For now, Ban Jiu was the only one whom Lu Yin could trust. This was because Undying Yushan had specifically sent this captain to protect Duke Yushan, which showed the captain’s reliability. Actually, there was another captain whom Lu Yin could trust: Liuying Zishan.
It was time to have a chat with this captain who also held the Zishan name. Now that the Thirteenth Squadron came to mind, Lu Yin wondered if Da Lei had joined it as well.
Liuying Zishan’s residence was not far from the King Zishan residence, so Lu Yin had Bronsen take him to the captain’s home.
Lu Yin was stunned when he saw the mansion ahead of him; the gate had the exact same design as the gate in the Zishan residence.
Liuying Zishan stood silently before the main entrance. She was naturally very pretty, and even from a distance, her figure was sensuous and alluring. Lu Yin secretly sighed in admiration.
“The Thirteenth Captain, Liuying Zishan, pays her respects to the Royal Regent,” Liuying Zishan said as she greeted Lu Yin.
“Captain Liuying, there’s no need for such formalities.”
She looked at Lu Yin. “Does the Royal Regent have any business with me?”
Lu Yin looked towards the entrance of the residence. “It’s a familiar layout, but could I have a tour of the premises?”
Liuying Zishan fell silent, but then nodded soon after. “Please, come in.”
A familiar man appeared before Lu Yin at the entrance. Lu Yin knew this young man from when he had first rolled six pips—Possession. This young man was Da Lei, and he had been a guard in Liuying Zishan’s residence. It turned out that he had joined the Thirteenth Squadron after all.
Lu Yin and Da Lei looked at each other. For some reason, Da Lei felt that Lu Yin was very familiar, as if they had met before, even though he had no recollection of this person in his memory.
Liuying Zishan saw the two men exchange glances and said, “Da Lei, this is the King Zishan Lu Yin who recommended you to me.”
Da Lei was pleasantly surprised and immediately saluted. “Da Lei thanks King Zishan for his grace in saving my life.”
Lu Yin smiled. When he had Possessed this person, Da Lei had been wanted dead by powerful beings on his planet. If not for Lu Yin, then Da Lei definitely would have died there. That had also been the first time that Lu Yin had ever contacted Liuying Zishan. The two men could be considered to have been brought together by fate.
“There’s no need to be overly polite. Captain Liuying, let’s go,” Lu Yin said. He patted Da Lei’s shoulder but then seemed to move on as he entered the mansion.
Da Lei actually wanted to chat with Lu Yin quite badly. He truly wanted to know how Lu Yin had discovered the dangers that had been targeting him and also why Lu Yin had even bothered to contact Liuying Zishan on his behalf. But it was clear from that interaction that Lu Yin was not interested in chatting with Da Lei; thus, the guard could only helplessly withdraw.
Liuying Zishan also wanted to understand more about this matter, but it was not convenient for her to inquire since Lu Yin had not made any further comments.
Lu Yin naturally did not want to chat with Da Lei. There was no logical reason for him to have been aware of Da Lei, and the actual answer was that his innate gift was too ridiculous.
The Liuying Zishan mansion was smaller than the Huo family’s, but since she lived here alone, such an area was sufficient.
“The Royal Regent must have something on your mind for you to have come here,” Liuying Zishan probingly asked as she followed behind Lu Yin.
Lu Yin turned around and stared at her. “You have nothing to say to me?”
Liuying Zishan looked at Lu Yin and slowly bowed. “Thank you, for the Zishan family’s kindness in saving me. Liuying shows her thanks.”
Right as she was about to kneel down, Lu Yin hurriedly propped her up. “Captain Liuying, there’s no need for that.”
“If not for the Zishan Family, I would have died long ago, and in a very miserable manner too. I’ve always wanted to repay that kindness, but the Zishan family had withered away by the time I developed my strength. Hence, I could only change my surname to Zishan and try to preserve some of the Zishan family’s reputation. I hope King Zishan doesn’t take offense to my actions.”
Lu Yin nodded. Many people had said that Liuying Zishan had changed her surname to Zishan in order to acquire the treasures of the Zishan family, but it had long since been proven that the Zishan treasure was a lie. Despite that, she had not gone back on her original actions, proving her sincerity.
