Chen Ran rested his hand on the tabletop, tapping his fingertips lightly against it with a soft drumming sound. "I hope so, General Chen." Chen Ran turned his face to the side, his tone tinged with amusement.
General Chen seemed not to notice the oddity in Chen Ran's tone. His gaze remained sincere and resolute.
A dull thudding of footsteps came from the hallway. Though heavy, they were fast, a strange mix of sensations that stirred an inexplicable unease.
"Bang!"
The wooden door was shoved open, and a figure cloaked in gray burst into the room. "I can understand you cleaning up the Execution Department, but why destroy the Xi Family?" the Candle Bearer demanded angrily.
The man the Candle Bearer was glaring at sat behind a massive desk. The room was dark, and only a blurry silhouette could be made out, giving him an unreal appearance.
"The Xi Family was secretly conspiring with that old bastard from Mount Luoyun, intending to act as the military's inside man among us. I had no choice but to eliminate them." The man raised his head. His voice was surprisingly young, at odds with his demeanor.
"The Xi Family is one of the thirteen great families, no matter how you look at it. By going after them, you've broken the rules, and it'll bring disaster down on you!" The Candle Bearer clenched both fists. If anyone else had been sitting across from him, he would have attacked outright.
But he couldn't do that to this man. After all, his identity was...
"Hee hee hee..." A shrill giggle rang out at the most inappropriate moment.
The Candle Bearer whirled around and shouted, "Who's there?!"
An old-fashioned desk lamp flickered to life, revealing several figures on the sofa. A beautiful woman covered her mouth