Chapter Thirteen: The Arrest

The vast Han Empire was divided into seven great continents within the White Jade Capital for easier governance. They were named Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, and the Arctic Continent. Beneath each continent lay administrative districts of varying sizes, established upon the ruins of nations once eliminated by White Jade Capital. Their names were simply replaced by numbers instead of the original country names.

The 21st Administrative District was situated deep within South America. The local time there lagged eleven hours behind the imperial capital. Thus, when the clock in the capital struck 9:30 a.m. on March 19th, it was only 10:30 p.m. the previous night in the 21st District.

The night spread across the sky like thick ink, while the city’s dazzling lights scattered like fallen stars. Yet, ten miles to the west of this bustling metropolis lay an exclusive estate reserved for the wealthy. Warm yellow lights gently outlined the scattered buildings within the manor. At its center stood a magnificent white dome, gleaming like a pearl in the darkness.

Inside, the grand building was brightly lit. Il, the governor of the 21st District, dressed in a black suit, his hair slicked back with wax shining under the lights, wore a grim expression. Led by a servant, he walked down a corridor thickly carpeted, arriving directly before a heavy meeting room door. Without hesitation, he pushed it open.

In an instant, the dazzling light from the crystal chandelier illuminated the entire room. A vast white circular conference table was surrounded by twenty high-backed chairs. Nineteen of these seats were occupied. Any ordinary citizen of the 21st District would be stunned to see such an assembly. Every person present was of remarkable renown—hot celebrities, billionaires, esteemed university presidents...

Il, accustomed to this scene, approached the only vacant seat. Bona, responsible for chairing this secret meeting, rose with his usual warm and enthusiastic smile. “Welcome, Governor Il,” he greeted.

“Funny you can still smile,” Il’s voice was icy. “The Sacred Palace has sent definite orders. The Sage not only refused to pardon Zhao Yinglong but decreed that all involved in the case be apprehended—no exceptions. If the investigation traces back to us...” His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over every face around the table. “None of you here will remain free to enjoy life!”

Bona’s smile didn’t waver, nor did he reproach Il, despite having previously supported the proposal to betray Zhao Yinglong. He calmly accepted responsibility. “I underestimated the Sage’s resolve. He constantly praises the Fourteen Kings as brothers. I thought that since the direct descendants of the Fourteen Kings were involved in such a serious case, the Sage might show mercy. But his cruelty and lack of grace far exceeded our expectations.”

“Hmph, they’re dead anyway. How the history books write it is entirely up to the Sage,” Il scoffed, slamming himself down heavily.

The term “Fourteen Kings” was not an official title but a popular honorific for the empire’s founding heroes. When the Sage established the Han Empire, these fourteen loyal brothers stood by his side, sharing dominion over the realm. Even after their deaths, their descendants were favored, often granted important posts. The 2nd, 6th, and 8th Legions were privately dubbed “family troops” since their commanders were almost exclusively from the Li, Gongsun, and Zhou families.

Zhao Yinglong, mayor of Manaus and a direct descendant of Zhao Jingxing, one of the Fourteen Kings, was originally assigned to a local post to gain experience and polish his credentials. Should he excel, he could rise to the cabinet and possibly become prime minister. Even Governor Il of the 21st District had to treat Zhao Yinglong with deference, never daring to show any superior airs.

To lure Zhao Yinglong into corruption, they meticulously crafted achievements for him, portraying him as competent yet greedy. They hoped to use this to loosen the Sage’s harsh stance on corruption charges, aiming to at least avoid the death penalty. But reality dealt Il a harsh blow.

“Our prime minister was so scared he practically lost control when he returned to the cabinet—there was no way he could plead Zhao Yinglong’s case with achievements,” Bona remarked.

“Sigh, the Sage’s authority is overwhelming; it’s not the prime minister’s fault,” Bona shifted tone, resuming his reassuring, elegant smile. “But there’s no need to worry. All key witnesses who might implicate us have vanished without a trace. None of us here will be linked.”

Bona admitted the Sage was powerful, but in the 21st District, the Sage’s orders did not always outweigh his own. Il’s tense expression relaxed slightly as he adjusted his posture. “If you’ve already cleaned up everything, why call me here?”

“Because I’ve found a way to prolong life.”

“Breakthrough in genetic modification?!” Il’s eyes instantly gleamed with wild joy. As an ordinary man without special powers, he envied those with superhuman abilities who could live for three or four centuries.

Bona shook his head gently. “It’s unrelated to those slow human experiments. Recently, I discovered a completely new path to immortality. The price...” He paused deliberately, scanning the eager faces. “Requires periodically drawing life energy from mortals, somewhat like vampires in movies. But this immortal strain’s power far surpasses that of any vampire. It grants its bearer terrifying regenerative abilities.”

“Chairman Bona, stop teasing us!” an impatient wealthy merchant urged. Others eagerly awaited more details.

Bona’s lips curled into a proud, elegant smile, just as he was about to elaborate—

Boom!

A deafening explosion, like thunder out of a clear sky, shattered the manor’s peace. The sturdy walls seemed to tremble. Then, a cold, piercing voice sliced through the thick glass windows, reaching everyone inside the meeting room.

“Commander Li Qingwan of the 2nd Legion, by decree of the Sage, is here to arrest all suspects related to the Zhao Yinglong case!”

Bona’s perfect, graceful smile froze, replaced by disbelief. How was this possible? He had covered every trace flawlessly. How could the Sage have found them here?

Before he could recover, bang! The heavy wooden door was kicked open violently from outside, slamming against the wall with a thunderous echo.

A figure entered, hands behind her back, walking in with unwavering confidence. Her presence was like a tangible cold wave sweeping the room, suffocating the assembled gathering. Yet her stature was surprisingly small—barely about 1.45 meters tall.

Her sleek black hair framed a delicate doll-like face, with sharp, cat-like eyes that gleamed icy and alert. Her gaze locked onto Il’s seat, a faint, inscrutable smile curling her lips.

“Well, well, isn’t this the governor of the 21st District? What are you doing here?”

Il looked as if struck by lightning, his face drained of color. He stammered, “Commander Li, this is a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! I was only invited to a banquet. I have nothing to do with them…”

“Save it,” Li Qingwan interrupted crisply. Her exquisitely delicate face bore a sweet smile that chilled to the bone. “Here in the 2nd Legion, we have ways to make you tell the truth.”

That smile was more terrifying than the grin of a demon to Il.

The 2nd Legion was one of the empire’s most dreaded institutions, responsible for investigating cross-district major crimes, capturing empire-wide fugitives, gathering intelligence on terrorist organizations, and eradicating them.

Countless horrifying legends circulated about their interrogation methods. Once inside their chamber, even the number of times you wet the bed as a toddler would be extracted from you.

As the prospect of facing a fate more dreadful than death flashed before him, Il’s vision darkened. Terror overwhelmed his reason. A short whimper escaped his throat, his eyes rolled back, and his corpulent body, as if drained of bones, collapsed heavily onto the carpet, fainting on the spot.