"Your Highness Tiran, the steward is here. Please follow me."

When the person in charge of this outpost came to find Tiran, the princess was sitting innocently in front of a cleaned table, holding a cup of iced milk tea and sipping it slowly. She noticed the steward approaching in the attire of a waiter, and her expression turned slightly awkward.

"Alright, I'm coming." Tiran tilted her head back to finish her milk tea and then followed along in small strides.

Descending from a small staircase to the underground area, the two of them arrived at a place resembling a storage room, originally intended for storing ingredients and serving as an ice cellar during the summer.

The steward leading the way in front somehow felt Tiran's gaze on them was a little off. At first, they tried to ignore it, but the feeling of being watched continuously became eerie, and eventually, they couldn't help but address it.

"Your Highness Tiran, you've been staring at me... Is there something you'd like to say?"

"Ah... well, I just wanted to ask if the meal we had here earlier can be reimbursed? I seem to have forgotten to bring any East Land currency."

Is she really the princess mentioned in the intelligence reports? Doesn't even have money for a meal?!

"...Your Highness, rest assured, we won't mind covering for a meal."

"Great."

Seeing the relieved expression on Tiran's face, the steward couldn't shake off a subtle sense of unease. Nevertheless, they were already reaching the end of the staircase, so they decided to let it go for now.

At the bottom of the cellar, a large cabinet stood against the wall. After the steward opened the cabinet door and fumbled in the shadowy interior, the cabinet's inner wall receded inward and cracked open to reveal a spacious entrance.

"Please, the steward is waiting for you inside."

With a gentlemanly gesture from the steward disguised as a waiter, Tiran felt a slight sense of disorientation. In the next second, the steward swiftly left after throwing a cloth over their shoulder.

"Come on! The two guests, please enter!"

Quite professional. Hearing the call from above, Tiran smirked slightly and then turned to walk into the dark doorway.

The steward of the North Wind? What kind of person would they be?

The passage behind the secret door was not long. After the changing light transitioned from dim to bright, a surprisingly spacious and tidy reception room came into view, with another person already seated on the sofa, resting with their eyes closed.

"Hey, am I in the right place? What's going on here?"

Tiran wagered mentally that their eyes must be playing tricks on them, or how else could they explain why Xiang Ling, who had recently split off on a separate mission, was appearing in this place.

Upon hearing footsteps, Xiang Ling also opened their eyes. They too were momentarily surprised when their eyes met Tiran's, then slightly relieved, "You're here for the one we're looking for, right?"

"What do you mean by sounding like you've known all along?"

"If you want to find intelligence in Luojing, there's probably no wiser choice than him."

The "him" Xiang Ling mentioned was obviously the steward of the North Wind, but logically, wasn't White North Wind an organization that operated as both assassins and intelligence gatherers? Why would such an organization have any ties to Xiang Ling's influence in Luojing?

It seemed Xiang Ling was also pondering similar questions, and her expression didn't look good. By unknowingly contacting the person she wanted to meet, Tiran had already shown that the individual's sphere of influence extended beyond just the national intelligence network.

"I mean... you're a princess and a general leading troops in border battles. Are you really thinking of hiring assassins as your subordinates?" Tiran teased.

"An assassin? Well, if they can be of use, I don't mind the source of power," Tiran remarked.

"Your Highness Ling jests. With the many experts of the Tianan branch under your command at Gai Xia, there is no need for these assassins nurtured by the old and decrepit," a voice spoke from behind the reception hall.

Upon entering, Tiran had been taken aback by Xiang Ling's presence here and had not noticed the space behind the screen. Only now did he see an old man, dressed plainly in clothes that made him look like a scholar who had taken the imperial exams for years without success, emerging with a teapot in hand.

Placing the teapot on a coaster on the coffee table, the old man smiled gently at Tiran. "Would this be His Highness Tiran Elysian?"

When the old man turned to Tiran, he spoke in the common tongue of West Land.

"Uh... actually, I can speak Chinese... I mean, the language of East Land," Tiran interjected, raising his hand.

"Is that so? Your Highness has quite the talent for languages; many Westerners find it challenging to learn our imperial language," the old man remarked.

...Can I say this is surreal? But I already knew how to speak it.

"Rather than Silver War Maiden's language talent, there is another matter I am concerned about, Lord Wu. You never mentioned to me any agreements you may have with her," Xiang Ling interjected, raising a hand to halt the old man's pleasantries, his sharp gaze fixed on him.

"As the Prime Minister of our empire, having your own network of intelligence and power is understandable, but consorting with Western intelligence organizations, you had better have a reasonable explanation," Xiang Ling's tone noticeably intensified as he spoke, glancing at Tiran before turning his gaze back to the old man.

