The flame crackled in the oil lamp. Black lotus patterns were carved into the ceiling, which was supported by a dozen or so pillars, each three or four feet wide.
Chang Ping'an knelt rigidly on the icy green-brick floor, his whole body taut. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end with tension.
He kept his gaze lowered, not daring to look around.
All because the middle-aged man in a black robe with silver patterns was scrutinizing him with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.
"Your name is Chang Ping'an? A member of the Chang Household on Mysterious Constancy Island?"
A low voice suddenly broke the silence in the room.
The speaker was Qing An. He curled a finger and lightly tapped the jade paperweight on the table.
His dark iron wrist guard struck the jade paperweight with a crisp clink.
In that quiet space, the sound was like a summons to his death, making Chang Ping'an's heart clench.
The two "ink-black lotuses" embroidered on Qing An's chest rose and fell slightly with his breathing. An ordinary person would have felt chilled to the bone at a single glance.
Chang Ping'an hurried to answer, his voice full of humility. "My lord, I am indeed a member of the Chang Household on Mysterious Constancy Island."
"What business do you have? Why were you in such a hurry to see the dock manager?" Qing An's expression darkened, radiating an intimidating authority without any display of anger.
He had held the position of General Who Guards the North for twenty years, long since developing an imposing bearing and a steady temperament.
That was precisely why Lin Changsheng valued him and had promoted him to dock manager of the Demon Lotus Sect's branch on Mystic Lotus Island.
By now, Qing An's