On the avenue leading from Kowloon Bay to the arch bridge, several men and women dressed in black, exuding deep internal energy, crouched amid the dense foliage and treetops, concealing their figures. Their hands instinctively grasped the hilts of their swords, exchanging silent glances. As Xuan Sibei was about to leap out from the leaves, their nerves tightened.
It seemed their lord intended to kill them all... The moment their lord made a move, they would emerge from all directions to aid him!
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Song Yue stood protectively in front of Xuan Sibei, unaware of his change, but the one-eyed man opposite them felt a chill run down his spine under the boy's deep, dark gaze, his expression momentarily stiffening.
Following his gaze, Song Yue felt a sense of alarm rise within her and abruptly turned around.
The exquisitely handsome young boy had curved his brows and eyes in a fawning smile, retracting his hand as if frightened and tugging at the hem of her clothes. "Song... Yue."
Ah! He called her by name!
She wondered if she was being overly cautious because of her past life's influence. After all, he was still just a boy, not yet fully developed in his worldview. How could he be compared to the formidable villain he would become ten years later?
Song Yue struggled to free her right hand from the one-eyed man's grasp, biting her teeth slightly before speaking fiercely, "Don't be afraid! I'll protect you..."
Xuan Sibei lifted his head and gazed steadily into her eyes. One of his hands slowly moved behind his back, his fingers making a subtle gesture.
A signal.
Almost simultaneously, a sharp whoosh sliced through the air. A dart shot out from the forest, striking the one-eyed man before anyone could react. He collapsed to the ground, and Song Yue was freed, shaking off his grip.
"There's someone in the woods!"
"Damn it! It must be the Wang family seeking revenge! Just for stealing a woman, they actually hired assassins... Retreat! Retreat!"
These bandits and thugs were undisciplined and disorganized. The moment their leader fell, they were more concerned about their own survival. Fearing more assassins hidden in the woods, they didn't even spare Song Yue another glance before scrambling away in panic.
Song Yue swallowed hard, standing frozen in place, staring at their fleeing backs in a daze, momentarily unable to process what had happened.
Was it really an enemy assassin, or... was it someone under this little one's command?
At that moment, several masked figures emerged from the shadows, making it impossible to identify them. Xuan Sibei tugged at her sleeve again, lowering his head as he softly suggested, "It's assassins hired by their enemies. Let's take this chance to escape?"
He seemed genuinely frightened, clinging to her tighter than ever. His eyes, clear and innocent to an almost unnatural degree, made it impossible for anyone to suspect him.
With no other choice, Song Yue took his hand and hurried away, using her sleeve to shield most of his body while pressing his head into the crook of her arm to protect him from any potential hidden weapons. Meanwhile, she forced herself to maintain the facade of someone unskilled in martial arts, pretending to be utterly flustered. "Go... go, go, go! Let's get out of here!"
While she was anxiously watching the road, the boy nestled against her chest cast an unreadable glance at her.
This woman was clearly terrified, yet she insisted on acting brave to shield him as they escaped...
Back at the residence, Song Yue reluctantly took out the remaining silver, intending to hire some guards. However, before she could do so, Xuan Sibei shoved the few taels of silver back into her hands.
"I have hands and feet. I don't need your money."
"But-"
"Qian Jiang found me a job. Besides, after today's experience, I'll be more cautious in the future. If I pay attention to my surroundings before heading out, it'll be almost impossible for me to be followed." His expression grew cold. "Besides, why would they be interested in a man like me?"
Even though Song Yue knew that Xuan Sibei had some subordinates in secret, she still felt the worry of a mother leaving behind her helpless child. She nodded, gave him a few words of caution about being careful when going out, then turned around, considering whether to embed some blades into the walls to guard against thieves.
[Come on now, those brainless rabble wouldn't even survive a single episode in a drama, let alone use light-footed martial arts to leap into the courtyard… Besides, are you really that worried about Xuan Sibei?]
Song Yue: No, I'm mainly afraid that some thief might covet the dozen copper coins I keep under my pillow… He hasn't revealed all his cards yet, and I can't quite figure him out. But logically, at this stage, his wings haven't fully developed, and he hasn't grown into his full strength yet. So, it's necessary to look out for him a little. After all, he's the little sapling I'm nurturing—I can't let anything happen to him midway!
[…]
Xuan Sibei continued to behave obediently, packing up her belongings for her. When Song Yue was about to leave, she casually swung her bundle onto her back, only to feel that it seemed a little heavier than before. Puzzled, she opened it and saw that there was extra travel money inside. She immediately looked at him.
"The boss knows Qian Jiang and gave me an advance on my wages." He explained with a cold expression.
"..." This brat.
Song Yue let out a soft hmph, accepting his goodwill. Before stepping out the door, she waved her hand and said, "I'll be back after making some silver from my business. Stay home, read books, cultivate your character—next time I return, I'll be checking on you!"
