Chapter 406: A Tangled Web of Allegiances

Thoughts raced through his mind.

Yenir knew that any hesitation would only deepen the other party’s suspicions.

That damn woman Blood Nightingale arranging his placement here was already outrageous enough!

Just as he was about to feign ignorance, Blood Nightingale let out a soft laugh and, with practiced ease, began introducing Yinglong:

“Yes~”

“This is my newly adopted brother, Ye Lin.”

“The little guy was nervous—he heard I was coming and even begged me to bring him along!”

“Commander Yinglong—he’s mentioned his admiration for you more times than I can count~”

As she spoke, Blood Nightingale covered her mouth with a light laugh and shot a mildly reproachful glance at Yenir.

“I told you, Commander Yinglong is a good man. There’s no need to be so tense. If you want to look, just look; no need to snoop~”

With those words, even Yinglong stopped overthinking.

Blood Nightingale’s compliments suited him well—after all, who doesn’t love to hear that someone they care about praises them?

A little admirer? Curious about him?

No wonder he had been secretly watching him all along…

With a light chuckle, Yinglong put aside his doubts and nodded subtly, indicating to Yenir that he needn’t be so reserved.

“Since he’s Blood Nightingale’s brother, he’s one of us.”

“Canglang Safe Zone, right? I’m fairly familiar with your commander. If anything comes up, you can always come to Bloodshadow Safe Zone and find me.”

A slight smile played on Yinglong’s lips as he, in a calm tone, granted Blood Nightingale the courtesy of his response.

Yet his words instantly stirred envy among several Safe Zone higher-ups.

It seemed the rumors about Yinglong pursuing Blood Nightingale might actually be true. Even a simple promise regarding a brother was priceless. Though polite, his statement carried enormous weight.

Feigning a dumbfounded, frightened look, Yenir nodded repeatedly, inwardly exhaling in relief.

Luckily, Blood Nightingale knew what was important and had stepped in to help him out.

That woman wasn’t as unhinged as everyone thought…

He hadn’t expected Yinglong’s vigilance to be so extreme as to find even his Third-Stage Beginner level suspicious. No—his current forged strength didn’t even reach Third-Stage.

He appeared open and upfront like a monarch, yet his instincts were so sharp he doubted everyone around him.

So cautious that he missed no potential threat?

More likely, it was tied to his past struggles before reaching Third-Stage. Anyone who clawed their way up from the bottom carries that trait.

If you intend to scheme with someone like him, you’d best be extra careful…

After quickly labeling Yinglong in his mind, Yenir ceased his scrutiny.

The only puzzling part was that, contrary to Blood Nightingale’s claims, Yinglong didn’t seem overly interested in her, yet now he clearly showed signs of pursuit…

At least, far more than Yenir had expected.

Could it be that she thinks Yinglong is too fake to dare get too close?

As his thoughts whirled, Yenir caught a glimpse of Blood Nightingale’s eyes meeting his.

Locked in a gaze, Yenir chose not to betray his suspicions; he just gave a slight nod—a silent ‘thank you’ to that damn woman for bailing him out.

But in that stare, he noticed a sly, cunning gleam flash across Blood Nightingale’s eyes.

“Soon, Yinglong will take the stage to give a speech. He plans to consolidate the local forces.”

“I’ll have the intel you need right after. I’ve already told him that I want to enter the instance with him.”

Hmm?

Yenir was momentarily taken aback. Hearing Blood Nightingale’s good news filled him with quiet joy. The intel was already in hand—things were proceeding smoothly.

Yet while he understood the latter part, the first left him puzzled.

What did Yinglong’s upcoming speech have to do with him? Was this woman planning to hand over the intel immediately?

“We’ll talk after the banquet. Once you hand over the items, I’ll need some time to plan. Then I’ll reach out to you, or you can contact me.”

“For now, let’s avoid any further contact here.”

Before Yenir could dwell on it further, as he hesitated to remind Blood Nightingale to be cautious, an odd sensation suddenly crept up from his calves.

In an instant, his pupils dilated, contracting into dangerously narrow pinpoints.

Damn it!

What the—?!

Just as Yinglong turned his head, Blood Nightingale—now facing him—somehow slipped off her high heels without warning. Her bare right foot boldly slid under the table, lightly brushing against his calf.

And that extended leg hinted at an upward movement.

No matter how composed Yenir tried to stay, a chill ran down his spine.

Considering he and Yinglong were less than a meter apart, anyone glancing over would undoubtedly notice Blood Nightingale’s scandalous move.

Was that damn woman trying to get him into serious trouble?!

Instinctively, Yenir tried to scoot away, distancing himself from Blood Nightingale.

But before he could even grab a chair and make a run for it, Bloodshadow—cold and haughty—fixed him with a threatening look:

“If you dare dodge, I’ll dive right in.”

“What, don’t you enjoy this kind of thrill? Are you scared?”