Ming Dynasty.
A figure, swift as the wind, sped toward the capital.
It was the old man Nameless.
Hmm?
The Empress Wu Zhao?
A Half-Step Land Immortal?
The master of Netherworld City?
The old man paused slightly, halting in midair.
His eyes revealed a contemplative look.
He hesitated for a moment.
If it had only been a Great Perfection Great Grandmaster Imperial Consort, he wouldn't have cared.
But adding a Half-Step Land Immortal Empress to the mix made things more troublesome.
Still, the more skilled the man, the greater the courage.
Always confident in his own strength, the old man decided to act personally.
The more challenging the opponent, the more excited he became.
If he could tame the Empress, wouldn't that be an even greater accomplishment?
With a single step, his figure shot out again.
This time, he didn't bring a single subordinate.
There was no need.
Compared to the Empress or the Imperial Consort, his subordinates were far too weak.
He alone was enough.
==========
Elsewhere.
A flamboyant and arrogant diplomatic envoy from the Yuan Dynasty was making its way toward the capital.
"Master, shall we continue forward?"
"The Heavenly Ranking just revealed the Empress of Ming Dynasty's true identity. If we proceed as planned, we may be risking our lives."
A violent-looking man asked respectfully toward a young noble at the front.
The young noble wore a royal blue silk robe and gently fanned herself, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.
She had strikingly beautiful features.
Her eyes were bright and clear.
The handle of her folding fan was made of white jade, and her hand was so pale that it looked identical to the fan's handle.
"Interesting. The inner workings of the Ming Dynasty court are far more complicated than I imagined."
"Though it's more dangerous now, if handled properly, our Yuan Dynasty may benefit immensely from this."
The young noble's voice was soft and sweet.
"It could even severely weaken the Ming Dynasty's national strength."
"Then when our Great Khan wages war to destroy Ming, the conquest will be far easier."
"Master, the Empress Wu Zhao clearly isn't someone to be trifled with. If she doesn't fall for the trap and ends up hurting you, what then?"
"With our strength, we're no match for her."
"We servants don't matter, but nothing must happen to you!"
"Enough, A San. There is always risk in everything. I will handle this myself. Just follow my orders."
"Yes, Master!"
Zhao Min looked toward the capital, her eyes burning with ambition.
She was determined to complete this task.
Once she returned to the Yuan Dynasty, the Great Khan would surely reward her greatly.
With enough power and status, she could fully control her own destiny.
==========
Dragon Guarding Manor, Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Wushi's face was filled with anxiety.
Things were spiraling beyond his control.
He had already felt great unease when there was only the Imperial Consort, a Great Perfection Great Grandmaster.
Now, there was an even more terrifying Empress.
And behind her stood the mysterious Netherworld City.
Yet Dragon Guarding Manor had not detected a single trace.
Just thinking about it gave Zhu Wushi chills.
Clearly, his intelligence network was no match for the Empress's.
That meant all the secret things he had done. Could the Empress Wu Zhao have already known?
What should he do next?
Rebel immediately?
Pretend he knew nothing?
Or reach out to the Empress and propose a deal?
Compared to the Empress, Murong Qiudi was nothing.
After all, no matter how powerful the Heavenly Venerable Organization was, its influence was limited to the martial world.
It couldn't reach the imperial court.
But the Empress was different.
Every move she made affected the entire Ming Dynasty court, the world, even the entire Nine Provinces.
There was no comparison.
Even his own life might be in danger.
He immediately summoned the four elite spies of Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.
"Godfather, how do we deal with Her Majesty the Empress?"
"She hid herself so well, even her true name. What is she planning?"
"Does His Majesty know everything?"
"Or worse, does Her Majesty intend to overthrow the Ming Dynasty?"
Duan Tianya's tone was heavy.
A single mistake could bring down the entire Ming Dynasty.
"A Half-Step Land Immortal... damn, she's way too strong. I'm no match for her."
"One move and I'd be killed instantly."
Cheng Shifei shuddered, fear flashing in his eyes.
The inner palace was terrifying. One Imperial Consort, one Empress.
He had acted so arrogantly in the past, even provoking Princess Yun Luo. That was basically dancing on the edge of death.
"Godfather, who is stronger, you or the Empress?"
"If even you can't stop her, are we just going to let her take the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Wushi's face darkened.
At the end of the day, he was still a member of the imperial family.
Even if he couldn't claim the throne, he couldn't let the Empress take it either.
Otherwise, he would have had no face before the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty.
"Alone, I may not be able to defeat the Empress. But there are countless loyal officials in the Ming Dynasty. If we unite them all, surely we can handle her."
"Contact the ministers in court immediately and prepare them mentally."
"Yes, Godfather. We'll take care of it right away."
==========
Embroidered Uniform Guard Headquarters.
"Boss Qing Long, what does His Majesty say?"
"Now that the Empress's identity has been exposed, there's no way His Majesty will ignore it."
"He will surely call on us to protect him."
"Should we go to the palace right away?"
Bai Hu, Zhu Que, and Xuan Wu asked urgently.
"What are you doing? Who said His Majesty needs you to protect him?"
"Who said Her Majesty is His Majesty's enemy?"
"Aren't you being overly paranoid?"
