Duke Zefen choked back a sob, the mention of the slain Lv Wai stirring a raw memory of the wailing populace on Heng Qiu. Tears streamed down his face as he wept uncontrollably.

"If you're talking about bad news, there's actually more than just that," the butler continued, seeing Princess Haffen could no longer speak. "Another event has recently occurred, causing widespread panic here. It’s becoming unbearable."

"I am eager to hear it," Yang Ying stated.

The butler hesitated. "Not long ago, the rebels issued a proclamation: they intend to publicly execute Their Majesties the King and Queen. The date is set for three days from now. The Royal Family and the military are currently divided, arguing fiercely over whether to dispatch a rescue mission."

"Isn't that obviously a trap?" Yang Ying mused, nodding. "A worn-out ploy like that is often the hardest to counter—a straightforward scheme laid bare."

The success of this open conspiracy hinged entirely on the closeness of the Flynn Royal Family ties. It depended on whether the King and Queen, parents to the princes and princesses, could compromise the sanity of their children.

However, Yang Ying could already tell from Princess Haffen’s expression that the royalty of the Flynn Kingdom was not the ruthless sort, consumed by mutual hatred between father and son, brother and brother, willing to plot endless schemes, even resorting to murdering kin to secure the throne, clearing away every obstacle in their path.

The butler sighed. "The injury to the people of Liphil Planet, the threat to Their Majesties' lives, and the devastating news of Princess Halwin’s assassination and critical injury—these accumulated worries have been crushing many people recently. Compared to that, the continuous defeats on the battlefield now seem insignificant."

"Thankfully, Master Xinni forced has managed to save Princess Halwin," the Chief Maid interjected, producing a handkerchief to gently wipe Princess Haffen’s tears and offer soft words of comfort. "At least a ray of sunlight has broken through this brooding gloom."

Princess Haffen rallied, managing a weak smile. "Yes, now that Sister Halwin is out of danger, we can certainly overcome the other difficulties one by one. Forgive me, Master Yang Ying, for letting you see me lose my composure; I must look terrible."

Yang Ying shook his head. "Not at all. I imagine Princess, you have been through a terrible ordeal lately. A momentary release is perfectly understandable."

As the conversation progressed, Princess Haffen slowly detailed the grim military situation within the Flynn Kingdom. The royal army was facing a trial by fire, suffering constant retreats on the front lines, and lagging behind in propaganda, electronic warfare, and intelligence operations. The situation was clearly turning against the monarchy. During her recounting, Princess Haffen repeatedly paused, her expression flickering, betraying an intense internal struggle.

Seeing her repeated moments of distress, the Chief Maid sighed, seemingly unable to bear watching her suffer further. "Your Highness, perhaps I should explain the rest."

"No," the Princess replied, her face etched with difficulty. "If this is to be told, it must come from my own lips."

"Princess, what is it?" Yang Ying asked, though in his mind, he had already guessed the nature of her request.

Princess Haffen was silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "It’s like this, Master Yang Ying. I once hoped to hire you to assassinate the President of the Pseudo-Republic. I intended to make the same request this time. At least fifteen standard days ago, that was my plan. But circumstances have changed, and so has my request."

She rose and walked toward Yang Ying, kneeling down with profound sincerity. "Master Yang Ying, I implore you, save my father and mother."

Of course, the knee never actually touched the ground. The moment she exerted force, Yang Ying sensed her intent and used a burst of mental energy to suspend her body, locking her knees in place, preventing the full genuflection. Nevertheless, the plea was uttered.

"Why must you do this?" Yang Ying inquired.

"I know this journey is fraught with extreme peril. The rebels have undoubtedly prepared countless traps, waiting for anyone who attempts a rescue. Perhaps not even a Peak Master could return alive, but... but I have no other recourse."

Her legs remained rigidly straight, unable to bend. "Master Yang Ying, my siblings and I have conferred. We will pool our resources to gather experts at the Third-Tier Apex to form the most elite squad possible to rescue Father and Mother. I know your spiritual power has reached the very limit of the Third Tier. Ordinary Apex Masters are no match for you. If there is anyone in the universe who can rescue Father and Mother and retreat unscathed, aside from those Fourth-Tier beings whose whereabouts are utterly unknown, it would only be a master at the absolute peak of the Third Tier."

Yang Ying pondered for a moment. With a thought, Princess Haffen floated upward before settling back gently into her seat, perfectly poised.

"Your Highness!" The butler and Chief Maid rushed to her side. Princess Haffen felt the mental pressure cease. She whispered, "It's alright, I'm fine."

