197: Chapter 195 Snow Princess

The Second Prince was silent for a moment before letting the person outside enter.

The door was pushed open gently, and a dark shadow slipped in soundlessly.

The person wore deep gray tight-fitting clothes and a black cloth mask, revealing only his eyes. His aura was suppressed so low that it was nearly undetectable without careful sensing.

With a cultivation of Late Golden Core Stage, he was one of the most capable hidden guards under the Second Prince's command.

The Second Prince looked at him, his anger flaring up.

It was these people; last time he ordered them to investigate the Medicinal Pills on the Third Prince's side, they had spent months and found absolutely nothing.

He had scolded them several times, and they just hung their heads and took it, not daring to say a word back.

Now they were here again, likely to spout more nonsense.

Just as he was about to start cursing, the hidden guard spoke first, dropping to one knee with his head lowered, his voice raspy but clear: "Your Highness, the matter you asked your subordinate to investigate has been clarified."

The Second Prince's scolding got stuck in his throat.

He stared at the hidden guard for a few breaths before swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue.

Xue Ji slid down from his shoulder and stepped aside, her thin veil draped back over her, her tail swaying gently behind her.

She leaned against the armrest of the soft couch, watching the hidden guard with great interest.

"Speak," the Second Prince said coldly.

The hidden guard did not look up and began his report in a steady voice.

They had lost many men.

The Third Prince's side had been very vigilant lately, especially in the Qingyao City area, where the patrol density was several times higher than before.

They sent three groups; the first two were lost, and only one person from the last group returned with information.

There was a Loose Cultivator named Yun Ming in Qingyao City with a Late Golden Core Stage cultivation, living in a small courtyard.

On the surface, this person didn't seem special, but after an in-depth investigation, they found he had regular contact with people from the City Lord's Manor every month.

An Aide named Zhou Qian from the City Lord's Manor would go to that small courtyard every month, bringing a Storage Pouch every time he arrived and leaving with one every time he departed.

They put in a lot of effort to find out that those storage pouches contained Medicinal Pill Materials and finished Medicinal Pills.

"Your Highness," the hidden guard's voice grew even lower, "that Yun Ming is a Fourth-Rank Alchemist."

The Second Prince's brow furrowed.

A Fourth-Rank Alchemist was indeed a scarce resource for the Third Prince, but one Fourth-Rank Alchemist wouldn't be enough to cause him to suffer such repeated defeats.

He also had Fourth-Rank Alchemists among his subordinates; though not many, they weren't non-existent.

The hidden guard continued.

This Yun Ming was no ordinary Fourth-Rank Alchemist.

His Pill Success Rate was extremely high, ridiculously so.

Based on the number of pills he produced monthly, they reached a startling conclusion—for the Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill, out of ten sets of Materials, he could produce at least eight or nine batches. For the Xuan Ying Pill, out of five sets of Materials, he could produce two or three batches.

Hearing this, the Second Prince's expression changed.

He stood up abruptly, his chair toppling backward and hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Xue Ji was startled, her tail standing on end.

The hidden guard knelt on the ground, his head lowered even further.

"Say that again." The Second Prince's voice was very low, like rolling thunder in his throat.

The hidden guard steeled himself and repeated it.

After listening, the Second Prince was silent for a moment, then kicked over the nearby tea table.

Teacups and fruit plates shattered across the floor, and tea splashed onto Xue Ji's thin veil; she cried out "Oh my!" and dodged to the side.

"Bullshit!" the Second Prince roared. "A Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill, a fourth-rank pill, and he gets eight or nine batches out of ten? Two or three batches out of five for the Xuan Ying Pill? Do you take me for a three-year-old? Even a High Grade Fourth-Rank Alchemist wouldn't dare say such a thing! You've been investigating for months, and this is the kind of stupidity you bring back to fool me?"

The hidden guard knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly, but he did not back down.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, I stake my life that the news is true. I lost six brothers to bring back this intelligence. That Yun Ming truly has this ability."

The Second Prince looked at him, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

He wanted to scold him again, but seeing the hidden guard's look of being prepared to die for his word, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He knew this hidden guard; he had followed him for decades and never lied.

If he said six brothers were lost, then six were truly lost.

If he said the news was true, then he was certain it was true. The Second Prince took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.

He turned and walked to the window, his back to the hidden guard and Xue Ji, looking out at the pitch-black night.

The moon was obscured by clouds, and the courtyard was so dark that nothing could be seen clearly.

He stood there for a long time, so long that the hidden guard's knees went numb and Xue Ji let out a yawn.

He turned around and sat back down on the soft couch.

His expression was much calmer than before, but the gloom in his eyes had deepened.

"If this is true," he spoke slowly, as if talking to himself or asking the hidden guard, "how can a Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage have such a high Pill Success Rate? What secret does he hide? Or does he possess some exotic treasure?"

The hidden guard kept his head down, not daring to respond.

These were things he couldn't find out and didn't dare to investigate.

