"Alright, let's get down to business. We can admire the moon later, otherwise the Second Prince might get angry." Selena glanced at Skylar Yule with a smile.
"Auction Master, you must be joking. How could I ever dare be angry at you!" Skylar Yule replied immediately, his tone showing deep respect for Selena.
Evan Chu stepped up to the two of them and asked, "So what exactly is going on? If you have something to say, just spit it out—I still need to get some sleep."
Selena and Skylar Yule both shot Evan a glare before Selena said, "Evan Chu, are you sure you didn't kill Aiden Ying?"
Evan was confused by Selena's question, but guessed the discussion had something to do with Aiden Ying's death. He replied, "You're giving me way too much credit. Aiden Ying was a second-layer Heaven Martial expert—do you really think I could kill him and walk away unscathed?"
"Hard to say. Anyone else might not be able to do it, but you, Evan Chu, are different—you're hiding too many secrets. Whether you killed him or not, Winston Ying already believes you did. The Prime Minister's people aren't the real threat; what's truly dangerous is the power backing him." Selena said.
For Selena to call it a 'dangerous power,' it had to be something extraordinary. Evan immediately grew serious and said, "Winston Ying is the current Prime Minister, second only to the emperor. Are you saying he's just a pawn? Is it the Sea Dragon Empire behind him?"
Skylar Yule glanced at Evan and smiled, "Brother Bullard, you're as sharp as ever. Winston Ying really is a pawn placed in the Heavenly Dragon Empire by the Sea Dragon Empire. None of us saw that coming—if Selena hadn't come, we would've been completely fooled."
Skylar Yule's words were a bombshell. Evan looked at Selena, hoping she'd explain the whole story clearly.
"Don't be so surprised, Evan Chu—it's all true. Winston Ying really is a man of the Sea Dragon Empire. His real name isn't Winston Ying, but Yun Wanxiong, and he's actually a member of the imperial family of the Sea Dragon Empire."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll report all this to my father, the emperor. Even though it's suspicious, I'll do my best to convince him. Winston Ying, that old dog, has earned my father's complete trust—otherwise he wouldn't hold so much power," Skylar Yule said.
"Why not just kill him? That would save us a ton of trouble. Who knows what other secrets he's hiding from the Sea Dragon Empire?" Evan Chu suggested.
"Winston Ying is protected by three top experts, and he rarely steps outside. Killing him won't be easy unless we can lure him out," Skylar Yule replied.
"Why not just storm the Prime Minister's Manor? Selena, Elder Warren, and General Roland Lowell could wipe out the whole place. I really don't get what you're all so afraid of," Evan Chu said, sounding frustrated.
Selena chuckled, "Evan, you can't just kill Winston Ying out in the open. His cronies are everywhere in the court. If we did that, the whole empire would erupt in chaos—and then the Sea Dragon Empire could crush us easily. That would mean endless slaughter and rivers of corpses."
"Then what's the actual plan? Even if we lure him out, killing him in secret sounds almost impossible," Evan Chu said.
"Not necessarily. As long as you act as bait, it's entirely doable. Of course, there will be danger—are you brave enough?" Skylar Yule asked.
"Go ahead, tell me your plan. As long as the method works, I don't care how dangerous it is," Evan Chu replied, eyes blazing.
"Actually, the real targets aren't Winston Ying himself, but his three worship-level guardians. If we take them out, Winston will panic—and then we spread evidence of his treason, force him into rebellion, and crush his faction once and for all," Skylar Yule explained.
Evan Chu instantly understood Skylar's plan. The goal wasn't just to kill Winston Ying, but to use himself as bait to flush out all of Winston's cronies and truly resolve the empire's crisis.
Otherwise, if both nations go to war, we'll be crushed by enemies inside and out. No matter how strong the Heavenly Dragon Empire is, defeat would be inevitable.
"Alright, I agree. But those three are insanely strong—they could kill me in one move. I'll need protection," Evan Chu said.
"Don't worry—Elder Warren will protect you from the shadows, and Selena will stay by your side. With those two, you'll be perfectly safe. But it's best if we lure the guardians outside the city to kill them quietly and catch Winston Ying off guard," Skylar Yule said.
With those two watching his back, Evan Chu finally felt at ease. If he could really eliminate the empire's hidden threat, the merit would be huge—and maybe he'd even earn a rich reward, like Skylar Yule's Fire Spirit Pearl.
Thinking about it, Evan Chu couldn't help but grin, making the other three feel a little awkward.
"What are you smiling about?" Selena asked.
"N-nothing! If there's nothing else, I'll head out. Tomorrow, I'll meet Selena outside the city and wait for the fish to bite!" Evan Chu said, ready to leave.
"Hold on, you still owe me a moonlit stroll. Where do you think you're going?" Selena called out immediately.
"Uh..." Evan Chu felt a black line crawling up his forehead, utterly exasperated.
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