When had a black glove shown up in the house?
Li Banfeng did not waste a single breath asking questions. Snatching up his sickle, he charged forward and slashed straight at the black glove.
The black glove darted behind the white glove and shouted, "Don't be rash! I have good things here—good things from Xiao Zhenggong! Let me leave, and I'll give them to you!"
Li Banfeng sidestepped the white glove, raised his sickle, and kept hacking away.
The black glove vanished abruptly. The white glove shouted, "Master, watch out!"
Sensing an oncoming wave of malice, Li Banfeng ducked. A dagger hurled by the black glove whistled past, missing him.
The dagger was of exceptional craftsmanship. Striking the table, it cleaved the wood clean in two, sending the soundly sleeping Judge's Brush rolling across the floor.
There was no dagger of such quality in the companion dwelling. The glove's earlier deduction had been correct: this dagger likely belonged to Xiao Zhenggong. Everything on his person had been looted by the black glove.
Li Banfeng spun around to strike again, but the black glove vanished once more.
The white glove swiftly pinpointed the black glove's location and pounced, locking it in combat. The black glove cried out, "Even if you kill me, you won't get his things!"
Li Banfeng swept his blade across, but the black glove's silhouette dissolved again. The swing nearly clipped the white glove, forcing Li Banfeng to pull his blow at the last fraction of an instant.
Seizing the opening, the black glove reappeared right before Li Banfeng's eyes. Dodging his strikes, it spoke, "Rather than fighting until both sides are crippled, why not do a deal?"
The white glove hoisted its shovel and swung at the black glove. But the black glove hovered tightly around Li Banfeng, making it impossible for the white glove to strike without risking hitting its master. In that moment of hesitation, the black glove flashed behind the white glove and dragged a finger across it. With a sharp tearing sound, a long gash ripped open along the white glove's back.
The white glove shuddered, trembling so violently from the pain that it could barely stand. The black glove extended two fingers like shears, aiming to snip off its fingers.
Li Banfeng moved a step faster, sweeping his sickle to rescue the white glove. The black glove barely dodged the blow before vanishing into thin air once again.
What kind of technique was this black glove using?
Both Li Banfeng and the white glove possessed astonishing speed. Furthermore, this was inside Li Banfeng's residence—as a Dwelling Cultivator, he enjoyed an immense home advantage.
Yet the black glove flickered in and out of sight, consistently finding cover. Fighting one against two, it had managed to hold its ground for this long.
If this black glove was so formidable, why hadn't it intervened yesterday when Li Banfeng was killing Xiao Zhenggong?
Hong Ying wanted to step in and capture the black glove, but the gramophone checked her: "Girl, don't be reckless."
Hong Ying asked in surprise, "What's reckless about it? I'll skewer him into mincemeat with a single thrust!"
Zhao Xiaowan replied, "The wretch is too cunning. He stays glued to Husband's side. I fear you'll strike Husband by mistake."
"Don't worry, I know my limits! If I slip, you can spank me with the board."
"What good will spanking you do? Can it bring Husband back to life? You haven't fought in years; I can't trust you!"
Though troublesome, the black glove lacked lethal offensive moves; wounding Li Banfeng was an uphill battle for it.
The Lady watched patiently as her husband wore it down, waiting for the right moment to subdue the intruder.
The black glove emerged from the floor and zipped up to the ceiling in the blink of an eye. Glaring at Li Banfeng, it sneered, "I know you're all ruthless, but killing me won't be that simple. I can hide in your house for ten days to half a month, and you still might not catch me. I will definitely find a chance to escape. And when that time comes..."
The glove abruptly went quiet.
It was puzzled: how had it flown up so high?
Its entire strategy relied on staying as close to Li Banfeng as possible, leaving both Li Banfeng and the white glove unable to strike freely.
Floating up near the ceiling was disastrous.
There was no draft in the room, so what had interfered with it?
As it puzzled in confusion, the Judge's Brush lying on the floor let out a soft snort: "Hmph."
The black glove's spirits dropped in terror. It hadn't paid any attention to the Judge's Brush. Last night, the brush had been too lazy to feed and had lain motionless on the table the whole time, leading the glove to assume it was an inanimate object.
*When did I fall under this Judge's Brush's technique? Why is it hoisting me into the air?*
Li Banfeng leapt toward the ceiling, sickle in hand. Just as the black glove prepared to vanish, the Judge's Brush muttered, "Return my capital!"
