With the aid of earth magic, Ye Chui easily dug a large pit in the ground and buried Gary’s corpse.
When he returned to the room used for dining, he happened to overhear Danni and Resha discussing Gary’s manner of death—
“I heard that Cicada Fort’s assassins are all cold and ruthless fellows, yet this one was so stupid, he actually killed himself through sheer idiocy. It’s hilarious.” Danni let out a string of bell-like laughter.
Resha advised: “He wasn’t killed by his own stupidity, he was struck by little brother’s spell.”
“Then he still died stupidly. If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t lick my own blade.” Danni said smugly. Seeing Ye Chui return, Danni sought confirmation from him: “Am I right, Brother Ye Chui?”
“Mm, you’re absolutely right. My [Aqua’s Blessing] would have no effect on you at all.” Ye Chui walked in, smiling as he spoke.
Danni immediately switched to an expression of utmost pride, hands on hips, beaming triumphantly, but then she suddenly noticed everyone else at the table was lowering their heads and snickering. She froze for a moment before reacting to what Ye Chui had actually said—Danni’s mind was already as dim as could be, so of course the idiot curse would be ineffective on her…
“Ye Chui, you!” Danni immediately flew into a rage, ready to charge at Ye Chui and argue.
Jacob hurriedly blocked her, consoling her gently with a few words. Only then did Danni sit back down sullenly, though her eyes were still full of grievance as she glared at Ye Chui, like a little sister sulking at her big brother: Brother, how could you team up with the others to bully me!?
When Danni first met Ye Chui, she had all sorts of disdain for him. Later, upon learning he was indeed Ye Chui, there had been an awkward period, but over this past month of interaction, she had come to accept his presence in her heart. In her feelings… it was like treating Ye Chui as an elder family member. No helping it, with Debbie’s status being what it was; now she called Ye Chui Brother Ye Chui, and referred to Debbie as Grandma Debbie…
“Is this token the proof of a Cicada Fort assassin?” Ye Chui picked up a black plaque from the table. The plaque was about half a palm in size, seemingly made of iron, with a vivid cicada sculpture in relief on it, especially the two thin wings of the cicada, so delicate they seemed made of unknown material, presenting a semi-transparent texture, as if they might flutter away at any moment.
“Unlike mercenary guilds or magic guilds, assassin guilds are basically unknown to outsiders, and no one understands their information. Unless you join an assassin guild, no one can truly know how they operate.” Debbie curiously took the token from Ye Chui’s hand to examine it.
“It’s a pity that assassin died so cleanly. If he had left me even a little time, perhaps I could have entered his will world and seen some information.” Ye Chui said somewhat regretfully. When that assassin licked his own knife, Ye Chui had immediately cast mind intrusion on him, but unfortunately, the browser site on the iPad grimoire’s screen had not yet opened when Gary very straightforwardly kicked the bucket. That poison was truly fast-acting, sealing the throat upon contact with blood.
Fortunately, that assassin had revealed enough information before dying.
“It seems we’ll receive an invitation to enter the capital in the next few days.” Ye Chui then said. Now that they were wanted nationwide, entering the capital would not be easy. They could seek help from the Anduin family or Prince Gale, but Ye Chui feared that would expose their whereabouts. This was an excellent opportunity, perfect as could be.
What also piqued Ye Chui’s curiosity was the one who had hired the assassin.
“Which prince hired the assassin, exactly?”
It was already too late now, so Ye Chui told everyone to go rest. The circus camp quickly quieted down.
Green cleared the dishes from the table, wearing an unhappy expression throughout. This chore was originally Jacob’s job, but just as Ye Chui had said everyone could rest, that kid had vanished to who knows where. After tidying up, as Green prepared to return to his tent, he heard rustling from the bushes under the circus’s circle of wooden stakes, along with some voices speaking.
Green immediately grew alert, gripping a brick as he slowly approached. He discovered it was Jacob and Danni inside, sitting side by side, speaking softly while gazing at the starry sky and the moon. Danni’s summoned creature Hal was also out, squatting right between them.
Ever since Jacob had risked his life to save her in Clown Town, Danni’s attitude towards Jacob had become extremely warm… markedly different from her usual demeanour. Now it seemed there was indeed something between them.
Green watched from outside for a few seconds, then turned away in fury.
“Dog couple!”
The single dog’s heart issued a curse full of resentment.
…
Two days passed quietly thereafter.
That morning, as Ye Chui climbed out of sleep, he could not help but feel some worry about whether the invitation from the capital that Gary mentioned would come to pass. At that moment, Green came rushing into Ye Chui’s tent in a panic.
“Leader, people from the capital have indeed come.” Green told Ye Chui. He had grown accustomed to calling Ye Chui leader at all times now.
“It’s finally here!” Ye Chui hurriedly moved to go outside, but at the tent flap, he remembered something and hastily stuck on his fake beard, donning the strange outfit.
Their current clothes were not from any nation’s style on this continent, but designs Ye Chui had created based on characters from fantasy films and TV shows in his memory. For instance, the alluring long skirt Resha wore for singing and dancing drew from the style of some In·dian dan·cers, while the others’ outer garments and headscarves were more like Ti·betan attire.
As he walked outside, Ye Chui asked Green: “Who came?”
“Not sure, that old man seems to be some kind of steward, with a very arrogant air. Miss Debbie is receiving him, but he doesn’t pay her much mind, saying he wants to see you before stating his business. I think Miss Debbie is about to explode.” Green explained.
