“This is Dongfang Jiang’s letter.”
Qin Ye placed the letter on the table.
The letter paper glowed faintly yellow under the candlelight.
The envelope had no signature, but the slender handwriting was indeed Dongfang Jiang’s.
Yisela was the first to take the letter.
She opened it and scanned it quickly, her expression shifting from solemnity to contemplation.
Then she handed it to Pandana.
Pandana finished reading and handed it to Gracia.
Gracia finished reading and remained silent for a long time.
“Master… is going to risk his own life? I won’t accept that!”
Gracia’s voice was cold.
Her fingers gripping the katana tightened slightly, knuckles turning white.
“It’s not risking his own life.”
Pandana shook her head, walked to the window, and looked out at the heavy night.
“We’re splitting up. The enemy was able to set an ambush in the Royal Palace, which means they have informants hidden among those we don’t know. If all of us move together, our target is too big, and we won’t find anything.”
“So he wants us three to attract attention out in the open, while he takes Miss Fritz and investigates in the shadows?”
Gracia’s voice carried obvious displeasure.
“Why? I’m the most suited for this.”
“Because you are his Glacier Guardian.”
Qin Ye spoke, her voice steady, like she was analyzing the enemy situation on a battlefield.
“Dongfang Jiang normally uses Glacier Energy. Your conditions are the closest. Not only that, both you and Dongfang Jiang have used Sword Control Technique. To outsiders, you are Dongfang Jiang.”
Gracia fell silent.
She understood what Qin Ye meant.
Dongfang Jiang wanted a Li Dai Tao Jiang.
To make the enemy believe Dongfang Jiang was still active in the open, while the real Dongfang Jiang infiltrated the shadows to find out who was pulling the strings behind it all.
“What about you two? Sister Yisela and Sister Pandana won’t just let Master act recklessly, will you?”
Gracia looked at Yisela and Pandana.
“We’re responsible for making the act more convincing.”
A faint, icy smile curled at the corner of Yisela’s lips.
“If your Dongfang Jiang is accompanied by the Young Lady of the Badan Family and the Swamp Guardian, who would suspect that the Dongfang Jiang is fake?”
Pandana stood up from the sofa and stretched her shoulders.
“Besides, with the three of us together, even if the enemy really comes knocking, it won’t be easy to deal with us.”
“I will maintain contact with Dongfang Jiang under my own name. That way, I can cover for you and also provide support when necessary.”
Qin Ye nodded.
She was a loyal person and was willing to do this favor for Dongfang Jiang.
Gracia looked at the three of them, was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
“Master really… knows how to cause trouble for people.”
“That’s just the kind of person he is. Even when he’s injured himself, he still worries about these matters.”
Pandana clasped her hands together and smiled at Gracia, who was holding her head.
“What about Miss Fritz?”
Gracia thought of the biggest problem with this mission.
The only person at Dongfang Jiang’s side was Xi, who had just become a Guardian.
“She only just became a Guardian. Her energy is exhausted, and she’s still unconscious. Can Master really handle it with her along?”
“Precisely because she’s a newcomer, the enemy won’t notice her. To be blunt, if not for the intelligence brought by General Qin Ye, the three of us wouldn’t even know there was a new companion.”
Yisela turned around, her gaze sweeping across the three faces.
“No one knows that Miss Fritz has become Dongfang Jiang’s Guardian. An unconscious little reporter won’t raise anyone’s suspicions.”
“Besides… she was following Dongfang Jiang at the banquet earlier. Many people saw that. Letting her go into hiding with Dongfang Jiang is the most reasonable arrangement.”
Qin Ye added.
The room fell silent.
Moonlight seeped through the gauze curtains, casting silver-white patches on the floor.
“What do we do now?”
Gracia looked at the others in the room.
Compared to the other three, her mind was a bit slow.
“We wait.”
“How long do we have to wait?”
“Until His Majesty’s guards contact us. It won’t take that long.”
Yisela quickly thought of the guards around King Aiselin in her mind.
Bei’er was easy to deal with, but she would likely stay by the King’s side, so it probably wasn’t her.
Miss Xiliyasi was in charge of combat, so it probably wasn’t her either.
Most likely it would be Miss Hemin, who managed the Royal Palace, or Miss Xiefei, who was in charge of special missions.
“Hmm, I hope it’s Miss Hemin we get in touch with. That Xiefei always gives me an uncomfortable feeling.”
Hearing Yisela’s analysis, Qin Ye agreed.
“Same here.”
…
At the other end of the Royal Capital, the residence of the Wenste Family.
The Duchess Winster sat on a rosewood chair in the study, holding a cup of black tea that had already gone cold.
Before her stood a man in black clothes, his head lowered, his expression unreadable.
“It failed?”
The Duchess’s voice was calm, impossible to tell if she was angry or not.
“Yes.”
The man’s voice was hoarse.
“Dongfang Jiang’s strength exceeded expectations. The three men we sent were unable to complete the mission.”
“What about the Poison Needle?”
“It struck, but… someone neutralized it.”
The Duchess’s brow furrowed slightly.
This harmonized poison had taken her considerable effort to create.
“Who neutralized it?”
“Qin Ye. One of General Vard’s people.”
“Tch. Vard… though he publicly opposes Ignatius, the two of them have secretly cooperated a lot… Heh, I almost forced Vard’s hand.”
The Duchess fell silent for a long time after speaking, then set down the teacup, took a dark red ring from the drawer, and slipped it onto her finger.
“Pass down the order: continue to monitor Dongfang Jiang. But do not act rashly. Wait for my command.”
“Yes.”
The man in black withdrew from the room.
The Duchess stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the night.
Moonlight fell on her face, and her well-maintained features showed an expression of uncertainty.
“Dongfang Jiang…”
She murmured his name from the notebook, took out a pen, and drew a question mark over his name.
“Just who are you?”
In the distance, the tower of the Royal Palace stood silently in the night.
The weather vane on its spire turned gently in the wind, like an invisible hand playing with the fate of this city.
Inside the deepest secret chamber of the Royal Palace, National Preceptor Ambrose sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, eyes closed, hands clasped together.
Before him, a dark purple ring floated in the air.
The ring emitted a faint glow, and the light twisted and spun in the air before condensing into a blurry human figure.
“Deviated…”
Ambrose’s voice was very low, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat.
“Ignatius, who should have died, is still alive. Not a single piece among the chess pieces surrounding His Majesty has fallen out of play…”
The human figure wavered in the air, then dissipated.
Ambrose opened his eyes.
A glint of sharpness flickered in his murky orbs.
He saw Xiefei receive the King’s order and begin investigating the attack on Dongfang Jiang.
“…I’ve finally waited for this day.”
He stood up, walked to the wall, and took down a portrait.
In the portrait was a man dressed in a black robe.
His face was hidden under the hood, revealing only a pair of deep eyes.
Those eyes carried an indescribable, unfathomable smile.
As if seeing through everything, or as if waiting for something.
Ambrose pressed the portrait to his chest, closed his eyes, and whispered a prayer.
“Since there’s been no breakthrough with the Dukes, I have to change direction. The next target…”
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