Chapter 42

Inside the study, the faint fragrance of gardenia lingered in the air. After hearing such a bizarre, twisted story, Ye Rui did not think for long.

“I don’t resent you. This has nothing to do with you in the first place.”

Ye Rui paused, then remembered some memories that did not belong to her, but had been forcibly implanted by Hu Tu. “Ever since I was little, my mother had always been frail and ill. She never mentioned my father. Sometimes when I asked, she would only say that Father was the great hero who saved us.”

In Ye Rui’s mind, the image of that woman emerged again; she had always endured her illness to care for her. She was beautiful, as delicate as fragile porcelain. The original owner of this body had matured very early; once she grew a little older, she would run into the mountains to catch wild chickens and the like to bring back and cook, giving the woman more time to rest.

But... in the spring when the original owner was fifteen, the woman passed away. And before she died, she insisted that the original owner cremate her, let the spring breeze carry away her ashes, and perhaps send her soul to Jiangnan.

Only now did Ye Rui understand why it had been Jiangnan. She had once thought it was the woman’s hometown; now she understood that it was actually Yu Luoying’s final resting place.

At first, Ye Rui could not believe her identity, or that the Burning Heart Art was actually on her. Coincidentally, Mu Xue had just told her about it.

Could it be... she also knew that the Burning Heart Art was on her?

“Before I got out of the carriage just now, Mu Xue happened to tell me that the Burning Heart Art is a technique that can help regulate the cold poison in your body.”

Ye Rui did not hide it. After hearing this, Xie Tinglan also lifted a brow, though she did not seem especially surprised. “Her martial arts are not weak, and the technique she cultivates is special. She’s very sensitive to other people’s inner force auras. Perhaps she noticed it long ago.”

Xie Tinglan’s beautiful eyes slowly darkened as she added, “I just didn’t expect her to tell you.”

It was as if she was telling Ye Rui that she could ease the cold poison in her body, yet she had clearly refused several times to reveal the whereabouts of the two medicinal herbs. It was obvious she did not want her to live.

What exactly was she playing at?

“Then can I really ease your cold poison?”

Ye Rui’s heart tightened. Was she supposed to learn an inner cultivation method next, and once she mastered it, the power of the Burning Heart Art in her body would be activated, effectively easing Xie Tinglan’s suffering?

Winter was almost here. She did not have much time left.

“Mn.”

Xie Tinglan curved her lips and nodded. Seeing Ye Rui look so delighted, even her brows and eyes seemed to be touched with a faint trace of pleasure. It was just that... without the Longevity Grass and Yama Flower, no matter how miraculous the Burning Heart Art was, it could only relieve the symptoms, not cure them.

“Then I’ll go find Yin Yue and have her teach me an inner cultivation method!”

As soon as Ye Rui finished speaking, she stood up to leave. But Xie Tinglan caught her wrist; in that instant, it felt like ice and fire met.

“Go find Yinzhi. She’s well versed in inner cultivation.”

Ye Rui nodded, lightly patting Xie Tinglan’s hand a few times before smiling. “Don’t worry, I’ll study hard and cultivate properly. Then you just need to pay me more monthly silver. I’m off!”

With that, Ye Rui pulled her hand free from Xie Tinglan’s palm and darted off in a flash.

Xie Tinglan watched that eagerly departing back. Sometimes she never said she liked her, never said the truth, and yet she could already feel the heat of that heart she had offered to her.

Why was Ye Rui special? Xie Tinglan thought. Probably because of that heart, hot enough to burn.

**

Ye Rui looked at Gong Yinzhi, who was silent before her, and suddenly grew a little uneasy. The feverish excitement in her chest gradually cooled, and the expression beneath the mask was impossible for Ye Rui to read.

“Miss Gong, are you... facing some difficulty?”

Could it be that she only had this aptitude, but in fact could not cultivate inner energy?

“No. I was just thinking which technique would better draw out the aura of the Burning Heart Art in you.”

After hearing that, Ye Rui let out a breath of relief. But then she could not help grumbling inwardly: Then at least say something. If you didn’t speak, I would’ve thought I had just been kicked off the path to becoming a martial arts master before I even took the first step!

“I still don’t know how much endurance you have. If you go berserk while stirring up the scorching flame aura, that would be very bad.”

Gong Yinzhi had thought through many things. More precisely, ever since she learned that Ye Rui possessed a scorching flame aura, she had been thinking about this matter. It was not as if she had never heard of someone passing on their own martial arts inheritance to another person, but this was the first time Gong Yinzhi had encountered it herself; hearing about it and actually seeing it were two different things.

Moreover, the Burning Heart Art was extremely overbearing. That was the conclusion Gong Yinzhi had reached from all kinds of martial world texts, which only made the risk of qi deviation even greater.

“When you cultivate, I must remain by your side to guard you. And once you feel yourself losing control, you must stop at once, or else...”

As Gong Yinzhi spoke, Ye Rui also began to worry a little. She asked carefully, “Will I explode and die?”

