Chapter Thirty-Eight: Infiltration

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

In the dead of night at the City Lord’s mansion, the study—which had not been put to any proper use for the past ten years—was now in utter chaos. Shards of expensive antique porcelain littered the floor. Zhang Ning hurled a porcelain bowl to the ground and, catching his breath, spat out, “Damn it, this is outrageous!”

That very afternoon, less than forty-eight hours after his most beloved son had gone missing, Zhang Ning finally received news—what arrived was a patch of human skin with a solitary black mole. Though the skin was mangled, half-devoured by some unknown beast, he recognized at a glance that it belonged to his son, Zhang Huan.

With the skin in such a state, Zhang Huan’s fate was all too clear.

Yet this was not what filled Zhang Ning with such fury. Sons could be lost; he wasn’t left with only Zhang Huan, after all. It was just that he was the eldest, his companion of many years, and the most favored child.

What truly ignited Zhang Ning’s wrath was a single thing—respect.

This incident made plain that the local noble families had no shred of respect for him. Most of them treated the matter perfunctorily; the only one who made any gesture of action had done so only because someone from their own household had gone missing.

He had been here nearly five years and accomplished nothing, all because these families secretly obstructed and hindered him at every turn.

Take road construction, for example. If they had been willing to offer money and manpower, the roads of Pei County would have been widened long ago. Was it really so much to ask for land to be requisitioned at a third of the market price? Or to demand free relocation? And yet, even such minor contributions were beyond them?

Had the Chiyun Empire fallen so far that he, a city lord, wielded not a scrap of authority?

How could one hope to govern a nation surrounded by such parasites?

After his fury ebbed, Zhang Ning considered how he might most broadly expand his own interests. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—he could use this event to expose the poor state of law and order in Pei County, then order the constables to escalate and intensify the case, arresting and harshly punishing a number of people.

This would not only bring him a windfall, but also allow him to probe the big families and press for concessions, slowly encroaching on their power.

After all, who would dare oppose a bereaved father who also wielded the lofty purpose of ushering Pei County into a brighter tomorrow?

“Hmph, Huan’er, your death is just as it should be! Just as it should be!” At the happy prospect, Zhang Ning could not help but clap and exclaim in admiration.

“What’s so good about dying?” came a man’s voice he had never heard before, from right behind him.

Startled by the sudden question from nearby, Zhang Ning replied reflexively, “Of course, it’s good because I can make a killing—who—?”

But halfway through, he realized something was wrong. He whipped his head around, but saw nothing. Instead, a cold finger pressed against his neck: “If you want to live, don’t shout or turn around!”

“G-g-good sir!” Threatened so directly, Zhang Ning was instantly flustered. Only after a long pause did he stammer, “I—I am innocent!”

“Innocent?” It was clear that Zhang Ning had plenty of guilty secrets; when confronted by a midnight intruder, his first instinct was not to ask the man’s purpose, but to protest his own innocence. “I don’t care whether you’re innocent or not, nor am I here to settle any personal vendetta,” came the reply.

Liu Tian made no effort to disguise his intentions. After a moment, he said, “I’ve heard, Boss Zhang—City Lord Zhang—that your family is well off, that you made your fortune in antiques, and have many relics from the Lost Empire. Would you let me see them?”

“Of course, of course,” Zhang Ning blurted out in relief, realizing the intruder was not here for revenge. Still, he cursed inwardly—who had leaked the details of his household? How could a few antiques attract such a lawless madman? “The antiques are in a secret chamber behind this study. I’ll take you there myself.”

“Don’t try anything. If I can get here without a sound, I can kill you just as silently,” Liu Tian warned, releasing Zhang Ning and allowing him to turn around. “I only want one thing. If you have it, I’ll leave at once. Cooperate, and you’ll come to no harm—after all, I have no wish to make a scene and bring the Chiyun Empire down on my head.”

“Certainly, certainly! Not just one thing, even nine or ten, it’s no trouble!” Realizing that he was completely at the mercy of a man he could not hope to resist, Zhang Ning—worldly and shrewd—instantly recognized a true master. He snuffed out any budding thoughts of resistance. There were traps rigged in the study, but with an opponent so swift his head couldn’t turn before the other struck, they’d do little good. Since the man was not completely deranged, but here for profit, it cost nothing to cooperate. He could always recoup his losses later.

Having resolved himself, Zhang Ning moved to the bookshelf in the study. As he shifted several volumes, he explained, “The secret chamber is hidden by a mechanism. I’ll open it with you present—you needn’t worry, I won’t try to escape.”

“No need.” Liu Tian’s voice hovered eerily at his ear. “In a moment, I’ll knock you out and wedge your body in the doorway. If there are any traps, you’ll be the first to die.”

“N-no, I wouldn’t dare…” Chilled by Liu Tian’s icy words, Zhang Ning hastened his efforts. When the last book was filed into place, the bookshelf slid open with a faint click, revealing a keyhole. Zhang Ning drew a key from his robe and slowly unlocked the door, only to be confronted by an antique mirror that reflected both his and Liu Tian’s faces.

Damn, damn it all! Zhang Ning’s heart sank. Just the night before, he had admired this antique mirror and forgotten to set it aside. He hadn’t imagined that, during so daring a break-in, Liu Tian would not even bother to cover his face. Although he didn’t recognize the man behind him, the contours were vaguely familiar.

“Sir, this is my treasure room,” Zhang Ning said quickly, squeezing his eyes shut. “The glare just now was too bright—I saw nothing.”

“City Lord Zhang, your luck is truly poor.” Liu Tian ignored his pleas, sighing. “You know, the mistakes of the powerful seldom fall upon themselves, but upon the weak. And as it happens, I am stronger than you.”

“Just as you are stronger than those commoners.”

“H—” Realizing too late that things had gone awry, Zhang Ning tried to cry out, to go down fighting, but a heavy blow landed on his neck, choking off the sound at his throat. His body went limp and slumped to the floor.

Without sparing another glance at Zhang Ning’s corpse, Liu Tian strode into the treasure chamber. On the way here, he had weighed whether to kill Zhang Ning—not for any personal reason, but because the death of a city lord would draw others in, prompting a crackdown in Pei County and ensuring the safety of families who had lost children.

After all, from his earlier dealings with his second uncle, it was clear that the latter did not take his own combat prowess seriously, still measuring him by their last encounter. Yet for someone with Liu Tian’s extraordinary gifts, a single moment could mark a vast gulf in strength. Thus, his uncle’s preparations were likely insufficient. To prevent any mishap, it was better to create a greater disturbance to mask his true intentions.

Still, considering Zhang Huan’s death, perhaps Zhang Ning would have raised his guard and invited others in anyway. So in the end, Liu Tian left the outcome to fate.

And clearly, Zhang Ning’s fate was lacking—his luck had run out.