Chapter 168: Chapter 143: Slave of Four Surnames, Blood-Shining Dragon Jade, Seeking Death

“So, you were forced into this too?”

In the moments that followed, Luo Qiufu listened to Lu Mingyuan’s long-winded tale. He explained Luo Ying’s background, the feuds within Prince Jin’s Mansion, and the conflicts among the various Princes—all with a few embellishments.

He carefully framed the story to focus all blame on Prince Jin’s Mansion and Luo Ying, ensuring that he, Lu Mingyuan, was completely uninvolved.

As a mere underling, he was only following orders.

Lu Mingyuan said helplessly, “Yes. Lord Ying insisted that I pledge my allegiance to her—that I slave away for her, give my all, and face death unflinchingly. She even ’rewarded’ me with a kick.”

“Rewarded you with a kick?”

Luo Qiufu looked puzzled.

“She kicked me.”

That’s right. He had sold out Luo Ying without a second thought.

Luo Qiufu’s Cultivation was higher than his—Ninth Realm or perhaps even Tenth Realm. She also had many Magical Treasures. His clone was no match for her. He couldn’t afford to provoke her.

The most important reason, however, was that his Recognizing People Skill showed him Luo Qiufu held no hatred for her younger sister—at least, not the kind of hatred Luo Ying had. Instead, there was a hidden undercurrent of concern.

She probably wouldn’t confront Luo Ying directly. Instead, she would likely choose to continue hiding her identity while gathering intelligence.

This was Lu Mingyuan’s guess.

He had just been wondering why his Recognizing People Skill couldn’t find any flaws in Luo Ying’s disguise; her every word and action had perfectly matched the Eldest Princess. It turned out this *was* the Eldest Princess.

Lu Mingyuan admitted to himself that he had no real desire to serve either of the sisters.

He just wanted to use Luo Ying’s power and the Eldest Princess’s influence to topple Prince Jin’s Mansion. Nothing more.

Luo Ying was using him, but wasn’t he using her as well?

For now, his best bet was to play it safe and keep things stable.

Luo Qiufu asked curiously, “How did she threaten you?”

Lu Mingyuan gave a bitter smile. “Lord Ying said that if I didn’t agree, she would frame me for betraying Prince Jin’s Mansion and ensure I died a dog’s death.”

’The subtext was clear: You two sisters from the Golden Crow Country have your love-hate drama, but I’m just a small fry caught in the middle. What can I do?’

“That’s a great idea.”

Luo Qiufu’s eyes lit up.

Lu Mingyuan had a bad feeling about this.

Luo Qiufu cleared her throat and said seriously, “Listen closely. You will report to me about Luo Ying’s activities and all internal developments within Great Yan. If you dare betray me, not only will I let Prince Jin’s Mansion know you’ve secretly sided with Luo Ying, but I’ll also tell Luo Ying that you’ve betrayed her.”

“You don’t want to offend Prince Jin’s Mansion only to be ’cleaned up’ by Luo Ying, do you?”

Lu Mingyuan finally understood what she planned to use him for.

First, to gain advantages by obtaining internal intelligence on Great Yan. Second, to monitor Luo Ying.

’As expected of sisters. They even think the same way.’

At first, Lu Mingyuan had thought the Eldest Princess of the Golden Crow Country was an understanding, kind, and gentle woman. Now, it was clear she was quite cunning and ambitious.

This outcome wasn’t necessarily unacceptable to him.

’Internal intelligence on Great Yan…’

’It all depends on what I report.’

’Luo Qiufu will only know what I tell her.’

’In a way, couldn’t I fabricate some convincing intelligence to manipulate the Golden Crow Country’s movements?’

“Don’t get any funny ideas.”

Seeing Lu Mingyuan’s thoughtful expression, the Eldest Princess ruthlessly exposed his thoughts. “And don’t even think about fobbing me off with false information. I will verify every piece of it. If I find any lies, you’re finished. As for what you did before, I can let it slide.”

“Regarding Luo Ying… She wants you to monitor me. You’re a smart man; you should know what you can and cannot say.”