—
As soon as Song Yue left, the residence instantly felt emptier.
It was nighttime again. Xiao Cui, unable to resist her drowsiness, yawned and went to sleep.
At that moment, several tall men dressed in black stepped over the threshold, bringing with them a gentle and well-behaved woman in her thirties who bore a slight resemblance to Song Yue.
They were the very ones who had hidden in the woods earlier that day, coming to Song Yue's aid. After searching all over Kowloon Bay throughout the day, they had finally found a suitable woman to present to their master.
In the courtyard, only a white-clad youth stood beneath a banyan tree. His figure, clean and refined, exuded a gentle warmth, like a spring breeze. However, when he turned his head, the abyss-like darkness in his eyes was so chilling that none of his subordinates dared to meet his gaze, a cold sweat breaking out on their backs.
Xuan Sibei gave them a glance and instantly understood everything. The coldness in his eyes did not wane, but the corners of his lips curved slightly. In a deep, magnetic voice, he murmured words that sent a shiver down their spines:
"When did it become acceptable… for you to act on your own without my permission?"
"S-Sir…" The leading man broke into a cold sweat, instinctively turning to Qian Jiang, who had followed them inside, as if seeking help.
Qian Jiang also sensed that the atmosphere was wrong. Seeing the Master's expression, he immediately knelt with a thud. "It was my fault, Master… But, after all, Song Yue is a woman of unknown origins, and there's no information about her in the Six Kingdoms… Just to be safe, it's better that you have less contact with her. We've gone to great lengths to find a substitute for you. This woman has a clean background, and she's obedient and sensible…"
Xuan Sibei raised his eyes and glanced at the shy woman holding a handkerchief. His cold and merciless gaze made her expectant face pale with fear.
Qian Jiang silently lowered his gaze to the floor tiles.
He had been impulsive… As a man, especially someone as high and mighty as their Master, it was probably unrealistic to expect him to admit his longing for maternal love in front of his subordinates. Although the Master was still young, in certain matters, he was no longer like a child.
He remembered when he first met him; Xuan Sibei had been only a few years old, already developing a cold, unapproachable personality. The next time they met, the city of Yingdu had fallen, and ten years had passed.
Their Master no longer needed them to worry about him.
"I know I was wrong... I won't do it again." Without Xuan Sibei needing to say anything, Qian Jiang had already understood. He lowered his body deeply and knocked his head on the ground, his mind fully alert, for the first time acting with the utmost caution, as if he were in the presence of the previous Master.
The only female subordinate secretly curled her lip—seeing the Master acting so docile around that woman these days, she really thought that he had changed, that he liked that type. But it seemed she had been impulsive. Their young Master's personal matters were no longer something they could interfere with.
The woman was taken down again.
However, Xuan Sibei, unusually, did not scold anyone. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. He came to a stop in front of Qian Jiang and asked, "Any news from the Yan Kingdom's palace?"
Qian Jiang exhaled a breath of relief. Thankfully, the Master didn't pursue the matter...
Yet, while relieved, he couldn't help but feel some unease. Their Master had grown into adulthood, but it seemed that aside from matters of great cause and revenge, he showed no interest in anything else. If this continued, when would their young Master be born?
But these concerns were useless for him to worry about. Under the cold gaze of Xuan Sibei, Qian Jiang felt a chill down his back and immediately said, "Don't worry about that. We've already placed an undercover agent in the palace. We have a complete grasp on everything that's happening." He then took out a blank piece of paper. "This is the report. It was written with special ink, and only water can reveal the contents. Please take a look."
Xuan Sibei casually took the paper, folded it into his sleeve, and then casually asked, "Is the Immortal Spirit Powder ready?"
This poison, which had come from the Zhao Kingdom's court, was capable of hiding within the human body. In its early stages, it was almost undetectable, but over time, it slowly paralyzed the body, eventually leading to death.
When Ji Wuzhao, wearing armor, charged into the city, Xuan Sibei had already made up his mind. He would use the sweetest and most torturous poison, forcing it into Ji Wuzhao's body. He wanted him to suffer under its effects, regret his actions, and witness his country being overthrown, all while experiencing the pain that Xuan Sibei himself had endured.
"It's ready. Do you want to contact him?" Qian Jiang asked, thinking of the young man that the previous Master had planted in the Yan Kingdom long ago.
They had spent years training their forces; now, the time had come to use them.
"No. He's a key piece holding Yan Kingdom together. We can't afford to make any mistakes." Xuan Sibei lowered his eyes again and took a few steps, his phoenix eyes filled with thought. "Find someone else and poison him in secret… Isn't Ji Wuzhao obsessed with alchemy? Let the diviner go and replace that Wu-named street swindler. Mix the Immortal Spirit Powder into the elixir and have him take it."