An Understated Dominance

The vehicle sped down the road. It took over an hour from the airport before they finally arrived at the origin of the outbreak --- Yangliu Village . Yangliu Village was located on the outskirts of Pucheng, adjacent to Wugang City, with a population of around two to three hundred people. The entire village was now under lockdown. All villagers were ordered to remain in their homes and cooperate with the investigation. As for the twenty-three people infected by the plague, they had been isolated together under strict military supervision to prevent any accidents. By the time Dustin and Margaret arrived at Yangliu Village, it was already 9:30 p.m. Their vehicle stopped in front of a two-story house with a courtyard. Surveillance cameras had been temporarily installed around the house, and a squad of soldiers stood guard, each one wearing a gas mask. Every person entering or exiting had to go through disinfection procedures. The containment measures were tight. “Boss, ...

“The White Bone Sect is pure evil. They use human lives as sacrifices and dwell among death. Wherever they go, they leave devastation in their wake. Thirty years ago, they were at the height of their power --- hundreds of core members and over ten thousand followers. All of them practiced dark sorcery, creating widespread harm. Back then, they nearly seized control of the entire Southern Xinjiang, threatening the very foundation of the nation. It was my royal grandfather who gave the order. My father then led an army of two hundred thousand to launch a massive campaign. After three months of relentless battle, the White Bone Sect was finally wiped out. Afterward, my father established a specialized intelligence and assassination unit to hunt down any remaining members of the sect. It took several more years to completely uproot their remnants. I always thought the White Bone Sect had been thoroughly exterminated. I never imagined that after thirty years, these evil fanatics...

In the afternoon, inside a private room at the Sun & Moon Tower --- Just as Margaret had predicted, after dealing with Wenxing in the morning, Guanglong appeared at noon. And now, in the afternoon, it was Juntang’s turn. Three of the most powerful royal princes had each come to visit her one after another in a single day. Wenxing wanted her to investigate the mastermind. Guanglong was probing whether she was the mastermind. As for Juntang, he was testing whether she had some powerful figure backing her. They all shared similar intentions, just with different focuses. Margaret could only resort to vague, evasive responses to buy time, avoiding giving a definite answer. After all, this kind of thing couldn’t be admitted openly. Otherwise, even more trouble would surely follow. Of course, she also understood that no matter how tightly they locked down information, some word would eventually leak out over time. In a few more days, those three princes would likely have p...

After getting into the car, Li Juntang headed straight to the royal Spanner family. His mother, Consort Spanner, was a direct descendant of the Spanner royal line. The Spanner family’s power in Stonia was by no means inferior to that of the Prince Montgomery’s household --- perhaps even stronger by a margin. The head of the Spanner family, Guodong Spanner, was his uncle. Twenty years ago, he was a hero proficient in both civil and military affairs. Though retired now, Guodong Spanner had two extremely outstanding children. His son was the Military God, Adam Spanner, and his daughter, the War Goddess, Scarlet Spanner. Both were unparalleled prodigies of their time, wielding immense military power and with limitless futures ahead. It was precisely the presence of these two exceptional talents that allowed the Spanner family to flourish like never before, even overshadowing the Prince Montgomery’s influence. With the backing of the Spanner family, Li Juntang had the confid...

“Mark, you’re a smart man --- both learned and skilled in war. Your future is limitless.” “From now on, all my power and assets will be handed over to you.” “You’re already capable of leading on your own. I trust you know what should and shouldn’t be done.” “I’m getting old. There’s not much more I can do to help you. I just have one piece of advice.” “Think thrice before you act. Don’t let your cleverness backfire. Understand?” Eugene Montgomery looked at his adopted son, giving heartfelt words of wisdom. “I will always remember your teachings, foster father!” Mark Montgomery cupped his fists in a salute. “Alright, go make the arrangements. I’ll play along with your ‘wounded pride’ act. From here on, the road is yours to walk.” Eugene Montgomery waved him off. “I will not let you down, Father!” Mark Montgomery gave a deep bow and turned to leave. But just as he stepped outside the gates, a cold sneer crept onto his face. Though he was known throughout Stonia as...

At that thought, a chill ran down Li Guanglong’s spine. If the mastermind behind all this was truly Margaret , then the situation was far more serious than he imagined. Because Margaret had always been a staunch monarchist, known for staying out of court politics. For her to suddenly make a move --- and cause such a commotion --- something was clearly off. What was she after? Or… could it be that she had already chosen a side? Did she know the Emperor didn’t have long to live, and was now laying the groundwork for her own future? The more Li Guanglong thought about it, the more alarmed and uneasy he became. Margaret controlled one of the most powerful intelligence networks in the empire. She could easily cut off all his sources of information, leaving him completely blind and deaf. If that happened, he’d be at a disadvantage before the crown prince battle even officially began. “You’ve always focused your gaze on the princes, treating them as enemies --- competing and...

Around midday, inside Prince Eugene Montgomery’s residence. After lunch, Prince Eugene was in the garden enjoying tea and reading a book. Suddenly, a trusted aide came to report, “My lord, the Second Prince has come to visit.” “Invite him in,” Eugene nodded, showing no surprise, as if he had anticipated it. “Yes, sir.” The aide responded and quickly left. Moments later, Li Guanglong stormed into the rear garden. “Uncle Eugene! Something huge happened in the capital last night!” Even before sitting down, Li Guanglong couldn’t wait to speak. “What matter could make Your Highness this anxious?” Eugene set down his book, smiling calmly. “A number of underground forces led by the Pantheon were completely uprooted last night --- my own interests suffered considerable damage as well!” Li Guanglong said gravely, “The worst part is, this all happened so suddenly. I didn’t receive even a hint beforehand, and after all my investigations, I’ve come up with nothing. I have no ...