’This woman… on the outside, she seems considerate and generous, a sweet and delicate girl. But on the inside, she’s confident, domineering, and… broad-minded…?’

Lu Mingyuan glanced in surprise at the Eldest Princess’s chest before quickly lowering his head. “I understand. From now on, I will follow the Eldest Princess’s orders.”

Luo Qiufu seemed very confident in her People Manipulation Skill.

Without some tricks up her sleeve, how could she have kept the civil and military officials of the Golden Crow Country in line and secured her position as Regent?

Luo Qiufu smiled. “Since you’re already willing to slave away and die for my disappointing little sister, you’ll have to do the same for me. The difference is, I actually value your life. You can rest assured about that. I’ll definitely treat you better than Luo Ying does.”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan complained internally.

’I’m sick of hearing about slaving away like a horse and ox. You’re not even feeding me any grass.’

’How am I supposed to run on empty? I need stamina and sweet dates. You’ve already used the stick, so a little carrot wouldn’t be too much to ask for.’

’Even a prize stallion can’t run on an empty stomach.’

The Eldest Princess nodded with satisfaction. Luo Qiufu patted his shoulder and discreetly pressed a Gourd Jade Pendant into his hand, murmuring, “You are, after all, a Sea-Viewing Realm Martial Artist, which barely puts you in the ranks of Middle Fifth Grade experts. You have potential. If you work for me, I won’t treat you poorly—provided you show me your worth.”

“This Jade Pendant can nourish Magical Treasures, swords, and sabers. It’s much more effective than using your Acupoints. It can also store items. Most importantly, you can use it to communicate with me. Keep it safe.”

Lu Mingyuan clutched the Jade Pendant, feigning a pumped-up expression as he bowed deeply. “Yes! From this day forward, your subordinate will slave away only for you, Princess!”

’A servant of four masters, then? So be it. As long as the final outcome is good, a verbal pledge of loyalty is nothing.’

“You still haven’t told me your name and identity,”

Luo Qiufu reminded him.

“Yang…”

Lu Mingyuan almost blurted it out but caught himself.

His clone was modeled after Yang Jian, but he had taken a Disguise Pill to change its appearance to that of a middle-aged General.

The Eldest Princess had seen Yang Jian’s attire and heard his name; she would definitely recognize him.

Yang Erlang was his first clone. Not knowing what appearance to create, he had made its face very similar to his own, with only slight adjustments to the features. It looked like a brother to Lu Mingyuan, which was why the Yang Jian clone always needed to wear a mask.

This was also why the Eldest Princess had been so captivated when she saw Yang Jian before.

His other clones definitely didn’t have that effect.

’Do I have to come up with a new identity on the spot?’

“Yang Xian.”

In his haste, Lu Mingyuan thought of a new name, taking the “Xian” from Saintly True Monarch.

Luo Qiufu nodded slightly, her tone solemn. “Yang Xian, is it? I now command you to return to the guest house and rendezvous with Luo Ying. I will cooperate with you.”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan instantly understood her intentions.

She wanted to prevent Luo Ying from discovering anything was amiss, covering up this whole fiasco. Indirectly, she was also helping him out of a tight spot.

“What reason should I give?” Lu Mingyuan asked.

Luo Qiufu mulled it over for a moment. “Just tell her the truth: the Eldest Princess came out early, but because she didn’t have a change of clothes, she went out shopping on the street. She sent you back ahead of time, and the plan is to proceed as normal.”

“As you command.” Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The Eldest Princess was quite thorough in her thinking.

“Then where will you be going, Princess?”

Lu Mingyuan asked again.

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Luo Qiufu gave him a meaningful smile.

「…」

「Elsewhere.」

Luo Ying clutched the Long Sleep Talisman, her hand on her drawn blade. After searching for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, she finally gave up on her plan to put the Eldest Princess into a deep sleep.

Time was short. She had to get back to the banquet quickly. As she walked, her appearance began to change.

Her decision was swift and resolute.

But when Luo Ying reached the entrance, she didn’t see a single person.

