The tension inside the underground water prison slowly began to ease. The smell of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood that had dominated the damp air were gradually replaced by the scent of wet earth and the sweat of the dozen or so miners who had just forced their way inside.Mole sat atop a weathered wooden crate, cleaning the remaining mud from his serrated dagger. Behind him, the underground miners began unpacking their supplies with extreme caution. Meanwhile, more than a dozen loyal members of the Dead Meridian Clan remained on alert, forming a half-circle and keeping a safe distance from the newcomers while continuing to surround the bed where Wu Chen lay paralyzed.The room was extremely cramped. The air felt thin and suffocating. The differences in ideology and background between the two groups hung in the air like sparks waiting to ignite dry straw."So you really heard General Han Rui arguing with an envoy from the Core City?" Wu Chen's voice was hoarse and calm as it

The heavy, rusted iron pickaxe tore through the stale air of the water prison, hurtling straight toward the center of Wu Chen's chest.Boar swung the deadly weapon with all the savage strength he possessed. The veins in the one-eyed giant's neck bulged beneath his skin, fueled by murderous intent and greed that had completely blinded his reason. The five men behind him held their breath, waiting for the sound of a skull or sternum being crushed into pieces.Yet, with death only inches from his face, Wu Chen did not even close his eyes.He did not scream in panic. He did not struggle. He did not even raise a hand to block the attack.The paralyzed young man simply wore a cold, terrifying smile.CLANGGG!Before the tip of the pickaxe could touch even a single thread of Wu Chen's robe, the harsh scrape of an iron chain tore through the darkness from the stone ceiling above them.A thick steel chain swung downward like a hungry python, wrapping precisely around Boar's neck and locking aro

The brittle crackle of parchment broke the silence inside the water prison. Beneath the faint glow of phosphorescent light, Wu Chen's fingers, covered in burn scars, slowly unfolded the scroll bearing the golden dragon emblem.Its red wax seal had already been broken, indicating that the letter had been read, crushed in anger, and then casually discarded into a drainage channel by its original owner.Wu Chen narrowed his eyes, which were still slightly blurred."Read it for me, Doctor," Wu Chen ordered hoarsely, handing the scroll to Doctor Liu. "My vision's still a little blurry from my nerves just reconnecting."Doctor Liu accepted the letter with trembling hands. He brushed away the remaining soot on its surface, then began reading the rows of black-ink calligraphy written in a firm, razor-sharp hand, the unmistakable handwriting of a military general."This... this is General Han Rui's draft response to King Wuji's secret decree," Doctor Liu whispered, his face gradually paling as

BRAAAKKK!The silver helmet engraved with a golden dragon was slammed violently onto the teak command table, shattering an ink bottle and spilling black liquid across the strategic military map.General Han Rui stood inside his lavish command tent, breathing heavily. The veins on his forehead bulged with tension. His usually calm face, as still as the surface of an icy lake, was now flushed red with barely contained fury, ready to explode at any moment."Those damn researchers! Those bootlicking dogs from the Inner City!" Han Rui cursed in his booming baritone, crushing his iron gauntlet until it creaked. "What do they think the Tingzhao military is?! A bunch of blind butchers who can be ordered to slaughter their own soldiers just to cover up King Wuji's disgrace?!"Han Rui dropped his massive body into the leather chair behind the command table. He had just returned from a heated argument with a royal special envoy. That arrogant envoy had once again pressured him to execute the eli

A long, collective sigh of relief swept through every corner of the water prison. Several miners collapsed onto the floor, wiping away tears, while the clan loyalists silently embraced one another. They had just cheated death itself, death sent by the most feared general in all of Tingzhao.Yet in the midst of that fleeting euphoria, Wu Chen did not smile.The young man remained seated against the cold stone floor, staring at the small scroll of paper in his hand with an extraordinarily dark expression. To him, neutralizing the nerve gas grenade was not a victory. It was merely an admission ticket. The real test had only just begun, and General Han Rui's challenge left absolutely no room to breathe."Come alone tonight," Wu Chen muttered hoarsely, crushing the small letter in his palm until it was wrinkled. "That imperial dog really knows how to get inside his enemy's head.""You can't possibly go there, Little Boss!" Mole cut in loudly, his face still pale from the remnants of his pa