Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 93 - 13: Elder Princess (3rd Update)

Chapter 93: Chapter 13: Elder Princess (3rd Update)

On this day, Xu Yi felt that his worldview had been greatly shaken.

When he saw the intruder’s appearance, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Ning Ruyue, the gentle and esteemed senior sister from the Qin Institute, the object of countless academy students’ secret affections, had put down her ancient zither and picked up a sword and dagger to lash out at others.

Having personally witnessed Ning Ruyue’s sharp offensive just now, Xu Yi felt a chill run down his spine; he asked himself if he had been the one attacked by Ning Ruyue earlier, he probably would have been cold in his grave by now.

As for the topic that had just come up today, "Who is the strongest apprentice hunter in the academy?" the answer now seemed quite clear.

Ning Ruyue, having cast off her disguise, resumed her usual appearance. She seemed to be very good at using her own looks to her advantage, pressing her hands together in a begging pose, she implored with a pitiable expression, "Please, Teacher Mingyuan, don’t speak of this matter, or I will be locked in the ’small black room.’ I would do anything."

The trend of private fights at the academy had already angered the teachers of various institutes, and it was now the time when the one who sticks his head out gets shot. If she were to be made an example of at this moment, plus her status as the senior sister, she would undoubtedly receive a heavy punishment.

But ever since she took the "Evil Spirits Defense Class," Ning Ruyue had been wanting to confirm something, no matter what.

There were rumors that this new teacher had effortlessly dealt with the assassins lying in ambush on his way here.

Which meant...

Members of Yin Die.

And now, she had personally confirmed that the rumors were true.

Duan Mingyuan had not only effortlessly neutralized her full-force attack but also used the Chess Institute’s mysterious techniques, without even resorting to his true abilities.

It was a mystery where the academy had found such a person.

Ning Ruyue secretly observed Duan Mingyuan’s expression, well aware of the power of her charm; every time she made a mistake and was scolded by the Qin Institute’s director, just by using her ability to act charmingly a little bit, she could easily muddle through.

The naïve senior brother who had never seen the world from his sickbed was instantly spellbound, but Duan Mingyuan sat still like a great Buddha, his expression unflustered.

"That depends on the situation," Duan Mingyuan said calmly.

He acknowledged that Ning Ruyue was indeed very good at using her beauty, but after all, she was human, and he had been through the true refinement of fox spirits, rendering any form of seductive moves ineffective on him, "Your attire is somewhat similar to those who ambushed me."

"I can assure you I am not one of them," Ning Ruyue said, her gaze shifting between Duan Mingyuan and Xu Yi, "Teacher Mingyuan, I know of a place, may we step aside for a word?"

Minutes later, Duan Mingyuan realized that this so-called secret place referred to the back mountain of the academy.

The Yunhai Academy still retained some ancient traditions, such as students who have gravely violated the academy rules being ordered to isolate themselves in a ’small black room’ on the back mountain for reflection.

This place was secluded, far from the academy and rarely visited by anyone on normal days.

Ning Ruyue, however, seemed quite familiar with this place; she headed towards the shade of a towering ancient tree, hiding herself in the shadows. Even if someone happened to pass by the path, unless they looked carefully towards this spot, they would not notice their presence.

Once Duan Mingyuan approached, she took the initiative and said, "I often come here alone to practice my swordsmanship."

"The academy does not offer any classes on Flying Sword, and I have not seen any related books in the library," Duan Mingyuan said as he easily surmised that Ning Ruyue’s abilities were all skills she had learned before coming to the academy.

That is why she could only secretly practice in such a desolate and secluded place.

All signs pointed to her as the infiltrator.

"Teacher Mingyuan, I know you have doubts about me, but given my status in the academy, I simply don’t have the authority to know the schedule of the Messenger’s comings and goings, especially after the incident involving the student’s assault,"

Ning Ruyue explained earnestly, "However, I believe with your keen insight, you must have anticipated this already."

Duan Mingyuan remained noncommittal, gesturing with his eyes for her to continue.

"The ones who ambushed you halfway must be members of Yin Die. They are assassins meticulously nurtured by the Imperial Court, and this time, their mission was to breach the library, eradicate the rebels, and then hand it over to the Imperial Court for disposal,"

Ning Ruyue had no intention of hiding her identity from Duan Mingyuan, and she handed her Flying Sword to him, showing him the mark on the hilt.

As soon as he saw it, everything would be self-evident...

Ning Ruyue’s eyelids twitched violently at Duan Mingyuan’s puzzled look, which didn’t appear feigned. She cleared her throat and tentatively asked, "Teacher Mingyuan, don’t you recognize this mark?"

In her view, anyone capable of mastering such ability must surely be an heir to some reclusive family, likely one of those rare geniuses that appear only once every hundred years. Given that, her family would naturally have informed him of affairs within the Imperial Court when passing down their Mysterious Techniques to him.

"I don’t recognize it."

"This is... a mark of the Royal Family."

Ning Ruyue somehow felt it strange to be the one to speak these words aloud.

She had imagined a scenario where Duan Mingyuan would constrict his pupils the moment he saw the mark, and then address her with great respect, astonished by her identity.

Now that she had to explain it, it rather felt like she was boasting about herself.

Moreover, there was no hint of respect on Duan Mingyuan’s face.

Ning Ruyue had no choice but to steady her nerves and keep "boasting," "This sword was personally given to me by my father when I was a child, I am the Prime Monarch’s legitimate daughter."

"Elder Princess."

Duan Mingyuan thought of the term from a novel Jiuyue had recently read. For a modern person, these royal titles seemed quite distant from their lives.

It wasn’t anything to be surprised about, he had even seen the legendary nine-tailed fox.

But then, something suddenly occurred to him, and he was taken aback.

Mo Song, the dean, had said that the Prime Monarch had lived for hundreds of years. So, as the Prime Monarch’s legitimate daughter, wasn’t the Elder Princess also several hundred years old?

Duan Mingyuan assessed Ning Yueru, who looked only a few years older than Yang Ping. This ability for everlasting youth was indeed deserving of high praise, but in the domains of Life Energy and Martial Arts, her talents were terribly lacking.

After hundreds of years, she only had 31 points of Life Energy, and her use of the Flying Sword had little that was truly impressive.

Ning Yueru seemed to sense Duan Mingyuan’s inner thoughts and tensely added, "I am 18 years old. My father started to prepare an heir only after becoming aware of the company’s intentions."

Duan Mingyuan was not the first to show "great respect" upon learning the identity of the Elder Princess.

Even her birth was dependent on the technology brought by the company, all of this to ensure that the children of the Prime Monarch could inherit the bloodline and the Mysterious Techniques passed down from him.

"I did infiltrate the Yunhai Library, but not to destroy it."

Ning Yueru’s face colored slightly, but she quickly masked her emotions, "I need the knowledge within the library, as well as the potential allies here, because... they no longer wish for my father to remain on the throne."