Chapter 404: A Game of Schemes and Shadows

Facing a mix of scrutinizing and surprised glances, Yenir sat expressionlessly in seat no. 3—right beside Blood Nightingale.

He knew that by taking that seat, any plan of slipping away unobtrusively was completely off the table.

If he had his way, he’d gladly take a knife to that cursed woman.

A gentle breeze carried a sweet fragrance, but Yenir’s face remained as impassive as a meditating monk, too indifferent even to admire the alluring beauty beside him.

He kept his head down, trying his best to pose as a shy, nervous youth—looking bewildered and at a loss.

Even without looking up, he could sense over twenty Third-Stage energies subtly locking onto him and discreetly probing his strength. Luckily, no one dared to push too far at this banquet; in such an attention-grabbing setting, he even suspected his disguise gear might be compromised.

It couldn’t be helped.

A man from the Canglang Safe Zone, with no proper credentials—just the nephew of some minor high-ranking official…

With strength barely at the Third-Stage Beginner level, it was astonishing that such an unremarkable youth had ended up in seat no. 3…

It was just like a Young Pioneer sitting in the front rows at a national congress.

Unbelievable—utterly out of place.

“Don’t you know that what you’re doing puts me at huge risk?”

“If someone starts snooping around and digs into my background in private, it won’t be hard to connect the dots.”

With his head bowed, Yenir’s calm voice sent a system message to Blood Nightingale, its tone flat yet laced with suppressed coldness.

Under so much scrutiny, he didn’t even dare to use mental telepathy.

Glancing at Blood Nightingale—who was casually chatting and laughing with others as if everything were normal—Yenir knew this damned woman was far from simple. She’d merely summoned him for dinner.

He could almost predict exactly what she was thinking down to the last detail.

Perhaps sensing his discontent, Blood Nightingale carelessly covered her mouth and let out a light laugh, as though amused by a Third-Stage commander across from her.

“Afraid? If things go south, I’ll go down with you,” she teased.

“Scared? Really, isn’t it laughable that you’d try to scheme against Yinglong? He isn’t even here—just a subordinate. Worried about this, fretting over that… I’m curious, why aren’t you afraid of Yinglong?”

After a thoughtful pause, Yenir replied in a deadpan message:

“Different.”

“I refuse to shoulder risks that aren’t under my control.”

Ignoring the odd gleam in Blood Nightingale’s eyes after her message, Yenir chose not to press further and waited patiently.

He dared to scheme against Yinglong and take what he wanted because his plans were meticulously laid out.

Even the peak of Third-Stage isn’t divine.

While he lurked in the shadows and Yinglong operated openly, with enough information and preparation, he could very well outmaneuver his opponent.

But in such a sudden situation, he was completely unprepared. Any mishap would throw the entire affair out of control, jeopardizing his whole plan.

For Yenir, this trip to the Far Frontier was too important to allow even the slightest error.

Thus, Blood Nightingale’s provocative—and even vengeful—approach irked him terribly.

Of course, he knew she was testing him, curious as to why he dared to scheme against Yinglong. If Yenir showed even a hint of weakness, Blood Nightingale, with her sharp wit, would definitely know not to cooperate—and would cut ties even if it meant danger.

They were like chess masters. He might have the upper hand now, seemingly controlling her fate, but Yenir knew that one small misstep could flip the board.

To become the captain of the Farming Team and reach Third-Stage strength at such a young age…

And from nothing, to return to the Far Frontier, mingling among various factions while capturing the admiration of countless strong figures…

Witnessing all that, Yenir had never underestimated this woman.

“If I want to win her over—to have her truly want to work for me—I guess I need to raise the stakes…”

Lost in thought about his next move, Yenir exhaled deeply, his eyes flashing with resolve.

Judging from the news he’d gathered, Yinglong was set to make a major announcement at this banquet.

Considering the guest list, he could roughly guess what it might be.

Once the banquet officially commenced, Yinglong would make his appearance…

For this legendary, rapidly rising peak fighter, Yenir was genuinely intrigued.

In his previous life, there had been little news about Yinglong. He might have perished during the ensuing catastrophe rather than reaching the Capital’s defenses, but that didn’t mean his strength was lacking.

