Clack, clack.
At Quinn Shepherd's feet, two now-empty sword cases hit the ground and rolled twice.
Behind him stood a group of scholars, all stunned into silence. Even Daoist Rowan’s young attendant had twisted his neck at an incredible angle, mouth agape as he stared into the hall, unable to utter a word.
Beyond Pure Sun Hall lay the Grand Academy Hall, the heart of the Imperial Academy. The Grand Academy Hall was many times larger than Pure Sun Hall and fronted by a long staircase—nine hundred and ninety-nine steps in all. At the top, before the hall doors, stood the Sage’s Seat, reserved for the Grand Rector of the Imperial Academy.
But today, the Sage’s Seat was not occupied by the Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch—the Grand Rector—but by a middle-aged man in a yellow dragon robe and jade crown. The Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch sat just below him, and below the Patriarch, down the steps, stood hundreds of civil and military officials, as well as several Imperial Supervisors.
Below the hall, scholars from across the empire were competing in the examinations.
All the scholars who made it here were practitioners of divine arts. Their examination differed from Quinn Shepherd’s, and each had endured countless trials to reach this stage—it had not been easy.
After all their hardships, some scholars, upon seeing the man in the yellow robe seated on the Sage’s Seat and the grand spectacle before them, fainted from fright and were immediately eliminated.
The man on the Sage’s Seat was none other than the current emperor of the Everpeace Empire—Emperor Evan.
Emperor Evan’s personal attendance at the Imperial Academy was no surprise; he had come here many times before to observe scholars from across the land, watching as they aspired to become his protégés.
The Imperial Academy, along with the universities and primary schools, was Emperor Evan’s weapon against the entrenched sects. Of these, the Imperial Academy was the most crucial—he watched it with utmost care.
On the battlefield below, scholars were locked in heated combat when, suddenly, with a deafening boom, the rear doors of Pure Sun Hall exploded open—a figure was sent flying, crashing into the midst of the exam arena!
Hot on the heels of that figure came a volley of wooden swords, whistling through the air even faster than the man himself.
Sword winds howled; the relentless clatter of impacts rang out—seventy-one strikes in a row—pinning the figure to the steps, where he lay sprawled, arms and legs akimbo.
Below the Grand Academy Hall, silence reigned. The scholars in the midst of their duels stared blankly at the man on the steps.
In front of the Grand Academy Hall, it was just as silent. The hundreds of officials on the steps were equally stunned.
After a moment, Emperor Evan chuckled unhurriedly. "Grand Rector, it seems your elementary scholars put on a livelier show than the university scholars—even my own Imperial Supervisor was sent flying. Now I’m rather interested; I’d like to see more of these elementary scholar duels."
The Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch laughed, "If Your Majesty wishes to watch, let these scholars come forward and compete here. Rowan, aren’t you going to get up? Or do you enjoy making a spectacle of yourself?"
Daoist Rowan, both ashamed and humiliated, scrambled to his feet and apologized to Emperor Evan.
A wooden sword was still embedded in his chest—the seventy-second one. All seventy-two swords had struck the same spot, driving the blade deep into his flesh, nearly piercing his heart.
Fortunately, as he was sent flying, Rowan managed to unseal his other divine treasures mid-air, restoring his cultivation and saving himself from being killed by Quinn Shepherd.
But this time, his humiliation played out before the entire Imperial Academy—before the emperor, the ministers, and even the foreign envoys.
—Among the officials on the steps, a few were foreign ambassadors.
Emperor Evan broke the silence with a dry chuckle. "Imperial Supervisor, you’ve certainly made a name for yourself—getting beaten by an elementary scholar! Who did this to you? Bring him here. I want to see who dares lay hands on one of my fourth-rank officials."
Rowan’s shame was unbearable—he wished he could crawl into a hole and disappear.
The Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch called over another Imperial Supervisor to accompany Rowan and said with a laugh, "Your Majesty, Rowan must have underestimated his opponent and let the elementary scholar seize the initiative. But this scholar’s skill is truly remarkable—to defeat Rowan like this, even I’m curious to see who it is."
Outside Pure Sun Hall, Quinn Shepherd looked back nonchalantly. The scholars behind him were still dazed, except for Serena Yunxiang, who stared wide-eyed at him. When she saw him turn, she quickly looked away, head down, nervously twisting her sleeve.
‘That shy look—no way she’s Granny Sue!’ Quinn thought, confidence surging.
Just then, Rowan and another Imperial Supervisor strode over. Rowan’s young attendant rushed to meet him, crying, "Master—"
Smack!
The attendant tumbled head over heels from Rowan’s slap. The other Imperial Supervisor frowned and said, "Brother Rowan, must you be so petty—taking out your anger on a child?"
Rowan’s face was dark as thunder. He glared at Quinn, resentment burning in his chest. "You—come with me!" he barked.
