Azure Dragon Society.
No one knew who commanded it or when it had infiltrated the martial world. It seemed that wherever there was a martial world, there had always been the Azure Dragon Society.
The organization was divided into twelve halls, corresponding to the twelve months of the year, and had three hundred and sixty-five branch outposts, corresponding to the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year.
It was said that its leaders were called Dragon Heads, and there were seven in total.
Its influence was immense, and it appeared in many stories from the Gu-style novels.
Moreover, it usually appeared as a villainous organization!
Even more terrifyingly, what appeared was never the entire organization, but often only a single hall, a single branch outpost, or a single person.
Yet even that was enough to become a formidable enemy of those novels' protagonists.
One could only imagine how terrifying the entire Azure Dragon Society was!
He had never expected such a vast and terrifying organization to be under the command of Zhou Ming's adoptive father, Pei Ju.
But... why?!
You were a villain from Sui State. Coming to Ming State to become the Grand Secretary was one thing, but how did you also have such a massive villainous force under your command?
A villainous figure plus a villainous organization—wasn't that villainy piled upon villainy?!
And he had even become the man's adopted son!
How was he supposed to survive in the martial world from now on?
He still wanted to trade blows with Guo Jing, drink with Qiao Feng, and befriend Dog Brother!
If this identity got out, never mind those people above—even Linghu Chong would probably come right up and spit in his face, saying, "I, Linghu Chong, am a great hero. How could I ever associate with filth like you?"
Inside the study.
Pei Ju said, "Now, do you understand?"
"I understand..." Zhou Ming said listlessly. "My dream of the martial world... has shattered..."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I mean Bai Xiaosheng! With Bai Xiaosheng dead, the Azure Dragon Society under my command has gained who knows how many troubles out of thin air. This matter began because of you, so you must resolve it for me."
Zhou Ming pulled himself together and said, "Adoptive Father means for me to become the Fourth Dragon Head?"
"Pah!"
Pei Ju spat and said, "Do you think my Azure Dragon Society is child's play? Of the seven Dragon Heads, which one is not an outstanding hero? You? You wouldn't even qualify to be an outpost master, yet you want to become the Fourth Dragon Head?"
"Then what does Adoptive Father mean?"
"I have a matter here that I need you to handle."
"What matter?"
Pei Ju said, "Under Zhu Wushi's Dragon Guard Manor, there are supposedly the four secret agents known as Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow. They are his four most capable subordinates, and their identities are mysterious. Go find out who they are for me."
"Huh? Me?"
"Don't worry. I'll assign a group of people to serve as your subordinates."
"All right..."
Zhou Ming said, "But if Adoptive Father wanted me to do something, you only needed to say the word. Why drag Bai Xiaosheng into this?"
Hearing this, Pei Ju said earnestly, "You are my son, not my subordinate. If it is something I order you to do, and you do not wish to do it, you may refuse. But this time, you made a mistake and caused me trouble. Therefore, whether you agree to this matter or not, you must accept it!"
Zhou Ming froze, then cupped his fists. "Understood, Adoptive Father!"
Over the past half year since coming down the mountain, Pei Ju had been overwhelmed with affairs and occupied with countless matters every day. Thus, Zhou Ming had barely seen him at all, much less spoken with him as much as he had today.
This had always left Zhou Ming feeling uneasy.
But from today's conversation, it was clear that Pei Ju had always treated him as a son.
Their father-son relationship was even remarkably harmonious, far beyond that of most fathers and sons in this era.
One had to know that relationships between fathers and sons in ancient times were generally exceedingly stiff.
Yet the emotions Pei Ju had revealed while speaking with Zhou Ming just now were utterly out of place in this age.
That was also because of his nature.
The Evil King!
What was evil?
Neither righteous nor demonic, yet both righteous and demonic!
He understood all those Confucian rites and the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, but he disdained practicing them.
In this regard, Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic of Song State, was somewhat similar to him.
"Adoptive Father, if there is nothing else... this son will take his leave."
"Stop. Who said there was nothing else?"
"Uh, what else is there?"
"Have dinner with me tonight. A friend of mine happens to be visiting, and you should get to know him as well."
At dusk, before dinner began, Zhou Ming met the friend Pei Ju had mentioned.
The man looked to be in his thirties or forties. He was richly dressed, with a bold and heroic air about him, and his face was full of smiles.
"Brother Yin, are you finally done with your work?"
"Hahaha, I merely do a bit of business. No matter how busy I am, how could I compare to you, the current Grand Secretary?"
