Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Forsaken Pawn

Early the next morning, the entire Ye residence operated at a feverish pace, like a great machine set into motion under Ye Feng’s command. Having heard yesterday that the Seventh Prince had left the palace, Ye Feng had begun making arrangements for the day ahead. It was clear the frightened prince would not be able to sit still.

“Xiao Zhu! How are the preparations going?” Ye Feng stepped out of his chamber and entered the main hall.

“Master! Ah Xue is already waiting outside!” Xiao Zhu hurried over, acutely aware of the importance of today’s events and not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.

“Let him in,” Ye Feng said, tilting his head to glance at the bleak morning sun, eyes narrowed against the glare.

Before long, a young man in black, about twenty-five or twenty-six, entered the hall at a brisk pace.

“A true expert,” Ye Feng murmured in praise as he regarded the youth.

Since the Ye family’s return to power, they had become the leading nobles in the capital. Their household spies were trained in batches—though the Ye family’s spies were nothing like those who disguised themselves as mere peddlers. These were professional masters of espionage, shadows who never saw the light of day. Each elite spy chosen by the Ye family had survived countless brushes with death to earn their place. Stealth, reconnaissance, assassination—these skills were second nature to them. In times of crisis, these agents could instantly transform into deadly killers.

“Ah Xue, select ten experts of Spirit King rank or higher, the ones most adept at moving unseen. I want you to keep a relentless watch on the Seventh Prince,” Ye Feng said, his gaze never wavering from the young man.

“Yes, sir!” The youth gave a silent salute and turned to leave.

“And try to restrain your aura,” Ye Feng added as if to himself. “Ordinary folk go unnoticed, but they don’t carry that air of aloofness you have. They’re just trying to get by, and when they see others on the street, they nod and bow...”

At these words, Ah Xue’s steps faltered, slowing further with each stride until he finally stopped to listen.

To be honest, as someone who had crawled out from piles of corpses, he’d been reluctant to obey the young master’s orders. What did a mere youth know? Among the brothers, their stealth was unrivaled in the capital—no one dared claim superiority in their domain. On the way here, he hadn’t expected much from Ye Feng; he simply hoped the young master wouldn’t recklessly command them to their deaths. Rumors of Ye Feng’s exploits abounded outside, but those were just hearsay.

And just yesterday, Ye Feng’s rash assault on the imperial palace with nothing but a blade had convinced Ah Xue of his utter lack of sense. Receiving today’s orders had changed his view only a little. Now, hearing these words, Ah Xue’s frown deepened.

“Don’t just stand there! Go make the arrangements!” Ye Feng called after him. “Your top priority is to keep the Seventh Prince under surveillance and record everyone he meets along the way. Everyone, even commoners.”

As a killer, keen instincts were a must. From the moment Ah Xue entered Ye Feng’s private quarters to the time he accepted his orders, Ye Feng had sensed the contempt radiating from him—hence, his words just now.

People are strange creatures. No matter how authoritative you are in other fields, if you’re not respected in someone’s own domain, they’ll simply ignore you. But once you prove yourself an expert in their world, they’ll look up to you as an idol.

Watching Ah Xue leave in haste, Ye Feng rolled his neck and muttered, “Seems it’s time for me to set out as well.”

On East Street, a plainly dressed youth walked aimlessly, his expression blank, as if he’d just suffered some great blow. His muddied eyes were devoid of life, the look of someone numbed by hardship. Anyone passing by could sense that he was a commoner, worn down by the world.

“The Seventh Prince’s carriage is passing—make way!” called a voice from behind as a procession of carriages swept down the street. Like the rest of the townsfolk, the youth quickly stepped aside.

When the prince’s carriage had passed, the youth returned to the road, muttering curses under his breath, clearly displeased by the disruption. The street vendors nearby only shook their heads—such things were all too familiar to them.

But when they blinked and turned back, the boy had already vanished. Not that it was strange—after all, the busy streets and countless alleys could swallow anyone.

Ye Feng followed the prince’s carriage at a measured pace. To others, he seemed but a slow, mindless youth shuffling along. Yet, just as the vendors had found, the moment one’s attention wavered, he was gone.

“Flood Dragon Glide, second stage,” Ye Feng whispered, taking another step, still utterly unremarkable.

A heartbeat later, he appeared dozens of feet away—nothing about the scene seemed out of place.

Trailing the prince’s convoy from afar, Ye Feng could sense the positions of the dozens of Ye family spies scattered around, thanks to his spiritual intuition.

After about half an hour, the prince’s caravan stopped before a farmhouse. Ye Feng’s lips curled into a smile—there were four people inside.

After a quick scan, he stealthily advanced toward the farmhouse. It was time to close the net.

Like a hunting leopard, Ye Feng moved swiftly forward. The surroundings were silent, save for the wind rustling through wild grass.

“Something’s wrong!” Ye Feng suddenly leapt forward, dashing toward the farmhouse.

At the threshold, four figures burst through the windows—two fleeing into the distance, while the other two charged at him with drawn swords.

“Damn it!” Ye Feng cursed under his breath, realizing the operation had failed.

Rolling forward, he unleashed a flurry of golden fists, launching relentless attacks. Dragon Seizing Hands struck out again and again, wild and desperate, battering the two killers before him. The frustration of failure gnawed at him; once again, the enemy had been a step ahead.

Striking in anger, dust billowed and stones flew.

The two assassins landed lightly, tawny hair disheveled over their shoulders, cold murderous light gleaming in their eyes. At that moment, they resembled two fearsome beast kings, exuding an aura of palpable menace.

They knew they were but pawns to be sacrificed.

“I hadn’t expected those behind you to be so ruthless, willing to employ such desperate gambits. I’ve underestimated them all this time,” Ye Feng said quietly, watching the two assassins as fresh blood trickled from the corners of their mouths.