and with the emperor recuperating in his new residence, it seemed that no one truly cared about the situation of the empress in the deep palace.

The only worried family sent people to visit, but they were completely turned away at the cold palace gates.

Just when everyone thought that the Empress would fade into obscurity, an unexpected figure received an imperial edict summoning her to the Kunning Palace.

Abbot of Wanfo Temple, Master Beihuan.

Joy and sorrow remain as if he were still dressed as an ascetic.

His tattered patchwork robe barely covered his body, and his bare feet trod on the gleaming gold brick floor, leaving faint dust marks with every step.

He held a string of polished ebony prayer beads, his face filled with sorrow, yet his eyes were as deep as an ancient well.

This attire was completely out of place in the magnificent and extravagant imperial palace, but it was precisely this extreme contrast that silenced the palace eunuchs and maids, filling their eyes with awe.

The young eunuch leading the way stopped in front of the two heavy, gilded doors of the main hall of Kunning Palace, then bowed and retreated, his head bowed low, not daring to breathe.

Master of Sorrow and Joy, expressionless, stepped forward and gently pushed with his withered hand.

"Squeak-"

The heavy palace doors opened inward, revealing a chillingly empty interior.

The space was dimly lit, with only a few rays of light filtering through the high windows, casting pale patches of light on the polished floor tiles.

The palace maids and eunuchs who used to stand on both sides were nowhere to be seen!
The entire hall was so quiet that only the faint sound of Bei Huan's bare feet on the ground and her own breathing could be heard.

Deep within the main hall, atop a high phoenix throne, sat a person.

The beaded curtain hung low, casting shadows, revealing only the silhouette of someone dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe.

Master Beihuan entered the hall with steady steps.

He did not bow, but simply waved his tattered sleeve.

"Bang!"

The heavy palace doors slammed shut behind him!
The last glimmer of light from the outside world was completely cut off, and the hall was instantly plunged into an almost ghostly darkness.

Only a few ever-burning lamps beside the phoenix throne cast a dim, yellowish light, barely outlining the empress's blurry profile.

"Amitabha!"

The sounds of joy and sorrow echoed in the empty hall, carrying a strange penetrating power that shattered the deathly silence.

"How has Your Majesty been lately?"

On the phoenix throne, the figure moved slightly.

A deep, suppressed female voice, yet with a strange metallic quality, came through:

"I cannot eat or sleep properly."

Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with indescribable anxiety and resentment.

Master of Sorrow and Joy took a few more steps forward, his bare feet making a soft "tap, tap" sound on the cold floor tiles.

He stopped about three zhang away from the phoenix throne, his cloudy gaze piercing through the darkness, as if he could see directly behind the beaded curtain:
"how so?"

The voice on the phoenix throne suddenly rose in pitch:

"Because of that damned person—"

"Not dead yet!"

The sorrow on Master Beihuan's face seemed to deepen.

He slowly moved the prayer beads, making a soft "click" sound, and uttered a Buddhist chant:
"Amitabha."

"Your Majesty, life and death are preordained."

"It's not that he's immortal, it's just that... his time hasn't come yet."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of destiny, as if he were stating an eternal truth.

This answer clearly enraged the person on the throne!
"Hoohoo!"

The beaded curtain was suddenly flung open by a hand wearing a red gold finger glove!

An exquisitely beautiful face belonging to Empress Mu Congshuang was exposed in the dim light, but at this moment, there was no trace of the majesty of an empress, only twisted anger and cold killing intent on that face!
A mad flame burned deep within her eyes.

"Grandmaster!"

She leaned forward, slamming her hand heavily on the armrest of the throne, making a dull thud. Her voice trembled slightly with extreme anger.
"What are you, Wanfo Temple, still hesitating about?!"

"Why is it that, until now, you are the only chief official present in the capital?"

"Why is the abbot absent?! Are you going to break your promise?!"

Her questions came like a machine gun, carrying the pressure and anger of someone in a superior position.

Faced with this almost roaring question, Master Beihuan remained as still as an old monk in deep meditation.

His eyelids were lowered, his gaze fixed on the prayer beads in his hand, and he began to chant Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

His focused expression made it seem as if the empress before him was nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing past the corner of the palace, not worth a second glance.

That was a contempt that ran deep in one's bones!

A kind of indifference that treats the Empress as if she were nothing!

"you……!"

The Empress was trembling with rage, and her hand, clad in a finger cot, was raised high again, about to strike once more!
But in the end, the hand stopped in mid-air, trembling violently.

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled.

He forcibly suppressed the anger that was about to erupt.

Because she is not the real Mu Congshuang!
She's just an imposter in a phoenix robe!

Her confidence was far from enough to allow her to be truly presumptuous in front of the abbot of Wanfo Temple.

She took several deep breaths, her chest heaving, forcing her voice to regain its composure, but beneath that composure lay a deeper chill:
"Master, Zhao Yu... is not dead yet."

