The night was still, and the palace was completely silent. Lanterns swayed in the corridor, their light illuminating the exquisitely carved vermilion beams and pillars. Inside the inner palace, Emperor Yong Baike sat alone. Time had scarred deep marks on his hunched figure. His breathing was weak, his eyes were dim, but his intuition remained sharp.

  The old emperor was deeply worried, for unrest was spreading outside the palace walls. The jianghu–the realm of wandering knights and sects–had begun to break free of imperial control, seeping into the provinces like water through cracks… The sects' power grew stronger day by day, and their infightings even spread into the imperial court!

  However, the old man thought to himself, what could he do in this situation? His illness was worsening, and there was no one in the court he could trust. He was wary of everyone, even his own eunuchs, physicians and servants. The ministers, secretaries, and everyone else in the court were like treacherous monsters, smiling on the surface but secretly scheming against each other and vying for power!

  Since the arrival of the jianghu sects, the strength of the Yong Dynasty has declined significantly. This ancient dynasty once ruled the East and reached its zenith in agriculture, art, and culture. Now, the prestige of the Great Yong has faded, reduced to a fragile nation tormented by endless wars and sectarian strife. The value of the emperor and the royal family has become merely nominal, with real power entirely in the hands of the top sects!

  The emperor's hand trembled slightly as he reached for the imperial seal beside him. "Is the Mandate of Heaven... still tied to this dynasty?" His breathing was heavy, as if his chest was suffocating under the weight of doubt. He coughed a few times and continued to pour wine from the gourd-shaped jug.

  “Xiao Zheng… Oh, my Xiao Zheng! This old man’s days are numbered, and I can hardly imagine that you will shoulder the heavy burden of this dynasty alone… Oh, Xiao Zheng…” The emperor shook his head, his voice old and hoarse, as he continued to pour and drink wine.

  He remained like this until he heard faint footsteps outside.

  “Who’s there?!”

  Suddenly, the servants outside the door let out a piercing scream! In seconds, swords flashed and blood splattered onto the sliding door! The emperor sighed heavily and placed the gourd in his hand on the table.

  He paused for a few seconds, and then all around fell silent.

  The emperor smiled, “Why kill the small servants? Just come in and show your face!”

  Suddenly, the sliding door to the room swung open, and blood dripped from the paper. A mysterious man dressed as an eunuch appeared and entered, clasping his hands together in a gesture of respect. Even with his hands clasped, he tightly gripped a blood-stained dagger—the very blade that had instantly killed the emperor’s servants!

  "Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang Wei has arrived," the eunuch said, his tone tinged with malice.

  The emperor chuckled, "You little devil, you think you can easily fool me with this trick? Since you're here, why not show your true colors?!"

  The eunuch Zhang Wei smiled faintly, "His Majesty has sharp eyes. I have no choice but to reveal myself…"

  The moment he finished speaking, the eunuch's skin cracked like paper, slowly turning to ash! The eunuch remained with his hands clasped together, revealing his true face... a tall, pale figure, half of his face and body covered in snake scales. His eyes were yellow, with pupils as sharp as a snake's… He looked like a legendary basilisk monster, brought to life before one's eyes!

  It turns out that this person was none other than Gui Zhan, the infamous leader of Death Valley!

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  "Pale as a vampire, scales like a snake, even demons and monsters tremble in fear. You are Gui Zhan, the master of Death Valley..!" The emperor immediately burst into laughter, panting, and then grabbed the gourd and toasted it into the air! "Interesting, very interesting!"

  The emperor wheezed as he poured himself some wine. “So, you’ve been hiding for so long, and now you’re finally here to kill this old bastard!?”

  Suddenly, Gui Zhan threw the dagger from his hand. The emperor merely glanced at the dagger lying on the ground, while Gui Zhan sat down with a calm yet threatening air, still dressed in his eunuch robes.

  "Hehe... Your Majesty, it is truly my honor. I have come here specifically to pay my respects to you. After all, we have always been rivals, yet we have never met, have we?" Gui Zhan said in a calm yet slightly eerie tone, his words immediately revealing an unfathomable mystery!

  The emperor chuckled, took a cup from the table, filled it with wine, and poured it for Gui Zhan. "If I believed you, I'd be a madman. But since you say so, let's drink together!"

  Gui Zhan took the wine cup from the emperor's hand, but only held it without drinking. The emperor, however, drank the wine in large gulps, even emptying the entire gourd!

  Gui Zhan said softly, "Your Majesty, excessive drinking is bad for your health. Who knows if there's poison in this wine?"

  "Ha! Then I can die without regrets!" the old emperor blurted out, slamming the gourd heavily on the table and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Gui Zhan chuckled softly and finally drank the wine in his cup. "Your Majesty, are you truly without regret? Your beloved son's life hangs in the balance, just as your own life is now..."

  Upon hearing Gui Zhan's words, the emperor's expression changed drastically. He smiled on the surface, but was furious inside! "You little demon! Of course you weren't here to pay your respects. If you dare touch the Crown Prince, I'll tear you to pieces!"

  As the emperor roared in anger, Gui Zhan chuckled and stood up. He paced slowly, saying, "Your Majesty misunderstands. I had no intention of harming the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is merely a title, and the person who holds that title..."

  "...can be anyone." Gui Zhan's gaze sharpened, even meeting the emperor's eyes directly! The gaze, though cold, was also full of provocation, intended to provoke the emperor's anger!

  Thunder rumbled, and a sudden downpour began. The emperor and Gui Zhang stared at each other for a long time, their gazes piercing and filled with hostility! The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and their tightly fisted hands trembled slightly... Of course, the two had a long-standing feud and harbored resentment for a long time. One is an ancient demon coveting the dynasty, and the other is a fragile emperor desperately trying to preserve his life and the throne!

  But in this tense moment, Gui Zhan took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. "Your Majesty, let's end it here for today…” A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he turned his back to the emperor and opened the sliding door. "...I will see you later."

  The sliding door closed slowly, and footsteps echoed in the distance. The emperor loosened his grip on the gourd-shaped water jug and let out a long sigh. He was too old to be angry anymore… too old to even live.

  As the emperor rose, the dagger that Gui Zhan had thrown on the ground before suddenly trembled violently, coming into his view…

  …it elevates!

  Whoosh!!

  The dagger shot out like an arrow… striking the emperor squarely in the chest!!

  “Ah!” The emperor screamed hoarsely, blood gushing from his mouth…!! “You…you little bastard…!”

  The emperor exhaled his last breath, stretched out his hands to the sky, and then his body collapsed limply... The table in front of the emperor was overturned by his corpse, and the imperial seal on the table fell to the ground like a rolling dice!

  It turned out that Gui Zhan hadn't left, but remained at the door. Upon hearing the sound from the room, a sinister smile appeared on his face! His men had arrived and were cleaning up the servants' bodies, covering up the crime scene…!

  A trusted subordinate clasped his hands together and asked Gui Zhan, "Valley Master, what should we do with the Crown Prince now?"

  Gui Zhan turned and left, a cold smile still on his face. He walked away slowly, his tone cold and arrogant, "Let him go. He's nothing but a weak puppet!"

  "Yes, Valley Master." The subordinate clasped his hands together, watching Gui Zhan's figure gradually disappear into the rain and mist…