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

"Zheng—"

A sickeningly sharp sword cry suddenly ripped through the deathly silence of the night sky.

The dark red greatsword in Yan Ri's hand trembled slightly, and a visible, materialized scarlet sword aura, like a blood-red lightning bolt slicing through the deepest hell, narrowly missed Li Yunrui's beautiful cheek.

"Boom!"

The sword energy continued its momentum, striking a heavy blue stone tablet weighing over a thousand pounds ten steps behind Li Yunrui. With a deafening roar, the weathered stone tablet was neatly split in two like tofu, the cut as smooth as a mirror, even retaining a chilling heat and aura of destruction.

The violent sword wind whipped up dust and withered leaves, causing Li Yunrui's black cloak to flutter wildly and his long black hair to dance wildly in the wind.

A few strands of her hair, severed by the sword's energy, drifted slowly into the soil at her feet.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Inside and outside the Ten-Mile Pavilion, apart from the howling wind, there was no other sound. The dozen or so guards were all ashen-faced, drenched in cold sweat, and dared not even breathe. If that sword had been even an inch off target, their powerful princess would already be a headless, beautiful corpse.

Faced with such a terrifying threat of attack, Li Yunrui's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints in an instant, his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible, icy hand, and even his breath caught in his throat.

But she was still Li Yunrui after all.

She forced herself to suppress her fear, clenching her teeth so tightly that she wouldn't let herself take a single step back.

Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, flickered with undisguised horror, but even more so with an almost morbid madness and arrogance. She straightened her back, like a proud swan, coldly gazing at the god of death wearing a bronze mask before her.

The blood-red eyes beneath the mask flickered slightly.

Although he only wanted to teach this arrogant woman a lesson.

But the murderous aura just now was genuine, and facing the death pressure of a half-step Grandmaster, this woman with no martial arts background was able to maintain her composure without losing her composure, which did indeed show some courage.

"Clang."

With a flick of his wrist, Yan Ri's dark red greatsword transformed into a streak of light and instantly disappeared into the wide scabbard on his back.

The terrifying killing intent that had enveloped Shili Pavilion receded as quickly as the tide, as if it had never existed.

The guards were relieved and gasped for breath, some even leaning against the pillars of the pavilion, completely exhausted.

"Whom do you want to kill?"

Yan Ri finally spoke. His voice, filtered through the bronze mask, sounded exceptionally deep and hoarse, carrying a cold, metallic quality, devoid of any human emotion.

Li Yunrui took a deep breath, calming the violent heaving of her chest. She slowly raised her hand, tucking a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear, and an elegant yet cruel smile gradually appeared on her pale face.

"I want you to kill someone."

"Name." Yan Ri used the word sparingly.

"Lin Gong".

When those two words were uttered from Li Yunrui's luscious red lips, the surrounding air seemed to grow even colder.

A rare, extremely subtle look of surprise flashed across Yan Ri's blood-red eyes, which were usually as calm as still water.

Who is Lin Gong?

He is the second son of Lin Ruofu, the current prime minister, and the second brother of Lin Wan'er, Li Yunrui's biological daughter.

However, this woman is now actually going to spend money to hire the world's most terrifying assassin organization to kill Lin Gong.

Even though Yan Ri was a ruthless assassin with blood on his hands and a history of killing without hesitation, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine when he heard Li Yunrui's request.

What a ruthless, cold-blooded woman she is!

Li Yunrui seemed to notice the strange gaze beneath the mask, but she chuckled indifferently, a cold killing intent flashing in her eyes.

"What? Even the renowned Luo Wang has orders they dare not take?" Li Yunrui's tone carried a hint of provocation.

As long as Lin Gong lives, as long as Lin Gong is still clinging to life in Northern Qi, he is a terrifying hidden danger that could explode at any time for her.

Only the dead are truly safe.

Seeing that Yan Ri had accepted the task, Li Yunrui's eyes flashed with satisfaction. "As for the reward, after the mission is accomplished, I will provide your Luo Wang with an excellent opportunity to plant spies within the Qing Kingdom's military."

Yan Ri did not answer. He gave Li Yunrui a deep look, then turned away without a word, his tall figure instantly disappearing into the thick night.

A cold wind blew by, and Shili Pavilion returned to its deathly silence.

"Your Highness, this person... is terrifying." The head guard swallowed hard, walked to Li Yunrui's side with lingering fear, and whispered.

