RNP Chapter 60 A Long-Standing Scheme
Chapter 60 A Long-Standing Scheme
"All is well... Good! That's wonderful!" Xu Jiujiu's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Royal brother, this may not be a bad thing for our royal family; on the contrary, it's incredibly good news!"
"Oh? What do you mean?" Xu Jiawei asked, puzzled.
After a long and calm analysis, Xu Jiujiu said, "Dai Hao has four sons. His legitimate sons, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, have bleak futures and are almost useless, making them unsuitable for important responsibilities. His illegitimate son, Dai Luoli, is still young and is said to have the worst talent among all his brothers. He is also simple-minded and timid, and not worth developing. So, in the future, there is only one person who is qualified and capable of inheriting the title of Duke of White Tiger and the military power of the Western Army Group."
She paused, then slowly uttered the name, "Dai Youheng".
A glint flashed in Xu Jiawei's eyes, and he immediately understood what his sister meant.
After a long pause, he continued, his tone carrying a hint of confidence that he was in control of everything, "Everyone knows that Dai Youheng is deeply infatuated with me, and is even willing to die for me. I previously looked down on him because he was just a son of a concubine and of no help to our great cause. But if he can become the future Duke of White Tiger, then his value will be completely different."
Her smile turned cold and calculating. "I don't need love, anyway. What I need is a marriage that will allow me to completely control the Dai family and share your burdens, Your Majesty. A Dai Youheng who is infatuated with me and easy to control, ascending to the position of Duke, is far better than those two legitimate sons, Dai Yueheng or Dai Huabin, who harbor resentment towards our royal family! At that time, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and even the 500,000-strong Western Army will indirectly fall under the control of our Xu family through Dai Youheng!"
Thinking of this, Xu Jiujiu immediately made a decision: "Brother, please send someone to Shrek Academy as quickly as possible. I will personally write a letter, with the most earnest and caring words, to summon Dai Youheng back to Xingluo City immediately! Tell him... I heard that his brother and younger brother are seriously injured, and I am worried about them. I would like to invite him back to the capital for a talk to discuss countermeasures, and offer him conditions that he cannot refuse."
Her eyes gleamed with a determined light, as if she could already see the future of Dai Youheng, the obedient "lapdog" who was her favorite, becoming the most important pawn in her hands to control the Dai family.
Little did she know that the devoted illegitimate son she believed in had already been replaced by a cold and dangerous soul. Her schemes were perhaps destined to fail from the very beginning.
Dai Youheng rode on Xiaobai's main body and ran wildly. What would normally take several days was covered in less than half a day thanks to Xiaobai's speed. As expected of a ferocious beast, even if it wasn't a speed-type beast, it was still a hundred times faster than Youheng. Even if Youheng activated his external soul bone, he would probably still be far inferior to it.
Xiao Bai placed Dai Youheng outside the Frost Forest.
Snow Empress gave Little White another instruction, telling him not to wander off and to stay in the Frost Forest for the time being, as they would be back soon.
Then, Dai Youheng stood still and determined the direction. Red and blue light intertwined and flickered behind him. His Ice and Fire Lotus Wings unfolded, and with a gentle shake, his figure transformed into a stream of light and sped off to the south.
The feeling of flying was exhilarating, with speeds far exceeding those of running on the ground. In just half a day, the outline of a huge city, covered in ice and snow yet bustling with activity, appeared on the horizon.
Ice Sea City.
Because of its proximity to the Frost Forest and the outskirts of the far north, this city has become the last supply station and resting place for many Soul Masters before they hunt for Soul Rings.
The city is quite large, and you can see teams of Soul Masters carrying Soul Tools and exuding a powerful aura everywhere on the streets.
Dai Youheng retracted his lotus wings in a secluded spot outside the city and walked into the city. He didn't rush to find his target, but instead found a lively tavern, sat down, ordered a glass of ordinary ale, and casually listened to the idle chatter of the soul masters around him.
Taverns are always places where information converges, especially in cities near where spirit beasts live. All sorts of people gather there, and they talk about hunting, harvesting, buying and selling, and some shady deals.
He sat patiently for nearly an hour, his mental energy quietly permeating the air as he captured all sorts of trivial information.
Soon, several words caught his attention: "old viper," "underground warehouse," "good stuff," "clearly marked price"...
These words were whispered from the mouth of someone who looked like a high-level Soul Master, as he spoke with another person who appeared to be a businessman.
Dai Youheng calmly memorized the name "Old Viper" and the location "Underground Warehouse." He put down his wine glass, got up, and left the tavern.
He casually strolled around the city, especially near some backstreet shops that sold soul tool materials and potions. He subtly inquired with several shrewd-looking shopkeepers about "where to get special 'helpers'" and mentioned the name "Old Viper" in a veiled manner.
One of the shop owners sized him up. Perhaps sensing the impressive soul power fluctuations within him, or perhaps moved by the few gold soul coins he quietly handed over, he finally lowered his voice and gave him an address: an abandoned warehouse in the west of the city.
Based on the address, Dai Youheng found the warehouse that looked unremarkable and even somewhat dilapidated.
Two seemingly lazy but actually sharp-eyed men guarded the warehouse entrance. Dai Youheng didn't waste any words, directly releasing a trace of Soul Master-level soul power fluctuation, and said succinctly, "Find Old Viper, let's discuss a business deal."
The guards sized him up, sensing the formidable soul power within him. They exchanged glances, one of them nodded, and turned to go inside to report. A moment later, the man returned and gestured for Dai Youheng to follow him inside.
Passing through a warehouse piled high with discarded wooden crates, and pushing open a hidden door, a downward staircase appears. A cacophony of noise, hawking cries, and an indescribable oppressive atmosphere assault the senses. A sizable underground black market unfolds before you.
To Dai Youheng's slight surprise, deep within this black market, he saw a familiar symbol—a strangely shaped black datura flower. This was the symbol of the "Ordinary Alliance."
The Ordinary Alliance, a vast criminal organization headquartered in the Sun Moon Empire but with influence extending to numerous black markets across the continent, is led by its leader, Shangguan Wei'er, who is notorious for operating brothels, human trafficking, and intelligence trading. Unexpectedly, their reach has extended to Ice Sea City in the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Dai Youheng walked straight to the most legitimate-looking stall, which bore the mark of the Ordinary Alliance. He was greeted by a lean, shrewd-eyed middle-aged man with a small mustache—a typical businessman.
"What would you like, sir?" The merchant sized up Dai Youheng. Although Dai Youheng looked young, his calm and cold demeanor and the faint fluctuations of his soul power made him wary.