Reon's next words came cold, sharp, and laced with an unspoken warning.
"The true enemy after your brother's life is none other than the Crown Prince of the Great Zhenou Kingdom."
"And if that wasn't enough… he's also a True Disciple of the Supreme Dao Sect."
Yang Mi's breath hitched.
"W-What?"
Her mind reeled, the weight of those words crashing down like a thunderclap.
"The Crown Prince... of the Great Zhenou Kingdom?" she whispered, barely believing it.
"Yes," Reon nodded, his voice calm.
But his eyes sharp, calculating inwardly.
After Ning Shao sent that letter to the Second Prince, it was only a matter of time before the Crown Prince learned everything.
Or worse—perhaps he already had.
And if that were the case... then even now, he could be moving to strike, eliminating anything—or anyone—standing in his way.
Reon leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips as his thoughts churned.
That's when the real trial for the protagonist begins.
I should point her toward the strongest enemies. After all, if she takes them down, I'll be safe as well.
As for the Crown Prince?
He wouldn't even see me as a threat. He doesn't know me. He doesn't know that I'm the one responsible for the second phenomenon. And as long as I keep it that way… I'll stay out of his sights.
Yang Mi clenched her fists, her voice laced with disbelief.
"Why would the Crown Prince of Zhenou Kingdom go after my brother?"
Her eyes darkened.
"We have no enmity with him. We barely even know him. After all, we're from the Great Luvian Kingdom."
Reon chuckled, stretching his arms as if this entire situation was amusing.
"Well... it's all because of a girl."
Silence.
Then—
"What?"
Yang Mi's voice was sharp, disbelieving.
"A... girl?"
"Are you... kidding me?"
Reon grinned.
"Nope"
Yang Mi's eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in.
"Who?" she demanded. "Who is she?"
Reon let out a low chuckle, enjoying the tension in the air.
"No need for names. Just a surname." He tilted his head, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Once I say it, you'll know exactly who I'm talking about."
Yang Mi's patience thinned.
"Then say it."
Reon met her gaze, his voice smooth as silk.
"Lu."
A single word.
A name that carried the weight of bitter memories and smoldering hatred.
Yang Mi's expression twisted into fury.
"The Great Lu Family..." her voice was a whisper of venom. "So it's that bitch."
Reon smirked.
"Guess I was right. She hates her."
"Well, of course she does. There's a whole tangled mess between her, the protagonist, and that girl in the novel."
Yang Mi's mind raced as she mumbled, just loud enough for Reon to hear.
"All this time, I thought some power-hungry noble or someone from the Yang family was targeting my brother. But this… this is beyond anything I ever imagined."
"Even our entire Yang family wouldn't stand a chance against the Crown Prince of a Great Kingdom. Going against him means defying the entire Great Zhenou Kingdom and the esteemed Royal Zhen Clan."
"He's also a True Disciple? Damn it!"
"And with that bitch's status being just as high… What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Reon, meanwhile, remained perfectly at ease.
"She doesn't have to do anything."
"The protagonist will handle everything, just like in the novel."
"He always does."
Yang Mi inhaled sharply, regaining control.
"Is there anyone else targeting my brother?"
Reon grinned.
"Plenty."
He ticked them off casually, as if listing mere inconveniences.
"Young Master Shou Bing of the High-Level Shou Family, notorious for their slave trade. Min Shing of the influential High-Level Min Family."
"Niu Ling of the prestigious Superior-Level Niu Family. And a handful of small fries—most hailing from the Great Zhenou Kingdom."
Yang Mi exhaled, exasperated.
"Wow. My brother really is a magnet for trouble."
Reon shrugged, thinking to himself,.
"Well, he's the protagonist, isn't he?"
"Without hardships, how would he grow? Every enemy is just another stepping stone on his way to greatness."
Yang Mi's eyes flickered.
"Anyone... more significant besides the Niu Family."
"Well...!" Reon said, his tone unreadable.
"So, those people are insignificant in your eyes," he mused inwardly.
Reon hesitated.
"Should I mention Ning Shao of High-Level Ning Family?"
"No. She's also a heroine. And more importantly... she'll be useful to me in the future."
"Besides, even if Yang Mi is stronger than her, she wouldn't be able to handle someone like Ning Shao."
"That's just the kind of person Ning Shao is."
Instead, Reon feigned a sudden realization.
"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot the main culprit."
Yang Mi's gaze sharpened.
"Who?"
Reon let the silence hang for a second before answering.
"The Second Prince of the Zhenou Kingdom."
Yang Mi's entire body tensed.
"What…?"
Then, her voice erupted in fury—
"What the... fuck?!"
Bam!
Her fists slammed against the table.
"Both princes of the Great Zhenou Kingdom are after my brother?! Are they both into the same bitch?"
Reon chuckled.
"Not quite."
His eyes gleamed.
"There's a much bigger mess behind this. But I can't tell her everything."
"If she starts questioning how a mere commoner like me knows such valuable information, I'll be forced to explain things I'd rather keep to myself."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly.
"The root of the problem lies with the Second Prince—he's the one infatuated with her. And the Crown Prince will merely use him as a pawn."
Yang Mi's lips curled in disgust.
"Figures."
Reon's tone turned more serious.
"But the Crown Prince... he's different. He's not just after your brother because of a girl."
He met her gaze, voice steady.
"He's cunning. Ambitious. Ruthless."
He stood up, stretching lazily, as if this entire conversation had been a simple business transaction.
Then, with an easy smirk, he said—
"So, be careful of him."
And just as she was about to process his warning, he added, almost offhandedly—
"Oh, and give me 10,000 gold coins. Consider it a discount."
Yang Mi's eye twitched.
"You little—"
Reon was already grinning, hands casually in his pockets.
"A fair price for valuable information, wouldn't you say?"
Yang Mi drew in a slow, measured breath, her gaze smoldering as it locked onto his.
Then, after a pause—grudgingly, almost reluctant—
"I know," she murmured.
And softer still, like a secret slipping through the cracks of her pride—
"Thank you."