IDWBE -Chapter 14 A Huge Mess

“Your Highness has been troubled on my account.”

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Hong Ying’s face.

“This puts me in a difficult position.”

Lin Yi stroked his chin and sighed. “The Eunuch House keeps records. You just took it so casually—wouldn’t they easily trace it back to you? What was the point of doing that? If you’re unlucky, fine—but don’t drag me down with you! Sigh, my poor heart is still pounding from fright.”

He had always been intensely curious about a place like the Eunuch House, but he had never actually gone to see it.

From far away, he would already feel a chill in his lower body—why wander around there for no reason?

“Your Highness, our… treasures can only be redeemed and taken out of the palace after retiring and returning home. But many die unexpectedly before that. Countless bodies are never even recovered. On the beams of the Eunuch House, there are more unclaimed treasures than one can count. I only… lost one pouch…”

Hong Ying’s blood-drained face showed a hint of pride. But when he caught Lin Yi’s expression, he quickly hurried to explain. Speaking too fast, he covered his mouth and coughed several times.

Then he continued, “Besides, I entered and exited from the high wall behind the Cold Palace. No one would ever imagine I was going to steal my treasure back.”

The Eunuch House was located in the most remote corner of the imperial palace. It was never guarded; even the patrolling palace guards deliberately avoided the area. Who would imagine someone would go there to steal back such a… lifeless object?

“Where were you injured by the guards?” Lin Yi asked.

“The Cold Palace,” Hong Ying replied, his face growing even darker. “And the one who attacked me was not a guard.”

“Could it have been Palace Consecrator Liu?”

Song Cheng, who had been listening carefully at the side, could not help but interject.

He knew better than anyone how strong Hong Ying was. Aside from Liu Chaoyuan—the Grandmaster serving in the palace—he couldn’t imagine who else could have severely injured Hong Ying.

“Bah!”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, “With his trifling skills, is he worthy of Grandmaster Liu making a move? That’s a true Grandmaster!”

Lin Yi held that Grandmaster in the highest reverence.

When he was young and first began learning martial arts, he had actually been excited.

After all, once trained, he could leap over rooftops, roam the jianghu freely, right wrongs, and cut a dashing figure. With his flawless face to match, he’d surely draw screams from countless young maidens.

What young man wouldn’t yearn for that?

Unfortunately, after two years of horse stance training and tens of thousands of punches thrown, not a single miracle occurred.

He had truly shamed all transmigrators.

Still, the most important thing in life was not to lose one’s dreams.

Without dreams, what’s the difference between a person and a salted fish?

It must have been the palace instructors who were incompetent! Otherwise, with his heaven-defying talent and transmigrator status, how could he have made zero progress?

As the saying goes, great masters produce great disciples. It had to be the teachers’ fault!

So he resolved to find a better master. The first person he thought of was the Grand Consecrator in the palace.

He had secretly gone to him, bowing and flattering.

The old consecrator hadn’t refused at all. He simply said that to learn his martial art, Lin Yi would need to cripple the acupoints at the intersection of the Ren, Du, and Chong meridians.

After two years of training, Lin Yi knew exactly where that intersection was.

Self-castration?

He had bolted immediately in terror.

From that day on, he completely gave up the idea of practicing martial arts.

No—this wasn’t being a salted fish!

Life was but a hundred years. It was better to live lightly—watch the clouds roll and unroll, listen quietly to flowers bloom and fall, and let the tides rise and recede as they will.

Restlessness robbed one of happiness and joy.

Remarkable, really—that at such a young age, he had already reached the enlightened state of contentment.

Unfortunately, this only pushed Hong Ying to practice even more diligently. Lin Yi had even told him the story of Dongfang Bubai as motivational inspiration.

Who could have guessed Hong Ying would develop a qi deviation from it?

After hearing Lin Yi’s words, Song Cheng stood there in a daze.

If Hong Ying’s skills were merely trifling, then what about him? What about Princess Lin Ning of Huaiyang, who was also seventh rank?

Princess Huaiyang was renowned throughout Liang as a martial arts genius!

But then he remembered—this prince was a complete martial arts idiot. That explained everything.

After all, he could even mistake someone like Luo Han—who only knew how to smash stones on his chest—for an expert.

So Song Cheng said nothing further and quietly looked at Hong Ying.

“Your Highness is wise. It was indeed not Liu Chaoyuan,” Hong Ying said after coughing heavily twice more. “It was a woman—someone I have never seen before in all my years in the palace.”

“A woman…”

Amid Song Cheng’s astonishment, Lin Yi burst into laughter. He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard tears nearly came out.

“You’ve got some nerve saying that—you were beaten half to death by an old lady! Sigh, you’ve made me lose all face!”

He spoke as if wanting to crawl into a crack in the ground.

“I know my crime!”

Hong Ying’s face flushed red as he attempted to kneel.

“Lie still. Don’t move.”

Lin Yi waved him down. “When I left the city gate, I saw the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Imperial Guards, and even the Shadow Guards mobilizing. You’ve caused a huge mess. I didn’t even dare bring in an unfamiliar doctor for you. We’ll wait for Hulu to arrive. Press your chest yourself—are any bones broken?”

If there were fractures, that would be troublesome.

“Rest assured, Your Highness. I’ve only suffered some internal injuries. I can regulate my qi and recover slowly.”

“Regulate your qi?” Lin Yi pouted. “Can you show some respect for the medical profession? If any of your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, or kidneys are bleeding internally, your little life is finished. This time next year, the grass on your grave will be two feet tall.”

Song Cheng suppressed a laugh and quickly changed the subject. “Your Highness, I’ll step outside and take a look. He should be arriving soon.”

Seeing Hong Ying still coughing incessantly, Lin Yi picked up the teapot to pour him some water.

“I dare not trouble Your Highness.”

Hong Ying rolled up quickly, took the teapot and cup himself, and poured the water.

“Sigh, we’re supposed to leave tomorrow, and now you’re like this. You’ve really put me in a bind.”

Lin Yi paced the room back and forth. “Looks like we won’t be leaving anytime soon. Heaven’s will, I suppose.”

“Your Highness may depart first. I will catch up shortly,” Hong Ying said urgently. “You must not delay your important affairs.”

“Easy for you to say. If I leave you here alone and you die, no one would even know. In this summer heat, you’d rot in the house, stinking up the neighbors and all the flowers and plants around. That wouldn’t be good.”

Lin Yi sighed helplessly. “I’d better stay and collect your corpse. Save you from causing trouble for others.”

“Your Highness…”

Hong Ying’s eyes reddened.

“Don’t start that nonsense with me. Just lie still.”

Lin Yi couldn’t stand the sight of it—such a grown man acting bashful and teary. He snapped irritably, “Why hasn’t that little bastard Hulu arrived yet?”

“Your Highness… I’m here.”

As the voice sounded, the door opened. Song Cheng entered first, followed by a thin, short middle-aged man.

His shriveled facial features were all squeezed together, as if there wasn’t enough room on his small face.