Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

The mysterious man then said with a serious expression:

“Listen, Scarface.”

"Go and prepare immediately. Find a death row inmate or believer whose build and skeleton are six or seven parts similar to Xiao Dingshan's. Stain him with dark red blood and dirt. Cuff his hands behind his back to specially made heavy shackles, and lock his feet with thick iron chains as well. The most crucial thing is his face."

"Use special disguise materials to imitate Xiao Dingshan's facial features as closely as possible. It doesn't need to be exactly the same, just seven or eight tenths similar will do, but in dim light, under the influence of anger and urgency, it will be enough to fool the eye. Then, create fresh, realistic-looking marks on his face and bare arms, like whip marks and branding marks left by torture!"

Scar Wolf nodded as he listened.

The mysterious man continued, "After you've made these preparations, have your trusted confidant bring Xiao Dingshan here, and let the spies see him unintentionally. Then, lock Xiao Dingshan up secretly and strictly. It must be kept secret. The more attention you pay to Xiao Dingshan, the higher the level of guard he should be under."

"Those spies will try every means to find out who this is... and then we can let them know. Once those spies know, it's like Night Owl knows; once Night Owl knows, Yin Weiyong, and even Xiao Ce, will know... So, Xiao Dingshan is just a pretext..."

"The key point has never been with that person... but with how we act..."

Scarface was terrified, but the excitement in his eyes grew stronger. He understood: they were going to create a perfect replica of Xiao Dingshan!

The mysterious man continued, “Once everything is ready, erect an altar made of obsidian and thick iron chains in the very center of our main gathering area. Just say I'm going to perform a ritual. Don't bother connecting it to Xiao Dingshan; just let the spies know... they'll fill in the blanks themselves…”

"You place explosives and kerosene around the altar... I'll personally act as bait. They won't have to resist..."

Scarface gasped. This plan was too vicious! Too brilliant!

"That old fox Yin Weiyong might doubt whether Xiao Dingshan is really in our hands, but he would never dare to gamble!"

"Xiao Ce returned from the Roman Empire, thousands of miles away, for Xiao Dingshan! This is enough to prove that Xiao Dingshan is important to Xiao Ce, and is Xiao Ce's Achilles' heel!"

"If Xiao Ce finds out that Xiao Dingshan is in our hands and may be related to a ceremony I'm holding, and Yin Weiyong remains inactive due to 'suspicion,' leading to Xiao Dingshan's death... Yin Weiyong cannot bear the consequences!"

"Therefore, Yin Weiyong must do everything in his power to rescue him! He might even personally oversee the operation!"

"Moreover, that cat of the night, Night Owl, is responsible for investigating all impossible information. This impossible information has a fatal attraction for him. He will definitely try his best to confirm it, and he will definitely pass on the suspected information about Xiao Dingshan, along with the ceremony information, to Yin Weiyong and Xiao Ce in Panshi Port as quickly as possible!"

Scarface trembled with excitement: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, my lord! To prove himself and quell any potential anger from Xiao Ce, Yin Weiyong will surely order Night Cat to unleash the full force of his secret guards, and may even mobilize the elite troops of Han Da's garrison, launching a thunderous attack! His aim is to rescue the King of Zhen before the ceremony begins! And Xiao Ce... Xiao Ce, he..."

"As for Xiao Ce, he's probably underestimating us because of his incredibly powerful guards, and the two previous ambushes will likely make him more cautious... He might even come personally, bringing his core forces..."

The mysterious man listened to Scar Wolf's analysis and let out a low, pleasant laugh, as if he could already see that breathtaking scene.

He then spoke with some excitement and eagerness: "Think about it, Scarface. When Yin Weiyong and Night Cat's elite, when Xiao Ce and his terrifying guards, like moths to a flame, all rushed into the core of our lair, filled with a net of traps and piled high with explosives, to save that Xiao Dingshan... when they were all gathered around the altar, trying to rescue that double... when Xiao Ce himself was probably standing closest to the epicenter of the explosion..."

