Chapter 3 of the Romantic Continent: Hidden Intentions

Back in the inn's main hall, Ye Tianlong immediately went to find Liu Qin'er and Yu Zhu. They were sitting in his room, waiting for his return while chatting and drinking tea, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

As soon as Ye Tianlong entered, Liu Qin'er greeted him with a smile, saying, "How was it? You must have had a great time without us women getting in the way!"

Before Ye Tianlong could answer, Yu Zhu chimed in, "Of course! Judging from the city lord's attitude towards you, young master, he had to give you something. Young master, did you get your favorite thing?"

"You women!" Ye Tianlong shook his head and smiled wryly, "Yes, he gave me a very generous gift!"

Liu Qin'er asked eagerly, "What was it?"

Ye Tianlong said, "You'd never guess—it's a sword!"

"What?!" Liu Qin'er and Yu Zhu asked simultaneously.

Ye Tianlong recounted the events of the banquet in detail, and then told them what Zuo Daojin had said. The two women listened, their faces showing deep thought.

Finally, he said, "I really don't know why Qiu Xin would want to kill me? If something happens to me here, will he, the city lord, be alright? This is his territory! Besides, this mission is a matter of national honor; if something happens, it won't benefit him either."

Liu Qin'er paused for a moment, then sighed, "You don't know, this city lord is an important figure in the Third Prince's faction. If he did this, it must have been at the Third Prince's behest. But he's being too subtle. He wouldn't act here; I think he's mainly testing the waters."

Ye Tianlong was stunned for a moment before saying, "The Third Prince? What does this have to do with him?"

“You know, the Third Prince has long coveted the throne, and his open and covert struggles with Gilmans are all for this reason. Now that His Majesty has agreed to let Wu'an marry their Princess Xiu to the Second Prince, it seems this has made him uneasy, probably fearing it will increase his rivals.”

Liu Qin’er looked at Ye Tianlong with a slightly worried expression and said, “Now I understand why my elder sister told us to be careful on the journey; she probably already had a premonition!” Shortly after they set off, they received a message from Yu Fengwu, telling them to be extremely cautious, which they initially thought was just ordinary advice.

Ye Tianlong scratched his head and said, “What exactly is the situation in Fast’s court now? Even the Emperor’s mission is being sabotaged? Why don’t you give me some pointers now, so I don’t lose my life one day without knowing why?” His distressed expression made Liu Qin’er and Yu Zhu burst into laughter.

“I can only tell you what I know; this is just a general overview. My elder sister knows the details best.” After laughing, Liu Qin’er organized her thoughts and began to explain in detail.

After listening to Liu Qin'er's introduction, Ye Tianlong breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that such a seemingly powerful empire harbored such a great crisis. This was also due to Emperor Andre III's long reign; his eldest son, the destined heir to the throne, had died young due to poor health, leaving the vacant position coveted by everyone. Unfortunately, the emperor no longer designated an heir, so the princes who believed themselves qualified for the throne were all eyeing it covetously, eager to take the position.

The most successful among them was the Third Prince, who held great power in the military. He was both scholarly and martial, possessed exceptional intelligence, and was highly regarded by Emperor Andre III. Most of the generals in the country were from his faction. Then there was the quiet and thoughtful Sixth Prince, who had the full support of the most powerful Left Chancellor, Gilemans, because the Left Chancellor's daughter had married the Sixth Prince. The princess of Wu'an Kingdom is to marry the second prince, a strong contender for the throne. Gentle and refined, he is highly accomplished in poetry and music, especially music, making him a master in his field. He is very popular with the emperor, and some ministers secretly support him. However, he has a major flaw: a weak personality and a apparent lack of confidence in his own ability to seize the throne.

Furthermore, various self-serving individuals are secretly fueling the conflict, creating a fierce power struggle within the Fast Palace, where everyone is scheming and fighting relentlessly for their own interests.

For Ye Tianlong, the only thing he now understands is that the mysterious and noble court, admired and longed for by outsiders, is actually like this. His boundless aspirations have vanished. The struggle within the Fast Palace is remarkably similar to the territorial disputes he faced in Xijiang, except now they are vying for the coveted throne.

Fortunately, he didn't have much ambition and didn't want to get involved in these matters. However, now that things had come to this, he had to plan carefully. At this moment, Ye Tianlong realized that this task wasn't as easy as he had imagined, and he felt less favorably disposed towards the emperor who had assigned him this task.

