Chapter 23: The Startled Salamander

Stepping out of the room, I found ten figures standing quietly in the courtyard as expected. One stood at the front, followed by nine others, each carrying a long sword. They varied in age, the youngest being less than sixteen, while the oldest had reached forty.

Not far from them, Ling Donglai had been standing silently for some time, yet none of the ten had noticed his presence.

Ling Donglai had arrived as soon as these ten appeared. Given that the system had integrated him into this reality, he was fully aware that these individuals were Wang Yu’s death warriors, which was why he had allowed them to enter the courtyard.

A brief scan with the system revealed that, aside from Zhao Gao, Yanyan, and Duanshui, half of the group had yet to reach their peak due to their youth. Even the twins had not yet attained the rank of Grandmaster. However, fortunately, the lowest potential peak for this group was the early stage of the Grandmaster rank, and even those who hadn't reached it yet were not far off.

"Zhao Gao, come in with me!" Wang Yu said. As he gazed at the ten newcomers, his eyes lingered for a moment on one particular figure with a curvaceous silhouette before shifting his focus back to Zhao Gao.

Inside the room, it was unclear what exactly Wang Yu and Zhao Gao discussed. It wasn't until over an hour later that Zhao Gao emerged once more.

"Young Master!" a cold, clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Take off your mask!" Wang Yu commanded as he looked at the figure before him.

The owner of this voice was none other than Jing Ni, one of the Eight Swords of the Yue King. Of the nine swordsmen who had arrived, Wang Yu had entrusted the other eight to Zhao Gao to carry out his orders, keeping only Jing Ni by his side.

When that flawless face was revealed to him, Wang Yu’s breathing involuntarily grew heavy.

As he gently stroked her pure, delicate features, the fire within him burned brighter. Before his transmigration, Wang Yu had been a wealthy second-generation heir, so he was certainly no stranger to romance. Yet, since his rebirth, despite having a background far more prestigious than his previous life, he had gone over four months without a touch. Seeing Jing Ni’s graceful figure, combined with the lingering influence of the anime he had watched in his past life, his mind began to wander, and certain ideas took root.

"What is your name?" Wang Yu stood up abruptly, pulling her into his arms and asking the beauty a question to which he already knew the answer.

"Jing Ni!" the cold voice replied, though a faint blush crept across her cheeks. She did not resist in the slightest; having been raised as a death warrior for Wang Yu since childhood, both her body and her life belonged to him to take whenever he pleased.

"You know that's not what I'm asking," Wang Yu said with a wicked smile.

"This servant... is named Tian Yan!" Jing Ni’s voice trembled slightly as a large hand covered her full breasts.

It was a mystery how she had developed; the age the system had assigned her was only three years older than Wang Yu’s. Moreover, Tian Yan had reached the Grandmaster rank at eighteen, making even Wang Yu—one of the Ten Great Prodigies of the Great Cang Empire—feel a sense of inadequacy. After all, he wasn't even certain he could reach the Grandmaster rank before the age of twenty. While sixteen to twenty was a period of rapid growth, it primarily applied to external martial arts; internal energy, as a rule, tended to grow stronger with age.

"Are you willing?" Wang Yu asked with feigned hesitation, as if he wouldn't force her if she refused.

She nodded gently, her face now a deep shade of pink. Though she had been raised as a cold-blooded assassin and death warrior, she remained a maiden who had never known a man.

...

"By the way, from today on, your name is Tian Yan. You are no longer Jing Ni!" Wang Yu said meaningfully as they stepped out of the room.

...

Humming a tune as he strolled along the bluestone path, Wang Yu passed several courtyards before composing himself and returning to his usual serious demeanor.

"Greetings, Third Uncle!" He bowed respectfully and stood aside, waiting to hear why his uncle had summoned him.

"So, your death warriors arrived last night?" Wang Yuan asked quietly, gesturing for Wang Yu to sit.

Had a Heaven-Man level expert entered the estate, Wang Yuan might not have noticed. But since Zhao Gao and his group were still at or below the Grandmaster level, it was impossible for Wang Yuan to remain unaware of their presence. He had already received word from Wang Chang that they would arrive within a few days, and with a powerhouse like Ling Donglai protecting Wang Yu, he had seen no need to intervene. Otherwise, even if Wang Yuan lacked the strength to suppress Zhao Gao’s group single-handedly, it would have been easy to create enough of a commotion to draw the imperial guards patrolling the capital.

"Third Uncle has keen eyes. They did indeed arrive last night," Wang Yu replied with a slight nod. There was no point in hiding it; it wasn't necessary.

"Hmph!" Wang Yuan nodded in acknowledgment. The combined strength of those ten people was a significant force within the Wang family. Under normal circumstances, such a formidable unit would not be placed under Wang Yu’s direct command. However, this group had been trained specifically for him from the start. A clan leader, in addition to maintaining a polished public image, must also possess the means to handle the dirty work. And from the beginning, Wang Yu had been groomed as the future head of the family.

Originally, the resources allocated by the Wang family were insufficient to train such a team to this level. But later, Huangfu Yuwei—with her royal background—had invested a massive amount of resources as well. Combined with the exceptional talent of the recruits, this elite squad of death warriors was born.

"At your age, it is fine to indulge in pleasure, but some people should not be brought into the light! Do not forget the tasks you came to the capital to accomplish!" Wang Yuan said, his words clearly implying more than they stated.