The Second Prince did not press further.

He began to calculate in his mind.

If this Yun Ming really had such a high success rate, then he alone was worth three or four Fourth-Rank Alchemists.

The Third Prince's side was originally evenly matched with him, but it was by relying on this person's pills that he had gained a significant advantage. The Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill was a hard currency on the battlefield; just one could allow a general with exhausted spiritual power to stand up again. The Xuan Ying Pill was even more of a strategic resource; one more Nascent Soul meant one more chance at victory. The Third Prince used these pills to win people's hearts, recruit experts, and replenish logistics. In this situation of one side gaining while the other lost, there was a reason why his side was repeatedly retreating.

Having understood this, the Second Prince was no longer angry. He leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers on the armrest a few times, and then sat up straight.

"Pass down the order," he looked at the hidden guard, his voice returning to its usual steadiness. "Send people to Qingyao City to find that Yun Ming. Recruit him. Whatever the Third Prince gives him, I will double it. Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, Cultivation Techniques, territory, women—give him whatever he wants. As long as he is willing to come over, everything is negotiable."

The hidden guard hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness, that Yun Ming is in Qingyao City, which is the Third Prince's territory. Qingyao City is heavily guarded, and there is a City Lord at Golden Core Perfection stationed there. It's not hard for our people to get in, but to see Yun Ming and convince him, I'm afraid..."

The Second Prince's face darkened again. "Afraid of what?"

The hidden guard steeled himself and said, "I'm afraid it will take time, and it may not succeed. If Yun Ming is truly the Third Prince's confidant as the intelligence suggests, he won't betray him easily."

The Second Prince was silent for a moment, his voice turning cold: "Then kill him. What I can't have, my third brother won't have either."

The hidden guard lowered his head even further.

Killing a Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage wouldn't be difficult elsewhere, but in Qingyao City, on the Third Prince's turf, killing a Fourth-Rank Alchemist protected by heavy troops was even harder than recruiting him.

Qingyao City had heavy troops, a City Lord at Golden Core Perfection, a City Protection Array, and the Third Prince's confidant, Zhou Qian.

Once their people were exposed, not only would the mission fail, but they would also lose even more manpower.

But the hidden guard didn't dare say it. He knew the Second Prince's temper; if he continued, he would be scolded.

Seeing him remain silent, the Second Prince was about to get angry when a hand reached out from the side and pressed down on the back of his hand. The hand was very soft and cool, with nails painted bright red.

Xue Ji leaned in, her soft chest pressing against his arm, her tail sweeping gently across his waist.

"Your Highness, why be so angry?" Her voice was soft and carried an indescribable charm. "That Yun Ming is just a Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage. I'll take a trip to Qingyao City and just capture him back."

The Second Prince turned to look at her. Xue Ji looked up, her amber eyes full of smiles. One side of her thin veil had slipped down, revealing a rounded shoulder and half a collarbone that gleamed like jade in the candlelight.

"You're going?" The Second Prince frowned.

"Mm-hmm." Xue Ji nodded, her tail swaying. "I am at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Dealing with a Late Golden Core Stage cultivator—isn't that as easy as reaching into a bag to grab something? If he's willing to surrender, I'll bring him back. If he's not, I'll kill him. It's very simple."

The Second Prince was silent for a moment. He certainly knew Xue Ji's strength. Although she was a fox demon, her cultivation was solid, her methods were eerie, and she was more than capable of dealing with a Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage. But Qingyao City was the Third Prince's territory, and he didn't want Xue Ji to take risks.

Seeing him not speak, Xue Ji leaned forward, lying in his arms. Her thin veil fell away completely, revealing a large area of snow-white skin. Her tail wrapped around his waist, furry and ticklish. She looked up, her red lips slightly parted, her breath like orchids: "Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll be careful and won't be discovered. Besides, even if I am discovered, who could stop me?"

The Second Prince looked at her, his heart warming. He reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, and with his other hand, he gently stroked her back. Xue Ji let out a low moan, her body becoming even softer, pressing against him like a pool of water.

"Alright." The Second Prince's voice was a bit raspy. "You go. But be careful. If it's not feasible, come back; don't force it."

Xue Ji smiled, her smile charming and moving. "Don't worry, Your Highness, I will definitely handle the matter beautifully. But—" Her finger drew circles on his chest, "before I go, shouldn't Your Highness reward me properly?"

The Second Prince chuckled and picked her up. Xue Ji gave a startled cry, then giggled, her tail swishing back and forth behind her.

The hidden guard was very tactful and withdrew soundlessly.

The door closed gently behind him, cutting off all sounds from within.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away.

Qingyao City, Yun Ming's small courtyard.

Yun Ming was lying on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, a teacup in his hand.

Just as he was about to bring it to his lips, he suddenly sneezed.

The sneeze came so suddenly that his hand shook, and a few drops of tea splashed out, landing on his robe.

He put down the teacup, rubbed his nose, and muttered, "Who's talking about me?"