Night Audience

Along the way, the outer palace grounds had been passable enough; only about once every quarter-hour would they encounter a patrol of eunuchs. But as they ventured deeper, when they were still roughly a li from the thousand-meter blood altar that soared into the clouds, the imperial guards around them had reached an astonishing density.

Squads of eunuchs carrying blood-red lanterns flitted back and forth like specters. Every one of them wore heavy armor and carried an identical square bronze mace at his waist. No blades were permitted within the palace, lest they bring ill omens, but in the hands of these Heaven Realm and Earth Realm eunuchs, even with formations suppressing their battle qi, such weighty square bronze maces—weighing two or three hundred jin—could still unleash terrifying killing power.

The eunuchs moving to and fro followed an intricate, vast pattern, weaving among palaces and pavilions with scarcely a single blind spot in their sightlines. The uniquely designed buildings ensured that nothing obstructed their vision. Whenever ancient trees or upturned eaves got in the way, permanent sentry posts were certain to be stationed nearby.

And this was only the outskirts of the imperial city.

On the road leading to the true core of the imperial city—the inner city where Ying Zheng lived day to day—stood another towering wall, several zhang higher than the outer city wall. The guards stationed atop it were all elite eunuch attendants.

Most especially, the three hundred and sixty golden-armored imperial guards standing before the inner wall gate were all experts with one foot in the Saint Realm. Three hundred and sixty half-step Saints, three hundred and sixty eunuchs! Looking at those expressionless guards, Lin Qi felt his scalp tingle in waves.

Dragon City, Dragon City—you meant to rebel against an empire this terrifying! Even the