I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 453: Yu Ruoyun Arrives

"Was Yu Ruohuai killed by the hidden mastermind to silence him, or for some other reason?" Jiang Xinyu asked hesitantly.

"It seems I’ve always overlooked something," Wang Lan said gravely, looking at the extinguished ashes. "I’ve always divided people into two sides: ours, and those attempting to cover up the truth to prevent our investigation. But could there be a third party?"

"A third party?" Xie Sisi asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Yes. Someone who has long understood everything but has been stirring up trouble between us and the enemy, trying to escalate the conflict to a point of no return for either side," he explained.

"Really?" Jiang Xinyu voiced her doubt. "Why don’t I feel it?"

"I didn’t feel it initially either, but Chen Youting’s death made me suspect some inconsistencies. The four people from Xuanting Life Science and Chen Youting must have been in cahoots. They were researching the regeneration of cellular telomeres to achieve immortality. But even if they developed telomerase, the problem of how to perfectly synthesize telomeres using it would inevitably lead them to my aunt’s gene-editing technology.

Thus, Chen Youting was sent to acquire this technology. According to my aunt, Chen Youting did learn the technique, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he mastered it. It took my aunt twelve years to master this technology, and Chen Youting might not have been that talented.

Yet, Chen Youting was killed on the same day my aunt was stabbed. If I were the person behind Chen Youting, I definitely wouldn’t have acted so quickly. At the very least, I would have waited until more people had mastered Chen Youting’s technique.

I can barely rationalize this discrepancy by assuming our suspicion had fallen on Chen Youting, forcing the hidden mastermind to eliminate him prematurely.

But now, just as we were about to find him, Yu Ruohuai was also silenced. Yu Ruohuai wasn’t just anybody. He was the heir to the Zhenjiang King Mansion, and his status in the Yu Family was second only to Yu Ruoyun. From the fact that he was secretly responsible for Xuanting Life Science’s research, one can infer how important his role was in the Yu Family.

For such an important person, was it necessary to silence him merely to stop our investigation? Alternatively, even if things had truly reached a desperate point and my aunt hadn’t died, the Yu Family would still have had room to maneuver. If a life had to be sacrificed for my aunt, Yu Ruohuai’s would have been more than enough.

I even considered that once we determined the Yu Family was behind my aunt’s assassination, they could have ended the matter by offering Yu Ruohuai’s life as atonement. His life could have been their trump card, but it’s far too early to play it.

Connecting these two incidents, it’s possible there’s a third party secretly muddying the waters."

"Wait, I thought Yu Ruohuai was just an ordinary person? How did he become an important member of the Yu Family?"

"Even without Star Martial Warrior talent, Princess Yu Ruoyun is still the Second Princess. That’s an inherent part of her identity. Besides, only common families distinguish between ordinary people and Star Martial Warriors. In Star Martial families with deep-rooted heritage, there’s no significant distinction or preference made between direct descendants, whether they are Star Martial Warriors or not," Jiang Xinyu explained.

"Wang Lan, things might not be looking good," Xu Xiangwen suddenly said.

"What’s wrong?"

"About eight hundred meters away, a dozen people are rapidly approaching. They’re moving quickly; if we don’t leave now, we’ll run right into them."

"Let’s go!"

Wang Lan, leading the three of them, disappeared with a SWOOSH. Guided by Xu Xiangwen’s Heavenly Eye, they skillfully evaded the other party’s senses, almost brushing shoulders as they passed.

A minute after Wang Lan vanished, several figures appeared in Yu Ruohuai’s villa with a SWOOSH. Seeing the corpses scattered around, the expressions of the men in black turned exceptionally cold and grim.

"No wonder the heir didn’t board his flight; something indeed happened," the leader said. As the words left his mouth, his figure flashed, and he instantly appeared in the second-floor bedroom.

The bedroom was filled with the pungent smoke of dispersing ashes. A human-shaped pile of cinders lay on the floor, and a packed suitcase sat nearby.

"Yu, do a scan," someone ordered.

A woman referred to as Yu immediately had ripples emanate from her body, invisible to the naked eye but perceptible. After about a minute, the ripples ceased.

"There was a battle here about half an hour ago. The killer is very strong; none of the heir’s guards could withstand even a single blow from the attacker. The most recent Star Energy Fluctuation was... a minute ago. They just escaped."

"I remember Dr. Wang Qi’s house is in this neighborhood, correct?"

"That’s what the records say, but the Yu Family has been caught off guard this time. No one expected an assassination attempt on Dr. Wang Qi. And her nephew, Wang Lan, is as cunning as a wolf. If he sets his sights on you, you’ll suffer greatly, even if you escape with your life."

"Leader, could it be Wang Lan?"

"It’s possible. He was ordered to halt his investigation today, but is he really that obedient? He might be investigating secretly. Let’s go. We’ll check Dr. Wang Qi’s place first." With that, the man in black vanished, and his team members disappeared in kind.

Back home, before Wang Lan and the others could even exchange a word, the monitoring alarm system Xiao Ai had set up suddenly blared. It seemed the other party wasn’t bothering with stealth; they were heading straight for them, openly.

DING-DONG—DING-DONG—

Wang Lan and his companions exchanged glances before he got up and walked to the door. Since the visitors rang the doorbell, they likely weren’t planning a sneak attack. Therefore, Wang Lan boldly opened the door.

The dozen or so men in black standing before him, all sporting sunglasses and ties, exuded an aura that made Wang Lan feel as if... he might have unwittingly housed aliens.

