Yang Cheng didn't stop walking.
Hu Po silently followed him.
The two of them left Duke Wei's residence again through the secret tunnel, then returned to the palace.
After Yang Cheng left, Yun Qingcang let out a sigh. "Never thought this old man, having lived over 60 years, is still not as clear-headed as my three-year-old grandson."
But his eyes, little by little, began to brighten.
It wasn't hope for himself.
What he saw in his grandson… was a sliver of light cutting through the dark.
He knew exactly what he was worth.
His talent, while considered top-tier in the Wasteland Realm, was nothing among the myriad worlds.
That man calling him lowly wasn't meant to insult him—it was just stating the truth.
The Holy Mother and that existence… they were sacred beings. Comparing himself to them, he truly was lowly.
But what Yang Cheng showed today made him realize something.
He was lowly. But his daughter and grandson weren't.
Their blood came from the Holy Mother.
They were noble.
"Three years old. Eighth layer of Martial Master. Innate divine strength. Mastery of sword intent and blade intent."
Yun Qingcang's heart pounded. "That's the Holy Mother's bloodline. It has to be!"
He'd once placed hope in Yun Liyue when she was young.
Though she did show decent talent, in his eyes, it wasn't even a ten-thousandth of the Holy Mother's brilliance.
That only deepened his despair.
If Yang Cheng had known his thoughts, he would've understood why Yun Qingcang in his past life had been completely indifferent to everything.
The Yang Cheng of that life ended up a cripple, even worse than Yun Liyue.
Yun Qingcang had no hope left—of course he wouldn't struggle anymore.
But this life was different.
Yang Cheng's monstrous talent convinced Yun Qingcang this was the true sign of the Holy Mother's lineage.
"Hahaha, looks like it skipped a generation."
He was visibly stirred.
He felt proud—his grandson carried the blood of the Holy Mother.
Once he calmed down a little, his gaze turned firm.
He was just a mediocre man.
Then from now on, he'd give everything to support his grandson.
At least in these early stages, he believed he could still be useful.
Splendid Radiance Hall.
Yang Cheng had no idea what Yun Qingcang was thinking.
After returning, he told his mother about their conversation.
He knew the Empress had long held resentment toward Yun Qingcang's neglect.
While Yang Cheng didn't care what Yun Qingcang thought, his mother did.
Learning that he had reasons might bring her some peace.
But after hearing it, Yun Liyue looked more surprised than touched.
Maybe a bit of relief—but no real joy or excitement.
Yun Liyue smiled. "Cheng'er, there's something you should understand. Right now, in my heart, the most important person is you. I have no memory of your grandmother. As for your grandfather, my memories of him mostly stop before I turned three. If I learn they're doing well, I'll be glad—but I won't dwell on it. What I want now… is just to watch you grow up."
Once Yang Cheng returned to his room, Yun Liyue's gaze turned cold.
"Hu Po, tell me again in detail what happened at Autumn Water Courtyard."
She hadn't deliberately monitored the courtyard.
But Yun Guanqing hadn't bothered hiding her tracks today, so it was easy for Hu Po to figure out what was going on there.
Hu Po immediately told Yun Liyue everything she knew.
"Xu Yanci's hostility toward Cheng'er could still be explained by his childishness. But Yun Guanqing is an adult—how dare she harbor killing intent toward him?"
Yun Liyue's voice was ice.
She used to think the Madam of Duke Wei was her birth mother, so she still had some restraint toward the Yun clan.
Now that she knew the truth, there was no more reason to hold back.
Frankly, if she'd known earlier, Yun Yirou wouldn't have lasted nearly this long.
Hu Po said, "Your Majesty, Yun Guanqing has the Xu and Yun clans backing her. To kill her, we'll need solid evidence."
"If she can't be killed quickly, then we'll weave the net slowly. One day, she'll die."
Yun Liyue said coldly, "Besides, who said I want to target Yun Guanqing directly? I want to deal with Xu An. That way, I can drag Yun Guanqing into the abyss and let her taste something worse than death."
Hu Po's heart trembled. "Xu An is Yun Guanqing's husband and the pillar of the Xu clan. Xu Yan treats him as his successor. Yun Guanqing's biggest pride is marrying Xu An. If something happened to him, it would hurt her even more than if she fell herself. But doing that might offend Xu Shoufu."
"And if we didn't go after Xu An, would that keep us from offending Xu Shoufu?"
Yun Liyue's tone was cold. "That old fox thinks hiding in the shadows keeps me from noticing him?
These past few years, every scheme against Splendid Radiance Hall had his shadow behind it.
Hmph. The Xu and Yun clans have lived too comfortably. They've forgotten how unpredictable Heaven's wrath can be.
If I don't strike them with thunderous force, they'll keep thinking Cheng'er and I are weak and easy to bully."
"Your Majesty sees through everything."
Hu Po said, "Honestly, Xu An is easier to target than Yun Guanqing."
"Yun Guanqing's a deep-courtyard woman who rarely shows her face. Even if she commits a crime, it's hard to catch her."
"Xu An is different. As the Deputy Minister of Works, he's buried in corruption charges."
"No one dared investigate before because of his Xu clan background."
"But just the charges we have on hand are enough to get him dismissed and jailed."
"As they spoke, a palace maid walked in carrying a pigeon."
"Where did that pigeon come from?"
