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

"My lord, something terrible has happened!"

The prefect himself looked up and frowned. "Your appearance is unkempt; what kind of decorum is this!"

He couldn't stand his subordinates' hasty actions; as an official appointed by the court, he had to maintain the dignity of a superior.

If outsiders saw this, what dignity would the government have left?

"Governor, the Mangshan Sect was wiped out overnight!"

"What?!" Even the prefect was shocked by the news.

He hurriedly stood up and went to his subordinate, "Explain yourself clearly, what exactly happened?"

The subordinate said with a solemn expression, "Sir, I don't know the specifics of the situation right now."

All I know is that the entire Mangshan Sect was razed to the ground overnight!

"No one in the sect escaped unscathed."

Mangshan Sect was wiped out? This sect, which had been so arrogant and domineering in Xialin County, showing no respect for itself or the government, was so easily destroyed?

Logically, he should be happy, but the prefect himself did not show any sign of happiness.

He knew all too well the status of the Mangshan Sect in the area; they were the dominant force in the martial arts world of the entire prefecture.

Who can destroy the Mangshan Sect? Only the county troops can defeat them.

"Do you know which faction did this?"

...

"My lord, it's said to be the underworld!"

The underworld? The prefect's heart sank.

Since this force suddenly appeared and wiped out a small family, people have been assassinated by the underworld almost every day.

The Imperial Guards, the Six Doors, and even his own desk were filled with reports on his investigations into the underworld.

However, to this day, detailed information about this force remains unclear.

It is unknown how it is composed internally, who the powerful individuals are, how many of them there are, or how much power they wield.

All I know is that the underworld is an organization that undertakes assassinations, murders, and the sale of intelligence.

Each time he takes action, he leaves behind the words, "A vengeful ghost will take your soul, and the unpredictable will claim your life."

The site will also leave behind symbols of the underworld!

"Immediately send someone to Mangshan Sect to investigate the situation. I don't want the government to always rely on the Six Doors and the Embroidered Uniform Guard for intelligence." The prefect suppressed his inner turmoil and immediately gave the order.

As an official in charge of the people's livelihood, economy, and stability of a prefecture.

They had their own government offices, but they were unable to command or mobilize the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Six Doors.

It can be said that the city lords, prefects, governors, and state governors of the Great Xia Dynasty were all seriously incompetent officials.

It has neither military command authority nor the authority to mobilize special agencies.

However, when problems arise in the areas they are responsible for, they are the first to be reprimanded by their superiors.

At the ruined site of Mangshan Sect, government officials began clearing away the corpses.

Looking around, the entire sect ruins were filled with government officials.

"My lord, we have a basic understanding of the situation. We can no longer find any useful information at the scene."

A captain of the Imperial Guard, with his left hand resting on the sword at his waist, hurriedly approached a middle-aged man to report.

As the imperial court's violent agency, the Embroidered Uniform Guard naturally had its own methods of investigation.

Otherwise, how could a mere commander at the Innate Realm have investigated the situation so quickly?

This middle-aged Jinyiwei officer was a commander of a thousand men, the highest-ranking Jinyiwei officer in a prefecture.

"Tell me, what have you found out?"

Dressed in the uniform of a centurion of the Imperial Guard, he exuded an air of authority without needing to be angry.

"Yes, sir."

"According to what was found at the scene, the murderer first used an array to seal off the Mangshan Sect last night."

"There are nine Grandmaster-level experts present. Judging from the aura they left behind, four of them are at the peak of the Grandmaster realm!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed.

Grandmaster realm, and there are actually four Grandmaster Perfection realm cultivators.

Looking across the entire northern neighboring state, it's rare for an ordinary person to see even one Grandmaster-level expert in their entire life.

Such people are basically in seclusion, cultivating themselves.

After all, for those with slightly inferior aptitude, breaking through from the Grandmaster realm to the Great Grandmaster realm can only be achieved through time.

"Nine Grandmasters!"

"Wow, this underworld really has a grand scale!"

As a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he is currently only at the peak of the Purple Mansion Realm. He doesn't know when he will be able to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.

"Fine, let's report this!"

"The emergence of the Underworld's power will likely cause chaos in the martial arts world."

As for avenging the Mangshan Sect, don't be ridiculous. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is only responsible for investigating cases and killing people, provided that the court's rule is threatened.

This underworld poses no threat to the imperial court, nor is it an official force. No matter how many people die in the martial arts world, it will not attract the attention of the imperial court.

This world is inherently a world of cultivation; people die every day in the martial arts world!

Meanwhile, far away in the capital, Xia Zhaoyan stared at the system with a silly smile.

"Hahaha...this is truly a double celebration!"

"Why is Your Highness suddenly so happy?" Wanwan asked, bowing her head and exhaling her fragrance.

Xia Zhaoyan is now used to the enchantress's teasing and no longer gets easily aroused like before.

"All members of the Northern Neighboring Prefecture's Underworld have advanced in their cultivation levels."

"With the addition of two more Purple Mansion Realm experts, Du Sha and Li Dazui, this branch can at least protect itself within a prefecture."

"The second joy is that I can offer sacrifices again."

"Last night, Jiang Renjie and his group wiped out a Grandmaster-level force. Combined with the life force I had accumulated, I do not intend to continue accumulating it. I am preparing to offer another sacrifice."

Upon hearing this, Shi Feixuan, who was standing nearby, nodded slightly.

"Your Highness is wise; we are currently lacking our own people."

"Not only the Underworld, but also the Heavenly Punishment Bureau is short-staffed."

"The characters who are now being rewarded through sacrifices are being born, and although those born later in the cycle have higher cultivation levels."

"But with our talent, I believe we can improve our cultivation level very quickly."

Xia Zhaoyan entered his secret chamber, which served as both a cultivation room and a place for future sacrifices.

With a thought, his soul arrived at the space where the system was located.

Looking at the layer of flowing life force in the Life Force Cauldron, it was clearly more abundant than before.

"System, I want to sacrifice myself again!"

As his voice fell, the altar above the Cauldron of Life began to slowly rotate.

The life force within the cauldron transformed into a stream that flowed towards the altar.

[Ding, the system is making a sacrifice...]

"I wonder what kind of reward I'll get this time..."

Soon after, all life within the cauldron vanished completely.

At the same time, the system's voice also sounded.

[Ding, congratulations host, sacrifice complete.]

[Congratulations, host! You have received 500 Lesser Rejuvenation Pills as a reward.]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained 500 First-Grade Realm Pills.]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained fifty Grade Two Realm Pills.]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained a Longquan Sword, a magical artifact acquired through practice!]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained the cultivation technique, the Immovable King Sutra!]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained two hundred masks exclusive to the Underworld.]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained one hundred spatial rings.]