"It’s nothing." Zhong Ming nodded faintly, his tone calm. He didn’t take the small incident to heart.

After some superficially friendly pleasantries, Zhong Ming’s group followed Ji Hao into the Qi Family’s estate.

But as the time for the Path of Purgatory to open drew near, the members of the Silver Moon Royal Mansion and Prince Qinghe’s Mansion separated to stand on opposite sides. The colors of their robes were starkly distinct, and the atmosphere grew heavy, teetering on the verge of conflict.

This scene caused the elders of the Qi, Chu, and Xia Families to exchange glances and shake their heads. "Does Prince Qinghe’s Mansion really think it has what it takes to challenge the Silver Moon Royal Mansion?"

Zhong Ming keenly sensed the disapproval from Immortal Martial City’s three great clans, but he paid it no mind. He simply raised his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Aided by his own observations and Xiyue’s quiet explanations from his side, he took in the full layout of the powers present.

In the plaza below, a dense, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of ordinary Cultivators buzzed with conversation. In the elegant seats of the middle tier sat the Patriarchs and elders of Immortal Martial City’s three great clans, their expressions placid, yet their eyes were constantly fixed on the proceedings. At the highest level, in the main seating area, the Silver Moon Royal Mansion was on one side and Prince Qinghe’s Mansion on the other. A bit farther off were the seats for the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion—where a graceful and noble woman was seated. It was Shen Wanshang. Her gaze openly roamed over Zhong Ming, deep and filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

"Young Master, that is my former house, and that is Lady Wanshang. Though she is a candid person, she shows no mercy to her enemies. You must be careful when facing her," Xiyue whispered in reminder at Zhong Ming’s side.

"I know." Zhong Ming nodded slightly. His gaze lingered on Shen Wanshang for a moment before moving elsewhere.

Aside from the various Prince Mansions and great clans, there was another faction that particularly caught Zhong Ming’s attention—the members of Immortal Martial City’s Demon Suppression Bureau.

The Director and a host of division chiefs were all present. The Director, who looked like a middle-aged scholar, had a serene expression. He sat in the main seat with a steady and composed aura. Standing behind him was a woman in red. Unrestrained and free-spirited, with slightly messy hair, she was leaning against a pillar, a wine gourd in hand, sipping from it out of sheer boredom. This was the Vice Director of the Demon Suppression Bureau, her eyes holding a trace of arrogance and nonchalance.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau? Why are they here? To maintain order?" Zhong Ming guessed in a low voice.

Hearing this, Luo Zhiwei, who was beside him, shook her head helplessly and explained softly, "Of course not. They’re here to recruit talent... They were originally responsible for all the Demonic Fiends within the Immortal Dynasty’s borders. The formation of the New Army is encroaching on their authority. Although this was decreed by the Royal Family and they are powerless to stop it, they have been secretly recruiting many powerful Cultivators these past few days."

The arrival of the Demon Suppression Bureau made Zhong Ming think to himself, ’The situation on this Path of Purgatory, with all these factions gathered, is far more complex than I anticipated.’

What he didn’t know was that aside from the factions present on-site, many others were hidden in the shadows, closely watching this confrontation through various means.

One of these parties even had a connection to Zhong Ming and his group—Prince Qinglin.

And he was not far from the Qi Family’s mountain gate.

「Qinglin Villa, Immortal Martial City.」

A middle-aged man stood in the villa’s quiet room, gazing at the goings-on at the Qi Family estate through a shimmering, iridescent Heaven-Gazing Treasure Mirror.

Beside him, a young girl was animatedly telling him about things she found amusing.

"Father, that’s Zhong Ming. I really don’t know how he does it, making Cousin Qinglian and Cousin Qingyue so infatuated. Hehe. Oh, right, Father, did you know? When I first met them, I saw Cousin Qingyue and Cousin Qinglian getting jealous and fighting over him!"

Princess Qingque, carefree, chattered on about the interesting things she’d seen, not noticing that her father’s gaze upon Zhong Ming in the Treasure Mirror was incredibly complex—filled with envy and an even more unconcealable jealousy.

It was only natural for him to be envious and jealous. In Prince Qinglin’s eyes, the strength of the Qinghe Commandery Mansion was not much different from his own Commandery Prince’s Mansion. Both were fringe members of the Frost Moon Imperial Dynasty’s Royal Family. Coming to Immortal Martial City this time, they should have been brothers in misfortune, both wracking their brains to compete for the position of Vice Military Commander of the New Army.

To that end, when he had first come to Immortal Martial City, he had even considered forming an alliance with Prince Qinghe to pursue their great undertaking together.

But after arriving in Immortal Martial City, he discovered that things had changed.

The poor brother he had imagined had suddenly risen up. Human psychology is a strange thing: you worry when your brother is trapped in the mire, but you worry even more when he soars to the heavens.

One could only imagine the taste in Prince Qinglin’s mouth right now.

What he found most difficult to accept was that Prince Qinghe’s rise wasn’t due to his own efforts. He had just gotten dog-shit lucky, recruited Zhong Ming, and instantly became a top contender for the Vice Military Commander position.

’Damn you, Prince Qinghe...’

After muttering this in his heart, his knuckles tightened unconsciously. While staring at Zhong Ming in the mirror, he secretly sent a voice transmission to the steward standing beside him, who was also the Guardian of the Qinglin Commandery Mansion, Elder Huo:

"Elder Huo, if I have Qingque make a move, do you think we can pull Zhong Ming over to our side?"

"Difficult." Shaking his head, the steward known as Elder Huo gave a wry smile. "Princess Qingque has a pure and innocent temperament, with no scheming bone in her body. Furthermore, she would be on her own, no match for the two sisters, Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian."

"..."

Prince Qinglin could not refute that statement.

After dismissing that first idea, another thought quietly began to sprout in his mind.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke again:

"Then if I have Qingque join them... do you think I could get Zhong Ming to support me, to push me into the Vice Military Commander position...?"