The black glove's movements instantly bogged down.
Hooking the black glove with his sickle, Li Banfeng dragged it down and pinned it firmly to the table.
The black glove screamed in pain, shouting, "Let me go! Or I'll destroy all of Xiao Zhenggong's treasures!"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Go ahead and destroy them. I don't give a damn."
The black glove was stunned. A veteran of the world, it could tell empty posturing from deadly resolve.
Seeing that Li Banfeng was truly prepared to kill, the black glove hastily changed its tune: "I spoke out of turn just now, I was in a panic! Seventh Master, I'll work under you from now on. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do!"
Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "You flatter me. We aren't that close."
"Seventh Master, hear me out! You have plenty of capable people around you, and you're bound to achieve great things. But that white glove of yours is useless! Lifting skylights—picking coat pockets—and digging tunnels—plundering trouser pockets—he's mediocre at best. When it comes to breaching dens and rigging screens to blind the mark, his skills don't hold a candle to mine!
"Seventh Master, if you don't believe me, test me out for a while. If I prove inferior to that white glove, you can dispose of me however you see fit!"
The white glove stood on the floor, the long gash on its back exposing frayed threads spilling outward.
It lowered its index finger and kept silent.
The black glove spoke the truth. The white glove knew it: it was indeed outmatched.
Back then, it had lurked in the companion dwelling for a time without Li Banfeng noticing.
Yet that had only slipped past Li Banfeng.
Now, the black glove had hidden inside the companion dwelling for an entire day and night without the white glove noticing.
Not only had it failed to notice, but the Old Master had been oblivious as well.
What was even more telling was that the black glove could open the front door of the companion dwelling, whereas the white glove could not.
Comparisons were odious, and second-rate goods belonged in the trash. The gulf between them was plain to see; there was nothing to say.
The white glove hung its head and drifted into the corner of the room.
Li Banfeng pointed at the black glove. "Wife, take its soul."
The black glove shrieked, "Why?!"
The gramophone showed no hesitation, driving her stylus straight into the black glove's body.
As a former commander of three armies, what kind of person hadn't she seen? The white glove was difficult to tame, but the black glove was utterly untamable. The Lady had seen through it from the start.
The black glove cried out, "Seventh Master! I am far more skilled than that glove! Why won't you keep me?!"
Li Banfeng replied without expression, "Because you hurt my brother."
*Brother?*
The black glove could not fathom it.
*Isn't it just a magical artifact? Since when did it become a brother?*
Understanding no longer mattered. The Lady's stylus quivered, drawing out the black glove's soul in an instant.
Li Banfeng picked up the white glove and inspected the tear on its back. "Endure the pain a bit. I'll have the Lady stitch it up. At worst, it'll leave a scar."
"It's fine... it doesn't..." The glove choked up, all five fingers trembling together, unable to finish the sentence.
The Lady brought silk thread. As she stitched the white glove's wound, she said to Li Banfeng, "The black glove still retains a shred of its spirituality. A few of its tricks could still prove useful."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "No need. We only need one glove in this family."
He walked over to the Ninth Room, carried the lotus over to the black glove, and commanded, "Take it."
The Red Lotus unfurled its leaves and was just drawing the black glove into its lotus heart when the white glove called out, "Third Mistress, please wait a moment!"
The Red Lotus spat at the glove. "Who are you calling Third Mistress?"
The glove paused for a second, then sprang forward, diving straight into the lotus heart as well.
Li Banfeng froze in shock, then roared at the Red Lotus, "Spit him out! Spit him out right now!"
The Red Lotus snapped its leaves shut. "Too late. He and the black glove have already melted together into a lotus seed."
"Melted into a lotus seed already?! When you refine elixirs, why aren't you ever this fast? Let him out this instant!"
Li Banfeng tried to pry the leaves open. The gramophone advised, "Husband, the Red Lotus does not eat living things raw. Our glove has a soul, so he won't be completely refined away. However, his physical form will undergo a drastic transformation, and whether his soul sustains damage is hard to tell. Don't disturb her for now. As long as that wench didn't harm him on purpose, there shouldn't be any major trouble."
Li Banfeng released the Red Lotus, cleared off a table in the Second Room, and set the lotus gently atop it.
The table in the main room had been split in two. Just as Li Banfeng was about to throw the splintered wood outside, he noticed the Judge's Brush still lying on the floor.
He picked it up and praised it: "You did great work today. I didn't see you touch that black glove; how did you make him float?"
