When she was on Vith Star, she had considered hiring you to assassinate Singrel. That whole mountain of thought was too immature. Singrel was heavily guarded, and his own cultivation was extraordinary; how could one or two experts possibly succeed in his assassination?"

The Queen squeezed Princess Haffen’s hand. Princess Haffen immediately lowered her head and spoke in the Gliese language, "I apologize, Master Yang Ying. Haffen was too reckless last time. Please forgive me."

Yang Ying's brow twitched. He knew she didn't understand the Gliese language, so she shouldn't have been able to interrupt his conversation with the King and Queen.

It was just that Princess Haffen should say something at this moment. The King and Queen had clearly arranged this for her, and the Gliese pronunciation was flawless. She must have practiced this line for a long time.

From the fleeting glance Princess Haffen stole, Yang Ying could see absolute sincerity mingled with apprehension, as if she were terrified he might not forgive her.

Yang Ying smiled and said, "What is there to apologize for? Isn't Singrel already dead by my hand now? In terms of the result, Princess Haffen's initial judgment was perfectly accurate."

Upon hearing this, the Queen laughed and gently patted Princess Haffen's hand. A flicker of joy crossed Princess Haffen's eyes, and the smile blooming on her face was like a flower opening: "Thank you."

She repeated it three times in the Gliese language.

Yang Ying knew that the reason they apologized was that they didn't want any lingering resentment in his heart.

When he first appeared before Princess Haffen, he was, at most, a Level Three Limit expert. Thinking back now, if he had relied solely on himself to breach the heavily fortified Hexagram Palace and assassinate Singrel, the chance of success would have been negligible, and the consequence of failure would likely have been leaving his life there. The Royal Family was clearly worried this might cause him dissatisfaction, which is why they arranged for Princess Haffen to apologize at this juncture, using "recklessness" as the reason to dismiss the matter.

Yang Ying, however, held no grudge in his heart. Princess Haffen's proposal back then was an entirely consensual affair, involving no unethical means. Everything proceeded according to the rules, and at that time, he had refused; the contract had never been established.

In the end, it was merely an ordinary failed hiring attempt due to incompatible terms, the kind that occurred countless times every day on Vith Star. If he hadn't ultimately become involved in the Flynn Rebellion, Yang Ying wouldn't have even bothered to keep it in mind.

Now that Singrel's head had been retrieved, why bring up the past?

The King was currently in high spirits. The Kustar people behind the rebels had not yet stepped onto the main stage; Singrel, as the supreme leader of the rebels, was the greatest enemy to the Kingdom and to the King himself. Now that Yang Ying had brought back Singrel's head, the day for driving the rebels back to their lair was clearly approaching.

Seeing that Yang Ying did not care about Haffen’s reckless attempt at hiring him, the King set another worry aside. Had Yang Ying shown even the slightest displeasure, the King had prepared numerous conditions to mollify Yang Ying’s anger.

The decapitating capability of the Tran Mercenary Group had utterly shocked the entire Flynn society. The Flynn’s foremost expert, under heavy protection, was killed by thirteen individuals within one standard hour.

Various signs indicated that more than just Singrel had died in the Presidential Palace; two Peak Level Three Guardian Experts protecting the palace, along with a group of military heavyweights, were also slain. Their deaths caused systemic problems throughout the rebel command structure.

Conversely, the Tran Mercenary Group possessed the means to inflict the same measures upon the Royal Family, should they choose to do so. The security measures protecting the royalty were vastly inferior to those surrounding Singrel, and the royals were all physically defenseless commoners; even a slight brush with the aftershocks of battle could mean instant death.

How to deal with these experts had always been a major focus for the Royal Family. The Kingdom's history included more than one King who had died at the hands of assassins. Every prince was taught from his youth never to underestimate the power of Psionics. Psionics might lack vast influence, but they possessed the inherent ability to make anyone bleed out within five steps. If a Psionic possessed both strength and influence, cultivating good relations with them became an extremely important matter.

The conversation concluded in a friendly atmosphere. The King smiled at Yang Ying and said, "Master Yang Ying, we have reserved a room for you in the Summer Palace. If you do not find it too humble, please stay here. This Summer Palace is older than the Royal Palace itself and holds many things that we Flynn people are proud of."

"Very well." Yang Ying rose and said to the King, "Your Majesty's hospitality is generous; I shall not refuse. My troops have endured many battles and also require time to rest and recuperate. I will stay here for a period."

The King nodded, "You are our honored guest. I wish you happiness here. As for your twelve companions..."

Yang Ying knew he was asking about the twelve duplicates and replied, "My companions remain in space, with the fleet."

