Black Hand, I Just Like How Ignorant You Are

Reality turned out completely different from what Zane Shore had imagined—Prince Nolan and Serena Feng were not surrounded by the Brocade Guard. In fact, it was the Brocade Guard who were locked in a bitter struggle.

To capture Prince Nolan and, incidentally, kill Serena Feng for the reward, the Brocade Guard had already paid a heavy price. This time, they’d dispatched three hundred men, determined to bring down both Nolan and Serena—but what they didn’t expect was…

Prince Nolan had long since prepared his countermeasures. The moment the Brocade Guard made their move, Nolan’s own dark guards and hidden reinforcements sprang into action. Forget capturing Nolan—these Brocade Guards would be lucky to escape with their lives.

“Cunning.” Zane saw through it instantly. The only reason Prince Nolan managed such a setup was thanks to him—if Zane hadn’t bought them over half a month’s time, Nolan and Serena wouldn’t have had the chance to arrange anything against the Brocade Guard. They’d have been lucky just to get a decent night’s sleep.

He’d helped them so much, and yet they were still stingy enough to take back the pistol and parachute. Zane had never met anyone so tight-fisted.

Ignoring the battle around him, Zane moved like a ghost, slipping through the fighting and heading straight for the city outskirts. He was lucky—there were actually two horses waiting by the main road. Without hesitation, Zane mounted up and rode away…

Later, Zane learned that Prince Nolan had left those horses for him on purpose. The reason there were two was to lower his guard—seeing a pair, he wouldn’t suspect anything unusual.

Thundering hoofbeats… Zane galloped after the tracks, never suspecting he was falling right into Prince Nolan and Serena Feng’s trap.

At that moment, Prince Nolan and Serena, who’d set Zane up, weren’t celebrating as one might expect—they’d run into a formidable opponent. This person had clearly been waiting for them; when they were still a hundred paces away, Nolan and Serena reined in their horses.

“Eastlyn’s Ninth.” The newcomer was clad in armor and wielded a massive blade. If not for the chilling aura about him, he’d look every bit the great general.

“Harold Han, Commander of the Brocade Guard. I didn’t expect you’d come in person.” Prince Nolan recognized the voice and finally knew who he was facing.

In fact, Nolan’s whole plan was to lure Harold Han out. Still, seeing him in person was a shock—it was obvious the Emperor of Westlyn was desperate to capture Nolan alive.

Boom… Harold Han slammed his blade into the ground. “You can kill even shadows—how could I dare underestimate you? Eastlyn’s Ninth Royal Uncle isn’t an ordinary man. If I strike, it won’t tarnish my reputation.”

Classic hypocrisy—Serena Feng curled her lip in disdain, feeling not the slightest goodwill toward Harold Han. The Brocade Guard’s leader was certainly something else; his shamelessness was a hundred times thicker than most.

Clearly, Prince Nolan didn’t like him either. Hearing those words only made Nolan’s dislike for Harold Han grow. Slowly, he drew the long flexible sword from his waist and pointed it at Harold. “Since you’re here, Commander Han, let’s see you make your move.”

“Bold words for such a cocky kid.” Harold Han was wrapped head to toe in armor, his expression hidden. But from his voice, it was clear he was not pleased.

It made sense—Harold Han had been famous for years, one of Westlyn’s top martial experts. Arrogant and domineering, he hadn’t expected a junior like Prince Nolan to treat him with such disregard.

Harold Han didn’t bother with any ‘martial code’ nonsense. After all, they were officials, not wandering heroes. With a kick, he sent his warblade flying into his grip and charged straight at Prince Nolan.

Prince Nolan had long known Harold Han was treacherous and was on guard. The instant Harold attacked, Nolan spurred his horse forward, sword raised to meet him in battle.

Clang, clang… The slender flexible sword collided with Harold Han’s warblade, throwing off a shower of sparks. Nolan twisted his wrist, letting the sword slide down the blade toward Harold’s chest.

Harold Han’s expression didn’t change. He blocked with his arm, catching the tip of Nolan’s sword, then shoved hard, forcing Nolan—horse and all—back a step.

Harold gave Nolan no chance to catch his breath. He bent low and swept his warblade at the horse’s legs.

Nolan didn’t retreat; instead, he slapped his horse’s flank and charged forward.

Crack—Harold Han chopped through the horse’s forelegs. The animal collapsed, pitching forward straight at Harold. He scrambled to dodge, but Nolan gave him no chance. As the horse fell, Nolan twisted off the saddle, vaulted behind Harold, and, using the momentum, kicked Harold forward—sending him crashing into the wounded horse.

A tremendous crash—despite his armor, Harold Han didn’t get off lightly. He could actually feel pain in his chest.

Bastard.

Harold Han was furious. He hadn’t expected to suffer such a setback the very first time he faced Nolan. Enraged, he swung his warblade and hacked the fallen horse in two—blood sprayed everywhere, making Serena Feng’s scalp crawl.

