25: The entire city was shaken! A "tornado" struck the City Lord's Mansion!

In the center of Tianqiong City stood a towering silver giant that pierced the clouds.

This was the seat of power for Tianqiong City—the City Lord's Mansion.

In the top-floor office, a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the city's bustling scene, with clouds drifting slowly beneath.

At this moment, Tianqiong City's City Lord, Dongfang Xiong, sat behind his expansive black-gold desk, his brow furrowed, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desktop.

Before him lay three top-secret documents.

The first was from the police department.

Title: "S-Level Risk Assessment Regarding the Gu Family's Series of Bizarre Cases."

The content detailed a series of events that defied scientific common sense: the "Bathtub Killer," "Celestial Master Zhang Struck by Lightning and Charred to a Crisp," "Gu Yu's Sewage Pool Submersion," and so on.

The second was from the Financial Regulatory Bureau.

Title: "Analysis of the Zhao Group's Collapse—Philosophical Reflections on Artificial Intelligence."

The report pointed out that Zhao Tianlong's top-tier AI, "fortune god no. 1," suddenly turned traitor while targeting the Gu Family, shorting its own assets and going all-in on junk coins, causing the Zhao Family to become destitute overnight.

The third was an urgent report from the Martial Arts Alliance, just delivered.

Title: "Report on the Disappearance of Enforcement Elder Li Canghai During Mission Execution."

The latest intelligence indicated that Elder Li was found planted in the Gu Family's garden, mentally disoriented, reportedly pondering "the relationship between man and nature." He had been sent to a psychiatric hospital, constantly muttering, "I'm going to bloom, I need photosynthesis."

"Absurd!"

Dongfang Xiong slammed the documents onto the desk, his dignified, square face filled with fury and apprehension.

"How could a discarded son with crippled cultivation cause such a huge commotion?"

"There must be some mysterious organization backing him! Perhaps even an anti-Federation terrorist force!"

Dongfang Xiong stood up and began pacing back and forth in his office.

As the highest administrator of Tianqiong City, he absolutely would not allow such an uncontrollable factor to exist.

"We must restrain him before he causes greater destruction!"

Dongfang Xiong made up his mind.

He pressed the red communication button on his desk, connecting to the City Guard Commander.

"Relay my orders! Mobilize the elite First Brigade of the City Guard, equipped with heavy Spirit-Sealing gear, and proceed to the Gu Family immediately!"

"Target: Gu Fan."

"Bring him back for rigorous interrogation, dead or alive! I refuse to believe there's anyone in this city that I, Dongfang Xiong, cannot touch!"

This malice.

Unlike Gu Zhan's bluster, and unlike Li Canghai's arrogance.

This was the malice of power.

It was the cold will to crush an individual with absolute, violent machinery.

It was systematic, destructive.

[Ding!]

Even across dozens of kilometers, the omnipresent law of Karma accurately captured this top-tier malice targeting the host.

[Malice detected from Tianqiong City Lord 'Dongfang Xiong': 'Absolute Suppression.']

[Nature of Malice: Abuse of public authority, violent arrest, intent to inflict physical and mental torture through interrogation.]

[Malice Level: SS-Level (The power of authority is immense).]

[Retribution Triggered! Multiplier: One Hundred Times!]

[Random effect generating... Detected malice source located within a symbolically significant power center, with numerous fragile, precious items in the office.]

[Congratulations on selecting: Game of Power (Physical Collapse Edition) + Indoor Microclimate System (Localized Super Tornado).]

[Effect Description: Want to stir up a storm of arrests? Let your own nest experience a whirlwind first. We'll also help you clear out those bureaucratic documents.]

Dongfang Xiong had just put down the phone and was about to straighten his tie, ready to project the City Lord's dignity.

Suddenly.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"

An eerie sound of wind arose within his completely sealed, climate-controlled office.

Dongfang Xiong paused, looking up at the central air conditioning vent.

"What's going on? Is the AC broken?"

Before his words finished.

That faint breeze transformed into a violent whirlwind within a single second.

It didn't come from the AC; it materialized out of thin air in the center of the office.

It was as if an invisible giant was stirring the air with a massive spoon.

