Xia Wuyang concluded his cultivation and rose to his feet. He stretched his limbs, gauging his current strength.
The sense of spiritual elevation from his epiphany had yet to fully fade. His Sea of Consciousness was clear and lucid, and his thoughts were exceptionally sharp.
He walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and peered outside.
The window of the Practice Room was specially designed; it was impossible to detect it was open from the outside.
The night was cool as water, the Star River hanging low.
In the distance, the lights of Qianqing Palace still shone brightly. Perhaps Emperor Xia was still troubled by matters of state, or perhaps he was again fruitlessly searching for a breakthrough in some substitute, never knowing that this so-called opportunity was actually pushing him down the path to becoming a eunuch.
Meanwhile, here at Wenhua Hall, a silent "tilling and sowing" was about to unfold in an even more covert and effective manner. One could only wonder what sort of "surprise" this would bring Emperor Xia.
Xia Wuyang closed the window, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The Deep Palace was a field, and its beauties were the flowers.
Now, not only did he have the strength to till the field, but he also possessed a Secret Technique to make the flowers bloom more vibrantly and the fruit grow more firm. Both now and in the future, he could bring unexpected benefits to the beauties by his side.
’These days are getting more and more interesting,’ he thought. ’There’s so much to look forward to.’
He turned and walked toward the specially made stone door that led to the Sleeping Palace.
From beyond the door, he could faintly hear the delicate laughter of women and the languid, decadent melody of strings and flutes, enough to stir anyone’s heart.
Another night was about to be spent in this "paradise of pleasure"—seemingly absurd and decadent, but actually a place of hidden designs. It could both lull everyone into a false sense of security and allow him to relax. It truly killed multiple birds with one stone.
The true reward, however, went far beyond the simple pleasure of carnal intimacy.
It was the strengthening of his Foundation, the infiltration of his influence, and the quiet placement of loyal pawns on the chessboard of the future. All of these would bring him substantial rewards.
「At this very moment, the weather in White Jade City was still sweltering.」
Days of continuous sun had caused the water level of Taiye Pool to drop once more. Larger patches of cracked, grayish-brown sludge were now exposed on the banks, steaming under the scorching sun and exuding a faint, putrid odor that kept everyone at a distance.
The few remaining lotus flowers had also completely withered. Their petals, scorched yellow and curled, hung dejectedly from their dry stalks, devoid of any of their former grace, looking quite pitiful.
Within the Deep Palace, the atmosphere had grown suffocatingly oppressive. Unfavorable news from the war front, endless quarrels in the Imperial Court, and Emperor Xia’s recent, inexplicable irritability left many officials feeling as though they could barely breathe.
The Palace Attendants all walked with their heads bowed, their steps kept exceptionally light. They feared that the slightest sound might bring about an unforeseen disaster—or even execution.
Even the few most favored Consorts had tactfully reduced their visits to Qianqing Palace to pay their respects these past few days, staying obediently in their own palaces.
His Majesty’s temper grew worse by the day, and he was quick to reprimand them. No one wanted to risk his wrath, fearing an unjust tongue-lashing.
Yet, amidst this oppressive silence, a dark undercurrent from the Southern Border was seeping into the Imperial City, about to help Xia Wuyang once again frame his enemies as the culprits.
The Southern Barbarian Hundred Races, and the Black Miao in particular, were simmering with rage—and a profound sense of injustice.
The Southern King remained holed up, relying on the treacherous terrain and sturdy city defenses. No matter how the Southern Barbarian warriors provoked and cursed him, he refused a direct confrontation—despite the fact that the Southern Barbarians themselves had initiated the war.
Poisonous miasma, Gu Insects, and ambushes—the very tactics in which the Southern Barbarians excelled—proved far less effective against a fortified city. They had even suffered considerable casualties themselves.
Meanwhile, the one hundred thousand Imperial Guard reinforcements from the Imperial Court were about to reach the front lines. Once the Great Xia forces attacked from both within and without, the pressure on the Southern Barbarians would increase exponentially.
