Chapter 175: Am I Just This Unlucky?

After a brief silence, Tong Yi let out a light chuckle:

“I didn’t expect the Commander’s objective would still leak out.”

He looked at Yang Ling: “Was it Cui Ying who told you? She’s already dead, isn’t she? Do you know why I kept her outside? Because she’s not one of the Heavenly Wolf Guard.

So here’s the interesting part—how do you determine whether her words were true or false?

Was it that the Commander deliberately let some information slip to her, or is that so-called Second-Rank Human Immortal really a spy our Rong tribe placed in your Zhao State?

As far as I know, your Zhao State joined forces this time, even the Fourth Prince came in, all with the goal of bringing back that Second-Rank Human Immortal.

It seems about eighty years ago, you already brought back one expert.

You discovered he hadn’t truly died, and that as long as he took some precious medicine after awakening, he could fully recover.”

“At that time, that expert was only at the Fourth-Rank Grandmaster level; he should have advanced to Third-Rank Grandmaster Supreme by now, right?”

“With this successful precedent, you planned this time to bring back that Second-Rank Human Immortal.”

As Tong Yi spoke, the expressions of the Fourth Prince and his group turned grim.

They now couldn’t determine whether the information was reliable.

This made the mission awkward—should they continue with their original plan to rescue the Second-Rank Human Immortal?

If he really had ties to the Rong tribe, wouldn’t that mean they were helping the Rong tribe instead?

The Rong tribe might gain a Second-Rank Human Immortal expert because of this, which would be extremely disadvantageous for Zhao State.

Yang Ling also understood the key points of this issue and inwardly gasped sharply.

This Heavenly Wolf Guard was truly despicable!

The information was a mix of truth and falsehood, making it impossible to discern authenticity.

Just looking at their setup—mobilizing hundreds of Seventh-Rank experts—made the information highly likely to be true.

But what if this setup was designed precisely to make Zhao State believe the information was true and give up on bringing back that Second-Rank Human Immortal?

“You see, we’re not in a hurry either. We just want to see who ends up with this Water Bodhi seed.”

“Why not resolve this matter first before considering other things?”

Tong Yi said with a smile.

A faint smile gradually appeared on the Fourth Prince’s face:

“That’s right, we’re not in a hurry either. Let’s just get this Water Bodhi seed first, and consider other things later.”

With that, the Fourth Prince looked at Yang Ling, his expression very serious:

“Chief Constable Yang, I’ll entrust this task to you. If you can retrieve a Water Bodhi seed for Zhao State, the imperial court will reward you handsomely!”

Yang Ling’s expression stiffened.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Li Huaiyi looking somewhat gleeful, and he realized that this bastard must have been so pleasantly surprised when he saw him earlier because he’d already thought about the danger of this mission!

“Fourth Prince, I’m afraid I can’t make a round trip within one breath.”

Yang Ling cupped his fists and said.

The Ironclad Department constables were all shocked.

Had this man directly refused the Fourth Prince!?

Chi Qingyao and the others were also stunned.

He wasn’t just some wandering martial artist from the jianghu—he was an Eighth-Rank Ironclad Constable of the Ironclad Department. Could he really just refuse this task?

The Fourth Prince’s face darkened, but before he could speak, Yang Ling continued:

“But if someone cooperates with me, maybe I really could bring back this Water Bodhi seed.”

“Oh?”

The Fourth Prince’s expression shifted: “What do you have in mind?”

“I’d like to carry out this mission together with Li Huaiyi.”

Yang Ling said thoughtfully: “He and I will set off from different directions.

Then return from different directions. If the monster beneath the Freezing Pool makes a move, at least one of us can make it back.”

Li Huaiyi gasped sharply, staring at Yang Ling in disbelief.

Then he immediately cupped his fists at the Fourth Prince and said:

“Fourth Prince, please think twice. I believe there’s still room for discussion on this matter. We can formulate a detailed plan.”

“But we don’t have much time.”

The Fourth Prince said darkly: “Chief Constable Yang’s method might actually work.

If you can draw the monster beneath the Freezing Pool toward you, he’ll have a chance to retrieve the Water Bodhi seed.”

The group of Seventh-Rank experts from the Ironclad Department inwardly gasped sharply.

All along the way, they had found the Fourth Prince approachable and kind.

But now that Zhao State’s interests were truly at stake, they suddenly found him to be a stranger.

It was as if their lives weren’t lives at all...

“It was you who suggested that Chief Constable Yang carry out this task. In that case, this time you’ll cooperate with him.

If you succeed, both of you will be generously rewarded.”

The Fourth Prince said.

Li Huaiyi’s face turned pale, and cold sweat continuously beaded on his forehead.

He hadn’t expected that his own suggestion would backfire so badly.

Yang Ling slowly walked over to Li Huaiyi and lightly patted his shoulder:

“Don’t be afraid. At least one of us will make it back alive.”

He lowered his head and whispered in Li Huaiyi’s ear:

“You chose this, Brother Huaiyi.”

Li Huaiyi’s face turned ashen, and he stared at Yang Ling without saying a word.

Just then, a sudden commotion came from one of the passages.

A huge, elongated creature emerged.

This monster was like a mud eel magnified countless times, its body covered in a layer of slime.

Its enormous head was comparable to an ox’s.

Sharp, jagged fangs interlaced, gleaming with a cold light.

It was extremely fast, and as soon as it appeared, it launched indiscriminate attacks against the martial artists present.

A Rong tribe spy raised his hand and fired a crossbow bolt, but the bolt slid right off its body, unable to harm it at all!

The scene immediately fell into chaos, but in the blink of an eye, several Seventh-Rank experts were bitten to death by it.

Or they were swept by its tail into the Freezing Pool, then stabbed to death by that tentacle inside the pool and dragged into its depths!

Yang Ling gasped sharply, gave Li Huaiyi a slap across the face, and turned to flee.

This mud eel was somewhat similar to the one he’d killed in the Tianyuan River.

But compared to this one, that eel was a mere dwarf—practically a grandchild!

“Retreat now!”

The Fourth Prince made an immediate decision, shouted loudly, and turned into a blur as he retreated, his speed no less than Yang Ling’s.

Li Huaiyi was stunned by Yang Ling’s slap, and by the time he came to his senses, the nearby Ironclad Constables had already retreated several zhang away.

He cursed wildly in his heart while quickly fleeing the area.

There were many passages near the Freezing Pool, and both Zhao State martial artists and Rong tribe spies were all rapidly retreating. Without much choice, they just picked the passage closest to them.

After Yang Ling fled into a passage, he breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t let his guard down, continuing to run deeper.

Just then, he suddenly heard unusual noises behind him.

Turning around, he saw several martial artists frantically running right on his tail.

Behind them was that terrifying mud eel monster.

“Am I just this unlucky?”

Without a second word, Yang Ling floored it, his legs practically running until they smoked.

After who knew how long, the noise behind him gradually died down.

Only a few heavy gasps remained.

These belonged to Yun Ruo, one Seventh-Rank Ironclad Department expert, and...

Nangong Yue.

Nangong Yue was panting heavily, and when he saw there was no more commotion behind him, the hanging stone in his heart finally dropped.

But when he realized he was standing next to Yang Ling, Yun Ruo, and another Ironclad Department constable, that dropped stone shot straight back up to his throat.

“Am I just this unlucky?”

Nangong Yue muttered to himself.