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

"Suzaku, relay my order: seal off this place. No one is allowed to approach."

"Commander Long, the abandoned mine has been completely cleared out; all have been wiped out!"

Suzaku's voice echoed through the empty brewery.

Shen Jinglong did not turn around.

He was squatting in front of a pile of bottles and jars that had been taken from the secret room of the "Blood Flame" lord, looking at them one by one like a curious apprentice in a pharmacy.

"Hmm," he simply replied.

Zhuque paused for a moment, then continued her report, "Our people were unharmed. However... Princess Huimin's people have been watching from the hillside five miles away the whole time, without making a single move."

"Her decision to remain still is the wisest choice." Shen Jinglong picked up a bright red pill, brought it to his nose and sniffed it gently. A strange smell, a mixture of blood and medicinal fragrance, filled his nostrils.

His eyes narrowed, and he carefully put the pill into a jade bottle.

These medicines may temporarily stabilize Sisi's condition, but they only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

Holy Lord... I must find you as soon as possible!

Shen Jinglong stood up, dusted off his hands, and said, "If she makes a move, she'll only cause me more trouble. A smart person who wants to reap the benefits is always easier to deal with than a reckless fool."

"So, what's next..." Suzaku asked.

"Wait," Shen Jinglong uttered a single word, "wait for her to come to us herself."

……

Meanwhile, at the West City Post Station.

"Snapped!"

A fine blue-and-white porcelain teacup was smashed to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"Where is he? Why is there still no news!" Princess Huimin paced back and forth in her room, her exquisite makeup unable to conceal her anxiety. "What's the situation at the abandoned mine? Who won and who lost between Shen Jinglong and Blood Flame Tower? There should be a result by now!"

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a subordinate tumbled in.

"Your Highness, Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"

"What's the panic!" Huimin shouted sharply, "Is the sky falling down?"

"The sky... the sky didn't fall, but..." the subordinate stammered, panting, "The east side of the city! The brewery in the east side of the city... a fight just broke out! It was huge! Now, the entire brewery is completely surrounded by the Dragon Guards, not even a fly can get in!"

"A brewery?" Princess Huimin was stunned.

"Yes! Our spies in the city say that the Bloodflame Tower's lair in Cangcheng isn't in the abandoned mine at all, but in that brewery! We heard... not a single member of the Bloodflame Tower escaped; they were all wiped out there!"

With a "buzzing" sound.

Princess Huimin felt as if something had exploded in her head.

Abandoned mine... brewery...

All her calculations and waiting turned into a joke at this moment.

What a Shen Jinglong!

They actually used a fake location to create such a big spectacle, drawing everyone's attention to the abandoned mine!

But he himself quietly and stealthily struck at the heart of the enemy's lair!

I actually became one of the audience members who were completely fooled by him!

Princess Huimin clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

This man's strategies are far beyond my expectations; I can no longer let him lead me by the nose.

"Get the car ready!" A resolute glint flashed in her eyes. "To Baicaotang! I'm going to meet him myself!"

……

At the entrance of Baicaotang, two rows of dragon guards dressed in black armor appeared, their auras calm and composed, like door gods.

As soon as Princess Huimin's carriage came to a stop, it was stopped by two imperial guards.

"Stop! Who are you?" One of the Dragon Guards, speaking with a local accent, sized them up. "Our Commander Dragon has ordered that we see no one today! Even if you were the King of Heaven himself, it wouldn't do you any good!"

Huimin's personal maid raised her eyebrows and was about to start cursing.

Huimin raised her hand to stop her, stepped down from the carriage, and said in a cold voice, "I am Princess Huimin. I have important business to discuss with Commander Shen."

The dragon guard was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting the other party to be of such high status.

But he remained unmoved, stubbornly insisting, "Princess? Which princess? Our Commander Long said he won't see her, and that's final!"

Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, Zhuque came out from inside, glanced at Huimin, and said calmly to the two dragon guards, "Let her in. Commander Long wants to see her."

The two dragon guards immediately dropped their fearless demeanor and respectfully stepped aside.

One of them muttered to himself, "My god, this woman's aura is terrifying, even fiercer than our boss. Good heavens, I'm lucky I didn't get killed this time."

Princess Huimin stepped directly into Baicaotang.

