「The Cloaked Stranger… could it be the Ghost Physician Venerable?」
Sun Qian's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stared at Qi Wei's account on the Villain Simulator interface. The name of that Heavenly Realm powerhouse popped into his mind instantly.
To effortlessly defeat Sun Zhong—a Seventh-Rank Saint Realm cultivator—and Ye Fan, the cheat-powered Child of Destiny…
No one in the entire Magic City could pull that off.
Only a true Heavenly Realm powerhouse had such terrifying strength.
Looking at the timeline, there was only one suspect: that eunuch-like monster who'd appeared in his last simulation—the Ghost Physician Venerable.
Clearly, the mastermind lurking within the Qianyuan Imperial Family was growing impatient!
Li Yang dead, the Li Family Ancestor crippled, the assassination plot foiled… The mastermind must have grown disappointed with the Li Family, suspecting that Sun Qian knew too much.
What's more, Sun Qian had won over Qi Wei, the Deputy Director, seizing control of part of Magic City's armed forces. Holing up in the Century Hotel had made it nearly impossible for the mastermind to mobilize local forces against him.
In the end, they'd had to call in a Heavenly Realm heavyweight.
Yet that Cloaked Stranger hadn't shown his hand right away. He'd lingered in the shadows, as if hesitating—afraid of something.
If not for Ye Fan, the Child of Destiny, barging in and ruining their plans, the Cloaked Stranger would've never revealed himself.
「And this attack—there's something fishy about the Magic City Administration Headquarters too. They pulled most of Qi Wei's men away right before the assault!」
「I can't believe the mastermind has infiltrated even the Administration Headquarters!」
Listening to Qi Wei's words, you realized the mastermind's forces had likely invited the Ghost Physician Venerable to Magic City—and that the Administration Headquarters was rotten to the core.
Only one person in the entire city had the authority to override Qi Wei's orders and withdraw his troops right before a battle.
His direct superior—the Director of the Magic City Security Administration.
「Young Master Sun, I suspect Director Shen Zhong is in cahoots with the Li Family!」 Qi Wei didn't beat around the bush, voicing his suspicions bluntly.
「Explain.」 You'd already suspected Shen Zhong was corrupt, but a flicker of doubt lingered in your mind. Could this be a power play by Qi Wei—using the chaos to eliminate his superior and seize the top spot?
You simply didn't have enough information to confirm or deny it.
「Young Master Sun, after I was gravely injured in the attack, I was ordered to recuperate at home. But all my trusted men were reassigned, replaced with outsiders. It's a blatant attempt to strip me of my power.」
「Naturally, I didn't sit idly by. I had my loyalists in the Administration dig into the matter. The order to withdraw my troops before the attack came directly from Director Shen Zhong himself.」
「After the attack, Senior Sun Zhong fell into a coma. I tried to send him to the hospital for treatment, but Shen Zhong blocked me, claiming 'higher-ups had other arrangements.' He had Senior Sun Zhong forcibly taken away…」
「And most importantly—Shen Zhong has been secretly hosting a highly important guest these past few days. I believe that guest is none other than the Cloaked Stranger.」
Your expression turned icy as you listened to Qi Wei's words. There was no longer any room for doubt—Shen Zhong was definitely a mole for the mastermind's forces.
First, he'd stabbed Qi Wei in the back by stripping him of his troops. Then he'd seized the comatose Sun Zhong. And now he was consorting with the Cloaked Stranger…
It was practically a confession.
Though rage boiled in your heart, your face remained calm as still water. You pressed further: 「I see Shen Zhong is a traitor. Now tell me—what's this about the Li Family?」
At this, Qi Wei fell silent, his shoulders slumping. After a long pause, he spoke slowly: 「The reason I was gravely injured… it was the Li Family's Jade Ruyi. That Royal Artifact suddenly exploded at the height of the battle.」
You felt a twinge of awkwardness as you listened to Qi Wei's halting explanation. Who would've thought your hunch had been right—the Jade Ruyi the Li Family had gifted you was a bomb.
You'd passed it off to Qi Wei on a whim to cover your tracks, never expecting it would actually backfire and injure him.
But having lived two lifetimes, you were a master of the art of cunning and ruthlessness. You put on a furious expression and slammed your fist into your palm.
「The Li Family has some nerve! Qi Wei, rest assured—I will make them pay for this. An eye for an eye.」
「The Sun Family does not suffer such insults lightly. Let me be clear—I came to Magic City carrying a top-secret order from the family. I can't disclose the details, but…」
「I've already contacted the clan. In a few days, Sun Family powerhouses will arrive in Magic City to clean house and settle accounts with these traitors.」
Though you'd completely lost contact with the Sun Family, your voice was brimming with confidence, not a hint of panic in your tone.
You understood human nature all too well.
The only reason Qi Wei remained so "loyal" and "obedient" was because of the Sun Family's immense power—the mountain he was leaning on.
If he ever found out the Sun Family itself was in trouble…
Human nature was not something you could gamble on.
「Once the clan elders arrive, Magic City will be turned upside down. And when that happens, your position as Deputy Director can be… adjusted.」
「Deputy Director? That title doesn't suit you. How does Director sound instead?」
With a casual smile, you dangled a huge carrot in front of him—and Qi Wei nearly burst with excitement on the spot.
「Young Master Sun! You… you've given me the greatest honor imaginable! I swear, from this day forth, I, Qi Wei, will follow you to the ends of the earth!」
「Ah, right! Young Master Sun—before Senior Sun Zhong fell into a coma, he gave me a sealed letter. He said if anything happened to him, I must deliver it into your own hands.」 Overwhelmed with gratitude, Qi Wei suddenly remembered something. He fumbled around and pulled out a sealed envelope from his pocket.
You didn't reach for it right away. Instead, you fixed him with a meaningful gaze, your eyes sharp as a blade.
You knew exactly why he hadn't mentioned the letter earlier. If you hadn't dangled the Director's position in front of him—if you hadn't promised him power—he would've hidden this letter forever.
Qi Wei squirmed under your intense stare, unable to meet your eyes. He quickly lowered his head, his face flushing with embarrassment.
「I'll let this slide. But it better not happen again.」
Your voice was calm, no trace of anger in it.
Everyone had their own selfish motives—it was only human.
Besides, even though Qi Wei had been stripped of his power, he still had loyalists embedded in the Administration. He could still gather intelligence for you—making him far too useful to discard.
A little warning was more than enough.
「Prepare a room for me. I need to rest.」
「Right away, Young Master Sun!」
You entered the room Qi Wei had arranged for you, then closed the door and locked it tightly. Only then did you examine the letter Sun Zhong had left behind.
It was sealed with a special Sun Family technique. Without using the correct method to open it, any attempt to force it would trigger a restriction, burning the letter to ashes in an instant.
After confirming Qi Wei hadn't tampered with or peeked at the letter, you unsealed it carefully, curiosity gnawing at you. What could be so important that Sun Zhong had gone to such lengths to leave it for you?
Whoosh!
The letter unfolded in your hands.
The first line made your blood run cold.
「Young Master Sun, if you are reading this letter, I am already dead…」