Hurt my loved ones? I'm not guarding this country's borders anymore!

"Not a single remnant of the Shadow Tower can be spared."

Shen Jinglong tapped his fingers lightly on the table. The sound was not loud, but it made the entire council hall vibrate.

"Zhuque, you will personally lead the team to handle this matter. Within three days, I want the name 'Shadow Tower' to be completely eradicated from Cangcheng."

Dressed in red, Zhuque clasped his hands in a fist salute and accepted the order: "Yes, Commander Long!"

Just as she was about to turn around, the door to the council chamber was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

A guard platoon rushed in, their faces full of anxiety.

"Reporting to Commander Long!" the guard said breathlessly, his voice tinged with a southwestern accent.

"Outside, an old man has come, covered in blood, insisting on seeing you! He says it's something extremely important, concerning something like... Blood Flame!"

Shen Jinglong raised his eyebrows slightly.

Blood Flame?

It's that name again.

Before he could speak, Zhuque snapped, "What's the panic! Do you think you can just see Commander Long whenever you want? Have you even investigated his background?"

"I don't know, Lord Suzaku!" the guard nearly cried. "He just wouldn't say anything, only kept repeating your name, saying he'd die if we waited any longer!"

Shen Jinglong waved his hand, stopping Zhuque from asking another question.

"Let him in," he said calmly. "I want to see what tricks he has up his sleeve."

Soon, the mysterious old man was brought in.

The moment Shen Jinglong saw the person's face clearly, he glanced at him.

It was him?!

That arrogant, crooked-mouthed old man at the Zheng family's birthday banquet.

However, at this moment, he no longer possessed even a trace of his former arrogance.

His brocade robe was tattered and covered with a mixture of dried and fresh bloodstains.

His face was ashen white, his crooked lips trembled incessantly, and his cloudy eyes were filled with nothing but terror and panic.

He didn't come seeking revenge; it seemed more like he came to survive.

"Everyone, leave." Shen Jinglong waved everyone away, leaving only Zhuque.

When the old man with the crooked mouth saw that only the three of them were left in the room, his legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground with a "thud," his head hitting the cold floor hard.

"Shen...Shen Longshuai! Sir, spare my life!" His voice was hoarse and dry, with a sob in it.

"Please, General Long, save my life! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child to care for..."

"Shut up." Shen Jinglong's voice was devoid of any warmth. "State your purpose. My patience is running out."

The old man trembled, as if his throat had been choked, and all the words he was about to say were stuck in his throat.

He raised his head and said urgently, "Commander Long, I know the secret of 'Blood Flame'! I've come to surrender!"

He dared not utter another word and spilled his beans, revealing his identity in detail.

"I...I am one of the four guardians of the Shadow Tower, known as 'Earthly Fiend.' Our Shadow Tower's leader...he's defected to an organization called 'Blood Flame'! That organization is far more terrifying and powerful than we imagined! I refused to submit, so they hunted me down. I had no other choice but to seek refuge with Commander Long!"

Zhuque, who was listening nearby, was startled.

The protectors of the Shadow Tower? They actually came here seeking refuge?

Shen Jinglong's expression remained unchanged. He listened quietly, his eyes deep, as if trying to discern the truth or falsehood in the old dog's words.

When Di Sha saw that he didn't react, he panicked even more. He knew that if he didn't come up with something really shocking, he would definitely not be able to leave this room today.

He gritted his teeth and revealed a shocking secret.

"Commander Long! I know you've been investigating your daughter, Miss Sisi! The 'Blood Flame' organization isn't affiliated with Prince Anle; it's a group that collaborates with him!"

"Their goal is to find children with special constitutions to refine an evil pill called the 'Seven Apertures Exquisite Pill'! And Miss Sisi is the 'main ingredient' they've chosen!"

The three words "main ingredient" were like three red-hot iron nails, piercing deeply into Shen Jinglong's heart.

But he still didn't speak; instead, the air pressure around him was decreasing at an alarming rate.

The Earthly Fiend felt the suffocating pressure and was terrified. He quickly continued, "Miss Sisi's constitution wasn't innate! It was seven years ago, on the night the Shen family was wiped out, that the 'Blood Flame' people took advantage of the chaos to plant the 'Blood Flame Gu' in her!"

"These Gu worms will lie dormant in the host's body for seven years, slowly transforming the body's constitution. When the seven-year period is over, it's time for them to 'harvest'! The Zhou family has no idea about these inside stories. They are just servants of 'Blood Flame' on the outskirts of Cang City, responsible for guarding and 'nurturing' the medicinal ingredients!"

"boom!"

The moment the words fell, an indescribable, terrifying killing intent erupted from Shen Jinglong's body.

The temperature in the entire reception room plummeted to freezing. The teacup on the table cracked silently, spiderweb-like fissures instantly spreading across its surface. The air seemed to turn into a viscous swamp, making it difficult for Zhuque to breathe, and her face turned pale.

This is genuine anger.

Commander Long... this is a truly overwhelming killing intent!

Zhuque's heart pounded wildly. Blood Flame, King Anle, you bunch of lunatics have completely touched the Dragon Commander's sore spot!

The Earthly Fiend was directly pressed to the ground by this murderous aura, his body trembling like a leaf, his crotch quickly becoming wet, and a foul stench spreading out.

He felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast from the deepest hell, and that he would be torn to pieces in the next second, leaving not even his soul behind.

"Lord Long, spare me! Everything I said is true! Every word is true!" He cried out in despair, tears streaming down his face.

Blood Flame Gu...

Seven-Aperture Exquisite Pill...

Harvesting...

King Anle! Blood Flame!

You bunch of beasts, worse than pigs and dogs!

Shen Jinglong's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles digging into his palms from the excessive force.

He wished he could rush out right now and tear everyone involved to pieces, using their blood to atone for the suffering his daughter had endured.

But he can't.

Reason, like a cold chain, forcefully restrained his impending rage.

Now, this terrified old man in front of him is his only clue and his only hope of saving his daughter.

The murderous aura surged in like a tide, and then receded just as quickly.

Everything happened in an instant.

When the temperature in the reception room returned to normal, Shen Jinglong had already sat back down in his chair, but his eyes were colder than ten-thousand-year-old ice.

"Speak your terms!"

The voice was terrifyingly calm, yet to Di Sha's ears, it was even more frightening than the thunderous fury from before.

He raised his head, trembling, to meet those cold eyes, and stammered:

"I...I'm willing to tell Commander Long everything I know about 'Bloodflame' in Cangcheng! Including their secret base here and their means of communication!"

"I only ask... I only ask that Commander Long protect my safety, and... and help me kill that new leader of the Shadow Tower who stole my position! His name is 'Heavenly Fiend'! As long as he's dead, I'll be safe!"

Di Sha felt that he had made the right bet this time.

Although Shen Jinglong is a terrifying madman, he cares more about his daughter.

As long as the information he provides is true, he will definitely save his dog's life!

"Sure!"

Shen Jinglong uttered a single word.

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked out at the dark outside, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Sweep away the Shadow Tower?

No, that's too easy on you.

I will turn the tables on you and uproot all your pawns in Cangcheng, one by one!

Then follow this line to find your hideout!

Bloodflame, King Anle... you just wait for me.

He turned around and gave the order to Zhuque.

"Zhuque, take him away and lock him up in a completely safe place. Treat him to good food and drink."

His voice was cold and clear.

"Remember, if he loses even a single hair, you will be held responsible."