IDWBE -Chapter 154 Returning Wounded

But to be honest, he wasn’t nearly as much of an eyesore as before. After staying in Prince He’s residence for so long, always lowering his brows and behaving obediently in front of him—more docile even than Da Hei and Xiao Huang—some feelings had naturally grown.

Ah, this damned soft-hearted flaw!

“Your Highness,”

Xiao Xizi looked up at the sky full of stars and said with a smile, “The wind’s picking up. Would you like to go out for a stroll?”

“The night is gentle, the breeze brushes the willows—perfect for beating up otters!”

Lin Yi stood up angrily. On a tree in the courtyard stood an otter, clutching fruit and gnawing at it crunch, crunch for half an hour straight, occasionally shooting him disdainful glances. It was infuriating!

Ever since he had idly put the creature on Sanhe’s banner, countless legends about otters had sprung up.

Many swore that on nights of the full moon they had seen groups of otters standing on their hind legs, front paws clasped together, worshipping the moon.

Rumor spread that otters prayed to Heaven on behalf of the people of Sanhe.

Some claimed they had once fallen gravely ill and thought they would die, only to recover unexpectedly—perhaps because, in their youth, they had once saved an otter tangled in rope.

Others said that when they were drowning in the river, something beneath the water had lifted them and pushed them ashore.

Saved from certain death—surely it was an otter!

For a time, the otter had practically become Sanhe’s mascot.

Though still called “water rat” or “water monkey,” they were no longer chased and beaten by everyone.

As a result, the otters in Sanhe had grown increasingly brazen, even strolling through the streets in broad daylight.

Lin Yi ground his teeth in frustration.

He had discussed changing the banner with several old officials, but they unanimously opposed it. Their reasoning: issuing orders in the morning and changing them by evening would unsettle the people and shake morale.

Lin Yi could only sigh helplessly. He truly didn’t know what possessed him to put that thing on the banner in the first place.

Even a penguin, white dolphin, lion, or eagle would have been better!

At worst, he could have embroidered Gaidar’s banner—at least that had deep symbolic meaning!

Alas, he lacked foresight.

“Shoo!”

Xiao Xizi flicked his sleeve toward the tree. A gust of force shook the leaves. The otter failed to grip the branch and dropped with a thud. Seeing Xiao Xizi approach, it scrambled off in panic.

Lin Yi laughed. “These little pests are truly damn annoying.”

“Shall I arrange for someone to stand guard tomorrow?” Xiao Xizi suggested. “Beat them for two days and they won’t dare come in again.”

“That’ll do. What else can we do?” Lin Yi replied, then glanced at several monkeys leaping about on the rooftop. “And those rascals can’t be allowed to come in so easily anymore. Remember—just scare them. Don’t actually injure them.”

As Sanhe’s population boomed, wild animals visibly dwindled. Deer, wild boars, wolves, foxes—once common—were now nearly extinct.

Fish in the river had also decreased. First, with more people raising pigs, many went to gather pig fodder; fish no longer lingered near shore. Second, there were more fishermen—one net cast, and big fish and small fish alike were wiped out.

Even Lin Yi found it hard to get consecutive catches when fishing. He had to go farther away.

Only monkeys and otters, instead of decreasing, seemed to multiply—utterly exasperating. Whenever grain was no longer scattered on the mountain, they would descend in droves.

Poor Da Hei and Xiao Huang were treated as mounts; the fur on their backs had been plucked bald. Strangers might think they had mange.

Still, the monkeys avoided certain places—especially the school and the orphanage.

The children there had learned martial arts. If a monkey wandered into their territory, not only would it fail to fight back, it wouldn’t even escape—it would become a plaything.

The naughtier children would tie ropes around them and walk them like pets.

Monkeys were extremely clever. Once they suffered, they remembered. Anywhere with children became forbidden territory.

Unlike before, when they would run eagerly at the sight of food, now they wouldn’t go even if beaten to death.

Xiao Xizi frowned at the monkeys on the roof and smiled. “Your Highness, they are rather annoying.”

“Damn it, the once-every-four-years Monkey King Tournament is about to begin. Hurry back and grab a spot!” Lin Yi tossed a pebble at the roof; the monkey didn’t budge. “Don’t be so lacking in ambition. Hanging around here all day—go become Monkey King. That’s at least something.”

Though monkeys seemed carefree, they had strict hierarchies. The Monkey King held the greatest authority—and the strongest fists decided who ruled.

Merchants of Baiyun City had maximized the pursuit of profit. Cockfights, dogfights, martial contests, horse races—now even monkeys were involved.

For this Monkey King Tournament, many had placed heavy bets.

Lin Yi himself had wagered twenty taels on the red-furred monkey that often sneaked into the residence. It was robust and a favorite to win.

If not for fear of injuring or frightening it—thus weakening its performance and costing him money—he would have long since ordered Xiao Xizi to act.

