Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

"What does it seem like?"

"They are like the most elite assassins in a well-trained army," Mo Ya said, carefully choosing his words.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wuye's pupils contracted slightly.

Army? Suicide squad?

Could they be spies planted in South Korea by the other six countries?

Or is it a secret force secretly cultivated by the South Korean royal family?

Although Ji Wuye is arrogant, he is by no means a fool with only reckless courage to have reached his current position.

He keenly sensed an unusual and dangerous aura.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that the Black Raven mission failed, and the rules of the Night cannot be broken.

"No matter who that person is, failing to kill Han Fei is your dereliction of duty!" Ji Wuye coldly snorted, slamming his greatsword "Eight Feet" back into its sheath. "Go to the 'Blood Pool' and receive thirty lashes. Remember, if there's a next time, you won't be coming back!"

"Thank you, General, for sparing my life."

Mo Ya offered no resistance, simply kowtowing calmly before standing up, turning, and walking out of the main hall.

Thirty lashes in the blood pool—that's a torture that would leave even a top-tier expert severely wounded. But for Mo Ya, this was already Ji Wuye showing mercy.

The hall fell silent once more.

Ji Wuye sat back down in the tiger-skin chair, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

"A mysterious force secretly protecting Han Fei... a masked swordsman..."

A cold light flashed in Ji Wuye's eyes.

"No matter who you are, if you dare to interfere in my affairs on Korean territory, I will find you and tear you to pieces!"

……

Night had fallen, but the Purple Orchid Pavilion was still brightly lit, with the sounds of string and wind instruments filling the air.

Han Fei, dragging his somewhat weary body, walked along the bluestone path and arrived at the entrance of Zilan Pavilion.

Just as he was about to step inside, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, holding a folding fan, he walked leisurely from the other end of the street.

It was Li Chengze.

Han Fei stopped and turned around, looking at Li Chengze who was approaching. A deep light flashed in his peach blossom eyes.

"Oh, isn't this Brother Han?"

Li Chengze walked closer, closed his folding fan, looked Han Fei up and down, and laughed, "Brother Han, it's the middle of the night, and you're disheveled and covered in mud. Did you go somewhere to do something shady?"

Han Fei was not angry at Li Chengze's teasing. Instead, he grinned and revealed his signature cynical smile.

"Brother Li, you flatter me." Han Fei stepped forward, casually put his arm around Li Chengze's shoulder, and acted like good buddies. "Tonight, I did something earth-shattering, but unfortunately, I almost lost my life."

Li Chengze, with Han Fei's arm around his shoulder, did not resist, but simply walked alongside him into the Zilan Pavilion.

The two exchanged a glance.

Han Fei's eyes held three parts probing and seven parts amusement.

Li Chengze's eyes showed complete composure.

"Oh? A momentous event?" Li Chengze asked with interest as they walked. "For Brother Han to be in such a sorry state, this must be quite a big deal. Would you be so kind as to tell me about it, so I can broaden my horizons?"

"Sigh, it's a long story!"

Han Fei sighed, then pulled Li Chengze straight up to the second floor of Zilan Pavilion and opened the door to an elegant room with practiced ease.

He pulled Li Chengze to sit down directly next to the table, grabbed the wine pot and took a big gulp before letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Brother Li, I went to Broken Soul Valley today. We solemnly recommend this book to you: 'Joy of Life: I, the Second Prince? Summoning Yuan Tiangang!' (Read more here). Originally, I went to see if I could find some overlooked clues," Han Fei put down his wine cup, looking intently at Li Chengze, "but I was assassinated. If it weren't for someone protecting me, I'm afraid I would have perished there today."

"Oh, so they actually dared to assassinate you. It seems that person has considerable power behind them." Li Chengze pretended not to know.

"Yes, in South Korea, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could control everything." Han Fei nodded.

"Brother Han, have you uncovered any clues?"

"Completely clueless." Han Fei shook his head with a wry smile, seemingly giving up on his plan to find a flaw in Li Chengze's face. "The scene was washed away by the heavy rain, leaving nothing behind. Ten thousand taels of gold, such a huge volume, even if it turned into water, it would leave a pit on the ground, right? But there's nothing at the scene, it's as if it disappeared into thin air."

As Han Fei spoke, he unconsciously drew circles on the table with his finger, subtly steer the conversation back on track.

"The person who secretly helped me is extremely skilled in martial arts, with unparalleled and domineering swordsmanship. It's just a pity that the person appeared and disappeared without a trace, leaving without even saying a word after saving me. Brother Li, what do you say..."

Han Fei leaned forward slightly, getting closer to Li Chengze, and lowered his voice.

"Who could have sent this expert who is secretly protecting me?"

Li Chengze met Han Fei's sharp gaze, a gentle and refined smile curving his lips.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei was taken aback at first, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! What a lucky man! Thanks to Brother Li's auspicious words, come on, cheers!"

Han Fei raised his wine cup and clinked it heavily against Li Chengze's.

The two wine glasses clinked together, their crisp sound echoing in the quiet room.

Han Fei downed the drink in one gulp, the spicy liquor flowing down his throat, but it couldn't hide the increasingly deep smile in his eyes.

Li Chengze, you really are a fascinating person who keeps his true abilities hidden.

I just don't know if we can always sit together and drink like this.

Li Chengze also finished his drink. He looked at Han Fei, who seemed unrestrained but was actually very insightful, and then changed the subject again.

"If there are no traces left, where will you look for a way to break this deadlock? Do you have any plans?" Li Chengze put down his wine glass and asked softly.

"As for a way to break this deadlock, I do have an idea in mind, but I'll keep it a secret for now." Han Fei winked mysteriously. "In the next ten days, I'll probably have to use the Purple Orchid Pavilion as a place for a few more drinks. If Brother Li has time, why not come and have a few drinks with me and listen to me vent my frustrations? What do you say?"

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask," Li Chengze replied with a smile.

…………

The top floor of Zilan Pavilion.

Zi Nu leaned languidly against a carved mahogany table, her long, flowing purple hair cascading down to her slender waist. Her long, white fingers were toying with an exquisite glass wine cup, and her alluring eyes, which seemed to see right through people, held a deep thoughtfulness.

"Squeak—"

The carved wooden door of the elegant room was pushed open without warning, and a cool night breeze, mixed with a faint moisture and a hint of impending doom, rushed into the warm room.

Without turning around, Zi Nu knew who it was.

Wei Zhuang strode into the room, his black and gold robe billowing out in a cold breeze.

He casually placed the fearsome demonic sword "Shark Tooth" on the sword rack beside him, walked to the window, looked at the deep night outside, and remained silent.

Zi Nu put down her glass cup, turned her head, and her gaze lingered on Wei Zhuang's cold profile for a moment. Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice carried a unique languidness and magnetism: "You're back? Judging from your unapproachable demeanor, the Valley of Broken Souls seems to be more lively than I imagined tonight. Did Nightfall... make their move?"