Chapter 128: A Coincidence (1)

Judging by her appearance, this female warrior seemed more like a mercenary.

Virtually every expert present had worked as a mercenary at some point; it was the most common way to gain experience on this continent. Thus, almost all warriors and mages had once walked that path.

If she was a mercenary, that presented a problem. Logically, a mercenary shouldn’t be hired for a task like this—unless there was a need to avoid detection. Even then, one would typically hire a top-tier mercenary; someone like this could hardly pose a threat to people of their caliber.

As for how Zhen Xiaoyan had been captured, everyone understood the reason: she possessed neither battle qi nor magic. While she was skilled in alchemy, her reflexes in a crisis were not sharp, making her an easy target.

And this "Royal Palace," despite its name, was merely an ordinary lord’s residence, riddled with vulnerabilities.

Regardless, everyone was eager to know what this female warrior intended to do and why she had chosen to seize Zhen Xiaoyan.

"Get back, all of you, stay away! Otherwise, I can’t guarantee she’ll remain in one piece!" the female warrior shouted at Ye Lanyu and the others, pressing the blade against Zhen Xiaoyan’s neck a little tighter. A thin line of blood even began to appear.

"Madam, please, stay calm. Just tell us what you want. I, Ye Chengtian, can guarantee that as long as it is within my power, I will help you—provided you release the girl in your hands!" Ye Chengtian looked at the female warrior and said in a deep, steady voice.

Zhen Xiaoyan was someone who stood by Ye Lang through thick and thin. Even when faced with the threat of being labeled an imperial fugitive and knowing they would be hunted down, she had chosen to stand by Ye Lang’s side.

Could Ye Chengtian, as Ye Lang’s father, do anything less than protect her? He and Long Anqi treated her so well they might as well have called her their daughter-in-law.

"Lord Ye, I trust your word, but I must see the person before I let her go!" the female warrior replied calmly. She did not seem surprised by the presence of Ye Chengtian and his group, and she clearly knew exactly who they were.

This implied one thing: the female warrior hadn't seized Zhen Xiaoyan by mistake. It was intentional. She had obtained their profiles and knew that Zhen Xiaoyan was an important, yet defenseless, individual.

"Speak, what is your objective?" Ye Chengtian frowned. He sensed the underlying issue and realized that the female warrior might well be targeting them.

"My objective is simple: tell them to release the young master they’ve taken!" The female warrior pointed toward the group from the "Royal Palace."

"The young master?"

At this, everyone froze. Neither side understood what the woman was talking about; at that moment, nobody had a clue.

Could it be that this female warrior had come for her "young master," and that he had been detained by the people here?

If that were the case, it would make sense. If she could force Ye Chengtian’s group to take action, she could achieve her goal—perhaps even more effectively. That was why she had abducted Zhen Xiaoyan.

The question now was, who was her young master, and why would the kingdom have seized him?

Ye Chengtian and the others looked toward the men from the Thirteen Allied Kingdoms. From the bewildered expressions on their faces, it was clear that they didn't have a clue either.

"The young master? Could you be referring to the peculiar youth who is currently gambling with King Gaofei inside?" The official who had entered earlier suddenly recalled the situation, connecting the two threads.

"Gambling? Does the young master even know how to gamble?" The female warrior looked confused, leaving the impression that she wasn't certain about the boy inside, or perhaps she didn't really understand her young master at all.

The mention of gambling gave Ye Chengtian and the others a piece of information: the reason the King refused to see them was that he was busy gambling!

They didn't feel angry about being brushed aside for a game of cards; rather, they felt a sense of sorrow for this kingdom. To have a King who would disregard the future of his realm just to gamble with a stranger!

Then again, they reflected, a tiny kingdom like this didn't exactly have much of a future to speak of...

"Your young master doesn't know how to gamble? Then perhaps it isn't him. He’s been in there with His Majesty for two days and two nights; he must be quite the gambler!" a servant familiar with King Gaofei remarked. They were certain that the youth inside must be a master of the game.

Hardly anyone on this continent could gamble with King Gaofei for two days and two nights; one could likely count them on their fingers.

"I don't know if he does—I've never seen him gamble. Then again, a prodigal son would know how to gamble, and someone who squanders wealth as thoroughly as he does would surely be even better at it," the female warrior said with a sigh.

"A prodigal son..."

These three words stirred memories in Ye Lanyu and the others, reminding them of Ye Lang. Ye Lang was the greatest prodigal son of them all, to the point where people had forgotten the original meaning of the term.

"Can you confirm that your young master is indeed the boy inside? Actually, even if it is him, there’s no cause for concern. When His Majesty gambles, he never makes things difficult for others. If anything, he only challenges them through the game itself!"

The servant continued, "So, you don't need to worry about his safety. You can release this young lady first."

"Release her? Don't even think about it! How do I know you aren't lying to me? I won't release Miss Zhen Xiaoyan until I see him with my own eyes!" The female warrior remained unyielding, keeping her hold on Zhen Xiaoyan.

"Since you know her name, it confirms my suspicion. From the start, you targeted her because you wanted to use us to pressure them. And since you know our identities and are so well-informed about us, you are clearly no mere pawn!" Princess Seven stared coldly at the female warrior.

"I..." The female warrior hesitated.

"I don't care who you are, that’s none of my business! Just tell them what your young master is like, what his traits are!" Princess Seven only wanted to confirm if the person inside was indeed that "young master"; her only goal was to ensure Zhen Xiaoyan’s safety.

"What is he like? He’s just a noble young master, a prodigal who loves to find excuses to waste money. To him, the more he spends, the happier he is. He would never feel a shred of heartache over how much he throws away," the female warrior described.

How was it that this person sounded more and more like someone they knew?