’We must find a way to break the stalemate and sow chaos within Great Xia first. Only then can we find an opportunity.’
’The Northern Desert’s previous attempt to assassinate the elder Crown Prince, though unsuccessful, was an excellent idea.’
’If the position of Crown Prince were to become vacant, those ambitious Princes and Princesses would surely fight to the death to claim it.’
’Once the Imperial Court is consumed by infighting, who will have the mind to worry about the wars on the northern and southern fronts? That’s when our opportunities will arise.’
"Those brutes from the Northern Desert are too reckless. Their planning wasn’t meticulous enough, which is why it ended in failure."
In the depths of Witch God Valley, the Black Miao Clan Leader, Chi Gu, spoke to the old man before him—a man with a gaunt face and deeply sunken eyes. "Even a hawk uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit," he said. "How much more careful must we be when our target is inside the Great Xia Imperial Palace?"
The old man wore a garishly colored robe, adorned with the dried husks of various poisonous insects and strange bone fragments. He leaned on an ebony staff crowned with an inlaid skull, cutting a bizarre and sinister figure.
He was one of the most renowned Poison Masters of the Black Miao, known as the Ghost Gu Elder. His Cultivation had reached the Super Grade Celestial Human Realm, and he was an expert in all manner of strange and wicked Gu Techniques. His reputation among the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races was so great that it was said the mere mention of his name could stop a child from crying at night.
The Ghost Gu Elder’s voice was hoarse and dry, like two pieces of sandpaper grating against each other. "Rest assured, Clan Leader. I myself will journey to White Jade City, bringing with me three Gu: Erosive Heart, Bone Decay, and Absolute Yang. I have also chosen six of my most capable disciples to accompany me, all of them experts of the First and Second Grade. Our preparations are complete. Once we have the cooperation of our Southern Barbarian spies in White Jade City... well, that elder Crown Prince is just a dying piece of trash. No matter how tight his security, how can he possibly stop my all-pervasive Gu Insects?"
Chi Gu nodded, a vicious light flashing in his eyes. "Success is imperative. If you can also take the opportunity to eliminate a few more Princes and Princesses, or even slip that old dog Emperor Xia a little ’surprise,’ all the better. Let the Great Xia Imperial Palace have a taste of our Southern Barbarian Gu Techniques. We’ll see if they still dare to be so brazen."
"Heh heh heh..." The Ghost Gu Elder let out a laugh like a screeching Night Owl. "Clan Leader, you need only wait for good news. I will make them pay a terrible price."
Given the strength of the Ghost Gu Elder and his party, they soon reached White Jade City. After making their preparations, they began their stealthy advance on the Imperial Palace, aided by Southern Barbarian spies.
Seven figures, like melting shadows, slipped silently over the palace walls and into the Imperial City.
They were dressed in specially made Night Clothes. The fabric, which was quite expensive, had been soaked in the juices of rare plants from the dense jungles of the Southern Border.
Not only did it almost perfectly conceal their auras, but it could also fool the sense of smell of most hounds, rendering them undetectable.
Each of them carried dozens of special bamboo tubes or leather pouches. Inside were dormant Gu Insects and the various mediums required to deploy them. All was in readiness.
The leader was none other than the Ghost Gu Elder, one of the top peerless Poison Masters among the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races. His Cultivation was the highest, and his perception the keenest. He led them past open sentries and hidden lookouts alike, moving as if through deserted territory.
The six disciples behind him were also experienced Poison Masters. Their movements were swift, their coordination seamless, and they had no need for words.
Their objective was clear: the Eastern Palace Wenhua Hall.
「11:45 PM, the outer perimeter of Wenhua Hall.」
The silhouette of the grand hall stood silent in the darkness, with only a few evergreen lamps along the covered walkway casting dim, yellow halos of light.
A Palace Attendant on night duty leaned against a doorway, dozing off with a Duster cradled in his arms. He was on the verge of sleep. From a distant Palace Lane, the footsteps of a patrolling Imperial Guard squad could occasionally be heard, but they quickly faded, never lingering in the area for long.

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