“Bloodshadow… rebellion… Far Frontier…”

“If memory serves, Yinglong’s downfall came swiftly—judging by how fast his forces crumbled, it should have happened by the second year, not long after the rebellion.”

“It wasn’t the Military’s work. Back then, the Military was busy fully supporting the inland Battle Zone, with no time to manage the Far Frontier.”

“So….”

……….

Time ticked away, minute by minute.

About half an hour later, as Yenir furrowed his brow over why Yinglong, the banquet’s host, still hadn’t appeared, a series of respectful announcements suddenly echoed from outside the Manor.

In an instant, a deafening sonic boom erupted, as if a fighter jet had streaked past the manor, its explosion shaking the sky.

The glass trembled; even the utensils on the white silk tablecloth rattled under a domineering, overwhelming aura that quickly enveloped the entire venue.

It was as if a formidable force had descended right upon them.

Feeling that surge of power, not yet fully manifested, Yenir’s gaze hardened and a deep seriousness flashed in his mind.

“Impressive…”

The sheer intensity of the aura was on par with Fang Hao’s; of course, Yenir knew Fang Hao had no reason to reveal his full strength in the Capital.

Yet even with a rough comparison, Yenir was certain that Yinglong’s power was among the elite of the peaks!

Almost simultaneously, as nearly everyone felt the oppressive pressure, several Third-Stage Awakened and other high-ranking figures rose to their feet, respectfully clasping their hands and announcing:

“Welcome, Bloodshadow Legion Leader Yinglong!!”

In a style reminiscent of a gang’s hierarchy—entirely unlike the Military’s—the guests all bowed in one direction as a strong, bloody aura swept in like a raging storm.

The ground trembled as a blood-red figure, plummeting from the sky, slammed into the earth and carved out a deep crater before striding forward.

Clad in dark red battle armor and shouldering a spear almost as tall as a man,

his square face might seem ordinary, but his deep, red-flickering eyes exuded a sinister, almost demonic aura.

Every step sent tremors through the ground; though it was just one man, he moved like a giant beast, and with each step, the crushing weight of his presence grew like an oncoming mountain range.

Behind him, a looming blood-red shadow surveyed the crowd.

Commanding like mountains and seas, fearsome as a blood prison!

After glancing at Yinglong, Yenir’s thoughts flashed with these words.

That scent of blood… it’s refreshingly novel…

Had he just returned from hunting a mutant beast?

“Wow-”

Inside and outside the Manor, scores of Bloodshadow Legion soldiers and Awakeners knelt reverently, their eyes blazing with fanaticism as they fixed their gaze on Yinglong.

With his spear on his back and the surrounding air subtly warping around him, Yinglong strode forward. Noticing that all the guests awaited his arrival, he nodded slightly before speaking in a calm tone:

“Thank you all for waiting.”

“I was held up with some matters. Please, sit down—no need for formalities.”

There was a metallic ring to his voice.

After his words faded, many of the Third-Stage figures standing by the banquet finally seemed to exhale in relief.

“Yinglong’s strength seems even greater now…”

“Yeah, did you see that blood shadow behind him? I feel like it’s almost come back to life… maybe Lord Yinglong absorbed another high-level mutant beast.”

“In my eyes, his power now tops everything in the Far Frontier. The other few peak Third-Stagers haven’t shown up in ages.”

“Naturally! Lord Yinglong’s strength has been forged in one battle after another! Remember when the Military sent someone over? They were so intimidated by his power that they didn’t dare utter a word before leaving…”

….

Returning to his seat, Yenir listened impassively to the cascade of compliments, quickly noting down any useful information.

Though much of it was mere flattery, plenty of details proved useful.

Moreover, after witnessing Yinglong in person, he truly felt the pressure.

Powerful—and a true battle maniac.

Even before the banquet, he casually went out to hunt a mutant beast. Such a character clearly harbored an innate passion for combat.

An Awakener with that kind of drive was rare in these apocalyptic times.

After all, as a faction commander most people enjoyed an emperor-like life; few would willingly risk engaging in fierce battles.

“His combat skills are undoubtedly top-notch. Integrating mutant energy? Blood shadow? Innate talent?”

Assessing the situation rapidly, Yenir, as if struck by a thought, asked Liang Lie without changing his expression:

“Uncle Liang, if you were facing Yinglong, how confident would you be?”