"Crash—"

The mountain of documents piled on the desk was instantly swept into the air.

White papers flew everywhere like a sudden blizzard, obscuring Dongfang Xiong's vision.

"Damn it! What is this situation! Guards! Guards!"

Dongfang Xiong shouted, but the wind was too loud, completely drowning out his voice.

But this was just the prelude.

The true retribution was only now beginning.

The massive, pure gold "City Lord's Seal" behind him, symbolizing the highest authority in Tianqiong City, suddenly seemed pushed by an invisible force.

"Clang!"

The seal crashed heavily onto the floor.

This fall not only shattered the expensive floor tiles, but the incredibly hard seal actually... cracked.

The fissure precisely split the four characters for "Tianqiong City Lord" down the middle, turning them into "Tianxue Tu Wang" (Sky-Cave Earth King).

Immediately after.

The indoor tornado's power escalated.

It began to sweep up everything.

The famous paintings and calligraphy on the walls, the antique vases on the shelves, even the crystal model of the "Sky City" that Dongfang Xiong was most proud of—a 1:100 scale replica.

"No! My model! That's a one-of-a-kind piece!"

Dongfang Xiong watched helplessly as the large crystal model was caught by the wind, spun twice in the air, and then hurtled toward his head.

"Bang!"

Although Dongfang Xiong was also a Martial Artist, he was being buffeted so wildly by the gale that he couldn't dodge.

The model smashed against his forehead, instantly shattering.

Fragments scattered across the floor.

And Dongfang Xiong was knocked onto his rear by the impact.

But the wind hadn't stopped.

It seemed to have gained sentience, picking up a bottle of ink from the desk and precisely splashing it onto the freshly drafted "Arrest Warrant."

Black ink stained the characters for "Arrest Gu Fan," rendering them completely illegible.

Five minutes later.

The wind suddenly stopped.

It came fast and left just as quickly.

The entire office now lay in ruins.

Documents covered the floor like fallen leaves, antique debris was everywhere, and priceless decorations were utterly destroyed.

And the dignified City Lord sat slumped amidst the wreckage.

His hair was a mess as if struck by lightning, his face smeared with ink, a large bump swelling on his forehead, and he clutched the cracked "Earth King" seal tightly in his hand.

The worst part was.

His custom-tailored suit, representing the City Lord's image, was shredded by wind blades into tatters, resembling an avant-garde beggars outfit.

Outside, the guards finally broke down the door.

"City Lord! What happened! Was there an attack!"

Dozens of guns pointed into the room.

But all they saw was the chaos and the City Lord sitting on the floor, questioning his life choices.

Dongfang Xiong gasped for breath.

He looked at the ink-stained arrest warrant in his hand, then at the surroundings that looked as if struck by divine wrath.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

This was no accident.

Within that wind, he had sensed a vast, formidable will, as if warning him:

Don't provoke him.

Absolutely do not provoke him.

If you dare issue that arrest warrant, next time it won't be a crystal model that shatters, but this entire building.

"City Lord... should the First Brigade still depart?"

The Commander cautiously inquired.

Dongfang Xiong shuddered, startlingly leaping to his feet with astonishing speed.

"Depart, my ass!"

He roared, tearing the arrest warrant in his hand to shreds. "Cancel it! Immediately cancel all actions targeting Gu Fan!"

"Not only can we not arrest him, we must... treat him with reverence!"

Dongfang Xiong swallowed hard, fishing out a relatively clean piece of paper from the debris with trembling hands.

"Quick! Contact the secretariat!"

"Draft a new document! Title it... 'Several Proposals on Establishing Friendly and Mutually Beneficial Relations with Mr. Gu Fan, a Special S-Class Talent'!"

"Also, retrieve that preserved Thousand-Year Snow Lotus from the vault... no, bring out both of them!"

"I will personally... no, send a special envoy to pay respects to Mr. Gu!"

Watching the flustered, incoherent City Lord, everyone present was stunned.

They had never seen this iron-fisted City Lord in such disarray.

Only Dongfang Xiong himself knew.

He had just taken a spin at death's door.

That Gu Fan was no discarded son.

He was clearly a living entity strapped with Karmic Law nuclear bombs!