Faced with Li Yan’s question, Yue Yao analyzed earnestly: "Firstly, items that alter emotions and mentality naturally can’t be carried on missions."

"Naturally, bringing it on a mission would only lead to self-restraint." Li Yan agreed with her view, but this doesn’t mean it’s a curse—at least while it’s in your hands, you won’t have to worry about the target having similar protection, right?

"Secondly, it offers no protective effect to an assassin like you, especially at your level." This point isn’t as obvious as the first, so Yue Yao immediately began explaining her reasoning:

"For a skilled assassin like you, with exceptional abilities and experience, you would sense hostility and killing intent more keenly than ordinary people or general assassins, allowing you to react in advance—this is your advantage. If you carry this stone, it restrains the enemy and yourself alike! If the enemy isn’t alone but part of a group, with some weaker or at a greater distance, the effect on them is smaller, making it even more dangerous, right?"

Yue Yao only thought of this temporarily without thorough analysis and discussion, nor did she have examples to prove it. But she believed there was such a possibility, so she shared all of it with Li Yan.

Li Yan listened and was slightly surprised; there’s indeed such a possibility!

He hadn’t considered this due to his strong confidence in his own abilities, believing no one could kill him nearby. But he overlooked the fact that those who truly wanted to kill him and knew his identity and whereabouts weren’t ordinary people! Perhaps ambitious rookie assassins or peer S-level assassins. Whoever intends to target King wouldn’t just assign one person—they’d coordinate multiple people, employing sniper rifles from a distance, turning this thing into a genuine hazard!

"You make a valid point, but what do Rose and the others mean? Why reveal this secret to me? Are they deliberately using it to lure me in and exploit me?" Li Yan furrowed his brows; he never trusted Sonia, whose attitude was always secretive, only revealing bits when pressed.

Regarding Li Yan’s displeased suspicion, Yue Yao had her own view: "Not necessarily, considering its uniqueness, it’s indeed puzzling for us. Any top-tier assassin learning such a secret would want to possess it and study it. Even you overlooked its drawbacks due to concern for its benefits, which is telling. Rose and the others are likely the same."

Li Yan hesitated, finding it inconvenient to voice some thoughts. His true purpose in seeking the mysterious stone wasn’t safety but to explore its peculiarities—preferably deriving results from it, or using it to calm himself during Heart Demon’s backlash effects.

"Benefits and drawbacks... Haha, perhaps it’s still useful for me as a calming presence." Li Yan ultimately refrained from mentioning the Heart Demon issue, so Yue Yao wouldn’t worry.

Yue Yao was intrigued by his playful calming presence. Indeed, Li Yan might find it less useful, but others might benefit from it!

"I understand now!"

"Understand what?"

"You could use it to protect others, like your parents, Yurong, and others you’d want to protect. They’re ordinary people; under typical circumstances, they face only ordinary-level dangers. Similar to when they were kidnapped before, carrying this would make them safer," Yue Yao mentioned, excluding herself as she, despite years in hiding, remained an assassin.

Li Yan laughed: "Your idea is quite creative. But how would I give it out? A stone for my parents? For Yurong, it’s even less likely, as she’s seen it in the auction catalog."

"Haha, not necessarily." Yue Yao smiled, "I searched thoroughly today; though I didn’t find records or similar cases of this stone, I discovered something valuable."

"What?"

"If this stone’s material is truly unique, over thousands of years, countless hands would have passed through it, someone would have discovered it. This implies all collectors unanimously regard it as a mere ordinary stone—of course, this ordinary is relative to antique and artifact enthusiasts; no matter what stone it is, for it to be collected, it can’t be a run-of-the-mill stone."

"Understood, you’re implying the stone, though not ordinary, doesn’t appear too rare on the surface, and its rarity should be..."

"Hidden inside the stone!"

The last statement was made in unison by the two.

Similar to jade, gems, diamonds, or raw stones, they require layers of analysis and polishing to reveal value hidden within, and further craftsmanship by experts maximizes value. The true value of this stone likely lies in certain substances inside, not the whole stone itself.

...

With a shared smile, after realizing the true value, both began considering how to approach it.

Now that it’s in hand, it can’t be wasted. Selling is passing the buck, throwing it away is a waste... Yue Yao pondered for a moment and suggested: "Find someone to open it! At worst, there’s nothing inside, but you’re not treating it like an antique treasure. If there is something, have it crafted into jewelry, then you can reasonably give it to people you care about—no one carries around a stone, right?"

"About that..." Li Yan hesitated; he didn’t know any familiar contacts, maybe the old thief dealing with stolen goods knows such people or has the setup. But this task involved taking a piece from the old thief—asking for help is awkward.

Yue Yao guessed his concerns and hesitated before saying: "Then I’ll do it!"

"You?" Li Yan asked Yue Yao puzzledly, "When did you learn to cut stones?"

"No, I mean, I’ll find someone to open it and discover its secret origin. Then... if there is indeed something, I’ll ensure it’s crafted into several jewelry pieces and return it under the guise of selling. You buy it and then gift it to others. I still owe you medical fees, staying here long isn’t good, eventually Yurong will suspect, so it’s time to disclose a bit of identity to her!"

This proposal intrigued Li Yan. "Hehe, now I feel I can’t always hide things from those around me. But my earnings can’t be publicly declared. If your plan succeeds, later when I truly need to use my funds, I could claim to have mined it, it fetched a lot of money."

"Ha, do you look like a miner?" Yue Yao teased, evaluating him, as if saying he doesn’t resemble a miner.

"Uh... Maybe I started as a miner then became a small mine owner, right? Just a miner wouldn’t earn much, so say I was a mine owner making money, then returned to the city."

"And fearing others labeling you as newly-rich, you chose not to flaunt wealth, in line with ’wealth not showy.’" Yue Yao smoothly continued his tale.

"That’s why I had it easy and stress-free; not lacking ambition, but without the need to push hard."

"OK! Give me some time; I’ll handle it well." Yue Yao promised seriously, then thought and added: "I think... I’ll need to leave for a while; frequent outs here aren’t convenient."

Li Yan nodded, understanding her intentions. Finding such artisans, designers, isn’t easily settled—it requires frequent outings, which would eventually alert Yurong and also attract attention. For assassins, their lives must either be entirely different and well-disguised, or they remain secluded and careful. Yue Yao certainly is cautious, not leaving traces here.

"Tomorrow, after seeing Yurong, I’ll find an excuse to leave and return soon."

"Mm." Li Yan nodded, feeling reluctant about her departure, though he’d just returned from a recent absence.

Yue Yao felt even more unwilling. Though she could return soon, moving out isn’t the same as knowing he’s in the same city with frequent contact, making it feel close. This time, leaving means not necessarily knowing where she’ll go.

To lighten the farewell mood, Yue Yao playfully asked: "If there really is something inside, how many pieces of jewelry would you want made? What kind of jewelry?"

Li Yan pondered; Yurong is a must, Xiao Di, Qianyi, Hai Fu, Huang Ying, Qiao Huanxuan—the ones close to him might exclude Yue Yao and Li Jie. Additionally, his parents, Zhang Tianyi and wife, are certain recipients. Assuming there’s any miraculous substance, it likely won’t be much—others can’t be accommodated the same way.

"Let’s see the effect first. If it’s good enough, make as many as possible—ten or eight pieces of jewelry, one or two men’s watches."

"Ten, eight?" Yue Yao was surprised; are there that many girls to give?

"Hehe, for reserve." Li Yan chuckled, a bit sheepishly. (To be continued, for more Chapters, please visit [qidian.com](http://www.qidian.com), support the author, support legitimate reading!)