Chapter 31: The Fear of People Seeking Power in Politics

Not long after, the Terrorfolk seemed impatient and flew directly toward a certain residence. Judging by its imposing walls, which resembled those of a fortress, this must have belonged to a prominent figure, much like the Liu estate. Only now did Zhang Desen realize that every household with some wealth had walls built like city ramparts—a detail that puzzled him.

Soon, Zhang Desen learned from a nearby retainer that this was the home of Qian, the Deputy Minister, also known as the residence of Qian Junior. As expected, the Terrorfolk began engaging directly with the Qian family.

What Zhang Desen could not fathom was how the Terrorfolk approached the Qian estate so openly—were they not afraid their movements might be exposed? After all, many eyes watched from all around. Did these Terrorfolk not fear troubles beyond their control? Yet Zhang Desen had no intention of meddling further.

At that moment, Zhao Chengming came looking for Zhang Desen, saying that Master Liu wished to see him. Zhang Desen immediately followed Zhao Chengming toward Liu’s quarters.

But halfway there, he saw Hu Tu—whom he had encountered before—approaching with a group of men. Zhang Desen said nothing, intent on proceeding with Zhao Chengming. Suddenly, Hu Tu blocked his path and spoke:

“Listen, boy. I don’t care who you are, just stay away from Miss Liu in the future. Otherwise, you know exactly what the consequences will be.”

Zhang Desen was about to reply, but Zhao Chengming spoke first:

“Deputy Chief Hu, are you not aware that Brother Desen is one of our own? I’m right here, and yet you dare behave so outrageously in front of me…”

Hu Tu retorted:

“Chief Zhao, you’d better think carefully. This man only just entered the household and is already trying to entice the master’s daughter. Clearly, he has bad intentions. And you, as the chief retainer, simply let it happen?”

Then Hu Tu placed his hand on his sword and continued:

“As deputy chief, it’s my duty to eliminate all threats. If you aid and abet him, what kind of chief are you? Why not hurry and ask the master to give me your post? If you do, I can overlook the trouble you brought upon the household. Otherwise… hmph!”

Zhang Desen felt his anger flare, though outwardly he remained calm. Zhao Chengming replied:

“I never imagined you could be so shameless. Ask anyone in the household—who doesn’t know your crooked intentions? You’re the thief crying ‘stop thief!’ How utterly disgraceful!”

Hu Tu, furious, snapped:

“Who are you calling a thief? Zhao Chengming, mark my words: if you value your life, you’d best behave yourself. Don’t think that just because you’re the chief I can’t deal with you. My men won’t stand for it!”

“Yes!”
“That’s right!”
“This household isn’t your domain, Zhao Chengming—don’t get too cocky…”
“There’ll always be someone to put you in your place…”

Hu Tu’s faction shouted insults, one after another.

Hearing this, Zhang Desen spoke up:

“That’s enough, Deputy Chief Hu. You seem to have forgotten your own position—and you dare call yourself deputy chief?”

Hu Tu glared at Zhang Desen and said:

“Boy, you lecture me about position? Let me tell you, I’m deputy chief—what are you?”

Zhang Desen smiled and replied:

“Well now, Deputy Chief Hu, aren’t you setting an example? If you can demand your superior’s post right in front of him, then perhaps I should say, ‘Why don’t you step aside and let me have your position for a while?’ After all, I’m learning from you.”

Hu Tu, incensed, drew his sword halfway and shouted:

“Insolence!”

His men echoed him, and Zhao Chengming quickly intervened:

“Deputy Chief Hu, listen. The master is summoning Brother Desen right now—can you afford to delay him? Besides, the household martial contest is about to begin. Don’t you have the courage to wait until then?”

Hu Tu, hearing this, sheathed his sword and said:

“Fine, for the master’s sake, I’ll let it go today. Boy, just wait—when the contest comes, I’ll chop you into mincemeat. Don’t you dare skip it!”

Zhang Desen cast him a sidelong glance and said:

“Safe travels—no need to see you off.”

With that, the two groups parted ways. Zhao Chengming said to Zhang Desen:

“Brother Desen, rest assured. If you need anything, come to me. No need to give those fellows any face—say what you must.”

“Thank you, Brother Chengming,” Zhang Desen replied.

He continued with Zhao Chengming to meet Master Liu. Led by Chief Zhao Chengming, Zhang Desen soon arrived at the same hall where they had met previously.

Inside, Zhao Chengming bowed to Master Liu and withdrew, leaving only Zhang Desen and Master Liu with his daughter. Once seated, Master Liu spoke first:

“Desen, Ting’er has just told me everything. I never expected matters to be so convoluted and strange. I am deeply grieved by the misfortune that befell your comrade. Desen, you must bear the sorrow and move on.”

Zhang Desen thanked him sincerely:

“Thank you for your understanding, Master Liu. I never imagined the one we all feared was indeed my old comrade. I am truly sorry.”

