The Team Behind a Bid for the Throne

The strongest wind in the world was the one whispered into someone's ear.

Half a month later

The imperial palace of the Heaven Dou Empire announced who would tour the realm:

Duke Tianya Jiang Mingyang would tour the realm in His Majesty's stead. He was appointed Chief Inspector and charged with overseeing the tour.

The six marquises—Marquis of Chengyang, Marquis of Tianguan, Marquis of Zhongming, Marquis of Jingbei, Marquis of Jingyu, and Marquis of Gaolin—were appointed Deputy Inspectors to help Chief Inspector Jiang Mingyang carry out this weighty duty.

When the news came out of the palace, the upper ranks of the imperial capital were surprisingly calm.

The empire's leading figures showed no sign of being shaken, as if the result were only natural, something they had expected all along.

Yet this seemingly strange calm made perfect sense.

First, anyone who toured the realm in the emperor's stead had to have the emperor's trust above all else.

Jiang Mingyang was already an imperial favorite, not to mention all those messy rumors that had come out of the palace.

It was only natural that he would be sent on this tour.

Second, although Jiang Mingyang had never volunteered the extent of his strength, he had never tried to hide it either.

As the son of Jiang Tian, one of the Heaven Dou Empire's most powerful figures, Jiang Mingyang did not have to tread on thin ice before mighty factions.

He could meet them head-on instead.

In fact, Jiang Mingyang had only truly entered the upper ranks' notice after becoming a Soul Ancestor.

Jiang Mingyang knew that revealing his strength might provoke other factions' jealousy and bring persecution down on him.

But once he chose the road toward uniting the realm, Jiang Mingyang could no longer remain behind the curtain.

He had