Pei Ju pointed at Zhou Ming. "Come, this is my adopted son, Zhou Ming. He went out running wild a few days ago and only returned today."
Zhou Ming stepped forward, about to offer his greetings, but the man spoke first. "I have a deep friendship with your father. I rank second in my family, so you may call me Second Uncle."
Zhou Ming said, "Yes, greetings, Second Uncle."
The man took out a book and handed it to Zhou Ming. "I won't let you call me Second Uncle for nothing. I heard that you have already entered the Innate Realm, so I'll give you this copy of Sword Qi Finger."
Pei Ju said, "Brother Yin, you are too courteous."
"What is there to be courteous about? Imperial Sword Manor lacks nothing most of all in various sword techniques."
The two sat down amid laughter and conversation. Zhou Ming accompanied them from the side, occasionally joining in, but he remained extremely quiet throughout.
He could not help being quiet!
Zhou Ming truly had not expected his adoptive father's friend to be such a terrifying existence!
Even his adoptive father, Pei Ju, was not one percent this man's equal!
Yin Zhong, younger brother of the master of Imperial Sword Manor in Ancient Shu State, a Grandmaster-level expert!
But that was only his surface identity.
In truth, he was Tong Yin Zhong, an Undying God-Demon who had lived for over a thousand years!
In ancient times, gods existed in the mortal world.
Later, the gods gradually vanished, but their descendants did not disappear along with them.
The Tong Clan was descended from one such god. They possessed the ability to sense heaven and earth and borrow their power to cast techniques, and they had assisted monarchs for generations.
There was also the Long Clan, likewise Descendants of Gods, who had been friends with the Tong Clan for generations.
The two clans had an agreement: disciples of either clan were absolutely forbidden from coveting the other's inheritance.
However, someone within the Tong Clan had violated the prohibition and secretly learned the Long Clan's inherited cultivation art, the Dragon God Skill.
That person was Tong Yin Zhong.
After his actions were discovered, all his abilities were crippled, and he and his only daughter were expelled from the Central Plains.
His daughter, Yin Feng, was consequently bitten to death by a venomous snake in the wilderness.
Tong Yin Zhong was filled with rage. From then on, he decided to abandon the Tong surname and seek revenge against the Tong Clan.
He cultivated anew, restored his combat strength, returned to the Central Plains, and lurked by the monarch's side. Through slanderous words, he turned the monarch against the Tong Clan and had him order their extermination.
The one who carried out this deed was Yin Zhong himself!
The Tong Clan received word and fled in advance. Yin Zhong led soldiers in pursuit. At the critical moment, the current head of the Long Clan arrived, wielding the family's inherited sword and the Tong Clan's supreme treasure, the Spirit Mirror, to battle Yin Zhong.
The two fought until heaven and earth darkened and blood flowed like rivers. In the end, Yin Zhong was killed by the supreme treasure, the Spirit Mirror.
Disheartened, the Tong Clan went into seclusion and never emerged into the world again.
Yet Yin Zhong, who had already died, attained great wisdom and immense fortune between life and death. He broke through to an unprecedented realm, comparable to gods and demons—undying and indestructible.
But when he awoke, several hundred years had already passed.
Moreover, the wounds inflicted by the Spirit Mirror could never heal. Though he was undying and indestructible, he suffered from those wounds at every moment, and because of them, he could not fully wield his strength.
Thus, Yin Zhong wanted to find the Spirit Mirror, heal his injuries completely, and become a true Undying God-Demon.
He searched near the battlefield but could not find it no matter what he did. Left with no choice, he married and had children, establishing a power of his own while suppressing his injuries and seeking other ways to heal them.
The force established by his son was Imperial Sword Manor within Ancient Shu State!
By now, it had been passed down for five hundred years!
Throughout those five hundred years, Yin Zhong had manipulated it from the shadows. Whenever a crisis arose, he had personally acted to eliminate it.
To prevent the secret of his immortality from being discovered, every few decades he would fake his death and leave. After everyone of his generation had died, he would return, abduct someone from the manor, and replace him.
The identity he currently used was, in fact, another replacement identity.
People believed he was the younger brother of Imperial Sword Manor's master, but in truth, he was Imperial Sword Manor's ancestor.
Even the person who had founded the manor would have to call him Father!
With such a terrifying existence sitting right beside him, Zhou Ming naturally did not dare say much. Still, he was utterly speechless inside.
"Not only is Adoptive Father a villain himself, even the force beneath him is villainous. How did he end up making friends with another villain?"
Zhou Ming sighed inwardly. His villainous background really was impossible to wash away.
Before you continue