Chapter 638: Older Sister

Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Older Sister

King Yan Nan studied Ye Yunfeng once more.

Ye Yunfeng touched his face, a little puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that, Your Highness? Is there something on my face?"

King Yan Nan laughed, his tone filled with emotion. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking... Feng Zhang is incredibly lucky to have such a capable subordinate like you."

Having fought on the battlefield for many years, a few words were all it took for him to see Ye Yunfeng’s unusual astuteness and caution. ’A man like this, given time, is destined for greatness!’

Ye Yunfeng scratched his head and smiled as well.

"It’s all just some humble speculation on my part. You flatter me, Your Highness."

"How is it flattery?" King Yan Nan shook his head. "You’ve only been in Long City for a few days, yet you’ve managed to devise such a detailed and comprehensive plan. That’s truly rare. Speaking of which, you look quite young. You can’t have been in the army for long, have you? Did... Feng Zhang teach you all this?"

Ye Yunfeng gave a slight, knowing chuckle.

"Lord Feng Zhang is a busy man; how could he concern himself with such things? Besides, we received the news in a hurry this time. Before arriving in Long City, we had no idea what the situation here was really like. Fortunately, before we set out, Lord Feng Zhang trusted me enough to give me full authority here. And thanks to the cooperation of my brothers-in-arms, everything has gone smoothly. Otherwise, it would have been absolutely impossible for me to accomplish this on my own."

He spoke with sincere conviction and a serious expression.

King Yan Nan’s admiration for him grew.

’To be so humble and composed at such a young age is truly remarkable.’

He couldn’t help but be even more amazed. "So you’re saying you planned and orchestrated all of this on the fly after you arrived? That’s no simple feat..."

Ye Yunfeng offered a confident smile.

"It’s really nothing special. Back when I was at home, I would occasionally discuss things with my older sister, and she would always offer a few pointers. The situation now may be tense, but it’s not impossible to handle."

King Yan Nan keenly caught the key word in his sentence. "Your older sister?"

"Yes."

As the young man, who had been calm and composed throughout the journey, spoke of his sister, a bright fire seemed to dance in his dark eyes. His face was filled with an unconcealable pride.

"My older sister knows everything. If she were here, she definitely could have solved this even more easily!"

In truth, the only reason they had received timely news of the trouble in Long City was thanks to Ye Chutang’s help.

But the entire affair had been handled with extreme secrecy, so Ye Yunfeng didn’t advertise it.

King Yan Nan grew even more curious.

"Is your sister really that capable?"

Ye Yunfeng nodded. Seeing that the king still seemed a bit skeptical, he added, "By the way, my older sister is also quite close with your daughter. When you return to the Capital City, you’ll know once you meet her."

"Qinyang?"

King Yan Nan’s heart stirred. The emotions he had been forcibly suppressing finally began to surface.

"How is she now? Does she know what happened here? She didn’t do anything reckless, did she?"

Even a man as iron-willed and ruthless as he was on the battlefield could not remain calm when speaking of his only daughter.

At this moment, he was not the King Yan Nan whose name shook the Southwest, but merely an ordinary father worried about his child.

Ye Yunfeng knew what he was worried about and offered words of comfort. "Rest assured, Your Highness. She is safe and sound in the Capital City. The court’s sudden summons for your early return to the capital was likely the result of her efforts to save you."

King Yan Nan was a sharp man. Hearing Ye Yunfeng’s words, he forced himself to calm down, and after a moment of thought, he had already figured out most of it.

"That’s good, that’s good... That girl of mine is hot-headed. I was afraid she would act rashly and disregard everything once she found out. This is for the best!"

’As long as she is safe, nothing else matters!’

After learning this, the weight on King Yan Nan’s heart finally lifted. He let out a long breath and couldn’t help but chuckle.

"So that’s how it is. It all makes sense now. My personal guards must have sent word back to the Capital City. That girl of mine found out, went to find help, and that’s what led to His Majesty’s decree."

A father knows his daughter best, and he was well aware of his own daughter’s tendencies.

’She definitely couldn’t have come up with this plan on her own. She must have gone to Shen Yanchuan, and...’

"What is your older sister’s name?" King Yan Nan asked.

Ye Yunfeng did not hide it, meeting his gaze directly. "My sister’s name is Ye Chutang."

"Ye Chutang..."

King Yan Nan murmured the name, then shook his head with a smile.

"...It seems my daughter and I owe you both a great debt this time."

Ye Yunfeng’s expression flickered.

’I didn’t mention what my sister did, yet King Yan Nan seems to have already guessed...’

King Yan Nan laughed heartily and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good lad! There are some things you don’t need to say for me to understand. If I couldn’t even figure that much out, all my years of experience would have been for nothing!"

Xia City was over thirty miles from Long City—no short distance.

None of the cities in between had sent reinforcements, yet Feng Zhang, who was even farther away, had reacted, decisively dispatching troops. He must have received a message.

So, where did Feng Zhang get his information? And why was he so certain of it?

King Yan Nan looked at the young, still somewhat green face before him as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

In the end, a thousand words were distilled into a single sentence.

"If I make it back to the Capital City alive, I will personally visit and thank your sister."

...

As the carriage made its way toward the North City Gate, the people in the Prefect’s Mansion finally realized that King Yan Nan had mysteriously vanished.

SMASH—!

Tuoba Yu’s face was ashen as he suddenly slammed his teacup to the ground, shattering it!

"Gone!? A living, breathing man slipped away right under the noses of so many people!? What the hell do I pay you for! Useless! All of you are useless!"

The few men still standing felt their hearts leap into their throats and dropped to their knees in unison.

"Mercy, Master! It was your subordinate’s negligence! But—but because the officials from the court arrived, many of the guards were temporarily reassigned. That’s why—that’s why..."

Rage burned in Tuoba Yu’s chest, leaving him breathless.

As if he didn’t already know that!

"Cunning!"

He had been so focused on dealing with those people that he never expected King Yan Nan to use the opportunity to escape!

"Of the two guards escorting him, one was found in a remote corner in the southwest of the mansion. He was already dead, and it looked like he was killed in a single blow, with no time to even cry for help."

The captain of the guards wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, trembling as he spoke.

"The other one’s body was dumped in the woodshed, and his clothes had been changed. Someone must have infiltrated the mansion, killed the guard when he was off-guard, and took his place. Then, while escorting King Yan Nan, he took the chance to escape with him."

"This person is a master of martial arts, and their arrangements were meticulous and cautious. They are no ordinary person! Your subordinate speculates that it might have been one of King Yan Nan’s personal guards!"

Tuoba Yu laughed in fury.

"His personal guards? What did I tell you before! You were to watch those men carefully! And now this happens. Is this how you handle things?!"