Within the Streamdew Courtyard in the depths of the imperial palace, red flowers were dancing amidst the jade-green bamboo and the breeze was caressing the supple willows. Empress Li sat leaning on the parapet, gently stroking the snow-white cat on her lap and seemingly thinking about something. At this point in time, the person, the scenery, and the cat, everything was as beautiful as a painting—but there was something disharmonious about it.

The white cat was struggling constantly in the empress’ hands, its eyes filled with terror. It was as though the animal had just seen something extremely terrifying. It tried to cry out but no sound came out, and no matter how it struggled, it couldn’t escape Empress Li’s gentle caress.

A maid arrived in brisk steps, arriving behind Empress Li as though she were walking on water. “Empress, Steward Liu is back and has obtained the thing you wanted.”

Empress Li’s dark eyebrows moved slightly. “Summon him.”

“Yes.” The maid thus withdrew. All this time, she had kept her head lowered, not looking at the cat even once.

The white feline seemed to have lost all hope after the maid’s departure. It no longer struggled or cried out, allowing the empress to stroke it as she wished.

Eunuch Liu arrived moments later. He had one hand on a young servant, his steps leisurely and his countenance, jaded. At a glance, he looked just like an elder with one foot in the grave and no semblance of an expert’s demeanor.

Seeing Eunuch Liu arrive, Empress Li stood up and waved her hand gently. “Seat.” A maid responded immediately, carrying in a brocade-lined seat and placing it toward the side.

Eunuch Liu didn’t deny the gesture and duly took his place. Only after the old man was seated did the empress resume her position and send the attendants away.

A wisp of anxiety and anticipation appeared on the empress’ face after everyone was gone. “How did it go?”

Eunuch Liu said slowly, “There were some twists and turns, but things can be considered to have gone quite smoothly. That Luo Bingfeng is unexpectedly powerful, probably on par with me on the holy mountain. Fortunately, he was too upright and magnanimous. In the end, he fell to the combined scheming of the seventh young noble and Zhang Buzhou. The passage has been secured and Young Noble Kuanglan has successfully entered. I think I’ve completed my mission.”

Empress Li still looked a bit worried. “It’s lucky that you were there. Do you think Kuanglan will encounter danger in the Great Maelstrom?”

Eunuch Liu said, “Anything can happen in the Great Maelstrom, but Young Noble Kuanglan is a highly proficient swordsman and blessed with great fortune. She should be fine. As for the detailed situation, I cannot see into the Great Maelstrom, so I’ll have to disappoint you.”

The empress replied, “If it wasn’t for you restraining the one on the Throne of Blood, the empire wouldn’t have taken the passage successfully. Sigh, this passage leads straight to the depths of the maelstrom, a place no one had been to before. I hope Kuanglan will be alright. But I heard there were other setbacks in the process, do you know the details?”

Eunuch Liu explained briefly how Yun Zhong and Yun Hai had tried to harm Qianye. “I’ve personally killed the two traitors.”

Empress Li frowned. “What are their origins? Why did they do this?”

Eunuch Liu replied slowly, “This matter is highly complicated. I’ve sent people to investigate, but I don’t know if they’ll succeed.”

Empress Li frowned as she noticed Eunuch Liu’s hidden words. “Is there anything you can’t do? If needed, I can lend you my command token.”

Eunuch Liu shook his head. “I’m old now, so there are times when I’m muddled. Even if I have your command token, I might not remember how to use it.”

Empress Li’s brows relaxed after hearing this. She said with a faint smile, “Since that’s the case, then I won’t force you. Now that you’re here, why don’t you tell me how that person performed?”

Eunuch Liu’s expression was serious. “Do you want the truth or polite words?”

“Of course the truth. There’s no one else here, so you need not fear anything, speak frankly.”

Eunuch Liu said, “But there’s a cat.”

Empress Li smiled faintly. “Just an animal, it can’t do much.”

“Yet anxious animals might scratch. Your body is of the utmost importance, it won’t be good if you get scratched.”

Empress Li smiled radiantly. “Such a small wound is nothing. If that happens, I’ll let this animal see the immensity of heaven and earth, reminding it to stop thinking about nonsense.”

Eunuch Liu nodded. “Since that’s how you think, I won’t hide it from you. What do you want to know?”

“What do you want to tell me?”

Eunuch Liu pondered momentarily before saying, “The Throne of Blood had an eye on me so I didn’t stay until the end, but I heard his last strike was extremely terrifying.”

Empress Li’s brows rose high and her smile became more dazzling. “This is the best news I’ve heard in recent days.”

Eunuch Liu said, “It’s only half good. I have something for your eyes.”

He produced a palm-sized scroll from his chest pocket and passed it over. Empress Li received the object, tapping lightly on Eunuch Liu’s hand as she did so.

The eunuch seemed not to have noticed. He merely said with a bow, “I’ll take my leave, then. Please look through the item after I’m gone.”

