Faced with Qian’er’s probing questions, Mu Feng showed no sign of suspicion. Instead, he grew increasingly smug, treating the interrogation as an opportunity to boast to a beautiful woman.

“It was simple. Child’s play, really!”

Mu Feng waved his hand dismissively. “I had the Lieutenant Colonel arrest a few members of the Zhuo Family. We applied a little… pressure. Torture, threats, promises of wealth. Once we broke them, they were willing to say whatever we wanted them to say.”

He sneered, his expression twisting with arrogance. “They should have looked in the mirror before provoking me. Hmph! Trying to fight me? They’re still too green!”

Hearing this, Qian’er felt a chill run down her spine. The casual cruelty in his voice was terrifying.

In the adjacent room.

Han Lie and Qin Lianyi exchanged a knowing glance.

The confession was exactly what they expected, but hearing it from Mu Feng’s own mouth changed everything. The Recording Jade floating between them hummed softly, capturing every syllable.

It was no exaggeration to say that with this “testimony,” the Zhuo Family’s crisis was already half-resolved. But Han Lie wasn’t satisfied with a draw. He wanted a checkmate.

Back in the bedroom.

After suppressing her fear, Qian’er moved behind Mu Feng. She placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging him gently while wearing an expression of pure worship.

“After all, Young Master Mu’s father is the Minister of War of our Great Qin Dynasty,” she cooed, her voice dripping with honey. “In terms of power, aside from the Son of Heaven himself, the Mu Family stands above all! A tiny Zhuo Family… aren’t they just ants for you to crush?”

“Hahahaha! Miss Qian’er’s mouth is as sweet as ever!”

Mu Feng, intoxicated by both the drug and the flattery, laughed uproariously. “This Young Master is pleased! A reward!”

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a pouch containing ten thousand Spirit Stones onto the table.

Qian’er didn’t hesitate. She swept the stones into her sleeve with practiced ease. Seizing the momentum of his good mood, she leaned in close, her breath tickling his ear.

“Thank you for the reward, Young Master. If this humble girl may speak freely… Young Master is young, accomplished, and possesses peerless talent. Why stop at being a Young Master?”

She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “With your ability, sitting on the throne as the Son of Heaven… it wouldn’t be impossible, would it?”

“Audacious!”

Mu Feng barked, his body stiffening. The sudden shout made Qian’er recoil, shrinking her neck in fear.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Young Master!” she stammered, bowing her head. “This humble girl spoke without thinking! Please, I beg you not to take it to heart!”

Mu Feng snorted coldly, his eyes narrowing. “Do you know how treasonous those words are? It’s fine to whisper such things in here, but if you dared speak that nonsense outside, not even the Heavenly Emperor could save you from execution!”

“Yes, yes… this humble girl is ignorant. Please calm your anger, Young Master. I promise I will never speak recklessly again!”

Next door.

Han Lie and Qin Lianyi frowned, disappointment flashing in their eyes.

It seemed the current Emperor of Great Qin still commanded immense fear and authority. Even an arrogant scion like Mu Feng didn’t dare to vocalize thoughts of usurpation.

However!

Just as they were about to give up on that angle, Mu Feng’s voice drifted through the wall again. He had finished reprimanding Qian’er, but his tone suddenly shifted.

“However… what you said does hold some truth.”

Mu Feng leaned back, a manic glint in his drugged eyes. “A true man stands between Heaven and Earth. If one is to live, one should aim to be the highest, the most powerful, the absolute ruler!”

He clenched his fist, staring at it as if he held the world. “With my aptitude, I will eventually become a heaven-reaching powerhouse. When that day comes… the position of the Great Qin Emperor? Wouldn’t it be as easy as reaching into a pocket to take an object?”

The moment those words left his lips, Han Lie and Qin Lianyi shared a dark, victorious smile.

It didn’t matter if the Minister of War was actually planning a rebellion. As long as his son harbored such thoughts—and voiced them—they had enough ammunition to ignite a political firestorm.

The Recording Jade pulsed one final time, locking the evidence away.

