Beneath the sweeping characters denoting command on the memorial, the name "Xiong Kui" was hastily scribbled. Then came the next report, and Zong Shou’s eyes immediately brightened, a sudden surge of interest seizing him.

This matter was hardly one of military or state importance; it barely registered even as trivial fluff.

It was merely a minor issue brought forth by a mid-level official.

“Your Excellency, I hear that the Ten Mile Fragrant Charm District has grown increasingly prosperous, leading to a surge in tax revenue. It draws in numerous sons of the local gentry who spend their nights carousing with courtesans and fighting. Daily brawls and injuries have escalated. In my view, stricter regulation of this area is imperative. If we can levy an additional security tax upon the three hundred brothels here, our Qiantian Mountain City can surely field another battalion of troops.”

Carousing with courtesans? Brothels? So, Qiantian Mountain City had its own red-light district. Haha, three hundred brothels—that was quite an operation.

Ancient brothels were truly fascinating, sparking a genuine desire to see them firsthand.

His eyes flickered, and Zong Shou gestured again toward Chu Xue. After watching him for a moment, Xue’er feigned utter confusion: “Young Master, what are you trying to say? Xue’er doesn’t understand?”

Zong Shou couldn't help but roll his eyes; the girl was clearly playing coy. Raising an eyebrow, he casually picked up another piece of beast hide and wrote down, Where is the Ten Mile Fragrant Charm District?

Seeing this, Chu Xue pouted, mumbling petulantly, “Young Master, Xue’er is a young lady. How would I know where this Ten Mile Fragrant Charm District is?”

Zong Shou considered this; Chu Xue was likely lying through her teeth. But then again, asking her might be slightly inappropriate for the subject matter.

He then looked toward Ruo Shui with an inquiring gaze. However, Ruo Shui merely offered a knowing, subtle smile, appearing equally unwilling to answer his query.

Zong Shou sighed softly and hastily scribbled on the hide again: We go. Undercover, to observe the common people’s plight. With those dozen words, he stood up and strode toward the door. Ruo Shui might not know, and Chu Xue might not know, but the guards outside certainly did.

Chu Xue panicked, rushing forward several paces and spreading her jade arms like a mother hen to block Zong Shou: “Young Master, you can’t! Grandfather said tomorrow is your first court assembly, and you must finish processing all these memorials first. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to tour Qiantian Mountain City later. Isn't it just that—that Ten Mile Fragrant Charm District place? Xue’er will definitely go with you.” Hearing this, Zong Shou gave a silent laugh and walked back inside. Just as Chu Xue thought he had changed his mind, she watched Zong Shou deliver a swift kick to the writing desk, overturning it, and then swaggered past her. He chastised himself for being a fool, for actually sitting down and immersing himself in those tedious memorials—it was utterly idiotic. His return to claim the Demon King position was solely to fulfill the dying wish of the former Zong Shou.

That wish had already been accomplished two days prior, bringing clarity to his heart and yielding considerable benefits; his Spiritual Arts and Martial Dao had both seen considerable progress.

At this point, not demolishing the bridge behind him would be considered restraint; did he really plan to labor diligently every day and become a sage ruler of a nation?

His life’s ambition was to delve into the Martial Dao; his first objective was to master and synthesize the techniques of a hundred schools of swordsmanship to forge his true, singular Yuan Yi Sword.

As for Qiantian Mountain City, he actually possessed a modicum of conscience. He could manage it in his spare time, just enough to satisfy his own moral code.

However, before deeply immersing himself in martial studies, seeing this supposed Ten Mile Fragrant Charm District and its three hundred brothels to relax his mind was absolutely necessary.

Wait, that’s not right! This, too, was observing the common people’s plight. How could one understand the hardships of the populace while managing state affairs deep within the palace? My Lord Zong Shou is simply the most benevolent of rulers!

Since it was an undercover visit, he naturally couldn't wear fine silks. He changed into a simple azure cloth robe before exiting the palace compound known as "Han Yan Palace." Immediately, dozens of guards followed him—a full forty Xiantian realm experts and four Wuzong masters, all clad in imposing heavy armor, radiating martial might.

Zong Shou, however, found them too conspicuous. He ordered them all to disperse, and thus proceeded down Qiantian Mountain, accompanied only by a deeply disgruntled Chu Xue and the consistently impassive Ruo Shui.

After a mere two days, the interior of Qiantian City had noticeably stabilized. It was evening, and the streets were teeming with pedestrians. Every corner and alley showed signs of bustle.

Zong Shou was initially quite novel, observing everything around him. The atmosphere of a raw, ancient great city—in later eras, this would be swarming with tourists.

Then, slowly, his novelty faded, and his brow furrowed. People in this era rarely bathed, especially the commoners, whose breath carried a strong scent. Unlike his Xue’er and Ruo Shui, who smelled sweetly of perfume.

Furthermore, there was no sewage system; trash was discarded everywhere, making the area terribly messy, and some spots were truly foul-smelling.

Zong Shou filtered the air near his nose with true qi, only then starting to feel somewhat better.