In the back room, Shen Jinglong was sitting behind a desk, leisurely flipping through a medical book, as if he had just experienced a great battle.

"Commander Shen, you have truly mastered the art of taking down Bloodflame Tower without a sound. I, the Princess, would like to offer my congratulations in advance." Princess Huimin cut to the chase, her words carrying a barb.

Shen Jinglong raised his head, a perfectly timed look of surprise on his face, and stood up. "Your Highness is joking. What Blood Flame Tower? I have no idea."

He spread his hands innocently, "All I know is that a bunch of blind thieves occupied my brewery and ruined several of my large vats. In fact, I should thank the princess."

"Thank me?" Princess Huimin narrowed her eyes.

"Yes." Shen Jinglong nodded seriously. "Thank you, Princess, for standing guard outside the abandoned mine. Your presence was impressive and must have scared away many opportunists. Otherwise, I would have had to focus on catching them, and I wouldn't have been able to deal with the bandits at the brewery so quickly. I will remember this favor."

His face was beaming with a bright smile.

Princess Huimin's heart was caught in a limbo.

This person was implying that she had made a wasted trip and become a free background prop!

Trying to get information out of me? Huimin, you underestimate me, Shen Jinglong. Now that you've come to this stagnant Cangcheng, don't expect to leave unscathed.

Huimin suppressed her anger. "Commander Shen is straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush either. I've heard that behind the Bloodflame Tower, there's a mysterious 'Holy Lord'..."

"Shut up!"

Shen Jinglong suddenly shouted, interrupting them.

Huimin was startled by his sudden shout, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat.

Shen Jinglong frowned and said with a look of disgust, "Holy Lord? Who is that? Can you eat him? Princess, how come your information is more in-depth than mine, a local tyrant? I really admire you."

He said he admired her, but his expression was as if he were looking at an idiot.

Princess Huimin, having been snubbed, turned pale and then flushed, a truly beautiful sight.

"Alas, speaking of which, I have something troubling me and would like to ask the princess for help."

His rapid change of expression left Huimin somewhat bewildered.

She asked warily, "Oh? Commander Shen, please speak freely."

"Princess, look," Shen Jinglong pointed out the window, his face full of sincerity, "Cangcheng is a mess right now, everything needs to be rebuilt. I'm a roughneck, I'm good at wielding swords and spears, but when it comes to economics, I'm completely clueless, I don't know anything about it."

He looked at Huimin intently, "Your Highness, you are of noble birth, have a broad vision, and possess extraordinary insight. Therefore, I would like to ask you to step forward and take the lead in uniting all the merchants, large and small, in the city to oversee the reconstruction of Cangcheng. What do you think...?"

Princess Huimin's heart skipped a beat.

She instantly understood what Shen Jinglong meant.

This is an open conspiracy!

This is like putting me on the hot seat!

Rejection? Then I've come all this way for nothing, and I'll get nothing this time, completely losing out to Shen Jinglong.

Accept? That would be tantamount to openly stepping forward, taking over the economic lifeline of Cangcheng, and directly standing against Uncle Anle!

Shen Jinglong, that was a ruthless move!

But... isn't this exactly the opportunity I've been looking for?

Fortune favors the bold!

This princess is not a doll to be manipulated!

Several thoughts flashed through her mind. Princess Huimin took a deep breath, and a bright and charming smile returned to her face.

"Since Commander Shen trusts me so much, I, the princess, will help you with this!"

After seeing off the satisfied yet wary Princess Huimin, Zhuque emerged from behind the screen, her brows furrowed.

"Commander Long, why did you entrust the economic lifeline of Cangcheng to her? This woman is ambitious, and her background is closely connected to Prince Anle. What if she colludes with Prince Anle? Wouldn't that be like inviting a wolf into the house?"

It's getting harder and harder to guess what's on Long Shuai's mind.

"We'll find out soon enough whether she's in cahoots or not."

"I can't stay in Cangcheng forever. After I leave, things can't fall into chaos here. She's a princess, she has status, ambition, and ability, she's the best person to keep things in order right now."

Suzaku was still puzzled. "But this is too risky."

"How can you fish without taking risks?"

"I want to thoroughly muddy the waters, so that everyone who wants to make a move in this game will crawl out of their holes and jump onto the board. I want to see... exactly what they're up to."