On a stormy night like this, he believed his own abilities would be enough to slip out.
Clang, clang, clang...
The sound of a Golden Gong from who knew where startled Marquis Wu awake from his nightmare.
Lately, he had been sleeping poorly. He struggled to fall asleep, dreamed often, and those dreams were usually nightmares.
Just now, he had dreamed of a great hall where the father he had murdered and many long-dead ministers had gathered to drink and make merry. They had even said they would return and execute him, their unfilial son...
However, countless Flames had descended from the sky and burned everything to flying ash. Just as the Flames were about to reach him, Marquis Wu jolted awake.
He sat up in bed, still caught in the nightmare. A long while passed before he fully came to his senses.
"Where is that Golden Gong coming from..." Marquis Wu's heart gave a violent squeeze, as though someone had gripped it in their fist.
The gong would never be sounded at the residence without good reason. In all his years, he had heard it only once before.
And that had been the night he led troops into the residence to murder his father and seize his title!
He still remembered hearing the Golden Gong's alarm that night. Amid his fear, he had felt a surge of triumphant ambition.
But hearing it again tonight set his heart pounding. Had someone launched a coup and fought their way into Marquis Wu's Residence?
Boom! Crack!
A thunderclap seemed to explode right above the roof beams, turning the whole room white. The window flew open under a sudden gust, and wind and rain poured into the chamber, blowing out more than half the candles along the walls.
The remaining flames flickered and