You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

I've grasped the concept, but the cultivation requirements seem a bit too high, don't they?

A full 100,000 points!

Lu Zuo smiled bitterly to himself. Wouldn't Zhang Lihua be completely ruined?

"Are you two gentlemen looking to have your knives repaired?"

Wang Zheng had noticed Lu Zuo and his companion long ago, but he had been too busy forging to greet them.

Seeing that their spirit and energy were extraordinary, and that they clearly possessed martial arts skills, he asked if they wanted weapons forged.

Lu Zuo was always under surveillance, and each time the Black-Clad Guards accompanied him, they always acted in unison, with more than a dozen people.

Even though Chen Wu and his group had already received instructions from Ren Zhong, they never contacted him privately to avoid being discovered.

Now, Shi Wenqing and Li Chengan are making intensive arrangements, making Lu Zuo feel that the situation is becoming increasingly urgent!

He had no choice but to arrive at the blacksmith shop ahead of time to discuss future plans and instruct everyone on their next move.

Chen Wu stepped forward and whispered a few words in Wang Zheng's ear. The other man's expression changed drastically, and he said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, please come in with me."

.......

An hour later, Lu Zuo and Chen Wu left the blacksmith shop and headed towards the Confucius Mansion.

As he walked, he pondered to himself, "Including Chen Wu and the others, Ren Zhong can only provide me with seven Innate Realm cultivators and nineteen Acquired Realm cultivators."

"The strength is still very weak."

Just now, through Chen Wu's words, he learned how much assistance Ren Zhong could currently provide, as well as the general situation of the Black-Clad Guards.

This royal intelligence agency, meticulously cultivated by Li Cheng'an, had most of its members in the capital being staunch loyalists of the old eunuch.

If Lu Zuo wants to launch a counterattack, the first thing he needs to do is eliminate the Black-Clad Guards!

After all, this was a thorn firmly planted in their side; without eliminating them, they would never escape the old eunuch's grasp!

Any unusual activity was immediately suppressed by the Black-Clad Guards...

But the members of the Black-Clad Guards are all innate masters, and there are more than 120 of them in the palace. How can I eliminate them?

Lu Zuo considered poisoning, but he didn't have any poison...

Hoping to find some poison while traveling incognito?

Haha, that's a bit too unreliable.

"etc!"

As he pondered, Lu Zuo's eyes suddenly lit up, and he thought to himself, "Since the Yin Gui Sect is a demonic sect, they should be proficient in poisoning, hidden weapons, and the like."

"Perhaps... Zhang Lihua and Zhu Yuyan can be of help!"

"Once I've stabilized my cultivation, I'll confront those two Yin Gui Sect vixens and see if we can reach an agreement on cooperation."

……

Inside the bedroom of the Confucius Mansion.

Gu Yanran was doing her makeup in front of the mirror, her eyes half-closed, but her lips were slightly upturned, with a blush of rouge spreading across them.

She drew her eyebrows for a while, then raised her jade-like hand, dipped her fingertip in a little lip rouge, and dabbed it on her vermilion lips. The red mark was vivid, just like a ripe cherry, half-hidden and half-revealed.

squeak...

With a soft sound, Kong Fan pushed open the door and entered. He saw his wife smiling gently in front of the mirror, getting ready, and his brows furrowed instantly.

"snort!"

"Madam seems to be in a rather refined mood today."

Gu Yanran glanced at him and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"

Kong Fan clenched his fists: "Since you entered the household, I, as your husband, have never seen you dressed so meticulously!"

"you!"

"Have you already...?"

Gu Yanran raised an eyebrow and tilted her head back: "Already what?"

"Have you already fallen for His Majesty?"

Kong Fan's face stiffened, and he stammered, "I, I, I..."

Seeing his appearance, Gu Yanran scoffed, "Coward!"

you……!

Kong Fan's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to rebuke someone, a servant came from outside the door to report: "Master, His Majesty has arrived."

"We invite you and your wife to the main hall for a meeting."

Gu Yanran quickly stood up and walked towards the door.

After taking a few steps, she stopped again, turned around and glanced at Kong Fan following behind her: "You'll soon find out whether I like His Majesty or not."

Kong Fan was so angry that he trembled all over, cursing the despicable woman in his heart!

But there was nothing he could do but follow behind the lady, walking step by step toward the main hall.

soon……

The couple then went into the main hall.

"Your subject, Kong Fan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Even though he harbored deep hatred for Lu Zuo, he still had to kneel on the ground and kowtow in respect.

"Your Majesty, why are you so late?"

"I miss you so much that I can't eat or sleep."

Gu Yanran said sweetly, came to Lu Zuo's side, sat on his lap, wrapped one hand around Lu Zuo's neck, snuggled against his chest and acted coquettishly, while glancing sideways at her husband.

His eyes were filled with mockery.

humiliation!

This is an immense humiliation!

Kong Fan clenched his fists so tightly that his back teeth almost broke, but he could only kneel on the ground and lower his body.

How dare he get up if the emperor didn't tell him to?

Lu Zuo laughed heartily, put his arm around Gu Yanran's waist, and kissed her on the pretty cheek: "Isn't that what I've got?"

As they talked, the two of them openly began to joke and flirt.

Laughter and cheerful voices filled the hall, occasionally punctuated by a soft moan, "Your Majesty, you're so annoying," or "Your Majesty, someone's watching us."

And what about Kong Fan?

He knelt on the ground the whole time, his head almost touching the ground, listening to all sorts of unbearable sounds, silently enduring everything.

But as I endured it, a strange sense of pleasure began to grow within me...

……

Outside the city, in a meditation room at Qixia Temple.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the high window, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

In the incense burner in the corner, a stick of incense was burning to the middle, the blue smoke rising straight up and gradually dissipating into a faint mist between the beams.

"This is troublesome..."

Fan Qinghui sat cross-legged on the futon, her brows slightly furrowed, and murmured, "If the Shen family of Wuxing really..."

"That junior sister from Wuhua will surely be banished to the cold palace by this tyrannical emperor!"

"Cihang Jingzhai's plan to develop in Southern Chen through the royal family will also fail as a result."

Bi Xiuxin sat opposite her and nodded: "Not only that, but without our people in the court, how will we influence the political situation and pass on messages to the Sui Dynasty?"

"Especially the successors of the Yin Gui School, who have already infiltrated Southern Chen..."

"If they seize the opportunity to infiltrate, wouldn't the Demonic Sect flourish here and rapidly expand its influence?"

"In the future, even if the Sui Dynasty conquers the world, it will not have much impact on the Demonic Sect."

"It will be even more difficult for Cihang Jingzhai to slay demons and restore peace to the martial world."

Fan Qinghui thought for a moment and said, "Senior Sister is right. Should we help her secretly and try our best to protect the Shen family?"

"No." Bi Xiuxin shook her head: "Our power in Nanchen is too weak to do that at all."

"most……"

"After Wuhua Junior Sister was banished to the Cold Palace, another person was sent to infiltrate the palace to feed the demon with his own body."

"Firstly, it could influence the emperor's decision-making."

"Secondly, it would be convenient to search for the successors of the Yin Gui School within the palace."

Fan Qinghui hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How is Junior Sister Yanyue?"

"no."

"Junior Sister Yanyue is unlikely to catch the eye of that tyrant, whether in terms of appearance or talent. Moreover, her cultivation is not high, and she has not mastered the Heart-Crossing Mantra."

"Not the best candidate."

After a pause, Bi Xiuxin said, "I think we should ask Master to make the decision."

"it is good."

Fan Qinghui nodded and said, "I will write a letter to my master right away."