IDWBE -Chapter 193 Abandoning Darkness to Embrace the Light

The wooden pavilion and bamboo bed were simple, but incredibly comfortable!

The mountain breeze was cool, and if one really wanted to bathe, it would still feel a little chilly.

Lin Yi lay on the bamboo bed, drifting off to sleep in a daze.

Sleeping in the mansion had never been this comfortable; since summer began, he hadn’t slept well at all.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Liu Ruyan standing before him, calm and respectful.

“You really should have woken me earlier when Miss Ruyan arrived. Poor Miss Ruyan, waiting so long… at least you could have brought her a chair,” Lin Yi scolded Xiao Xizi, then turned to Liu Ruyan. “Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep—spring lethargy, summer fatigue, you know how it is.”

“Your Highness is too polite,” Liu Ruyan said with a slight bow. “For Your Highness to see me is already my fortune.”

“That makes it sound as if I’m cruel,” Lin Yi smiled, taking a sip from Xiao Xizi’s teacup. “Here, Miss Ruyan can come anytime. No need to send messages.”

“I dare not,” Liu Ruyan immediately knelt. “I deceived Your Highness, and my crime deserves death!”

Lin Yi laughed.

Regardless of what she was thinking, her attitude was admirable.

“Stand up,” he said, holding the cup. “There’s a chair over there—sit. Speak directly.”

“I beg Your Highness to act on my behalf,” Liu Ruyan continued kneeling. “The Secret Guards kill at will, committing crimes against heaven and humanity. They deserve the death penalty! I ask Your Highness to bring justice for us!”

Lin Yi said, “I am far away in Sanhe; the matters of court aren’t something I can control. If you truly want justice, you should go to the capital and petition the Emperor—my elder brother. For now, he is the one in charge.”

Liu Ruyan said, “I’m afraid that as soon as I leave Sanhe, I’ll meet an untimely death.”

Lin Yi asked, curious, “As Jiang Chong’s adopted daughter, what position do you hold within the Secret Guards?”

“I, like Chen Ying, am a Xingshou,” Liu Ruyan replied, “receiving a salary equivalent to a thousand households.”

“Xingshou—responsible for intelligence gathering?”

“Exactly. I used to oversee the southern city,” Liu Ruyan explained truthfully, “raised by the Secret Guards since childhood, just like a Yizu.”

“What does a Yizu do?” Lin Yi asked next.

“A Yizu is an assassin of the Secret Guards, their trump card. Rarely known to outsiders, their combat ability surpasses even the elite riders.” Liu Ruyan knelt upright.

“Assassins?” Lin Yi thought. “So these Yizu are like Qi Peng’s barber unit in nature.”

“Yes,” Liu Ruyan confirmed.

“As long as you remain in Sanhe, I will ensure your safety,” Lin Yi said calmly. “My words always carry weight.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Liu Ruyan said bitterly. “But what of those who were wrongfully killed?”

Lin Yi replied, “I would like to intervene, but it depends on whether I have the ability.”

Liu Ruyan fell silent.

Lin Yi waved his hand. “Here’s the plan: go out as little as possible. If anything happens, even I won’t be able to help.”

“I understand,” Liu Ruyan said quietly and left.

Watching her leave, Lin Yi said to Ma Gui, “Find all those Secret Guards quickly. Seeing them lurking under my nose gives me no sense of security.”

“Your Highness, rest assured,” Ma Gui pledged. “I will find them all within three days.”

“That’s good.” Lin Yi nodded.

As the sun set and the air cooled, he led the group down the mountain.

On the main road, they encountered a pair of Sanhe soldiers marching toward them.

“One-two-one!”

The drill command startled birds in the ravine. Their steps were synchronized, full of energy and spirit.

Lin Yi was increasingly satisfied with He Jixiang’s training.

Night slowly fell.

By the prince’s orders, Ye Qiu closely guarded Liu Ruyan. Leaning lazily against the window sill, he occasionally glanced downstairs.

Across from Chunxiang House, A-Dai, selling straw sandals, munched on a pig’s trotter and grinned at him.

“Mr. Ye is truly a gentleman,” he called out.

Liu Ruyan didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry. She had wanted to change clothes and naturally needed Ye Qiu to step out.

Unexpectedly, he didn’t move. Following the prince’s command, she could not leave his sight, or it would be disobeying orders.

She was furious.

Luckily, used to the liberties of her profession, she removed her clothes without fuss.

Yet, Ye Qiu didn’t even glance at her. She could feel that, in his eyes, she might as well have been an object—or a corpse. He remained completely unmoved.

If not for her self-confidence, she might have wondered if she had suddenly aged, lost her beauty, her charm.

Luckily, she recalled the legend of Sanhe’s top swordsman: anyone who disturbed his sword-heart would surely be killed without mercy.

“Gentleman?”

Ye Qiu snorted disdainfully.

Liu Ruyan was unbothered. “Mr. Ye, if you’re tired, you can rest.”

“You’re interrupting my training,” Ye Qiu sighed. “Sleep is not worth it.”

“All my fault,” Liu Ruyan smiled sweetly. “I’ll set up a table of wine and food to apologize.”

“No time,” Ye Qiu said, turning his head, noticing Yu Xiaoshi next to A-Dai.

Both waved at him.

Liu Ruyan bit her lip in frustration—this man was utterly impervious!

Late at night.

Ye Qiu sat cross-legged in Liu Ruyan’s room, practicing his art.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet.

“Mr. Ye, what’s wrong?” Liu Ruyan asked.

Although a courtesan, she was still a virgin. With a man in the room so late at night, she was uneasy and couldn’t sleep. Seeing him rise, she asked anxiously.

Before he could answer, she heard a commotion and someone shouting about running water.

“Sleep quietly,” Ye Qiu said calmly, pouring tea. “Unless a Grand Master appears, you won’t die.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ye,” Liu Ruyan said, realizing he was a Ninth-Rank peak martial artist! Even Jiang Chong personally coming wouldn’t matter.

Then, she heard sounds of combat.

Quickly, she grabbed the sword hanging by the mosquito net and shouted, “Mr. Ye, someone’s coming!”

“Only if they’re Eighth-Rank peak,” Ye Qiu said, unmoving.

Guarding the window were two Seventh-Rank peak fools.

Even when they swung their hammers, Ye Qiu sometimes needed to intervene.