When he turned his head to look at his master again, His Highness had resumed his earlier position. The tips of his fingers c.a.r.e.s.sed his forehead lightly, a devious chuckle making its way past his lips. Vaguely, he could be heard muttering, "She's learned to be smart this time. I see that prey should indeed be locked up for them to learn some obedience…"
******
At noon, Tu Sufeng lifted himself gracefully off a chair in the Underground Palace. He gazed upon the row of students in front of him with an unfathomable depth in his eyes. "The final test was not supposed to take place this early, but we have no choice as we had lost another talented member of our ranks yesterday."
"Was it because of the Bloody Snake?" asked one of the elite students who were selected from the four influential families.
Tu Sufeng glanced at him and said, "No, there was a complication at the Forest of Fantasy."
Helian Wei Wei held the Little Seventh Prince's hand as they stood in line. After hearing what the dean had said, a frown appeared on her face.
No one knew what would happen after this.
Tu Sufeng continued calmly, "Our Battle Spirit Forces need fresh blood like all of you more than ever right now. That's why the test was brought forward. I want all of you to face this test with all you have, as the stakes are high. We are no longer betting on victory or failure, but rather life and death. If you were caught by the enemies, then you would have to find a way to survive by yourself. "
While speaking, Tu Sufeng unfolded the letter in his hands and spread it out onto the wooden table, gesturing for the students to come closer and have a look.
Helian Wei Wei stared at the name on the letter and raised an eyebrow. "Murong Hongtu?"
Isn't this guy Empress Murong's younger brother, and also Murong Changfeng's uncle?
He was a high-ranking government official in the dynasty, powerful enough to have part of the military under his control. He often behaved tyrannically.
If he was a regular barbarian, then it would be fairly easy to take him on.
However, Murong Hongtu might be a tyrant, but he was also cunning.
The methods he used were ruthless and brutal, not to mention inhumane. Despite that, the monarchs had never been able to get a hold on his weaknesses.
Even those officials who were loyal to the Retired Emperor could not challenge him directly.
Now, they were letting inexperienced greenhorns like themselves take on this mission. There was a high chance that their target would see through their facades immediately.
Four of the candidates had already been eliminated from the previous tests.
"We will complete the mission," The two students stared at each other confidently, before looking toward Yun Biluo.
Yun Biluo nodded at them, indicating that she agreed with them.
Naturally, Helian Wei Wei did not say anything. She listened to them quietly.
If their target was Murong Hongtu, then there was one thing that they must be aware of. Who knew if he had done too many unspeakable things and made too many enemies, but that guy never went out without an entourage of highly skilled bodyguards by his side.
To tease the information from Murong Hongtu's mouth without causing a scene, they would have to silence his bodyguards first.
"You can choose whichever weapon and outfit that you like. I don't care what methods you use to get close to him, but my only request is for all of you to carry out this test with utmost secrecy."
While Tu Sufeng's last word fell, everyone had already assembled their equipment and were standing in an orderly row in front of him.
It was not difficult for Tu Sufeng to get his hands on the necessary invitations for the auction. However, they could not enter as White Academy students.
This operation was significantly more complex than the previous tests, where everyone fended for themselves.
Moreover, the two young masters from the four influential families were adept in theories and concepts, but they had never applied their knowledge to a practical situation before. After accepting the mission, they started to delegate roles to every member of the team.
Theoretically, their plan to go with a honeypot tactic sounded reasonably feasible.
Yun Biluo's stunning beauty should be enough to catch Murong Hongtu's attention.
However, they relegated Helian Wei Wei, who had the best performance so far, into the most unremarkable role. She was the scout and whistleblower for the group.
Yuan Ming scoffed, "These people are doing this on purpose. Since you've already won twice, they won't even give you a chance to prove your mettle in this test. This kind of underhanded tactic is kind of shameful, don't you think?"
Helian Wei Wei adjusted her current outfit as a common servant. Her expression was calm as she replied, " Things would not go to their plan. I doubt that their honeypot strategy would be much use against Murong Hongtu."
"I saw you nodding just now, so I thought that you actually agreed to their plan," Whitey spoke up, his tone as aloof as usual.
Helian Wei Wei stood up straight. "I did agree with them, but we should always have a Plan B at our fingertips."
To successfully get what you want from a person, it was important to find out that person's interests. Only then would you have an opportunity to get close to him.
However, the others had ignored this step outright.
The two young masters and Yun Biluo, who was an assassin, would have some understanding of Murong Hongtu's character to a certain extent. At the very least, they had an advantage compared to Han Yu and Little Seven.
The auction was organized by the mayor of the City of Martial Practice. Hence, it was natural that Han Yu was given the responsibility to orc.h.e.s.trate their undetected entrance into the auction venue.
In fact, there was no need for Helian Wei Wei to blend into the crowd as a servant at all. It was a completely unnecessary role here because Han Yu could determine Murong Hongtu's location with ease by just asking a few simple questions, without giving themselves away nor rousing any suspicion.
