Since the Azure Dragon Association is so powerful, will it appear on the Martial Force Ranking in a month?
What about the Empress's Netherworld City?
Everyone was filled with anticipation, though none of it showed on their faces.
==========
Inner Palace, Empress's Chambers.
"Miss, now that His Majesty knows your identity, what should we do?"
"No Emperor could remain completely unbothered by something like this!"
"Why don't we act first?!"
"Seize the initiative and avoid being punished later!"
"Who knows if what he said just now was sincere or just an act?"
"His Majesty may be powerful and his forces strong, but compared to you, Miss, he is still lacking. If we go through with our original plan, the chances of success are very high!"
The palace maid Qing'er seemed to be egging Empress Wu Zhao on, urging her to carry out a major operation.
Yet from Qing'er's words, it wasn't hard to tell that Wu Zhao's strength and influence were far beyond what had been revealed on the Golden Ranking.
It seemed there was still much hidden beneath the surface.
Before Qing'er could finish her words, Empress Wu Zhao quickly cut her off.
"Enough. His Majesty has treated me well, so I shall not fail him!"
"Fortunately, the Golden Ranking did not expose all my information this time. Only a portion was revealed. Otherwise, things would've become extremely troublesome."
"Even if His Majesty still loved me and defended me, I would have become the target of all of Nine Provinces!"
"Even His Majesty wouldn't have been able to protect me!"
"Having only just entered the Land Immortal Realm is far from enough."
"After all, the true path of martial cultivation in Nine Provinces begins only at the Land Immortal Realm."
Who would've thought that the Empress still had hidden cards?
Even Zhu Houzhao likely had no idea.
From her tone, it was clear that even though Zhu Houzhao had become a Land Immortal, he still wasn't strong enough.
So, what other secret identity does the Empress have?
"Hmph, Miss, you're clearly blinded by love!"
"But fine, since His Majesty treats you well, I'll support you too."
"If anyone from Netherworld City dares complain, I'll make sure they're taught a harsh lesson."
"I'll remind them who is the master and who is the servant. Everyone must obey Miss's orders."
"No one is allowed to go against her commands!"
Qing'er snorted softly.
It was obvious her relationship with Wu Zhao was closer than most people realized.
Wu Zhao nodded with a smile, but her gaze remained slightly worried as she thought about the Golden Ranking.
More ranking would be announced in the future.
There was a high chance her hidden information and identity would eventually be exposed.
That would bring even more trouble.
Not just for her, but for Zhu Houzhao as well.
However, it wasn't without benefit.
Like the Heavenly Dao rewards this time, even for her, they were an incredible blessing.
As long as she had enough time to grow stronger.
All these problems would eventually be resolved.
==========
Southern Ming, Yuelai Restaurant.
Looking at the name at the top of the ranking, everyone remained stunned for a long time.
"Lu Xiaofeng, last time it was His Majesty who acted, wasn't it?"
"It wasn't Consort Long or Empress Wu Zhao!"
"So that's it. Now I finally understand why you were so tight-lipped."
"Exactly. Who would've thought it would turn out like this?"
"Our Emperor, it turns out, was the one hiding the deepest."
"Truly worthy of an Emperor! Forever the most mysterious and unreadable figure."
"Compared to Qin's Ying Zheng, Tang's Li Shimin, or Yuan's Temujin, our Emperor is no less, and perhaps even more outstanding."
"He always seemed so ordinary, like a muddle-headed ruler, but it was all an act."
"It was to mislead both us martial world folks and the other imperial dynasties' rulers and experts."
Chu Liuxiang, Hua Manlou, and Ximen Chuixue all sighed deeply.
Their expressions were filled with mixed emotions.
They smiled bitterly at how wrong they'd been.
So this was the Ming Dynasty they had always looked down upon?
So this was the Emperor they had once scorned?
In the eyes of the Ming Emperor and his court, they martial artists were probably nothing more than a bunch of fools.
"Well, now that His Majesty's identity has been revealed, I suppose you've all guessed as much."
"I won't hide it anymore."
"Yes, last time, it was indeed His Majesty who took action."
"Ye Gucheng used the duel at the Forbidden Peak as a cover to assassinate the Emperor and rebel, but was killed in one move by the Empress."
