Joining the Ranks

Princess Xuan Yi's fingertips kneaded the brocade skirt, leaving deep creases, and the withered leaves shattered into dust beneath her feet.

The setting sun dyed the palace walls blood-red, but it couldn't illuminate her reddened eyes.

Li Chen Zhou suddenly pressed his chest, his brow furrowed slightly, "System, what is this feeling?"

Ding—Detecting that the host's heartbeat is accelerating, adrenaline secretion is increasing, consistent with human emotional fluctuations.

Ding—Detecting emotional fluctuations in the host, activating the mission: Conquer the Emperor's daughter, become the strongest Imperial Son-in-Law of Da Qian. Reward: One Divine-Grade Lottery Draw.

After a moment, Li Chen Zhou said:

"Tomorrow after duty, I will bring some food to the Princess as an apology."

Li Chenzhou softened his voice slightly, his thumb unconsciously stroking the crabapple fragrance remaining on the hilt of his blade.

A hint of surprise flashed in Princess Xuan Yi's eyes, "Really?"

Then she turned to doubt, "Can you even get in?"

Li Chen Zhou nodded slightly, "I have my ways."

Just kidding, if I can't even get through the door, what's the point?

At this moment, the eunuch beside her softly reminded, "Your Highness, it's time to return to the palace."

Princess Xuan Yi gave Li Chen Zhou a fierce look, "If you deceive me again this time, I will make you pay the price." With that, she turned and left.

Li Chen Zhou watched Princess Xuan Yi's back and thought, "Not bad at all, why didn't the previous owner marry her?"

Searching for the reason for the host...

Ding—A cups, can't afford.

Li Chen Zhou was about to blow up at the system when a voice broke his train of thought:

"Congratulations, Young Duke~"

A feminine voice pierced the twilight.

As Liu Xian's wide sleeves fluttered, his blood-red painted fingertips stroked his Adam's apple—where faint blue veins, under the effect of the Dark Yin True Qi, revealed a womanly, charming outline.

Li Chen Zhou chuckled, "Eunuch Liu's rouge would put the top courtesans of the pleasure houses to shame."

"Crack!" Liu Xian's left hand in his sleeve instantly became as transparent as ice, then forcibly restored itself in a burst of sound.

This detail was reflected on the Blood Demon Blade's sheath, creating strange ripples.

"The lower part of the Dark Yin Sword Canon." Liu Xian suddenly approached, the scent of perfume overwhelming, "Name your price."

"What's the rush?" Li Chen Zhou's white python robe swept across the frost-covered ground, "When Eunuch grows the breasts of a maiden, Li will naturally offer it."

"Hahahaha..."

Before the words finished, he was already ten yards away, leaving only the surging black aura in Liu Xian's eyes.

Ding—Warning! Kill intent value has exceeded the critical point.

Looking at Li Chen Zhou's back, Liu Xian's eyes were filled with loss and anger, the black aura instantly entangled around his fingertips, then dissipated into the air in an instant.

The temptation of the Dark Yin Sword Canon was eroding the eunuch's sanity—and that was exactly the effect Li Chen Zhou wanted.

The Dark Yin Sword Canon, a divine-grade technique. Now that Liu Xian has tasted the benefits, how could he not be manipulated by me?

The one with something in his pocket is the boss. Give it to you? Keep dreaming.

The Dark Yin Sword Canon is a divine-grade technique with the power to reverse Yin and Yang. Li Chen Zhou would not hand it over to Liu Xian until he drew a technique that could contend with it.

As soon as he turned around, Li Chen Zhou saw Wei Wuji also coming out.

He immediately stepped forward to pay his respects, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant, slightly cupping his fist, "Lord Wei."

Wei Wuji nodded without saying much.

Li Chen Zhou thought, This superior is really arrogant.

Then Li Chen Zhou directly followed behind him and left together.

The two of them headed straight for the Brocade Guard headquarters after leaving the palace.

In front of the Brocade Guard headquarters, the black iron door knocker gleamed coldly in the twilight, the dark red bloodstains on the vermilion gate were faintly visible, and the iron chains held in the mouths of the beasts on the eaves jingled in the crosswind.

Back at the Brocade Guard headquarters, Wei Wuji casually pointed.

A Brocade Guard stepped forward, "Greetings, Commander."

