Chapter Seventy-Nine: Success?

Upon hearing Prince Yu’s words, Jiang Yuyan’s hands, already hidden beneath her voluminous sleeves, clenched tightly into fists. Her voice was low and steady, “What is it you want?”

“Rest assured, I have no intention of making things difficult for you. I merely wish to speak face-to-face with the mastermind behind you. Once we’ve spoken to my satisfaction, you may escort me safely back, and the antidote will be handed over. Surely such a simple matter poses no challenge for you.”

Jiang Yuyan pretended to deliberate, and after a brief pause, replied, “How can I trust you?”

“As you just said, not even several top-tier experts could stop you from killing me. You are a grandmaster—your life is far from ordinary. But I am a prince; I would never gamble with my own life. You needn’t worry about that.”

“Very well, it’s a deal.” Jiang Yuyan readily agreed, satisfied with the prince’s explanation.

Upon her assent, Prince Yu’s lips curled into a confident smile.

Moments later, Jiang Yuyan led Prince Yu out of the palace, both appearing unharmed.

Hua Wuqie and the members of Blackstone were surprised; Jiang Yuyan hadn’t dragged or carried the prince but had simply escorted him out. None could fathom what had transpired.

“What’s going on?” As an old friend, Hua Wuqie did not conceal his confusion and asked directly.

“This is not the place to talk. I’ll explain once we return.” Jiang Yuyan brushed aside his question.

At that moment, Prince Yu, following Jiang Yuyan, noticed the group waiting in the alley. He realized that not only had they dared to infiltrate the royal residence, but they had also been prepared to force their way in. Cold sweat broke out on his back, and he began to question whether he had made the right decision by coming.

The group suppressed their curiosity at Jiang Yuyan’s response, knowing that once they returned to the Blackstone headquarters all would be revealed. Still, being roused in the middle of the night only to wander about without accomplishing anything left them disgruntled. Yet, due to their positions, open complaints were inappropriate, so they voiced their dissatisfaction in roundabout ways.

“Lei Bin, what do you think the mistress did? If she had forcibly taken the prince, I’d accept it. But seeing this, Prince Yu seems entirely willing. How did she manage that? I swear the mistress must have some sorcery, otherwise there’s no explanation.”

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Cai Xishi and Lei Bin walked along opposite sides of the group. Suddenly, Cai Xishi glanced at Jiang Yuyan and Hua Wuqie leading ahead, then turned to chat quietly with Lei Bin.

“Keep your mouth shut. You’re old enough to know better. If you’ve lived enough, that’s your business, but I haven’t. The mistress said she’ll explain everything at headquarters. Just wait.”

Cai Xishi’s complaints startled Lei Bin. His child was not yet two years old; he couldn’t afford to lose his father so soon.

Fortunately, within Blackstone, unless it concerned a mission, most paid little attention to anything else. For those outside the organization’s leadership, Blackstone was merely a high-risk occupation. They risked their lives solely because Blackstone paid well.

Countless fallen predecessors had taught them one lesson: the less you know in Blackstone, the longer you live.

Moreover, Cai Xishi and Lei Bin were walking on the outer edges, alert to their surroundings. Unless someone deliberately eavesdropped, their conversation would be impossible to overhear.

This was precisely why Cai Xishi dared to voice his doubts to Lei Bin.

But, as it turned out, Cai Xishi’s assumption was mistaken. While the members of Blackstone neither dared nor wished to listen in, someone else was determined to do so.

That someone was Prince Yu. He had thought that, with so many people, he could glean plenty of information along the way. Yet, to his astonishment, nearly twenty people marched in silence, not a single one chatting idly.

This unnerved him greatly. What he didn’t realize was that he himself was part of the reason.

Blackstone operatives spoke little during missions, and now, with outsiders in their midst, they were even less inclined to converse.

Had it been an ordinary day, Jiang Yuyan might have exchanged a few words with Hua Wuqie, perhaps asking after Tie Xinlan and her child. But poisoned as she was, she had no mind for idle chatter.

Thus, Prince Yu observed an unusually silent group.

Regardless, the presence of this mysterious force, assembled specifically against him, left Prince Yu deeply shaken.

The reason was not simply their numbers, but the individuals themselves. Though Prince Yu’s martial arts were not advanced, his judgment was sharp and discerning.

Among these nearly twenty, he could only assess the abilities of a select few. The rest seemed shrouded in mist, their true strength impossible to gauge.

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With Jiang Yuyan, a grandmaster, suddenly appearing before him, Prince Yu naturally assumed the worst.

This meant that, in this group of nearly twenty, the lowest ranked were upper second-class experts. Those of the first-class were impossible to identify by mere observation, making it unclear how many were first-class masters.

Yet this was not the most pressing matter. The greatest concern was the white-robed, masked man walking alongside the grandmaster who had infiltrated his palace.

From this, it was evident that the two either held comparable status and authority, or possessed equal martial prowess.

If his suspicions were correct, the white-robed man was just as likely to be a grandmaster.

As for matters of sentiment? For Prince Yu, born to imperial lineage, feelings were never paramount.

The situation was becoming clear: two grandmasters (or so it seemed) leading over a dozen upper second-class masters, with an unknown number of first-class experts among them.

What kind of force was this? Forget the royal residence; Prince Yu felt this group could storm the imperial palace itself. He couldn’t help but wonder from where he had attracted such a formidable enemy.

Under these circumstances, when two finally began to converse, Prince Yu listened intently.

And what he heard shocked him.

With Cai Xishi and Lei Bin repeatedly referring to “the mistress,” Prince Yu was stunned.

This was indeed the formidable adversary he had imagined, yet here he was, treated with brotherly courtesy. What was going on?

Previously, even under Jiang Yuyan’s mortal threat, Prince Yu could banter with ease. Now, however, a chill crept down his neck. He realized he could no longer rely on the poisoned “mistress.”

His priority was to find a way to extricate himself as soon as possible. He was certain that, whatever happened next, as long as he followed their plan, nothing would unfold as he wished.

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