Hu Po asked, surprised.
"Lady Hu Po, I don't know," the maid replied, shaking her head.
Hu Po took the pigeon and unwrapped the letter tied to its claw.
She glanced at it and immediately froze in shock.
Then she brought the letter to Yun Liyue.
Yun Liyue was stunned too the moment she saw it.
The letter was from Yun Qingcang.
Even though Yun Qingcang had been down and out all these years, he had once been the Grand Marshal. In the army, he still had deep connections.
Many people within the military's intelligence network continued to secretly follow his orders and had been gathering information for him on their own.
Some of those reports were related to Xu An.
"The Sui River dam in Qingzhou… Xu An was the one in charge of that?"
Yun Liyue said, "And not just that—he knew the dam had structural issues but kept it quiet. When it collapsed, he killed every outsider who knew the truth, just to cover it up."
"That kind of ruthlessness… but now that this has landed in my hands, Xu An's path ends in death!"
Late that night.
Splendid Radiance Hall.
"Sword Dao—Perfection. Claim it."
In that instant, Yang Cheng felt an ocean of sword knowledge flood into his mind.
His understanding of the Sword Dao soared to the peak. It was as if every sword technique under the heavens was within reach of his thoughts.
At this moment, Yang Cheng felt his comprehension surpassed many Sword Gods.
Even in the divine realms, his Sword Dao might be outstanding.
Next came "Stars Shift and Worlds Turn."
Yang Cheng claimed it as well.
This divine ability could shift the enemy's strength—redirecting it.
Not only could it diffuse force, it could also turn that force back on the enemy.
It was no doubt a supreme divine power.
[Yesterday, the host encountered Xu Yanci and Yang Heng, and struck a blow against Xu Yanci.]
[But don't forget—Yang Xiu has more than just Xu Yanci and Yang Heng. He commands many elite generals.]
[Host, lead your own Tiger Generals and launch a war against Yang Xiu's warriors.]
[If you win, you and your Tiger Generals will shake the Wasteland Realm and make your name across the heavens.]
[Mission reward: Sacred Battle Technique.]
Lead his Tiger Generals into a war?
Yang Cheng thought of the group of tiny brats under his command and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Just imagining the scene was already hilarious.
But the mission was clear. He had no choice but to go through with it.
Yang Cheng immediately had a guard summon Zheng Guanbao to the palace.
Half an hour later.
Zheng Guanbao, now five years old, stood in front of Yang Cheng, eyes full of excitement.
"Your Highness, you summoned this general—what great task awaits?"
He spoke with such flair, like a real soldier.
'This general'? Really?
Yang Cheng looked at the kid's tiny body and almost laughed out loud.
But thinking of the mission, he held a straight face. "Zheng Guanbao, I summoned you today because I have something important to entrust you with."
Zheng Guanbao's excitement shot through the roof. "Please give your command, Your Highness! I will charge through fire and water for you without hesitation!"
The palace staff and guards outside were all visibly twitching from holding back laughter.
"Ahem."
Yang Cheng cleared his throat and tried to stay composed. "Not long ago, Xu Yanci provoked me. You've heard about it, right?"
"I have."
Zheng Guanbao said, "That Xu Yanci is outrageous, daring to provoke Your Highness."
"Reliable sources say Xu Yanci is still not convinced after losing to me. He's gathering people to challenge me again."
Yang Cheng continued, "So, General Zheng, I'm asking you to gather the Tiger Generals under my banner. Also, keep a close watch on Xu Yanci. As soon as he gathers his people, we'll strike first and launch a decisive war against them."
Zheng Guanbao was overwhelmed. His whole body trembled with excitement.
The Crown Prince was entrusting him with such an important task?
That showed how much the prince valued him.
His eyes turned red. He dropped to one knee. "Your Highness, from this day on, I swear my loyalty to you unto death!"
Yang Cheng stepped forward and helped him up. "You are my cherished general."
"Your Highness is a wise ruler like no other!"
Zheng Guanbao declared.
They stared at each other with mutual admiration. It was like a timeless meeting of a great ruler and a legendary general.
Nearby attendants were shaking with laughter, tears welling up from holding it in.
In the adjacent hall—
"These two little clowns."
Yun Liyue shook her head, amused.
Zheng Guanbao's mother, Zheng Huangshi, covered her mouth as she laughed.
An hour later.
Zheng Huangshi brought Zheng Guanbao back to the Zheng household and told her husband, the Deputy Commander of the Capital Garrison, Senior Third-Rank General Zheng Degong, what had happened.
"Husband, should I stop this?"
Zheng Huangshi asked.
After all, the Xu clan was no joke. If Zheng Guanbao really acted against them on the Crown Prince's behalf, even if it was just child's play, it could still offend them.
"No need. Let him go."
Zheng Degong said, "The Xu clan may be powerful, but their influence is mostly in the court. In the military, they're far weaker. I'm not some pushover either. Even if we offend the Xu clan, there's nothing they can do to me."
"Besides, many deep bonds start in childhood."
"Guanbao's lucky to win the Crown Prince's favor. Even if it's all kid's games, if this builds a closer tie with the prince, it's good for him."
Zheng Huangshi no longer objected.
Zheng Guanbao took it very seriously. He went door to door, recruiting the other 17 Tiger Generals for Yang Cheng.
Two days later, the 18 Tiger Generals gathered in secret.