In the brightly lit Ningwang Mansion, Prince Ning, Zhao Taiping, sat at the table with a cup of wine and a piece of meat. None of the usual beauties and companions were by his side. At this moment, no one dared to approach him. The worried Prince Ning, with furrowed brows, had no mood to engage in the usual nighttime revelries with his companions, who were now absent from his side.

It was not because his son, who had not yet returned home, had been humiliated by the Ninth Rank Demon Suppressing Guard. The secret guards had already returned in advance to report the incidents that occurred on the Yanzhi River upstream.

His concern lay elsewhere – the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday in the eighth month was approaching, and there were no gifts. At the beginning of the year, information from palace spies revealed that after the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday, Emperor Zhao Tianci planned to exile him to his fiefdom outside the capital.

Emperor Zhao Tianci's health had always been frail, and Prince Ning had been waiting for the emperor's demise to ascend the dragon throne as the supreme ruler. If he were exiled from the capital, years of planning might be ruined.

The appearance of the mysterious ox gave him a glimmer of hope, providing a chance to turn the situation around. The current emperor had a great fondness for auspicious signs; only such gifts from the heavens could make him believe that the battered empire still had hope.

In previous years, there had been too many auspicious signs, ranging from various creatures to supernatural occurrences, causing the court to become a laughingstock. Prime Minister Zhang Qian, leading civil officials, had even knelt in the Wenhua Hall for a day and night, forcing Emperor Zhao Tianci to issue a decree prohibiting officials from reporting auspicious signs.

Prince Ning had planned to use the Empress Dowager's birthday as an opportunity to present the mysterious ox to the palace, seeking Emperor Zhao Tianci's leniency and allowing him to stay in the capital for a few more years.

In the Confucian-governed world of Da Liang, filial piety was highly valued. Sending auspicious signs to the palace for the Empress Dowager's birthday was not something the court officials could object to easily. Anyone who dared to speak against it would have to contend with Prime Minister Zhang Qian.

Unfortunately, with the transformation of the mysterious ox, Prince Ning's plans had gone astray. With only ten days left until the Empress Dowager's birthday, where could he find another auspicious sign?

Sighing deeply after the last sip of wine, Prince Ning heard the report from the guards outside that his son, Zhao Baixiong, had returned.

"Let him in," he said.

As Zhao Baixiong entered with sobering soup in hand, he understood his father's troubles by the worried expression on his face.

Placing the sobering soup on the table, Zhao Baixiong, with a sly look in his triangular eyes, said, "Father, worrying about the Empress Dowager's birthday gift?"

Prince Ning nodded as he looked at his son, indicating that his guess was correct.

"I heard that the Demon Suppression Guard, who went to Clear River County, received three thousand taels of silver from Xia Erxian's lackey, claiming it could eliminate the Blood Contract. I asked Yan Zhenqing from Qingfeng Academy, and according to him, Blood Contracts only exist in the Yellow Springs Road. I don't understand what Blood Contracts and the Yellow Springs Road are, but I don't think our Clear River residence could have the Yellow Springs Road, right?" Prince Ning finished the sobering soup in one gulp. In his semi-drunken state, he didn't fully comprehend the implied meaning in his son Zhao Baixiong's words but gestured for him to continue.

"If the Demon Suppression Bureau is using the name of the Blood Contract, it means our mysterious ox is fine. In that case, can't we say they covet our ox and ask them to compensate with an auspicious sign?" Zhao Baixiong suggested.

With this, Prince Ning finally understood. Feeling relieved, he praised his son for his maturity and understanding of his father's concerns. "Your approach is correct, but we can't use compensation. Today, let me teach you how to deal with the Demon Suppression Bureau."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Zhao Baixiong, sitting respectfully, said, "Father, please instruct me."

"When dealing with the Demon Suppression Bureau, remember, just one word – reason. However, how to use that reason is the essence. In the time of Emperor Taizu, he could use the national fortune and imperial prestige to suppress the Demon Suppression Bureau when there was a just cause. But times have changed, and our Zhao family is currently in a precarious situation. We can't afford to offend the Demon Suppression Bureau too much."

Confused, Zhao Baixiong asked, "Father, are you saying we can't do anything to them?"

