However, Zhu Ruo was, after all, a long-established Grandmaster, naturally unwilling to be injured by his own weapon. With a mere wave of his sleeve, the leaf vanished without a trace, though the look he gave Ye Jingyu was filled with complexity...

"To possess such cultivation at such a young age, Zhu admires you..." No sooner had Zhu Ruo finished speaking than Lu Yan of the Third Command and Hua Kai of the Fourth Command simultaneously flicked their wrists, and in an instant, at least a hundred hidden weapons flew towards Ye Jingyu... Ye Jingyu didn't even spare them a glance, nor did he move an inch, allowing the projectiles to clatter against him.

Many of the darts shattered entirely, enveloping Ye Jingyu in a cloud of fine powder... Yet, Ye Jingyu cared little for this; he even took a deep, deliberate breath of the mist...

"Hmm, quite fragrant..." Ye Jingyu murmured these words softly from his lips... At this moment, everyone stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

Not only had he blocked the hidden weapons from Lu Yan and Hua Kai without using any of his True Essence, but Hua Kai's Soul-Scattering Powder was a first-rate poison; without an antidote, death was certain within the span of a breath. Yet here he was, having inhaled so much, not only completely unaffected but commenting on its pleasant scent.

Was this man even human? "Oh, I forgot to inform everyone.

I am not only a Grandmaster but also a Sixth-Rank Warrior. Ordinary poisons are ineffective against me, and hidden weapons launched without the strength of a Sect Master can hardly scratch me," Ye Jingyu explained calmly upon seeing their astonished expressions...

"Sixth-Rank Warrior?" Li Zhongyuan’s cloudy eyes flickered, but he said no more. However, he knew that the rank of Sixth-Rank Warrior was a classification found within the Southern Barren Forest...

It signified strength reaching a million jin, capable of contending with a Grandmaster... In his memory, even the warriors of the Southern Barren Forest rarely trained beyond the Fourth Rank in their entire cultivation.

Yet, this youth had reached the Sixth Rank; how could this not astonish Li Zhongyuan? "Heh heh, moreover, Commander Ye is also a Soul Master of the Spirit Manifestation Realm," Nan Fengyun commented with a slight smile at this moment.

He was quite satisfied with Ye Jingyu’s performance. If he didn't shock these old-timers of the Cloud Guards, how could he command them?

How could he control them? This piece of news instantly silenced the already stunned group, as if a missile had detonated in their minds...

A peak Grandmaster, Sixth-Rank strength, a Soul Master of the Spirit Manifestation Realm—any single individual possessing such power would be a prime target for any major faction to recruit. But now, this combination of strength was concentrated in one person.

This... how was this possible?

How powerful would he become? In their eyes, there was nothing but shock, and more shock...

"Gentlemen, since the testing is complete, it is time for everyone to recognize their station," Eunuch Mu said with a light smile, observing their shocked expressions... "Your subordinate pays respects to the Commander..." Upon hearing Eunuch Mu’s words, these six individuals, whether willing or not, knelt before Ye Jingyu...

Though Ye Jingyu was young, his personal strength was outrageously immense, leaving them no room for refusal... "You are all my seniors; please rise quickly.

I ask for your continued guidance in the future," Ye Jingyu, while satisfied with his own might, began pondering how to install his own people... "Not at all, not at all..." After another round of pleasantries, Li Zhongyuan, Xin'er, Lu Yan, and Hua Kai all submitted their resignations, citing old age and the need to return to their hometowns for retirement...

This sight caused Ye Jingyu private surprise—was this a show of defiance? Only when he saw Eunuch Yun’s beaming smile did he realize this must be His Majesty’s decree...

Looking at their ages, perhaps it was time for them to retire. What puzzled Ye Jingyu was whether Luo Xiaofeng trusted him that much?

These individuals should have been his closest confidantes. For him to allow them to step down voluntarily just as Ye Jingyu assumed the role of Grand Commander, before he could even replace them, seemed slightly illogical.

Despite his internal doubts, Ye Jingyu certainly would not pass up such an opportunity. After feigning attempts to retain them, he approved their applications, stipulating that they could not leave the Cloud Guards until three months later...

Those three months were crucial for Ye Jingyu’s people to smoothly take over the command of the Cloud Guards... Aside from the Third and Fifth Commands, Ye Jingyu already had candidates prepared to take over if the other Commands departed entirely...

But these were matters for later. After settling everything in Lianyun Alley, Ye Jingyu departed the Cloud Guard headquarters with Eunuch Yun...

"Eunuch Yun, what exactly does His Majesty intend?" Ye Jingyu asked in a low voice after confirming they were not being followed... "His Majesty’s intention is simple: for you to gain absolute control over the Cloud Guards.

Commander Han Muxi of the Fifth Command is the Crown Prince's person. His Majesty has left him for you to deal with personally.

The others are His Majesty’s absolute trusted confidants, and they will not leave until your replacements are safely installed," Eunuch Yun stated calmly... "I understand," Ye Jingyu nodded slightly but said nothing further...

It was nothing more than a test to see if he truly possessed the capability to take complete command of the Cloud Guards. If he couldn't even manage to dispose of the commander of the Fifth Command, what hope would there be in monitoring the Crown Prince...

Eunuch Yun offered no more words, only giving Ye Jingyu a knowing, smiling glance before returning to the Imperial Palace... In the days that followed, Ye Jingyu directly requisitioned Zhuge Yi from Luo Ruofeng, tasking this strategist-like figure to lead an intelligence agency.

It was somewhat demeaning, but Zhuge Yi voiced no complaints and immediately assumed his post as Deputy to the Head Commander Li Zhongyuan, while Ying Xiaoxiao became Deputy to the Second Division Commander, Xin'er... This deeply frustrated Ying Xiaoxiao for a while, as having to spend time next to a literal 'meatball' every day was truly tormenting.

For the Third Command, Ye Jingyu lacked an immediate candidate until Zhuge Yi recommended his cousin, Zhu Lingfeng. He was said to be an oddity within the Zhuge family, eschewing political maneuvering to dedicate himself solely to the study of mechanical arts, vowing to surpass the Lu family...

The position of the Fourth Command was naturally reserved for Gongsun Xiangyi, provided she could return soon. As for the Fifth Command, Ye Jingyu planned for Bielie to take the role, contingent upon eliminating Han Muxi first...

Ye Jingyu had no immediate plans for the Sixth Command; if Bing Ming showed interest, it wouldn't be too late. As for the Seventh Command, which had lacked a commander for a long time, immediately upon Ye Jingyu’s ascension, Nangong Shang was appointed Commander of the Seventh Command, and a contingent of elite soldiers from the former Iron Army was incorporated into it...

After all, one’s own people were the most trustworthy, weren't they? On the seventh day following Ye Jingyu’s assumption of the Grand Commander position of the Cloud Guards, a case that should have been handled by the Ministry of Justice was instead dropped onto Ye Jingyu’s desk.

The case itself was not overly complex: several murders had occurred consecutively in a small town fifty kilometers outside Yunjing City. The Ministry of Justice had failed to apprehend the culprit and had even lost several personnel in the process, greatly infuriating Luo Xiaofeng, who directly handed the case to the Cloud Guards...

However, what caught Ye Jingyu’s attention were the two large characters circled in cinnabar pen on the case file: "MUMMIES..." (Another classmate is getting married tomorrow; sigh, when will it be my turn~~ Oh, right, the Noon Hour in Chapter 81 has been changed to Midnight Hour. Thanks to the gentleman who pointed it out, much appreciated!)

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