Chapter Seventeen: Killing the First Prince

No, I have to run right away, the First Prince suddenly realized.

He decided to have the spies he’d planted under Long Yu’s command make their move in secret.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be wood to burn. With this thought, the First Prince led his men in retreat.

Meanwhile, Long Yu had just finished off the Third Prince. Still elated from his victory, he had no idea the First Prince had already been frightened off.

“Come here and help me search for the other teams,” Long Yu called out, feeling triumphant and ready to press his advantage.

He’d always known he was stronger than the other princes, but he hadn’t realized just how much stronger. If only I’d known earlier, he mused to himself, I wouldn’t have bothered hiding at all!

He had always stuck close to the two curators, believing he wasn’t strong enough on his own, which had led to some poor decisions. He’d forgotten those two curators were among the nation’s top experts—of course he couldn’t match them.

“Your Highness, I—” The centurion’s expression was uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” Long Yu asked, instantly suspicious.

“It’s nothing, Your Highness. I just got a little injured earlier,” the man quickly knelt down.

“Oh? Then be careful. If you can’t go on, withdraw on your own,” Long Yu replied, his suspicions fading.

But in the centurion’s heart, a storm was raging: the First Prince had actually ordered him to assassinate Long Yu.

That night, after Long Yu had fallen asleep, several furtive figures slipped into camp.

“Sir, do you really think this will work? The Fourth Prince is so strong,” one whispered.

“We have no choice. If we don’t try, both we and our families are as good as dead,” another replied in a hushed voice.

Quietly, they entered Long Yu’s tent.

Before they could make a move, Long Yu sat up abruptly. “What are you trying to do?”

Ever since the start of the trial, Long Yu had remained vigilant; their approach had immediately awakened him.

“Your Highness—” Startled, the would-be assassins dropped their knives and collapsed to the ground.

Hearing the commotion, the guards rushed in with torches, flooding the tent with light.

When Long Yu saw their familiar faces, his heart skipped a beat.

So these men were spies.

In that instant, reflecting on all that had happened and recalling the First Prince’s performance in the competition, a sudden clarity struck Long Yu.

Why had that centurion been able to lead him straight to the Third Prince?

Why had the First Prince appeared during the clash between the Second and Fifth Princes?

Why, after he defeated the Third Prince, had the centurion’s abilities suddenly failed?

A cold snort escaped Long Yu. He informed the enforcement squad outside the arena about the traitors, having them taken away under the pretense of rooting out spies.

How many more traitors were there in his own ranks? Long Yu couldn’t be sure. He dared no longer trust anyone around him.

His fists clenched so tightly that the veins stood out in relief on his arms.

Damn that First Prince—so ruthless! He’d planted spies in every team, turning them against each other while he stood to reap the rewards as the sole survivor.

You show no mercy; don’t blame me for being ruthless in return, Long Yu thought grimly.

Turning to the crowd, still stunned by the recent events, he addressed them coldly, “I don’t know how many more spies are among you, but be warned—if I discover any, I’ll take your lives myself.”

With that, Long Yu dismissed everyone to rest.

“That bastard, has he gone mad? How did he get so much stronger all of a sudden?”

Furious at the failed attempt, the First Prince kicked stones around his feet, seething with rage.

His soldiers stood around, silent and trembling, none daring to speak.

“What should we do now? What are we supposed to do?” the First Prince shouted at his centurions, venting his frustration.

After a long pause, one of them hesitantly suggested, “Your Highness, we could eliminate the Sixth Prince first, then go into hiding. As long as we last until the competition ends, victory will be ours. We did collect some points from the earlier struggle between the Second and Fifth Princes.”

“Of course!” The First Prince’s eyes lit up. He’d let his anger cloud his thinking. The solution was simple.

He had spies embedded in every team, each one controlled with poisonous insects. With the mother insect he held, he could communicate with them all. Once he went into hiding, how could the Fourth Prince possibly find him?

He wasted no time, commanding his men to track down the Sixth Prince.

A few hours later, the announcement came: the First Prince had defeated the Sixth Prince.

Long Yu cursed under his breath—clearly, the First Prince had found a way to track down the others.

The next few days passed in restless tedium. Long Yu scoured the area but could not find any trace of the First Prince’s group.

Could it be that the First Prince was deliberately avoiding him?

Slapping his forehead, Long Yu realized: Yes, with spies in every team, the First Prince surely knew his true strength by now, and knew he couldn’t win in a direct fight.

He must be trying to drag things out until the competition ends—he’s got more points than I do. If that happens, he’ll win.

Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Long Yu silently berated himself for his dullness.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

“All of you, stay where you are and rest. No one is to leave without my orders,” Long Yu instructed his team.

He planned to go after the First Prince alone.

“Your Highness,” a few centurions tried to protest, but seeing the steely determination in Long Yu’s eyes, they shrank back and said nothing.

Breaking away from the group, Long Yu expanded his spiritual senses to the fullest, searching tirelessly for the First Prince’s whereabouts.

Meanwhile, the First Prince was thrown into panic upon learning that Long Yu was now seeking them out alone. He had no idea where Long Yu was hiding now, and the tables had turned—he was no longer in control.

Several hours later, Long Yu finally encountered the First Prince’s group in a dense forest.

“Brother, I’ve searched so long and hard for you,” Long Yu said, exhaling deeply and straightening his clothes.

The First Prince’s face was ashen, his expression dark and ugly.

Staring at the Fourth Prince who had managed to track him down, he managed to choke out a few words, “Don’t be so smug just yet. There are so many of us—do you really think we’re afraid of you alone?”

“Oh? Is that so?” Long Yu replied lightly. “Then let me show you what true strength is.”

With a gust of wind at his feet, Long Yu lunged toward the First Prince.

Soldiers rushed to shield their master, but Long Yu weaved among them like a fish in water or a bird in flight, slipping through every defense with uncanny agility.

He charged straight for the First Prince.

Seeing that he could not escape, the First Prince shouted, “Don’t get cocky! Today I’ll show you what a Grade B martial technique can do!”

He rushed at Long Yu, but before he could even complete his punch or take more than a few steps, Long Yu was already upon him.

With his most powerful technique—the Mountain-Cleaving Palm—Long Yu struck, intent on killing the First Prince and ending the threat for good.

“You—” The First Prince spat a mouthful of blood. Looking down, he saw a bloody hole piercing through his abdomen.

“You dare kill me? Aren’t you afraid of what our father will—our father…”

“It’s not that I wanted to kill you—it’s just that you were too weak. One palm, and you’re dead. I’m sure father will forgive such an unfortunate accident,” Long Yu replied flatly.

The First Prince spewed blood again, his eyes wide as death took him.

He hadn’t even had a chance to use his poisonous insects, his hidden weapons, all the years of preparation—ended just like that?

He died with bitter regret.

The soldiers behind him, seeing their prince struck down, collapsed to their knees and surrendered without resistance.