Chapter 488: Conflict Between Plot Tasks

The lights came on!
The mansion where the Prince of Ruyang was staying was decorated festively that day. A banquet was held inside to entertain the Eighth Prince, with discussions taking place regarding the marriage between the Prince of Ruyang’s younger daughter, Zhao Min, and the Eighth Prince’s son. Lu Zhangke, one of the two elders of Xuanming, personally greeted the guests at the entrance, welcoming the high-ranking officials from the Yuan Dynasty who descended from their palanquins, creating a bustling atmosphere.
Many players came here out of curiosity…
But with Lu Zhangke in charge and Yuan soldiers surrounding the area, the defense was as tight as an iron barrel. Many players could only watch from outside, satisfying their curiosity.
“Zhao Min and the Eighth Prince’s son grew up together, but they clearly aren’t a match. What exactly is the system planning with this drama?”
“Exactly. Zhou Zhiruo already has The Wumu Legacy and The Nine Yin Manual from the Sword of Heaven and the Dragon Slaying Blade. Zhao Min has also returned to the Central Plains with Zhang Wuji—she can’t possibly be here. Why such a big fuss? Could Zhao Min appear at the prince’s mansion tonight?”
“Not necessarily.” In a restaurant not far from the prince’s mansion, it was crowded with people. Many stood by the railing, gazing at the lively scene inside the mansion with anticipation on their faces. “It’s said that the Prince of Ruyang came to the capital to account for his failures in dealing with the Ming Sect and the six major sects, which led to chaos in the Central Plains. The emperor, enraged, ordered him to return. The Eighth Prince is taking advantage of this to force the prince to marry off his daughter… If Zhao Min doesn’t appear, the prince’s death is imminent!”
“If Zhao Min shows up, Zhang Wuji will definitely come too.”
“Right! Maybe there will be a plot task in the city—that would be great.”
“The two elders of Xuanming fighting against Zhang Wuji? I’m really looking forward to it.” In the restaurant, a table with two people frowned upon hearing the discussions among the other players and quietly released a homing pigeon.
After a while, the pigeon returned. After reading the message, the two removed their worried expressions, picked up their cups, and drank in silence.
…
At this moment, Happy and Bai Xiaosheng were still sitting comfortably in Room Number One of Tianxiang Tower, enjoying the talents of the two stunning beauties and living in luxury—this room cost 2,000 taels of gold per hour, not to mention the personal company of the “two stunning beauties” and the food and drinks. Calling it extravagant was no exaggeration.
“There’s a slight complication.”
After releasing the homing pigeon, Bai Xiaosheng looked solemn. He took out a silver object, glanced at it, then tossed a handful of cow horns on the table before turning to Happy, who listened attentively: “There’s a plot task that conflicts with our rescue mission.”
“Hm?”

The movement stopped as Kaixin halted the fine wine from reaching his mouth. Bai Xiaosheng slowly put away his divination tools and calmly said to Kaixin, “The Prince of Ruyang is hosting a banquet for the Eighth Prince tonight. The Eighth Prince intends to force the Prince of Ruyang to marry his daughter—Zhao Min, who is now in the capital. Her companion, Zhang Wuji… with his expertise in the I Ching, it’s easy for him to divine key things.”

“Zhao Min wants to protect her father,” Kaixin said accurately. “This doesn’t conflict with our mission. Let them deal with their own issues; we’ll save ours.”

Bai Xiaosheng gave a faint wry smile. “The mission has changed a bit. Zhao Min’s three servants just appeared at the Prince of Ruyang’s mansion. It seems the system introduced this to prevent us from rescuing her too easily after the conflict. In other words, there’s now a master of the Wuwei Realm named Ah San in the prison…”

Noticing the growing tension between the two, Xiao Yuexian and Jiaonu wisely didn’t interrupt them.

“It’s fine. Since there’s a mission, there must be players involved, and there will be time constraints. We’ll wait until they start fighting before taking action. As long as they keep the Yuan soldiers occupied, it’ll be easy to break into the prison. The two helpers you prepared for me—one to handle unlocking and the other to cover our retreat.” Kaixin’s understanding of the game rules far exceeded Bai Xiaosheng’s, and he quickly found a balance in this conflict.

After some thought, Bai Xiaosheng nodded. “If that’s the case, let’s do as you say. I’ll have them wait near the prison. Once we get there, give them a secret signal to direct their actions.”

“Okay.” Kaixin nodded.

But his thoughts couldn’t calm down immediately. The appearance of Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji together in this banquet mission—what kind of mission could that be? The Prince of Ruyang wouldn’t let his own people harm Zhao Min, and the Eighth Prince didn’t have enough guards to resist Zhang Wuji. So, the key figure capable of matching Zhang Wuji was quite intriguing…

“Big Brother Bai, could you please guess whether Zhou Zhiruo has arrived in the capital?” During the meal, Kaixin suddenly said something that caught Bai Xiaosheng off guard.

Xiao Yuexian and Jiaonu were also stunned, exchanging surprised looks. Zhou Zhiruo in the capital?

Frowning and thinking for a few seconds, Bai Xiaosheng quickly understood Kaixin’s meaning. “It’s possible!” he exclaimed, then divined again before nodding heavily in confirmation.

With a definite answer, Kaixin’s mood grew even heavier. Zhou Zhiruo had arrived in the capital…

In the past life, Zhao Min caused a ruckus at Zhou Zhiruo’s wedding; now, it seems Zhou Zhiruo is waiting for an opportunity to strike during the wedding banquet where the Eighth Prince forces Zhao Min to marry him. What a fitting retribution! After drinking some wine, Xing Kai resolutely waved his sleeve and left Tianxiang Tower under the reluctant gazes of Xiao Yuexian and Jiaonu. …

Ruyang Prince’s Mansion. Half an hour into the banquet, an uneasy atmosphere finally arose in the mansion. As Zhao Min remained nowhere to be seen, the Eighth Prince, enraged, slammed his wine cup down, spat out harsh words, and stormed out of the mansion. “There are assassins!” Lu Zhangke’s cry echoed outside Ruyang Prince’s Mansion just as the Eighth Prince got into his sedan chair. Amid the cries, a figure darted forward and appeared before the Eighth Prince. The skilled warriors around them were pushed back by his powerful palm winds like weak chickens and dogs. Even Lu Zhangke, who tried to stop him, was quickly put at a disadvantage. Seizing the opportunity, a delicate figure rushed to the Eighth Prince’s side. “Min’er…” She pressed acupoints on the Eighth Prince’s son, silencing his shout instantly. With a swish, a long sword was placed across the Eighth Prince’s shoulder. “Minmin!” “Stop!!” The Ruyang Prince happened to come out of the mansion and, upon seeing this scene, was horrified: “Release the Eighth Prince immediately!” “No!” Dressed in gorgeous clothes like a handsome young man, Zhao Min stared firmly into the Eighth Prince’s eyes: “I only want one promise from you! Promise in front of everyone that you won’t harm my parents. If you refuse, next year on this day will be the anniversary of your precious son’s death!” “You…” The Eighth Prince was cunning and experienced, but faced Zhao Min’s ruthless determination, he grew panicked. Just as he was about to speak, a sharp and icy sword beam, like a bolt from the sky, rushed toward Zhao Min and the Eighth Prince… “All lackeys of the court deserve death!”