"Originally, His Majesty intended to arrest every martial artist in the capital in one sweep."
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat hearing that.
So there was such a scheme behind it all?
But thinking back, it made sense.
If Ye Gucheng tried to rebel, then in the Emperor's eyes, Ximen Chuixue and the other martial artists nearby would all be considered accomplices.
But why did he later let them go?
"What happened next?"
Hua Manlou asked nervously.
"At the time, I sensed something was wrong and rushed to the palace. His Majesty took notice of me."
"Maybe he appreciated my talents, so he changed his mind."
"He didn't give me any chance to refuse and threw this at me."
As he spoke, Lu Xiaofeng pulled out a token with a bitter smile.
"Secret Agent 007 of the Inner Court?!"
"What's that?" Chu Liuxiang asked curiously.
"From now on, I'm His Majesty's personally appointed secret agent, code name 007!" Lu Xiaofeng rubbed his nose.
"What?! You've joined the court?"
Chu Liuxiang and the others were shocked.
"Could I say no? I didn't even get the chance to speak."
"Besides, as a mere Great Grandmaster, how could I resist a Land Immortal?"
"But thankfully, in exchange, His Majesty pardoned all the martial artists in the capital."
"Do you realize? You were all walking the edge of death."
"Everything was ready. The East and West Factories, Six Doors, Embroidered Uniform Guards, even Dragon Guarding Manor and Divine Marquis Mansion, all were in place."
"Just waiting for the Emperor's command, and none of you would've escaped."
"The duel at the Forbidden Peak wasn't just Ye Gucheng's plot. It was the Emperor's trap."
"Targeting all those involved in rebellion."
"Ye Gucheng, Prince Nan's residence, Prince Ning's residence, and more."
"You all nearly got caught in it."
Even Lu Xiaofeng was a bit frightened thinking about it.
Thankfully he realized in time. Though he lost his freedom, he gained a great deal in return.
The others were also deeply shocked.
That was close!
Thank goodness for Lu Xiaofeng!
They owed him a great debt.
But… becoming a court dog?
Did Lu Xiaofeng really become a lapdog for the imperial court?
Then again, times had changed.
In the past, martial artists saw joining the court as a disgrace.
But now, with the Emperor, Empress, and Consort's identities exposed, the court's prestige had soared.
Martial artists would likely see it as an honor to join the imperial ranks.
Lu Xiaofeng wouldn't be mocked, instead, he'd be envied.
"Lu Xiaofeng, thank you."
"It's nothing. There's no need to thank between friends."
Though… that Longevity Sword, Bai Yujing!
Ahem!
Turns out he was one of His Majesty's alternate identities.
No one would have guessed.
Bai Yujing was the brightest rising star in Ming's martial world.
Though his appearance was brief, no one could dim his brilliance.
Yet no one knew his true identity.
Now that the Golden Ranking had revealed it, everything was clear.
He was the Emperor, traveling the martial world in disguise.
There were even rumors that Bai Yujing was the mysterious leader of the Azure Dragon Association.
Now it all made sense.
The terrifying Azure Dragon Association… was created by the court!
All the previous confusion was suddenly clarified.
"Don't overthink it. Let's just do our part."
"His Majesty's matters are not for us to discuss."
"We might bring trouble on ourselves."
"The matters of people at their level is not something small shrimps like us could interfere with."
Lu Xiaofeng waved his hand and quickly changed the subject.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Still, their hearts remained full of speculation.
==========
Qin Dynasty Imperial Palace.
Bang!
"Outrageous!"
"That brat Zhu Houzhao hid it so well!"
"Land Immortal Realm?!"
Ying Zheng was thoroughly shaken.
He had misjudged him?
The Zhu Houzhao he once dismissed had suddenly become a monstrous threat, his danger level skyrocketing.
He's only in his early twenties, right?
Younger than even Fusu?
And already a Land Immortal?
In terms of ruling, let's set that aside.
But as for martial talent, being ranked number one on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, meant no one in Nine Provinces could compare.
How terrifying would his future become?
And with such a powerful Emperor holding the throne, how could the Ming Dynasty not rise?
A Land Immortal as Emperor versus a Land Immortal under an Emperor.
Those are two completely different things.
The level of threat is incomparable.
