Starting with The Eagle Shooting Heroes: I gain a year's worth of skill every day.

The Great Song Dynasty, Lin'an, Zichen Palace.

The smoke from the ambergris swirled among the beams and pillars, but it couldn't suppress the stagnant air inside the hall.

All the civil and military officials stood with their heads bowed, so low that you could hear a pin drop.

A young eunuch, carrying a report sealed with sealing wax, hurried forward and knelt before the emperor's desk.

On the cover of the report, a single character for "prohibition" written in cinnabar was shocking.

Emperor Ningzong of Song, Zhao Kuo, removed the sealing wax, glanced at it, and then handed the report to the chief eunuch beside him.

The chief eunuch unfolded his report, his high-pitched voice trembling slightly from extreme restraint.

"A secret report from the Imperial City Guard, delivered with utmost urgency..."

"The east gate of the Jin capital was breached by a single person and a single punch."

"Afterwards, the main force of the Jin army defending the city and the cavalry that came to its aid, totaling 4,327 people, were slaughtered within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

"The perpetrator was a Taoist priest in blue robes."

"Furthermore, according to multiple sources, Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison of the Five Greats, was killed on the spot by the same person three days ago at the Fuxing Inn in Zhongdu. This person is a newly promoted Taoist priest of the Quanzhen Sect, whose Taoist name is 'Xuanmo'."

The words fell.

The entire Zichen Palace was deathly silent.

The next moment, Prime Minister Shi Miyuan stepped forward from the head of the civil officials and bowed to deliver his report.

"Your Majesty, this report is utterly absurd and appalling! I believe that the commander of the Imperial City Guard who submitted such seditious rumors should be imprisoned and punished immediately!"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"One man against ten thousand, one punch shattering a city gate? Such a tale is unprecedented! This must be a counter-espionage plot by the Jurchens, intended to shake the foundations of our Great Song Dynasty and sow discord among our rulers and ministers!"

"I second that proposal!"

"What the historian says is absolutely right! If such nonsense were to spread, wouldn't it make us a laughingstock throughout the land!"

"The Imperial City Guard is utterly incompetent and corrupt, actually presenting mere street gossip to the Emperor's ears! Their crime deserves death!"

The civil service was instantly abuzz with excitement, and voices of agreement rose and fell.

They cited numerous historical examples, from ancient sages to the founding emperor of this dynasty, to forcefully demonstrate that human strength has its limits and that flesh and blood can never withstand the torrent of steel.

This goes against all the common sense they have built up through decades of hard study.

"His Majesty!"

Minister of War Qiu Chong stepped out from the ranks of military officers, his face solemn.

"The Imperial City Guard's report may contain some exaggerations, but it's certainly not entirely unfounded!"

He took another military report from his sleeve and presented it to the emperor in a loud voice.

"This is military intelligence from the northern front! Three days ago, the main force of the Jin Dynasty on the northern front, which was confronting our army at the border, inexplicably retreated a hundred miles and switched from offense to defense! Morale at the front collapsed overnight, and rumors are rampant in the army, all related to the Zhongdu Incident!"

"If their capital hadn't suffered such a devastating upheaval, things wouldn't have come to this!"

Shi Miyuan snorted coldly.

"Minister Qiu, warfare is based on deception. The Jin people's feigned weakness and retreat might have been a ruse to lure us in; how can this be confused with such superstitious and supernatural tales?"

"A strategy to lure the enemy into a trap, only to destroy your own defenses and retreat a hundred miles? Master Shi, you're just spouting empty rhetoric!"

"Minister Qiu, are you saying I've ruined the country?!"

"I'm just stating the facts!"

Officials from both factions argued fiercely in the hall, their spittle flying everywhere.

One side firmly believes in common sense and denounces it as heresy.