The Judge's Brush offered a single word: "Light!"
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Because the glove is light enough?"
"Mm!" Without touching them, the Judge's Brush could cause relatively light objects to fly.
Surprised, Li Banfeng said, "I've never seen you use that trick before."
"Hmph!" The Judge's Brush sniffed disdainfully. It had used the trick before, and though few had ever noticed, the ability held immense personal importance.
What was it important for?
Li Banfeng set the Judge's Brush on a storage rack. The brush rolled over, preparing to sleep, but found the rack rather chilly.
It glanced at a newspaper resting by the bed. Without moving itself, it made the newspaper flutter across the room and settle gently over its body.
Now, it was no longer cold.
Li Banfeng sat near the Red Lotus, waiting for the outcome. The gramophone spoke up: "Aiya, Husband, this cannot be rushed. Why don't you get a good night's sleep first?"
Li Banfeng could not sleep, so he went to the Third Room.
The Old Master was awake as well; the night's incident had rattled him considerably.
"Someone opened my door, and even I failed to notice. In all my years, this is the very first time. That black glove had an extraordinary background."
Li Banfeng felt a lingering dread. "It doesn't matter now. The glove is gone anyway."
"The glove threw himself into the refining process probably to learn that black glove's techniques. We'll need to keep a close eye on him from now on."
Li Banfeng frowned. "He is one of us."
The companion dwelling chuckled twice. "I don't trust him. Even if he took a blade for you, I still don't trust him."
***
By daybreak, the Red Lotus had still not bloomed. Li Banfeng stepped out of the companion dwelling, intending to take a walk.
Just as he reached the entrance of Xiaoyaowu, a steam-powered automobile caught his attention.
In Puluo Province, a steam car was a distinct hallmark.
Li Banfeng turned around and saw Liao Zihui emerging from a breakfast stall beside Xiaoyaowu.
"I arrived a bit early and didn't want to disturb you, so I grabbed a bite to eat first," Liao Zihui said, gesturing toward Xiaoyaowu. "Shall we go inside and talk?"
Li Banfeng had his staff prepare a private room. Liao Zihui sat across from Li Banfeng alone.
"I read about the Jiangxiang Gang in the papers. There are some details I'd like to confirm with you. Did you kill Xiao Zhenggong?"
"I did," Li Banfeng nodded.
Liao Zihui showed no surprise at his admission. "The Jiangxiang Gang was an atrocious organization. I have no objection to you wiping out that scourge. But Xiao Zhenggong was a Balancer. I imagine you must know of this special status of his."
Li Banfeng feigned surprise. "What's a Balancer? I've honestly never heard of it."
Liao Zihui explained, "A Balancer is a special figure capable of maintaining balance among various factions. Specifically, a Balancer possesses influence across the Inner States, the Outer States, and Puluo Province, carrying the leverage required to resolve conflicts among them."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "Your standards must be dreadful. Why would you ever pick someone like Xiao Zhenggong? Does he hold significant influence in Puluo Province? How many people here actually give him the time of day?"
Liao Zihui tapped his fingers on the table and sighed. "We would have preferred a more suitable candidate, but such people are rarely willing to cooperate with the Outer States."
Li Banfeng's tone carried a bite of mockery. "So you're willing to settle for scraps? Any stray dog can become a Balancer?
"If a conflict breaks out between the Outer States and Puluo Province, what kind of problem could Xiao Zhenggong possibly resolve? With those few rotten leeks in the Jiangxiang Gang?"
"If a dispute arises within Puluo Province, I believe we have appropriate ways to handle it. But if a conflict occurs within the Inner States, having someone to mediate carries tremendous significance."
Li Banfeng's brow furrowed slightly. "Can you be a bit more direct? You mean to say that no matter how deep the grievances in Puluo Province run, they don't matter in the slightest—only the Inner States matter, correct?"
Liao Zihui remained silent for a long while before shaking his head. "The fundamental principles are not mine to decide. I can only explain this much. I came here to tell you that Balancers are vital to us. Now that Xiao Zhenggong is dead, I need an accounting."
Li Banfeng smiled. "What kind of accounting do you want? Do you want him brought back to life? Or did you leave some unfinished business that you'd like to clear up with him face-to-face?"
