Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 116 - 36: When the Painting is Unrolled, the Dagger is Revealed

Chapter 116: Chapter 36: When the Painting is Unrolled, the Dagger is Revealed

Meanwhile, somewhere outside Qing Chi Peak.

Chu Xingluo was making his way along a small path in the forest when two people in black Night Travel Clothes, their faces concealed, were leading the way.

This could be considered his first encounter with the people of Yin Die.

Shortly after, they brought him to a clearing in the forest. A young man dressed in elaborate clothes, with a long sword hanging at his waist, stood with his back to Chu, hands clasped behind him.

"They say you have important matters to report to me,"

the young man asked.

Chu Xingluo did not immediately speak, but scrutinized the young man before him closely. He seemed to be about the same age as Ning Ruyue, but his imposing aura was entirely different. Even a simple question from him multiplied Chu’s pressure.

The presence of a superior confirmed Chu’s belief that this person was none other than Ying Xin, the Second Prince, who covered the sky with one hand in the Imperial Court. In contrast to the Elder Princess who had fled the court from a young age and hid her true identity in the Chess Institute, this prince knew the rules of the court and had firmly seized control of the entire Yin Die at a young age.

It was said that the Second Prince’s Sword Control Technique was also transcendent, much like the Prime Monarch’s in his youth.

"It’s news about the Elder Princess,"

Chu Xingluo tried to calm his tense nerves and said, "She is now in the Yunhai Chess Institute."

"I thought as much,"

Ying Xin replied indifferently, "Only the institute could accommodate her in this world. But before long, even the institute will be annexed by the court. I do feel some sympathy for her... But more than that, I’m curious as to why you are here? Or is it that you’ve already covertly sabotaged the institute’s Barrier?"

"The plan has failed,"

Chu Xingluo said with a wry smile, "Mo Song somehow brought an unwelcome guest."

"Unwelcome guest? That new ’Evil Spirit Defense’ teacher?"

Ying Xin was not unfamiliar with the person Chu Xingluo mentioned.

After all, the men he had sent out a few days earlier had fallen at that person’s hands, neither seen alive nor found dead, leaving behind no news of his adversary.

Yin Die had sent out their top operatives to ensure successful identity replacement.

"His name is Duan Mingyuan."

"Duan Mingyuan? I’ll remember that."

Ying Xin repeated the name silently to himself, and he need not bother investigating this person further. After all, in a few days when they enter the institute, they would eventually confront Duan Mingyuan, "I hope his resistance won’t be too disappointing by then."

"The institute is now in utter chaos, and no one in the Chess Institute is able to inherit the Barrier. It is the perfect time to strike, and I will tell you all about how to bypass the Barrier to ensure your men can infiltrate Qing Chi Peak tonight."

"Infiltrate Qing Chi Peak?"

Ying Xin asked with interest, "You mean to change our agreement, allowing us to freely strike against the teachers and students within the institute?"

"I have done my best to persuade them, and had they heeded my advice, they wouldn’t have to face such a fate."

"Then that simplifies matters considerably."

"In exchange, I want the position of dean. After you seize the institute, you must at least preserve the Chess Institute."

"I can agree to that."

"Good," Chu Xingluo said as he reached into the inner pocket of his clothing, stepping forward slowly, "I have drawn the method to bypass the Barrier and the secret paths on Qing Chi Peak on paper."

His heart was pounding violently.

The object his fingertips touched was not xuan paper but a cold object.

The chill pierced through his skin and seeped into his soul. The skin that touched the object first felt a stinging pain, followed by an unbearable itching. Chu Xingluo felt as if the item had suddenly come to life and was gnawing at his fingers.

It seemed that the way to use this item was simple, with no need to aim. One only had to throw it forcefully to the ground, and the "Deathly Aura" inside would spread in an instant, turning all living beings within a hundred meters into bones.

When he was introduced to this item’s effect in the Ghost Prison, the malice on that evil specter’s face seemed to ooze a bloodthirsty grin.

The evil specter promised him that as long as he managed to toss the item at the Second Prince’s feet, no matter how distinguished the Second Prince’s background was and what kind of guards he had with him, he would be killed instantly.

The only price was that when the "Deathly Aura" spread, the person using the item would also not be able to escape its range.

The distance between the two was getting closer.

Chu Xingluo held his breath.

He had spent his life in the Chess Institute and had never killed anyone by his hands. And now, for the first time, he was set to take the life of the Second Prince.

This was to be his last journey.

"Second Prince, please take a look. This is the treasure I have brought for you from the Chess Institute."

Chu Xingluo gathered all his strength and slammed the object in his arms onto the ground.

He almost lost consciousness in an instant, and the last image he could see was a column of black mist rising to the sky, sweeping through the forest. He seemed to see his skin completely corroded away, his right hand left with no flesh, only stark white bones.

Before he could even feel the pain, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

The black mist persisted for the entire morning. When it dispersed, there was no living creature within a hundred meters, and the grass and trees had withered, leaving only the barren ground.

The sunlight shone down on the ground and the four skeletons that still stood in place, maintaining the posture they had in life, seemingly unaware of the arrival of death.

"The teacher really is prescient. These folks from the Chess Institute are indeed not to be trusted."

In the distance, a young man with the same face as the Second Prince stood atop the mountain, looking down at the four skeletons. "After I return to the Imperial Court, I’ll need to find another stand-in."

The person the young man called teacher was shrouded in pitch-black armor, making it impossible to see his expression.

"It doesn’t matter. I never counted on Chu Xingluo breaking the institute’s Barrier from the beginning. Among those four Barriers, the Chess Institute’s is the most difficult to deal with. Now that Chu Xingluo is dead, you can begin to arrange the attack."

The person in the black armor glanced at Ying Xin and said, "This is a crucial battle. If you can bring the Chess Institute under the control of the Imperial Court, the Council will fully support you for the Prime Monarch’s succession. But don’t be complacent; whoever instigated Chu Xingluo is no kind person. I will assist you in secret when necessary."

"Then I shall rely on your help, teacher."

Ying Xin asked again, "What about the Elder Princess..."

"She must stay alive."

The "teacher" said in a tone leaving no room for doubt, "Someone above has taken an interest in her."

"Taken an interest?"

"Every single one of your births had a reason."

"Do you mean, teacher, that someone like you is assisting the Elder Princess in secret? Could it be that the ’Evil Spirit Defense’ lecturer is actually..."

"That’s not for you to worry about. I’ll handle him."