Li Yunrui looked in the direction where Yan Ri had disappeared, a cold and calculating sneer slowly curving up the corner of his mouth.

"We'll see if they can actually complete the mission."

"Return to the residence."

Li Yunrui turned and got into the carriage, his voice sounding particularly cold in the night.

……

Kyoto, the Second Prince's Mansion.

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered.

Li Chengze remained as spineless as ever, sitting barefoot and cross-legged on the armchair, peeling a crystal-clear grape in his hand, listening casually to Yan Ri's report as he knelt on the ground.

In the dark corner, Zhao Gao stood silently, like a lifeless shadow.

"Lin Gong..."

After listening to Yan Ri's retelling, Li Chengze tossed the peeled grapes into his mouth, chewing them gently as the sweet juice burst in his mouth. A shrewd, mocking glint flashed in his long, deep-set phoenix eyes.

"My dear aunt, it seems you suspect that the Net is protecting Lin Gong."

Li Chengze sneered, "A secret agent position in the military. That's a pretty big bait. Anyone else would have taken the bait long ago."

"So Your Highness means..." Zhao Gao raised his head slightly, a murderous glint flashing across his pale face, "...that I will immediately order the assassins lurking in Northern Qi to take Lin Gong's life and deliver his head to the Princess?"

"No."

Li Chengze shook his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He slowly uttered two words:

"Just drag it out."

"Drag it out?" Zhao Gao and Yan Ri were both taken aback.

"Yes, just drag it out."

……

Time flies, and the half-month period passed in the blink of an eye.

After being confined to his residence for half a month, the Second Prince Li Chengze finally saw the dawn of regaining his freedom on this day.

In the early morning, the bright sunlight shone on the heavy vermilion gate of the Second Prince's residence.

With a dull creak, the door, which had been closed for half a month, slowly opened to both sides.

Li Chengze was still wearing a loose, moon-white robe, his long hair casually tied up with a jade hairpin, his bare white feet, and he stood lazily inside the threshold, stretching out in a big yawn.

"The days of being confined are incredibly boring. Even the air outside seems exceptionally fresh."

He squinted and greedily inhaled the slightly chilly air of early winter morning.

In the middle of the street, less than ten feet from the gate of the Second Prince's residence, a completely black carriage without any extra decorations was parked.

Dozens of knights, clad in heavy black armor and with cold expressions, stood silently around the carriage.

Their warhorses did not neigh, and the entire column exuded a suffocating aura of deathly stillness.

Black Knight!

The personal guard of Chen Pingping, the director of the Forensic Science Institute!

The carriage curtain had been lifted, and an elderly man in a black wheelchair was being slowly pushed off the carriage by a mute servant, heading towards the gate of the Second Prince's residence.

The old man wore a dark fox fur coat. His face was withered, his eyes sunken, and the years and illness had etched deep lines on his face. His legs hung limply on his wheelchair, making him look like a frail old man who might breathe his last at any moment.

However, the moment Li Chengze's gaze met the old man's eyes, he immediately felt a sharpness that seemed to pierce his soul.

Those were eyes as deep and unfathomable as the ocean, containing the deepest darkness and the most ruthless schemes of the entire Qing Kingdom.

Director of the Forensic Science Institute, Chen Pingping!

"The old cripple is here?" Li Chengze stepped barefoot across the threshold and jogged to greet him.

"Dean Chen! Oh my goodness, what brings you here, sir!"

Li Chengze, all smiles, strode to the wheelchair and tried to take over pushing it from the mute servant, but Chen Pingping gently stopped him.

"Your Highness is too kind to this old minister."

Chen Pingping's voice was somewhat hoarse, revealing a sickly weakness, but his tone was neither servile nor arrogant. "Your Highness, your confinement period has ended today. This old minister happened to be passing by and thought I'd ask for a cup of tea. Your Highness wouldn't mind if this old minister's frail body soiled your residence, would you?"

"What are you saying, Dean! Your presence is an immense honor for my residence! Please, come inside! Please come inside!"

Li Chengze warmly stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter, while simultaneously turning to the servants in the mansion and sternly shouting, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and bring out that jar of top-grade Da Hong Pao tea that I treasure! If you delay, I'll skin you alive!"

Chen Pingping looked at Li Chengze's somewhat flamboyant demeanor, her gaze lingering for a moment on his bare feet, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

"Your Highness's unconventional nature is somewhat similar to His Majesty's back then."

