Chapter Seventy-Four: A Difficult Problem

When Jiang Yuyan had gone far enough, Fatty Chen and Ye Zhanqing finally snapped out of their daze.

Fatty Chen stared silently at the wide-open door, while Ye Zhanqing mocked him, “Fatty, did you know you were disgusting just now? I almost wanted to slap you to death. The fact that you’re still alive really means you should thank your lucky stars.”

Fatty Chen opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but in the end, he recounted the events to Ye Zhanqing.

After hearing him out, Ye Zhanqing patted Fatty Chen’s shoulder in admiration. “You’ve got some nerve, Fatty. You’d better make the most of your remaining days while you still can.”

“Get lost,” Fatty Chen replied impatiently.

Ye Zhanqing shrugged indifferently, picked up the cup of water Fatty Chen had poured for Jiang Yuyan, and took a sip as he spoke. “You think I’m just trying to scare you? From my one and only encounter with that lady, she’s not someone known for her magnanimity. She’ll settle the score with you sooner or later.”

Fatty Chen glanced at Ye Zhanqing, sneering inwardly.

On the surface, the people of Blackstone seemed to get along well, but whenever necessary, anyone could stab the other in the back, even while smiling and chatting. There was only the barest minimum of trust between them.

Although relations within the organization had improved greatly since Zhu Yu took command, at its core, it was still an assassin organization.

From the moment the Wheel King founded the group, he’d set the tone: trust wasn’t required, only loyalty.

By the same token, the essence of an assassin never changes. You couldn’t expect anyone in such a place to be truly loyal and righteous, willing to risk their life for a friend.

Perhaps such a person could earn a good reputation in the martial world, but in the assassin’s circles, they’d be considered an oddity—one that everyone would want to get rid of.

Even so, Ye Zhanqing’s words served as a reminder to Fatty Chen. He looked at Ye Zhanqing in puzzlement and asked, “Why are you in the palace? How do you know the leader’s identity?”

Ye Zhanqing drained the last of his water, ignored the question, and said instead, “I’ll leave the tasks with the Colorful Trickster and Drizzle to you. I’ll notify Lei Bin myself.”

With that, Ye Zhanqing didn’t wait for a response and left directly.

——

The next day, at noon, inside yesterday’s grain shop.

At last, Jiang Yuyan met with the upper echelons of Blackstone. There was little in the way of pleasantries; after confirming each other’s names and identities, Jiang Yuyan got straight to the point.

“What? You want us to investigate Prince Duan and Prince Yu?”

“There must be some mistake. Blackstone is an assassin organization, not an intelligence agency.”

“That’s right. If it’s about killing, no matter who it is, this old man can lend a hand. But infiltrating a prince’s residence to gather intelligence? That’s a bit beyond our capabilities.”

“When it comes to martial world matters, Blackstone isn’t helpless, but as for the residences of Prince Duan and Prince Yu, we have absolutely no foundation there.”

“Exactly. Think about it. What assassin organization would dare poke around the homes of imperial relatives? That’s just asking for death.”

Blackstone’s leaders’ reactions took Jiang Yuyan by surprise.

In her eyes, an imperial order had been given—how could there be any room for objections? To defy the emperor’s command was a crime worthy of death!

Rising to her feet, Jiang Yuyan summoned her inner power at will. With a wave of her hand, a terrifying suction force emanated from her palm, and Fatty Chen’s massive body floated toward her as easily as a sheet of paper.

Her hand closed around Fatty Chen’s neck, but she withdrew the force, not draining his inner energy.

She didn’t even glance at Fatty Chen, but looked coldly at the others. “The imperial edict has been issued. You have only two choices: obey, or die.”

“Is this your will, or the emperor’s? I want to see the emperor.” The speaker was Drizzle.

Jiang Yuyan stared into Drizzle’s eyes for a long moment, and Drizzle did not back down.

Finally, Jiang Yuyan withdrew her gaze, released Fatty Chen, and returned to her seat, drinking a cup of tea before speaking again.

“You want to see the emperor? Once the task is done, I will deliver your message. The emperor’s will is my will. The emperor’s orders are not meant to be debated, but to be fulfilled by any means necessary. If the task were easy, would there be any need for you?”

When Jiang Yuyan finished, no one argued further. They all fell into their own thoughts.

After a long pause, Fatty Chen rubbed the marks still lingering on his neck and said, “This task really can’t be done. If it were a long-term assignment, I doubt anyone here would refuse. But this is a short-term task where results are expected immediately. That’s simply impossible. Even if Blackstone were to act now and begin infiltrating the prince’s residences, at best we’d only get in as the lowest servants—far from any real secrets.

“And don’t even mention sending in masters to steal something. We don’t even know if there’s evidence, what kind of evidence, or where it is. How are we supposed to steal it?

“Besides, if sending in a few experts could get the job done, I doubt His Majesty would have turned to Blackstone. When it comes to martial prowess, Blackstone can’t compare to the imperial palace.”

Fatty Chen’s words rendered Jiang Yuyan silent. As much as she wanted to deny it, she had to admit that the fat man’s reasoning made sense.

At that moment, Jiang Yuyan adjusted her attitude and said, “I was excessive just now. Please forgive me. Once this matter is settled, I’ll make it up to all of you. For now, I ask everyone to put your heads together and find a solution.

“I should mention, I am currently at the Grandmaster level. You may factor me into your plans. If one Grandmaster isn’t enough, I have ways to find more. But as for other resources, you won’t receive any further support from the court.”

Her first words eased most of the tension the group felt—an apology from a Grandmaster was rare enough, let alone from a royal consort.

Her second statement only made everyone marvel at the imperial court’s deep reserves. As for the lack of further support, after hearing her explanation, everyone had already guessed as much.

Otherwise, why would the emperor turn to Blackstone? The four great intelligence agencies of Jingguo were renowned throughout the martial world.

After a round of polite exchanges, the Blackstone leaders fell into deep thought.

“Prince Yu will be easier. Since Prince Duan has already revealed his target, we can focus on the Esoteric Sect. If Prince Yu truly has dealings with them, there will be a flaw somewhere.

“The Esoteric Buddhist Sect is Mongolia’s state religion. We don’t even need evidence of Prince Yu plotting rebellion. As long as we can prove he’s in contact with them, that’s more or less the same as treason.

“The crucial problem now is with Prince Duan. There is simply no place to begin.”

After another long silence, it was Fatty Chen who spoke up first once again.

This time, Jiang Yuyan looked at him with new eyes; it seemed the fat man’s head was not filled entirely with lard after all.