Inside the Imperial Palace, things were vastly different from half a year ago.

After Emperor Yongchang was killed by that group of Blood Refining Realm Martial Artists, the entire Imperial Palace had been reduced to ruins.

After Empress Su Mingyue drove those Martial Artists away, she ordered the Imperial Palace to be rebuilt.

This time, the new Imperial Palace was built according to the specifications of the An Province imperial capital.

Now, this palace complex was more than ten times larger than the previous Imperial Palace.

With red walls and golden tiles, flying eaves and arched brackets, the glazed tiles of the main hall shimmered in the sunlight. The imperial stairs before the hall were covered with a brand-new crimson carpet, and the white marble railings on both sides were carved with Dragon patterns. It should be called the Imperial Palace now.

The perimeter of the Imperial Palace was guarded by a group of burly adult men, each with a long sword hanging at their waist, eyes fixed straight ahead.

The inner guards of the Imperial Palace, however, had all been replaced by sturdy women clad in light armor, with short swords at their waists and sharp gazes, as if they were ready to snap the neck of any intruder at any moment.

Zhou Ming walked through one palace gate after another, eyes fixed straight ahead. The Imperial Guards along the way lowered their heads and stepped aside when they saw him.

He went straight to the outside of Qianyuan Hall, only to be blocked by a female guard.

While the female guard went in to report, Empress Su Mingyue was inside the hall discussing matters with several ministers.

On the first day of her ascension to the throne, mountains of state affairs weighed down upon her.

The appointment and removal of officials in the various counties of You Province, the deployment of troops for the defense of the northern border, and the disposal of the landed properties of the aristocratic families dealt with by Chunlan—every single matter required her personal decision.

Hearing the guard report that Zhou Ming had returned, she was not surprised in the slightest; she simply nodded slightly, wearing an expression that said, "As I expected."

"Summon him inside."

As Zhou Ming stepped into the hall, the gazes of the ministers inside fell upon him in unison.

Zhou Ming was still wearing that old navy blue robe, covered in dust from his descent from West Mountain, which he hadn't yet had time to brush off. He looked completely out of place among the officials dressed in court attire.

He walked to the center of the hall, neither kneeling nor kowtowing, but simply cupped his hands in greeting and called out, "Eldest Miss."

A middle-aged man standing in the front row on the left immediately furrowed his brows.

Zhou Ming found this person somewhat familiar; he was an old advisor under Old Marquis Su Yongning who had always been teaching Su Mingli at the Marquis's estate. His surname was Feng, though Zhou Ming didn't remember his full name.

Before Old Marquis Su Yongning returned, he had often appeared at the Marquis's estate, hovering around Su Mingli, but he hadn't been valued by Empress Su Mingyue at that time.

After Old Marquis Su Yongning returned, he was once again put to use by him.

After Empress Su Mingyue ascended the throne, he was recommended to her by Old Marquis Su Yongning.

Seeing that Zhou Ming didn't even bend his knees, he immediately rebuked him sternly: "How bold! You do not perform the kowtow ceremony upon seeing the new Emperor; are you trying to commit treason!"

Zhou Ming glanced at him indifferently without speaking, but in his heart, he had already quietly noted this debt.

You want me, a great Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage, to perform a kowtow ceremony for a mortal emperor? What are you thinking?

But now was not the time to settle scores with him. Wait for later; later, he would let him experience Zhou's ultimate move.

Empress Su Mingyue waved her hand at the man surnamed Feng and then said to everyone: "You may all return for now; we shall discuss the rest later."

The group of ministers looked at each other, then glanced at the figure standing straight in the hall.

In the end, after paying their respects, they filed out of Qianyuan Hall.

The man surnamed Feng was the last to leave, and as he left, he turned back to glare viciously at Zhou Ming.

Only Empress Su Mingyue, Chunlan, and a few personal female officials remained in the hall.

Empress Su Mingyue sat upright behind the imperial desk, her gaze fixed directly on Zhou Ming.

She looked him up and down from head to toe, then spoke, her tone as certain as if she were stating a confirmed fact: "It really was you again."

Zhou Ming didn't offer much explanation, simply smiling slightly at her.

That smile held a hint of helplessness, as well as a mutual understanding that "you know, I know, everyone knows."

The cave on West Mountain was where he had originally set up the Divine Phoenix auspicious omen, and Empress Su Mingyue had long guessed it.

Last time, it was Zhou Ming who had arranged the descent of the Divine Phoenix, which had also appeared from West Mountain. This time it was the same; how could there be such a coincidence in this world?

"Sit and speak," Empress Su Mingyue said, gesturing with her hand, her tone returning to its usual indifference. "How did your investigation into the Immortal go?"

Zhou Ming sat down on the chair that Chunlan had brought over, took a cup of hot tea, and sighed.

He recounted his experiences in the Endless Forest, focusing on the main points and omitting the bloody details of the blood pool valley. He only mentioned that deep in the Endless Forest, he had discovered a great array of gale winds that spanned heaven and earth, shrouding the entire world within it, impossible to penetrate and impossible to break.

He did not mention the matter of Emperor Liu Jun; Empress Su Mingyue already knew from Old Marquis Su Yongning that Emperor Liu Jun was dead.

"However, I did not return empty-handed this time."

Zhou Ming took two Jade Slips from his sleeve, stood up, and handed them to Empress Su Mingyue.

These two Jade Slips were organized from Emperor Liu Jun's Storage Ring.

One contained the complete sword control Sorcery, from the sword control arts of the Qi Refinement Stage all the way to the Golden Core Stage's Light-Splitting Shadow-Form Sword Sorcery, with detailed notes on the cultivation method for every step.

The other contained a comprehensive collection of Sorcerys, including Five Elements Spells, wind, thunder, and ice variant Spells, defensive Spells, and auxiliary Spells—all of them standard Legacy for an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingyun Sect.

Empress Su Mingyue took the Jade Slips, turned them over in her hand, and looked up, somewhat puzzled.

She clearly didn't know how to use these small jade pieces.

"Place the Jade Slip against your brow and calm your mind; you will then be able to perceive the contents within."

Empress Su Mingyue followed his instructions, placing the Jade Slip against your brow and closing her eyes.

A moment later, the hand holding the Jade Slip began to tremble slightly.

Then she opened her eyes, staring straight at Zhou Ming, and remained silent for a long while.

Her expression was still very calm, but Zhou Ming knew her too well.

There were very few things in this world that could make her fingers tremble while holding them.

After a long while, Empress Su Mingyue let out a long breath, her voice filled with irrepressible emotion: "With this Sorcery, the world will be within my grasp."

She composed herself, placed the Jade Slip on the imperial desk, and looked up at Zhou Ming solemnly.

"Zhou Ming, apart from this imperial throne, what do you want?"

This question was extremely direct, and its meaning was very clear: apart from the position of the Supreme ruler, she could satisfy whatever Zhou Ming wanted.

Zhou Ming did not stand on ceremony with her; he had already thought of the answer.

He stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and said in a firm and decisive tone: "I wish to be the Minister of Justice. What does Eldest Miss think?"

Empress Su Mingyue did not show the slightest hesitation; instead, she tilted her head slightly and asked him curiously: "Why do you want to be the Minister of Justice?"

Zhou Ming set down his teacup and said solemnly: "Since Eldest Miss has ascended to the throne, your goal must be to unify the entire Nine Provinces, and perhaps even the three kingdoms."

"However, to repel foreign invaders, one must first pacify the interior. Without a stable environment internally, how can one speak of contending for the world?"

"I am willing to secure the rear for Eldest Miss, ensuring that Eldest Miss can contend for the world without distractions."