Chapter 152: The Truth Hidden in the Steam Fog

“We have followed your orders and discreetly spread the rumor that the Sacred Artifact lost by the Steam Church is likely in the possession of Chen Kong, located in Rust Iron Hell’s 12th District.”

Tian Xie Zuo·Leidon spoke softly, head bowed—no trace of the arrogance one would expect from a noble of the Twelve Brass Council.

Tian Dao’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the sofa. “And Bishop Cleve’s reaction?”

“He believed it.” Leidon’s voice was certain. “After all, he knows better than anyone what the true Sacred Artifact should look like. That’s precisely why a half-truth like this would be the most effective bait.”

“But…” Leidon’s throat bobbed as he hesitated, unable to hold back. “Chen Kong is merely a weak Second-Rank Stellar Envoy. Do you really believe he can withstand the Church’s pressure alone? If they catch him, not only will they discover the Artifact isn’t in his hands—but they’ll also expose us, jeopardizing our entire plan to seize the Mechanical Church’s ‘Power of Law.’”

Leidon wasn’t questioning Tian Dao’s decision. He simply couldn’t trust Chen Kong’s strength.

After all, Yufemia herself had fought the boy directly during the operation to intercept the Artifact.

Had it not been for the boy’s special status as a Stellar Prodigy, she could’ve killed him instantly—before he even had time to react.

But before Leidon could finish, Tian Dao cut in, voice calm yet firm:

“Do as I say. Don’t meddle in anything else. Otherwise…”

Tian Dao leaned forward, slowly pushing his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose with a fingertip. The pale, icy-blue eyes beneath revealed a faint, dangerous glow.

He smiled, watching Leidon with an expression both serene and chilling.

“.I’ll kill you before you have a chance to ruin everything.”

Though the tone was playful, there was no hint of humor in it. Only silence—thick with threat.

“I understand.”

From Leidon’s perspective, Tian Dao could understand his concern.

After all, Bishop Cleve had gone to great lengths to ensure this staged drama remained under control—so much so that he’d personally hired Qianxia Group from Wudou Tian Du to deliver the fake artifact.

That alone showed how seriously he took the Sacred Artifact.

Thus, it was inevitable that once the rumor spread, Chen Kong would face immense pressure.

But Tian Dao, who had read the original story, knew this was exactly what Chen Kong was meant to endure.

He was merely resetting fate back onto its intended course.

With a brief glance at the silent Leidon, Tian Dao turned toward the window.

At the sight of Tian Dao’s gaze, Yufemia—dressed in a flowing white gown—instinctively licked her lips. Her pale cheeks flushed with a deep blush.

The image should’ve been intoxicating.

But to Tian Dao, who knew her true nature, it meant nothing.

“Yufemia,” he said, “someone will be coming to investigate you soon.”

“That person suspects your true identity. Worse, they may already know about my involvement with the Hidden Star Society. I suspect they’ve planted a spy within our ranks—or have another source of intelligence.”

“Oh?” Yufemia straightened up, her white skirt brushing the floor with a soft rustle. “The Steam Capital has someone like that? Who?”

“My deputy, Yu Chen.”

“Him?” Yufemia arched a delicate brow, her expression one of genuine confusion.

At that moment, Leidon’s eyes narrowed—just slightly. A flicker of shock.

Tian Dao noticed. But he said nothing.

Yufemia tilted her head. “But I’ve never even spoken to him. Why would he target me?”

Tian Dao leaned back, voice casual. “Yufemia, do you remember the orphan from twelve years ago—the one who escaped from your hands?”

“Twelve years…” Yufemia tapped her chin, then smiled. “Ah, that clever little brat.”

“I distinctly recall that after he barely made it to the Lower City, I immediately sent word to the Gray Rat Gang there, asking them to retrieve his corpse. And they delivered one—just as promised.”

Now she understood. She scoffed. “Disgusting. A bunch of greedy sewer rats. Failed to complete the job, yet still dared to hand me a fake corpse.”

“Back then, my position in the Church wasn’t strong enough, and I was distracted by other matters. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been fooled so easily.”

Tian Dao replied, “He was lucky. He happened to cross paths with the previous Clock Knight, William, while fleeing through Rust Iron Hell.”

“William spared him. In exchange, the Gray Rat Gang kept the truth hidden—driven by greed for your reward.”

“But the boy, fearing he’d drag William down, never told him the truth. After recovering, he quietly left Steam Capital. He only returned six years ago.”

Yufemia nodded slowly. “So when he came back, he became the Stellar Envoy Yu Chen, correct?”

Tian Dao gave a single nod. “That’s the truth.”

After a moment of silence, Yufemia snapped her fingers. “That explains it! Five years ago, I had my eye on Vivian as a tribute. But three days before I was to claim her, she suddenly gained access to a Stellar Source—and was picked up by Bishop Cleve, inducted into the Church’s knight order.”

She smirked, eyes darkening. “So he’s been pulling strings behind the scenes all along. I was furious for days—had no appetite.”

She licked her lips again, a flash of cold malice in her gaze.

“William, the so-called ‘good man,’ did so many kind things… even after death. Now someone’s willing to risk exposure just to save his daughter.”

“Pity Steam Capital doesn’t value such men. Even if he hadn’t died during that special mission six years ago, I’d have teamed up with Cleve to eliminate him on his return.”

Her eyes flickered with murder.

“Though I made the mistake twelve years ago, it’s not too late to fix it.”

“Tian Dao-sama, shall I—”

“No.” Tian Dao cut her off, accepting a soda from Dannika with a casual motion. “Let him investigate. It’ll keep him occupied—perfect for advancing our plans in the Society.”

“Right now, with me holding the reins, Cleve can only act through the Twelve Brass Council if he wants to kill Vivian—silence her for good.”

“And I need him to gather all these fools together—completely unaware.”

As he spoke, Tian Dao suddenly turned his head, eyes glinting. He gave the soda can a sharp shake—then, without warning, yanked the cap off!

Psssshhhh!

Fizzy liquid erupted, drenching Dannika in an instant.

The little girl shrieked, furious. She snarled, raising her soaked hand to smear the sticky mess across Tian Dao’s clothes—her revenge.

But at that moment, Tian Dao—ever the master—abandoned his usual cold detachment.

He chuckled, gently pressing down on her small head, preventing her from getting any of the goo on himself.

After all, he was the one who always bullied others.

Never the other way around.

Never.

As for Yufemia, standing in the moonlight by the window, she lowered her knee in a graceful bow, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness:

“Don’t worry, Tian Dao-sama. I’ll handle this with perfect restraint~”

But Tian Dao wasn’t listening.

Because the little girl—now utterly flustered—was beyond angry.

“Tian Dao sir!” she shouted, voice rising in outrage.

“Shouting won’t help. You brought the soda. Blame yourself.”

“But you shook it on purpose!”

“Shaking it is my business. That doesn’t mean you have to get sprayed.”

“Adults’ problems are none of a child’s concern. You don’t understand.”

“AAAAAAAH!!!”

Watching the tiny girl rage, Tian Dao felt not the slightest guilt—only amusement.

Yes, bullying was a bad habit.

But Tian Dao couldn’t seem to break it.

Because the joy…

was always sweeter when it came at someone else’s expense.

PS: Today’s update is complete. No need to ask for votes—today’s a rare weekend, and I accidentally hit snooze on my alarm. By the time I woke up, I was already deep in the world of Kong.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end