As Xiao Xizi stepped forward, the monkeys fled just like the otters.

In this grand residence, they knew perfectly well who could be provoked and who could not.

“Your Highness, rest assured,” Xiao Xizi said. “If it loses tomorrow, I’ll give it a good lesson.”

“It definitely needs a lesson,” Lin Yi replied. “Otherwise they’ll forget who they are.”

Having already drunk a bottle of wine, he felt too lazy to go out. After lying in his chair for a while, he went inside to sleep.

The first half of the night was bright with moonlight and filled with frog calls. In the latter half, wind rose, followed by a fine drizzle.

Soon, it grew heavier.

That night, Sun Yi was on watch.

Yawning, he sat weakly on the threshold. As the rain intensified, he prepared to close the gate when he suddenly noticed someone standing nearby—it was Consort Wen.

He quickly bowed. “Consort Wen, why are you still awake so late?”

She ignored him, staring into the pitch-black night.

Sun Yi forced a smile and squinted into the darkness along her line of sight. He saw nothing.

Since she remained silent, he dared not speak further.

Suddenly, through the wind and rain, he heard the rumble of carriage wheels. Stretching his neck to look ahead, he saw two horses; the carriage behind them grew clearer.

Consort Wen said, “Go. Lend a hand.”

“Yes.”

Sun Yi grabbed a lantern and ran forward. His first sight was Ye Qiu leaning under the carriage eaves, his face ashen and bloodless.

“You’re injured?” Sun Yi exclaimed.

Ye Qiu said nothing. With effort, he raised an arm and pointed inside the carriage.

Sun Yi jumped up and lifted the curtain—his soul nearly left his body. Hong Ying lay motionless inside. Carefully, Sun Yi placed a finger under his nose—his breathing was uneven.

Before he could ask more, Consort Wen said, “Carry him inside.”

Sun Yi was about to call for help when Ma Gui and Wang Xu rushed over. They pulled the carriage beside Hong Ying’s quarters and carefully carried him to the bed.

Lin Yi arrived soon after, only to find the door tightly shut.

Ma Gui said, “Your Highness, Consort Wen is channeling her energy to heal the Chief Steward. She said no one should disturb her.”

“How did he get hurt again?”

Lin Yi’s face darkened as he looked at Ye Qiu, slumped by the door, eyes dull.

Ye Qiu accepted hot tea from Wang Xu and took a sip. After a long silence, he said, “I went after Tang Que. He couldn’t beat me, so I pursued him. Just when I was about to kill him, a Grandmaster appeared. I couldn’t defeat her. I was gravely wounded. The Chief Steward saved me. He wasn’t her match either. He took me and fled, collapsed from exhaustion. We hid in the mountains for two days, lying low day and night, before returning.”

“A Grandmaster?” Lin Yi said bitterly. “Was it Jingyi?”

“No,” Ye Qiu shook his head. “Chief Steward Hong said it was Jingkuan, the head of Jizhao Nunnery.”

“Jingkuan…”

Lin Yi glanced at Hong Ying’s quarters. “They really think I’m easy to bully!”

Time and again, Jizhao Nunnery had provoked him!

Taking advantage of his good temper?

Xiao Xizi rubbed his eyes and forced a smile. “Your Highness, rest assured. Master is blessed—he will be fine.”

“He’d better be. Hurry and summon Hu Shilu.”

Lin Yi looked again at Ye Qiu. “Go rest. Heal your injuries. Once you’re recovered, you may leave. From then on, we owe each other nothing.”

Ye Qiu had risked his life to bring Hong Ying back. That alone repaid everything—especially the freedom that was originally his.

Ye Qiu was stunned.

Happiness had come too suddenly.

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

On the road, when Hong Ying was unconscious, Ye Qiu had indeed considered killing him—so he would never again be forced to practice that so-called Evil-Repelling Sword Technique.

But in the end, he did not act. He brought him back.

As for why, he could not say.

Perhaps because with Consort Wen, a Grandmaster, in Prince He’s residence, even if he fled, he could not escape forever.

Supported by two guards, he returned to his quarters.

Hu Shilu arrived and examined Ye Qiu. Aside from scrapes on his face and arms, there were no external injuries. As for internal damage to his organs, he could do little—only prescribe restorative medicine and advise rest.

The rain poured harder.

Lin Yi stood at the doorway, not leaving for a moment.

Tan Xizi failed to persuade him to go inside and simply brought out a chair and table.

Lin Yi sat quietly, occasionally glancing toward the closed door.

“Your Highness, have something to eat.”

Mingyue brought a plate of pastries.

“I’m not hungry,” Lin Yi said, his thoughts in turmoil. “Go rest. You all have lessons in the morning.”

“Yes.”

Mingyue and Zixia exchanged a glance and obediently withdrew.

At such a time, they would not act willfully against the prince’s temperament.

Their prince disliked nagging. He disliked trouble.