Then, countless voices flooded his ears. Zong Shou paid them no mind at first, until he faintly picked up the recurring terms: City Lord, Sovereign, Heir Apparent, Zong Shi. Only then did he realize that from the elderly aunties and uncles to the vigorous young men on every street corner, everyone was discussing the great upheaval from two days prior. Zong Shou’s eyebrows twitched. He feigned nonchalance, stopping before a small stall, pretending to examine the merchandise. His two ears, however, stretched out like a rabbit’s, monitoring the surroundings.

“I heard that several thousand heads were struck off that very night—it was truly brutal. Why was the Sovereign so ruthless? Apparently, over a thousand of them were his kin.” “Woman, what do you know? This involves a struggle for the throne; such things are common. Sons killing fathers, fathers killing sons—it happens all the time. What are a few thousand heads? These rebels deserved their fate. They have no one to blame but themselves!”

“I also heard that all the dead were from the direct lineage of the Heavenly Fox clan. These people usually ran rampant in the city; they’ve finally gotten their just deserts. Thank the heavens! The foundation laid by the former Sovereign through hard work hasn’t fallen into the hands of outsiders.”

“The former Sovereign was a good man, a wise ruler. The current Sovereign is his son; his governing skills must be excellent. His ascension truly has the heavens protecting us. I used to hear people say Young Master Zong Shi was quite good, but I always felt he was unreliable. Now he’s finally dead. With those fiends no longer stirring up trouble, our Qiantian Mountain City can finally know peace. In my opinion, with the Sovereign’s methods, Qiantian Mountain can surely become even more prosperous and attain great splendor.”

Zong Shou, who had initially worn a slight smile with upturned lips, found his face reddening slightly when he heard the comments about his excellent governing ability and the promise of Qiantian Mountain’s prosperity.

He had planned to stay here only for a short while before packing up and leaving.

“But I heard that when the Sovereign was still the Heir Apparent, he didn’t know martial arts?” “Hah! Who said that? I heard the Sovereign personally slew Zong Shi that day, and even the Xuanwu Grandmaster they hired died at his hands. That’s how he established his claim on the Altar of Heaven Sacrifice. He was merely concealing his power before; now he truly proves that after ten years of silence, he can startle the world. What was that phrase again? Ah, yes—playing the pig to eat the tiger! How could the Heir Apparent, with all his talent, possibly flaunt it like that pretentious Zong Shi? This is the bearing of true nobility. That so-called number one genius of the Eastern Lin Continent? Pfft! Does he deserve that title? Compared to the Sovereign, he’s nothing but trash.” “It’s more than that. Did you hear? The Sovereign has already established his own sect, called the Qiantian Zong Clan. The former Heavenly Fox Clan now only has a few remaining members. I heard that Clan Elder Zong Bo and Zong Zheng of the Heavenly Fox Clan strongly objected, but the Sovereign firmly pushed back. That Clan Elder is said to be at the peak of the Huan Yang realm, one foot already in the Ri You realm, yet he couldn't do anything to the Heir Apparent.”

“In my view, the Sovereign’s greatest asset is his strategy. He didn't even fight initially; he subdued the Feng Xiong and Mu Lang clans with just tens of thousands of Eastern City Guards. The leader of the Ling Fa Kong clan was also deposed. If Zong Shi hadn't conspired with external enemies to assassinate the Sovereign, others might never have known that the Sovereign was actually supremely talented and an unparalleled master!” The more Zong Shou listened, the more delighted he became. He thought that the people of Qiantian Mountain City were indeed good and discerning. Zong Weiran had indeed managed things remarkably well over ten years to win the hearts of these millions.

There was nothing more worth hearing after that. Zong Shou casually bought three exquisitely carved, beaded jade hairpins from the stall, placing one in Chu Xue’s hair, giving one to Ruo Shui, and hiding the last one in his sleeve. The two women were visibly delighted.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, his expression suddenly froze, shifting rapidly from pale to ashen.

He heard another person nearby exclaim with surprise, “Oh? So you’ve only heard that much. The Sovereign is far from simple. Have you heard about the six-tiered demonic beasts that wreaked havoc in Luofang City to the south a few years ago? Everyone said the former Sovereign personally went out to handle it. But I heard recently that the Sovereign took care of slaying them himself. Years ago, the Heir Apparent was already capable of slaying six-tiered demonic beasts.” “You’ve heard that too? It seems mostly true. But the news I have goes beyond just that. Three years ago, a Yin Jiao caused chaos in Evil Spirit Gully; the Heir Apparent also forced that demon back. In fact, when the Sovereign was only ten, he defeated all the talented youths of Qiantian Mountain City without a single equal. Later, the former Sovereign worried that the Heir Apparent’s brilliance was too dazzling, so he sent him to the Linhai Academy to cultivate his temperament.”

“Also, on Qiantian Mountain Peak that day, I heard that more than just a few Xuanwu Grandmasters died. There was also a Tianwei Wuzong who fell to the Sovereign’s sword.” Zong Shou’s lips twitched slightly. Were these tales becoming increasingly outlandish?

At first, he thought the rumors were distorted, but gradually, he felt something was off. These stories sounded detailed and plausible, as if they truly happened, yet they were riddled with inconsistencies, suggesting someone was deliberately planting them.

And these speakers must have been intimately familiar with his past experiences.