That was how some dramas portrayed it; once someone went berserk, they either went on a killing spree or blew up on the spot. It was terrifying.

“No.”

Hearing Gong Yinzhi’s answer, Ye Rui relaxed a little.

“But if it’s light, your meridians will be completely severed and you’ll never be able to practice martial arts again. If it’s severe, your whole body will be paralyzed, no different from a living dead.”

Before Ye Rui could even finish releasing that breath, she froze again. There was no way she could let out that breath now...

At that rate, she might as well just explode and die cleanly.

“Also, you need to practice calligraphy and calm your mind for one hour, then cultivate for one hour. I will guard you from the side.”

After saying this, Gong Yinzhi took a thin booklet from her wide sleeve and handed it to Ye Rui. Ye Rui took it and saw the cover. Boldly written across it were three characters: Flame-Bathing Art.

“I gathered many accounts about the Burning Heart Art and wrote this inner cultivation method myself. Naturally it cannot compare to the Burning Heart Art, but it originates from the Burning Heart Art itself, so it may be better at drawing out its power.”

Hearing this, Ye Rui already had a guess. “Have you been trying all these years to ease the cold poison in Xie Tinglan’s body?”

“Yes.”

Gong Yinzhi’s gaze fell on the Flame-Bathing Art, and she said helplessly, “It’s just a pity that my martial attainments are still not enough for me to create a divine art on the level of the Burning Heart Art. The Flame-Bathing Art is only mildly effective. I’m ashamed.”

“You’re already amazing. Maybe the person who created the Burning Heart Art was an old man over a hundred years old, who spent his whole life researching it. You’re still so young and already able to compile a technique. How can that not be impressive?”

Ye Rui spoke with complete confidence, and Gong Yinzhi lowered her head with a soft laugh. “No wonder Ri Xi says you’re interesting. You really are good with words, and very adept at flattering people.”

“Ah, I’m telling the truth!”

I’m working so hard to provide emotional value here, and in your eyes it just becomes sweet-talking?

Gong Yinzhi only smiled without speaking. Ye Rui felt the person beneath the mask smiling; she really was curious what Gong Yinzhi looked like.

“Miss Gong, why do you always wear a mask?”

Could it be because her reputation was too fearsome, so she wore one to avoid enemies seeking revenge?

“Because I look too harmless. Wearing a mask makes me seem more imposing.”

Gong Yinzhi was, in fact, troubled by this as well. As the leader of Wuming, she always had to wear a harmless face. Not only would some of the children under her refuse to submit when they saw it, even enemies would assume she was harmless.

She still remembered two years ago when she sparred with that martial arts fanatic from the Sword Pavilion. She had almost won, but her mask was unexpectedly knocked off. That person’s shocked yet pitying gaze was something Gong Yinzhi still remembered.

Every time she thought of it, she felt humiliated. After that, that person seemed unable to bear drawing blades against her again, and never challenged her to a duel once more. Instead, he kept pestering Yin Yue. Later, Gong Yinzhi had even considered asking Huan Jing to disguise her face, but thinking it over, she knew that was not a long-term solution. She also did not want to spend two hours every day on disguising herself, so she simply kept wearing the mask.

“Could I... take a look?”

Just how harmless did she have to look for a martial expert to find wearing a mask so distressing? Ye Rui suddenly thought of Lanling Wang, who, it was said, had such a delicate and beautiful face that he had no choice but to wear a terrifyingly imposing mask to intimidate his enemies.

Gong Yinzhi hesitated. She was about to become the person teaching Ye Rui inner cultivation methods. If Ye Rui saw her face and felt no proper respect for a teacher, that would not be appropriate.

In the end, Gong Yinzhi still refused. Ye Rui was somewhat disappointed, but she respected Gong Yinzhi and did not force her further.

“Tomorrow after noon, I’ll personally come teach you how to circulate the technique.”

Ye Rui agreed. After thanking Gong Yinzhi, she prepared to leave. Gong Yinzhi’s hand accidentally brushed against the gifts Ye Rui had brought earlier. After thinking for a moment, she still said, “Thank you for the gift. I like it very much.”

“What’s there to be polite about? I’ll still need to rely on Miss Gong a lot in the future.”

Ye Rui smiled and left. She had given Gong Yinzhi two jars of wine and a box of tea leaves. She had originally only intended to give one jar of wine, but then she thought about how she would still need Gong Yinzhi’s help later, and so, enduring her heartache, she gave up one of her own jars.

When she had been spending time with Ri Xi before, Ye Rui had already more or less learned everyone’s preferences. Gong Yinzhi liked wine and tea, especially wine; every time she went to Youlan City, she always had to taste some.

Huan Jing liked all kinds of rouge, powder, and pretty clothes. Ri Xi liked jade and famous paintings. Yin Yue liked tea. Ye Rui had bought all of them, and when she returned, Mu Xue even teased her for not having gone out to work, but rather to enjoy herself.