That is the moment you ignite the fuse!! Boom...!!! Let this deafening roar be the final symphony burying the false god and all his minions! Let the entire capital tremble in this sacred catastrophe! Let the glory of the true god shine upon the earth amidst the ashes of the false god's flesh and blood! This is the grandest holy advent!

"Could even his most formidable guards withstand an explosion of that magnitude? They would be reduced to ashes in such an blast..."

Scar Wolf listened with fervor, all his fear transforming into the ultimate excitement before destruction.

He kowtowed heavily, his initial fear replaced by excitement.

"Understood! By the Gods above! The Lord is wise! This plan will surely succeed! I will go and do it right away! I will make sure this matter is handled flawlessly, so that the bait is convincing enough to deceive, and the trap becomes their hell!"

"very good."

The mysterious man waved his hand in satisfaction!

"Go. Gather your most trusted, most fanatical, and most fearless confidants and carry out this matter in secret. The setup of the double and the altar must be completed under absolute secrecy. The amount and location of the explosives, as I just said, are crucial! Especially the area below the secret chamber and around the altar, ensure sufficient explosive yield! I want this nest, from its physical structure to the people inside, to be completely wiped from this world!"

Then, as if remembering something, the mysterious man continued, "Oh, right! When loading the gunpowder and planting the bombs, don't let those traitors see it..."

"Yes! Lord!"

Scarface kowtowed again, then quickly stood up and was about to turn around and stride out of the secret room.

He knew that this would be the greatest and most sacred task he would ever undertake in his life!

Seeing Scarface's expression, the mysterious man smiled faintly and said, "What, do you know who those traitors are?"

Scarred Wolf stopped abruptly after hearing the mysterious man's words.

He then looked at the mysterious man with an embarrassed expression. Before he could speak, the mysterious man slowly raised his hands, which were covered in black leather gloves, and held a piece of paper in his hand.

Upon seeing this, Scarface respectfully stepped forward and took it.

After taking it, he opened it and glanced at it, then was utterly shocked: "My lord... this list..."

The mysterious man said to Scarface with absolute certainty, "There will absolutely be no problem..."

Scarface looked angry, after all, there were still some people he trusted on the list.

Seeing his agitated state, the mysterious man said, "Don't alert them. These people will all go with the others... The explosion will cleanse their sins..."

Scarface nodded gravely, then hurriedly left...

The heavy curtains fell, plunging the secret room into darkness once more.

The mysterious figure in the shadows slowly leaned back in his chair, a strange smile playing on his lips beneath his hood...

"Xiao Ce... God Xiao... Come on, let me see how you, this god, will break this deadlock? If I really kill you... hahaha..."

The mysterious man grew increasingly ecstatic, his whole body trembling with laughter, until he finally covered his mouth...

After Scarface left, he first sent the traitors on the list to do some trivial tasks under various pretexts.

They were then instructed to set up all the gunpowder and other items that were packed in the boxes.

Since it was a matter of great importance, he supervised the entire process.

"Black powder, nitroglycerin, and all that explosives... bring them all over here! Pile them under the load-bearing pillars of the main passage! Fill the ventilation shafts, especially the one connecting to the secret chamber! Seal them completely! I want to turn this place into an iron coffin that not even a mouse can get into!"

His confidants, those core members whose eyes were numb and whose only remaining loyalty was to the true God and the Lord, moved like tireless worker ants through the dark passageway, which reeked of musty and cheap grease.

They carefully moved, stacked, and connected the fuses to the heavy explosive charges. Deadly traps were laid at every critical point.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder, mixed with the stench of sweat and a near-manic tension that was nauseating.

Scar Wolf even jumped down into the tunnel himself to supervise the digging of a deep pit directly below the secret chamber, where the most powerful explosive barrel, tightly wrapped in thick tarpaulin, was buried deep inside.

As he watched the cold metal shell disappear into the soil, he seemed to hear the devastating roar and see the towering flames turning everything to dust, including the high and mighty false god Xiao Ce!