Her grimace caught Harold Han’s attention. Spotting Serena Feng, a flash of cunning lit his eyes. He ignored Nolan and, swift as the wind, lunged straight at Serena.

After days of investigation, Harold Han knew exactly how much Serena Feng meant to Prince Nolan. If he could seize her, Nolan would be easy to handle.

“Seriously? Picking on the weak? You just know I’m no match for you.” The murderous intent was palpable. Serena’s horse grew restless, but she had no time to calm it. Yanking the reins, she spun the horse around and tried to escape.

She couldn’t win in a fight, but maybe she could run.

“Dream on.” Harold Han launched himself into the air, soaring like a giant eagle, and swooped down on Serena.

Knowing Serena excelled at hidden weapons, Harold Han had worn full armor just to guard against them. Seeing her flee instead of fighting only convinced him he’d made the right move. But…

He’d forgotten that while he was attacking Serena, Prince Nolan wouldn’t just stand by. The moment Harold Han leaped into the air, Nolan struck.

Harold Han’s armor might block bullets, but it was no match for the Tiger Claw Grappling Hook—let alone a bullet, it couldn’t even stop the hook that could pierce walls.

When Nolan triggered the hook on his wrist, there was a sharp whoosh—the claw shot straight into Harold Han’s shoulder. Nolan yanked hard, and Harold was pulled backward, crashing down from midair with a thud.

Nolan didn’t hesitate. He pressed the retract button and dragged Harold Han to his side, then lunged forward, his flexible sword flicking at Harold’s neck and sending his helmet flying.

Harold Han was a seasoned fighter. The instant his helmet flew off, he spun, sprang up from the ground, and swung his warblade behind him, trying to sever the wire connecting him to Nolan.

But the blade bounced off with a clang—the wire didn’t budge. Harold’s face changed. As Nolan swept in again with his sword, Harold grabbed the wire and yanked it hard. With a sickening rip, he tore the claw out of his own back.

The steel wire whipped through his palm, leaving a wound that would never heal. Crack—the inverted triangle claw jammed in Harold’s hand, tearing it open. He cried out in pain and let go, and the claw shot back into Nolan’s sleeve.

“The Eastlyn people really are cunning, always using underhanded tricks.” Harold Han was bitter about his defeat, and his tone showed it.

“As long as it works, I only care about results. If I can kill you, what does it matter if the method is underhanded?” Prince Nolan was unfazed, raising his left hand and taking an attacking stance. Harold, still wary after his recent loss, instinctively dodged—only to find…

“I was just messing with you, Commander Han. You really can't take a joke.” Nolan said coldly. Harold was furious, his face turning red with anger.

As commander of the Brocade Guard, no one had ever dared speak to him like this. It was outright provocation.

Harold Han, enraged and bleeding, charged at Nolan again, this time going for the kill—he clearly no longer intended to take Nolan alive.

So easy to provoke.

Nolan glanced at Harold with contempt, meeting his attack with his sword. But inwardly, Nolan was calculating—would the drug take effect faster now that Harold was so agitated?

Yes, Serena had shamelessly coated the Tiger Claw Grappling Hook with a drug. She hated using medicine to harm people—her teacher had always taught her otherwise—but with her handgun taken by Zane, she had no choice.

Betraying her teacher’s teachings was better than dying. She was walking on the edge of a cliff—one misstep, and she’d be dead.

She didn’t want to die, so anyone who tried to kill her deserved to die instead…

Serena retreated dozens of meters, only stopping when she was sure Harold wouldn’t target her again. As soon as she stopped, she heard hoofbeats behind her. Serena swept her flashlight behind her—she couldn’t see the rider’s face, but the silhouette was unmistakable.

The sudden burst of light startled Zane—and even his horse couldn’t stand it. The animal reared, nearly throwing Zane off, and only calmed down once Serena switched off the flashlight.

Zane wasn’t angry at all—instead, he was even more excited, thinking this trip was absolutely worth it.

Zane sped forward, coming up beside Serena and urgently asking: “Serena Feng, what was that glowing thing just now?”

In the darkness, Zane’s gaze was intense—almost predatory. If Serena didn’t know his personality, she’d have thought she was facing a would-be attacker. His look was just too scary.

Serena snapped out of it, waved her flashlight, and grinned wickedly: “You really don’t know what this is?”

Zane was so focused on the flashlight that he didn’t even notice Serena’s expression. He shook his head honestly: “No idea. What is it? Why is it so bright? It’s the brightest lamp I’ve ever seen.”

Zane was practically trembling with excitement, and the more excited he got, the happier Serena became. Her smile grew brighter, and she looked at Zane with increasing warmth.

“Not knowing is best. I love seeing you so clueless and inexperienced. Zane, do you want to know?” At that moment, Serena looked just like the big bad wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood.

As for the naive Little Red Riding Hood, although he was annoyed at Serena calling him ignorant, he couldn’t argue—he really did want to know…