Temporary Stay and the Two Hundred Thousand Gold Taels Delivered to the Door

Zane Shore had long grown used to living with enemies showing up at his door; any unfamiliar presence near his house, he could sense instantly. Nolan Dongling, the Ninth Royal Uncle, hadn't bothered to hide his tracks—if Zane couldn't spot him, he wasn't worthy of being called an assassin.

Zane blocked the doorway—he neither attacked nor let Nolan inside. Nolan said nothing, meeting Zane's gaze calmly, his inner urgency a stark contrast to his outward composure.

Nolan was used to such depth and silence, and so was Zane. The two stared at each other for ages without speaking, as if competing to see who had more patience.

Zane once went three whole months without uttering a single word, so he wasn't the least bit intimidated by Nolan. Besides, even if someone had to be anxious, it definitely wasn't him.

But when Nolan’s deep eyes turned cold and sharp, Zane suddenly felt as if his own bastard master was staring him down.

A chill ran through Zane, and he stopped this pointless contest with Nolan. Still unwilling to admit defeat, he flicked his gaze to Serena Feng and raised an eyebrow, asking, "So, is Nolan here to personally deliver two hundred thousand gold taels to me?"

Two hundred thousand gold taels—he was talking about Serena Feng, and about her life.

"Could you even afford it?" Nolan arched his sword-like brows—not showing a trace of killing intent, but Zane could tell Nolan hated him bringing up the subject.

Fine, if he didn’t want to talk, then so be it. Zane shrugged—he wasn’t one for small talk or cozying up to people. Nolan’s glare made it clear he wasn’t interested in chit-chat, and since anyone who came knocking must want something, Zane saw no need to lower himself.

Zane leaned lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed, waiting quietly for Nolan to state his business.

In the assassin world, no one called Serena Feng by her name; they all called her "the two hundred thousand gold taels." It was more provocative that way. If a familiar assassin ran into her, they'd ask, "Has the two hundred thousand gold taels died yet?" or "Where's that two hundred thousand gold taels?"

That shows just how much Serena Feng attracted the killers. If Nolan weren't around, Zane would've loved to cut off her head and claim the bounty.

Nolan understood Zane's character—this man lived for weapons and cared about nothing else. Playing to his interests, Nolan tossed him the pistol. "Serena and I need to stay here for a few days."

"Fine, no problem. Life or death isn't my concern." Zane grabbed the gun and immediately started examining it, oblivious as Nolan walked by carrying Serena—he didn't even notice them.

When Serena discovered this trait, she wondered how Zane had survived so long. Turns out, he's naturally sensitive to danger—a born assassin or bodyguard.

Nolan and Serena settled smoothly into Zane's compound, while the Brocade Guard spent days searching without finding any trace of them.

After all, anyone with any skill knew Serena was the number one bounty in the assassin world. No one would ever guess that Nolan would bring the wounded Serena to Zane's place—it was like sending a lamb into a tiger's den. But...

People were strange these days—Nolan dared to stay, and Zane actually didn't try to kill Serena. He let her recover in his house and eat his precious medicines like snacks.

To be honest, the mechanical maniac Zane had locked himself in his workshop for five days straight. That showed just how crazy he was about machines—he hadn't even clarified whether Nolan was giving him the gun or just lending it for a few days.

Truth be told, Zane lived pretty well in Lyndaria. Nolan and Serena stayed at his place for five days before the Brocade Guard finally started to get a clue.

When the Brocade Guard finally confirmed the news and prepared to act, they ran into Zane—eyes ringed with fatigue, red-eyed, thin, but bursting with energy, clutching the pistol he'd dismantled into pieces as he emerged from his workshop.

Zane was still riding his excitement, wanting to talk with Serena, the gun's owner, but discovered his house surrounded by Brocade Guards. Instantly, his face went cold and he unleashed his killing aura.

Zane's killer aura was the real deal—even the deputy commander, hardened by blood and darkness, couldn't help but shiver in the face of it. He forced himself forward: "Young Master Zuo, I'm just following orders—here to arrest fugitives. Please, Young Master Zuo, make things easier for us."

The other man was polite, but Zane didn't give him an inch: "Don't call me Young Master Zuo. If you want convenience, go find a latrine—just don't stink up my place."

He made it clear—no one was getting in to take anyone, at least not until he figured out how the pistol worked. Until then, Zane wouldn't let anyone harm Serena.

"Y-Young Master Zuo, Eastlyn's Ninth Royal Uncle has infiltrated our country with ill intent. The Emperor ordered the Brocade Guard to capture him. Please, Young Master Zuo, don't make this harder for me—I'm just following orders," the deputy commander pleaded miserably.

Others might not know, but the Brocade Guard did—Zane was the son of the Princess Royal and the Left Chancellor. The Princess Royal only had one child, and though she didn't acknowledge him, she doted on him. As for the Chancellor, whether out of respect for the Princess or genuine affection, he'd never treat Zane poorly.