Therefore, this was the reason why Yuan Ming said that it was a deliberate plot by the others to prevent Helian Wei Wei from getting a chance to perform.
Chapter 335 - Not Falling For Weiwei- Wei Wei Was Unworthy
"Young Master Han," greeted a man that was dressed like a butler. That person had just walked out of the auction hall, and a warm smile had spread across his face when he saw Han Yu. He turned to the others and asked, "Who are these people?"
Han Yu answered calmly, "They're my friends."
"Oh, so you're all Young Master Han's friends! Please come right in," The butler enthusiastically led them inside. On the way there, he could not help turning to catch a few peeks at Yun Biluo, who had a veil covering the lower half of her face. Wow, such a rare beauty! I wonder what family is she from… Probably a very prestigious one since Young Master Han brought her here.
When they entered the auction venue, they exchanged furtive glances with each other, meaningful in a way that could only be deciphered by those among their group. Then, they dispersed to their respective positions.
However, Helian Wei Wei did not remain in her servant garb. In the blink of an eye, she had changed into a classy white outfit, topped off with a green overcoat. To complement her current ensemble as an affluent young lord, she had also procured a handheld folding fan and attached a jade pendant to her waist.
She looked just like a young lord from a wealthy family, coming for the auction. Of course, 'he' seemed to have a peculiar habit of not bringing any servants along with him. The 'young lord' roamed casually around the venue, eventually making his way to the second floor.
There were several blade-wielding warriors pacing along the second-floor corridor. The bloodl.u.s.t that they emitted was suffocating, instantly giving off a vibe that this place should not be barged into recklessly.
A warrior who was standing guard on the corridor barred her entry with an arm. "E
xcuse me, sir. I'd like to see your pass," he requested monotonously.
Pass?
Helian Wei Wei's eyes flashed as she tried to come up with a response. Her mind clicked when she saw the plump businessman that had made his way up the staircase beside her. Her body lurched forward abruptly as one of her hands came up to support her forehead, making it seem like she was inebriated. Her other hand casually tossed a wooden plaque at the warrior, which had been acquired from the unfortunate businessman without his knowledge.
Her arrogant yet careless attitude gave the warrior the assumption that this young lord's identity must be rather extraordinary. He immediately stepped aside and allowed passage without further inspection.
As for the plump businessman, he was still canoodling with his newly-wedded lover, completely unaware that his pass had been stolen. He pinched the lady's chin gently and crooned, "In a moment, you'll see all kinds of exotic specialties that General Murong has brought here today."
"What kind of specialties?" Of course, the woman knew how to please her husband. She leaned on him adoringly, soft as silk.
"Really? Then let's hurry up!" The lady's eyes gleamed with interest.
The rich businessman sn.a.k.e.d an arm around her waist and was about to stride casually to the designated room when he was stopped by the warrior who was standing guard. The plump man was dismissive of the inspection, he smoothed his palm along his waist for his pass. However, his expression changed abruptly, then he removed his arm from the woman's waist to check every part of his clothes that could contain the small wooden plaque. He cried out, "Where's my pass? Why is my pass missing?"
The warrior swept his eyes coldly over the man and snapped his fingers, instructing his guards to cart them out of the building.
It was obvious what their fates would be.
This reminded Helian Wei Wei of a drug tycoon that she had dealt with back in her time. That drug tycoon had a short fuse, but he was also cunning and paranoid.
Whoever acted out of the norm in front of him would immediately be assumed to be a spy and silenced mercilessly.
Seeing what the warrior did just now, it seemed like Murong Hongtu belonged to the same type of person as the tycoon was.
Nevertheless, she did learn something useful from the exchange.
Helian Wei Wei paused, her eyes darkening.
"It must be the blood of mythological beasts," Whitey's tone was chilly. "This Murong Hongtu is most likely the one who massacred the mythological beasts back then in the Forest. Girl, if the culprit is truly that guy, then you have to be really careful. The tactics he used were both malicious and inhumane. I'm worried that you might not be able to handle this."
Helian Wei Wei fanned herself with her paper fan, looking like a true gentleman right now. Her face remained carefree as she conversed with Whitey via their mental link, "Don't worry, going undercover is one of the things that I'm very adept at doing."
What Helian Wei Wei said was the truth. Other than firearms and weapons, her next best ability was her skill in espionage and subterfuge.
As she walked into the room, her lips curved naturally into a devious smirk.
The atmosphere of the room was just like what she imagined.
Clearly, Murong Hongtu was not here for the auction. His true intention was to gather these people in a secluded place without arousing the authorities' suspicion.
It was a small gathering with about six or seven other people apart from Murong Hongtu himself. Both males and females were present, sitting on the sandalwood chairs arranged in the room. They were chatting with each other enthusiastically, their excitement evident on their face.
This gave Helian Wei Wei the feeling that she had just joined an evil cult.
Despite that, she replaced her expression with a lackadaisical smile as she looked around. "Oh, I wonder when will things get interesting? I can't wait to start."
