Become a king right from the start, beginning with receiving rewards from all the heavens.

"Father, I've been transferred from the Imperial City Guard!" At noon, just as Vice Minister Zhang returned home, his eldest son reported his problem with a gloomy expression.

In the past, Vice Minister Zhang would have been greatly surprised to hear this news.

This is the Imperial City Guard, which has surveillance officials, secret investigation officials, and an agency responsible for the safety of the Imperial City.

It can be said to be one of the most powerful institutions among many.

Although the eldest son is only a minor official of the sixth rank, he wields considerable power.

However, Zhang Shilang was not surprised at all. Looking closely at his expression, he looked much more haggard than before.

"Sigh...this must be the work of the Sky King."

"I was wrong. I was wrong to suppress the harmless Prince Ren in front of all the court officials."

Zhang Shilang looked annoyed; his biggest worry now was the position he was in.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside; it was the second son returning.

"Father, the family business is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain."

"It's been figured out; it was the Eighteenth Prince, Prince Heng, who made the move."

"If this continues, the family won't be able to afford the expenses."

Such official families are newly formed official families.

They have very little foundation; the slightest disturbance could plunge the family into dire straits.

The Zhang family became an official family in just over two hundred years.

With such limited resources, they couldn't withstand the suppression from even one prince, let alone two princes.

"Unexpectedly, this time not only did I fail to get in touch with the Prince of Qiong, but I also completely offended all the princes."

"I should have thought of this long ago. Even if Prince Ren has no power or influence, he is still a prince."

"Sigh...it's all because our Zhang family has had it too easy these past few years!"

"If we don't survive this ordeal, our Zhang family will be reduced to ordinary people!"

Without the protection of his official position, his former adversaries will surely take advantage of his misfortune.

Vice Minister Zhang paced back and forth, thinking of all sorts of solutions.

At this moment, his second son stepped forward and said softly.

"Father, now we can only turn to the hometown association for help."

"Even if it comes at a great cost, as long as your position can be kept, everything is negotiable."

Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Zhang's eyes lit up instantly. "That's right, I also have a hometown association!"

Given his position in officialdom, the hometown association would inevitably try to protect him.

Over the years, various hometown associations have formed in the officialdom among the thirty-six prefectures and more than two hundred counties of the Great Xia Dynasty.

At first, they were just sticking together for mutual support, but they gradually developed into a group with various interests.

To put it bluntly, their existence today is solely for the purpose of protecting their own interests under the suppression of imperial power.

In the residence of the Prince of Ren, after Xia Zhaoyan finished his cultivation, Hongyang entered at the exact time.

"Your Highness, I have important news to report."

"What is it?" Since taking control of the Heavenly Punishment Division, Xia Zhaoyan has devoted some of his energy to cultivation.

Having lived two lives, he knew that only he himself could be his greatest protection.

Although he had a system cheat, the origin and purpose of this so-called Heavenly Sacrifice System were still unknown.

So since he got the system, he has been cultivating even harder than before.

"Your Highness, the Zhang family has recently run into trouble."

"Whether in officialdom or in their family business, they have suffered all kinds of suppression."

"The ones who made the move were the Eighth Prince and the Eighteenth Prince."

Hmm? A myna and an eighteenth bird?

This made Xia Zhaoyan somewhat curious as to why his two elder brothers, with whom he had little interaction, would take action to suppress the Zhang family.

"If I remember correctly, Old Man Mu told me that the reason the Zhang family suppressed me that time was to curry favor with my Eighth Prince?"

"Yes, Your Highness, but things have exceeded the Zhang family's expectations." Hongyang said with a strange smile, and then began to give a full account of the current situation.

This made Xia Zhaoyan somewhat cautious after hearing it.

These princes are no ordinary people. They maintained the dignity of the royal family, pleased their father, and also demonstrated their own strength.

Hehe... No wonder they are the elite of the Great Xia royal family!

"However, the Zhang family's hometown association has now made its move, and they are putting pressure on the two princes."

Xia Zhaoyan narrowed his eyes slightly. The hometown association was a malignant tumor in the officialdom of the Great Xia Dynasty.

It was even worse than the factional strife in the late Ming Dynasty of the previous era, as it completely controlled the selection of officials in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The imperial examinations of today have become a blatant display of cheating.

"I don't care about any hometown associations. Intensify the investigation of all intelligence on the Zhang family."

"Especially regarding all the issues concerning that Vice Minister Zhang, you must dig them out for me."

"Tell Mu Wenhan that this is the first task I have assigned to the Heavenly Punishment Division."

"Only by bringing down this Zhang fellow can the Heavenly Punishment Division have a chance to regain some power!"

...

"Yes, I will inform Lord Mu immediately." Hongyang respectfully accepted the order and left.

Just as Xia Zhaoyan began his investigation, his subordinates in the neighboring northern state finally made initial progress and received their first order.

Phoenix Fire City is one of the cities under the jurisdiction of Xialin County in the neighboring state to the north.

This is the location chosen by the Underworld organization, because this city is extremely chaotic, not in terms of order, since no one dares to easily provoke the power of the Great Xia government.

Instead, it was a constant struggle between various forces, large and small, within the Great Xia Dynasty. The further outward from the capital, the more rampant these forces became.

"Gentlemen, our mission this time is to assassinate the elders and head of the Liu family."

"A deposit of 100,000 low-grade spirit crystals will be made, and the remaining 100,000 low-grade spirit crystals will be paid after the matter is completed."

"Moreover, the person who placed the order said that if the Liu family could be wiped out, they would pay another 100,000 spirit crystals."

Duan Yanqing reported the mission's progress to everyone, and the enormous amount of spirit crystals made everyone present envious.

They were reluctant to use high-grade spirit crystals, but low-grade spirit crystals were not so scarce, and with this huge sum of money...

The underworld will accelerate its development and can establish several more branches in one go.

At this moment, Yun Zhonghe, one of the Four Evils, stood up.

"Gentlemen, the Liu family of Phoenixfire City is one of the dominant forces in this area."

"The family has one person at the peak of the Innate Realm, three people at the middle stage of the Innate Realm, and five people at the early stage of the Innate Realm."

"There are twenty-five people at the Acquired Realm, and the rest are cultivators below the Acquired Realm."

"Among them are some ordinary people without any cultivation!"

The Liu family may not seem like much to most people, but the key is to deal with them quietly without letting the authorities catch them in the act.

Tie Zhan tapped the table to attract everyone's attention, then slowly began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this battle marks the first appearance of the Underworld."

"Therefore, I will also step in to oversee the operation; things must be handled flawlessly."

"His Highness is still in the capital, waiting for these people to survive!"

Everyone looked serious after hearing this.

They knew that if more people like themselves were to be born, there needed to be a large number of living beings.