“This won’t do, we absolutely cannot clash with them.” Ye Chui frowned.
In moments, they arrived at the big tent of the circus. In the room they usually used for meals, it was already filled with people, all dressed as swordsmen in red armour, each with a cold demeanour, hands resting on the hilts of the longswords at their waists.
When Ye Chui entered the room, he spotted at a glance a fat and short man in fine robes sitting in the seat Ye Chui usually occupied. Debbie sat to one side; though her face bore a fake moustache, it was still clear she was extremely displeased.
Gunny, Resha, and Jacob stood beside her.
Due to her special status, Danni was somewhat of a celebrity in the capital. Though her face was veiled and she wore a strange long skirt, she still hid behind the others, afraid of being recognised.
“Leader, you’re here.” Seeing Ye Chui, Debbie hurriedly stood up, her mouth under the moustache twitching towards the fat man. “This lord has come to visit us, wanting to invite us to perform in the capital.”
“This lord, hello, I am the leader of the Apple Circus.” Ye Chui said respectfully to the fat steward.
“So you are that Captain Jobs.” The fat steward’s voice was shrill and thin, his eyes squinting as he sized up Ye Chui a few times. His meticulously clean face carried an innate air of arrogance and contempt. “I’ve long heard your circus is decent, but now it seems nothing special. For our lord to invite you to perform is truly doing you a favour.”
Ye Chui put on a surprised expression: “May I ask which lord it is?”
“Our lord is one who will become emperor in the future.” The fat steward stood from the chair, as if even mentioning the name required utmost respect. “His Highness the Second Prince of the Empire!”
“Second Prince? That rice barrel prince?” Danni, hiding behind, blurted out in shock.
The room instantly fell silent.
“Who spoke? Come out!” The fat steward shouted in his shrill, thin voice. With his words, the other red-armoured swordsmen all drew their longswords from their waists, adopting a tense, on-edge stance.
Ye Chui’s heart tightened. This silly child! He glanced towards Danni, then hurriedly said to the fat steward: “Lord, please do not be angry. We are all small folk who have seen little of the world. If we misspoke, please bear with us.” He also hurriedly winked at his companions: Everyone, take it easy. We’re counting on this fat steward to get us into the capital. No matter how unwilling we feel inside, we must act weak for now—plenty of time later to settle scores.
The fat steward snorted coldly, still extremely displeased, but he did not dwell on the matter, continuing: “The day after tomorrow is our prince’s name day. He plans to hold a grand banquet. His Highness heard your circus has been quite popular lately, so he sent me to invite you. Hmph, for you to have this honour is truly fortune from several lifetimes.”
“Yes, this is indeed our fortune.” Ye Chui chuckled in agreement, thinking inwardly: “So it’s the Second Prince’s name day banquet. Then surely many nobles will be invited, and the other princes should be present too. It seems someone wants to use this banquet to assassinate the Fifth Prince… The Second Prince is notoriously an idiot, and it looks like his subordinates are all idiots too!”
Debbie interjected at this point: “Then, may we ask how much the performance fee will be?”
“Performance fee? What performance fee!” The fat steward suddenly shouted shrilly again. “For you to perform in the capital, and you want a fee? What an honour that is! For you just now to have insulted His Highness the Second Prince, that will offset the fee!”
“What? No pay?” Debbie immediately grew unhappy. Do you know how many gold coins their circus earned daily? Performing for you, and no pay?
Seeing Debbie about to flare up, Ye Chui hurriedly signalled her with his eyes. Girl, don’t get too into the role! Getting into the capital is paramount now. He then said to the fat steward: “Very well, to make the acquaintance of nobles is already our honour.”
The fat steward nodded in satisfaction. He seemed eager not to linger in this shabby room, turning to leave, but at the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and looked towards Resha, who was standing behind Ye Chui.
A lecherous expression appeared on his fat face: “Right, this young lady must be your circus’s Peerless Enchantress? Mm, indeed quite alluring. Tonight, keep me company, heh heh. This lord rarely graces commoner women with his favour.”
With these words, the other red-armoured swordsmen also let out somewhat lascivious laughs, their eyes roving unabashedly over Resha.
Ye Chui and the others’ bodies all stiffened.
Then the smile vanished from Ye Chui’s face. Damn it, this he could not tolerate…
He beckoned to Green: “Lend me your treasure for a bit.”
“Ah?” Green was stunned for a moment before realising what Ye Chui meant, so he hurriedly retrieved his enchanted brick from his grimoire.
Ye Chui had already walked up to the fat steward: “Lord, what did you just say?”
The fat steward could sense Ye Chui’s demeanour had changed, but so what? Could a mere common performer dare anger him, the Second Prince’s chief steward? He continued with a lewd grin: “Have your Peerless Enchantress keep me company tonight, heh heh. Such an alluring woman among commoners is a rare sight.” As he spoke, he even winked at Resha.
Resha, unable to bear watching, covered her eyes with her hand, seemingly sighing as well.
Ye Chui’s hand reached behind him; Green used spatial teleport to send the brick into Ye Chui’s grasp. Then Ye Chui smiled faintly, and with a bang, he smashed the brick right onto the fat steward’s forehead.
As the fat steward wailed and fell to the ground, and those red-armoured swordsmen drew their swords, Ye Chui casually tossed the brick backwards. Green caught it steadily.
“Grab your gear, beat the hell out of them!” Ye Chui shouted.
