115: Chapter 115 Is a haven of gentle pleasures a hero's grave? No, it's a gas station!

As the motorcade passed through the national gate, that familiar air, thick with heat, humidity, and the scent of gunpowder, rushed over them.

This was Northern Myanmar, an outlaw land where chaos and order coexisted, and the iron-blooded empire Zhang Cheng had built with his own hands.

The moment they entered the Pangkham territory, the atmosphere grew strictly solemn. At the checkpoints along the way, the soldiers straightened their backs and snapped into a salute the moment they saw the familiar black SUV, their eyes filled with fanatical adoration.

Upon returning to the command post, Old K was already standing at the entrance, as rigid as a javelin, waiting.

“Commander-in-Chief, welcome home.”

Old K's voice was still like an emotionless electronic synthesis, but the tablet he handed over was densely packed with the urgent official business that had accumulated over the past few days.

“The military government to the south has moved two divisions toward the Salween River these past few days. They claim it's an exercise, but their cannons are all pointed at us. The KIA isn't being honest either, making small moves near Myitkyina. Additionally, Dragon Country's 'Frontier Technology Center' has sent a new batch of exoskeleton prototypes, claiming a breakthrough and waiting for your inspection.”

Zhang Cheng strode inside while quickly browsing the intelligence, his brow furrowing slightly. “Those bastards, they can't sit still after I've only been gone for a few days? It seems the previous beating wasn't painful enough.”

“Don't worry about those for now.”

He tossed the tablet back to Old K, unbuttoned his collar, and stretched his somewhat stiff neck. “No business talk tonight. Even if the sky falls, we'll deal with it tomorrow.”

After the constant travel and high tension of the journey, even a man made of iron needed a breather.

Pushing open the doors to the top-floor living quarters, Zhang Cheng paused for a moment.

The originally cold, military-style room had undergone a complete transformation. The harsh, hard lighting had been replaced by warm yellow ambient lights, flowers were set on the table, and a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted through the air—the scent of the body wash Li Lanzhi usually used, mixed with the aroma of home-cooked food.

On the dining table sat several delicate side dishes and a bottle of decanted red wine.

“How is it? Surprised?”

Li Lanzhi had changed her clothes at some point. She wore a modified deep purple cheongsam with a slit that was just right, outlining her graceful waist and slender legs. Her hair was no longer in a professional bun but cascaded lazily over her shoulders. With light makeup on her face, she looked breathtakingly beautiful under the lights.

In her hometown, she was the obedient daughter; in the office, she was the capable Chief; and at this moment, she was the only woman in this vast empire who could make the sovereign shed his armor.

Zhang Cheng looked at her, his gaze instantly deepening as his Adam's apple bobbed.

“This is...”

“A welcome home feast.” Li Lanzhi walked up to him and helped him off with his coat, her movements as natural as a young wife waiting for her husband's return. “In our hometown, you accompanied me in our little act to keep my parents happy. Now that we're back on your turf, I have to let you relax as well.”

She pulled Zhang Cheng down to sit and poured him a glass of wine. “Try this. I dug it out of the cellar; they say it's fine wine hidden away by that old fellow Bao Youxiang.”

Zhang Cheng picked up the glass and took a sip, but his eyes never left Li Lanzhi's face.

One is not intoxicated by the wine, but by the person.

The two ate and chatted. They didn't talk about the grand affairs of state involving killing and arson; instead, they gossiped about neighbors back home and discussed the scenery they had seen on the road.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became somewhat enchanting.

Li Lanzhi's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were hazy. She suddenly put down her chopsticks, walked boldly to Zhang Cheng's side, sat directly on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Brother Cheng...” Her breath was like orchids, her voice carrying a hint of a tremble yet exceptionally firm. “Do you remember the bracelet Mom gave me back in our hometown?”

She raised her wrist, and the emerald green jade bracelet shimmered with a gentle luster under the light.

“I remember.” Zhang Cheng's palm brushed against her waist, his burning heat transferring through the thin fabric. “That's a family heirloom.”

“Mom said that was for her daughter-in-law.” Li Lanzhi pressed her face against his chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat. “I also want... to truly become your wife. Not just in name, but... that kind.”

Zhang Cheng's entire body jolted.

He looked at the woman in his arms. In this world full of betrayal and slaughter, what a level of trust it was for a woman to be willing to give herself to him without reservation.

He didn't speak, answering her directly with his actions.

He scooped Li Lanzhi up in his arms and strode toward the inner bedroom.

The red silk curtains were warm; the spring night was all too short.

...

That night, Zhang Cheng was no longer the cold-blooded ruler who made his enemies tremble with fear; he was simply a man who possessed the whole world. He possessed her with utmost tenderness, as if trying to knead them both into one another's flesh and blood.

After the storm subsided, Li Lanzhi curled up in Zhang Cheng's arms like a lazy kitten, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on his chest.

“Brother Cheng...”

“Hmm?” Zhang Cheng's voice carried an after-the-fact huskiness that was exceptionally magnetic.

“Will we... have children?”

Li Lanzhi asked suddenly, her voice very soft, yet it struck Zhang Cheng's ears like a thunderclap.

Children.

For ordinary people, they were the crystallization of love. But for Zhang Cheng, who commanded tens of thousands of Death Soldiers and controlled a vast territory, it meant—an heir.

An empire without an heir was unstable. The generals and officials below, and even external forces, would all be eyeing that position.

Zhang Cheng's arm around her tightened abruptly. He looked down into Li Lanzhi's eyes, which were full of expectation and a hint of anxiety.

“We will.”

His tone was absolutely certain, as if issuing an unshakeable military order, and as if making a promise as heavy as a thousand catties.

“Our child, whether boy or girl, will inherit all of this in the future. I will smooth every path and clear every obstacle for them. This land will be surnamed Zhang, and it will also carry your blood, Lan Zhi.”

Li Lanzhi smiled, a crystalline tear sliding from the corner of her eye. It was a tear of happiness.

She buried her head deep into Zhang Cheng's chest. At this moment, she felt that even if the outside world was a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, this was the safest harbor.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng looked out at the pitch-black night sky, his gaze becoming exceptionally cold and sharp.

He had a home, a woman, and in the future, a child. This meant he had a weakness, but it also meant... he had a reason to become even stronger and more ruthless!

To protect all of this, if anyone dared to reach out their claws, he would chop them off!