Liuying Zishan was a proud woman and did not see a need to explain her actions. She only did what she felt was right. This woman was quite admirable.
Lu Yin knew that he should not play games when faced with such a forthright person. “Captain Liuying, the Great Yu Empire is currently facing both internal and external troubles. I don’t know your answer, but could you help me?”
She solemnly nodded. “The Royal Regent should feel free to relay his instructions.”
Lu Yin smiled. “Alright, I’ll thank you in advance.”
Two days quickly passed by, and during that time, Lu Yin had personally visited the Huo family, Liuying Zishan, Ban Jiu, the research base, and even many of the ministers. However, he had not sought out the Auna family yet, which made them feel rather uneasy.
Xueshan Auna was gloomy. The matter of Jenny Auna had become a barrier between his family and Lu Yin. The Auna family would never be able to raise their heads if they did not resolve this issue.
If it were only Lu Yin, then Xueshan Auna would have been confident in suppressing the youth. After all, he was a Hunter. However, Lu Yin’s status was just too exalted. Even without considering his support in the Ten Arbiters Council, just his status as a Lockbreaker was enough to prevent the Auna family from rushing into action. Yet on top of everything else, Lu Yin also had the support of the Huo family, which gave Xueshan Auna a splitting headache.
“Brother, it’s been two days. He’s even visited Garope, but not our Auna family. What is the Royal Regent trying to say?” Rocky Auna was unhappy.
Xueshan Auna’s eyes twinkled, seemingly thinking of something.
Rocky Auna looked up. “Brother, the Royal Regent is most likely dissatisfied with our Auna Family. Will he take action against us?”
Xueshan Auna shook his head. “He’s not that foolish. He’s waiting for us to seek him out.”
“Why?”
“For us to approach and admit our mistake. The matter of Jenny was not settled in a satisfactory manner by our Auna family. If he personally visits us under such circumstances, then he’ll either be seen as someone foolish who doesn’t care about his prestige, or viewed as someone who can endure many things while being extremely conniving. He’s still young, and his tolerance shouldn’t have reached that extent. Thus, waiting for us to apologize to him is his natural temperament.”
Rocky Auna frowned. “Then let me go.”
Xueshan Auna did not reply, as he was still mulling over another matter. The previous day, Yan Wujiu had contacted him, expressing that he wanted Yan Feng to marry Jenny Auna. This request had caused Xueshan Auna to be very hesitant. If he agreed, then his Auna family would be tying their fate to the Firesmelt Planet, which would be equivalent to betraying the Great Yu Empire. But disagreeing, on the other hand, meant that Jenny would never be able to return to the family. This was a horrible dilemma. But even worse, if Jenny disappeared, news would spread and discredit Lu Yin. At that time, the Auna family would no longer be able to establish itself in the Great Yu Empire.
It initially seemed as if agreeing to Yan Wujiu’s request was the better option, but the Firesmelt Planet’s environment was not suitable for the Auna family either. If they all moved there, then the Auna family would gradually wither away, just like the Zishan family.
It was a difficult choice, as both options involved steep drops.
Xueshan Auna sighed as his expression turned complex. Sometimes, it was not good to think too much about these kinds of decisions. It was difficult to deal with this youth Lu Yin, though he could hope that this youth was not a scheming person and that he would allow the Auna family to safely overcome this crisis. However, Xueshan Auna also wished for this new Royal Regent to be a great strategist who could bring the empire to even greater heights.
“Rocky, I recall that Millie should be of age now,” Xueshan Auna suddenly said.
Rocky Auna was stunned, but he nonetheless replied, “Yes.”
Xueshan Auna’s eyes twinkled.
Rocky Auna’s face changed. “Brother, are you going to try to marry Millie off to the Royal Regent?”
Xueshan Auna had a determined expression. “When our two families arranged this marriage, no names were mentioned. Thus, Millie can be treated as the same as Jennie.”
“With the Royal Regent’s status, he cannot possibly marry my daughter. It must be the family’s eldest daughter,” Rocky Auna replied in shock.