The middle-aged General, the Guards—no one was there.

The Guard played by Lu Mingyuan had vanished.

This made her frown repeatedly.

’What happened? Where is Yang Erlang?’

’Did something go wrong?’

’Whatever. I’ll deal with him later.’

’The plan is what’s important right now.’

She suppressed her suspicions and prepared to carry out the plan alone. Before long, however, a figure ran toward her from a distance, sending a voice transmission:

“Lord Ying, I’m over here!”

“Where have you been?”

Luo Ying now had the appearance of the Eldest Princess, but her expression was frosty. Her sweet features were marred by a cold aura; she was clearly displeased with Lu Mingyuan’s disappearance.

Lu Mingyuan explained awkwardly, “Lord Ying, you had just gone inside when I finished dealing with the Guards outside. The Eldest Princess came out shortly after, so I had no choice but to keep her occupied. I accompanied her to the entrance of the Thousand Treasures Market before she remembered the banquet and sent me back to speak with the Cabinet Ministers.”

Luo Ying put a hand to her head, speechless. “That sounds just like her.”

“No wonder I couldn’t find her room. She was never even inside.”

Luo Ying commanded on the spot, “There’s no time to waste. We’re running out of time. Follow me into the palace.”

“Yes.”

Lu Mingyuan replied in a low voice and cupped his fist. Before leaving, he subconsciously glanced back.

A short while after they left,

Luo Qiufu reappeared in the same spot. Gazing at their departing figures, she thought silently:

’Ying’er, your power is now sufficient to protect yourself. Let me see how much your mentality has matured.’

「…」

「Great Yan Imperial Palace.」

“Greetings, Eldest Princess.”

Everyone they passed along the way was exceedingly respectful toward the dignified ’Luo Qiufu’ who walked with her head held high.

Following behind her, Lu Mingyuan was also rather surprised.

He hadn’t expected the usually dashing and heroic Shadow Scout to have such a high degree of proficiency in courtly posture. This was the only way her identity as Luo Qiufu wouldn’t be exposed.

He guessed it was a skill she must have learned in the palace as a child.

The two had just entered the Imperial Palace and were about a hundred meters from Changle Hall.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Luo Ying’s expression changed dramatically.

With lightning speed, she moved to stand in front of Lu Mingyuan.

BOOM!

In that instant, a massive boom echoed as a pillar of light shot into the sky from Changle Palace, unleashing a boundless, terrifying shockwave.

WHOOSH!

A violent wind swept over them.

BANG!

A wave of fire radiated out from the hall, instantly turning everything in its path—trees, palace walls, and tiled eaves—to dust. The destructive force spread in all directions, resembling a mushroom cloud.

The aura was unbelievably terrifying!

Fortunately, Lu Mingyuan was standing behind Luo Ying.

Her powerful Taoist Qi formed a deep-violet spherical barrier, enveloping them both and shielding them from the corrosive, destructive power.

CRACK!

Her snow-white sleeves fluttered wildly as pure Taoist Qi filled the air like a shadow. Luo Ying strained, supporting the barrier with her strength alone. Even with her Eleventh Realm Cultivation, she was about to buckle. A crack appeared on the barrier, and a look of shock and doubt crossed her face.

“This is the aura of a Blood-Shining Dragon Jade.”

“What is a Blood-Shining Dragon Jade?” Lu Mingyuan asked, confused.

Luo Ying’s brow furrowed as she explained, “It’s the Lifebound Manifestation Jade of a True Dragon thousands of years old—an ancient being that dominated the untamed wilds since the Ancient Era, a hegemon of the Demon Race. As a Celestial and Earthly Treasure, it is second only to a Dragon Race Demon Pill. The item is precious, but extremely dangerous and unstable. Without the proper refining Technique, any ordinary person who touches it will trigger an unparalleled burst of destructive power, annihilating everything within hundreds of miles. Not even a Middle Fifth Grade Cultivator could withstand it.”

She looked toward the center of the explosion, completely bewildered. “What happened in the Imperial Palace? Who has such a death wish?!”

…

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