He Is Dead

Thousand Faces clutched his head and let out a pained howl, blood-tears streaming from his eyes. His mind had already been shattered.

"Chen Guan, how is it?"

An Changqing's voice came through. He had temporarily driven back Liu Chengjun, urgency written across his face.

Chen Guan shook his head. He looked at Liu Chengjun—by now, he already knew this really wasn't that man's doing.

He spoke, his voice carrying clearly to everyone present.

"The one who hired him isn't Liu Chengjun."

Liu Chengjun let out a cold snort and paused his attack. "Took you long enough to figure that out."

Liu Feiyu also halted. "If it wasn't you, then why didn't you say so? Do you enjoy being a scapegoat?"

"Would you have believed me if I had?" Liu Chengjun gave his younger brother a flat look.

He knew exactly what kind of reputation he had.

Liu Feiyu was left speechless. No, he wouldn't have believed it.

Because this wasn't the first time Liu Chengjun had done something like this. He had long since stopped expecting anything from that man.

In this family, the name Liu Chengjun had long been synonymous with schemes and conspiracies.

Just as the tense standoff threatened to ignite a fresh round of mutual suspicion, An Changqing stepped forward, placing himself at the center of everyone.

"Everyone, I don't think now is the time for infighting."

His face still wore that same warm smile, as if the deadly clash moments ago had merely been a misunderstanding.

"Behind Thousand Faces, there's a true mastermind still lurking in the shadows."

An Changqing's gaze swept across Liu Chengjun and Liu Feiyu, finally landing on the human-shaped hole smashed into the wall.

"Until we find him, any one of us acting alone could become the next target."

He paused, then spoke in a sincere tone of suggestion: "Why don't we call a temporary truce?"

"Our first priority is to open that study and confirm Chairman Liu's safety."

With those words, An Changqing skillfully pulled the conversation back, turning himself and the others from suspects into the initiators of a joint investigation.

Liu Chengjun stared at him coldly, offering no reply.

An Changqing's proposal seemed fair on the surface, but in truth, he was seizing control of this chaotic situation.

Only... he had no choice.

"Fine."

Liu Chengjun spat out two words, a grudging agreement to the truce.

But he immediately added, "That suspicious character over there—must be watched by the Liu family."

His gaze shifted to Thousand Faces, still unconscious in the corner. The implication was clear: he intended to hold onto the only lead.

"Of course."

An Changqing's smile didn't waver. He agreed readily, as if that was exactly what he wanted.

He went along with Liu Chengjun's words.

"Since Young Master Liu has also agreed to the joint investigation, our first step should naturally be opening the hidden chamber to confirm Chairman Liu's safety."

An Changqing's gaze landed on Liu Chengjun once more, his tone light.

"Young Master Liu, surely you can now admit that you have a way to open that door without resorting to force."

The air went quiet again.

Liu Feiyu's gaze turned sharp, fixed on his elder brother.

Long Ao and Hong Yuan also snapped to attention, looking at Liu Chengjun with undisguised contempt.

All eyes converged on Liu Chengjun, a barrage of looks he couldn't escape.

The composed mask he wore finally cracked, a faint fissure appearing.

Liu Chengjun's face darkened, his jaw clenched tight.

He knew An Changqing had outmaneuvered him.

If he admitted it, he'd confirm he'd been putting on an act all along—his image as a devoted son would crumble completely.

If he denied it, the first step of the joint investigation would fail, and the blame for the impasse would fall on him.

He let out a cold snort and ultimately chose the former.

"Someone."

Liu Chengjun called toward the door. Let it crumble—it already was a ruin anyway.

A guard hurried in and bowed respectfully.

"Bring the key."

The guard didn't dare ask questions. He turned and left immediately, returning shortly with a precision metal case, which he presented to Liu Chengjun with both hands.

Liu Chengjun took the case without even glancing at An Changqing again, striding directly toward the study.

Everything was said without words.

Liu Feiyu's earlier intel had been confirmed in full by Liu Chengjun's own actions.

Chen Guan stood at the back of the group, watching the bullet comments only he could see explode in a frenzy.

[The filial son finally admitted it.]

[HAHAHAHA, that slap to the face. Loud and clear, I can hear it from here.]

[Xiao An's a beast. A few words, and he pulled the rug out from under him. Total power grab.]

[This is way more entertaining than just brawling.]

[All the pressure is on the hidden chamber now. Hope the old Liu isn't actually dead.]

Chen Guan scanned the comments. Looked like the audience had no clue about the real culprit either.

In his mind, Baal's voice rang out.

"You really think opening that door gives you answers?"

Baal chuckled with the glee of someone watching a good show.

"Heh heh heh. The real show's just beginning. Don't let your guard down, boy. This will be a problem on par with Baal himself."

"After all... the Third One has his hands in this one personally."

...

The group gathered once again before that heavy alloy door.

This time, the atmosphere was heavier than ever before.

Liu Chengjun opened the metal case with a blank expression. Inside lay an instrument of staggering complexity, covered in buttons and ports.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he pressed the device into a hidden recess on the door panel and began keying in a long string of intricate commands.

Click.

A single soft sound.

From within the door came the deep whir of machinery, a muffled rumble that grew layer by layer.

Click, clack, click, clack.

One after another, dull metallic reports echoed from inside the door.

Each sound wound the tension in the room one notch tighter.

Everyone's breathing unconsciously slowed, eyes locked on that door.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, all the mechanical sounds ceased.

With a low hum, the impenetrable alloy door slowly swung inward, opening a crack.

The instant the gap appeared—

A thick stench of blood, laced with biting cold, seeped out through the seam.

The moment the smell hit them, everyone's face turned deathly pale.

If nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected was about to happen.

Long Ao was the first to snap out of it. He cursed under his breath, his massive frame shoving through the crowd, lunging forward to force the alloy door open with all his strength.

The scene beyond brought the whole world to silence.

Inside the study, Liu Tiancheng sat slumped in his favorite leather executive chair.

His eyes were bulging, his pupils filled with an undissolved terror.

An ancient sword pierced straight through the center of his chest, its blood-flecked tip buried deep into the chair's backrest, pinning him to the throne of power.

He was dead.

"Father!"

Liu Chengjun's roar carried a genuine tremble for the first time. The color drained from his face completely. That eternally cold mask finally shattered—leaving only raw, unfiltered loss.