Keep Him Alive

The hall waited for a while.

A tall, slender man dressed in black emerged from the shadows. His features were sharp, and his eyes were piercing. Though he appeared ordinary, he exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression.

"Master, you've finally arrived!"

Lin Yu's eyes lit up, and he quickly approached.

"Why are you here?"

The man frowned slightly and questioned coldly, "Didn't I tell you not to come here until the task was done? If you're exposed, even if you had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough!"

"Master, you can't blame me for this…"

"Hm?"

Hearing this, Lin Yu's face immediately turned sorrowful. He dropped to his knees, wailing, "I've been screwed over by you all this time… Didn't you say we would definitely keep Xu Jinyu trapped in the Jingyang Mountains? Now that he's back, he's already started investigating me. If I hadn't escaped quickly, I would've been caught by them already."

"What?!"

The man in black's expression changed in shock. He asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure he's back?"

"I'm sure he's still alive!"

Lin Yu, though wearing a bitter expression, was firm in his response.

Only he and Butler Chen knew of Xu Jinyu's trip to the Jingyang Mountains. Now, his home was surrounded by people from Prince Heng's residence. It must be because Xu Jinyu's return exposed him—there could be no other reason.

Their assassination plan had failed!

Thinking of this, the man in black furrowed his brows, his expression becoming serious.

"Master!"

"Master!"

Lin Yu's face was full of grief as he pleaded for assistance. "I'm out of options and have come to seek your help… Please, considering my dedication, help us out."

"…"

Listening to the annoying voice beside him, the man in black, already irritated, felt even more annoyed.

He narrowed his eyes at the whining Lin Yu, a flicker of killing intent flashing through his gloomy gaze: with his identity exposed and leaving Prince's residence, Lin Yu was now worthless.

"Where are your other subordinates? Have they all been dealt with by Prince Heng's people?" he asked casually.

"No, no, I still have brothers hiding outside… There are over thirty of us now, and we're all counting on you, Master."

Lin Yu replied with a smile.

Hearing this, the killing intent in the man's eyes faded.

Lin Yu couldn't be dealt with for now.

Both of them were smart; there was no need to spell out the situation. Lin Yu already understood what the other party meant.

"…"

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Lin Yu lowered his stance voluntarily and smiled apologetically, saying, "I don't ask for much, just a chance for my brothers and me to survive."

"Stay here and behave yourself for now."

"This residence is very secure; no one will find it. As for your problem, I will go back and ask for instructions."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Master. My brothers and I will await your good news." Lin Yu's face lit up with relief; he knew he had temporarily secured his life.

Facing his only path to survival, he didn't want to risk ruining everything.

But if it came down to it, he would fight to the end.

Those brothers outside were his bargaining chips, and fortunately, he won the bet.

The man in black, though angered by being threatened by a petty man, couldn't do anything to Lin Yu for now. Even though Lin Yu didn't know much, any exposure would still be a hassle.

…

…

Mingdu, the inner city of the imperial palace.

In the southeastern corner, there was a magnificent palace—this was the residence of the various princes of the Sun and Moon Empire.

It was currently evening, with the sky painted in shades of red.

Inside the palace, the lights were bright.

The owner of the palace, dressed in an elegant white robe, looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. His attire was simple, and his eyes were bright. Although his appearance was not particularly handsome, he possessed the authority and dignity of someone in power. His tanned skin radiated a healthy sheen.

At this moment, he was sitting at the desk, reading a book.

The interior of the palace was luxurious yet retained an antique simplicity. Most of the furnishings had the emblem of an eight-clawed fire dragon, highlighting the extraordinary status of the palace owner.

Just then, an elderly figure with a slightly hunched back silently appeared in the room.

Despite wearing the simple attire of a servant and having a withered figure, the old man's slightly cloudy eyes emitted a chilling sharpness that could pierce through one's soul.

Hearing his voice, the young man in white put down the book and looked up at the visitor.

"Your Highness."

The old man approached, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a reverent tone.

The young man in white nodded slightly and asked calmly, "What is it?"

"The operation in the Jingyang Mountains has failed."

The old man came closer, bowing his head as he reported, "Word has come from below. The assassination attempt was unsuccessful, and Xu Jinyu has now returned to Prince's mansion."

"Failed?" The young man in white raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The old man nodded and explained, "The people we dispatched are still searching the Jingyang Mountains. This information came from the informant we planted within Prince's residence."

"Heh, it seems my cousin is not so simple after all…"

The young man in white muttered softly.

He had specifically sent out five Soul Emperors and four Soul Saints, while Xu Jinyu only had two Soul Saints and one Soul Emperor.

Even with such a formation, they couldn't keep him in the Jingyang Mountains?

As he thought about this, the young man's gaze grew deeper, and a faint smile appeared on his lips, tinged with amusement, making it hard to decipher his thoughts.

The old man stood silently by his side, awaiting his instructions.

After a long while, the young man in white slowly asked, "What is the current state of my cousin?"

"That is still unclear. The informant came in a hurry."

After a brief pause, the old man asked, "Your Highness, what should we do next? Should we send more people to continue the assassination attempt on Xu Jinyu?"

"No need."

The young man in white shook his head slightly and replied calmly, "The failed assassination will surely make Xu Jinyu more vigilant. It's impossible to find another such opportunity. Sending more people would only risk exposing our identity."

The old man nodded in agreement.

"Also…"

A cold glint flashed in the young man's eyes. "Ensure that the participants in this operation keep it confidential."

Hearing this, the old man nodded slightly.

"Understood."

"Oh, and make sure to spread some false information, directing it toward the Third Prince."

The young man in white slowly closed his eyes, as if he had thought of something. He curled his lips into a subtle smile and said in a low voice, "I recall they have a grudge against each other. This is a good chance to test how much influence Prince Heng still has in the court."

"Understood."

The old man nodded, then asked, "Your Highness, how should we handle the informant in Prince's residence? According to the Shadow Guards, that person has some compromising information on us. If it gets out, it could cause trouble."

"Oh, interesting~"

The young man's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes showing a hint of intrigue. "Let's keep him for now. Who knows, he might still be useful in the future."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The old man immediately accepted the order and withdrew without any delay.