48: Traitor

Xu Sanyan was completely unaware of what happened at the Cui Family. As soon as he returned home, he went to his room with the precious medicine, instructing everyone not to disturb him.

As one precious medicine after another entered his stomach, the text on his panel began to change.

[Xu Sanyan]

[Age - 18/180]

[Realm - Heavenly Human Realm Initial Stage]

[Cultivation Technique - The Supreme Truth and Serenity Scripture of Eliminating Illusion and Attaining Reality (Intermediate Stage)]

[Mystic Art - Blood Demon Corpse Refining Method (Not Initiated)]

[Skill - Perfect Stance (Perfection). Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Perfection). Horse Appraisal Technique (Perfection). Excavator Repair and Maintenance (Initial Stage)… ]

[Qi - 30]

He already had thirty points of Qi, but the plus sign after his Realm still hadn't appeared. However, he estimated it should be close.

Half an hour later, Xu Sanyan pushed the door open. A young servant had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing him come out, the servant quickly stepped forward, "Master, someone from the Prince's Mansion has arrived and has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Hmm."

Xu Sanyan came to the main hall and saw a richly dressed woman sitting on a chair, quietly observing him, with two guards standing behind her.

The noblewoman was very satisfied when she saw Xu Sanyan's handsome and dignified appearance, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"You must be Xu Sanyan. I am Qiyuan's mother. I apologize for the intrusion, Young Master, please don't take offense," the Princess Consort said with a smile.

Xu Sanyan smiled, cupped his hands, and bowed, "Greetings, Princess Consort."

Is this his mother-in-law?

Very good, she was plump and dignified, somewhat similar in temperament to the Chieftain's Wife, but with less worldliness and more nobility.

"Hehe, it just so happens that I have nothing to do, and I couldn't suppress my curiosity, so I came to meet you. The Prince's praise is well-deserved; you truly are a young hero."

As a mother-in-law looking at her future son-in-law, the Princess Consort liked him more and more. Moreover, Xu Sanyan, purely from his appearance, was indeed flawless.

The two chatted for a while, and the Princess Consort sighed, "I'm sure you've heard that Qiyuan's situation is a bit special. It's truly an imposition on you. If you have any requests, feel free to make them, and I will try my best to fulfill them."

The Princess Consort's tone was sincere.

Xu Sanyan smiled and shook his head, "Princess Consort, you are too kind. I've heard that Young Miss Qiyuan is knowledgeable and kind-hearted. I don't care about her appearance."

Xu Sanyan spoke from his heart. He truly didn't care about Yang Qiyuan's appearance. Of course, he didn't care about her inner self either.

Even if she was uglier than Big Yellow Tooth, he could accept it; he could still use her by covering her face.

If she really couldn't be used, there was no need to force himself; they could just live separately.

The Princess Consort smiled, "That's wonderful."

Taking this opportunity, Xu Sanyan asked, "May I ask, Princess Consort, I heard that the Prince has several cultivators under his command. Why haven't I seen them?"

The Princess Consort's expression became slightly unnatural, "Of those three Immortals, two accompanied Third Young Master on an expedition to resist the imperial army on the front lines, and one Immortal Maiden remains in the Prince's Mansion, discussing the Dao with the Prince day and night."

Xu Sanyan nodded, so that was it. The Third Young Master the Princess Consort spoke of was Yang Xinyu.

"After I marry Qiyuan, what arrangements does the Prince plan to make for me?"

Prince Rui would not let a Heavenly Human Realm expert like him remain idle at home; he would surely have some arrangement for him.

The Princess Consort shook her head, "I don't know either. He will probably dispatch you to the army. I heard that the situation on the front lines is not good, and the battle is becoming increasingly fierce. The Prince intends to personally go to the front lines to command and coordinate."

Xu Sanyan nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that after the marriage, he would have something to do.

The Princess Consort's visit was to meet her future son-in-law. Now that she had seen him, she did not stay long, and Xu Sanyan saw her off.

