The night was black as ink. Deep within the Duke's Mansion, after Dai Luoli had been coaxed to bed, Dai Youheng was left alone in the room. Candlelight flickered across his calm, fathomless eyes.
"Ling Ya," he said quietly to the empty air.
Before his words had faded, a blurred figure emerged soundlessly, as though slipping out of the shadows. He knelt on one knee with utmost reverence. It was the Titled Douluo, Ling Ya.
"Young master!" His voice was hushed but clearly audible. With his cultivation as a Titled Douluo, he could move freely through the Duke's Mansion. Even Dai Hao, the strongest person here, was currently only a Soul Douluo and could not possibly detect his presence.
"That woman, the Duchess." Dai Youheng's tone was flat, as though discussing some trivial matter. "Both her sons have been crippled. She will never let this rest. She will certainly vent her fury on Luo Li and me. Dai Hao has been staying in the mansion lately, so she doesn't dare do anything openly. But he holds a military post, and guarding the Mingdou Mountain Range is his foremost duty. Sooner or later, he will leave. Once he does, that venomous snake will bare her fangs."
A cold gleam flashed through Ling Ya's eyes. "Young master, would you like me to eliminate this threat in advance?"
To him, assassinating a pampered duchess would be as easy as turning his hand.
Although the Duchess also possessed the formidable strength of a Soul Douluo, she was gravely ill and had little time left.
"Not yet." Dai Youheng waved a hand. "Let her strike first. Once she makes her move, I want you to appear at the right moment, save Luo Li and Mother, and create the illusion that they have been murdered. Make