After coming back, Ye Rui had given out almost all the gifts. Everyone liked them very much, and even Yin Yue, who normally never smiled, showed a faint smile when she saw the Youlan jade sprout Ye Rui had brought back from Youlan City.

Only Huan Jing—Ye Rui still had not seen her.

Come to think of it, Huan Jing often was not in the residence. Sometimes her emotions were impossible to read; when she was happy, she would play and joke with you, but when she was not, her mood would turn so heavy it was frightening, and she would bury herself in her room for half a day without coming out.

Ye Rui had asked Ri Xi about Huan Jing, but Ri Xi had only shaken her head and not said much. Yet the concern in her eyes was plain to see; it seemed Huan Jing’s unstable moods were because she was doing tasks for Xie Tinglan.

Office workers; who among them doesn’t go a little crazy?

**

The next day at noon, just as Ye Rui had sorted out her books, brushes, and ink, folded away the calligraphy she had just written, and was preparing to leave, Xie Tinglan stopped her.

“Aren’t you curious what my vision is?”

Earlier, the two of them had each done their own things while talking. They had chatted about a few amusing matters in the residence, but had not mentioned Xie Tinglan’s cold poison or Ye Rui’s impending inner cultivation practice again.

“Are you willing to tell me now?” Ye Rui asked. In her heart, she had long decided Xie Tinglan wanted to seize the throne, so she had been suppressing this question all along.

“As I promised you, once you became a third-rank guard, I would tell you. Yet you never asked, so I thought you didn’t take my vision to heart.”

Xie Tinglan put on a show of disappointment, and Ye Rui snorted with laughter. “Isn’t that because you keep dangling me along every time? You’ve already given me psychological scars.”

“So sharp-tongued, and you still blame me?”

Xie Tinglan raised a brow, not at all angry. Instead, a relaxed smile spread over her lips. She very much liked talking with Ye Rui like this, without any pressure at all.

“If not you, then who?” Ye Rui asked. “So, are you saying it now or not?”

“I am.”

Xie Tinglan set down her brush, sat up properly, and smoothed away the smile on her lips, as though even the slightest lack of seriousness would be disrespectful to what she was about to say.

“I wish to build a realm of peace and order, where yin and yang each take their proper place, and men and women alike can stand in the same hall.”

“I hope for a world that does not judge talent by gender, but only by virtue and ability.”

“I want to reform old customs so that women are no longer confined to inner chambers, but can rise the blue cloud ladder and compete with the world’s strategists.”

Xie Tinglan spoke three sentences in succession, each more forceful than the last, as though this were the most powerful and righteous voice under heaven.

Ye Rui listened in a daze. She looked at the light in Xie Tinglan’s eyes. It was not the wild, reckless wickedness she showed in the imperial court, nor the tender, seductive charm she used with Ye Rui. It was a light filled with conviction and hopeful longing.

What a beautiful vision; what a difficult road. And yet she had dragged that broken body of hers through it all and kept going until now.

“You want to become emperor?”

Ye Rui asked the most treasonous question possible, but she knew Xie Tinglan would not blame her. Between them, it seemed there was room for everything the world could not tolerate, yet no room at all for the simple word like.

“I want to create the emperor.”

The corner of Xie Tinglan’s lips lifted slightly, like a scythe revealing a deadly secret.

“I don’t like that layered palace. I don’t want to be emperor. And with this body of mine, even if I sat on the dragon throne, I’m afraid I’d be the shortest-lived emperor in history.”

At that, Ye Rui first smiled, thinking inwardly that who would curse themselves like that. But then she felt worried as well; Xie Tinglan’s body truly was cause for concern.

“I understand. This vision is beautiful. I want to achieve it too.”

Ye Rui stood up, and fierce flames also lit up in her eyes. In truth, no matter the era, there were always women who spent their entire lives pursuing equality. The resources she could obtain in modern times through hard work were the result of countless predecessors moving forward under heavy burdens.

If someone had to carry that burden forward, count me in!

“Women are never weaker than men. That’s only the prejudice of the world. At first, they thought women couldn’t do heavy labor and couldn’t support a family, so they kept pushing women’s status lower and lower. But who says women can’t hold up a whole sky? Women can do more than just cook in the kitchen; they can also go to court!”

Great Yan was located inland. This country lived off agriculture, and men, by virtue of their physical advantage, controlled economic power. Women’s status gradually became reduced to that of childbearing tools, and many benefits in society never went to them. It was deeply feudal.

Now that Xie Tinglan was breaking the rules, women’s status was being gradually liberated. Those people were afraid, so naturally they were using every possible means to kill. In places beyond their sight, there might be women trying to break free of their shackles who were being suppressed even more harshly.

Human beings are inherently exclusionary. Even among the same species, differences in gender can produce exclusion; let alone more niche ways of thinking.

Xie Tinglan looked at Ye Rui’s impassioned speech and merely curved her lips in a slight smile. “Now that you know my purpose, if you ever betray me in the future...”