Empress Li nodded and stood up as a gesture of farewell. “Take care.”

After waiting for the eunuch to leave, Empress Li removed the seal on the scroll and slowly opened it up. There was a pair of black wings on the small painting scroll, so lifelike that it was about to fly out of the paper.

Empress Li held her breath for a good while, her expression filled with both joy and worry. She sighed gently as she tore the scroll to pieces, crushed it into a ball along with the roller, and then tossed it into the pond.

Countless carps surfaced from the waters and fought to swallow up the paper, even the roller.

Empress Li couldn’t help but reveal a cold smile when she noticed the cat on her lap staring at the pond with wide eyes. The dazed cat felt something was wrong—it looked up all of a sudden and started crying mournfully upon seeing the empress’ expression.

Empress Li summoned a maid and handed the cat to her. “Bring it away, dig out its eyes, and keep it at the imperial villa. End your own life if it dies along the way.”

Trembling, the maid picked up the cat and, grabbing it tightly, left with hurried steps.

Empress Li sat down contemplating and then broke into a cold laugh. “I’ll take action if worse comes to worst. I must see what kind of tricks you can pull!”

The neutral lands, outside of Tidehark. Song Zining’s flagship had been parked in the air outside of Tidehark for many days now. He himself was training with his spear on the deck, the weapon striking mysteriously like a momentous dragon.

After he had completed a set of spear techniques, someone nearby started clapping. “Good spear technique! This Fueled Fire Spear has gone through such changes in your hands, it seems to have reached a completely new realm. I think no one in the Song clan is your match in spear technique, perhaps with the exception of the old ancestor.”

Song Zining turned back with a smile. “Eunuch Zhang is one of the top experts in the imperial palace, how can such minor tricks enter your eyes?”

Eunuch Zhang laughed. “Seventh Young Noble is already so talented at such a young age, you’re destined to become a heavenly monarch in the future. I, on the other hand, am content if I can climb two more ranks. There’s no way I can compete with you.”

Song Zining replied, “Eunuch Zhang will become a divine champion after a single breakthrough. At that point, the head steward position can only be yours. I’ll have to rely on your care in the future.”

Eunuch Zhang said, “Well said, well said! I came here because I have something to discuss with you.”

Song Zining smiled. “You’re too kind, let’s talk inside.”

The two entered the cabin shoulder to shoulder and sat down in an isolated room. After the servants had laid down tea and snacks, Eunuch Zhang leaned forward and said in a whisper, “I want to know something. Who is your backing in the imperial palace?”

Song Zining said with a smile, “Since you’re asking so directly, then I won’t hide it from you. I’ve been helping the empress with some menial tasks recently.”

The eunuch’s smile grew even wider. “I’m relieved, but I have something I want to ask you. Why do you attach so much importance to the Eastern Sea?”

Song Zining smiled spuriously. “I’ve already moved my entire company over here. Why do you think that is?”

Eunuch Zhang clenched his teeth. “I understand! Although I’m old, I have a good chance of stepping into the divine champion realm within three years, I also have some say in matters within the palace. I think I’ll be of some use to you. I’ve accumulated some savings during my thirty years of service in the palace and would like to bet on you, what do you say?”

Song Zining laughed gently. “The Eastern Sea is a big piece of meat, not something I can swallow on my own. It is, of course, a good thing if you’re willing to join me.”

The two exchanged glances and laughed with increasing cheer.

In the imperial camp outside of Tidehark, several aristocratic elders were holding a secret meeting. Elder Lu said with a gloomy expression, “We’ve discussed things back and forth but haven’t been able to reach a conclusion. I think we cannot keep on dragging this matter out. We have to take swift action in gaining Eunuch Zhang’s favor. Without him, we won’t be able to dig anything out of Song Zining.”

Everyone expressed their agreement but soon started fighting over what this investment was and how to distribute it among the families. Ultimately, they never came to a conclusion.

Song Zining looked down at the imperial camp from the deck of his airship, muttering, “A group of jumping clowns. They scramble for power and benefits but never check to see if the food will burn their lips.”

He walked over to the other side of the deck and gazed upon the forming silhouette of the dark ball above the holy mountain—it was much clearer than several days ago. Song Zining said with a smile, “Heh, I want to see how you’ll get over this trial. We’ve known each other for so many years, do you think I have no way to deal with you?”

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He brought out a divination token and placed it on his forehead. “Good boy, Qianye, Good boy, don’t fight back! Let me see how many bad things you’ve done.”

These words had no effect on divination, nor could it turn one’s fortune around like a charm or incantation. He was just muttering to himself for fun.

However, he had just finished speaking and hadn’t even activated his divination arts when his vision turned dark. He couldn’t see anything at all for a moment.

It felt as though a pair of invisible eyes were slowly opening in the darkness, staring at him.

“Humph!”

A somewhat sullen voice echoed in Song Zining’s ears. Then, his divination token snapped in half, the upper segment of which struck his forehead with considerable force and knocked him out.