The other Imperial Supervisor glanced at the group of scholars. "You all, come along too. The Pure Sun Hall exam is suspended for now."
The scholars snapped out of their daze and hurried to follow.
When they arrived at the steps below the Grand Academy Hall, their hearts pounded wildly. None of them had expected such a crowd—every face belonged to a powerful figure of the empire, and even the emperor himself was among them!
Quinn glanced around, then composed himself, eyes lowered in respectful posture. Wes Young was standing in the crowd, not taking the exam; spotting Quinn, he wanted to greet him but restrained himself, fidgeting in anxiety.
Emperor Evan called out, "Which elementary scholar sent my Imperial Supervisor flying? Step forward and let me have a look at you."
Quinn stepped forward, raised his head, and met the emperor’s gaze. ‘So this is Emperor Evan of the Everpeace Empire?’ he wondered.
Emperor Evan was not quite as Quinn had imagined. He’d pictured a wise and mighty sovereign, awe-inspiring as a living god. But this emperor seemed kindly, dressed in a yellow dragon robe, with a red-and-gold jade belt, a broad brow, high nose, and a slightly plump face adorned with four neatly trimmed mustaches.
Two mustaches grew on his upper lip, two shorter ones on his lower lip, all perfectly groomed—someone must help him trim them regularly. The effect was dignified, even stylish.
Emperor Evan studied him curiously and smiled. "So young, yet so capable—impressive. Where do you come from?"
Quinn bowed, about to say Fairview Prefecture, but changed his mind and answered honestly, "I am from the Great Ruins, Your Majesty."
No sooner had he spoken than a young general stepped out from the ministers, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, please order this man arrested! He is an abandoned person from the Great Ruins!"
The hall erupted in uproar.
Quinn turned toward the voice, uneasy. The young general was indeed Quentin Shaw—he and Quinn had met several times before, even chatted in a Dragoncrest City inn.
Quentin Shaw knew some of Quinn’s background.
Just then, an old minister leaned in and whispered, "Your Majesty, this young man is the Flower Lane Divine Physician I sought out."
"The Flower Lane Divine Physician—he’s so young?"
Emperor Evan paused, then laughed. "General Shaw, stand down. He’s already declared his origin—no need for all this fuss."
Quentin Shaw protested, "Your Majesty, his background is suspicious and linked to the Cult of the Heavenly Demon. Please be vigilant!"
Emperor Evan frowned slightly. "The Cult of the Heavenly Demon is one of my empire’s sects—its followers are my subjects. If I arrest my own people so casually, how could I ever rule the cult?"
Quentin Shaw tried to argue, "But—"
Emperor Evan’s face darkened. He waved a hand, "Return to your place. My ministers come from all sects and clans—half are from the demon path. General Shaw, you’re overstepping!"
Quentin Shaw could only withdraw, abashed.
Emperor Evan glanced at Quinn and smiled. "All under heaven is the king’s land, and all within it are the king’s subjects. My realm is not limited to Everpeace—those from the Great Ruins are my people too. Are you a disciple of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon?"
Quinn bowed. "I am, Your Majesty."
Emperor Evan burst out laughing, sweeping his gaze over the ministers. "The Cult of the Heavenly Demon is always elusive, but now even its disciples come to study at the Imperial Academy! Grand Rector, you’ve accomplished something remarkable!"
The Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch bowed slightly. "It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s great fortune."
A minister spoke up, "Your Majesty, this youth may be an abandoned person…"
"Abandoned?" Emperor Evan echoed.
Emperor Evan waved off the concern. "The gods may abandon people, but I do not. Anyone who enters my realm is my subject—there are no abandoned people here."
An old minister stepped forward and bowed. "But Your Majesty, sects have been causing unrest lately. I fear the Cult of the Heavenly Demon is stirring as well—what if this youth is a spy?"
"These sects are always scheming to scare me with some grand gesture," Emperor Evan scoffed.
Emperor Evan rubbed his temples, then sneered, "They claim to oppose the Imperial Preceptor, but in truth they oppose me! They want to shove me off the dragon throne and seat themselves instead—fools! In the old days, the nation served the sects, and emperors were puppets—these sects sucked the lifeblood from the country and the people. If an emperor displeased them, they’d replace or kill him. But times have changed. Now, sects must serve the state!"
As he spoke, something stirred deep within him. He rose to his feet, voice ringing out: "Together with the Imperial Preceptor, I am driving reform to break the sects’ grip on the nation and its people. I will not only reform—I will revolutionize! If the sects refuse to change, I will revolutionize them! Their resources will be nationalized; they will never control me again! The court must change too, or it will perish. You call the Imperial Preceptor radical? He is nothing compared to me! Everything he does, I have ordered. To oppose him is to oppose the throne itself!"