While the three were silently observing each other, Da Feng, one of the Eight Guards, pushed open the door and said, "Message has come from Miss."

The three looked up at her. They knew that the Eight Guards always addressed Yu Fengwu as "Miss," and Da Feng was currently in charge of communication between Yu Fengwu and them. Messages were relayed by a rare bluebird they kept—a very rare species on the continent, small, swift in flight, and extremely adept at recognizing its master.

Da Feng handed Ye Tianlong a small scroll of paper. Ye Tianlong opened it and his expression darkened slightly.

Liu Qin'er, who was observing his expression, was startled and hurriedly asked, "What did you say, elder sister?"

"The Wu'an delegation has arrived. The group is quite large, and there are many skilled fighters mixed in among them. Feng Wu warned us to be careful, as they might be plotting something." Ye Tianlong said with considerable distress, "What exactly are Wu'an up to?" He was truly at his wit's end.

Seeing them deep in thought and the atmosphere somewhat somber, Yu Zhu glanced around and gracefully walked to Ye Tianlong's side. She lightly wrapped her jade arm around his neck and said sweetly, "Young master, we just need to be prepared. The Wu'an delegation hasn't arrived yet, so there's no point in us sitting here pondering. How about this, I'll go to the city lord's mansion to spy out what they're up to." Ye

Tianlong's spirits lifted upon hearing this. He patted Yu Zhu's ample bottom and praised, "That's a great idea!" "How could I not have thought of that?"

Liu Qin'er chuckled, "How could your brain come up with such a brilliant idea?"

Yu Zhu, dressed in black for night, was about to leave when Liu Qin'er grabbed her hand and earnestly warned, "Be careful!"

Yu Zhu nodded, but before she could speak, Ye Tianlong chuckled and said, "I have the most confidence in your kung fu. Come to my room when you get back, and I'll reward you handsomely!" The two women rolled their eyes at him; it seemed difficult to get this man to be serious for long.

※ ※ ※

After seeing Ye Tianlong off, Qiu Xin and Li Qi immediately went to a secret room in the back hall.

In the sparsely furnished room, a burly man with a fierce face was sitting on the floor. Upon seeing them enter, his narrow eyes shot out a sharp gaze. Qiu Xin and Li Qi went to him and chose a place to sit down on the floor in front of him.

"You saw his performance just now, didn't you?" Li Qi asked, staring into the man's eyes.

“Very interesting!” The burly man’s voice was slightly shrill, quite incongruous with his appearance.

“Indeed, most people would do one of two things: either dodge or catch it with their superior skills,” Qiu Xin said slowly. “There are only two kinds of people who would do what he did.”

The burly man chuckled. He knew he had to accept the challenge; otherwise, it would imply his skill level was inferior to the two men before him, and he wouldn't deserve to sit there.

"One type is a true master, who can see the ribbon isn't long enough and doesn't need to dodge; the other type is an idiot, completely unable to react, so he didn't dodge!"

Li Qi said with a smile, "So, Mr. Karl, which type do you think he belongs to?"

Karl gave a wry smile and said, "I'd rather believe he's the latter, but unfortunately, reality tells me that's impossible. Defeating Cliff is certainly not something an idiot could do."

Qiu Xin clapped his hands and said, "Alright, even Mr. Karl says so, then let's proceed according to His Highness's plan!"

"Indeed, Lord Qiu is right. It seems our judgment is inferior to His Highness's." Karl said, bowing slightly to the two men, and stood up, saying, "In that case, I'll take my leave!" Qiu Xin and Li Qi also stood up.

Qiu Xin looked at Karl and said warmly, "It's late. Why don't you rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow? I've already asked Xiao Taohong to wait for you in your room."

Karl's expression turned serious. "I'm very grateful for Lord Qiu's kindness, but His Highness's instructions are urgent. Lord Kobis is still waiting for news from here, so I'd better hurry back tonight!"

"Then, once this matter is settled, I'll send Xiao Taohong to your residence." Qiu Xin patted Karl's shoulder and said, "Xiao Taohong has been thinking of you constantly these past few days after serving you!"

"Then thank you very much for your kindness, Lord Qiu!" Karl was overjoyed and quickly returned the favor. He had been extremely happy these past few days at the city lord's mansion with Xiao Taohong, who served him. Qiu Xin's gift of this understanding beauty was truly a generous present. He gave a slight nod to Li Qi, who opened the door, and walked out of the secret room with his head held high.

