Night Raid and Heirs of the Former Dynasty

With a crisp "snap," Lance Quinn pushed open the window and leapt inside. He looked at Serena Feng, who was frowning even in her sleep, sighed softly, and pressed a point on her body. Serena's body slumped, instantly losing consciousness.

Serena Feng had been invaded by yin energy. Though her Soul-Jade Bead protected her, her meridians were already damaged. Worried, Lance came to check, and upon feeling her pulse, discovered she was strong on the outside but weak within.

"A doctor who doesn't know how to care for herself," Lance Quinn muttered—whether in blame or concern, it was unclear. He took out a healing pill, fed it to Serena, and used his inner force to dissolve it for her.

A faint white vapor drifted from Serena's body, and her cheeks gradually flushed with color. Satisfied, Lance Quinn nodded to himself.

"I hope you have a good dream." He gently kissed Serena Feng's forehead, then turned away and left without lingering.

Outside Feng Manor, Storm Cloud Bu was waiting for him.

"Lance, you're getting more and more soft. We're supposed to be after Terrence Valen, and the Nine-Provinces Dragon-Vein Map is way more important than Serena Feng, isn't it?"

"Have I delayed anything? The Nine-Provinces Dragon-Vein Map isn't something you find overnight. After all this time, we've only traced one piece to Terrence Valen." At this, Lance Quinn looked rather discouraged.

Legend says the Nine-Provinces Dragon-Vein Map has nine fragments. Assembling them reveals the location of the imperial dragon vein. Unsealing the vein restores the old dynasty's imperial aura, unlocks its treasures and armories, and brings back its former glory.

Lance Quinn, the last surviving bloodline of the former dynasty, is bound by his life's mission: to gather all nine fragments of the Nine-Provinces Dragon-Vein Map, unify the realm, and return the world that was lost to the Lan clan back into Lan hands.

But even he didn't truly believe the Nine-Provinces Dragon-Vein Map could do all that. Could reviving the dragon vein really restore the imperial aura? He doubted it. Still, this was his mother's dying command, and unless he died, he was bound to fulfill it.

"Once we have this fragment of the dragon-vein map, finding the rest will be easier," Storm Cloud Bu comforted.

He was still waiting for Lance Quinn to rule the world, honor his mother as a First-Rank Lady, and declare it to all, so that the old hag at the House of Duke Zhen would be left with nothing.

Of course, that's not urgent.

Lance Quinn nodded. "Let's go."

No matter what, collecting the dragon-vein map fragments was something he had to do.

The two quickly melted into the night, arriving at Jingyue Court. Jingyue Court was originally built to house a Lyndarian hostage prince. Lyndarians spent decades constructing it, and now Prince Terrence Valen lived there.

Storm Cloud Bu handled the lookout and took care of the guards outside, while Lance Quinn unerringly found Terrence Valen's room.

Pushing the door open, he expected Terrence Valen to be asleep. But suddenly, Terrence flipped up from his bed, pressed a spot on the beam, and shouted, "Lance Quinn, I knew you'd come. I've been waiting for you a long time."

A rain of arrows shot from all directions, but Lance Quinn's expression didn't change as he moved through the storm.

Clang, clang, clang...

Lance Quinn deflected every arrow and closed in on Terrence Valen. "Prince Terrence, forgive me for this."

With a sweep of his sword, Lance forced Terrence Valen to retreat. The arrow storm stopped right on cue.

Terrence Valen drew his sword to fight back—clang—their blades collided. "Lance Quinn, who do you really serve? Why are you so obsessed with the dragon-vein map?"

Terrence Valen's face was dark, his anger barely contained.

For the past year, Lance Quinn had driven him crazy—he could barely eat or sleep in peace.

"I can't reveal my employer's name. Hand over the dragon-vein map and I'll stop bothering you," Lance Quinn said, drawing his sword and lunging.

Forced back again, Terrence Valen retorted, "Whatever they're paying you, I'll pay ten times that to make you drop this job."

He was truly terrified of Lance Quinn. Lance operated in the shadows while he was exposed. Worse, Lance's martial skills were overwhelming. In all their clashes, Terrence had never stood a chance. If not for his numbers, he'd have died at Lance's hands long ago.

Faced with such a terrifying enemy, if you couldn't eliminate him, you had to try to buy him off.

"Sorry, but Lance Quinn only ever takes one job at a time. If Prince Terrence wants to hire me, he'll have to wait until I finish this commission. Then he can pay me to steal the dragon-vein map back for him." Lance said this with deadly seriousness, even though it was shameless beyond belief.

Terrence Valen was so furious he nearly spat blood. "Lance Quinn, you refuse a toast only to drink a penalty! Next year on this day will be your death anniversary! Guards—!"

Unfortunately, the soldiers outside acted as if they hadn't heard a thing. Not one responded.

"You have backup?" Terrence Valen asked.

Lance Quinn sneered, "Did you really think I always work alone, that I'm the only one here?"

With a flick of his wrist, Lance knocked the sword from Terrence Valen's hand, its tip now aimed at Terrence's throat. "Hand it over."

"It's not on me," Terrence Valen said, face ashen. He'd always known he couldn't beat Lance, but hadn't expected to lose so quickly.

After finishing off both the covert and open guards outside, Storm Cloud Bu swaggered in, a silver mask on his face. "Why bother being polite? If it's not on him, we'll beat it out of him."

Storm Cloud Bu moved in a blur. Terrence Valen crashed to the ground with a thud, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.

"Ah—!" Terrence Valen screamed in pain, realizing his Achilles tendon had been severed.

He was crippled!

"Courting death!" Terrence Valen roared in fury.

Storm Cloud Bu looked down at Terrence Valen from above. "Prince Terrence, hand over the map."

Storm Cloud Bu had never been a gentle man.

"Dream on," Terrence Valen spat through clenched teeth.

Heh... Storm Cloud Bu laughed, the sound muffled by his mask and all the more chilling. He lifted his foot, gesturing twice toward Terrence Valen's crotch. "I heard that day, Serena Feng—a mere woman—kicked a molester so hard he was ruined. If I kick you now, Prince Terrence, think you'll ever recover?"

"Lance Quinn, aren't you afraid of Lyndaria's revenge?" Terrence Valen's face turned pale, sweat pouring down his forehead.

The injury to his ankle, combined with Storm Cloud Bu's foot poised at his crotch, threatened his future.

"Of course I'm afraid—if you can find us," Storm Cloud Bu pressed his foot down. One push, and Terrence Valen would be ruined.

"Some jianghu masters you are, using such despicable tactics," Terrence Valen forced himself to sound composed.

"If we're not real jianghu masters, what about you? A crown prince, yet you sneak around ruining reputations and stealing women," Lance Quinn sneered.

He used to ignore Serena Feng's affairs, but now that he'd gotten involved, he wouldn't let off those who'd hurt her so badly before.

"Hahaha... The rumors are true—Lance Quinn is special to Serena Feng. If you don't kill me today, I swear I won't let Serena Feng go," Terrence Valen threatened.

"Go ahead, if you dare. Hurt Serena Feng by one degree, and I'll make you pay tenfold. You know what I'm capable of," Lance Quinn said, pressing down on Terrence Valen's shoulder.

"I'll count to three. If you don't hand over the map, I'll break one arm. Count to three again and still refuse, I'll break the other arm. I want to see if Lyndaria will stand up for a crippled crown prince, and how happy your royal brothers will be to hear you're ruined."

"Three..."

"Two..."