Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Thirty-One: The Grand Imperial Capital

The next day.

As the army set out once again, only two hundred soldiers split off from the main force—one hundred from the Qingyang Regiment and one hundred from the Violent Bear Regiment.

“What’s this?” Li Yu turned his head and noticed among the vast stream of troops heading in another direction a few individuals whose attire stood out strikingly.

“Those are members of the royal family. The soldiers are about to be assigned by the crown and sent to intercept the demon horde,” someone explained. “Each family is contributing so many soldiers—what kind of terrifying number will that add up to? The royal family would never allow so many people to enter the Imperial Capital unchecked.”

Qingyang De squinted, also gazing at the departing soldiers. He took a moment before returning to himself. “The road ahead is tight; let’s try to reach the Imperial Capital by dusk.”

With a wave of his hand, the hundred Qingyang Regiment soldiers spontaneously picked up their pace. On the other side, Xiong Feng performed a similar maneuver with the Violent Bear Regiment.

Now, with only a hundred men left, Li Yu could clearly see Qing Yuan and Qing Xiumin, both riding their azure cattle beasts. Compared to Li Yu’s luxurious carriage and the exotic beast pulling it, the two seemed rather inconspicuous.

His beast-drawn carriage was pulled by a Snow Tiger—its white fur gleaming, its limbs covered in scales that sparkled with cold light.

“Hmph!” Qing Yuan noticed Li Yu’s gaze and snorted coldly, saying nothing more.

‘Is that how you treat your savior?’ Li Yu curled his lips. He had shielded Qing Yuan from disaster—shouldn’t he be repaying him, even if it meant working like a beast of burden?

As for Qing Xiumin, she simply gave a gentle smile, then focused quietly on the road ahead.

Sitting within his carriage, Li Yu finally found some leisure time, allowing himself to peruse the document Qingyang De had gifted him.

He opened the cover, marked with the seal of the Ming Royal Family. The material inside was extensive, but Li Yu quickly found the sections that piqued his interest.

“The secret realm inherited from the previous dynasty was originally a trial ground reserved solely for direct heirs of the Qin Empire’s royal family, limited to those under twenty-five who had achieved the Dao of the Divine Path… There is a probability of enhancing bloodline rank… Life and death are uncertain…”

Thanks to his ability to read novels at lightning speed, Li Yu swiftly sifted out the key points.

“It can actually enhance bloodline rank?” Li Yu’s brows knitted deeply.

Even if it’s only a chance, even if the improvement is variable, just the possibility of raising bloodline rank is enough for the Ming Royal Family to keep this secret realm hidden. Why would they flaunt it so openly rather than hoard it in secret?

“There’s no way this isn’t suspicious,” Li Yu’s eyes flashed. “But now that this news is out, its impact will be far-reaching. Could the royal family be using it as a pretext to strike at the feudal lords?”

Within moments, he imagined several palace intrigue scenarios.

But he soon snapped back to reality, recalling Qingyang De’s earlier explanation: they were to “intercept the demon horde.”

With foreign threats so imminent, how could there still be petty internal strife? In a world of cultivation, infighting would only squander their most elite strength.

Li Yu tapped his fingers, quickly dismissing his wandering thoughts.

He almost couldn’t believe it himself—he’d glossed over the final and once most crucial point: the secret realm posed mortal danger!

Accepting the thunder crystal from Xiao Cui, Li Yu closed his eyes and entered meditation.

…

…

By the time the setting sun was about to slip below the horizon, Li Yu had arrived beneath the grand city.

The rays of dusk reflected off the towering walls, casting a vast shadow that enveloped Li Yu and his companions.

“So this is the Imperial Capital?” Li Yu’s eyes widened with wonder. It was the largest city he had ever seen in this other world. Standing below its walls, he was struck by a sense of his own insignificance.

“No,” Qingyang De clarified. “Though everyone calls it that, this was originally just a prefectural city. After the founding of Ming, its name was changed. In truth, the inner city is the real Imperial Capital—the place where the royal family resides.”

A newly established nation changing its capital’s name was normal, and the division between inner and outer city made for a clear boundary.

Li Yu didn’t dwell on it.

‘Hope I can sign in for something good!’ he muttered.

His system’s sign-in was generated based almost entirely on places he’d heard of or visited. Having spent so long with the Qing family—whether in his early days of semi-confinement or later, as he built his strength—he hadn’t had the chance to discover new locations. Thus, there had been no update to his sign-in tasks for quite some time.

If not for the system’s daily check-ins, Li Yu might have thought it had abandoned him.

“By the way, Brother Yangde, will we be heading to the inner city later?” Li Yu asked, seated inside his carriage. The crowd flowed swiftly, and they entered through a private city gate, so it wasn’t long before everyone was inside.

“Of course,” Qingyang De nodded.

The archives recorded that Li Yu had searched for the Imperial Capital fifteen or sixteen times, and had asked about it four times. Judging by his inquiries, he seemed to be looking for something.

Qingyang De pondered—he had naturally read this file.

He spoke, “Li Yu, if there’s anything you need, please let me know. Our Qing family has connections in the Imperial Capital!”

‘What could I need? I just want to sign in.’ Li Yu curled his lips, now understanding why Qingyang De made such an offer. He nodded in agreement.

“Candy! Fresh candy!”

“Hot roasted exotic meat—cheap and delicious!”

…

Upon entering the city, members of the Ming Royal Family who had been waiting approached, guiding the group through the streets toward their destination.

The street vendors hadn’t been driven away beforehand—a sign of the royal family’s confidence in keeping order.

The air was filled with bustling voices and drifting aromas of every kind.

“Xiao Cui, buy me two sticks of that candy!” Li Yu was drawn in by the scents, his gaze fixed on the nearby vendor, his eyes blinking eagerly.

He had no money!

All his expenses were handled by the Qing family—more precisely, by Xiao Cui, who managed his entire daily life.

It was the woman who held the purse strings.

“Please wait a moment, young master,” Xiao Cui said, glancing outside. After receiving permission, she floated out.

Soon she returned, holding an assortment of treats.

“Don’t be impatient, young master!” Xiao Cui slapped Li Yu’s hand away. She handed over some silver, then carefully employed four or five different methods to check for poison. Only when she was certain it was safe did she pass it to him.

“It’s cold…” Li Yu bit his lip, aggrieved.

…

Xiao Cui’s expression turned solemn. She spoke with great seriousness, “Young master, food is the people’s greatest concern. Six or seven in ten assassins know how to tamper with it. Better cold than burnt—it won’t scald your mouth!”