Night had fallen. A cold wind swept blood-red flakes across the skies above Flame City.
The palace banquet within the War God Palace had not yet begun; Lin Qi had not even set foot inside the War God Palace.
Having just endured a violent coup, the once-mighty Caesar Empire had collapsed overnight, and the Great Flame Dynasty had risen from its ruins. Any resident of Flame City with even a shred of sense would not go out looking for trouble at a time like this.
Soldiers moved through the streets and alleys in groups, while Yan Clan spies appeared at every corner. Some unknown creatures could even be glimpsed lurking among the grand estates, eavesdropping on any secret discussions that might threaten the Yan Clan and watching every private gathering of more than ten people.
In the southwestern corner of Flame City, near the old city wall, an ancient residence stood silently amid the cold wind.
Inside the dimly lit gatehouse, two huge, powerfully built men lounged sideways in their chairs. They listlessly drank cheap liquor and happily tore into greasy chunks of roast meat. Their faces were covered in unruly beards, and they looked like two ordinary commoners from the lowest rungs of the city, enjoying their hard-won, humble pleasures.
Yet the two men's eyes were as sharp as hawks'. A golden-red divine gleam flashed through their pupils from time to time. Beneath their gaze, even the night could not obstruct their sight. Not even a sparrow could cross their line of alert, and the two cross-patterned Judgment swords beneath the gatehouse bed were enough to shatter any intruder's schemes.
They were two Punishment Knights with the strength of Saint Masters. Some wondrous power had sealed their bodies, preventing the slightest trace of their aura from leaking out.
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