"Zhao Gao, what have you been doing?"
"Utterly useless!"
"Such a terrifying man, and you described him as a foolish ruler?"
"You even compared him to Zhao Ji, Zhao Gou, and Liu Hong?"
"Were you deliberately misleading me?"
"If he's a fool, then what am I?"
Ying Zheng's fury exploded onto Zhao Gao.
Zhao Gao cursed silently, but put on a pitiful expression.
Emperors were getting harder and harder to serve.
After all, the Ming Emperor was still an Emperor, and a deeply hidden Land Immortal at that.
No matter how powerful his spy network was, how could they find anything on Zhu Houzhao?
They couldn't even get close to him.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I will increase our personnel and ensure we don't miss a single detail from the Ming Dynasty."
Ying Zheng didn't respond.
Instead, he began to think deeply.
"Zhao Gao, do you think there are other Emperors in Nine Provinces like Zhu Houzhao, also pretending to be weak?"
"Zhao Ji of Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou of Southern Song Dynasty, Yang Guang of Sui, even Liu Hong of Han… are they all playing me for a fool?"
"Waiting for me to slip up, then launching a joint attack to tear my Qin Dynasty apart?"
With Zhu Houzhao as a precedent, Ying Zheng now doubted everyone.
He looked at every Emperor as though they were hiding their claws.
And he, the Qin Emperor, was their target.
Even Zhao Gao was uncertain now.
He no longer dared underestimate any Emperor.
In cunning, in hiding their power.
He, a subordinate, could not match any of them.
One careless move and he could fall into someone's trap.
Now he even suspected that the ones who attacked and crippled him before… might have been Emperors themselves.
Zhu Houzhao of Ming?
Li Shimin of Tang?
Yang Guang of Sui?
Zhao Ji and Zhao Gou of Song?
Temujin of Yuan? Even the Emperor of Qing?
He even suspected that maybe it was Ying Zheng himself who ordered it!
Who knew what these Emperors were planning?
Maybe it was just a game?
Or a single calculated step?
Or just a decoy?
The more he thought, the more terrified Zhao Gao became.
Even the way he looked at Ying Zheng began to change.
"Leave now, and investigate thoroughly for me!"
"Not just Zhu Houzhao of Ming, but the Emperors of all the other major dynasties too!"
"Hmph! I want to know how many are playing me for a fool!"
"And investigate Yang Guang of Sui carefully."
"That one might be just like Zhu Houzhao, pretending to be a pig while hiding as a tiger!"
Ying Zheng waved him away impatiently.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will arrange it immediately!"
Zhao Gao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.
Serving a ruler was like serving a tiger.
Life was getting harder and harder.
Watching Zhao Gao leave, Ying Zheng's expression returned to calm.
As if he hadn't been the one raging just now.
"Your Majesty!" A black-robed elder from the Black Ice Platform appeared.
"At ease. What about the investigation I ordered?" Ying Zheng asked solemnly.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, within the Qin Dynasty's borders, there are indeed suspicious individuals from other major dynasties."
"Some even appear to be spies from powerful hidden sects."
"As for spies from Ming, there are some, but they seem to focus solely on gathering information and are not a serious threat."
"Surprisingly, it is the Sui Dynasty's dark agents and Tang's Bad People that are the most active."
"They've been trying to stir conflict between the Qin Dynasty and remnants of the Six Kingdoms, attempting to incite rebellion and weaken our power."
"Your Majesty, shall we eliminate them or continue surveillance?"
The elder's tone was heavy.
"Continue to monitor. Don't alert them!"
"And Ming's spies… are they really just gathering intel?"
Ying Zheng questioned suspiciously.
"Yes. They appear uninterested in Qin's internal matters."
"Could Zhu Houzhao be faking it? Deliberately lowering our guard?" Ying Zheng wondered aloud.
"It's possible, but not very likely."
"After all, the Qin Dynasty is far from Ming. Their primary enemies are Yuan and Qing, especially Qing!"
"Even if our strength declines, it won't benefit Ming much."
"If anything, it would benefit Han, Sui, and Tang more."
"Your Majesty, while Zhu Houzhao should not be underestimated, he is not our primary concern. Our focus should remain on the Six Kingdoms' remnants, the northern Xiongnu, and those three major dynasties."