I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Zhao Zian."

Liu Mang no longer referred to himself as Liu.

"You do have some skills."

"Since you knew this was a trap, a trap I set for you, why did you still dare to come?"

He laid his cards on the table.

There is no more concealment.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sounds of armor rubbing together and bowstrings tightening could be heard from outside the door, outside the window, and even downstairs.

With just a gesture from Liu Mang, this young man would be riddled with arrows.

Zhao Zian's lips curled up slightly.

"Prefect Liu".

"I've come, of course, to treat your illness."

"To treat illness?"

Liu Mang sneered.

"Treat my illness? In my opinion, you've come here to throw your life away!"

"No, no, no."

Zhao Zian denied it.

"Your illness is very serious. The root of the problem lies beneath the Wang family mansion."

"Prefect Liu has really gone to great lengths to deal with the Wang family. He invited a wicked sorcerer to set up the Nine Star Suppressing Fate Nails, hoping to use evil magic to ruin the Wang family's fortune and cause Wang Jingtian to die a violent death. This method can only be described as insidious."

This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, him, and that person; even Yan Song, a trusted confidant, only has a vague understanding of it.

How did Zhao Zi'an find out?

"What...what nonsense are you spouting!"

Zhao Zian began to explain to himself.

"This kind of evil magic, though vicious, has a fatal flaw. It creates an invisible channel between the fortunes of the caster and the target. When the evil magic is activated, it absorbs the other person's fortune for its own use, or directly disrupts or suppresses it."

"But what if this channel is used in reverse?"

Liu Mang's heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I set up a Dragon-Guiding Returning-to-Origin Formation in the Wang family mansion. This formation will not only be unaffected by your Suppressing-Luck Nails, but it can also use their power against them, packaging up all the evil energy emitted by the nine nails and returning it to you intact along the passage you built yourself."

"The evil magic has backfired on its master. Prefect Liu, the chest tightness and shortness of breath you have been experiencing recently are not due to any physical ailment, but rather because your own evil magic is slowly draining away your fortune."

"The 'talent-suppressing nails' you've planted are no longer nailed to the Wang family's fortune, but to your own lifeline!"

"This...this is impossible!"

Liu Mang shouted sternly.

Zhao Zian looked at him.

"It's just a symptom. Now that the power of evil magic is flowing back, your vital energy will decline day by day. Today you may only feel chest tightness, tomorrow you may feel like your heart is being torn apart, and the day after tomorrow, all your internal organs will be depleted."

"I predict that if those nine deadly nails are not removed within three days, Prefect Liu will die from exhaustion and death. At that time, even a celestial being cannot save you."

"You're talking nonsense! Utter rubbish!"

Liu Mang slammed his hand on the table.

"With a single command from me, you will be torn to pieces! How dare you continue to spread your heretical rumors!"

Kill this brat first, then we'll worry about the nails!

He simply refused to believe that such a mysterious thing truly existed in this world!

"It seems that Prefect Liu does not believe it."

Zhao Zian sighed.

"Fine, words are no proof."

He quietly raised his right hand and flicked it at Liu Mang.

Liu Mang, who was about to roar out an order, stopped abruptly.

"Uh... Hehe..."

Excruciating pain!

The pain was indescribable!

It's...it's true!

What he said... was all true!

"My lord!"

Yan Song was greatly alarmed.

"court death!"

Yan Song drew his long sword from its sheath and cleaved Zhao Zi'an's head in two!

"Stop...stop...!!"

Liu Mang tried his best to stop him.

He can't let him kill Zhao Zi'an!

Absolutely not!

If I kill Zhao Zian, I'm really doomed!

Yan Song's knife stopped abruptly just three inches from Zhao Zi'an's forehead.

Zhao Zian stood up.

"Now, does Prefect Liu believe me?"

"Originally, you prepared poisoned wine and ambushed axemen, intending to kill me."

"Unfortunately, the knife you used to kill is now at your own throat."

"And the only person who can move this knife away..."

He bent down slightly and leaned close to Liu Mang's ear.

"...It's me."

Liu Mang's internal organs were gripped and torn apart.

"Uh...ah..."

"My lord!"

Yan Song's eyes were bloodshot.

His blade was still hovering over Zhao Zian's forehead.

If you kill him, your lord will die.

If we don't kill him, our lord is suffering.

"Help...help me..."

Liu Mang squeezed out a few words with difficulty.

"Please... save me..."

At that moment, he abandoned all dignity.

Zhao Zian squatted down.

"I can save you."

"But, Prefect Liu, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You set a trap to kill me. Now, if you want me to save you, you'll have to pay a price, won't you?"

Liu Mang was granted a general amnesty.

"I'll pay the price! I'll pay any price! Just save me!"

"very good."

Zhao Zian stood up.

"Immediately cease all conspiracies against the Wang family. Whether it's the assassins you sent or the sabotage you've created behind the scenes, withdraw them all. From this day forward, if the Wang family ever faces any trouble related to you again, the pain you experience will be ten times more intense than it is now."

Liu Mang's body trembled.

"I agree! I'll get on it right away! I'll make the Blackwater Alliance members shut up immediately!"

Zhao Zian continued.

"Send someone to personally pull out those nine evil nails, one by one."

"Only after it's pulled out can your luck stop leaking out, but your body, which has been harmed by the evil magic, will need to be slowly recuperated. Both of these things are indispensable."

"Alright...alright! I'll have Yan Song take care of it right away!"

Liu Mang looked at his trusted confidants.

"Yan Song! Did you hear me? Get rid of them all! Now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Yan Song sheathed his sword.

Inside the private room, only Zhao Zian and Liu Mang, who was slumped on the ground, remained.

Liu Mang was panting heavily.

Once he recovers... once the nails are removed... he will make Zhao Zian wish he were dead!

Zhao Zian picked up a cup of tea.

"Prefect Liu, are you thinking that once this matter is over, you'll immediately mobilize all the troops in the prefecture and tear me to pieces?"

Liu Mang's heart skipped a beat.

"No... I wouldn't dare! This humble official had absolutely no such intention!"

"hehe."

Zhao Zian chuckled softly.

"I don't like trouble. I especially dislike leaving myself with future problems."

Zhao Zian pressed his finger on the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest.

"What...what did you do to me!"

Liu Mang felt an extremely cold current of energy penetrate his heart meridian.

Zhao Zian withdrew his hand.

"It's nothing, just to make sure Prefect Liu won't go back on his word later, it's just an extra layer of insurance for you."

"This is no ordinary poison; it is my unique Heart-Corroding Poison, which will lurk within your heart meridian, resonating with your heartbeat. Normally, you will not feel anything."

"However, every seven days, if I do not use my specially made antidote to suppress it, this true energy will erupt once."