Back in the elegant pavilion, Qiu Xin and Li Qi each picked up the fragrant tea prepared by the maids and sat comfortably on either side of the low table. To their right were rows of bright windows; a midnight breeze rustled the bamboo outside, creating a soft sound and adding to the tranquil atmosphere.

All the maids knew that the city lord was going to discuss important matters with their strategist and had already left. Numerous guards were scattered around the pavilion, their positions carefully designed by skilled individuals to both prevent outsiders from entering and ensure they could not overhear the conversation inside.

Seeing Qiu Xin put down his fragrant tea, Li Qi said with a smile, "It seems we all underestimated Ye Tianlong!"

Qiu Xin nodded and said, "Luckily you suggested testing him, otherwise, if we had acted rashly, we would not only have ruined His Highness's plans, but we would have also suffered considerable losses."

Li Qi said with a hint of regret, "His performance was indeed unexpected; no wonder he won Yu Fengwu's favor and captured Liu Qin'er's heart."

Qiu Xin chuckled and said, "Whether Ye Tianlong is good or bad, he's not a problem for us right now. But when Karl goes back and tells His Highness, he'll be very satisfied, won't he?"

Li Qi also smiled and said, "Of course. We've been so proactive, and Karl has received such great benefits from us; he'll definitely have to say something good about us. With his trusted confidant speaking up, our Third Prince should be very happy."

"By the way, what did the people from Parry say?" Qiu Xin asked in a low voice.

Li Qi's smile faded, and he respectfully replied, "They don't want this marriage alliance to succeed, so they want us to do our best to help them. After all, Fast is already powerful enough; if they join forces with Wu'an, the impact on them will be too great."

"Interesting, very interesting!" Qiu Xin murmured. "Wu'an hopes we can help them successfully complete their mission, Pari hopes we won't let this marriage alliance succeed, and the Third Prince wants Ye Tianlong to go to hell..."

Li Qi continued, "And the other countries on the continent are also watching this marriage alliance closely!"

Qiu Xin nodded, carefully calculating in his mind. In such a position, blind loyalty alone wouldn't accomplish anything great. There are no permanent enemies, nor permanent friends, so having secret dealings with other countries isn't a big deal. This was what the city lord, who was never satisfied with power, thought, and this was what he did.

Li Qi looked at his lord and tentatively asked, "My lord, what should we do?"

"We'll proceed with the third plan we agreed on!" Qiu Xin made the decision. He was satisfied with his decisiveness and his ability to assess the situation; these were the foundations of his success.

"Send someone to make the arrangements tomorrow. Remember to be efficient."

"Yes, sir! I will arrange it personally."

Having received the answer he had already chosen, Li Qi was very pleased.

"In this way, Wu An will have nothing to say, and Pali and the Third Prince will be very satisfied."

"Excellent!" Qiu Xin suddenly changed the subject, remembering something, "Isn't that woman beside Ye Tianlong quite nice?"

"My lord, you mean the beautiful woman with Liu Qin'er!" Li Qi knew that his lord meant the important matters of the discussion were over, and now it was time to talk about something more pleasant.

"Yes, I've long heard of Liu Qin'er's beauty, but this woman is in no way inferior. Her figure and appearance are absolutely one in a million! Of all the women in my household, none can compare to her!" Qiu Xin said with boundless longing.

Li Qi sighed, "That bastard Ye Tianlong is really lucky with women. He's already got his hands on such a beautiful woman as Liu Qin'er, and now he has women who are just as beautiful as her by his side. I really don't know what kind of luck he has!"

Qiu Xin said, "If we do well this time, maybe we'll have a chance to try!" The two laughed at the same time.

Suddenly, Qiu Xin sensed an unusual fluctuation in the air. Startled, he stood up abruptly and looked around warily.

"Sir, what's wrong?" Li Qi asked in surprise.

"There's someone in the pavilion!" Qiu Xin said in a deep voice, "A spy!"

"Impossible!" Li Qi jumped up. With such tight security, and with both he and Qiu Xin being quite skilled, how could anyone have gotten in?

Qiu Xin had already summoned the guards to thoroughly search the elegant pavilion. But even after turning the elegantly furnished pavilion upside down, they couldn't find anyone. Although the guards secretly laughed at their lord's suspicion and sensitivity, they still asked if they should search again.

