Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

The teacup in Chen Pingping's hand shattered on the ground with a "crash." He abruptly sat upright in his wheelchair, staring intently at the shadow, his eyes filled with disbelief. "What did you say? The fifth Grandmaster?!"

Shadow nodded laboriously, recounting in broken sentences everything that had happened in Fallen Valley. The mysterious man wearing a bamboo hat and mask, the terrifying pressure he exuded, the overwhelming power he effortlessly crushed…

After listening to Shadow's account, Chen Pingping fell silent.

He sat in his wheelchair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests—a habitual gesture when he was thinking. But at this moment, the tapping seemed somewhat disordered.

The fifth Grandmaster!

If this news gets out, it will be enough to cause a complete upheaval in the world order!

"Quickly! Send Shadow to the secret chamber to heal, with the best medicine!" Chen Pingping ordered swiftly, then turned his wheelchair, his voice low and urgent, "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the palace!"

……

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Qing was reviewing memorials when he heard Chen Pingping's report. His cinnabar brush suddenly stopped, and a drop of bright red ink fell onto the memorial, spreading and creating a shocking stain.

"You mean... there's a Grandmaster standing behind the Net?"

Emperor Qing slowly raised his head, his gaze deep and unfathomable, revealing neither joy nor anger, but the slight trembling of his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

"Absolutely true." Chen Pingping lowered his head, his tone solemn. "Shadow saw it with her own eyes and felt it firsthand. That person called himself 'Bad Marshal,' and he severely injured Shadow with a single move. He also casually crushed the weapon of a ninth-rank expert from Northern Qi, instantly killing him. Such strength could only be found in a Grandmaster."

Emperor Qing remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling a breath of stale air.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gloomy sky outside, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

A Grandmaster is someone who can influence the fate of a nation. Each additional Grandmaster means one more uncontrollable variable.

"The Unruly Commander... Yuan Tiangang..." Emperor Qing murmured the name, as if trying to etch it into his very bones. "Investigate! Investigate for me! Use all available resources to find out this man's origins! I need to know when such a peerless expert has appeared in this world!"

……

Meanwhile, the Northern Qi capital was established.

The Imperial Preceptor, Ku He, sat cross-legged atop the mountain, listening to his disciple's report. His usually calm face revealed a look of shock.

"The fifth Grandmaster... The Net..."

Ku He gazed at the southern sky, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. As a Grandmaster, he naturally knew how difficult it was to reach this level. Could there really be someone in this world who could break through to this stage so quietly, and hide it so well?

"It seems the waters of this world are getting muddier and muddier," Ku He sighed softly, then closed his eyes and said nothing more.

……

As news of the battle at Fallen Valley was deliberately spread by Luo Wang, the whole world was in an uproar!

The martial arts world was shaken! The court and the public were in uproar!

The fifth Grandmaster has emerged!

The name of the Net resounded throughout the country overnight, becoming a nightmare for countless people and a holy land for countless outlaws.

The previous clamor for war against the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) vanished instantly, replaced by profound awe and fear. Who would dare provoke an organization backed by a Grandmaster? That would be like an old man eating poison—a death wish!

Riding on this momentum, the net expanded rapidly.

Hidden "mission buildings" have sprung up in the underground world of major cities. These buildings are not open to the public; only those with special tokens can enter.

Here, as long as you can afford the price, whether it's murder and robbery or espionage, Luo Wang can do it for you.

"The Net only does business, not politics. Neutrality, loyalty, fairness, and impartiality."

These sixteen characters became the golden signboard of Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) and the new ironclad rule of the underworld.

At this moment, all factions are scrambling to wave their silver notes, hoping to make contact with this organization that has a Grandmaster in charge.

Whether seeking to eliminate dissidents or to find refuge, the threshold of the Luo Wang organization was constantly being breached. A steady stream of gold and silver flowed into the Luo Wang treasury, and then, through secret channels, it was used to nourish the "Bad People" lurking in the shadows.

With this massive injection of funds, the Bad Guys expanded at an astonishing pace. Originally, they only established a network in Kyoto, but now their tentacles have begun to extend to various prefectures and counties, and have even infiltrated the army and government offices.

Inside the study of the Second Prince's residence.

Xie Bi'an remained as cold and aloof as ever, holding his long sword and speaking rapidly about the affairs of the martial world, but he talked most about the currently popular Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

As Li Chengze listened to Xie Bi'an talk about things in the martial arts world, he casually peeled a grape and threw it into his mouth, feeling even happier inside.

The stronger the Luo Wang and the Bad Guys are now, the more terrifying the shock will be when they reveal their true colors in the future.

"By then, the whole world will know that these two terrifying forces belong to me, Li Chengze. The prestige points..." Li Chengze silently calculated in his mind, as if he could already see countless zeros beckoning to him. "Then I'll give you a ten-pull of a high-level lottery!"

However, he also knew that now was not the time to get carried away.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind; before you have absolute control over everything, keeping a low profile is the best policy.

He stretched, stood up from his chair, and stepped barefoot onto the carpet, saying lazily, "I'm so tired of listening to all this fighting and killing all day long. Let's go to the Princess's residence and ask my aunt for a cup of tea."

"Yes." Xie Bi'an replied succinctly, then turned and followed.

The carriage traveled smoothly towards the Princess's residence.

Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, Li Chengze had barely stepped out of the carriage when the guards at the gate immediately came to greet him.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

The captain of the guards bowed respectfully, his face plastered with a fawning smile. The eldest princess had already given a strict order: the second prince could enter the inner courtyard directly upon arriving at the residence without prior notice—a privilege even the crown prince did not enjoy.

No need for formalities.

Li Chengze waved his hand casually, not even letting Xie Bi'an follow him, and walked into the mansion by himself, familiar with the way.

The scenery inside the Princess's Mansion is superb, with pavilions, towers, winding paths, and a sense of refinement and luxury everywhere.

Li Chengze walked through the front hall and along a cobblestone path toward the back garden. He remembered that his aunt usually admired the flowers at the pavilion in the middle of the lake at this time.

As soon as he turned through a moon gate, a soft cough drifted into his ears on the wind.

"Cough cough... cough cough..."

The voice was suppressed and painful, making one's heart tighten upon hearing it.

Li Chengze paused slightly and looked in the direction of the sound.

A slender figure stood beside a flower bush not far away.

It was a little girl of about six or seven years old, wearing a spotless white dress, her figure so thin that she seemed like she could be blown away by a gust of wind. She held a clean white handkerchief to her mouth, her head bowed as she coughed violently, her frail shoulders trembling incessantly with each cough.

When she calmed down a bit and looked up, Li Chengze saw her face clearly.