Seeing that everything was on track over there, Scar Wolf went to another place.

In another, more secluded corner of the lair, reeking of rust and blood, another crucial mission was also being carried out in secret.

A tall, burly prisoner was roughly dragged out by Scar Wolf's most vicious henchman.

The man's eyes were empty; he had long been tormented by torture and despair, losing his soul and leaving only the instinct to die.

The rough hemp rope cut into his flesh, but he could no longer feel the pain.

"Put it on him!"

Scarface gave a stern command.

Heavy shackles were fastened to his wrists and ankles, the cold iron chains dragging harshly across the stone ground.

But this is only the first step!

Scar Wolf's henchmen took out a specially made disguise material that emitted a strange smell and began to apply and shape it on the prisoners' faces.

In the dim light, a face strikingly similar to that of King Xiao Dingshan of Zhen appeared before everyone...

The prisoners endured it numbly, unable to even comprehend what all of this meant.

Scarface stepped forward, his rough fingers gripping the fake Xiao Dingshan's chin tightly, forcing him to lift his pained and distorted face.

Scarface said in an icy voice, “Remember! You are now King Xiao Dingshan of Zhen! Your life, your appearance, are all for the glory of the true god! Dare to utter a single word more, and you'll have a hard time dying! Lock him in that sealed stone chamber at the bottom!”

He turned to a group of guards beside him, their entire bodies shrouded in black robes, only their emotionless eyes visible, and ordered, "Your group! Guard this place yourselves! Without my order, not even the Heavenly King himself is allowed to approach! Remember, the highest level of security! Anyone who suspects approaching, kill them on sight!"

This group consists of Scar Wolf's most loyal and ruthless assassins. They only obey the direct orders of Scar Wolf and the mysterious man and can be absolutely trusted.

The fake Xiao Dingshan was roughly dragged away, the heavy sound of chains fading into the distance in the passageway.

Scarface deliberately made the escort team make brief stops at several key intersections, even though he had sent all the spies and traitors away.

But it's fine if other people see it, since they'll definitely come looking for information later...

They were planting explosives, and Scarface followed their lead, saying they were hiding some new weapons.

The church members who did the work felt the same way...

Only a select few trusted confidants responsible for connecting these explosives knew what Scar Wolf was doing...

So Scarface deliberately instructed his men, who were following some curious onlookers, "Keep a close eye on him! This is a crucial offering for the Lord's Advent ceremony! There can be absolutely no mistakes!"

It was confirmed that those individuals heard...

They were extremely busy in the Zionist church.

Actually, Night Owl and his team have been investigating these past few days...

A few days later, before dawn...

Yin Weiyong, still half-asleep, instantly became much more awake upon hearing what the night owl said...

"The news...has it been confirmed?"

Yin Weiyong's voice was low and tense, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth; he still felt a sense of disbelief...

On the sandalwood table in front of him lay a hastily written note, just delivered by carrier pigeon, still carrying the filth of the slums. On it was a simple yet lifelike silhouette of a prisoner, with the words scrawled beside it: "!"

"Xiao Dingshan? Torture! Sacrifice!"

This note was brought by a night owl...

Night Owl said with certainty, "The source of the intelligence is our trusted confidant planted in the Restoration Church. He risked his life to leak it! He personally witnessed a man who looked exactly like the King of Zhen being secretly escorted away, his hands cuffed behind his back, his feet in heavy shackles, and his face... bearing fresh whip marks and brands, a truly gruesome sight. That man was imprisoned in the lowest-level death row cell, personally guarded by one of Scar Wolf's most trusted loyalists, with the highest-level password."

"Resembles it? Night Owl, do you know what that means? What if it's a trap? A carefully crafted lure? Have you considered these possibilities?"

Yin Weiyong stared intently at Night Cat and said, "How could Scarface and his men be so careless as to let your men see them so easily? With such a makeshift team, do you think General Xiao Dingshan would be in their hands? Do you think that makes any sense?"

Night Owl listened to Yin Weiyong's words, first nodding and then slowly shaking his head.