The Lame Marquis Guards the Realm

Xu Ying, a former project manager who died from overwork, transmigrates into the sword-and-magic world of Elysia, only to find himself in the body of a crippled youth whose left foot tendons were severed by his enemy, the 'Bloodhand' Raymond. Starting from disability and poverty, he develops a unique 'Shadow Step' technique based on terrain and rhythm, earning the name 'Half-Step Shadow Knight' in the underworld. Seeking a low-profile life, he is hunted by Raymond, a dark knight under the empire's third prince. Xu Ying takes pride in his daughter's achievements but gradually realizes that Xu Qinglan's ambition goes beyond mere success—she aims to overthrow the aging emperor and rule the empire herself. Torn between his beloved daughter and her vision of an 'efficient and powerful' new empire, and his lifelong belief in 'people-oriented' governance, fear of potential tyranny and turmoil, and commitments to other princes and nobles, Xu Ying stands at a crossroads.