Unfortunately, after Zane apprenticed under an assassin, he basically cut ties with Lyndaria. He didn't need to rely on it; in fact, Lyndaria needed him to kill people now and then.

Zane had no concept of royal authority or national loyalty, and the deputy commander's words only made him more impatient. He said coldly, "What's it got to do with me? Either get out of my place or fight your way in."

Assassins didn't care about countries—they only cared about money. Besides, what had Lyndaria ever given Zane, apart from a shadowy, illegitimate status?

"Young Master Zuo, I... I..." The deputy commander was nearly in tears. He couldn't beat Zane, and even if he could, he wouldn't dare strike—if Zane was hurt, neither the Princess Royal nor the Chancellor would let him off. He was just one of four deputy commanders, not the chief, and had no power to face down the Princess or Chancellor.

Zane didn't care about the man's pitiful look. Just because he ignored politics didn't mean he didn't know what was going on.

The Brocade Guard chief wanted to capture Nolan for credit; the emperor hadn't openly agreed, but he tacitly allowed it. Zane, however, understood Nolan and Serena far better than either the emperor or the Brocade Guard.

If those two hadn't wanted to be found, the Brocade Guard wouldn't have discovered a thing. Nolan, Serena, and William Wang left Eastlyn without anyone noticing, proving just how good they were at hiding their tracks.

Only these arrogant Brocade Guards thought that once Nolan reached Lyndaria, he was a tiger fallen to flatlands, easy prey for a pack of dogs.

Zane knew they wouldn't make a move for now, so he ignored the Brocade Guard and went straight to find Nolan and Serena.

The deputy commander wore a bitter face, not knowing what to do. He had no choice but to set up surveillance on Zane's place and send someone back for instructions.

Of course, Nolan and Serena knew what was happening outside. Watching Zane dismiss the Brocade Guard with a few cold words, Serena said, not all that sincerely, "I didn't expect Zane to have such status in Lyndaria."

"It's not about status—no one wants to offend Zane. Being targeted by a top assassin is terrifying. Zane's martial arts might not be the best, but his assassination skills are unmatched. If he marks you, it's like being marked by the King of Hell."

Bang! Zane kicked the door open, ignoring Serena and Nolan's conversation. He wasn't stupid—he knew the Brocade Guard didn't dare provoke him, and it wasn't because of his Princess mother.

If his Princess mother had truly cared, she wouldn't have dumped him on a servant and ignored him when assassins took him away. If he hadn't made a name for himself in recent years, she'd never have admitted he was her son.

"When are you two leaving?" Zane grumbled. The pair acted like they owned the place, living better than the actual owner.

"Whenever you give me back the pistol, we'll leave," Nolan replied, completely at ease.

"Give it back? Don't kid yourself. It's mine now—that's the price for staying here." Only now did Zane realize there'd been a misunderstanding; Nolan had never said he was giving the gun away.

Sinister! Zane's face, already sickly, now looked corpse-like—pale and menacing, with a gloomy aura that was truly frightening.

Nolan didn't care about Zane at all. He used a silver hairpin to offer candied fruit to Serena, raising an eyebrow: "Zane, maybe you're mistaken. I never said I was giving you the gun—just letting you hold onto it for a while. Isn't it about time you returned it?"

Nolan turned his palm up and reached out to Zane, demanding it outright.

Zane knew he'd lose any argument with Nolan, so he just threatened: "Nolan, don't think I won't kill you both."

Zane ground his teeth in frustration. He'd never met anyone so shameless—this was classic bridge-burning. He was used to tricking others, but today Nolan had tricked him.

If it came down to a fight to the death, Zane could easily kill Nolan and Serena—Nolan knew that. But it didn't mean he was afraid of Zane.

Nolan kept feeding Serena and said to Zane, "Zane, do you know the power of a Thunder Bomb?"

"Thunder Bomb? What are you planning?" Zane's heart skipped a beat—he realized Nolan had him by the throat. He glared hatefully at Nolan; Eastlyn's Ninth Royal Uncle threatened people just like an assassin—so despicable.

"Exactly what you think. You're tough, and I can't do much to you—but could your weapons lab withstand a Thunder Bomb?"

It was a threat—a naked, blatant threat. Nolan was threatening the thing Zane cared about most. Zane bristled, drawing his sword with a swish and pointing it at Nolan. "You dare!"

In an instant, the room's temperature dropped. Nolan and Serena knew that if they provoked Zane any further, he'd definitely try to kill them.

Still, they weren't about to give Zane the chance. Serena ignored the aura of death surrounding him and calmly wiped her mouth.

Nolan played the bad cop, so she'd play the good cop!

Today, they were determined to win Zane over.