"Prime Minister?" Tiran blurted out upon catching wind of something incredible. Wait, why is a prime minister also acting as an assassin and overseeing an underground intelligence group?

But perhaps now was not the best time to ask. Seeing Xiang Ling visibly tense up, Tiran thought it might be wiser to watch how things unfolded first.

"Your Highness Ling's words are heavy. I still exercise discretion in matters such as these," the old man, unfazed by Xiang Ling's threat, continued to wear a smile.

"When other nations have full knowledge of our empire's intelligence, Lord Wu, can you truly deny any responsibility?" Xiang Ling showed no sign of backing down.

Facing Xiang Ling's unwavering gaze, Wu Shengchen remained calm, meeting his eyes without flinching. "Your Highness Ling, I have not come here to rely solely on past achievements, but I must clarify matters with you. I have served two previous emperors and earned a reputation as a veteran of three dynasties, but being a prime minister... especially one dealing with the affairs of a country, is no easy task."

"When Emperor Huan died, I had just assumed the role of prime minister. You must have heard of the chaos caused by Prince Qingrong at that time, and if not for the assistance of a benefactor, the bloodline of the royal family might have been severed by now."

"Is that 'benefactor' you speak of those foreigners?" Xiang Ling inquired.

"Yes. While it is recorded publicly that Prince Qingrong perished in a military accident, in reality, three top assassins from the White Northern Wind organization were sent to assassinate him. Following that incident, I also assumed the position of head of East Land for the White Northern Wind."

Wu Shengchen seemed unwavering in his conviction, his expression even described as 'righteous.' With his hands clasped in front of him, he bowed respectfully. "Your Highness Ling, my loyalty to the country is beyond doubt. If not for that, when Emperor Huan died and the new emperor was still young, this dynasty might have undergone a change in surname."

Wow, this old man is so straightforward. Can he really say such things?

"...Enough, we will deal with your matters separately. What about the other preparations?"

"The request from His Highness Ling has been fully arranged, and the detailed list is all here. This is all I can assist you with. From today onwards, I have no more connection with anything. Success and failure lie with you, not with me." Wu Shengchen took out a thin piece of paper from his wide sleeve and handed it to Xiang Ling, who quickly scanned it and casually burned it into a wisp of smoke transformed by spiritual power.

"Thank you." Xiang Ling responded briskly, got what he wanted, and left without even acknowledging Tiran.

"Hey, we ran into each other here, can't you at least wait for me to finish before we leave together?" The princess rolled her eyes but didn't seem too bothered.

Meanwhile, Wu Shengchen sat back down after Xiang Ling left, nodded slightly at Tiran, and returned to a gentle smile. "So, what information does Prince Tiran want to obtain from me this time?"

"Don't you already know?" Tiran blinked, "I thought since you are a prime minister with an inscrutable smile, you must be the type who has everything under control... Uh, my apologies."

Accidentally speaking the truth...

"It's alright, Prince Tiran. Your frankness can be considered charming," Wu Shengchen showed no signs of displeasure, and the smile lines around his eyes deepened a bit. "Although I manage this organization, I am not a true immortal and cannot know everything. Information about you is limited to a few words exchanged with an old acquaintance in West Land. However, there isn't much that I cannot find out within the borders of this dynasty."

"Then I am relieved."

Rubbing his hands together eagerly, Tiran asked, "Um, I want to find someone."

"Looking for someone? The population in Luojing alone reaches a million. Does Your Highness have any distinctive features of the person you're looking for?"

"Distinctive features? Yes, yes!" Tiran nodded vigorously. "White hair, red eyes, very obvious, and a face that looks quite cute... uh, handsome, easily mistaken for a girl, doesn't speak East Land language, and has an awfully long name! Also, a bit dim-witted, often missing a few strings in the brain. Despite being cowardly and avoiding trouble, won't turn a blind eye when others are in trouble... and sometimes, quite handsome..."

As he went on, his voice grew softer, almost like a mosquito's whisper. At last, Tiran suddenly realized how off track he was and looked up to see Wu Shengchen with a subtle expression of 'I understand' and a sigh of 'youth is truly wonderful.'

"Hehe, Prince Tiran, no need to be shy. Everyone experiences such feelings when young, isn't that beautiful? My wife and I had many of those when we were young too..."

"Um, well!"

Blushing, Tiran interrupted Wu Shengchen, trying to maintain his last bit of dignity. "Is this information enough to find the person? If not, I can provide more."

"Just based on the earlier descriptions, it's already sufficient," Wu Shengchen chuckled and said, "After all, such a unique foreigner stands out too much. Even if we search the whole city, I can provide you with results within half a day."

"Really?" Tiran was thrilled.

"And, by a fortunate coincidence, it might not even take half a day to find the person you described," Wu Shengchen added in a leisurely tone.