She did not continue.

Ye Rui, however, laughed cheekily. “I’d never betray you, not even if I betrayed heaven and earth. Betraying you would be no different from betraying myself. Your vision is my vision too.”

It is also the vision of the countless women of this world. This world that shackles women’s souls needs someone to free it, and it also needs the women themselves to awaken.

“Go practice martial arts!”

Xie Tinglan watched as Ye Rui cheerfully said “Got it” and left in high spirits. Looking at her light, buoyant steps, Xie Tinglan could not help wondering: Was she happy because she could learn more profound martial arts, or because... she could ease Xie Tinglan’s cold poison?

Xie Tinglan hoped it was both.

Her gaze returned to the official documents, but not a single one of the densely packed words could get into her head. Her mind was full of the speech Ye Rui had just made. How long had it taken her to understand that women could cut open the world’s injustice like a blade? And how long had it taken her to know that women, too, could stand at the top without relying on anyone else?

But from the time they had been on the mountain, Xie Tinglan had already known that Ye Rui’s soul was free, untethered by this world. She was like fire, able to burn away shackles; like a blade, able to cut through prejudice.

Why was she willing to teach her everything? Perhaps if one day she herself...

Then there had to be someone who could inherit her vision and add a raging fire to this chaotic world.

**

Ye Rui spent an hour in Gong Yinzhi’s room. When she came out, she was drenched in sweat and walking unsteadily; she nearly fainted at the sight of the sun.

It was Ye Rui’s first time cultivating inner energy, so of course she found it novel and exciting. She put all her effort into understanding what Gong Yinzhi said, and repeatedly guided the energy in her dantian. Very quickly, she entered a meditative state.

Not to mention anything else, once the inner energy began circulating, it felt as though she were surrounded by a furnace. It was as if summer was already scorching enough, yet she had still lit enough braziers in the room. Then she sensed a stronger heat within her body, and relying on Gong Yinzhi’s method of guiding qi, Ye Rui slowly drew out that blazing flame aura.

She felt as though she had not drawn out much, had not cultivated for long, but when she opened her eyes, an hour had already passed, and her whole body was soaked through. She could feel a trace of inner force moving in her body; even the punches she could throw now seemed more powerful, a force surging up from within.

Amazing!

On the way back to her room, she still remembered Gong Yinzhi’s warning: You have inherited your father’s inner cultivation. Although your cultivation will certainly be much more efficient than others’, you must also remember that haste makes waste. You need to lay a solid foundation. Otherwise, you’ll only waste your body and leave behind hidden illness; that would be a short-lived end.

Short-lived? No good. I still have a lot to do. I need to keep my life and use it properly.

All in all, the first cultivation session went quite smoothly. It was just that Ye Rui could feel the blazing flame aura within her body, like a fierce beast trying to break free of its cage. Only by focusing all her attention could she suppress that power.

It seemed that if she lost control over that power, she would go berserk.

After bathing, Ye Rui was about to go to the kitchen to ask Lin Aunt for something to eat when she discovered an unfamiliar young woman in the kitchen, eating buns piece by piece.

Had Xie Tinglan picked up another person?

From the girl’s clothing, she looked like some proper young lady from a respectable family. She did not seem like someone who would eat like that...

Wait. Ye Rui had seen that way of eating before. It was clearly Huan Jing!

Huan Jing had been raised by wolves. Even though Gong Yinzhi had taught her, sometimes she would still reveal her unruly nature, especially when eating; she could really put it away. Watching her eat made others hungry too.

“Huan Jing?”

Ye Rui knew Huan Jing could disguise herself, but she had never seen what she looked like while disguised. Sometimes when Huan Jing came back, there was makeup on her face that she had not completely removed, but it was still possible to recognize her.

“It’s me.”

Huan Jing answered while eating. She was sitting on the steps, stuffing her mouth full before flashing Ye Rui a sweet smile. After swallowing, she said, “I came back in a hurry today and didn’t have time to remove my makeup. Did I scare you?”

“Of course not.”

Ye Rui first went into the kitchen to grab a bun, then sat down on the steps with Huan Jing, biting into it while chatting.

“I bought some gifts for you in Youlan City. I’ll bring them to your room later.”

“Okay, okay! Ye Rui is the best!”

Huan Jing hooked one arm around Ye Rui and leaned her head affectionately against her shoulder, all the while munching on her bun. Ye Rui did not often interact with Huan Jing; their conversations were always pleasant enough, but this was the first time they had been this close.

“Where have you been these past few days? Were you handling something for Xie Tinglan?”

Huan Jing sighed after hearing that. “Yeah. I have to go gather information often. Sometimes I hear things I don’t like, and then I’m in a bad mood.”

So that was it. No wonder Huan Jing sometimes came back in a huff.

“But today I heard something incredible.”

“What? Can you say it?”

Ye Rui asked, her curiosity instantly piqued.

“I can. Yu Bin has come to the capital city.”

**

Yu Bin had come to the capital city.

