The Price They Could Not Bear

A night passed.

Somewhere within the Secret Bureau.

Splash!

In one corner of the main hall, the sound of falling water rang out, tinkling and chiming. It was a small, exquisitely crafted rockery set within an enormous tray.

The flowers and trees had been pruned with neat elegance. At a glance, one could tell they were tended daily by careful hands.

Before the rockery stood a wooden table, and before the table—

There stood a tall, slender figure with excellent proportions, dressed in a black robe woven with subtle golden patterns. It was exceedingly luxurious, carrying an air of graceful nobility.

Merely from his back, one could sense an elegant, easygoing demeanor. He was a man.

Snip, snip...

The soft sounds of scissors rising and falling continued, while shredded petals and leaves drifted on the wind.

The man in black slowly pruned the branches, like a tranquil ink-wash painting.

"Flowers are like beauties—delicate, precious, and fragile. They must be cherished every day and tended with care before they can bloom in all their grace, slender and poised."

A faint note of appreciation entered Zhong Tinglan's voice. He shifted slightly aside, revealing a pot of brilliantly blooming flowers, trimmed to absolute perfection.

They blossomed on their own!

Zhong Tinglan stood quietly, lowering his gaze to admire the scene he had just created, his expression leisurely and serene.

Suddenly!

"Reporting to Lord Zhong, I have an urgent matter to report!"

A deep voice filled with shock and disbelief suddenly came from afar, rapidly drawing near. A tall figure rushed into the hall.

Watching the powerful gust scatter the floral scene before him into disarray, Zhong Tinglan's expression abruptly turned cold.

"He Yan, you have followed me for seven or eight years now, haven't you?"

His voice was very calm.

As though recalling something, He Yan suddenly went pale. Intense regret flashed through his eyes, and even his towering body trembled faintly.

"Yes, my lord." He Yan spoke through gritted teeth.

Then a ruthless gleam flashed through his eyes. He raised his right hand, turned it into a blade, and slashed it sideways toward his own left shoulder!

Whoosh!

But in the next instant, He Yan's vision blurred, and the right hand he had swung at his own arm was suddenly seized!

Zhong Tinglan had actually stopped He Yan from punishing himself.

And because of that, Zhong Tinglan revealed his true face as well—a fair, clean-featured face that looked to be a little over thirty, handsome and refined.

He possessed an even more distinctive aura.

The sort of person you would notice at first glance in any crowd.

It had to be said: he was an exceptionally charming man!

He was the acting deputy chief of the Secret Bureau, born into the Zhong Family of Fengtian.

The Zhong Family was a great clan, far beyond what the mere Ning Family could compare to.

Even among the Fengtian Aristocratic Houses, it ranked among the foremost families. Publicly known to reside within the family were more than five Innate Realm experts at the Three Flowers Crown the Summit stage.

"He Yan, you have always been steady and dependable. You handle matters with measured caution and have never overstepped your bounds. Yet today, for the first time, you have lost your composure like this. Something major must have happened!"

"In your urgency, it is understandable. There is no need for punishment."

As he spoke, Zhong Tinglan released He Yan's hand and smiled faintly.

He Yan was overwhelmed with emotion. He felt that the man he followed was broad-minded and reasonable, that he had not chosen the wrong person to serve. Gratitude flooded his heart!

"Speak. What is it?"

"Reporting to my lord, Miss Liu Qingni has captured the killer responsible for the murder at Purple Pavilion Manor yesterday. She has already beheaded him and is currently waiting in the front hall for verification!"

The moment these words left his mouth, Zhong Tinglan's smiling gaze sharpened.

He Yan cautiously raised his head and glanced at Zhong Tinglan.

After all, everyone in the Secret Bureau knew that Liu Qingni was Zhong Tinglan's fiancée. Both families belonged to the Fengtian Aristocratic Houses, and there had long been an unspoken intention to join them in marriage.

An unreadable look flashed through Zhong Tinglan's eyes as he slowly said,

"I heard that demon possessed the strength of a Qi Flower Innate Realm expert. Even Lan Kaishan of the Six Doors was defeated by him. Liu Qingni has not even reached the Innate Realm, so how could she have killed him?"

Hearing this, He Yan did not argue. He merely stood there awkwardly, not daring to speak.

He did not dare involve himself in the marriage arrangements between aristocratic families. One careless step, and he might die without even a whole corpse left behind.

"Forget it. Liu Qingni is not one to speak recklessly. Perhaps she mistook the man. Let us go take a look, lest our colleagues gossip in private and make us a laughingstock."

With that, he headed outside.

Ten breaths later.

In the Secret Bureau's main hall, Liu Qingni stood dressed in black, one hand behind her back and the other holding a severed head. She stood there calmly.