Watching the Princess Consort's plump buttocks sway as she stepped into the sedan chair, he couldn't help but miss the Chieftain's Wife, wondering if she was lonely after he left.

…

At the Eldest Young Master's residence, in the dimly lit dungeon.

Yang Xinyi sat on a wooden chair, using a naked madwoman as a footrest.

Yang Xinyu stood respectfully in front of him, his head bowed, not daring to look around.

He recognized this madwoman; she was a concubine his Eldest Young Master had taken some time ago. Because she said one wrong word, she displeased his Eldest Young Master and ended up in this state.

"How is the situation on the front lines?" the Eldest Young Master suddenly asked.

Yang Xinyu immediately replied, "General Feng has sent a letter back. Silver Mountain Pass is now in critical danger and may not hold out much longer."

Silver Mountain Pass is one of the most important passes protecting Xiang Province, easy to defend but difficult to attack, garrisoned by General Liu Zhenwu, a Heavenly Human Realm Martial Artist under Prince Rui's command.

If this pass were lost, the imperial army could advance unimpeded for a hundred miles, directly reaching the important town of Tianyang City in Xiang Province.

"Hehe, good. That old man probably won't be able to sit still."

The Eldest Young Master chuckled as he stroked the woman's messy hair. The woman truly seemed like a dog, even sticking out her tongue to lick his palm.

Yang Xinyu remained silent. Prince Rui would never have imagined that the traitor was the Eldest Young Master, his hand-picked successor!

The Eldest Young Master had revealed the defense arrangements and garrison information of Silver Mountain Pass to the imperial court. His goal was to lure Prince Rui to the front lines, then find an opportunity to cooperate with the imperial court and trap Prince Rui to his death in Tianyang City.

Yang Xinyu didn't know why his Eldest Young Master would do this. They were clearly in the same boat; if Prince Rui died, they would also find it hard to survive. This was not the way to usurp power.

If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it. Anyway, whether Prince Rui or his Eldest Young Master died, it would be good news for him.

The Eldest Young Master stood up and walked to the human torso hanging on the wall. He used an iron needle in his hand to prick the Acupoints on the human torso's body, casually saying, "Qiyuan and Xu Sanyan are getting married. What do you think I should give them?"

The human torso could not speak. The intense pain stimulated it, making it twist its body frantically, trying to escape the suffering, but it was destined to be futile.

Yang Xinyu glanced at it, his heart trembling. He pursed his lips and hoarsely said, "Perhaps, some jewelry?"

"No, no, no… Jewelry is too vulgar."

The Eldest Young Master shook his head repeatedly, a smile spreading across his lips, "I have something good to give them. They will definitely love it!"

Yang Xinyu wisely did not ask further.

The Eldest Young Master came to the first cell, pointed at the girl inside, and said to Yang Xinyu, "Go and take her eyes out. Tonight, tell the kitchen to add a dish."

"Yes."

Yang Xinyu subconsciously clenched his fists, then quickly released them, fearing the Eldest Young Master would notice something amiss.

The girl imprisoned in this cell was Wang Chengming's daughter, a girl who had not yet reached adulthood, and he had personally sent her in.

Yang Xinyu felt his own mindset changing. He seemed to be… becoming more and more like the Eldest Young Master.

A moment later,

Screams of agony echoed from the cell, accompanied by the Eldest Young Master's crazed laughter, making the place seem like Hell on earth.

Yang Xinyu held a pair of bloody eyeballs in his hands, his body trembling uncontrollably. The girl had fainted from the unbearable pain.

"Let's go."

The Eldest Young Master stepped onto the stairs, and with a flick of his sleeve, the dungeon door opened by itself. A ray of sunlight shone in, falling on the madwoman's face.

Yang Xinyu instinctively turned his head to look. At this moment, the madwoman was kneeling on the ground, her eyes no longer showing confusion, only a longing for the world outside.

She… didn't seem mad?

Yang Xinyu sighed deeply in his heart. In a place like this, perhaps not being mad was worse than being mad.