Xueshan Auna’s expression became pained. “Go and bring me the family register.”
A hint of understanding dawned on Rocky Auna, and his face paled. He asked in disbelief, “Brother, you’ve made your decision?”
Xueshan Auna closed his eyes. “Yes. This is the only way we can negate the Royal Regent’s wrath and allow our Auna family to continue living on in the Great Yu Empire.”
“Bu-”
“No need to say any more. For the Auna family, sacrificing one daughter is nothing. Now, go.”
Rocky Auna grudgingly left the office.
That night, at the King Zishan residence, Lu Yin’s hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed up at the night sky. One of the mainland’s three rings had partly collapsed. When Undying Yushan had been attacked by experts, the resulting calamity had affected Zenyu Star so heavily that even the atmosphere had been altered. A battle between powerhouses was just too terrifying, and it was not something that an average person could approach.
“Your Highness, the Auna family’s head, Xueshan Auna, is seeking an audience with you,” Bronsen reported from outside the room.
Lu Yin’s eyes flashed expectantly. “Let him in.”
Not long after, Lu Yin met with Xueshan Auna in the courtyard of the Zishan residence.
“Your guilty subject, Xueshan Auna, pays respect to the Royal Regent,” Xueshan Auna immediately said with a salute when he saw Lu Yin.
Lu Yin hurriedly stopped him and apologetically replied, “I was intending on visiting Patriarch Xueshan Auna tomorrow, but my delays instead caused Senior Xueshan to come to me. This is very disrespectful as a junior.”
“The Royal Regent is working from day to night, so it’s reasonable for this guilty subject to pay a visit,” Xueshan Auna sincerely said.
Lu Yin frowned. “Senior Xueshan, why do you call yourself a guilty subject? I don’t recall you having committed any crime.”
Xueshan Auna sighed convincingly. “There’s an unfilial daughter within my family. The faults of a child are due to their parents’ upbringing. Jenny’s matter has shamed Your Highness—this is the Auna family’s offence.”
Upon hearing the man mention Jenny, Lu Yin’s face changed unnaturally, and he became serious once again. “Forget it, since it’s in the past. Where is she now?”
Xueshan Auna had started intently watching Lu Yin as soon as he mentioned Jenny and thus saw the unnatural change in his expression. Xueshan Auna’s heart skipped a beat, as that was proof that Lu Yin had been brooding over this matter recently. He quickly spoke up. “Your Highness, please allow us to atone for our crimes. Your guilty subject has already struck Jenny Auna from the family register. As of this day, she is no longer a part of my Auna family.” He then lifted the family register in a respectful manner.
Lu Yin was shocked. He took the register and saw that Jenny Auna’s name had indeed been struck from the family register. He marvelled at Xueshan Auna’s resolve; this girl was his blood daughter, but he was vicious enough to follow through on his decision.
“Senior Xueshan, this is too excessive. Jenny’s only been gone for a few days to have fun. There’s no need to deliver such a serious punishment.” Lu Yin’s index finger pressed against the stricken name and slowly streaked across the page. The originally erased name was gradually fully restored.
This scene caused Xueshan Auna’s pupils to constrict in shock. Their family register was made from special materials, and names could not be reinstated after being stricken off, unless a Lockbreaker intervened. Only they were perceptive enough to see through the changes in the register’s star energy and restore it to a previous state. He had never expected Lu Yin to actually be capable of doing such a thing.
“Your Highness, yo- you really are a Lockbreaker,” Xueshan Auna gasped in astonishment.
Lu Yin smiled, “Yes, a two star Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker.”
Great waves rocked Xueshan Auna’s heart. A Lockbreaker with contributions was completely different from one with none. He had never expected Lu Yin to have walked so far on the path of Lockbreaking and had automatically assumed this young man was just a normal Lockbreaker without any contributions. The truth was too scary.
Lu Yin gave the family register back to Xueshan Auna and gently said, “Jenny’s only looking for some fun, so there’s no need to be so strict. She is your daughter after all. Even if she’s in the wrong, she can always be corrected. Senior Xueshan, please revoke your decision.”