"You flatter me, Dean. I'm just used to being lazy, please excuse my laziness." Li Chengze chuckled, casually wiggling his toes as he led Chen Pingping into the main hall.

After the guests and hosts were seated, steaming hot, top-quality Da Hong Pao tea was served.

Chen Pingping picked up the teacup and gently fiddled with the lid, but instead of drinking it, she used her sharp eyes to quietly observe Li Chengze through the rising steam.

Li Chengze, on the other hand, seemed carefree, picking up his teacup and drinking it all in one gulp, even letting out a satisfied burp.

"Good tea." Chen Pingping finally took a sip, put down the teacup, and spoke in a seemingly casual tone, "This old minister heard that Her Highness the Eldest Princess visited Your Highness's residence late at night a few days ago?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it."

Li Chengze, his face contorted in a grimace, sat back down in his chair, letting out a long sigh of utter helplessness. "As you know, Dean," he said, "my manor is poor! To attract retainers and to prove myself to the Crown Prince, the storerooms are practically overflowing with rats. My aunt, feeling sorry for her nephew, sent me a million taels of silver to help me out. Just a few days ago, she came again, saying the Imperial Treasury is having some cash flow problems and wants to borrow some from me. Where am I supposed to get the money? I had to plead and beg her to leave. It's a real headache!"

He cleverly interpreted Li Yunrui's two visits as financial disputes involving borrowing and repaying money, while also taking a jab at the Crown Prince, perfectly fitting his consistent portrayal of a prince who "does anything to seize the throne and amasses wealth everywhere."

"Oh? So it's about money."

Chen Pingping nodded slightly, seemingly accepting the explanation. But his next words made the atmosphere tense again.

"This old minister thought that Her Highness the Eldest Princess's late-night visit was to inquire about the 'Net of Deception' from Your Highness. After all, the person Her Highness most wants to kill right now is far away in Northern Qi."

Chen Pingping's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Although he did not explicitly mention Lin Gong's name, the meaning behind his words was quite clear.

Faced with this probing that was almost a complete breakdown in relations, Li Chengze's bitter smile gradually faded, replaced by an extremely serious expression.

"Dean, although I may act eccentrically in my daily life, I know what I can and cannot do."

Li Chengze spoke each word with a touch of princely authority, "Whom my aunt wants to kill is none of my concern. I've been confined for half a month; even a few flies have escaped this mansion. Surely that wouldn't escape the eyes of the Censorate. If the Director suspects me of colluding with that so-called 'Net of Deception,' he can simply report it to my father, the Emperor, and have the Black Riders raid this entire princely residence!"

Since Chen Pingping has personally torn apart the false peace, he will stop pretending.

Chen Pingping stared at Li Chengze's unyielding gaze for a long time before suddenly letting out a low laugh.

"Hehehe... Your Highness is too kind. This old minister was merely asking casually. Your Highness is of noble birth; how could you possibly associate with those江湖 assassins?"

The gloom on Chen Pingping's face instantly vanished, and he regained his gentle yet frail appearance. "This old minister has come today mainly to congratulate Your Highness on the lifting of your confinement."

"Congratulations? I think the Dean's visit today is not a pretense of congratulations, but rather a way to give me a warning."

Li Chengze pursed his lips, his tense body instantly relaxing, reverting to his boneless, languid demeanor. He reached out and picked up a delicate pastry from the table, tossing it into his mouth, muttering indistinctly, "These past two weeks have really driven me crazy. Now that I'm out of confinement, I absolutely have to go to Zuixianju today to listen to some music and get rid of all this bad luck."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Chen Pingping's eyes.

"Your Highness is too kind. This old minister was indeed just passing by." Chen Pingping tucked his hands into his fox fur coat, his voice soft and gentle. "However, this old minister still has to offer a word of advice to Your Highness. Recently, there have been a series of murders in the capital. That 'Net' is ruthless and acts without any scruples. Your Highness is of noble birth, and when you travel, you should bring more guards to prevent thieves from taking advantage of any loopholes."

"Thank you for your concern, Dean." Li Chengze clapped the pastry crumbs off his hands and laughed nonchalantly. "My residence may not have much else, but it certainly has a lot of eighth and ninth-rank retainers. No matter how rampant the Luo Net is, would they dare to assassinate a prince in the street? They wouldn't dare!"

"Very good." Chen Pingping nodded slightly and said no more. He gently tapped the armrest of the wheelchair, and the mute servant behind him immediately understood and slowly turned the wheelchair around.

"This old minister takes his leave."