When Ye Rui heard the news, her heart instantly tightened. The main quest was approaching.

Now that Xie Tinglan already knew the Chaoyang Sect was the emperor’s faction, logically the Xie residence should no longer have any reason to conflict with Yu Bin.

Ye Rui thought: Could this be my personal grudge with Yu Bin?

She had never even met the man. What personal grudge could there be?

Although Hu Tu was unreliable, a quest assignment like this must have had a reason. Ye Rui could only ask Huan Jing a few more questions and learned that Yu Bin had come to the capital city to collect the compensation from the Chaoyang Sect for escorting a merchant caravan, and that he would be staying at Yunlai Inn.

Staying at Yunlai Inn? This man was rich.

The capital city naturally had many inns, large and small, but only three were truly excellent in service and ridiculously expensive: one was Jinliu Inn, one was Yellow River Inn, and the other was Yunlai Inn.

Yunlai Inn was located in Beichenfang. Many visiting officials or merchants who needed to conduct business in Beichenfang would stay there. Of course, ordinary people like Ye Rui could not afford a room at Yunlai Inn for fifty taels a night.

For a jianghu person to have so much silver?

He had even been to Rain and Mist Pavilion before, and that was not a place ordinary people could afford to visit either. What exactly had this man been doing in secret?

Curious, Ye Rui spoke to Li Yun about it, and the two of them decided to go investigate. But the moment they stepped out the door, they were stopped by Ri Xi.

“You’re going to investigate Yu Bin?”

Ri Xi had just met Huan Jing and learned that she had told Ye Rui about Yu Bin, so she came to block them at the gate.

“Yes.”

Ye Rui admitted it frankly, then said, “We won’t clash with him.”

Ri Xi shook her head and gave a bitter smile. “No.”

“I knew you two girls would act on your own. Go back first; we’ll talk about it.”

Ri Xi usually indulged her like an older sister, and precisely because Ye Rui thought of her as one, she still obediently listened.

Ri Xi dragged the two of them back. Only once they reached the courtyard of Xianxia Courtyard did Ri Xi speak. “Yu Bin is ruthless and vicious, and he bears considerable hostility toward the Xie residence. If you investigate him in secret and he finds out, he may try to kill you.”

Ri Xi explained why she had stopped them, then added, “If the two of you add your skills together, you probably still couldn’t beat the Dragon-Slaying Blade in his hand.”

When Ye Rui heard that, she instantly felt awkward exchanging glances with Li Yun. The two of them had nearly blundered forward like fools.

“Why investigate Yu Bin?”

Ri Xi did not sound reproachful; rather, she was glad she had stopped them in time. If someone in the residence were injured or killed for some ridiculous reason, she would have trouble explaining it to Xie Tinglan, and one of them was Ye Rui. That would be even more unforgivable.

“Yu Bin is from the Chaoyang Sect. Even though he has the protection of his sect and a salary, don’t you find it strange that he can stay at Yunlai Inn and also go to Rain and Mist Pavilion to carouse?”

Ri Xi frowned and said without hesitation, “It is strange. But now that he has nothing to do with us, the best course is to stay still for the moment.”

That was true, but I have the main quest! Forget it, I’ll follow Ri Xi’s lead for now.

Ye Rui thought it over and said, “Ri Xi is right. Better not alert the enemy.”

She paused, then asked, “You just said Yu Bin bears hostility toward the Xie residence. Why is that?”

In Ye Rui’s impression, the Xie residence should not have had any direct contact with Yu Bin. The Moon Immortal from the Wangshu Sect had nearly killed him, but he did not know that the Wangshu Sect was part of Xie Tinglan’s forces. Where had this hatred come from?

“Sir once uncovered a human trafficking den. He happened to be there. During the pursuit, Yin Yue cut him twice, so he has held a grudge ever since.”

Ri Xi paused, then said, “That’s also how we recognized him after learning his identity. Back then, Yu Bin had a black cloth over his face, but he used sword techniques, which confused Yin Yue’s judgment. That’s why she couldn’t remember when we were investigating his background.”

Ye Rui nodded. Ri Xi continued, “Later, Yin Yue remembered that the sword techniques Yu Bin used at the time were very awkward, with many traces of saber techniques. That’s how she finally recognized him.”

A human trafficking den? So this guy had done quite a lot of unspeakable things.

“In that case, maybe Yu Bin is also secretly involved in human trafficking.”

That would explain why he had so much silver in his pocket.

“If that’s true, then the one we need to investigate won’t just be him.”

After saying that, Ri Xi still solemnly reminded them once more, “In any case, you’re not allowed to act on your own again, understand?”

“Understood.”

Ye Rui naturally only agreed for now. It seemed Li Yun wouldn’t act with her next. Though she was nominally her subordinate, she still had to listen to Ri Xi. That little stickler probably wouldn’t go against Ri Xi’s wishes.

