Primordial Yellow Grotto-Heaven, Xia Xuanyan!

The eastern courtyard.

Falling snow framed Jiang Ning.

Man and landscape seemed to merge into one.

Rustle, rustle—

From afar came the sound of snow being crushed underfoot. The footsteps drew closer.

Just then,

Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes. Lü Yi stood in the middle of the snow in a green fur cloak, fine flakes settling on her head.

"Young master, the carriage is ready. We can leave whenever you wish," Lü Yi said.

She looked around, reluctance showing on her face. "Young master, must we leave so soon? It hasn't even stopped snowing."

"The roads will be worse once it stops," Jiang Ning said calmly, then rose.

Snow flew as his robes swayed. "The sooner, the better. Xie Xiaoj iu and the others are here in Dongling City, and Commandery Governor Wang is looking after things. Nothing too serious will happen."

"If I stay in Dongling too long, I may bring disaster here instead. I don't want to draw trouble to this city."

His gaze swept over the familiar courtyard, the thin ice on the lake, and the snow-laden branches. Beneath the stillness lay the oppressive sense of an approaching storm.

He knew the Martial Saint's intervention had bought him time, but it was also like dropping a boulder into a calm lake. Beneath the ripples, the undercurrents would only grow fiercer.

The Royal Capital, at the emperor's feet, was crowded with powerful figures. It was a dragon's pool and tiger's den, where the forces of every faction tangled most tightly and their struggles raged most fiercely.

Seeking refuge there meant avoiding the blade's edge for now, but also stepping willingly onto a more complex board where information flowed more freely.

Great Xia's turmoil rested on two people.

One was the Martial Saint.

The other was the reigning