IDWBE -Chapter 36 Everyone Gets a Share

The leading burly man had a rough face and a full beard. Now that his mask had been removed, the displeasure on his face lingered only for a moment before he forced a smile and said, “Your Highness is too polite.”

“So it’s you, Liao Jinfeng.”

Ye Jinyu, who had not spoken until now, walked forward and said, “Vermin like you are only fit to skulk in hiding.”

“You killed three of my brothers, yet you act so righteous,” Liao Jinfeng said through clenched teeth. “Your martial arts are indeed formidable. That we failed to keep you here tonight only proves my brothers’ lack of skill.”

Ye Jinyu snorted coldly. “Even now, I could still kill you.”

Liao Jinfeng cupped his hands and said, “In the presence of Prince He, who would dare act rashly?”

“So you two already know each other,” Lin Yi said cheerfully.

He was pleased to hear Liao Jinfeng speak so tactfully—unlike that woman Ye Jinyu, who not only refused to say anything pleasant but kept a sour expression, as if someone owed her money.

Liao Jinfeng said, “Your Highness, please judge fairly. This vicious woman killed three of my brothers. This hatred cannot be shared under the same sky!”

Ye Jinyu replied, “Your Xiyi Sect are heretical scum. Everyone has the right to kill you.”

“And your Jizhao Nunnery calls itself a righteous sect, so you can kill people at will?”

Liao Jinfeng, ignoring the blades at his throat, stood up and glared at Ye Jinyu.

“Calm down, calm down,” Lin Yi said, smiling at Liao Jinfeng. “You may leave first. Just don’t forget—tomorrow morning.”

Then he turned to Ye Jinyu. “You’ll give this prince a little face, won’t you?”

He had no interest in meddling in their affairs—that was the constables’ job, not his.

But if Liao Jinfeng and his men were supposed to bring him thirty thousand taels tomorrow and Ye Jinyu killed them on the way, who would he collect the money from?

Liao Jinfeng stared intently at Ye Jinyu, hoping she would say “no.”

If she angered the prince and got herself killed on the spot, that would be perfect.

But Ye Jinyu simply turned her back and said nothing.

“If you don’t know how to speak, what’s the use of keeping that tongue?”

Mingyue stepped directly in front of Ye Jinyu, clearly ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Ye Jinyu said, “With so many people from the Prince He’s residence, are you going to bully a weak woman like me?”

“I alone am enough,” Mingyue replied.

With a sharp clang, her sword left its sheath.

“All right, all right, I’m exhausted,” Lin Yi waved his hand. “Stop arguing.”

He glanced at Ye Jinyu. If this injured woman bled to death here, and as Consort Wenzhao had warned, the elders behind her came looking for trouble, it would be a real headache.

In the world of martial artists, having powerful backing was truly important.

Just like in Journey to the West: demons without backing—like the White Bone Demon, the Spider Demons, the Scorpion Demon, the Rhinoceros Demon, and the three Deer-Tiger-Goat Immortals—met miserable ends.

But those with backing, like the Black Bear Demon or the Nine-Headed Insect, were at most taken back and punished.

Liao Jinfeng cupped his hands again. “Your Highness, please rest assured. That vicious woman cannot do anything to us. If Your Highness has no further orders, this humble one will take his leave. Tomorrow morning I will personally deliver the banknotes.”

“That would be excellent,” Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction. “Farewell. I’ll remember what you look like.”

“This humble one takes his leave.”

Liao Jinfeng and his seven companions backed out of the room.

Ye Jinyu watched their retreating figures coldly and said, “In three days, I will personally visit the Xiyi Sect.”

“We’ll be waiting,” Liao Jinfeng snorted before turning and leaving.

Lin Yi cleared his throat and then said, “Miss, shouldn’t we also discuss compensation? Look at me—frightened all night. It’s not easy, you know.”

His understanding of the underworld had just been refreshed. If the Xiyi Sect was so wealthy, the Jizhao Nunnery probably wasn’t poor either.

“How much?”

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Ye Jinyu would never have believed that a feudal prince could be so greedy.

“This much.”

Lin Yi slowly raised three fingers.

“I don’t have it,” Ye Jinyu said through gritted teeth. “Our Jizhao Nunnery has always stayed out of worldly affairs. We’re not like the Xiyi Sect’s heretical rabble. Let alone thirty thousand taels—even three hundred taels would be difficult.”

“Thirty taels,” Lin Yi sighed. “I’ll even include treatment for your injury. Treating that arm outside would cost several taels at least. And at this hour, you wouldn’t even find a physician. If you wait until tomorrow, you might lose the arm altogether. Most importantly, it was this prince who saved your life today. If you had fought eight people alone, you might not have survived. Is thirty taels too much?”

Even a mosquito’s leg was still meat—thirty taels was better than nothing.

“Fine.”

Ye Jinyu took out a red sachet from her robe, removed a banknote, and said calmly, “Give me the change.”

Lin Yi looked closely—it was a one-hundred-tael note.

He sighed. He had asked for too little again.

Ye Jinyu took back seventy taels in change from Hong Ying with a faint look of satisfaction.

Lin Yi then said to Hu Shilu, who was peeking in from the doorway to watch the excitement,
“Treat her wounds.”

“Miss, please come with me,” Hu Shilu said, bowing to Lin Yi before leading Ye Jinyu away.

Lin Yi drew two banknotes from the stack Hong Ying was holding and handed them to Mingyue.
“Take these and divide them. You and Zixia get fifty taels each; the rest get ten taels each.”

Mingyue bowed. “Yes.”

This was another rule of their prince: everyone present got a share.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for the reward!”

The guards knelt and spoke in unison.

They had expected it, but actually receiving the money still made them excited.

Their prince might be unreliable and unconventional, but one thing was very satisfying—he never forced the capable to work more without reward; instead, he followed the principle of “more work, more pay.”

Their monthly wages were only two taels, about the same as guards in other princely residences, but their extra income far exceeded that of others.

After all, their prince was skilled at making money, and as long as they took part, he never treated them poorly.

Over a year, who didn’t earn several hundred taels?

When the guards of Prince He’s residence went to restaurants, they never looked at menus—so long as the table was full and the dishes weren’t repeated, that was enough.

They had originally thought accompanying the prince south would be a miserable assignment, but unexpectedly, their prince had a knack for wealth. Just visiting relatives brought in money like flowing water.

Each of them had received at least forty or fifty taels.

After everyone withdrew, Lin Yi said to Hong Ying, “Remember to compensate the innkeeper. These people—of all places to fight, they had to pick an inn.”

Shaking his head, he went back to sleep.

Nothing more happened that night.

When he woke the next day, the sun was already high.

After washing up, Hong Ying came in and said, “Your Highness, the thirty thousand taels have already been delivered.”

Lin Yi, eating pastries, said, “They’re quite sensible. If they hadn’t paid, I would have personally gone to that Xiyi Sect to make trouble. What about that woman? Is she still here?”

Hong Ying understood he meant Ye Jinyu. “After her treatment last night, she left. However, Song Cheng and Shen Chu have returned.”

Lin Yi asked, “No one was injured, I hope?”

Hong Ying replied, “No one was hurt. They brought back one hundred thirty-seven bandits.”

Lin Yi said in surprise, “How could there be so many?”

Hong Ying explained, “Among them are the bandits’ families—mostly the elderly and children.”

“They really don’t know what they’re doing,” Lin Yi sighed. “Why bring back so many? Aren’t they afraid of taking on a burden?”