"He carried several extremely crucial documents and materials, as well as an official seal of utmost importance, which pertains to the status of a Balancer. I must recover those items. I hope you will cooperate."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Blame it on my heavy hand. Xiao Zhenggong was reduced to ashes; nothing was left. You'd better ask around among your acquaintances and see if anyone happened to spot his seal."
*Tap-tap! Tap-tap!*
Liao Zihui's fingers drummed rhythmically against the tabletop.
"Li Qi, you're putting me in a difficult spot."
"Old Liao, by coming to find me, you've put yourself in a difficult spot."
Liao Zihui rose and departed, and Li Banfeng made no move to see him off.
Li Banfeng remained seated in the private room for a good while.
Many people liked to tap tables when speaking, but had Liao Zihui ever had that habit?
Li Banfeng recalled the meals they had shared.
Liao Zihui might have tapped a table before, but never with such frequency.
***
Back at the Garrison Office, Liao Zihui looked thoroughly grim. His secretary, Ling Sujun, held a stack of documents, uncertain whether she should present them.
The newly appointed Vice Commissioner, Xia Shumin, said, "Commissioner, Li Qi is a businessman after all. His lifeline rests firmly in our hands. As long as we adjust transit tolls, he will surely fall in line."
The other vice commissioners remained silent. They had already tried that tactic, and the lesson had been painful.
Liao Zihui raised a hand, and everyone filed out of the office except Xia Shumin, who lingered to hear his superior's stance.
Liao Zihui asked with a slight smile, "Shumin, once you retire, do you intend to return to the Outer States, or stay in Puluo Province?"
*The Outer States?*
Xia Shumin found it hard to stomach the term.
It was clearly his homeland—why call it the Outer States? Puluo Province was the actual foreign territory.
Naturally, one did not quibble over terminology before a superior. Xia Shumin replied tactfully, "I haven't considered retirement yet."
At forty-five years old, he was in the golden prime of his official career. Retirement was indeed the furthest thing from his mind.
Liao Zihui sighed. "Stay in Puluo Province long enough, and you might find yourself unable to readjust to the Outer States. I don't even know how to use a smartphone properly. Once I retire, I'd like to stay in Puluo Province and enjoy a few quiet, carefree days."
Xia Shumin chimed in quickly, "You are still far from retirement, sir. The Garrison Office cannot function without you."
Liao Zihui chuckled. "What I mean is... I very much want to survive until retirement in one piece."
Xia Shumin was momentarily lost for words. Liao Zihui waved his hand again, signaling him to leave.
After sitting silently in his office for a moment, Liao Zihui retrieved a headset from a drawer.
"I wonder if Old Chen's gadget actually works." Liao Zihui took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke over the headset. The device trembled, something writhing faintly beneath its surface.
Liao Zihui fitted the headset over his ears, and sounds soon trickled through.
Footsteps, the sweep of a broom, the idle chatter of cleaning staff.
These were the sounds from the private room in Xiaoyaowu. Back in that room, using a tool provided by Chen Changrui, Liao Zihui had planted a hook—an exceptionally deep hook, undetectable even by high-tier Scrying Cultivators.
Did Liao Zihui intend to sit here eavesdropping on the room endlessly?
Naturally not.
This headset had an essential function: it automatically logged significant keywords and phrases it captured.
"Li Qi," "Old Qi," "Seventh Master"... every phrase tied to Li Qi, along with their preceding and succeeding sentences, would be recorded.
He would start by recording this single private room, then plant hooks throughout the entire Xiaoyaowu complex. Liao Zihui possessed immense patience; he was determined to uncover Li Qi's true identity.
***
"We must uncover Li Qi's true identity first." On this point, Xia Shumin shared Liao Zihui's view.
However, Xia Shumin strongly disapproved of Liao Zihui's passive attitude. "Liao Zihui has already gone native. If things continue down this path, our work in Puluo Province will never make any progress. Have the personnel transferred from the Dark Star Bureau arrived yet?"
Assistant Ding Zhichuan, Xia Shumin's most trusted subordinate, presented a dossier. "They reported yesterday. Three people arrived in total, all nominally here for further training."
Reviewing the three resumés, Xia Shumin singled one out. "Send this one to keep watch near Xiaoyaowu. Since they're here for training, they can start with the most fundamental tasks."
Ding Zhichuan said, "This person's tier is too low. Giving him such a hazardous assignment makes me slightly uneasy..."
"No need to worry," Xia Shumin smiled faintly. "If he falls in the line of duty, it might just jolt those pretending to sleep wide awake."
