The opening round of the Imperial Military Examination concluded with an outcome no one could have possibly foreseen. Across the entire competition, nine lives were lost, and fifteen individuals were injured, among them the four young prodigies at the Innate Realm, and that dark-faced man from the Dragon-Seizing Sect, Huangfu Heiyou...

Furthermore, eighteen others opted for voluntary withdrawal. In the end, Ye Jingyu was the sole person left standing on the platform, and consequently, the final victor...

Although this outcome incited intense dissatisfaction among the crowd below, especially among the martial artists who had withdrawn, had any one of the four young masters claimed the title, they would have offered no objection. After all, their strength was evident. But Ye Jingyu?

At best, he had only reached the Martial Master realm, the same as many of them. Yet, he managed to rise after the four combatants had inflicted grievous harm upon each other, miraculously standing tall, as if he had effortlessly plucked the fruits of victory. How could anyone accept such a result...?

However, this was, after all, the Imperial Military Examination of the Shuyun Kingdom. Whether it seemed reasonable or not, whether one accepted it or not, by the letter of the competition’s rules, he... was the ultimate victor...

Such a dramatic result naturally sparked widespread debate among the martial arts community of Yunjing. Ye Jingyu's name became famous overnight, though it was a notoriety tainted with disgrace...

But Young Master Ye paid no heed to this moniker. What if he was shameless? Weren't those four Innate Martial Masters also shameless when they secretly ambushed the Dragon-Seizing Sect master hidden within the crowd?

Besides, in this current climate, wasn't being shameless almost a fashionable trend?

Night had now fallen. Because of Ye Jingyu's unexpected triumph, much of the public's focus had shifted away from the second stage of the examination. Before and after meals, all anyone discussed was Ye Jingyu...

In Yunjing, at the residence of the Eldest Young Master, Luo Haitian stood in his private garden with an expression of chilling gloom. Behind him stood two other men, also clad in brocade robes...

One, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen, had sunken eyes, clearly betraying a life overindulged in wine and women. The other, however, was full of vigor, his demeanor stern, immediately recognizable as a master...

"Big Brother, it’s so late, what is it you need me for?" At this moment, the youth with the sunken eyes spoke, his tone dripping with impatience...

"Recently, my men captured a few shapely Hu Ji women in Hu Kingdom. Fifth Brother, are you interested in sampling something new?" Luo Haitian offered a faint smile, his eyes filled with unconcealed distaste...

"Ah... really? Then I won't be going back tonight..." Upon hearing the mention of Hu Ji, the youth’s eyes immediately lit up. This was Luo Hailong, the fifth son of Luo Xiaofeng, born of the same mother as Luo Haitian. Despite his name suggesting grandeur, he was nothing more than a complete good-for-nothing, utterly useless save for gluttony and indulgence...

"That is up to you. But what about the matter I tasked you with last time?" Luo Haitian stated flatly...

"Big Brother need not worry. I have already dispatched men to Shujun to gather over a thousand individuals. They have been secretly delivered to my estate for training. However, Father should know..." Luo Hailong boasted proudly, eager for his elder brother's praise like a child...

"Father's capabilities are boundless; he naturally knows. Just ensure he doesn't know I ordered you to train them," Luo Haitian chuckled softly...

"Why is that? We are brothers. What does it matter if he knows?" Luo Hailong looked utterly perplexed...

"Do you wish to play with even more women?" Luo Haitian ignored Luo Hailong's question and instead asked...

"I do..." Luo Hailong responded immediately without a second thought...

"Then do exactly as I say. No matter what kind of woman you wish to possess in the future, Big Brother will procure her for you," Luo Haitian declared in a tone that permitted no refusal...

"I understand, Big Brother..." Luo Hailong nodded, his face beaming...

"Those few Hu Ji women are in the back courtyard. You may go now..." Luo Haitian waved his hand with visible annoyance...

A grin spread across Luo Hailong's face. Without offering a formal greeting to Luo Haitian, he turned and hurried towards the rear gardens...

"Useless dog. How could Mother give birth to such a waste of space?" After Luo Hailong departed, Luo Haitian cursed him with palpable loathing...

"Why should Young Master speak so harshly? If the Fifth Young Master hadn't privately amassed a contingent of a thousand men, the State Lord would have already executed him. On this matter, the Fifth Young Master has rendered a great service," at this point, the other man spoke up...

Currently, the entire Shuyun Kingdom was under the control of Luo Xiaofeng. Even the slightest ripple was unlikely to escape his notice. To solidify his throne and prevent a recurrence of the White Cloud Mountain Villa incident, Luo Xiaofeng had strictly forbidden anyone from stockpiling forces exceeding one thousand men...

It was precisely because of this decree that White Cloud Mountain Villa was forced into rebellion. Even Luo Haitian and his associates dared not secretly maintain more than a thousand warriors, as doing so would only alert Luo Xiaofeng. However, having his simple-minded brother handle these matters meant Luo Xiaofeng would pay little mind, perhaps even believing Luo Hailong had matured and was finally engaging in the struggle for power. In this early stage, he would never suppress Hailong, which served as Luo Haitian's method for slowly accumulating strength...

"Forget that. Third Brother had surprisingly good luck; his man actually secured victory in the first stage... Yue Youqun, Bie Li, Ye Longyi, Ying Xiaoxiao—all four of them ended up grievously wounded. Third Brother's man just picked up the scraps. Truly useless! Utter trash!" Luo Haitian practically roared...

On the surface, this Imperial Military Examination was meant to select talent to serve the state, but in reality, it was a thinly veiled assassination plot, and more importantly, a true test orchestrated by Luo Xiaofeng to gauge the strength of the forces held by his four sons. Although Luo Haitian was surrounded by numerous experts, his four Grandmasters were all middle-aged men in their late forties or fifties. In the younger generation, he lacked any truly top-tier masters, putting him at a disadvantage. He had initially hoped that if none of his brothers’ subordinates reached the finals, it would at least save him some face. Who knew that Ye Jingyu would be lucky enough to enter the finals amidst the fray of the four great young masters...

"Eldest Young Master, I do not believe this was purely luck..." Seeing Luo Haitian’s furious state, the man spoke calmly...

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Hearing the man’s voice, Luo Haitian quieted down, looking at the man before him with confusion etched across his face...

"I know that man. He was once a disciple of our White Cloud Mountain Villa. Originally, he was merely an outer disciple casually accepted by the Villa, but he was taken seriously by my Eldest Martial Uncle and made his final closed-door disciple. My Eldest Martial Uncle was naturally detached and never took on a disciple in his life, yet he favored him. Anyone accepted by him could not be an ordinary figure... Moreover, when the Imperial Army attacked White Cloud Mountain Villa, the Master arranged our escape. En route, we encountered a Sky-Luan White Ape, and he actually managed to slay one through sheer brute strength. This was the precise reason Father personally pursued him, only for him to escape..." The man spoke unhurriedly...