Prince Ning shook his head after gaining some clarity and continued, "Although the Demon Suppression Bureau is sinister, it's still comprised of humans. People care about face. In this matter, tomorrow, you should personally visit them, offer three thousand taels of silver notes, and express that Ningwang Mansion appreciates the Demon Suppression Bureau's intervention in suppressing demons and saving the lives of servants in the Clear River residence."

Still puzzled, Zhao Baixiong questioned, "Father, you mean we're giving them money instead of making them compensate?"

Without much explanation, Prince Ning simply said, "Go and handle it. You'll understand in due course."

...

Inside the Demon Suppression Bureau, the revelry continued into the night. Whether it was snake meat or fish, the recent meals were lavish, especially during festive occasions when the feast was even more extravagant.

Li Gou was startled by Chen Xuanze's eating manners. He devoured four large bowls of fermented rice and five plates of fish.

"Xuanze, were you mistreated in the Yellow Register Warehouse?" Li Gou joked, but he was genuinely concerned.

Chen Xuanze finished the last bite of rice, shook his head, and replied, "Maybe I'm still growing."

Members of Li Gou's team rolled their eyes. They were all nineteen, and the idea of still growing seemed like a joke. The main topic tonight, however, was not Chen Xuanze's growth. Ignoring the confusion and envy, Li Gou discreetly approached Chen Xuanze and whispered, "Got plans for tonight? If not, I'll take you to explore some places. We know about your little follower; he's not human. I assume you're not that peculiar. I'll take you for a feast."

Chen Xuanze hesitated. He was in his prime, and his hormones were in full swing. The idea of intimate moments between men and women naturally intrigued him. Just as he was about to agree, new information surfaced in his mind.

"Nine Turns of the Stars, breakthrough before the fourth rank, dissipating cultivation."

Disgusted, Chen Xuanze shook his head, feeling repulsed by the idea.

He declined with a firm tone, "Boss, not to criticize, but your influence has corrupted our team's ethos. Moreover, you're not going home tonight to report to your wife. Can she let you off? You still need to support your family. Do you really need to fill that hole with money?"

Not only that, but Chen Xuanze's honest face also displayed a touch of disdain.

As if Li Gou had committed some heinous crime, his righteous and upright expression made it seem like he was defending justice and morality. His words caused Li Gou's eyes to turn red, and he was about to get up to teach this ignorant stick a lesson.

Just as others were about to join in the commotion, Chen Qianqian, who had finished her meal, stood up and said to Chen Xuanze, "Brother Chen, it's getting late. It's time to go back for your bath."

This simple sentence dealt a tenfold blow to the single men among the crowd. Chen Xuanze didn't explain further, carrying an air of pride, and left the dining hall with Chen Qianqian.

Left behind, the others were either shocked, jealous, or envious.

Back at their residence, Chen Xuanze first checked the square bronze mirror contributed by the carp demon. He had hurriedly put it away before because he had seen this item in the Demon Suppression Bureau's records.

"Forgiveness Mirror: Collect four skulls of monsters with a cultivation of over a hundred years, mix with the fresh blood from the hearts of full-moon infants born on the eighteenth day of the eighth month, blending with soil containing copper ore from three locations – high mountains, plains, and valleys. Forge with the spiritual fire produced by a third-rank expert self-destructing at the level of the first rank. Only after being immersed in the dragon veins for forty-nine days can it be successfully crafted."

This item could conceal its aura and had the ability to seize the position of a true god's divine throne.

The divine throne was formed by borrowing a nation's fortune and was used to enjoy the incense and blessings of the human world. In other words, the carp demon could completely use this item to steal the divine throne of White Qian after she was granted amnesty by the Demon Suppression Bureau. This would allow the carp demon to enjoy the incense and blessings while avoiding the responsibilities of a true god.

Chen Xuanze had not expected to encounter this miraculous item, but with the Demon Suppression Bureau's record of such items, he not only exposed the Forgiveness Mirror's hidden ability but also used divination to see through the demonic shadows.

As for why the shadows enveloped the ship, Chen Xuanze couldn't figure it out for the moment.

That ship, after all, was a gift from the person behind the carp demon.