Chapter 839 - Handing Over The Blade

That night, Zhan Fanyin slept in the old king’s chambers, the safest place in the palace. Han Wu and the others were assigned rooms nearby. Once they returned to their quarters, the three gathered to discuss their next move.

“If killing Zhan Yuwen would solve the problem, it’d be simple enough. I could take care of him tonight, and we’d finish the mission early,” Han Wu said.

He had done that kind of thing countless times in the civilizations he had passed through before. Killing a prince meant nothing to him. If something stood in his way, even wiping out an entire country wasn’t beyond consideration.

He Xu immediately shut him down. “Junior Brother Han Wu, this situation is different from what you’re imagining. The civilizations you dealt with before were either unrelated to the Divine Civilization, hostile to it, or simply far weaker. Bullying them carried no consequences.

“This time is different. The Battleborn Civilization and the Divine Civilization are on friendly terms and have formally signed a non-interference agreement. If we assassinate Zhan Yuwen, it will count as meddling in the Battleborn Civilization’s internal affairs. That would also mean the Divine Civilization would be the first to break the agreement. The consequences would be beyond anything you could take responsibility for.”

Han Wu frowned. If killing Zhan Yuwen wasn’t an option, were they supposed to just remain here and wait? Wait to see whether Zhan Fanyin or Zhan Yuwen outlasted each other?

Qin Shuang was already considering alternatives. “Royal power struggles come down to who has the stronger backing. We could approach it from that angle.”

He Xu shook his head. “I’ve read Zhan Fanyin’s file. He stayed in the Battleborn Civilization until he was fourteen, then the old king arranged for him to train in other civilizations. He just returned. What supporters do you think he has?”

Hearing that, Han Wu felt stuck. Matters involving royal families were endlessly complicated.

“The old king is barely hanging on and can hardly do anything. We can’t touch Zhan Yuwen directly. Are we just supposed to sit here and do nothing? At this rate, Zhan Fanyin may never become king,” Han Wu said with frustration.

He Xu explained, “There is a way, just not within the Battlecraze Empire. From what I know, the Underlaw Empire has a powerful clan, the Ganfeng Clan. Zhan Yuwen defeated them in battle before, and they hold a deep grudge against him. We could use them to kill him.”

Han Wu considered it a solid plan. If the Underlaw Empire’s forces killed Zhan Yuwen, then even if the civilization’s Will came looking for answers, it couldn’t blame Han Wu and the others. At most, they would be the ones who had handed over the blade, not the ones who wielded it.

“Then Qin Shuang and I will head to the Underlaw Empire tomorrow and find a way,” Han Wu declared.

He Xu nodded. “That’s our only option. I’ll stay behind and protect Zhan Fanyin. Nothing will go wrong.”

After finalizing the plan, they returned to their rooms to rest.

The next day, Han Wu and Qin Shuang quietly slipped out of the palace. Following the information He Xu had provided, they set off toward the Underlaw Empire at full speed.

According to the map, an ordinary person would need at least thirty days to make the journey. Han Wu and Qin Shuang, however, possessed extraordinary strength. Traveling without rest, they crossed the distance in just two days and entered the Underlaw Empire’s borders.

The architecture differed noticeably from the Battlecraze Empire. The buildings appeared more refined and elegant. Using the information they had obtained, Han Wu and Qin Shuang located Citrus Town, a settlement under the Ganfeng Clan’s territory.

After a brief search through the town, Han Wu easily found the clan’s castle. That night, Han Wu and Qin Shuang slipped silently into the castle and entered the patriarch’s bedroom without detection.

The patriarch, Will Ganfeng, was over seventy years old. His wife had died of illness when he was thirty, and afterward he devoted himself to the wars between the two great empires, never remarrying.

Later, the Axe Legion led by Zhan Yuwen annihilated the Orange Legion under the Ganfeng Clan’s command. Will Ganfeng, a man who had spent most of his life on the battlefield, couldn’t bear the blow of seeing his legion destroyed and retreated to the clan’s territory to recuperate.

That night, he had gone to bed early and was half asleep when he heard someone call his name. He snapped fully awake. Behind him, an orange-colored citrus tree totem emerged and condensed into a staff that dropped into his hand.

“Who’s there? Show yourselves!” Will Ganfeng pointed the staff toward the source of the disturbance. Despite his age, every movement carried the precision of a veteran, as though drilled into him 10,000 times over.

Han Wu snapped his fingers, lighting the candles throughout the room. In the dim candlelight, the outlines of Han Wu and Qin Shuang were indistinct, but Will Ganfeng could sense that they were powerful. One of them radiated an aura that far surpassed his own.

Faced with a powerhouse of that level, Will Ganfeng restrained himself from acting rashly. He was already in the twilight of his years. Dying didn’t particularly frighten him. However, many clan members lived within the castle, and they represented the clan’s future. He couldn’t put them at risk.

Han Wu spoke first. “Patriarch Ganfeng, we come with no ill intent.”

Will Ganfeng kept his guard up regardless. “Then why break into my bedroom in the middle of the night?”

“I’ll be direct. You know Zhan Yuwen, I assume,” Han Wu said.

Will Ganfeng shot to his feet. His sleeping robe billowed under the force of his aura, making his unstable emotions obvious.

“Did he send you?” Will Ganfeng asked angrily.

Han Wu waved a hand. “No, no, you misunderstood. Quite the opposite. We’re his enemies.”

Will Ganfeng wasn’t convinced. From the moment Han Wu and Qin Shuang entered his bedroom, he had treated every word with suspicion. No decent person broke into a seventy-year-old man’s room in the dead of night.

“We came here to ask you to come out of retirement and eliminate Zhan Yuwen.”

Will Ganfeng’s suspicion deepened. “With your strength, killing Zhan Yuwen shouldn’t be difficult. Why come to me?”

Han Wu smiled. “Because we’re not in a position to act directly. Given the deep hatred between the Ganfeng Clan and Zhan Yuwen, we decided to bring this opportunity to you.”

“I have no interest in assassinating Zhan Yuwen,” Will Ganfeng said flatly. He didn’t trust Han Wu or Qin Shuang in the slightest, so no matter what Han Wu said, he had no intention of agreeing.

Han Wu and Qin Shuang had expected that response, but they were not in a rush.

“You may not be interested in Zhan Yuwen’s life or death, but do you care about the lives of the Ganfeng Clan?” Han Wu asked calmly.

Will Ganfeng’s expression immediately turned serious. “Which member of the Ganfeng Clan are you referring to?”

“All of them,” Han Wu answered without hesitation. “I may not be in a position to move against Zhan Yuwen, but that doesn’t mean I can’t move against the Ganfeng Clan. Patriarch Ganfeng, think carefully.”

“You’re threatening me?” Will Ganfeng’s aura surged around him.

Han Wu released his Divine Authority in response. “You can see it that way.”

The overwhelming pressure destroyed numerous items throughout the room. Nearby clan members rushed over after hearing the commotion, only for Will Ganfeng to shout them back outside.

With the safety of his clan members at stake, Will Ganfeng had no choice but to agree. “All right, you win. I’ll do what you ask.”