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

Previously: The Heavenly Punishment Plan was launched.

"My lord, the tea's getting cold, won't you do me the honor?"

Deep inside the dungeon, the smell of blood mingled with the smell of mold.

Shen Jinglong sat in a grand chair, holding a purple clay teapot, his tone as gentle as if he were greeting an old friend.

Across from them, the commander of the "Shadow Guard" was already hanging, covered in blood. He struggled to open his eyes and roared, "Shen Jinglong! Kill me or torture me... just give me a quick death!"

Shen Jinglong clicked his tongue and slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth.

Shen Jinglong: There's no way to communicate with a brute like you. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be a mangled mess by now. You forced me to do it, and now my new clothes are stained with blood, and Zhuque will nag me about being wasteful again.

"We're all decent people; we'll use words instead of fists." Shen Jinglong stood up and smoothed the messy hair from his forehead. "Did Prince Anle send you here to die? Or does he think your bones are harder than torture instruments?"

"For the Prince, I would die ten thousand times over!!!" the commander gritted his teeth.

"What a fine 'willing to die a thousand deaths' statement." Shen Jinglong nodded and smiled, but his hand suddenly touched the little finger of his left hand.

"Click."

That crisp sound was crystal clear.

"Aaaaaah!!!!"

A scream erupted. Shen Jinglong frowned, took a step back, and picked at his ear: "Keep it down, it's too noisy. This is only the first one, we have all night to talk about it."

[Shen Jinglong: You're screaming like a pig being slaughtered. Where did your toughness go? You can't even handle this much pain, and you want to try assassination? You're a complete waste of my time. I could have told my daughter two stories with that.]

"I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything!!! Please stop making things up!!" The commander completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. "It's Prince Anle... He's joined forces with 'Blood Flame'! But I really don't know where their stronghold is! And, and Princess Huimin too!"

Shen Jinglong raised an eyebrow, sat back in his chair, and crossed his legs: "Oh? That princess also has a role?"

"She's a double agent! She carries both the prince's secret orders and the king's private decree! She's got it all covered!"

Shen Jinglong smiled, a smile that only a hunter feels when he sees his prey.

"That's right. If you're willing to communicate, what problem can't be solved?"

He stood up and waved into the darkness. One of his men stepped forward, a flash of his blade.

[Shen Jinglong: Trying to have it both ways? Aren't you afraid of overdoing it? Since you all want to play, then I'll play along. But I have to write the ending of this play.]

. . .

Half an hour later, in the council hall.

The lights were blazing, but the atmosphere was incredibly oppressive. Zhuque stood on the left, Xuanwu on the right, and the crooked-mouthed Di Sha cowered in a corner, trembling.

Shen Jinglong pushed open the door and entered, still reeking of blood. He plopped down and glanced at everyone.

"Commander Long! Has that bastard confessed yet?" Xuanwu asked anxiously.

"He confessed, but not entirely. He was just cannon fodder used as a scout." Shen Jinglong took a sip of tea. "However, we did manage to reel in a few big fish. Vermilion Bird."

"exist."

"Has the princess been too idle lately?" Shen Jinglong tapped the table. "Pass on my orders: I've been so worried about my daughter that I've suddenly fallen seriously ill and need to take her back to the capital for medical treatment. These next few days, the defenses of Cangcheng... should be relaxed a bit."

Zhuque's eyes lit up: "Luring the snake out of its hole?"

"Not just snakes, but a whole nest of rats too." Shen Jinglong sneered. "Prince Anle wants to test my limits? Fine, I'll show him my underwear. Let's see if he dares to come and take it."

[Shen Jinglong: Anyone can act, right? I need to solidify this 'benevolent father' persona. If things fall apart on my end, all those monsters and demons will jump out. Then, I'll grab a fly swatter and swat them all to death against the wall.]

"Black Tortoise".

"exist!"

Shen Jinglong rubbed his temples: "Pack up the confession and all those other messy accounts and send them to Qinglong. Tell him to add some spice to Prince Anle's story during court tomorrow morning."

"I've already thought of a title - it's about how King Anle didn't want everyone to be happy."

Xuanwu scratched his head: "Commander Long, isn't this name... a bit too straightforward?"

"Being straightforward is good; only being straightforward enough can infuriate that old bastard." Shen Jinglong walked up to the crooked-mouthed Earthly Fiend.

