Chapter 53

Cheng Zhihai fell silent for a moment, then as if he had realized something, a look of sorrow appeared in his dignified eyes.

“Guanger, didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t go to the brothel?”

“In the last few days since you left the house, you didn’t go anywhere but straight to Wanhuatower?”

Cheng Guang:

This was quite awkward.

The things he had done these past two days could most likely not escape Cheng Zhihai’s notice.

When in doubt, just clam up.

“Hmph!”

Seeing that Cheng Guang remained silent, Cheng Zhaihai merely snorted coldly. Given his indulgent nature toward Cheng Guang, he naturally couldn’t say anything too harsh, only solemnly reminding him:

“Guanger, this time your mother has chosen a marriage for you, you mustn’t act in this manner anymore from now on.”

“Once this is settled, don’t go to the brothel again, and don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance. Qin Yanqiu, that girl… has an even more domineering temperament than your mother…”

By the end of his speech, a faint sadness had spread across Cheng Zhihai’s stern and severe face.

It was the unique pain of a man who was henpecked.

You could tell.

Cheng Zhihai used to frequent the brothel often, or he wouldn’t have said such things.

Father and son looked at each other in silence for a while.

Cheng Guang cleared his throat softly and then asked in a softer tone,

“Father, do you know about Mr. Tang, the owner behind Wanhuatower?”

“Mr. Tang, I certainly know of him,” Cheng Zhihai nodded slightly and then asked, puzzled, “What do you ask for?”

Cheng Guang responded, “That Bai Shuxuan is hiding in Wanhuatower, so I was thinking, could there also be a problem with the owner behind it?”

No sooner had Cheng Guang finished speaking than Cheng Zhihai shook his head, “That’s unlikely, Mr. Tang wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“Who is he?” Cheng Guang was a bit baffled, not knowing why Cheng Zhihai would dismiss all suspicion of the man upon hearing his name.

With his character, it wasn’t like him to dismiss someone’s suspicions just because of a name; he would normally at least investigate first.

Cheng Zhihai did not answer directly, but instead gently tapped his finger on the tea tray, “You’d better not ask who he is. If you, you reckless boy, carelessly let it slip, it wouldn’t end well.”

Cheng Guang almost couldn’t hold back his laughter, “Pfft, he’s just a brothel owner; what could be the impact of that getting out? Could it be Mr. Tang is the emperor or something?”

As soon as Cheng Guang finished, Cheng Zhihai’s expression froze and he quickly coughed a few times in embarrassment, “You rascal, don’t talk nonsense.”

Cheng Guang was stunned.

Cheng Zhihai’s reaction was almost no different from an admission.

He had not expected it to actually be true.

Mr. Tang…?

Emperor Zhou…?

These two identities simply didn’t seem connected at all.

The figure behind Wanhuatower turned out to be Emperor Zhou…

This claim sounded absurd, but the more he thought about it, the more it didn’t seem impossible.

Given that Wanhuatower was so huge, even to the extent that the entire Flower River’s name was derived from it, and with the constant stream of people coming and going, it had become a great money-eating beast entrenched within the Capital City.

To say it made a fortune every day was an understatement.

Such a lucrative business had many officials and nobility in the Capital City envious, yet none could shake Wanhuatower’s or Mr. Tang’s status.

There weren’t many in the entire Capital City who had this kind of power; Emperor Zhou was one of them.

Cheng Guang’s expression became somewhat strange.

Cheng Zhihai did not continue on this topic but paused his tapping fingers on the tea tray and turned to look at Cheng Guang:

“Guanger, during this period, I’ll have Uncle Qian stay by your side. When it’s time to close the net, you make the call and have Uncle Qian capture that Fox Devil,”

“As for those assassins plotting to kill you, leave them to me to deal with. Let’s see if I can pull a few big fish out from behind them.”

“After all, the Great Zhou is not at peace internally; there are quite a few maggots.”

Cheng Guang nodded, then without much idle chat, turned and left the Bureau of the Lamp.

The following matters didn’t require his worry anymore; Cheng Zhihai would arrange everything for him.

In the tea room of the side hall of the Bureau of the Lamp, after Cheng Guang had left, Cheng Zhihai sat quietly in his original spot for a moment before slowly uttering to himself.

“The Great Zhou is ultimately not peaceful. Just as the plan was set in motion, some people have become restless, daring to collude with the Devil Clan to plot the assassination of Guanger,”

“If this assassination attempt on Guanger fails, will they directly make a move against the Bureau of the Lamp?”

“Who exactly is the person behind this? I wonder if among those involved in the assassination attempt, there are any masterminds. If there are, capturing one alive for intense interrogation might reveal further intelligence.”

As he spoke, a cold murderous intent flashed in Cheng Zhihai’s eyes.

The person behind this was hidden too deeply.

Colluding with the Devil Clan, smuggling members into the Great Zhou in an attempt to draw him out of the Capital city, even aiming to use the Fox Devil of the Green Hill fox clan to control Guanger.

If Guanger hadn’t noticed in advance, it wouldn’t have been long before he fell under their control.

Furthermore, for this group, controlling Guanger wasn’t enough; their ultimate goal was to kill him.

If Guanger hadn’t noticed and allowed these people to scheme behind his back, who knows what the consequences would be.

Just thinking about it made Cheng Zhihai shiver down his spine.

Inside the tea room, sandalwood curled up, and all was serene.

Reflections churned in his mind, and eventually, he shook his head slightly.

Although Cheng Guang didn’t listen to him this time and went to the brothel again, luckily, it was not a bad thing.

Originally, the enemy was in the dark while we were exposed. Now, thanks to Cheng Guang, we have turned it into our enemy being exposed while we lurk in the dark.

Without alarming them, if I now make a counterplot, openly leaving the Capital city and then secretly returning, perhaps I could catch a few more big fish.

With that thought, Cheng Zhihai pulled out a Different Treasure resembling a Crystal Ball from his bosom.

This Crystal Ball was also a communication tool, although its range was much less compared to the Yin Yang Stone. However, it was more than sufficient for communication within the Capital city.

Upon activation, a few voices transmitted from within.

“Director.”

Cheng Zhihai slowly spoke out.

“Come here, there are things to discuss.”

Having left the Bureau of the Lamp and returned to his residence, Cheng Guang went straight to Million Specie Garden.

Under Cheng Guang’s arrangements, everything progressed in an orderly manner, with the situation under control.

At present, the only unknown was the identity of the person backing Bai Shuxuan; although unclear for now, it wasn’t a major problem.

Cheng Zhihai took this matter very seriously.

It was foreseeable that there wouldn’t be any more surprises.

The mission could be completed before long.

Cheng Guang felt no pressure; after returning home, he began to cultivate methodically.

Completing the mission was just a way for him to obtain more resources to enhance his strength quickly.

In his view, improving his martial cultivation was still the main priority.

Only with strength did he have some capital to survive in this world.

In the courtyard, Cheng Guang practiced his punches and kicks, cultivating seriously.