Chang'an, Daming Palace.
At the pinnacle of power under the heavens, where all lands come to pay homage.
Every brick and tile here is steeped in eight hundred years of wind, frost, and blood.
Inside Changle Palace, a woman dressed in a bright yellow palace gown, her hair styled in a high cloud bun, sits gracefully on the phoenix couch.
She appears to be around forty, well-preserved, with traces of her youthful beauty still evident in her features. However, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the calmness in her gaze betray the passage of time.
She is none other than the current Empress Dowager, of the Liu clan.
"Mother, I have recently acquired some exquisite Duan inkstones and have come to present them to you."
Below the couch, a young man in a prince's robe bows respectfully. His features bear a seventy percent resemblance to the Empress Dowager, though with a touch more softness.
The Empress Dowager does not look at the precious inkstones presented by the eunuch, merely taking a sip of her tea.
"You are thoughtful."
"If you like them, Mother, I can find more for you."
"No need."
The Empress Dowager sets down her teacup with a soft clink. "I now devote myself to Buddhism and scriptures; I have no use for these."
"But you, spending your days cockfighting and chasing dogs or collecting these useless trinkets, have you made any progress?"
The young man's smile stiffens, then shifts to a look of grievance. "Mother, you know that I..."
"What about you?" the Empress Dowager interrupts. "Now that you are a leisure prince with no power or influence, do you think you can just let yourself fall?"
"I dare not!"
The atmosphere in the palace becomes tense.
The old eunuch standing by keeps his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, not daring to make a sound.
After a long while.
The Empress Dowager sighs softly, "Rise."
She waves her hand, signaling the eunuchs to take away the inkstones.
"I'm not blaming you," her voice softens, "it's just... seeing you like this unsettles me."
"Back then... if not for him, you wouldn't be in this situation. You were born to be the Crown Prince; this Great Tang empire should have been yours."
"Mother... speak cautiously."
"Cautiously?" The Empress Dowager suddenly laughs, "At this point, what can I not say?"
"I raised him with painstaking care, taught him to read and write... I dare say, I have been more than kind and just to him."
"And how did he repay me?"
The young man remains silent, not responding.
He naturally feels a sense of injustice.
But at this point, what use is there in speaking of it?
"Enough..."
The harshness in the Empress Dowager's eyes gradually fades, leaving only fatigue.
"Leave."
"Your son... takes his leave."
Watching the figure disappear beyond the palace doors, she waves her hand, signaling the palace maids and eunuchs to leave.
"Come in."
She speaks softly to an empty corner.
A shadow slowly emerges.
"Your Highness."
"Speak."
"Jiang Xun's daughter, Jiang Yuechu, not only survived but has now become part of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau in Longyou Circuit."
"Oh?"
The Empress Dowager lifts her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.
"How could this be? What about Pei Changqing, who was escorting her?"
"Pei Changqing and his team of Demon Suppression Guards have all disappeared. The Bureau in Longyou Circuit sent people to investigate, only to say... they encountered a demon."
"Encountered a demon?" The Empress Dowager sneers, "Pei Changqing is at the String-Attuned Stage, and his team is the elite of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau. Even if they faced a Resonating Bone Demon, they should have been able to send back a message."
"This matter... is indeed suspicious."
"The Demon-Suppressing Bureau seems to be investigating, but according to our reports, the Bureau in Longyou Circuit hasn't made a big fuss about it. Instead... they've directly recruited Jiang Yuechu into the Mystical Division."
The Empress Dowager frowns.
Strange.
The Demon-Suppressing Bureau is known for protecting its own.
Now, with an entire team missing under mysterious circumstances, Jiang Yuechu, as the sole survivor, should have been captured and interrogated thoroughly. That she remains unharmed and has even joined the Bureau is a stroke of incredible luck.
For the Bureau to overlook the death of their comrades and recruit her...
This girl must have something unusual about her.
Speaking of Jiang Yuechu, she naturally remembers her.
Raised in seclusion, never stepping out of the house, her greatest hobbies were reading poetry and painting.
Her nature was timid and gentle, blushing at the sight of strangers.
How could such a weak girl, unable to truss a chicken, survive a situation destined for death?
And how did she manage to gain the attention of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau?
Moreover, such skills are not acquired overnight.
This girl must have known something all along and has been biding her time.
The Empress Dowager narrows her eyes and suddenly smiles.
"What a Jiang Yuechu... such patience... what is she truly after?"
...
Ganzhou.
On the official road, eight Chitong Steeds gallop, kicking up dust.
The Chitong Steed is a demon horse specially bred by the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, known for its speed. Even so, it took three full days to travel from Liangzhou Prefecture to Zhangye in Ganzhou.
Three days without rest, traveling day and night.
Even the robust men of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau show signs of fatigue on their faces.
Liu Chen reins in his horse, takes a water pouch from his chest, and takes a swig, his gaze instinctively falling on the figure at the end of the line.
The wind and sand are strong, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.
Yet she sits steadily on her horse, her posture as straight as a spear, one hand holding the reins, the other resting casually on the hilt of her sword.
The wind brushes against her fair face, leaving no trace, instead lifting a few strands of her disheveled hair, revealing her smooth forehead.
"Ahem..."
Liu Chen clears his throat, deliberately falling back a few positions to ride alongside Jiang Yuechu.
"Are you getting used to it?"
After all, it's her first mission, and such relentless travel is taxing even for veterans of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau.
Let alone a young girl.
But he suddenly remembers that this seemingly frail body once punched a Resonating Bone Demon to death.
His question seems redundant...
For a moment, he feels a bit embarrassed.
Jiang Yuechu replies indifferently, "It's fine."
Her tone is neither warm nor cold.
Liu Chen nods, unfazed, having grown accustomed to her demeanor.
The group continues on.
In the silence, Jiang Yuechu suddenly speaks.
"The one who drew his blade in Jincheng County that day, what happened to him?"
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The men, focused on their journey, instinctively slow their pace, listening intently.
Liu Chen turns his head in surprise.
He didn't expect Jiang Yuechu to inquire about someone else.
"Are you referring to... Lord Xu?"
"Yes."
The surprise on Liu Chen's face quickly gives way to a hint of sadness.
"He's crippled."
Crippled.
Two simple words convey everything.
"His meridians are severed, his vitality depleted. The best medicine in the Bureau was used, his life was saved, but his cultivation..."
"Lord Wei visited him several times, hoping he would stay in the Bureau as a clerk and live a peaceful life."
"But he refused."
Liu Chen smiles wryly, "A few days ago, he submitted his resignation and returned home."
The atmosphere in the group grows heavier.
Even Zhao Hu wears a look of regret.
Xu Nian was a notable figure in the Longyou Circuit's Demon-Suppressing Bureau.
Entering the String-Attuned Stage in his twenties, breaking through to the Resonating Bone Stage at forty, his mastery of the 'Prison-Quelling Blade' had slain countless demons and saved many lives.
But even such a figure, with one misstep, ended up like this.