"Then that shall be so. They are also meritorious contributors to Singrel's demise. Please convey my gratitude to them." The King clapped his hands, and a servant entered. The King gestured toward the servant, "Master Yang Ying, I have some matters that require my attention. Allow my attendant to..."

The servant stepped forward and bowed, respectfully saying, "Master Yang Ying, please follow me."

His age suggested a lifetime of measured movements, every action perfectly appropriate, clearly tested by the passage of years.

Exiting the luxurious conference room, they entered a long corridor. The walls on either side were adorned with murals, and every so often, a crystal lamp cast a soft glow, illuminating the passage.

The servant stopped before Yang Ying and bowed, "Master Yang Ying, during your stay in the Summer Palace, if you encounter any issues, you may approach me." He produced a communicator, remarkably simple in structure: only one button and an auditory component. "With a single press of this button, you can contact me. I will appear before you immediately. Should I encounter anything beyond my capacity to resolve, I will seek instruction from His Majesty the King."

Yang Ying nodded and accepted the communicator.

Following this, the servant gave Yang Ying a tour of the Summer Palace, explaining the various furnishings and decorations as they walked. In the servant's words, every corner, every object in the Summer Palace held a story.

Yang Ying observed that the servant possessed incredibly extensive knowledge, a common trait among servants raised in prominent households. Servants cultivated by a super-family as ancient as the Flynn royalty were scholars in history and appraisal should they ever venture outside.

After making a full circuit, they arrived at the room prepared for him. The quarters the Royal Family prepared for Yang Ying were exceptionally spacious. The furnishings and lighting within the room were of the highest caliber. According to the servant, six Princes and over twenty Dukes had resided in this room; those of lower rank were not deemed worthy of occupying it.

Historically, only two individuals had ever been exceptions: the first was the genius artist who crafted the Wall of Seven Kings. A Level Three Limit expert who never took a life in his existence. The second was Yang Ying, today—also a Level Three Limit expert.

Yang Ying dismissed the servant and walked over to sit by a small tea table that looked centuries old. Within seconds, he felt a stir in his heart and looked toward the door. Xinnidi's voice reached his ears: "Master Yang Ying, are you free? I am right outside your door."

"Please come in."

With a wave of his hand, the door opened automatically. Xinnidi called out a greeting from the threshold before entering.

"Please sit." Yang Ying indicated the other chair beside the small tea table.

After sitting, Xinnidi glanced around and chuckled, "Master Yang Ying, the Flynn Royal Family is truly intimidated by you this time. Not just anyone can enter this room."

"I doubt it compares to yours," Yang Ying returned with a slight smile. "Though this room has housed several Princes and dozens of Dukes, plus an unparalleled artist, it might not be the best room in the Summer Palace. For example, there must be guest suites reserved for foreign heads of state or other highly important dignitaries. Are those the rooms you occupy?"

In Yang Ying's estimation, the Royal Family could not afford to slight a Liaison Officer from Gliese. Given Xinnidi's status, and the resources and influence wielded by Gliese, treating her with the protocol reserved for foreign heads of state was entirely reasonable.

"As expected of Master Yang Ying, your intuition is truly keen." Xinnidi reached up to smooth her hair. "The two Majesties were exceedingly kind and did indeed invite me to stay in the guest quarters reserved for foreign heads of state. However, that suite is too distant from the Royal Family, and I have a duty to protect the royals, so I declined. I am currently residing in the same sector as the royal family members."

"That is also excellent. This is my first time staying within an alien's palace; there are countless things here worth contemplating, like that..."

Yang Ying pointed to one wall of the room. A replica of the Wall of Seven Kings stood there, also carved from Galaxy Stone. Judging by the minute details, it was clearly the work of a master hand, not a simple industrial reproduction.

Yang Ying suspected it was placed here specifically to commemorate the peerless artist who had once occupied this very room.

"The Wall of Seven Kings?" Xinnidi's smile held a peculiar depth, seemingly concealing many deeper layers. "The Flynn Royal Family's Wall of Seven Kings is indeed an exceedingly precious work of art, but it is actually an imitation. The object it imitates is the Wall of Kings of the Loa Empire!"

"The Wall of Kings?" Yang Ying asked, surprised.

"Indeed," Xinnidi nodded. "The Wall of Kings is a work that truly stunned the galaxy. Over the thousands of years since the Loa Empire was founded, ninety-nine outstanding Emperors have been carved upon it. Measured by Earth's standards, the Wall of Kings stands a hundred meters tall and stretches for several kilometers. Most importantly, the sculptor of the Wall of Kings was none other than the oldest of the Loa people's Three Great Guardian Deities—their first Emperor, the ancestor of the Royal House—a Level Four entity!"

"A Level Four entity," Yang Ying breathed, moved. "If that is the case, the Wall of Kings truly deserves to be called a work that shook the galaxy."