IDWBE -Chapter 118 The Evil-Repelling Sword Technique

“Very good,” Hong Ying said calmly. “If you can’t reach Grandmaster, then there’s not much use in you staying alive.”

“…”

If he didn’t become a Grandmaster, he’d still die?

Ye Qiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He suddenly remembered another phrase the damned eunuch often said to the guards and the children: Prince He’s residence does not raise idlers.

In the blink of an eye, that monstrous figure disappeared.

Ye Qiu collapsed onto the riverbank, gasping for breath, occasionally coughing up blood.

As he kept spitting blood, he couldn’t help thinking—if he truly became a Grandmaster, would Hong Ying still be able to kill him?

After pondering for a moment, he hurriedly shook his head.

Better not court death on his own!

Hong Ying sat alone in a chair, eyes closed in meditation. The door creaked open harshly, but he didn’t open his eyes.

In Sanhe, the only person who could avoid his notice and walk right up to him—

Other than Consort Wen—who else could it be?

Consort Wen stepped gracefully to his right and sat down. She poured herself a cup of tea, sniffed it at the rim, then set it back down with a smile.

“You dog of a servant. Your master has so many fine teas, yet you insist on drinking this messy rubbish.”

“A servant must follow a servant’s rules,” Hong Ying said, opening his eyes. He picked up the cup and took a light sip. “If the master doesn’t give it, one cannot take it for oneself.

“What brings you here today, Consort Wen?”

She smiled faintly. “A tiger raised too long may become a threat. If a man has no intention of harming the tiger, but the tiger intends to harm the man—what then?”

Hong Ying glanced at her and smiled. “The Prince once said: if the tiger has the will to injure, man has the will to subdue the tiger.”

Consort Wen said with amusement, “Must everything be ‘the Prince said’? Don’t you have anything of your own to say?”

“He doesn’t dare,” Hong Ying replied decisively.

“You fear Jizhao Nunnery?” she asked. “Otherwise, why are you so eager for Ye Qiu to enter Grandmaster?”

“I simply don’t want the Prince to bear hardship,” Hong Ying said calmly. “If we truly faced Jizhao Nunnery, what would you do?”

Consort Wen’s voice turned bitter. “The hatred of killing my son cannot be shared under the same sky. I would personally cut down my enemy.”

“I understand,” Hong Ying said softly.

“I didn’t expect your cultivation to improve so quickly,” Consort Wen sighed. “I thought it was luck. Now I see it is more than that. Given time, even I may not be your match. But since you are loyal in protecting your master, you must advance even faster. I cultivated in the deep palace for decades, thinking I could avenge my son. Yet I still lost to her. With your current level, you likely couldn’t last ten moves against my junior sister.”

Hong Ying looked surprised at first, then lowered his head in silence.

She smiled faintly. “You needn’t take it so hard. My junior sister is a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy. Surviving ten moves against her would already be something to be proud of.”

Hong Ying lifted his head and said flatly, “It’s late, Consort Wen. You should rest.”

She stood and left. Just as she exited, the rooster began to crow.

Though it was already late autumn, the temperature in Sanhe showed no sign of dropping.

Ye Qiu sat beside Sun Yi, holding a water bucket. The two stared at each other in surprise.

Why were both their eyes swollen?

“You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?” Sun Yi asked first. They both understood without saying much.

Ye Qiu muttered under his breath, “That damned eunuch is no good.”

“Careful!” Sun Yi snapped loudly, then quickly winked and lowered his voice. “If you want to die, don’t drag me with you!”

“Hmph.”

Ye Qiu stopped talking.

But inwardly he admitted Sun Yi was right to be cautious—he had experienced it firsthand the previous night.

That eunuch wasn’t human.

It had been the closest he had ever come to death in his life.

That day, from commanders and guards to gatekeepers and stable hands, not a single man in Prince He’s residence escaped without bruises and swollen faces.

Of course, Mingyue and Zixia were exceptions.

And those bruised servants didn’t dare show themselves before the Prince. If they gave the wrong explanation, they’d likely be beaten again—perhaps worse.

For a time, Prince He’s residence was gripped in tense, murderous pressure.

The elimination trials for the guard squad were about to begin again.

Anyone who failed Chief Steward Hong’s assessment would have to leave.

After leaving, whether to return to the capital or remain in Sanhe and join the garrison—that decision left many wavering.

Ye Qiu had been standing properly before Hong Ying. But the more he stood, the more awkward it felt. Finally, he couldn’t help but drop to his knees, trembling.

“Please instruct me, Chief Steward.”

“Mm.” Hong Ying sat in his chair, lightly closing the lid of his teacup. “You practice swordsmanship. I shall teach you a sword technique—called the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique.”

The Evil-Repelling Sword Technique?

It sounded high-level. Powerful!

Ye Qiu said excitedly, “Thank you, Chief Steward!”

Kneeling hadn’t been in vain!

“To practice this skill, one must first castrate oneself.”

Hong Ying tossed down a blade. “Go on. You’re skilled enough. Losing some blood won’t kill you.”

“Castrate…”

Ye Qiu froze completely. A chill shot through his lower body, and he instinctively clenched his legs tighter.

He might not crave women, but that didn’t mean he wanted to become a eunuch!

Hong Ying glanced at him. “Or shall I help you? You’ll get used to it.”

“Chief Steward!”

Tears streamed down Ye Qiu’s face for the first time in his life. “I don’t want to castrate myself! Please show mercy—can we switch to another technique? I’ve already thrown away my sword! I’ll never practice swordsmanship again!”

Hong Ying said mildly, “Not practicing sword? What a pity. You’re quite suited for it.”

“No! No!”

Ye Qiu hurriedly protested. “You misunderstand! I now deeply detest swordsmanship!”

As he said this, he could feel his sword heart trembling, bleeding.

To remain a complete man, he had to betray his own sword heart!

“You won’t learn this, you won’t learn that. You’re making things difficult for me,” Hong Ying said, placing his teacup heavily on the table.

Ye Qiu was stunned.

This was the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique.

What else was there?

You only gave me one option!

He nearly wanted to smash his head against a wall and die on the spot.

“Chief Steward, I can learn Huiyuan Gong!”

Driven by intense survival instinct, Ye Qiu ignored his tear-streaked face and shouted, “Please rest assured—I’ll work hard at it!”

Hong Ying frowned and studied him for a long moment.

Ye Qiu trembled with fear.

Then quickly added, “If I truly have no talent for Huiyuan Gong… could we switch back to the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique?”

He was genuinely terrified out of his wits.

Hong Ying said slowly, “That would also be acceptable.”

From that day on, Ye Qiu began formally cultivating Huiyuan Gong alongside Yu Xiaoshi and the others.

But he worked harder than anyone.

After all, at any moment, he risked being cut.

He truly did not want to become a eunuch.