Murong Hongtu was still staring at Helian Wei Wei. He was around 40 years old, and had abnormally pale skin. His eyes were especially frigid, which made people feel uncomfortable when they met his eyes.
Despite being under the intense scrutiny of such a chilling gaze, Heilian Wei Wei swayed her way callously to a chair and sat down. She then pulled out a mirror and admired her own reflection from several angles. "Ah, to think that I'd be even younger soon."
Murong Hongtu suddenly burst into laughter. With a smirk, he assured, "Don't worry, you will definitely become younger. In fact, not only would you regain your youth, all of us here would achieve immortality and outlive everyone else in this world. However, before that, you guys have to do a little something..." he paused and gave the servant beside him a signal.
The servant picked up a tray and presented it one by one to the audience.
Helian Wei Wei had no idea what it meant at first.
When she saw the first person, a silvery-haired old geezer, putting cash on to the tray, only did she realize that they were collecting money.
When the tray reached Helian Wei Wei, she slapped a stack of bills onto it without hesitation. There were about ten of them, and every bill was worth a million silver.
It was natural that this action would draw Murong Hongtu's attention, who threw a few more glances in her direction.
Helian Wei Wei acted as if she did not notice his stares and mimicked the others' facial expressions, putting on a facade of overwhelming greed and eagerness.
"Alright, we are the pillars of success for this mission! I'd like to see how she can hog all of the achievements for it this time. Anyway, how did you come up with this idea? It's awesome!"
"Well, I didn't really come up with it myself. Someone slipped me a note with this plan written on it, and I decided to go with it since it sounded legitimate."
When the sound of their conversation faded from her ears, a faint smile appeared on Yun Biluo's face. Of course it was an insincere and cunning smile, but no one would know that.
She did not do anything untoward, the only thing she did was propose a course of action. After all, there must be someone in the team to take the initiative.
Heh, you only have yourself to blame for having such an ugly appearance. Even though we're both women, the only thing you can do is be a whistleblower instead of being the main driving force of the mission like I am. How pathetic and worthless...
Chapter 336 - Was Wei Wei In Danger?
Yun Biluo laid down her veil, paced forward with a faint smile on her lips, and stopped at the corridor.
"Paiza," the guard blocked her.
Yun Biluo gazed at the guard with her beautiful eyes, bowed down, and soften her voice.
The guard was indeed immersed in her soft tone, so he cast a glance at Yun Biluo and said, "You shall wait here, I'll go and inform them inside."
"Thank you." Yun Biluo shifted her gaze and her smile widened.
In the room on the second floor.
"General," the guard entered the room and whispered to Murong Hongtu, "The duke has sent a beauty to General…"
Helian Wei Wei was sitting next to Murong Hongtu, her fingers stiffened when she heard what the guard said.
The beauty he meant must be Yun Biluo and the others.
Yuan Ming sneered, "Woman, I guess that group of people has never thought that you will enter this room before them in a different way, they will probably think that you're still out there keeping watch for them."
Helian Wei Wei smiled slightly without saying a word and held a wine glass in her hand, listening to every word they said.
As soon as Murong Hongtu heard that it was a beauty, a grin rose onto his face. However, that was more than a normal grin to Helian Wei Wei.
"The duke himself sent her here?" Murong Hongtu asked.
The guard shook his head, "I think Master Han sent her here."
The guard lowered his head and said yes.
Helian Wei Wei put down the wine glass, staying calm and collected.
Yuan Ming raised the corner of his thin lips and
said, "Woman, it looks like the plan of your mates is not going to work."
Helian Wei Wei remained silent because Murong Hongtu who was sitting beside her had looked toward her. The gaze would remind someone of the stare of a cobra prowling in the grass.
Helian Wei Wei put up a smile and raised the glass that was in her hand toward him.
Only then Murong Hongtu's look was less scary, he smiled and said, "I thought you were interested in the beauty since you were listening attentively just now."
"Of course I like beauties, it's just…" Helian Wei Wei paused, she ran her tongue over her lips, "I'm more eager to drink the thing that General mentioned before."
Looking satisfied with Helian Wei Wei's answer, Murong Hongtu brayed with laughter again. After that, he calmed himself down and clapped his hands. "Serve the thing."
Yuan Ming who had tightened his nerve just now heaved a sigh of relief, "That was so close, I thought he has realized something."
When Yuan Ming looked toward Helian Wei Wei, he smiled slyly because she was so steady, despite all their worries.
Helian Wei Wei just took a sip of her wine, she then held onto the round table while standing up when she saw those people sitting opposite her stood up.
"All of you will see something cruel later, but no worries, all of you know that something has to be sacrificed in order to achieve eternal youth." Murong Hongtu said this while he guided everyone to look into the room.
Helian Wei Wei walked over there, she had goosebumps all over her body when she looked up at the beam.
Someone's face turned pale and quickly covered his or her mouth.
Murong Hongtu then cast a glance at that person.
Only then the person managed to control his emotions.
However, the scene before them was really too much.
There were two small corpses hanging from the beam.
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