The moment Lu Shuyun heard his subordinate's report, his face turned ashen.
Two ninth-grade warriors. One eighth-grade warrior. And hundreds of third-grade experts—yet they couldn't kill a single so-called useless prince?
Not only had the assassination failed, but not a single one of them had returned alive.
The more he thought about it, the more enraged he became. Lu Shuyun slammed the table with a roar. Bowls, pots, and every object atop it shattered in an instant.
"Trash! All of them—nothing but trash!"
He simply couldn't comprehend how the Blood Moon Tower had failed so spectacularly.
They had done thorough reconnaissance. Apart from Chu Yuqin and Li Feng, the Northern King's escort had no one of significant strength. Not even a handful of fifth-rank warriors were present.
And yet the Blood Moon Tower had failed!
Two ninth-grade assassins! Even if one of them was held back by Chu Yuqin, the other should have been more than enough to deal with the so-called crippled prince.
And they still failed?
Now the Blood Moon Tower even had the audacity to demand compensation?
They couldn't even kill a good-for-nothing, and they still dared to come asking for payment?
After venting for a long while, Lu Shuyun gradually calmed down. His expression turned icy cold.
"Did the Blood Moon Tower find out why their mission failed?" he asked, voice devoid of emotion.
The kneeling man responded at once, "Your Highness, when Blood Moon Tower sent scouts to investigate the aftermath, they discovered that many of their people's corpses had been burned."
When Lu Chen's group departed, they had buried their own dead and piled the bodies of some Blood Moon assassins before burning them. Though it cost them time, Chu Yuqin insisted. Especially the bodies of those killed by Lu Chen—she couldn't allow anyone to analyze their wounds.
Martial artists could often determine the method and nature of a death just by examining injuries. Chu Yuqin's decision to destroy the evidence was necessary to conceal how those particular deaths occurred.
Lu Shuyun's fury deepened as he listened. Not only had the mission failed, but the Blood Moon Tower didn't even know how their people died!
Just as he was grinding his teeth in frustration, another subordinate added, "Your Highness, we suspect that someone of Grandmaster level might be secretly protecting the Northern King."
Lu Shuyun froze. His mind went blank for a moment before falling into silence, his expression constantly shifting.
After a while, hatred flickered in his eyes. "If that's the case... then that piece of trash must disappear from this world."
The subordinate bowed and said, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Our people have already reached Beijun. Even if the Northern King has a Grandmaster by his side, no one stays on guard forever. Eventually, they'll lower their guard."
Lu Shuyun didn't reply. At this point, there was little else he could do but wait.
Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan.
Staring out the window, he muttered coldly, "My dear brother... let's see how long your luck will last."
…
At the same time, rumors of the failed Blood Moon Tower assassination had spread across the capital. No one knew who leaked the information, but everyone of status and influence had already heard.
The Imperial Palace.
Imperial Garden.
Emperor Xia's brows furrowed as he read the message delivered by the Shadow Guards. His face was full of disbelief.
Sitting in front of him was a white-haired old man, calm and composed.
Seeing Emperor Xia's reaction, the old man asked gently, "Your Majesty, what has happened?"
The Emperor came to his senses and shredded the note in his hand. "I didn't expect that Xiao Chen might actually have a Grandmaster protecting him... The Chu family is really generous."
The old man was briefly stunned by the implication.
He was Situ Ce, the Imperial Master of the Great Xia Dynasty—the dynasty's greatest pillar and Emperor Xia's most trusted advisor.
"Imperial Master," the Emperor asked, "do you think the Chu family truly intends to support Xiao Chen? Or are they just putting on a show?"
Situ Ce fell into thought before calmly responding, "I believe this was the personal decision of Chu Xiong. It doesn't represent the will of the entire Chu clan."
"Oh?" Emperor Xia chuckled. "Why do you say that?"
Situ Ce answered, "Beijun is a desolate, bitter land. Even if the King of Beijun establishes himself there, it will be difficult to develop or gain power, much less rally troops or influence. The Chu family wouldn't invest in someone with no future on the throne."
"However, Chu Xiong is different. He's the Northern King's maternal grandfather. There is still a bond of blood between them. I think Chu Xiong sent protectors because of personal sentiment, not the interests of the Chu clan."
Hearing this, Emperor Xia rose from the stone bench and laughed aloud.
"Hahaha! 'The Chu family is not the Chu family's Chu family'—Imperial Master, your words are thought-provoking. It reminds me of myself. This Great Xia... is also not my Great Xia!"
The Chu clan was already bound to the powerful factions of Jiangnan. If they were to suddenly support a prince with no future, it would provoke conflict and potentially tear the clan apart.
So no—this wasn't the will of the Chu family.
It was the will of Chu Xiong.
And Emperor Xia? He thought of himself because, like the Chu family, he too was bound by forces he couldn't control.
Though he wore the crown, many matters were out of his hands.
The throne was his, and yet... it wasn't.
…
Duke Mu's Mansion.
Mu Changtian's hands trembled slightly as he read the letter delivered by carrier pigeon.
It was a report from Li Feng, detailing the Blood Moon Tower's ambush on the Northern King.
When Mu Changtian saw that the assassins included two ninth-grade warriors and one eighth-grade warrior, his heart nearly stopped. He feared the worst had happened.
But then he read further.
At the end, Li Feng mentioned that a mysterious expert had suddenly appeared and defeated both ninth-grade assassins.
Mu Changtian was intrigued.
A mysterious expert?
Who could have been sent to protect the Northern King?
Could it have been someone from the palace?
His gaze drifted toward the Imperial Palace—but he quickly dismissed the thought.
Emperor Xia had never treated the Northern King as a son. He considered the child a stain upon his reign. How could such a man send someone to protect him?
…
Meanwhile—
Lu Chen and his convoy were already back on the road.
In the days that followed, not a single attempt on his life occurred.
A full month passed peacefully.
This was largely due to a rumor circulating in the capital—one that claimed a Grandmaster was personally protecting the Northern King.
With such a figure in play, no one was foolish enough to send more assassins.
However, most people believed the Grandmaster wouldn't stick around forever.
Grandmasters were rare across all of Xia. Who would waste one on a useless prince long-term?
In everyone's eyes, the Grandmaster was merely escorting Lu Chen to Beijun—and once there, would surely leave.
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