After Ri Xi left, Li Yun was also summoned away by Yin Yue. Ye Rui was still wary of Ri Xi’s warning, so she did not rashly leave the residence either. She could not agree here and then turn rebellious on the very next breath; there had to be some time in between.

Hu Tu: [Eh, I ran the calculations on my computer, and if this main quest is completed, there may be an unexpected reward!]

Ye Rui: [After Ri Xi restricted me, you’re telling me there’s an unexpected reward to tempt me? Are you a demon or a System?]

Hu Tu: [Hehe, that can’t be helped. As the saying goes, better to arrive early than to arrive at just the right moment.]

Ye Rui rolled her eyes and did not bother with Hu Tu anymore.

This matter needed action, but not these next two days. Ri Xi would probably still be watching to see whether she obeyed in front and disobeyed behind her back.

**

Two days later, Ye Rui decided to go stroll around Beichenfang alone.

Winter was almost here, and the crowds in Beichenfang had thinned somewhat. Everyone was walking about in thick fur-lined cloaks. Ye Rui remembered how, when Xie Tinglan had gone out to attend court today, she had not only worn a thick fur cloak but also kept a hand warmer in her hands the entire time. Before getting into the carriage, she had even looked at Ye Rui once.

Her complexion had been even paler than before, like a lonely spirit wandering the world in the late autumn.

Thinking of that, Ye Rui’s mood sank. Although she had not neglected her inner cultivation, Gong Yinzhi had said that her progress could not be rushed; if it were, mistakes would easily happen. At the moment, she had not yet reached the level where she could help Xie Tinglan regulate her condition through inner force. She was anxious, but she could not be too anxious. Gong Yinzhi had also said she needed to stay calm.

She drew in a deep breath. The cold air rushed into her body, giving her some energy.

Today she had said she was going out to buy something delicious, but in truth she was going to inquire near Yunlai Inn about Yu Bin’s recent movements.

The area around Yunlai Inn was a market, with many stalls selling snacks. Ye Rui came here often, but only after passing by Yunlai Inn many times did she truly see what it looked like today.

It was the off-season now. There was no crowd to speak of, but quite a few men and women in silk and brocade still came and went from the inn. Yunlai Inn was three stories high, its building imposing. On the vermilion plaque above the main gate, the gilded signboard shimmered with four bold, powerful characters.

The eaves rose high, with copper bells hanging at the corners, ringing softly in the wind. The broad stone steps in front of the entrance were clean and level, the painted columns bright and vivid. Beneath the eaves were carved famous poems and lines by Yan poetry masters, majestic yet elegant.

Ye Rui withdrew her gaze and walked to the nearby auntie selling fried scallion pancakes.

“Miss Ye, you’re here again! Same as usual today?”

The auntie was very warm and friendly. After only two visits, she had already remembered Ye Rui. Every time Ye Rui came, she remembered her preferences, even remembering that Ye Rui liked her pancake crispier. Ye Rui thought that the most basic skill of a vendor was observation and memory. If the auntie saw anything unusual, she would definitely be able to provide an answer.

“Yes, the usual.”

Usually this stall had quite a lot of customers, but perhaps because the weather was so cold that people did not want to go out, the auntie’s business had slowed.

“Auntie, have you seen any strange people recently?”

The auntie knew Ye Rui was from the Xie residence, so when she asked, the auntie naturally did not question why. She only thought back carefully over the people passing by in the last two days.

“Yes, there was a man in black. He looked very frightening.”

The auntie pointed to the empty stall next door. That stall had originally been selling straw sandals, but the owner had not opened it today.

“The little boy from Old Wang’s family saw so few people yesterday that he went out to play on the road. He accidentally ran into that man, and before he could even apologize, he was kicked flying.”

At that, the auntie’s face also turned grim. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know what kind of force he used. That kick knocked the child unconscious. Old Wang was so anxious he carried him around everywhere looking for a doctor. I don’t even know whether the boy lived...”

Hearing that, Ye Rui’s expression also darkened. While the auntie continued making pancakes, she said, “That person was clearly from the jianghu. Old Wang wanted justice, but one look from him scared him so badly he didn’t dare move. Full of killing intent too. Who knows how many lives he’s got on his hands... Here.”

The auntie handed Ye Rui the scallion pancake. Ye Rui looked down at it. The good appetite she had earlier was instantly ruined after hearing this. Her heart ached painfully.

Ye Rui had seen that little boy from Old Wang’s family before; he was only a little over three years old, very well-behaved, and would even call her sister when he saw her.

“Anything else, Auntie?”

Ye Rui asked. Thinking of the child’s obedient little face, her fingers tightened, and the crisp scallion pancake crumbled in her hand.

“Ah, I’d noticed that person before. He’s been here for several days, always going out from East Street at the chen hour and returning at the you hour... Right, right, three out of four days he returned after that female top graduate.”

After hearing that, Ye Rui’s mind turned, and she immediately knew who the auntie meant by the female top graduate. Because this was the first time a woman had taken part in the imperial examinations, Zhuang Linglong was actually the runner-up. But since she was the only woman who passed, the common people could not tell the difference and simply called her the female top graduate. That title spread like that.

