049 : The Empire Crumbles.

That night, Lin Tian was waiting.

He knew Zhou Minghai wouldn't go down quietly.

And he was right.

At exactly 11:47 PM, his phone buzzed.

A single message.

Unknown Number: We have her.

Lin Tian's golden eyes narrowed.

He typed a response.

Lin Tian: Who?

Unknown Number: Su Yun.

The entire world stilled.

Lin Tian stood slowly, his entire body tensed.

They had taken her.

Zhou Minghai had done the one thing he should have never done.

"You just made your last mistake."

Lin Tian grabbed his coat, stepping out into the cold night.

The war was no longer just about secrets.

Now, it was personal.

And Lin Tian was going to burn everything down to get her back.

The cold night air wrapped around Lin Tian like a second skin as he walked down the dimly lit streets, his footsteps echoing against the pavement. His golden eyes were sharp, calculating every possibility, every move, every countermeasure.

Zhou Minghai had taken the one person he should never have touched—Su Yun. The weight of that mistake would crush him, and Lin Tian would make sure of it. He had faced emperors, battled celestial beings, and torn through entire sects in his past life. Compared to those struggles, dealing with a mortal like Zhou Minghai should have been easy. But this world didn't run on cultivation or brute force. It was built on power, wealth, and influence—things that Lin Tian would now turn against their own master.

The message had been simple. We have her. No location, no demands—just a statement meant to incite fear. But fear was something Lin Tian had discarded lifetimes ago. He had never been the type to react emotionally; he didn't panic, didn't hesitate.

If Zhou Minghai thought this move would shake him, then the man had underestimated his opponent for the last time.

Lin Tian's mind worked in overdrive, recalling every detail he had gathered over the past few weeks. He knew where Zhou Minghai operated, the buildings he owned, the businesses that served as his cover, the people who moved in his shadow. The only question now was where Su Yun was being held.

He pulled out his phone and sent a single message to Zhang Rui. "Find her. Now." There was no need for pleasantries, no need for explanations.

Zhang Rui had been at Lin Tian's side long enough to understand that when Lin Tian gave an order, it wasn't up for discussion. Within minutes, the response came. "Already working on it. Give me ten minutes." That was all Lin Tian needed to hear.

He turned the corner and spotted a familiar figure leaning against a black car, arms crossed, an unlit cigarette between his fingers. Xu Wei. The man was good at staying neutral, but Lin Tian had a feeling he was about to make him choose a side.

Without wasting time, Lin Tian approached. "Tell me where they took her," he said, his voice calm, but beneath it was a quiet, burning rage.

Xu Wei sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Damn it, kid. You're really pushing this to the edge, huh?" He glanced at Lin Tian, seeing that there was no point in arguing. "Alright, listen. If they took her, there's only one place they'd bring her—an old estate outside the city, one of Zhou Minghai's private properties. It's off the books, no official records, but it's there."

Lin Tian absorbed the information instantly. It made sense. Zhou Minghai wouldn't risk taking Su Yun to one of his corporate buildings—too many cameras, too much exposure. He needed a place where no one could hear her scream.

That thought alone sent a pulse of ice through Lin Tian's veins, but he kept his emotions in check. Losing focus wouldn't help Su Yun now. "Where exactly?" he asked, and Xu Wei hesitated, then tossed him a folded piece of paper. "Here. Coordinates. But listen, you're walking into enemy territory. You sure you don't want backup?"

Lin Tian's smirk was devoid of humor. "I don't need backup. I need an open door." He turned on his heel and headed straight for the car. Xu Wei shook his head. "Kid, you're either the bravest guy I've ever met or the dumbest."

Lin Tian didn't respond. He was already inside the vehicle, starting the engine. "I'm neither," he murmured to himself. "I'm just someone who doesn't lose."

The night stretched before him as Lin Tian drove, the city lights fading behind him, replaced by winding roads and towering trees.

The coordinates led to a secluded area, miles away from any civilization. Smart. Isolated. The kind of place where things happened that were never meant to be discovered.

But tonight, Lin Tian was going to tear it all apart. He was alone, but that had never been a disadvantage. He wasn't some fool running into battle without a plan. He had already sent Zhang Rui another message. "I need live security feeds. Get into their network. I want to know who's inside before I step foot on that estate."

Minutes later, Zhang Rui responded. "Hacking in now. This place is wired, but give me a sec... Alright, I'm in. There are guards. A lot of them. Looks like at least eight outside, probably more inside. You sure about this?" Lin Tian's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I was sure the moment they took her." He pushed the gas pedal, the car roaring forward.

He could already picture the estate—high walls, armed men, a place built to keep people in as much as to keep people out.

But no matter how strong the fortress, it was only as powerful as the one defending it. And Zhou Minghai? He had spent his entire life hiding behind his money, his influence, his reputation. He had never faced someone like Lin Tian.

The car screeched to a stop a mile away from the estate. Lin Tian stepped out, his eyes scanning the perimeter. He couldn't walk in through the front gate, but that didn't matter. He wasn't a soldier storming a castle. He was a ghost moving through the cracks. He sent one final message to Zhang Rui. "Keep the feeds open. Let me know if anything changes."

Then, without hesitation, he vanished into the night.

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