He stripped off his bulletproof vest; those guys couldn't be fooled so easily. And after everything Xia Liang had just done, Xiao Qianxi looked unhappy.

"You're certainly busy. Once you're done talking, we need to leave. The enemy's first wave of reinforcements will be here soon."

Xia Liang sighed. "So we're just hitching a ride on a Maple Country drug lord's private plane, huh? You guys really have connections, managing to get in with such savages."

「The Castle」

"They escaped? They escaped right from under our noses?"

"The blueprints were stolen, and the person was taken. There were only four or five of them, so how were all of our men wiped out? Lockdown! Maintain the lockdown!"

Hades furiously smashed the satellite phone. The several blonde beauties on the luxurious bed trembled with fear. Working for this old man was lucrative, but the danger was extreme. The slightest fit of anger could end with them tied to a cross and flayed alive.

And he was the kind who would wield the knife himself.

"My friend, a man your age shouldn't have such a hot temper."

By the large French window stood the Lionheart King, a playful smile on his face. Hades wasn't surprised that he could bypass layers of security to appear here so silently.

A true monster.

"Are you here to mock me?" Hades lit a cigar and kicked all the women off the bed without a shred of pity.

The Lionheart King smiled. "Not at all. When I heard the Dragon King's Foster Daughter was coming personally to retrieve the blueprints, I knew things might go wrong. When I learned she had that new Luan Long member with her, I was certain things would go wrong. And just as I expected, the blueprints are gone, and your little bait plan is ruined."

Hades's gaze turned sharp as ice. "They'd better hope I don't catch that man and woman, or a fate worse than death will be a mercy. The woman will be tied to a cross, violated by many, and then flayed alive. As for the man, I'll chop off his limbs and throw him into a vat of honey to let ants feast on his wounds."

The Lionheart King snapped his fingers. "A fitting punishment, provided you can actually catch them."

Hades clearly didn't want to dwell on the topic. "Out with it. What brings you to my castle?"

"Nothing much, really. I just came for a heart-to-heart."

"I'm listening."

"In the Sanctuary, a new leader is crowned every thirty years. I've heard that while you appear uninterested on the surface, you've been maneuvering quite a bit behind the scenes. You're determined to secure the position of leader, am I right?"

Hades didn't deny it. "Indeed. As one of the twelve knights of the Sanctuary, I am naturally qualified to run. I have no other great ambitions in this life. I only wish to stand at the apex of the Sanctuary before I die."

As he spoke, a gaunt man with a deathly pale complexion appeared at the heavy wooden door, dressed in a formal Western suit.

Geraint of the Flower Sword, one of the ten knights, the Lionheart King noted silently before sighing. "Are you really determined to run for the position?"

"Hmph, don't think I'm not aware of your schemes. You want to kill me? Geraint is here. While he may not be able to kill you, he can certainly delay you. Once my loyal forces arrive, you'll be the public enemy of the Sanctuary." Hades's words were forceful, but a deep-seated fear betrayed him in his eyes. He knew better than anyone just how powerful the man before him was.

"Alright, I won't kill you."

Hades finally let out a breath of relief. "Good. In that case, why don't we team up—"

His words were cut short.

He suddenly felt an icy chill in his chest. Instinctively, he looked down and saw the tip of a fine rapier protruding from his torso. He knew the sword well; it was the personal blade of Geraint of the Flower Sword.

"Knight Geraint felt you were too corrupt, so he's decided to try his luck with me," the Lionheart King said conversationally. "Of course, the most important reason is that Knight Geraint is truly in love with my Knight Gareth. You know I live a bit out of the way, so it's difficult for the two of them to find opportunities for... affection."

Hades felt his body grow colder and colder, as if all his strength was draining away through the wound. He gritted his teeth. "Gareth? I never would have guessed you were into..."

The Lionheart King clapped his hands softly. "What does love care about gender? Honestly, I wasn't planning to eliminate you this quickly. The idea was to secure the blueprints first, but I didn't expect you to be so useless..."

SWISH! A blade flashed.