“Young Master Mu is the reincarnation of a Great Emperor, a dragon among men!” Qian’er chimed in, quickly adapting to his mood. “This humble girl believes that day is not far off! If that day truly comes, I wonder… could you grant this humble girl the title of Imperial Concubine?”

“Hahahaha! As long as you serve this Young Master well tonight, everything is negotiable!”

Mu Feng roared with laughter. He wrapped an arm around Qian’er’s slender waist and pulled her toward the bed, intending to engage in some passionate ‘biological research’ on the origin of life.

But Han Lie had no intention of letting Mu Feng enjoy his reward.

The fish had taken the bait. It was time to reel it in.

“Young Master Mu Feng,” a cold voice cut through the heated atmosphere. “Perhaps you should save your dreams of becoming Emperor for your next life?”

Creak.

The hidden door to the suite swung open. Han Lie walked in, Qin Lianyi at his side.

When that voice hit Mu Feng’s ears, his body trembled violently. His heart skipped a beat, and his lungs seized.

“Qin Lianyi?!”

Mu Feng’s eyes bulged as they landed on the man beside her. “And you…? You’re Han Lie!?”

The shock of seeing his enemies in his private sanctuary was like a bucket of ice water. Intense fear overrode the effects of the Truth Serum. Memories of his bold, treasonous confession flooded back to him.

Mu Feng’s vision went black for a second. The sky had collapsed.

“Long time no see, Young Master Mu,” Han Lie grinned, his tone dripping with mockery. “You gave me such a generous gift the moment I arrived. I’m truly flattered.”

Mu Feng was not stupid. Even in his panic, he instantly pieced together the sequence of events. The questions. The wine. The confession.

“You bitch!”

Mu Feng turned on Qian’er, his eyes bloodshot and murderous. “You dared to set a trap for me?!”

Qian’er shrieked and scrambled into the corner, her face pale. “Young Master Mu, don’t blame me! You forced me into this!”

“Ungrateful wretch! I spent a fortune on you, and this is how you repay me?!”

Mu Feng roared, his spiritual energy exploding outward. He struck like a bolt of lightning, aiming to chop Qian’er into mincemeat before dealing with the others.

Killing her wouldn’t be enough to quell his rage—he wanted to shred her soul!

Crack!

Han Lie simply raised his hand and gently clenched his fingers.

The space around Mu Feng instantly collapsed. Invisible walls slammed down, forming a spatial prison that locked him in place. Mu Feng froze mid-strike, unable to move a single muscle, like an insect trapped in amber.

“Hehe. Miss Qian’er is my star witness,” Han Lie said casually, strolling forward. “How could I let you kill her so easily, Young Master Mu?”

“Spatial… Spatial Power?!”

Mu Feng struggled with all his might, burning his blood essence to break free, but the prison didn’t even tremble. He looked at Han Lie, and the rage in his eyes was replaced by a tidal wave of terror and disbelief.

“You… you’ve already reached the Nascent Soul stage?!”

His mind reeled back ten years.

Back then, Han Lie was only at the mid-Golden Core stage. Mu Feng, a prodigy of the capital, had possessed a cultivation base higher than Han Lie’s.

Ten short years. That was all it had been.

Mu Feng himself had not yet broken through to the Perfection of the Golden Core stage. Yet Han Lie—the man he had looked down upon—had already proved his Dao and birthed a Nascent Soul, stepping into the ranks of the true powerhouses of the realm!

Suddenly, the weight of Han Lie’s words from two years ago at the Zhuo residence crashed down on him.

Two years for Golden Core. Ten years for Nascent Soul.

It hadn’t been a boast. It was a prophecy.

Such terrifying cultivation speed was unheard of. It was earth-shattering.

Han Lie flashed a bright, predatory smile, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. “Young Master Mu… don’t tell me you’re still stuck at the late Golden Core stage? Should I call you trash? Or just a useless rice bucket?”

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

Staring at Han Lie’s young, handsome face, Mu Feng felt his sanity fracturing.

He had always prided himself on being the top genius of the Great Qin Dynasty. But standing before Han Lie, he realized he was nothing but the faint glow of a firefly trying to outshine the bright moon.

In that moment, under the crushing weight of spatial pressure and undeniable reality, Mu Feng’s pride, confidence, and ego were ground into dust.