Yan Liang drew the long sword at his waist, passed by Wu Cheng Wang at his side, and thrust it into Qi Huan Quan's chest before swiftly withdrawing the blade.
Crimson blood splashed out, spraying Wu Cheng Wang's entire body and face.
The change happened too quickly.
Even Qi Huan Quan himself, impaled through the heart, did not react.
"Why..."
Qi Huan Quan clutched his chest, his body swaying precariously like a candle in the wind.
But Yan Liang seemed oblivious to the earth-shattering deed he had just committed. With a blank expression, he flicked the blood from his sword, then walked up to Old Master Yan and bowed, cupping his fist.
"Yan Liang, head of the Silver Dragon Guard, greets his master."
"Yan Liang, how many times have I told you? You are my brother-in-law. You don't need to be so formal with me. And you've followed me for so many years, I've long considered you a brother. Why are you being so distant now?"
Old Master Yan's seemingly scolding words struck the still-recovering crowd like a thunderclap, leaving them even more bewildered.
"Tsk, Old Master Yan truly lives up to his name as the foremost strategist of Great Xia. The grand play staged tonight was full of twists and turns, with one reversal after another. It was truly exhilarating to watch," Lin Qing Ge said, clapping the goji seed shells from her hands with genuine admiration.
However, having eaten so many goji seeds, she felt a bit thirsty and looked around. The next moment, a bamboo tube filled with clear water was handed to her. Lin Qing Ge thanked Lin Yan for the water but only held the tube, not drinking immediately.
Yan Ting Hao, whose remaining wits had been exhausted by the night's dramatic ups and downs, looked around left and right, asking with utter confusion, "My lord, what exactly is going on?"
"Simply put, your uncle Yan Liang did not betray you."
"That's great!" Yan Ting Hao leaped three feet high, grinning like a foolish fellow weighing two hundred pounds. "I knew it. Uncle Yan Liang, or rather, Uncle Yan Liang has been by my father's side longer than my mother. He would even risk his life for my father, so how could he possibly want to kill my father!"
With that, Yan Ting Hao trotted over happily. Seeing Yan Ting Hao, a rare warmth flickered across Yan Liang's usually cold expression.
"Hao'er, it's been a while. You've grown stronger."
"Really?" Yan Ting Hao sheepishly scratched his head. "Perhaps it's the training I get from working by your side."
At this moment, Qi Huan Quan, still clinging to life, spat blood and said furiously, "Yan Liang, you lied to me?"
Yan Liang turned his head and stated in a voice devoid of emotion, "The late King Zhennan was indeed my biological father, with a token as proof. But regardless of who my biological father is, I am, and will always be, Yan Liang. The 'Yan' from Yan Xiu Ping, and the 'Liang' from Tian Liang Wang Po. As for what you said, I have never acknowledged any of it, from beginning to end."
Lin Qing Ge, completely stunned by the phrase "Tian Liang Wang Po," looked at Old Master Yan in surprise. He also looked over at her. They exchanged a brief glance:
[Lin Qing Ge: Brother, how could you utter such a chuunibyo phrase as Tian Liang Wang Po?]
[Yan Xiu Ping: The past is not worth recalling. Who doesn't have their moments of youthful recklessness?]
[Lin Qing Ge: Tsk tsk, Tian Liang Wang Po? That's beyond mere youthful recklessness, isn't it?]
[Yan Xiu Ping: I just said it casually back then. I never thought anyone would understand its meaning.]
[Lin Qing Ge: No, how did you know someone would understand it?]
[Yan Xiu Ping: Guessing?]
[Lin Qing Ge: Old Master Yan, can you come up with a slightly more convincing excuse?]
[Yan Xiu Ping: This is not the place to talk. I'll explain later.]
[Lin Qing Ge: Just don't use that as an excuse to sneak away again.]
[Yan Xiu Ping: Uh...]
[Lin Qing Ge: Did I guess right?]
Lin Qing Ge crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the old fox opposite her who dared not meet her eyes. Madam Yan, with an equally displeased gaze, shifted her eyes between her husband and his newly acknowledged brother. She asked with certainty, "Husband, you knew all along that Yan Liang was my brother?"
Sensing a hint of trouble, Old Master Yan quickly composed himself and unhurriedly shifted the blame. "My dear, I did not intentionally conceal Yan Liang's matter from you. I only discovered it by chance not long ago. After learning of Yan Liang's identity, I had a heart-to-heart talk with him. Yan Liang said he was content with the current arrangement. Although he is your father's blood, his birth was not glorious. To suddenly acknowledge his lineage now would not only make you, the sole daughter of the late King Zhennan, a laughingstock, but also lead to unnecessary speculation. After all, he only has half of Great Xia's blood in him. If someone were to make a fuss about it, it could lead to the Zhennan Royal Estate being accused of colluding with the enemy and treason. Furthermore, I watched Hao'er grow up bit by bit. He is alone in the world. Passing the position of King Zhennan to Hao'er is equivalent to passing it to his descendant. Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, we decided to keep this a secret that would never be spoken of. Unexpectedly, this fellow Qi Huan Quan somehow found out about Yan Liang's identity and, under the guise of helping Yan Liang reclaim everything, asked Yan Liang to assist him in his schemes. Yan Liang remained impassive at the time, neither agreeing nor refusing. But then, Yan Liang came to me and relayed his conversation with Qi Huan Quan verbatim."
"And then you played along with his plan, letting Yan Liang cooperate with Qi Huan Quan?" The words came from Wu Cheng Wang, his face still streaked with blood.
"Precisely." Old Master Yan nodded and said unhurriedly, "In fact, the late King Zhennan had sensed something amiss when he was alive. But that person never acted personally, so he could never catch their tail. Thus, since Qi Huan Quan took the initiative to come to us, how could I let such an opportunity pass? Therefore, I ordered Yan Liang to outwardly feign compliance, while secretly protecting the safety of everyone in the Zhennan Royal Estate. This led to the grand drama of today. So, how was it? Did you enjoy the show?"
The last sentence was directed at Qi Huan Quan. By now, Qi Huan Quan was exhaling far more than inhaling. Yan Liang's previous sword strike was incredibly precise. While it wouldn't kill Qi Huan Quan instantly, it made him acutely aware of his life ebbing away.
"However, before you completely breathe your last, I have one more thing I wish to ask you." Old Master Yan walked up to Qi Huan Quan, leaned down, and whispered, "Who is your master? Or rather, who is the person you truly obey?"