"His Majesty and Her Majesty have been deeply affectionate for years. You think he doesn't know who she really is? Clearly, he knows everything."
Qing Long rolled his eyes at them.
"Wait for His Majesty's orders. Don't act on your own."
"Otherwise, if His Majesty is angered, I won't be able to protect you."
==========
Western Factory.
"Supervisor Yu, you're close to His Majesty. Can you tell us what's really going on?"
"What should we do now?"
"If His Majesty and the Empress both issue commands, who should we follow?"
A Western Factory officer asked Yu Huatian in confusion.
"We are the hounds of His Majesty. Naturally, we obey only His Majesty's orders."
"Always remember one thing. The Western Factory belongs to His Majesty, not to the Empress."
"If anyone dares to think otherwise, I won't hesitate to eliminate him."
Yu Huatian swept a vicious gaze across all his subordinates.
Everyone shuddered.
No one dared utter a word.
==========
Eastern Factory Headquarters.
"Chief Cao, I never imagined the Empress would be a Half-Step Land Immortal."
"She might become a true Land Immortal soon."
"By then, who in all of the Ming Dynasty would be her equal?"
"Perhaps the entire dynasty will fall into her hands."
"Chief Cao, why don't we pledge loyalty to the Empress now?"
"If we please her, our Eastern Factory's power will surely grow."
"Then those like the Western Factory, Embroidered Uniform Guard, Dragon Guarding Manor, won't they all have to bow to us?"
A senior officer of the Eastern Factory leaned in with a sly suggestion.
"Hmm?"
Cao Zhengchun's expression changed instantly.
This guy was asking for death. He'd better not drag him down too.
Smack!
Without hesitation, Cao Zhengchun slapped the officer hard across the face.
"Chief!"
"Why? I was just making a suggestion!"
"I only wanted to help plan for your future!"
The officer looked at Cao Zhengchun in disbelief.
He never imagined Chief Cao would react so strongly, so violently.
"How I act does not need reminders from traitors like you."
"The Eastern Factory is His Majesty's claw and fang. We obey only His Majesty."
"A servant like you dares to speak of betrayal? You deserve to die."
Cao Zhengchun immediately drew a long blade from the waist of a nearby officer.
With a swish of light.
He slashed the man's throat.
Killed in one strike.
Even as he died, the officer didn't understand why Cao Zhengchun had killed him so decisively.
Was it really such a big deal?
He had said similar things before and Chief Cao never reacted like this.
Why?
He died unwilling, confused, and helpless.
"Someone, drag this traitor away and feed him to the dogs!"
"Let this be a warning. This is the price of betraying His Majesty!"
"If I hear anyone speak of such treason again, I'll make sure they suffer a fate worse than death."
Cao Zhengchun was furious.
Who knew whether the incident would reach His Majesty's ears.
If His Majesty believed he had treasonous thoughts, he would be doomed.
He had to use the officer's life to prove his absolute loyalty.
All the Eastern Factory officers at the scene looked serious.
None dared to entertain any more foolish ideas.
They were terrified Cao Zhengchun might kill them next.
==========
Zhuge Divine Marquis Mansion.
"Uncle, what should we do next?"
"Should we immediately go to the palace and request instructions?"
Even Ruthless felt nervous.
This time, the 'enemy' seemed absurdly strong.
If the Empress really planned to usurp the throne, the Ming Dynasty would fall into chaos.
"Ruthless, calm down. Things aren't that serious yet."
"Just now, His Majesty sent word that the Divine Marquis Mansion should not act for now and should only monitor the capital's situation closely."
"His Majesty will handle everything concerning the Empress."
"Perhaps, His Majesty has known about her identity and strength for a long time."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't remain so calm."
Divine Marquis Zhuge appeared calm, though he too was uneasy inside.
He was worried.
If this matter with the Empress was mishandled, the entire Ming Dynasty could fall apart.
The nation would weaken.
Neighboring dynasties would attack like wolves, tearing Ming to pieces.
It all depended on His Majesty's response.
This would be a chance to see whether his long-held suspicions about His Majesty were correct.
"Phew. Uncle is right. We were overthinking it."
The Four Divine Marquiss breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions finally easing.
==========
Ming Dynasty Palace.
Empress's residence.
Zhu Houzhao sat nearby, his gaze complicated as he looked at the Empress, who was meditating with her eyes closed, refining a pill.
His heart was filled with shock.
Wu Zhao!
His Empress… wasn't her name supposed to be named Li Meiniang?
Back then, the Empress Dowager had chosen her out of five thousand candidates.
Her background was clean.
Even he had secretly investigated her and found nothing.
All this time, he had been extremely satisfied with her.
She had been one of the few people he truly trusted.
But now?
Everything had changed.
Zhu Houzhao had always known the Empress was not ordinary and had secrets, but he had never paid much attention.
He believed his own strength was enough to handle anything.
He had even granted her a powerful cultivation technique.
He believed that with continued practice, she could keep up with him.
But now.
The name Wu Zhao left a deep impression on him.
So deep that he couldn't help but think about it constantly.
Especially everything she had hidden, which even he had been completely unaware of.
Though part of it was because he hadn't taken it seriously at first.
Still, he was utterly shocked.