When Emperor Xia Xuanyin had received Su Yunmiao’s transmission yesterday, specifically instructing him to “look after” Zhang Xian, he had assumed the Supreme Elder meant he should protect a promising junior from the harsh realities of war.

Now, standing amidst a literal mountain of treasure that dwarfed the imperial treasury, he understood the true meaning. She wasn’t asking him to protect Zhang Xian. She was warning him not to offend the bank.

Zhang Xian’s personal net worth likely exceeded the GDP of half the Southern Region.

“Of course,” Zhang Xian said, dusting off his hands. “I’d appreciate it if you two kept this confidential. If word gets out, I’ll have every cultivator from here to the Western Wastes lining up for a ‘Grand Gift Package.’ I’m wealthy, not a charity.”

Xia Xuanyin and Wang Ya exchanged a solemn glance. “Our lips are sealed.”

Wang Ya, finally recovering from the shock, reverently stroked the cold steel of the Spirit Treasure in his box. He looked up at Zhang Xian, his eyes burning with a sudden, intense fervor.

“Zhang Xian! Are you currently in the market for another Dao Companion? I have a junior sister, Wang Yue. You’ve met her—gentle, virtuous, looks great in a Daoist robe, absolutely top-tier talent—”

Zhang Xian rolled his eyes. “Elder Wang, save it. Do you think I forgot? You’re the one who sent a secret report to Pavilion Master Yun claiming I was a ‘lecherous deviant’ to sabotage me.”

Wang Ya’s face flushed a deep crimson. He coughed violently. “Ahem! Misunderstandings! Ancient history! Let the past remain in the past!”

Xia Xuanyin chuckled, patting the embarrassed elder on the shoulder. “I suddenly find myself envious of that old fox Yun He. I only regret that I have no daughters, only a disappointing son.”

At the mention of Yun Wanqing’s father, Zhang Xian’s expression sobered. “Speaking of the Yun family… there is a serious matter I need to discuss with you both.”

Seeing the sudden shift in his demeanor, the two leaders straightened, their smiles vanishing.

“I have deduced the identity of the Nascent Soul assassin,” Zhang Xian said, his voice low.

“Who?” they asked in unison.

“Xuan Zhou.”

“What?!” Wang Ya gasped, his face draining of color. “Impossible!”

Zhang Xian calmly laid out his case. “Consider the Shadow’s reaction when I called him ‘Ex-Husband.’ Consider his hesitation to strike Yun Wanqing. Look at his movement techniques—corrupted, yes, but the foundational footwork matches the records of Xuan Zhou. And finally, consider the nature of the Seven Emotions.”

He paused, letting the weight of the words settle. “The Entity of Desire does not choose its host at random. It latches onto the deepest, most desperate obsession. Xuan Zhou disappeared two hundred years ago searching for a cure for his daughter. That obsession is a cracked door waiting to be kicked open.”

The Imperial Study fell into a heavy silence.

Xia Xuanyin spoke slowly, his brow furrowed. “So, while he possesses Xuan Zhou’s memories and skills, the man himself is gone? He is merely a puppet for the Entity?”

“Essentially,” Zhang Xian nodded.

Wang Ya sighed, rubbing his temples. “Who else knows?”

“Only the three of us and Supreme Elder Su. Long Zhi was present during the deduction, but she has sworn secrecy.”

“And… Yun Wanqing?” Wang Ya asked tentatively.

“I haven’t told her,” Zhang Xian said firmly. “Without concrete proof, it would only be cruel. Telling her that her missing husband has returned as a demonic monster trying to kill us? No. I intend to eliminate the [Desire] entity first. If I can do it without her ever knowing the truth, all the better.”

“I agree,” Wang Ya muttered. “But… if it really is Xuan Zhou, would he harm them? His obsession was saving his daughter.”

“The Entity twists desire into madness,” Zhang Xian countered. “I’m not taking that risk. Once this council is over, I’m going to Cloud Raiment City to bring Yun Wanqing and our daughter to the Southern Capital. It’s safer if they are under my nose.”

“Cloud Raiment City…” Wang Ya murmured. Then, his eyes widened in horror. He slapped his thigh. “Dammit! Old Pavilion Master Yun He!”

“What about him?” Zhang Xian and Xia Xuanyin asked sharply.

