The elderly man with crane-white hair and the youthful face of a child frowned slightly as he looked out the carriage window.
For a brief moment, he had sensed an intense burst of killing intent.
It was sharp, cold, and unmistakable.
Yet it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
The sudden sensation caught him off guard.
Inside the luxurious carriage sat several individuals, each possessing an extraordinary aura. None of them were ordinary people.
Seeing the old man's unusual expression, a handsome young man with short hair smiled and asked,
"Mister Li, is something wrong?"
Li Qianchuan withdrew his gaze from the crowd outside and turned toward the young man.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Nothing, Young Lord."
"I merely sensed a trace of killing intent from the crowd."
The young man raised an eyebrow.
"Killing intent?"
The moment those words were spoken, Baili Yuntu's expression changed dramatically.
"As if anyone in Qingzhou would dare attack a member of the Beitang Royal Clan!"
His voice was firm and confident.
Baili Yuntu possessed a tall and imposing frame. His closely cropped hair made him appear sharp and capable, while a crimson mole between his brows added a distinctive touch to his handsome features.
However, the most striking aspect of his appearance was his eyes.
They resembled those of a lion.
Fierce.
Proud.
And intimidating.
Li Qianchuan simply chuckled.
"If it truly were an assassin, they wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal their killing intent in front of me."
His confidence was not unfounded.
The arrival of the Beitang Royal Clan in Qingzhou was a matter of great importance.
Elite soldiers guarded the motorcade openly, while numerous experts disguised as civilians remained hidden throughout the crowd.
Any assassin attempting an attack would be walking directly into a death trap.
The Young Lord laughed softly.
"In this world, there are always people who resent the powerful and envy the fortunate."
"Perhaps that's all it was."
Everyone inside the carriage laughed.
Only then did Baili Yuntu secretly relax.
Thankfully, the matter had not been taken seriously.
Otherwise, the Qingzhou Army would likely have launched a citywide investigation.
Such an operation would cause panic among the civilians while consuming a tremendous amount of manpower and resources.
The Young Lord quickly lost interest in the topic.
Instead, he leaned back comfortably and said,
"Let's head directly to the Sharp Metal Camp."
"I've heard there are several promising talents among this year's cadets."
"I can't wait to see them."
Before anyone else could respond, a proud-looking youth sitting beside him snorted.
The young man appeared to be around eighteen years old.
Although handsome, arrogance was written all over his face.
"Little Uncle, you're giving them too much credit."
"Aside from the young elites raised in the border strongholds, how many cadet soldiers from ordinary provinces can truly be considered geniuses?"
Baili Yuntu felt slightly displeased.
However, he wisely kept his feelings hidden.
The youth before him belonged to the Beitang Royal Clan.
His status far exceeded that of an ordinary officer from Qingzhou.
The Young Lord lightly tapped the youth's head.
"Qiushui."
"You've spent too much time in Iron Ridge City."
"Never underestimate the world."
"Even if you possess A-Rank talent, you should learn humility."
The youth immediately fell silent.
Although he dared not argue with his uncle, the arrogance on his face remained unchanged.
It wasn't because he lacked social awareness.
Rather, it was because he came from one of the Empire's Four Great Royal Clans.
People of his status simply didn't feel the need to hide their thoughts from ordinary individuals.
As the convoy gradually disappeared into the distance, Zhao Mu and the others continued watching.
Meng Qiuqiu suddenly sighed.
"A true man should live like that."
Zhao Mu lowered his eyes.
His voice remained calm.
"One day, we can replace them."
The others were momentarily stunned.
Only Zhao Mu could say something so outrageous with such confidence.
Zhuo Yun poked Meng Qiuqiu.
"Who exactly were those people?"
The group boarded a vehicle as it slowly pulled away.
Once everyone was seated, Meng Qiuqiu immediately slipped into lecture mode.
"The convoy belonged to the Beitang Royal Clan."
"The Beitang Family is one of the Empire's Four Great Royal Clans."
"Their influence stretches across countless provinces."
Seeing the confusion on the others' faces, he continued.
"You all know about the Empire's Five Great Strongholds, right?"
Zhuo Yun nodded.
"Of course."
"Cangdun City guards the east."
"Huju City protects the south."
"Qingtian City stands on the western frontier."
"Iron Ridge City defends the north."
"And Wushuang City watches over the chaotic northwestern region."
Meng Qiuqiu smiled.
"That's what the textbooks teach."
"But there are details most people don't know."
He straightened slightly.
"The Xuanfeng Empire occupies a vast territory."
"Beyond its borders are powerful Dark Races and rival human empires."
"To defend the realm, the founding emperor appointed four legendary marshals to guard the four directions."
The three listened attentively.
"Those marshals eventually became the Empire's first Kings of Different Surnames."
"They adopted the names of the regions they defended as family names."
"Their descendants swore to protect the Empire for generations."
"Dongfang."
"Ximen."
"Nangong."
"And Beitang."
"The Four Great Royal Clans."
His voice carried a trace of admiration.
"For over a thousand years, these families have stood as the Empire's shield."
"They defend the borders."
"They fight the Dark Races."
"And they deter foreign nations from invading."
"The Beitang Family, in particular, guards Iron Ridge City in the north."
"Their clan emblem is the Black Tortoise."
As Meng Qiuqiu spoke, Zhao Mu silently looked out the window.
Everything being discussed was already familiar to him.
Years ago, he had spent countless hours researching the Empire's history.
Especially the history of the Beitang Family.
Their achievements.
Their rise.
Their struggles.
All of it was etched deeply into his memory.
At that moment, Lu Yan raised his hand.
"If there are Four Great Royal Clans, then where does the fifth stronghold come from?"
Meng Qiuqiu's expression immediately turned serious.
"The fifth stronghold is different."
"It wasn't established during the founding era."
"It was created only fifty years ago."
The atmosphere inside the vehicle instantly changed.
Everyone knew what story was coming.
"The Chaotic Region."
"A lawless land located in the northwestern corner of the Empire."
"For centuries, it was controlled by no one."
"Criminals."
"Mercenaries."
"Bandits."
"Foreign spies."
"They all gathered there."
"No kingdom could fully conquer it."
His eyes gradually brightened.
"But fifty years ago, everything changed."
"A peerless genius appeared."
"A man who rose from nothing."
"A man who conquered the Chaotic Region and unified countless factions."
"He established the Empire's Fifth Stronghold."
"Wushuang City."
Meng Qiuqiu's admiration was impossible to hide.
"His name was Li Changfeng."
"The Marquis Changfeng."
He looked directly at Zhao Mu.
"Little Mu."
"Just like you, Marquis Changfeng began with E-Rank Psionic Talent."
"He was underestimated."
"Mocked."
"Ignored."
"And yet he rose from the very bottom."
"In the end, he became one of the Empire's Four Pillars."
"A living legend."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)