She took a deep breath, seeing Yang Ying deep in thought. Deciding to play her strongest card, she continued, "Master Yang Ying, the rebels have clearly set a snare to draw someone in. Rescuing my Father and Mother is far more dangerous than the assassination of the Pseudo-Republic President. What they mean to us—my siblings and I—is priceless. We are prepared to exchange our most precious treasure for their safety. After deliberation, we have decided to offer the team participating in this operation a unique reward: an undeveloped, habitable planet!"

At these words, even Yang Ying was moved. He had recently lamented that the Killing God Star was already claimed by a Fourth-Tier existence, making it inaccessible. Now, unexpectedly, he heard of an undeveloped, habitable world!

"Why don't you develop that planet yourselves?" Yang Ying asked.

"Because it is too far away! It lies in the Perseus Arm, adjacent to the Orion Arm!" Princess Haffen bit her lip. "The explorer who found it stumbled upon the planet by accidentally entering a wormhole. He later endured untold hardships to return home and reported the planet's existence to the Royal Family. The Crown heavily rewarded him, but the planet is too remote. Even if we developed it, we lack the capacity to defend it, which is why we decided to keep it secret and undeveloped."

"This was decades ago. At that time, the Royal Family bought out all information pertaining to that planet, forbidding the explorer and even his descendants from ever mentioning it. The explorer has long since died of old age. After the Royal Family's investigation, his descendants truly know nothing of the planet’s existence. Therefore, the only ones who know its precise location in the world are Father and Elder Brother."

"Originally, Father intended for that planet to be the Kingdom’s final fallback—a place to take the last loyal survivors should the kingdom perish one day due to catastrophe or man-made disaster, to carve out a new future with our own hands. But Father and Mother are our dearest kin. If we can save them, then offering that planet as payment for the rescue team's perilous mission is only right."

Yang Ying murmured, "A planet in the Perseus Arm? That is indeed a generous prize."

Princess Haffen held her breath, waiting. She had laid out every chip she possessed; now it depended on whether Yang Ying would accept.

Yang Ying thought to himself: If only that planet were unknown to everyone, that would be best. But if it were truly unknown, it wouldn't have reached my ears. Furthermore, if the Flynn Royal Family is offering it as payment, won't I have to share it with others after completing the mission? I must clarify this.

So he asked, "Princess Haffen, how many Peak Masters have currently agreed to take on this mission? If the mission succeeds, will they all receive the planet's coordinates?"

Princess Haffen nodded. "That is correct. However, no Apex Master has accepted the mission yet. In fact, Master Yang Ying, you are the second Peak Master the Royal Family has approached. This decision was made by us in Halwin Sister's sickroom after Master Xinni forced saved her. The first person we asked was Master Xinni, but... she declined."

Yang Ying had no concrete knowledge of how many Apex Masters were currently on the planet Phineas, but he was certain there were at least ten. The reinforcements brought in by the Royal Family, whether mercenary groups or members of the Kingdom's army, included high-level experts; ten was a conservative estimate.

Considering this, Yang Ying hesitated no longer. "I accept, but on one condition: this operation requires no action team at all. Our Telen Mercenary Group is sufficient to handle it."

Based on Princess Haffen's description, the only parties aware of this planet currently were the Flynn Royal Family and Xinni. If he could rescue the King and Queen, he would secure the highest favor of the Flynn Royal Family. And since Xinni believed he was from the Atlantis Empire, she was unlikely to cause him trouble. But once too many people knew of the planet’s existence, who knew what complications might arise?

A habitable planet was a treasure beyond measure for any intelligent race. Yang Ying believed the fewer people who knew of its existence, the better.

"But... how can that be? It is so dangerous. Sending only the Telen Mercenary Group to attempt the rescue. If anything goes wrong, not only your lives but the lives of Father and Mother will be at risk," Princess Haffen instantly became anxious, hearing Yang Ying intended to monopolize the task.

Yang Ying countered, "How about this: go ask Master Xinni forced. Ask her if the Telen Mercenary Group is qualified to undertake this mission alone, and then decide whether to agree. What do you think?"

Yang Ying was confident. Xinni knew the Telen Mercenary Group had the strength to eliminate the Fourth-Tier Hadk. He believed that if Princess Haffen consulted her, she would certainly receive an answer favorable to him.

"This... Alright, Master Yang Ying, please wait a moment. Time is critical; I will go ask her right now." Princess Haffen gave Yang Ying a deep look, then rose and left the reception hall.

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