Jin Buhuan, the city lord, was reading a spy report in his study.

“Sun Qingnian’s friend said he would think about it?” Jin Buhuan asked the spy kneeling before him.

“Yes, city lord. Those were his exact words.”

“What a sly little fox,” Jin Buhuan remarked. “This Han Wu must be special for Qingnian to speak of him with so much favor. Send someone to check his strength tomorrow.”

“Yes!” The spy made no move to leave.

Confused, Jin Buhuan asked, “Is there anything else to report?”

The spy raised his head to stare directly at Jin Buhuan. “I have questions about this whole situation.”

Jin Buhuan frowned at the spy. This spy was the most loyal of his men and had served him for decades.

Sighing, he asked, “What kind of question?”

“Those outsiders. Can they be trusted? Young lady Jin Tuantuan is a pearl in your palms, yet she’s married to those savages. I simply cannot agree to it. Those outsiders are weak. I’m certain that any guard on my team can easily defeat them. How can we possibly rely on them to bring glory back to Everlight City?”

Jin Buhuan’s frown deepened. The spy was not only unconvinced and unwilling but also hid a blazing ambition to take either Han Wu’s or Sun Qingnian’s places beneath all of that emotion.

“I understand. You can test Han Wu’s ability on your own tomorrow. I will give you a proper explanation if you win. But if you lose, you’ll have to bear the consequences.”

The spy’s expression turned incredulous. Jin Buhuan was essentially asking him to bet with his life, but there was an undeniable opportunity buried under that threat. A chance to take Han Wu's or even Sun Qingnian’s place.

“I understand!” the spy answered before retreating from the study.

Jin Buhuan sighed. “Ten years... It’s time to rotate someone new into his position.”

Nothing happened that night, but the next day, the spy changed into a guard’s uniform and forcefully barged into the courtyard where Han Wu and Qin Shuang were staying.

“Search everywhere!” he shouted the moment he barged in. “Search even the ground itself. Dig up the entire place!”

The commotion startled Han Wu and Qin Shuang. Walking out of their room, Han Wu asked, “What’s happening?”

The spy eyed Han Wu closely. “A thief entered the mansion and stole something invaluable. A guard saw the thief escape into this courtyard. I’ve received orders to search this place. Please do not obstruct us from carrying out our duty!”

Han Wu was upset. The tone of the guard made it clear that they weren’t so much here to find a thief as to treat them as criminals! Having been awake all night cultivating his Black Mountain Scripture, Han Wu was certain that this so-called thief hadn’t entered this courtyard at all. He could sense everything around him while cultivating, and had heard no one entering this place.

At that moment, a guard came running over. “I found the Aquadine in their room. It matches the description of the item reported to be stolen from the mansion!”

“Someone, come and capture these two thieves!” the spy ordered.

When the guards moved, Han Wu shouted, “I want to see who here dares to touch us!”

Since these guards were trying to frame him, he felt no need to be polite. The worst-case scenario was that they would offend the entirety of Everlight City, but as outsiders, this mattered little to Han Wu.

The spy scoffed. “The proof is here. You still want to add on to your crime by resisting arrest?"

Han Wu glanced over at the Aquadine that the guards had brought out. The room where he and Qin Shuang resided hadn’t had it before, but the guards had indeed taken it out of their room.

That could only mean someone had purposely planted it there to frame them. Luckily, Han Wu had a plan to counter this.

“Who said this was evidence?” Han Wu asked boldly. “Why are you taking my Aquadine?”

“Your Aquadine? This is the city lord’s Aquadine!” the spy shouted, having been the one to take it from the city lord’s vault in the first place.

“What do you mean it’s the city lord’s Aquadine? It’s mine,” Han Wu insisted, shifting his stance to snatch the Aquadine from the spy with the aid of the Freespirited Ape God. “You said that this is the city lord’s Aquadine? Do you have proof? If you can tell me the specific details of the Aquadine, I will admit that it’s the city lord’s.”

With that, Han Wu hid the Aquadine in his sleeves. Unbeknownst to those around him, he was secretly using his Small Locust Blade to quietly shave the Aquadine inside his sleeves.

Furious at Han Wu’s insolence, the spy rebuked, “And you dare call yourself innocent? Everyone here saw you take the Aquadine from my hands!”

“What do you mean?” Han Wu asked innocently. “I’m only taking back my Aquadine. If you think about it, you’re the real thief here, taking my Aquadine and claiming it as the city lord’s.”

Faced with Han Wu’s bewildering logic, the spy decided to stop wasting time and instead brandish his Divine Weapon.

“You want to play rough? Fine, let's see who’s afraid of who.” Han Wu smirked, summoning his twenty-one Small Locust Blades and surrounding the guards.

Han Wu chose not to kill them but instead directed the Small Locust Blades threateningly against the necks of the guards. If they moved, they would have their throats slit.

The spy was in shock. Han Wu’s control over the small blades was beyond belief. It was on a different level entirely. The spy felt as though he had brought a blade to a gun fight. Fearing for the guards’ lives, the spy stopped his act and called for Han Wu not to hurt anyone.

Han Wu scoffed. “You said that this Aquadine is the city lord’s. Do you have proof? If your description of the Aquadine is accurate, I will willingly surrender and get locked up.”

The spy had no choice but to describe the Aquadine’s roughness, even detailing the associated ore growing from the back. Fortunately, he had inspected the Aquadine when he had taken it out of the vault, so he knew what it looked like.

Han Wu wagged his finger. “No, you’re wrong. My Aquadine is triangular.”

“Triangular? That’s impossible! Do you really think I would be fooled by such an obvious lie?” the spy asked incredulously. The Aquadine had been in his hand not too long ago. How could he not know the shape?

Smiling widely, Han Wu revealed the Aquadine from his sleeve. It was clearly triangular.

“That—that’s not my—not the city lord’s Aquadine!” the spy shouted.

Han Wu chuckled. “Of course not. I already told you, it’s mine!”