“A few days ago, after receiving your betrothal gifts, the old man felt his confidence surge,” Wang Ya said hurriedly. “He took those resources and went into secluded cultivation to attempt a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage!”

The blood ran cold in Zhang Xian’s veins.

“Think about it,” Wang Ya continued, his voice rising in panic. “If Xuan Zhou retains his memories and can deduce heavenly secrets… he sees Yun He not just as an elder, but as the man giving his wife away to you. Yun He is the architect of this marriage! And right now, he is at his most vulnerable moment. For a demon, a cultivator in the throes of a breakthrough is nothing but a sitting duck!”

He dares to touch my father-in-law?

Zhang Xian’s aura flared, the temperature in the room dropping instantly. “Where is his seclusion site?”

“If I knew, it wouldn’t be a secret! But it must be near their headquarters at Cloud Raiment City. You have to ask Pavilion Master Yun,” Wang Ya replied.

“I’m leaving. Now.” Zhang Xian stood up, his movements abrupt and decisive.

“Be careful,” Xia Xuanyin cautioned. “I must remain here to coordinate the defense, so I cannot aid you.”

“Your Majesty, rest assured. I might not be the strongest fighter yet, but my ability to stay alive is expensive and effective.” Zhang Xian cupped his hands in a quick salute.

“Take Inspector Zhiyin,” Wang Ya added quickly. “She has Nascent Soul-level capabilities and her clones are everywhere. She will be invaluable.”

Zhang Xian paused, then nodded. “Agreed.”

Half an hour later, a streak of light tore through the clouds above the Southern Capital.

Zhang Xian stood at the prow of his flying vessel, the wind howling against the protective barrier. Below, the landscape was a blur of greens and browns.

“The large-scale teleportation arrays near the capital are paralyzed,” Zhiyin’s cool, detached voice reported from beside him. “The [Demon Nest] is operating with surgical precision. They are targeting the core spatial nodes. Destruction is always easier than creation, especially with that white corrosive energy. The Southern Region has been at peace for too long; our infrastructure is fragile.”

Zhang Xian frowned. He had managed to contact Yun Wanqing via transmission talisman just minutes ago. She confirmed that her father was still in the preparation phase of his tribulation, safely within the city. He hadn’t told her the specific threat, only warning her that high-level demons were targeting breakthrough candidates.

He looked out at the horizon. “By the way, that fleet project I mentioned? How is it progressing?”

“Steadily,” Zhiyin replied. “However, the raw materials require sourcing from the Central Continent and even the Western Wastes. It takes time. Expedited shipping and black market acquisitions would drive the cost up significantly.”

“Cost is irrelevant,” Zhang Xian waved his hand dismissively. “Burn the spirit stones. I want a fleet of Nascent Soul-class warships. Top speed, max defense, overwhelming firepower. I want them yesterday.”

Zhiyin looked at him. “With spirit stones secured, anything is possible.”

Suddenly, her form flickered. It was a subtle glitch in her projection, barely noticeable.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xian asked sharply.

“The [Myriad Spirits Rosy Cloud Formation],” Zhiyin stated, her voice devoid of emotion but heavy with implication. “The southwestern nodes are under attack. The interference is spreading.”

“The Rosy Cloud Formation?”

“The supernatural network covering the Southern Region,” Zhiyin explained. “It amplifies spiritual sense for long-distance communication and coordinates the teleportation grid. It is more complex than even the defensive arrays. If it falls, sect transmission talismans become useless over long distances. We will be deaf and blind.”

“Without the array, a Nascent Soul cultivator’s divine sense can only cover a thousand li,” she added. “Strategic coordination will collapse.”

Zhang Xian cursed under his breath. “These bastards are thorough. First, they cut the roads, now they’re cutting the phone lines. Next, they’ll poison the water. They’re trying to split us up and catch turtles in a jar!”

He paused, frowning. “Wait. I’m the turtle in that metaphor. Bad analogy.”

“The formation is deep-rooted; they cannot destroy it completely in a short time,” Zhiyin noted. “But they can create dead zones. If we enter a zone where the array is suppressed, we will be cut off from the capital.”

Zhang Xian’s face hardened. “A localized blackout is bad enough. In war, intelligence is life. If we’re a step slow, people die.”