Wei Wuji nodded and casually pointed to Li Chen Zhou, "This is a newcomer, take him to report."

Then he went straight to his office.

The person who was called out responded, "Yes, sir."

After watching Wei Wuji leave, the person sized up Li Chen Zhou before saying to him, "Newcomer? What's your background?"

"My father is Li Qing Shan, how's that for a background?"

"Li Qing Shan..." The person pondered for a moment.

"Li Qing Shan of Duke Zhen's Estate?"

The other party quickly changed his demeanor, "Oh, it's Young Duke! Please follow me."

He then led Li Chen Zhou to the Southern Investigation Bureau to complete the onboarding process.

Stepping through the gates of the Southern Investigation Bureau, the smell of rust permeated the cracks in the blue bricks.

The guide led Li Chen Zhou to the registration desk.

"This is Master Li, a new recruit brought back by Lord Wei. Register him and see where they need someone, arrange something for him."

"Lord Wei? No other instructions?" the person in charge of registration asked.

"No, I'm only responsible for delivering him to you; the rest is none of my business."

Having said that, he turned his head, "Master Li, then I'll take my leave first."

After the guide turned and left, the person in charge of registration began to register Li Chen Zhou.

"Name?"

"Li Chen Zhou."

Li Chen Zhou? That name sounds familiar.

"Where are you from?"

"Duke Zhen's Estate."

"Duke Zhen's Estate..."

As he repeated it, the four words startled the registrar so much that the tip of his brush blotted the Xuan paper with ink. When he looked up, his face was already adorned with a servile smile. He had thought the name Li Chen Zhou sounded familiar, and sure enough, being brought back by Lord Wei meant he was no ordinary person.

"So it's Young Duke!"

"Young Duke, just a few more items and we'll be done. What's your cultivation level?"

"Sixth Rank."

"Six... Sixth Rank?" Hearing this, the registrar was so shocked that he almost dropped his pen again.

Detected registrar's brainwaves: Sixth Rank... Assign a Banner Officer? Are the higher-ups crazy? Next time, are they going to have him guarding the gate?

Is that appropriate?

For connections like this, brought in by important figures, without special instructions, the position is usually that of a Banner Officer.

Then, steeling himself, he said to Li Chen Zhou:

"The Second Banner Officer of the Hundred Household under the Third Thousand Household of the Northern Investigation Bureau is short a Banner Officer, what do you think?"

Li Chen Zhou: "Mm, as long as it's not guarding the gate."

The words "guarding the gate" made the registrar break out in a cold sweat.

"No, no, no... Young Duke is joking, how could that be?"

Saying that, he took out a brand new Flying Fish Uniform and a slightly bloodstained token.

"The Brocade Guard's token is reused, as for weapons, you'll need to go to the armory to collect them." Since learning of Li Chen Zhou's identity, the registrar had become much more respectful.

"No need for weapons, I have my own." Saying that, he raised the Blood Demon Blade in his hand.

The Blood Demon Blade's strangeness even caused the registrar to be momentarily dazed.

"Do I need to report for duty today?" Li Chen Zhou's voice pulled the registrar back to reality.

Snapping back to his senses, he quickly said, "No, no, you just need to go to the assembly point tomorrow at the appointed time, someone will arrange things for you."

Li Chen Zhou nodded and didn't linger, picking up the Flying Fish Uniform and leaving.

Back at Duke Zhen's Estate, Li Chen Zhou returned to his room and immediately began to fuse with the Hell Soul Exchange Scripture.

"System, fuse with the Hell Soul Exchange Scripture."

In the depths of his sea of consciousness, the Nether Bell rang, and Zhuan script emerged:

Hell Soul Exchange Scripture fusion initiated.

When the candle "popped" and exploded with a ghostly blue flame, the system prompt sounded like a death knell:

Hell Soul Exchange Scripture fusion initiated

Eighteen ice-pick-like pains instantly exploded in his spine, and the bronze mirror reflected a blood-colored vortex in his eyes—countless rebel souls were howling in his meridians.

When the black and blue mist finally condensed into two vertical pupils in his eyes, a trembling call happened to sound outside the door:

"Young Master... Madam is calling for you..."

"Creak—"

At the moment the door opened, the servant's pupils reflected inhuman vertical pupils. Li Chen Zhou heard a deep, abyss-like murmur rolling out of his throat:

"Look into my eyes..."