Perhaps he was being overly sensitive, but Qiu Xin, feeling utterly humiliated, immediately waved them away in displeasure.

This commotion completely ruined their conversation, and they each prepared to rest.

Actually, Qiu Xin's feeling wasn't wrong; however, by the time the guards arrived, the beautiful and charming intruder had already vanished.

※ ※ ※

Yu Zhu, naked, slipped into the warm bed, and Ye Tianlong pulled her into a tight embrace.

From behind Ye Tianlong's broad shoulders, Liu Qin'er's disheveled hair peeked out, her stunningly beautiful face still flushed, making her

even more captivating. "What's wrong? You look unhappy. What happened?" Liu Qin'er's beautiful eyes, still seemingly filled with spring-like desire, looked at Yu Zhu, who was nestled in Ye Tianlong's arms, with a puzzled expression.

"I'm so angry! I didn't hear anything useful, just their gossip!" Yu Zhu said angrily.

Ye Tianlong reached out and patted her pretty face, saying softly, "My little darling, tell me, what is it?"

Yu Zhu, completely satisfied, hugged Ye Tianlong's muscular body and recounted everything she had overheard. When she arrived, she only heard the conversation inside the elegant pavilion, but after listening for a while, she felt she hadn't gleaned anything substantial. Just as she was getting annoyed, she overheard Qiu Xin and Li Qi changing the subject, talking about her and Ye Tianlong. This only fueled her anger, and in her agitation, she inadvertently revealed her presence. Fortunately, her stealth skills were superb. Seeing Qiu Xin become suspicious, and knowing that listening any further wouldn't yield any results, she immediately left the pavilion and returned.

After listening, Ye Tianlong kissed her lips with satisfaction. "You did a great job! At least we now know three things: Qiu Xin is indeed disloyal, Yunaya is plotting against us, and Wu An genuinely wants this to succeed. So they are the least of our worries."

Liu Qin'er added, "Don't forget that Pari also needs to get involved. Qiu Xin's collusion with Pari's people is a real problem!"

Ye Tianlong said, "That's nothing to worry about. As long as we keep an eye on Li Qi, we'll get results. It's just that we don't know what Yunaya is up to, so we need to keep a close eye on him."

Liu Qin'er asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

Ye Tianlong explained, "It's simple. From Qiu Xin and Li Qi's conversation, we know that Li Qi is the one who facilitated his connection with Pari. Their actions would ruin Yunaya's plans, which means that Yunaya's plan doesn't include their involvement. Qiu Xin's position in that plan isn't high; he's probably just an assistant."

Liu Qin'er and Yu Zhu thought about it carefully and had to admit that Ye Tianlong's words made sense. Ye Tianlong was slightly surprised that this man could draw such a conclusion in such a short time.

He held Yu Zhu's delicate body in his arms, saying in her ear, "You've done a great job, I'm going to reward you properly!"

Yu Zhu chuckled, wriggling her body against Ye Tianlong's restless hands, and said sweetly, "You'd better think of a better plan!"

Ye Tianlong's hand caressed her beautiful breasts, and he laughed, "Of course, let's have some fun first. Your sister Qin surrendered so quickly, I was really getting impatient!"

Liu Qin'er spat lightly from behind, pinching his arm with her slender hand, saying, "It's all because you're so mischievous, and you still say that!" Ye Tianlong

laughed heartily, looking at Yu Zhu, whose body was already burning hot, her beautiful eyes blazing with fire, her limbs tightly wrapped around him. Needless to say, she was overflowing with lust and unable to control herself.

Soon, waves of passion surged within them, and alluring moans and gasps filled the spring-filled room like celestial music. Soon after, Liu Qin'er's voice joined the chorus, the exhilarating sound waves that stirred the soul lingering for a long time before subsiding.

After the blissful experience, Liu Qin'er and Yu Zhu fell into a deep sleep with satisfied smiles on their lips. But Ye Tianlong, holding Yu Zhu nestled in his arms, couldn't fall asleep, lost in thought.

Reflecting on his experiences over the past few months, it felt like a dream. From a mere centurion to a titled commander of ten thousand cavalry, he had stepped into the vortex of power struggles, knowing the dangers of this journey. Amidst the fear, a combative urge rose within him—a familiar feeling, a strange thrill that excited him.

"Alright, let's have a good fight!" he silently declared in his heart.

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Chapter 3 of the Romantic Continent: Hidden Intentions

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