***
Luo Zhengnan stepped into the private room at Xiaoyaowu. He had been preparing to board a train to Baiqiaolong to eradicate the remaining remnants of the Jiangxiang Gang, not expecting Li Banfeng to summon him here so suddenly.
"Seventh Master, you called for me? I was just getting ready to—"
"Come, Old Luo, have a drink." Li Qi waved his hand, signaling him not to say more.
Luo Zhengnan was sharp enough to grasp Li Banfeng's intent. He promptly uncorked a bottle of wine and changed the subject: "Seventh Master, what puts you in such high spirits today?"
"I want to pull off something big. I'm afraid it might scare you if I tell you." Li Banfeng pointed to the round table, then pointed to his ear, prompting Luo to check for hooks.
Understanding the cue, Luo Zhengnan twisted his ear half a turn and leaned close to the table, listening intently for a moment.
"What sort of big venture is it, Seventh Master?" Luo Zhengnan shook his head, indicating there was no hook on the table.
*No hook?*
*Then why had Liao Zihui kept drumming on the table?*
Li Banfeng chuckled. "A debt collector came by this morning, insisting that I owe him money and demanding an accounting."
"Who has the gall to pick a fight with Seventh Master?" Luo Zhengnan swept his senses across the room once more, confirming that there were indeed no hooks present.
"He comes from a significant background," Li Banfeng said, staring at the table for a second. "Gather a few capable brothers who can handle a fight. I'm going to have a proper chat with him."
***
At dusk, Liao Zihui prepared to head home from work. Before leaving, he did not forget to pull out the headset for a listen.
What he heard brought cold sweat to his brow.
*A debt collector?*
*A proper chat?*
*Li Qi is going to attack the Garrison Office?!*
*Does he dare do such a thing?*
It was hard to say; that man dared to do anything.
Liao Zihui issued an immediate order: all personnel were to remain at the Garrison Office on full combat alert, with no one permitted to leave.
The entire staff was flabbergasted. Pulling this stunt right at clock-out time—what in the world was going on?
Late into the night, Li Banfeng arrived in the vicinity of the Garrison Office and spotted dozens of sentries patrolling the perimeter. They had indeed made exhaustive preparations.
*They heard what I said in the private room.*
*Liao Zihui did plant a hook. But why couldn't Old Luo find it?*
It seemed this was no ordinary hook.
Once Xiaoyaowu closed for the night, Li Banfeng returned to the private room and pulled out the hand-cranked gramophone given to him by Ling Miaosheng.
Placing a record on the turntable, he turned the crank, and music floated into the air:
*"Without you, how could I live on? My heart would shatter, my work left undone...*
*"Without you, how could I live on? My heart already broken, I can only cause trouble..."*
The device was somewhat finicky to operate. Though he had studied it carefully with the Lady, Li Banfeng had yet to master all its nuances. After listening to the song over a dozen times, taking an entire hour, Li Banfeng detected a subtle shift in the music's cadence.
Carrying the gramophone, Li Banfeng walked in a slow circle around the room. His hand cranked at a steady, unchanging speed, yet the tempo of the music fluctuated noticeably.
The hook wasn't on the table. It was embedded in the wall near the door!
*If Liao Zihui was drumming on the table, why would the hook be near the door?*
*Did Liao Zihui plant this?*
Li Banfeng placed a blank record on the turntable, swapped in a hardened stylus, and began cranking the arm to carve a record right beside the hook.
Once the record was etched, Li Banfeng brought it back to the companion dwelling and had the Lady play it.
The record played back the conversation between Li Banfeng and Liao Zihui. Tracing further back, there was nothing else recorded.
It had indeed been planted by Liao Zihui.
"He really spared no expense," Li Banfeng remarked, stowing the gramophone away. "I'll leave this hook right where it is and see how long he keeps using it."
As they spoke, the bronze lotus suddenly blossomed, revealing a lotus seed nestled within its leaves.
Li Banfeng picked out the seed and set it gently in the palm of his hand.
The seed burst open, and the glove slowly unfurled its form.
Propping itself up with its thumb and pinky, the glove stood tall, thrust its index finger into the air, and declared to Li Banfeng, "Master, I've succeeded!"
Li Banfeng's lower lip quivered. He said nothing, offering only a slight nod.
"Master, are you holding back laughter?" The glove looked down at its body, then darted over to Hong Ying's vanity table, examining itself in the mirror for a moment.