The other side closely monitored the unusual military movements, believing there must be something more to it.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Ningzong of Song, Zhao Kuo, remained silent, his face ashen. His fingers slowly tightened beneath his dragon robe as he listened to the arguing below, his mind a jumbled mess.

Believe it or not?

His gaze passed over the arguing civil and military officials and finally landed on the last figure in the queue, a figure that remained silent and unyielding from beginning to end.

Tie Youxia, Chief Constable of the Six Doors.

"The Iron Minister."

The emperor spoke.

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

All eyes were drawn to the man in the red official robe with a sword at his waist.

"You come from a martial arts background, your skills are unparalleled in the military, and you also control the intelligence network of the Six Doors. In your opinion, is there even a slight possibility that this matter is possible?"

Tie Youxia stepped out of the ranks, her robes fluttering.

He did not answer immediately, but first clasped his hands in a salute to the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, according to common sense, this is absolutely impossible."

His voice was steady and firm, like metal and stone.

Upon hearing this, Shi Miyuan and the civil officials behind him all showed expressions of "I knew it."

However, Tie Youxia did not stop.

He abruptly changed the subject, his entire demeanor suddenly becoming sharp and incisive.

"But if this person is no longer a 'human,' but a legendary 'land immortal' who appears only once every hundred years and whose appearance can change dynasties, then that's a different story!"

The phrase "land immortal" seems to weigh a ton on everyone's heart.

Shi Miyuan's smile froze on his face.

Tie Youxia ignored everyone else, took out a secret report sealed in wax from his bosom, and presented it with both hands.

"Your Majesty, this is intelligence obtained by the various branches of the Six Doors at great cost."

"Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, is indeed dead. His White Camel Mountain stronghold in the Western Regions collapsed overnight, and all his trusted and key members were uprooted."

"Rumors in the martial arts world say that the perpetrator, dressed in green and carrying an ancient sword, perfectly matches the name 'Xuanmo' mentioned in the Imperial City Guard's secret report!"

He paused, then continued his analysis with a firm and resolute tone.

"Who is Ouyang Feng? One of the Five Greats, he can be called a grandmaster of his generation. There are only a handful of people who can kill him. For someone to kill him so easily, his martial arts skills have long exceeded the comprehension of ordinary martial artists."

"Such an existence cannot be judged by ordinary standards. He has performed many righteous deeds for the people of our Great Song Dynasty, yet he has inflicted such a brutal massacre on the Jurchens. His stance is self-evident!"

Tie Youxia raised his head and looked directly at the emperor on the dragon throne, a complex expression flashing in his eyes that was unreadable to others.

"If our Great Song Dynasty can treat him as a national hero and regard him as a true immortal protecting the country, then the recovery of Yan and Yun and the great cause of the Northern Expedition will be just around the corner!"

"To antagonize them, or to treat them with disrespect and contempt, would be tantamount to destroying one's own Great Wall and inviting gods and demons to become enemies!"

boom!

The last eight words completely shattered the last line of defense in Emperor Ningzong's mind.

He suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, scanned the entire room, and all the officials, including Shi Miyuan, lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

Finally, the emperor's voice resounded throughout the Zichen Palace, carrying a hint of barely suppressed excitement.

"Draft an imperial edict!"

"The title of 'Guardian of the Nation and Protector of the Holy' is hereby conferred upon Master Xuanmo of the Quanzhen School!"

"He bestows upon you a purple-gold fish-shaped pouch, ten thousand taels of gold, and a thousand bolts of silk!"

As imperial edicts were issued one after another, the air in the entire court became scorching.

Emperor Ningzong's gaze finally settled on Tie Youxia, his expression filled with unprecedented solemnity.

"The Ministry of Rites is to immediately prepare ceremonial guards, with a prince of the imperial clan as the chief envoy and Tie Qingjia as the deputy envoy."

"Set off immediately for Zhongnan Mountain."

The emperor took a step forward, his face unfathomable, and issued his command, word by word.

"You must... summon a true immortal for me!"