She deliberately slowed her speech, her tone carrying a chilling undertone:

"My men reported that they learned from a captain of the Imperial Guard who was guarding Zhao Yu that the Emperor seemed to be planning to kill Zhao Yu soon, so the men did not act immediately."

"and……"

She paused, her tone tinged with sarcasm:
"That old eunuch from the Criminal Investigation Bureau has also sent people to get involved. It seems he has other ideas about Zhao Yu."

She tried to use this intelligence to demonstrate her control, while also testing the attitudes of joy and sorrow.

Master Beihuan finally stopped chanting the sutra.

He lifted his eyelids, and his seemingly cloudy old eyes were now sharp as knives, piercing straight behind the beaded curtain:
"Your Majesty, how much can a mere banner commander possibly understand His Majesty's intentions?"

"The wrath of Heaven is unfathomable; how can the heart of the Sage be measured by ants?"

His voice remained deep, yet carried an undeniable power:

Who can say for sure what will happen tomorrow?

"The arrow is already on the bowstring, and the sword is already drawn! Only by completely eliminating all the princes who could shake our foundations and extinguishing the hopes of those who are opportunistic, can we firmly bind everyone to our war chariot!"

"Hesitation will only bring greater variables and...destruction!"

Although he was urging people to commit murder, his voice was filled with compassion and empathy.

This extreme contrast is chilling.

The queen was silent.

The main hall was deathly silent, with only the faint crackling sound of the ever-burning lamp wick.

Her hands, hidden beneath her phoenix robe, were clenched tightly, revealing her inner turmoil.

Finally, she abruptly raised her head, a resolute and fierce glint flashing in her eyes:

"Alright! We'll do as the master says!"

"I will take Zhao Yu's life tonight! I will make sure he never sees the sun rise tomorrow!"

Having finalized the most crucial matter, her tense nerves seemed to relax slightly, and a malicious, flippant smile even appeared at the corner of her mouth:

"Also... I just received some interesting news."

She paused deliberately, savoring Bei Huan's reaction:
"Master, your 'old friend,' the master of the Western Desert Green Robe Pavilion, Meng Xinghun..."

She clearly saw that Master Beihuan's fingers, which were moving the prayer beads, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

"...He has also stepped into the capital today."

The fake queen drawled out her words, her tone laced with schadenfreude:

"According to reliable sources, it was that old eunuch Wang Jin who personally invited them."

"Master, can you guess who this Master Meng has traveled all this way to this den of dragons and tigers to... deal with?"

Her voice rose at the end, full of malicious provocation.

"Om-!"

The moment the words "Meng Xinghun" were uttered, the tattered patchwork robe on Master Beihuan's body suddenly swelled up without any wind!

An invisible, chilling killing intent spread out as if it were a tangible thing. The gauze curtains hanging in the hall moved without wind, and the flames of the eternal lamps flickered wildly, almost going out!

His aged face remained unchanged in its sorrowful expression, but his closed eyes suddenly snapped open!

Deep within his murky eyes, only a chilling killing intent as cold as eternal ice remained!
"Amitabha……"

Master Beihuan chanted a Buddhist prayer, but his voice was as cold and hard as the clanging of metal:

"He's here...just in time."

He slowly turned around, no longer glancing at the phoenix throne, and walked barefoot toward the tightly closed palace doors.

Each step felt as if it carried the weight of a thousand pounds, pressing down on people's hearts.

“This old monk and Benefactor Meng… still have an unresolved karmic connection, which should be settled.”

As soon as he finished speaking, still a few steps away from the palace gate, the two heavy, gilded doors seemed to be suddenly pulled open by an invisible giant hand!

The blinding sunlight instantly flooded into the dimly lit hall, outlining the gaunt yet heavy figure of Bei Huan.

He stepped into the blinding light, his figure instantly swallowed by the light and vanished, leaving only the lingering chilling killing intent within the hall and the still-shaking hall doors.

The fake empress remained seated on her high phoenix throne, hidden behind the newly lowered beaded curtain, motionless.

After a long while, the sound of footsteps approached from afar.

A lithe man dressed in the uniform of a first-class imperial guard jogged into the main hall, strode quickly to the steps of the phoenix throne, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head deeply.

"Your subordinate Xu Long greets Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"

His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor tiles.

Behind the beaded curtain, the fake empress's voice returned to its metallic coldness, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, yet carrying an undeniable command:
"You should finish what you didn't finish last time."

She paused slightly, each word falling like an ice bead:
"Before sunrise tomorrow, I... must hear the results!"

Xu Long, who was kneeling on the ground, visibly stiffened for a moment.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of incredulous fear.

But in just a moment, that fear was replaced by a deeper resolve.

He gritted his teeth, his voice forced from deep in his throat, carrying a desperate, resolute tone:
"Your subordinate... obeys!"

(End of this chapter)