Geraint's movements were as swift as lightning. The slender rapier was instantly withdrawn, and in the next moment, it had lopped off the top of Hades's head.

"Now, who should I give this vacant position to? I'll have to give it some serious thought."

After traversing six countries over a hundred hours, Xia Liang and his group finally set foot on the soil of their homeland. During the drive, Xia Liang hadn't forgotten his side gig. He made sure to get behind the wheel himself, breaking the long journey into several smaller trips to ensure he completed a few orders and finished his daily tasks.

Breathing the familiar air seemed to wash away much of their exhaustion.

Outside Fengze Garden, Xia Liang looked around with curiosity. The residence of the Dragon King lay within these red walls and green-tiled roofs. Anyone who passed by the courtyard gates instinctively softened their footsteps, simply because of the man—or rather, the god—who lived inside. However, an old woman in lavish clothing did the exact opposite.

She had a rosy complexion and wore traditional Shangjing cloth shoes, her smile warm and grandmotherly.

Near the gate of Fengze Garden sat a man on a small stool. He seemed completely indifferent to his surroundings, his entire attention fixed on a tiny sprout growing in a corner of the wall. When the two men in black suits accompanying the old woman moved to push the gate open, the man on the stool spoke a single word without even turning his head.

"Scram."

The two men in black were enraged. They had never suffered such an insult, especially from someone who looked like a mere night watchman.

The old woman held out an arm to stop them. "Don't be rash. If he decides to act, none of you can stop him."

The man still didn't turn around. "As if they're worthy."

"Hehehe, Bai Yin, it's been so long. Your temperament hasn't changed one bit. It takes me back to the old days," the old woman said with a chuckle.

"And you think you're worthy to speak to me?" the man's voice dripped with a disdain like that of an elephant for an ant.

Sensing the arrival of Xia Liang's group, the old woman couldn't stand the loss of face in front of the younger generation. She pointed at the man and screeched, "You! Surnamed Bai... I advise you not to take it too far! Take a look at your current..."

The man replied coldly, "If my finger is still pointing at you when I turn around, then I will cut it off for you."

"Bai Yin! What gives you the right to be so arrogant? I'm here to discuss official business with the Dragon King, not to be subjected to your attitude! Do you still think this is decades ago? Heh, go outside and see what era it is! Still pulling the same old tough-guy routine?"

The next second, blood sprayed through the air.

A rusty sickle had appeared in Bai Yin's hand from out of nowhere, dripping with hot blood. The two bodyguards hadn't even seen him move. They couldn't comprehend what they had just witnessed. The sheer terror of it chilled them to the bone. For the first time in their careers, they had absolutely no confidence in their abilities as bodyguards.

Xia Liang, watching the drama unfold from the side, was rather unimpressed. If it had been him, no one would have even noticed a thing. But for a normal person, this was incredibly skillful. As expected of the Dragon King; even the old man guarding his gate was this formidable. This is just too much.

"Good! Very good!" the woman snarled through her pain. "Luan Long, this arrogant organization, should have been wiped from the annals of history long ago! We're leaving!"

They arrived in high spirits and left in disgrace.

Though Xia Liang didn't know who the woman was, anyone who dared to make such threats in this place had to be someone important. And anyone who could sever the finger of someone important was no ordinary gatekeeper.

"Let's go. Uncle Bai is actually a nice person," Xiao Qianxi prompted.

"You call *that* 'nice'?" Xia Liang rolled his eyes. "By that standard, I should be a candidate for the 'Most Touching People of Dragon Country' award."

"Stop wasting time." Xiao Qianxi pulled him forward without another word.

As they reached the gate, Xia Liang glanced at Bai Yin one more time. But Bai Yin was still as a statue, as if in a deep meditative state, his eyes fixed on the sprout in the corner. It was as if he was trying to will it to bloom with the sheer force of his gaze.

Xia Liang shook his head.

The inside of Fengze Garden was essentially a large, traditional courtyard, simple and unadorned. There were ordinary bluestone slabs, ordinary Chinese parasol trees, and an ordinary lounge chair. Only the person on it was anything but ordinary.

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