The old man trembled with fear: "General Long, spare my life! I was just a messenger, I didn't do anything!!!"

Shen Jinglong straightened his collar and smiled gently, "Don't be afraid, sir. We're partners now. If you help Xuanwu find the 'Blood Flame's' lair, I'll guarantee you'll be the safest guy in Cangcheng."

"If you can't find it..." His eyes turned cold, "then you'll have to experience life in the dungeon."

[Shen Jinglong: Playing the victim with me? You old fox, you're got a lot of tricks up your sleeve. If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll really think I'm a philanthropist? If I don't catch Xue Yan in the act, I'll tear you apart and boil you into soup.]

. . .

Three days is just the time it takes to eat a few meals for ordinary people, but for those forces operating in the shadows, it feels like an eternity.

Li's Silk Shop, located in the east of the city.

Manager Li urged his employees to move the goods, his face filled with anxiety: "Hurry up! If we're late, our whole family will starve!"

The vegetable vendor came over and asked, "Manager Li, what's all this commotion about so late at night? I heard something happened at Lord Shen's house?"

Manager Li lowered his voice: "Keep your voice down! Half of the city's garrison has already withdrawn! This Cangcheng is about to change drastically! We'd better hide quickly, or we won't even know how we died!"

[From a bystander's perspective: This guy surnamed Li is usually incredibly stingy, but today he's acting like he's fleeing a disaster. It seems the rumors are true; Shen Jinglong's daughter really is failing. Cangcheng has lost its leader; how are we supposed to survive...?]

Guesthouse room.

"Snapped!"

A white jade teacup was smashed to pieces.

Princess Huimin's chest heaved with anger, her face contorted in fury: "He rejected me again?! That scoundrel!!!"

The maid knelt on the ground, trembling: "The steward of the Shen residence said... Commander Long is brewing medicine for Miss and can't leave..."

"Brewing medicine? I think you're testing my patience!" Huimin gritted her teeth and paced back and forth. "Three invitations, three closed doors! You're forcing me to lose my temper!"

She stopped, her eyes flashing with fierce determination, and said, "Since you won't accept my olive branch, don't blame me for breaking it and using it as firewood! Send word to Father that Cangcheng is in chaos; it's time to take action!"

[Princess Huimin: You're really asking for it! I've condescended to win you over, and you actually think you're someone important? Just you wait, when my father's army is at the gates, let's see how you continue to play the sanctimonious one while holding your sickly daughter! I'll make you kneel down and beg me!!!]

A basement in the north of the city.

The Shadow Tower's master, "Tian Sha," looked at the secret letter in his hand, his eyebrows furrowing in a knot.

"The Shadow Guard has been wiped out... The Crooked Mouth Earthly Fiend has disappeared... Shen Jinglong is leaving Cangcheng... This is too much of a coincidence, it's like someone deliberately muddied the waters, forcing us to jump in."

"Hey OP, should we make a move or not? The higher-ups are pressuring us."

Tian Sha crumpled the secret letter into a ball, a flame igniting in his palm: "Withdraw! Everyone, withdraw! Have the brothers tighten their defenses! This doesn't feel right, it's a trap! That Shen Jinglong never plays by the rules!"

(Tian Sha's inner monologue: This isn't some kind of weak defense, this is a fucking open bear trap! Anyone who believes this is an idiot! I'm not going to be the first to stick my neck out and let those morons like Prince Anle fill the hole. I need to save my life to spend money!)

However, all calculations seem so ridiculous in the face of absolute power.

Midday on the moon.

From the top of the watchtower, Shen Jinglong looked down over the entire Cangcheng.

Zhuque appeared silently and knelt on one knee: "General Long, the net has been cast. Everyone is on the chessboard."

"What a hassle."

"I wanted to be a civilized person, but they forced me to start killing. Since everyone thinks they're so capable, then let's not hide anything."

"Vermilion Bird".

"exist."

"Post the message. Notify everyone, from royalty to rats in the gutter."

Shen Jinglong exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice was very soft, but every word was as sharp as ice shards.

"Three days later, at the abandoned mine in the east of the city."

"Those who want to kill me, those who want to seize my territory, and those who want to reason with me, all of you, get over here."

"We'll settle all the old and new debts, including usurious loans with compounding interest, all at once."

"No time limit, or you'll bear the consequences."