That person had designs on Zhuang Linglong?

“I can’t remember anything else. Ah—Young Master Li, do you want a scallion pancake?”

As the auntie finished speaking, a customer came over. Ye Rui did not linger. She took the scallion pancake in hand and went to sit at the tea stall by the roadside, asking the tea server for a pot of Tieguanyin. Because winter was nearly here, there were very few people around. The teahouse that was usually packed with people talking and laughing now had only a few travelers.

Drinking the hot tea, Ye Rui could not help glancing again at the stall where the straw sandals were usually sold, and the knot in her chest grew harder to bear.

Yu Bin coming to the capital city was probably not just for collecting escort fees from a merchant caravan. Could his real target be Zhuang Linglong? Following Zhuang Linglong for several days straight could not be a coincidence. The Chaoyang Sect could not possibly want to kill a court official for no reason; it seemed the emperor wanted to eliminate the second female official in the court.

If Zhuang Linglong was being targeted by the emperor, how could Xie Tinglan not have thought of it? Or had something else distracted her?

That was right. These past few days, the emperor had summoned her almost every day, forcing Xie Tinglan to go to the central administrative offices to work daily. Every time she returned, her body looked ready to collapse, and even when Ye Rui slept with her to keep her warm, she no longer had the strength to do anything to her; she almost always fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

Perhaps... she really hadn’t thought of that layer.

At that moment, a hunter sat down at the neighboring table. Ye Rui subconsciously glanced at him and suddenly felt a little emotional; it had already been some time since she’d left her life as a hunter behind.

The hunter casually set his bow and arrows on the bench, then lifted the hot tea the tea server had brought and gulped it down without caring that it was hot. Ye Rui watched, worried he might burn his tongue. Seeing her looking at him, the hunter struck up a cheerful conversation.

Since Ye Rui herself had some experience with hunting, the two of them even found a common topic. They only chatted a few sentences before Ye Rui noticed Zhuang Linglong appearing in the distance. She had only one guard with her. The two of them turned into a narrow alley; it was the shortcut to the administrative district. As they walked, Zhuang Linglong was still giving the guard instructions about something, entirely unaware that, half a moment later, a black-clad man had silently followed after them.

Ye Rui’s attention was completely drawn away by what she had just seen. Even though the hunter was talking at length, she could not hear a single word. She had a premonition that if she did not follow them, Zhuang Linglong was definitely going to be in trouble.

She touched the purple blade at her waist and somewhat regretted not bringing the Rui Feng sword and the Flowing Shadow longbow. But if she had left the house fully armed, Ri Xi would have noticed immediately.

There was no more time for hesitation. Ye Rui took out ten taels of silver from her waist pouch and placed them on the hunter’s table. Then she grabbed the hunter’s bow and arrows and, ignoring his startled expression, said, “Ten taels for your bow and arrows. I have urgent business; farewell!”

Ye Rui hurried toward the alley where Zhuang Linglong had gone. The hunter called after her a few times, but could not stop her. He picked up the heavy ten taels of silver on the table, scratched his head, and looked troubled.

It was just an ordinary birch bow for hunting. It was not worth that much money at all. Ten taels of silver would be enough for him to get by for more than half a year. It was simply too much.

Ye Rui did her best to quiet her footsteps and used the breathing method Gong Yinzhi had taught her to regulate her aura. Moving through the twisting, maze-like alley toward the administrative district, she soon heard the clash of weapons.

Terrified, Ye Rui did not dare breathe too loudly. She peered out from the corner and saw the black-clad man fighting with Zhuang Linglong’s guard. Zhuang Linglong’s legs were covered in blood, and she was limping toward the outside while weakly shouting for help a few times.

However, this alley was remote, and with winter nearly here, there were not many people on the streets. How could anyone hear her cries for help? Zhuang Linglong had injured her leg, so there was no way to escape. It looked like the guard would be dealt with by Yu Bin very soon.

Ye Rui carefully observed Yu Bin’s sword techniques. They were indeed as Ri Xi had said: awkward and disjointed. It looked like he was not used to them at all. If he had been using a saber, he probably could have finished the guard in a few moves. To hide his background, he had deliberately used a sword; this man was truly cautious.

Yu Bin had really picked a good time to kill. After several days of observation, he must have chosen today to ensure Zhuang Linglong would be erased!

Damn Yu Bin. Damn the emperor!

Ye Rui took a deep breath. She had no intention of fighting hand to hand. Instead, she drew the birch bow, nocked an arrow, and took aim at Yu Bin from the shadows.

In the cold weather, Ye Rui still felt that right now she was actually so nervous that she was sweating.

A hundred paces, a bullseye. My archery is the kind that can hit a target from a hundred paces—!

