Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Even Hong Sixiang in the palace, the seemingly hidden grandmaster, was nothing more than a pawn on his chessboard.

But now, a chess piece has suddenly appeared outside the chessboard.

A piece he never anticipated.

"Investigate." Emperor Qing's voice returned to calm, but it was even more terrifying than before. "Before dawn, I need to know everything about this person."

In the shadows, a blurry figure bowed slightly before vanishing like smoke.

Emperor Qing remained standing on the rooftop, letting the night wind blow through him. His fingers began tapping on the railing again, the rhythm rapid and disordered—a rare display of emotion from this emperor.

“Variables…” he murmured to himself, a complex and unfathomable light flashing in his eyes.

The residence of Hong Sixiang within the Imperial Palace.

The old eunuch, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell backward as if struck by a heavy blow. He barely managed to support himself, his wrinkled face filled with horror.

“Grandmaster…a true grandmaster…” Hong Sixiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes flashing with a mixture of jealousy and fear.

With the secret techniques bestowed upon him by Emperor Qing and the accumulated resources of the imperial palace, he barely managed to touch the threshold of a Grandmaster, and could even simulate some of the aura of a Grandmaster. But only he himself knew the insurmountable chasm between his pseudo-realm and a true Grandmaster.

At this moment, the aura emanating from the east of the city was the genuine, unmistakable pressure of a Grandmaster!

“Your Majesty…” Hong Sixiang looked in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his expression complex and unreadable.

The residence of the Kyoto Garrison Commander.

Ye Zhong was reviewing defense atlases in his study when suddenly the pen in his hand snapped in two with a "crack." This powerful ninth-rank expert abruptly stood up, completely unaware that he had knocked over his teacup.

He pushed open the window and looked towards the east of the city, his face drained of all color.

"Peak of the Ninth Rank...no, more than that..." Ye Zhong's breathing became rapid, "This is...a breakthrough?"

As a member of Ye Liuyun's clan, Ye Zhong knew better than anyone what the aura of a Grandmaster was like. It was a leap in the level of life, a sign that true energy resonated with heaven and earth.

And at this moment, someone in Kyoto has done it.

"Guards!" Ye Zhong shouted, "Order the entire garrison division to be on high alert! Without my order, no one is to move a single soldier!"

He needed to stabilize the military. At a time like this, any slight disturbance could trigger an unpredictable chain reaction.

At the corner tower of the palace, Yan Xiaoyi, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stood with a bow in hand.

This ninth-rank archer was originally observing the night sky, practicing the "Mind's Eye Lock" technique. But at a certain moment, he felt a "sun" suddenly appear in his perception—the light was so dazzling and so magnificent that it almost scorched his spirit.

Yan Xiaoyi groaned, forcibly severing his senses; cold sweat had already seeped from his forehead.

"So strong..." He gripped the longbow tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Is this friend or foe?"

As one of Emperor Qing's most trusted generals, Yan Xiaoyi was all too aware of what the emergence of a newly promoted Grandmaster meant. The world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall political landscape or social order) would be altered, and the balance of power in the Qing Kingdom over the past twenty years would be shattered.

He nocked an arrow, drew the bow, and pointed the arrowhead towards the east of the city. But after a long while, he slowly lowered the bow.

The difference between a ninth-rank master and a grandmaster is ultimately vast.

The Fan residence, study.

Fan Xian was reading a letter by candlelight, a handwritten letter left by his mother, Ye Qingmei, which he had recently retrieved from a secret compartment in the Taiping Villa. The letter's contents stirred his emotions—about the temple, about this world, about the buried truths.

Wu Zhu stood quietly in the corner, like an unchanging sculpture.

Suddenly, Wu Zhu raised his head. This simple action immediately alerted Fan Xian—anything that could elicit a reaction from Uncle Wu Zhu was no ordinary matter.

"Someone has become a Grandmaster." Wu Zhu's voice was calm and even, as if stating the fact that it had rained that day.

The letter in Fan Xian's hand fluttered to the ground.

"What?!" He jumped to his feet, his chair tipping over with a loud bang. "A Grandmaster? In Kyoto?!"

This news came too suddenly and was too shocking. Although Fan Xian had only been cultivating for a short time, he understood what a Grandmaster meant—it was the pinnacle of martial arts, an existence capable of taking on an entire nation single-handedly. There were only three Grandmasters in the entire world: Ye Liuyun of Qing Kingdom, Ku He of Northern Qi, and Si Gu Jian of Dongyi City.

Now, the fourth one has appeared.

And this happened right under his nose in the capital of Qing Kingdom!

"Can you sense who it is?" Fan Xian asked anxiously.

Wu Zhu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head: "The aura is unfamiliar and does not belong to any known peak ninth rank."

"Not Ye Liuyun? Not Hong Sixiang?"

“No,” Wu Zhu said definitively, “it’s a completely new aura. And… it’s very special.”

"Special?" Fan Xian frowned.

“His true energy fluctuations are similar to certain energy frequencies of the temple,” Wu Zhu explained, adding a rare detail. “Although they are very faint, I can sense them.”

Fan Xian's heart sank.

Is it related to the temple? The mother's letter mentioned that the temple has been monitoring the development of martial arts worldwide, especially wary of the emergence of Grandmasters. This is because the power of a Grandmaster is approaching the "upper limit" allowed by this world.

And now, a grandmaster who may be connected to the temple has been born in Kyoto.

"Is this a coincidence... or a scheme?" Fan Xian muttered to himself, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked towards the east of the city. The night was deep, and he could see nothing. But Fan Xian could sense that after tonight, the world of Kyoto was about to change.

Wu Zhu walked up to him and suddenly said, "You need to speed things up."

"What progress?"

"Become stronger." Wu Zhu turned his head, and although the cloth was covering his face, Fan Xian could feel those eyes staring at him.

"The emergence of a Grandmaster will disrupt the balance. Chaos is coming, and only the strong will survive."

Fan Xian clenched his fist.

Yes, Mother's letter revealed the cruel truth of this world. The temple, Emperor Qing, various forces... everyone is playing a game on this chessboard. And now, there is one more player on the chessboard.

"Uncle Wuzhu," Fan Xian suddenly asked, "if I were in danger, would you help me?"

Wu Zhu remained silent for a long time, so long that Fan Xian thought he wouldn't answer.

"Yes," Wu Zhu finally said, "but there are limitations to my actions. Some enemies you'll have to face on your own."

Fan Xian smiled wryly. Yes, there must have been some kind of limitation in the program his mother set for Wu Zhu. Otherwise, with Wu Zhu's strength, he could have ignored most people, even Grandmasters.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard in the distance; it was already three-quarters past midnight.

The overwhelming aura emanating from the east of the city was slowly receding, like the tide going out. But Fan Xian knew that what was receding was merely the surface. The very existence of that newly promoted Grandmaster was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, bound to create ripples that would spread far and wide.

Tonight, countless people in Kyoto are sleepless.

In the palace, Emperor Qing is plotting, Hong Sixiang is investigating, Ye Zhong is mobilizing troops, and Yan Xiaoyi is on guard.