It returned to the Red Lotus and asked in a flat voice, "Third Mistress, turning me completely white or completely black would have been fine. Even one side black and the other side white would have made some sense.
"Covering me from head to toe in black blotches so I look like I'm riddled with weeping boils—what on earth is this supposed to mean?"
The Red Lotus couldn't be bothered to answer.
*Black and white are intertwined anyway; who could possibly control the pattern with such precision?*
The glove took it in stride: "Ah, what does a man's appearance matter anyway? What counts is having real skill!
"Old Master, I'm not picking a fight today, but I'm going to open your front door right in front of your eyes. Watch closely!"
The companion dwelling responded, "Brave lad. Let's see if you truly have what it takes. If you can actually open my door, I will reward you handsomely."
Li Banfeng grew tense.
If the glove genuinely managed to open the door, the companion dwelling might end its life on the spot.
He needed to find a way to shield the glove.
"Glove, don't be in such a rush to show off. Get some rest first."
The glove refused to listen. "I put my life on the line to acquire this great skill just so I could serve Master! Master, feast your eyes!"
The glove scurried over to the front door, feeling along the seam.
The entire household watched intently. Even the Red Lotus, who rarely cared for anything, focused her attention on the glove.
If the glove succeeded, the Red Lotus might have hope of leaving as well.
Locating the critical point, the glove dragged its index finger along the seam, traced a circle with its middle finger over the crucial spot, tapped lightly with its ring finger, and cried, "Open!"
The door did not budge.
Wiggling its index finger, the glove said, "Old Master, you really do have some tricks up your sleeve. Let me try again."
After groping around for a bit, the glove shouted once more, "Open!"
It still did not budge.
"Old Master, no more fooling around. Watch carefully!"
***
An hour passed.
Li Banfeng was gently applying vanishing cream to the Lady's face. Seeing Hong Ying pouting with envy, the Lady applied a bit to her as well.
The old teapot brewed a pot of fine tea and went to trade with the liquor gourd for booze. The liquor gourd complained that the tea wasn't strong enough and parted with only two ounces.
The projector grew immensely excited, thinking the handgun could talk, only for the pendulum to inform him that it was merely the clicking of the cylinder.
The Red Lotus's leaves fluttered as she yawned, longing to return to the Ninth Room to sleep.
Yet the glove remained at the door, feeling along the crack without a moment's pause.
"Old Master, this time I'm truly getting serious!"
"Glove, listen to me..." Even the companion dwelling felt a twinge of pity for it.
"Old Master, I can do it! I'll show you my real skill!" The glove's voice trembled.
"Open!" the glove tried once more.
"It's open," the companion dwelling responded, cracking the door open a sliver.
Everyone in the room could see that the companion dwelling had cracked the door open on its own.
Only the glove remained oblivious.
Poking its head through the crack, the glove cried out ecstatically, "I did it! Old Master, I really did—"
*Slam!*
The door snapped shut, pinching the glove unconscious.
"Ah Qi, find a place for him to sleep properly," the companion dwelling sighed heavily. "Poor child."
***
The following morning, Liao Zihui sat in his office with bloodshot eyes.
He had not slept a wink, and across the Garrison Office, no one had dared to sleep. Everyone had remained on high alert all night.
By nine in the morning, Ling Sujun, her eyes rimmed with red, said softly, "Commissioner, many people can't hold out much longer. I implore you to grant us half a day's leave."
Liao Zihui waved his hand dismissively. "The closer we get to critical moments, the less we can afford to let our guard down. Everyone must maintain full readiness."
They remained on guard until dusk. Rubbing his eyes, Liao Zihui muttered to himself, "He didn't come... Could the debt collector he mentioned not have been me? Could there be another reason behind this?"
Putting on the headset, he listened intently. Soon, another snippet of conversation filtered into his ears:
"Seventh Master, are we still going tonight?"
"Yes. They were prepared last night, but they certainly won't hold out tonight. We must teach them a lesson they won't forget!"
Liao Zihui took off the headset and let out a cold smile.
*Li Qi is indeed a difficult customer. Good thing I was cautious enough.*
He summoned Ling Sujun. "Pull back all the personnel stationed outside the building. Bring them all inside, set up the boundaries and traps, and tonight, we will invite the tiger into our trap!"
Ling Sujun asked groggily, "Commissioner, who exactly are we preparing to face?"
Liao Zihui smiled thinly. "You will see tonight."
Chapter 473