She encouraged herself inwardly. Just as Yu Bin forced the guard back several steps with a sword strike, Ye Rui released the bowstring. The arrow shot out with a whoosh. Yu Bin, who had been gloating, never expected a hidden arrow to come flying at him. It went straight for the death point near his left chest. Had he not dodged in time by half an inch, that cold arrowhead would probably already have pierced his heart.

Yu Bin gave a muffled grunt and looked up toward Ye Rui with a vicious glare.

Seeing an opening, the guard immediately moved in to take Yu Bin down, but Yu Bin still had enough strength to counterattack. It was just that his hands and feet were growing increasingly weak, and his combat power was rapidly declining!

That damn woman had actually coated the arrow with a numbing drug!

Seeing that the fight was turning against him, Yu Bin flashed onto the wall top. Before the next arrow could fly, he deftly dodged it and fled.

Ye Rui was so angry she stomped her feet, cursing inwardly: Damn it, I suffered for not having light-footwork. Otherwise, I’d have taken this main quest down no matter what!

She chased after him a few steps, but looking at that high wall, she really could not get over it. In the end, she had no choice but to give up. Zhuang Linglong’s leg was badly hurt and bleeding heavily. The guard did not chase after Yu Bin either, but immediately helped Zhuang Linglong up, preparing to find a doctor.

“Thank you, this heroine!”

The guard’s voice was loud, and he looked quite energetic. He probably had not been seriously injured. Zhuang Linglong looked at Ye Rui, her eyes lighting up as she said immediately, “So it was Miss Ye.”

Zhuang Linglong had seen Ye Rui at the imperial examination site. She remembered clearly how Ye Rui had shielded Xie Tinglan from a blade. Later, she had even investigated her privately and learned that her name was Ye Rui, a guard Xie Tinglan had brought back recently.

Zhuang Linglong bowed slightly toward Ye Rui. Ye Rui stepped forward and helped her up. This was the person who had helped her win three thousand taels; there was really no need for such formal thanks, truly no need.

Honestly, Ye Rui was still breaking out in a cold sweat. She was afraid that if that one arrow had missed, Yu Bin would have come slashing at her with his sword. Luckily, hunters’ arrows were usually coated in numbing drugs to improve their chances of success and prevent prey from escaping.

The arrow had hit Yu Bin’s left chest dead-on, and it had been coated with numbing powder as well. Although such drugs should be quickly neutralized by inner force for martial practitioners, his plan had already been exposed, so he likely would not be coming back for another strike.

“Go find a doctor quickly. I need to return to the residence and report this.”

Ye Rui paused, then looked at the sword wound on the guard’s body. After thinking about it, she still felt uneasy, so in the end she accompanied the two of them to find a doctor. Only after Zhuang Linglong’s people and the officers arrived did Ye Rui return to the residence.

Before leaving, Zhuang Linglong even grabbed Ye Rui’s hand and thanked her again in earnest. That sincere gaze gave Ye Rui goosebumps; she always felt like something was off.

Ye Rui remained on guard the whole way, afraid that Yu Bin would suddenly appear to settle accounts with her. Fortunately, he did not show up, and she safely returned to the Xie residence.

Coincidentally, Xie Tinglan had just returned. Her carriage stopped in front of the residence, and Yin Yue was helping her down. When Ye Rui saw them, she hurried over. Yin Yue shot her a sharp look; only after realizing it was Ye Rui did she relax a little. But when she saw Ye Rui’s clothes, her expression changed again and she frowned.

“Xie Tinglan!”

Ye Rui hurried forward and grabbed Xie Tinglan. After catching her breath, she lowered her voice and said, “I just discovered Yu Bin tailing Zhuang Linglong and trying to assassinate her. I followed him and drove him off; Zhuang Linglong is receiving treatment now.”

After saying that, Ye Rui did not even give Xie Tinglan time to react, and she did not notice the flash of fear that had crossed Xie Tinglan’s face.

“This time, Yu Bin’s target was probably to kill Zhuang Linglong. Luckily, we found out in time, otherwise...”

Ye Rui did not finish the sentence. Seeing Xie Tinglan’s frown tighten further and further, she quickly added, “Don’t worry, Zhuang Linglong’s life is not in danger. Her leg was only cut; it didn’t reach the bone, so she’s fine.”

Only then did Xie Tinglan reach out and grab Ye Rui’s hand back. That icy touch made Ye Rui instantly calm down. Xie Tinglan was gripping her very tightly. Her gaze dropped to Ye Rui’s clothes, and her complexion seemed even paler than before. Those beautiful eyes were stained with fatigue, fear, and concern, complex as the wind at the turn between autumn and winter.

She was cold enough to tremble slightly. When she spoke, she even pressed her lips together first, as if trying to suppress the quiver in her voice.

“Are you hurt?”

-----------------------

Author’s note: Prime Minister Xie: I don’t care about anyone else; I only care about you.

Little Ye: (silly grin)

TL Note:

blue cloud ladder (青云梯) = a metaphor for rising to high office and success in officialdom.

hit a target from a hundred paces (百步穿杨) = an idiom for exceptionally accurate archery.