163: Your Highness is doing this for your own good.

Hearing Geng Yun's resolute tone, Long Yuan was a bit dazed. He hadn't expected that in the blink of an eye, he would become a protected animal comparable to a giant panda. If Geng Yun were to carry out this decision, his personal freedom might even be restricted!

This was something he absolutely could not accept!

He thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Geng, I think it's best if you don't look for Principal Lu, but instead let things take their natural course!"

"But why?!" Geng Yun was startled.

"Because there aren't many people we can trust! Before the cultist appear, anyone could be a hidden cultist! They could be hiding around us with various identities, and since they dare to target students in the Inter-school Competition, it's very likely that there are cultist hidden within the school!" Long Yuan said.

"This... that makes sense!" Geng Yun's eyes lit up.

Long Yuan continued, "Once we make any unusual moves, those cultist will likely notice immediately, and their plans might change accordingly! I think the reason that mysterious person hasn't sent new information is probably because they're afraid we'll act prematurely and alert the enemy, causing those cultist to not dare show themselves when the time comes!"

"It's indeed possible! How did you think of the possibility that cultist might be hiding in the school?" Geng Yun asked in surprise. He felt as if his train of thought had suddenly opened up; why hadn't he thought of this before?

"Actually, I feel that strong fortresses are often not captured by enemies from the outside, but rather because internal conflicts and infighting arise first, leading to insufficient defenses and an eventual collapse under the combined force of external attacks! If the cultist want to strike at us students, then internal and external collusion is the easiest method for them to think of. Of course, as for exactly what kind of collusion it is, perhaps the approach is a bit different every time..." Long Yuan analyzed.

"This... what do you think will be different this time?" Geng Yun pressed.

"This time, the venue is at Qianlong Middle School!" Long Yuan emphasized.

"Yes! I was also planning to block and inspect all the roads in Qianlong Middle School to prevent cultist from sneaking in. Now it seems..." Geng Yun found himself unable to continue. He now realized he had made a major mistake, because the cultist might have already sneaked into the school long ago; by the time he went to block and inspect, it would be too late!

Long Yuan was dumbfounded, lamenting that if he had let go for just two or three days, Geng Yun and the others would have almost botched the matter. He hurriedly said, "Uncle Geng, don't act rashly now. It won't be too late to decide after Qi Team Leader and your father arrive!"

"Yes! We shall do as Ninth Young Master says!" Geng Yun said with a blush.

Long Yuan nodded and said, "Both Qianlong Middle School and Fengming Middle School are within the Fengyang Mountain Range, and the two schools are not very far apart. Since the venue is at Qianlong Middle School this time, the cultist' primary target for hiding should be within Qianlong Middle School. From what I know, the site of Qianlong Middle School was chosen after Daoist Master Baiyun of Longhu Temple looked at its feng shui. At that time, his assessment was that the site was backed by shade and faced the sun, impervious to cold air, with warm, moist air currents bringing abundant rain—it has the quality of a hidden dragon! Therefore, the woods near Qianlong Middle School are dense and the flowers and plants are lush, providing many places to hide. It would likely be very easy to set up a few traps along the necessary paths..."

"Are you saying they will strike after the competition?" Geng Yun asked excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.

"After the competition? No, no, no. Striking after the competition might only be to catch a few fish that escaped the net; their real move will definitely be while they're inside the school!" Long Yuan shook his head and said.

"Inside the school? Do they really have the strength to deal with so many experts from several schools?" Geng Yun was surprised.

"cultist have no bottom line in what they do. They certainly can't deal with so many experts openly, but they'll have underhanded tricks!" Long Yuan smiled.

"Underhanded tricks? You mean poison techniques like Tong Jingshan's?" Geng Yun was startled.

"They shouldn't be able to use poison techniques now, because Tong Jingshan has already joined our side. If they really did try to recruit Tong Jingshan, heh heh, in the end, it would be us poisoning them instead!" Long Yuan laughed.

Geng Yun's eyes lit up as he pressed, "Are you sure Tong Jingshan won't betray us again?"

"Rest assured! I can guarantee that!"

"That's great!" Geng Yun finally felt a weight lift off his chest.

Long Yuan shook his head and continued, "cultist don't just use poison. For such a large operation, it's impossible for them to prepare only one method, so they might use other tricks to deal with those school powerhouses. Actually, one of their previous goals in targeting Tong Jingshan was to use the mutated beasts he raised to cause chaos in Fengyang to tie down official combat forces, making it easier for them to kidnap people at Qianlong Middle School and take them away! But since that method was thwarted by us two days ago, I think they might think of another way!"

"Heavens... what other methods could they use?" Geng Yun became nervous again upon hearing this and asked hurriedly.

"Uncle Geng, this is just my guess! As for what methods they'll use, how could I know now? Perhaps that mysterious person will inform us..." Long Yuan said.

Geng Yun nodded and sighed, "It seems we can only wait for news from that mysterious person..."

While they were talking, the car arrived at the County Government Building. Geng Yun wanted to get out first to open the door for Long Yuan, but he saw that Long Yuan had already gotten out himself. So, he led the way to the top floor of the building. The upper floors of this building were all the county office's reception area, and the top floor was, of course, the most luxuriously decorated.

Zhu Nan was already standing outside the elevator with his men. Seeing Geng Yun and Long Yuan come out of the elevator, he hurriedly went to meet them. Geng Yun gave Zhu Nan a look and nodded. Zhu Nan understood and stepped forward, kneeling on one knee to salute: "This old servant pays his respects to the Ninth Young Master!!!"

"Ah?!!!" Long Yuan was caught a bit off guard; he hadn't expected Zhu Nan to pull such a move.

"Ninth Young Master, I am your old servant Zhu Nan. Entrusted by Your Highness, I have come here to meet with you!" Zhu Nan said loudly.

Long Yuan finally reacted at this point. After confirming his identity once more, he nodded and said, "Eunuch Zhu, please rise quickly! I am already an ordinary person who has left the Prince's Mansion; Eunuch Zhu does not need to perform such a grand ceremony!"

"Not so! Your Highness told me long ago that back then, his letting you and your mother leave the Prince's Mansion was out of necessity. What he did was actually to protect you!" Zhu Nan said hurriedly.

"Oh? How so?"

"Ninth Young Master was young back then and didn't know the situation in the mansion. At that time, many concubines in the mansion were jealous of Consort Long's beauty and favor, and they intended to harm you and your mother. So Your Highness let you leave to keep you away from that place of conflict! Please empathize with Your Highness's feelings at that time; he truly did it for the well-being of you and your mother!!!" Zhu Nan cried out...