"Who are you?"

"Colonel Wang Lan, we are from the General Staff!" the lead man said, pulling out his ID, which revealed their affiliation with the National Security Department’s General Staff Headquarters.

"Colonel Wang Lan, we have a confidential case that requires your assistance. Please come with us."

"Huh? That’s usually what I say to others."

"Today, you’ll hear it from me. Please comply." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"What if I refuse?"

"Then I would advise you not to do anything foolish. You should have received relevant training when you joined the Tianjian Bureau. If the General Staff and the International Security Council request your assistance with an investigation, you are expected to comply."

"But I question the integrity of the General Staff. Is it even still part of the Jade Country?"

"If you insist on this course of action..." The leader in black’s expression hardened, his aura turning instantly cold and icy. Star Power surged around him, and the ten people behind him simultaneously flared their Star Power, revealing their cultivation levels.

Three at the peak of the Star Sea Stage, five in the mid-phase of the Star Sea Stage, and six in the early phase of the Star Sea Stage. With such a lineup, capturing a Colonel from the Tianjian Bureau was trivial; even abducting a general would be more than enough.

Before Wang Lan could react, several figures flashed to his side. Jiang Xinyu and the other two immediately stood shoulder to shoulder, their Star Power surging, their presence no less imposing.

"Three at the Galaxy Stage? Where did you get such courage?" one of the men in black sneered with disdain.

BOOM— With an almost imperceptible movement, Wang Lan trembled slightly. Instantly, the dozen or so Star Sea Stage operatives from the General Staff were sent flying backward.

Only the three at the peak of the Star Sea Stage managed to react to Wang Lan’s move; their figures flickered, and they avoided being sent flying like the others.

"A few at the Star Sea Stage, and you dare show such courage?" Wang Lan retorted, echoing their earlier mockery.

"Wang Lan—do you realize what you are doing?" The three stood in a triangular formation, their gazes fixed on Wang Lan, sharp as swords.

"Of course, I know what I’m doing. Has the General Staff become so arrogant that you’ve forgotten even the most basic operational protocols? The General Staff, no matter how high its security clearance, has no right to arrest an officer with an official rank without orders from the Ministry of Defense.

Moreover, I am a Colonel! Not only do you have no right to arrest me, but you are also trespassing in a private residence. I am fully within my rights to retaliate in self-defense. You ask if I know what I’m doing? Now I’d like to ask, do *you* know what *you’re* doing?"

"When national secrets are involved, the General Staff has the authority to take expedient measures," the leader retorted, unfazed by Wang Lan’s words.

"That still depends on your rank. You, a Colonel, think you’re qualified to take such measures against me, also a Colonel? You don’t even have a general’s star on your shoulder. Are you worthy?"

"You..."

Challenged this way by Wang Lan, the man grew somewhat angry and embarrassed. But looking at the rank on Wang Lan’s shoulders, he considered it and had to admit he seemed to lack the authority.

Just then, headlights approached from a distance, and the tense atmosphere eased momentarily.

A car slowly stopped at the villa’s entrance. The door opened, and Yu Ruoyun, dressed in a silver-white military uniform, stepped out.

"Wang Lan, I’ve finally found you! I went straight to the hospital after landing, only to find out you weren’t there. Even Mrs. Wang didn’t know where you were... What’s going on?" Suddenly, Yu Ruoyun noticed the dozen men facing Wang Lan and asked, her expression darkening.

"Princess Yu Ruoyun, the Heir of the Zhenjiang King was murdered. I suspect Wang Lan is responsible, so..."

"All of you, stand down. I’ll handle this."

"Princess Yu..."

"Have I not made myself clear?" Yu Ruoyun asked, her tone cool yet firm.

"Yes!" The leader finally relented. He waved his hand, and he and the nine men behind him vanished into the night.

"Ruoyun, I never thought we’d meet again under such circumstances," Wang Lan said, his voice heavy with emotion. He had never imagined that he and Yu Ruoyun would one day stand on opposing sides.

They had once fought side by side, faced life and death together countless times. Yet, at this moment, it all felt so unfamiliar.

"The truth of the matter is completely different from what you think. If you ever believed in me before, I hope you believe me now. Can we go inside to talk? Your tone... it makes me uneasy."

Yu Ruoyun’s eyes showed a hint of grievance. To her, Wang Lan was undoubtedly one of the most important people in her life, and being treated so coldly by him was deeply hurtful.

"Fine."

Wang Lan invited Yu Ruoyun inside. After signaling to the men outside, she followed Wang Lan into Dr. Wang Qi’s villa.

"Please, have a seat. These are my good friends, Xu Xiangwen and Xie Sisi."

"The renowned students from Jin City Star Warrior Academy: Xu Xiangwen, known as ’Heavenly Eye,’ and Xie Sisi, the ’Goddess of Death.’ I’ve heard so much about you both."

"Damn, when did you two get such badass nicknames? I don’t even have one."

"It’s a tradition at Jin City Star Warrior Academy to give people nicknames. If you were at Jin City Star Warrior Academy, yours would definitely be the most impressive—something like ’Divine Incarnation’ or ’The Man Closest to God,’" Xu Xiangwen laughed proudly.

"Princess Yu, I’ve long admired your reputation," Xie Sisi said calmly, extending her hand to Yu Ruoyun, a faint hint of smugness at the corner of her mouth.

Her physique is comparable to mine, but she’s not as pretty. Threat level: below fifty!