"Does handling a criminal really require this much time?"

She finally spoke, her voice tinged with impatience. Ever since arriving in the hall, the people handling the matter had been dragging their feet.

She did not need to think to know that they were waiting for her so-called fiancé to arrive.

Seeing this, Zhong Tinglan frowned slightly, but quickly returned to normal. He passed through the crowd, approached her, and said softly,

"Qingni, I heard you captured that demon."

Liu Qingni cast him a cold sidelong glance. "What, does such a trivial matter require the acting deputy chief to come in person?"

Apart from the mysterious chief, the Secret Bureau had four deputy chiefs, each overseeing affairs in the east, west, south, and north.

Every deputy chief was a consummate Innate Warrior at the Three Flowers Crown the Summit stage. Zhong Tinglan alone had secured the position through the Zhong Family's powerful influence. Yet so long as he failed to break through to Three Flowers Crown the Summit, the word "acting" above his title could not be removed.

"This is no trivial matter." Zhong Tinglan's expression did not change as he calmly said,

"It concerns the Sixth Prince. At present, much of the Six Doors' and the Secret Bureau's efforts are focused on hunting down that escaped demon."

"So there can be no carelessness in this matter!"

"Oh! In the end, you simply do not believe me!" Liu Qingni sneered.

"Qingni, you misunderstand. That is not what I mean. I merely fear that you have mistaken the suspect and will turn a great merit into a fiasco. I have no intention of doubting you."

Zhong Tinglan spoke calmly, the same gentle smile hanging on his face.

Liu Qingni's brows were like drifting smoke, her figure tall and poised. A black veil covered her face, concealing her true appearance.

Yet as she looked at the hypocritical man before her, her eyes displayed undisguised mockery.

"Have you pretended for so long that you have even forgotten your own true face?"

"Or do you think I do not know what kind of schemes you are plotting in your heart?"

Zhong Tinglan stood quietly with his hands behind his back, a trace of darkness passing through his eyes.

"Qingni, I do not know what misunderstanding you have toward me. But you are the fiancée bound to me by marriage agreement. I hope that, outside, you will not disgrace either of our families."

"What marriage agreement? What honor?" Liu Qingni replied blandly.

"Do you truly think I care about the Liu Family, or your Zhong Family? Or do you think I would acknowledge some marriage agreement between our families?"

She disdained even acknowledging the family-arranged marriage, much less being anyone's fiancée.

If she had not caught the chief's eye because of Su Yueji, would these marriage agreements not be utterly laughable?

She did not wish to waste any more words. With a casual motion, she tossed down the head in her hand. The next moment, its face was revealed before everyone.

The Secret Bureau's many agents looked over. Before long, cries of surprise erupted one after another.

They had indeed recognized Yan Shengheng. Some even stepped forward to examine him. Though dead, he still retained traces of Innate Realm aura.

Zhong Tinglan quietly swept his gaze over him. His eyes shifted for an instant before returning to calm.

The atmosphere in the air seemed to gradually congeal.

Liu Qingni stood to one side with her arms folded, likewise saying nothing.

She merely watched as shock, disbelief, admiration, and all manner of emotions appeared on the faces of her suddenly silent colleagues.

This feeling truly was addictive.

"No wonder people often say that if someone practices profound martial arts but does not use them to show off, it is utterly meaningless."

Before this,

She seemed to have been watching Su Qingyang show off all along.

Mm!

He was a Blood Refining Grandmaster. That was not called showing off—it was simply effortless and natural!!!

Now, Liu Qingni finally understood this feeling deeply.

Even if Yan Shengheng had not truly been killed by her, Su Qingyang had said she could deal with him as she pleased. So what was wrong with borrowing the criminal he had delivered to claim some credit and hold her head a little higher?

"Liu Qingni, how did you do it?"

At last, someone broke the silence and asked Liu Qingni.

Zhong Tinglan also turned his gaze slightly toward her.

Liu Qingni shook her head without explaining. She merely looked at Zhong Tinglan and sneered,

"What you cannot accomplish, someone naturally can. In any case, I have brought the criminal here. Not a bit of the credit due to me is to be left off the record."

With that, she turned to leave. But halfway there, she suddenly stopped again.

"Oh, there is one more thing."

Liu Qingni looked back at Zhong Tinglan and said coldly,

"I do not acknowledge the marriage between us. Therefore, I hope I will not hear you using that marriage agreement again."

"And Zhong Tinglan, let me give you a piece of advice. You would do well to abandon those petty schemes you should not have. Some people will soon return to the imperial capital. If the Zhong Family insists on going its own way, I fear you will not be able to bear the price."

The instant her words fell, all warmth vanished from Zhong Tinglan's eyes, and a flash of bone-piercing chill passed through them.