Master Liu said:

“Don’t blame yourself, Desen. We know now he was coerced, and that those behind it are the Terrorfolk, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Indeed, the Terrorfolk are the true culprits. Ting’er has told me everything, and what your comrade said is vital, though few may believe it. We can only rely on ourselves now.”

“What does Master Liu plan to do…?”

“We are all human. Without each other, how can we survive alone? Since no one else will believe, and since I have some resources, limited though they may be, I cannot simply stand by. I will fulfill my responsibility. They have already begun arresting people—I wonder who will be next.”

Moved, Zhang Desen replied:

“Since Master Liu is so righteous, I will do all I can for you. Actually, it’s not as terrifying as it seems. If we can destroy their bases unexpectedly, we can resolve the problem.”

He continued, recalling:

“I have a map from my comrade showing the Terrorfolk have only three living areas, each quite far apart. Yet for them, distance is negligible—they can cross it swiftly, while it’s an obstacle for us.”

Master Liu said:

“Don’t worry. The Liu family often travels far and wide, which is why business is good. No matter how far, we can walk there if need be. Let’s start with the closest.”

Zhang Desen replied:

“No, we should start with the farthest…”

“The farthest? Why?”

“Here, let me show you the map my comrade gave me.”

He spread the map on the table and said:

“Look, the nearest area is too close. You already know they’re searching for me, focused right around here. If their nearby base is destroyed now, they’ll concentrate all their attention here—which would be disastrous for us.”

He continued with growing confidence:

“Conversely, if we target an area near their hidden enclave first, they might suspect their weaker kin, giving us the advantage of surprise.”

Master Liu nodded:

“Desen’s thinking is clear—we’ll do as you suggest.”

“However, we must prepare. Do we have things like saltpeter here?”

“Oh yes, we use it often for making cannons.”

“Excellent! I’ve brought with me from our universe some homemade gun and grenade plans, as well as explosives and repeating crossbows. My superiors provided these so I could improvise weapons and ammunition if necessary. Though the guns aren’t as advanced as my own Type 95, they’re still quite useful.”

Then Zhang Desen pointed toward his base:

“They’re aboard my ship. Let me fetch them, and we can plan our next steps. First, we must keep a close watch on Qian Junior—I saw the Terrorfolk’s ship land at his house earlier.”

“Good, excellent! I’ll have someone handle Qian Junior’s case!” Master Liu was thrilled, and Liu Yuting clapped her hands in delight.

Master Liu added:

“But Desen, about where you come from…”

Zhang Desen replied at once:

“Master Liu, you are a man of great virtue—I will not conceal it from you. Some matters are hard to explain now. Why not visit my quarters later? There are many things I wish to show you.”

“Agreed!”

While the Liu household busied themselves with preparations, things were far less peaceful at the Qian estate.

As Zhang Desen discussed plans with Master Liu and his daughter, the Terrorfolk’s ship was descending toward Qian’s residence. The Terrorfolk, unconcerned by the risk of exposing their spies, did not announce their arrival but landed directly on an open patch within the estate.

Immediately, the Qian household was thrown into tension. The unknown always breeds fear, and this was the dread of the unfamiliar.

Nevertheless, the Terrorfolk needed answers—why had Tang Shijie’s signal vanished so suddenly? Since they were in a bustling district, they required a proxy. Familiarity with the Qian estate made it the ideal choice.

Moreover, the Terrorfolk held hostages. They demanded that Deputy Minister Qian assist them immediately. As Qian and his retainers watched warily, the ship’s loudspeaker activated:

“Deputy Minister Qian, greetings. We require your assistance. We know Qian Junior—please summon him to meet us. We have matters to discuss with both you and Qian Junior.”

With these words, the ship completed its landing and opened its hatch. The Terrorfolk emerged, and one of them, speaking human language, said:

“Greetings, Deputy Minister Qian. We are border patrol warriors from the Empire of Ormei. I am Captain Kaba Duer of the reconnaissance squad. These are my team members, each a formidable fighter…”

Before Captain Duer could finish, a retainer named Wu Qiang interrupted, unable to listen further. He shouted:

“Nonsense! Let’s see what you can really do.”

He turned to Deputy Minister Qian:

“Give me the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and I’ll have them all on the ground.”

Without waiting for a response—indeed, Deputy Minister Qian secretly hoped for a swift resolution, given Wu Qiang’s top ten ranking among nearly a thousand retainers—Wu Qiang charged at the Terrorfolk, with the other retainers cheering him on.

But just as Wu Qiang closed in, Duer’s guards, at a signal from their captain, adjusted their thermal ray guns to a setting that was non-lethal but still highly damaging, and fired at the charging Wu Qiang.

In an instant, Wu Qiang was enveloped in a beam of intense light. He felt a searing pain as third-degree burns covered his body. With a scream of agony, he collapsed, unable to stand.

Deputy Minister Qian and the rest stared in terror at Wu Qiang, writhing and wailing on the ground. None could believe their eyes—Wu Qiang, a martial master, had been felled before even touching the enemy. All looked at each other, and not a single soul dared approach.