This young private guard named Yang Kai was indeed powerful. Despite being an ordinary person, the Eldest Young Lady could see that.
With that said, she was also aware that there was no way he could defeat so many enemies all on his own.
She had no idea how much longer this young private guard could persevere, nor did she understand why he still steadfastly stood in front of her in the face of death; after all, they had never even met each other before today.
There was one thing she knew, though. If this young private guard collapsed, she would end up in a more horrible state than death; therefore, she had to be prepared.
The sharp tip of the sword pressed against her chest and formed a cut on her skin, which made her feel a slight tinge of pain. She stared fixedly at the young private guard from behind to monitor his condition.
In the worst-case scenario, they would probably perish together here. While she was in her wild thoughts, she felt a sense of longing, as though she was almost looking forward to it.
The Head Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak never stopped cursing. As more of his subordinates collapsed, his voice became louder while his saliva spouted out of his mouth. As the bandits were continuously reprimanded, they were furious while they became increasingly ruthless with their moves.
Although their ruthlessness had inflicted a lot of injuries on this private guard from the Meng Manor, they could not make him fall.
Presently, the private guard from the Meng Manor was covered in blood while his clothes were all tattered. There was a long cut on his forehead from which blood slid down his face and dyed his eyes scarlet, which made him look like a mad Ominous Beast.
His sword had become crooked from all the hacking and slashing, so he randomly took up the blade of a nearby dead bandit so he could wield two weapons at once. Nevertheless, the cutlass was also badly chipped, so there was no way it could last for a long time.
About twenty to thirty corpses had been piled up in front of him. Blood streamed past his feet and made him look extremely terrifying.
The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were horrified. They knew that as long as they persevered, there would come a moment when this private guard from the Meng Manor collapsed to the ground, but before that, many of their lives would be sacrificed. They were afraid that they would be the ones who died uselessly here.
The bandits, who were initially high-spirited following the order from the Head Manager, started becoming timid as they launched attacks less frequently.
An infuriated Head Manager killed a bandit who was trying to flee. He then drove his horse forward as he apparently planned to enter the battlefield personally.
Just then, the ground started shaking as the sounds of hooves could be heard rapidly approaching from a distance.
The Head Manager felt his chest tightening. When he turned his head, he saw that the dust was rising in the distance as a lot of people were rushing towards them on horses.
Reinforcements from White Jade City had arrived.
Upon that realisation, the bandits became flustered as they instinctively moved backwards. Many of them turned to the Head Manager and awaited his order.
The Head Manager stared at the private guard from the Meng Manor, who had been standing resolutely in front of the cave all this time. After a moment of hesitation though, he shouted through clenched teeth, “Retreat!”
A lot of soldiers from White Jade City were approaching, so there was no way their weakened group could ward them off. They might even lose their lives by staying here. It would be an unwise decision to do so just because they were not willing to give up their prize.
The bandits were already frightened by Yang Kai’s actions to begin with, so upon hearing the Head Manager’s order, they turned their horses around and ran for their lives without hesitation.
A moment later, more than 100 knights clad in sturdy armour arrived at this place with a young man leading the way. The young man looked in the direction the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were fleeing with narrowed eyes, but he didn’t have the intention to chase after them.
He turned his head and took a glance at Yang Kai, who was covered in blood. Despite being an experienced man, he was still astounded at the sight.
The attention of the knights behind the young man was also attracted to Yang Kai.
He was standing there like a statue, as though he was trying to protect something. His figure was covered in cuts of different sizes, and his clothes were in tatters. The corpses of the bandits had been piled up in front of him, and his feet were drenched in a puddle of blood. His murderous intent seemed to have materialised and the horses beneath the knights were unable to bear it. They neighed and instinctively stepped backwards.
None of them had seen such a sight before, but they could imagine how intense the situation had been. A lot of bandits must have continuously launched attacks on this young man in an attempt to defeat him; however, like a rock amidst the storm, he was still standing strong in the end.
It was obvious that after his sword became bent, he picked up a cutlass that was also chipped. Even with such broken weapons, he wielded them to kill these bandits.
“Is it him?” The young man asked.
The person beside the young man was Yin Zhi Yong, who was also a private guard from the Meng Manor. Upon hearing that, he quickly nodded, “Yes, it’s him.”
After he finished speaking, he leaped off the horse and bolted towards Yang Kai, shouting, “Little Brother! Little Brother!”
Before he could get close though, he saw a sword slashing at him. He exclaimed in fright and fell on his bottom, his Soul almost leaving his body.
When he came to his senses, he quickly examined himself. Upon confirming that he wasn’t injured, he breathed a sigh of relief. While reeling from the shock, he called out, “Little Brother, it’s me, Yin Zhi Yong. Don’t you recognise me?”
He had no idea why Yang Kai would suddenly hack at him. If he were killed just like that, he would have passed away full of grief.
“He has already passed out!” The leading young man suddenly said.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded, “He has?”
How could Yang Kai still attack him when he was unconscious?
Upon closer look though, Yin Zhi Yong realised that there was indeed something off about Yang Kai. He was glowering at the front, but never batted his eyes. The blood from his forehead streamed down his face, which made him look horrifying, but his eyes seemed to have lost focus as he looked hollowly in no particular direction.
Nevertheless, he remained unmoving with the weapons in his hands.
“Don’t go near him. He will only react on instinct now,” the young man ordered.
A dazed Yin Zhi Yong nodded. Despite his age, it was the first time he saw someone who was still able to react out of reflex while unconscious. How resolute must one be in order to achieve that?
“He’s really something.” The young man stared at Yang Kai with admiration written all over his face. He turned to Yin Zhi Yong, “What’s his name?”
Yin Zhi Yong quickly replied, “Young City Lord, his name is Yang Kai. He’s a new private guard in the Meng Manor.”
“Yang Kai?” The Young City Lord narrowed his eyes as his expression became conflicted.
Yin Zhi Yong didn’t notice it as he looked worriedly at Yang Kai, “Little Brother Yang is badly injured, Young City Lord. We can’t go near him now; however, if we don’t help stop his bleeding, he’ll surely lose his life.”
The Young City Lord fell silent.
Just then, some noises could be heard coming from behind Yang Kai.
Yin Zhi Yong bellowed, “Who goes there!”
After he finished speaking, he saw a curvy woman whose hair was a mess crawling out of the small cave behind Yang Kai. There was a sword in her hands as she appeared vigilant.
“Eldest Young Lady!” Yin Zhi Yong was flabbergasted.
He only saw Yang Kai when he arrived at this place, and never paid attention to anything behind him. It wasn’t until the Eldest Young Lady crawled out that he realised that there even was a cave behind Yang Kai.
All of them finally realised who the person was that Yang Kai was protecting.
The Young City Lord became startled as he examined the Eldest Young Lady’s face. All of a sudden, he put on a wry smile.
He thought that life was truly full of surprises. Over the past few years, he had been looking for a particular person, but he still hadn’t managed to achieve his goal. Nevertheless, he had never expected to come across her today.
Fate was really a strange thing in this Samsara World. Despite having entered this world much earlier, he still hadn’t gained any advantage. On the other hand, the one who came at a later time had a chance to get close to the person he had been looking for almost immediately.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Lady. My name is Yin Zhi Yong, a private guard from the Meng Manor.” He cupped his fist, then quickly added, “Be careful. Please don’t go near Yang Kai.”
The Eldest Young Lady pressed her lips together and tossed the sword away. After making up her mind, despite the warning, she still shuffled towards Yang Kai.
She had heard the conversation between Yin Zhi Yong and the Young City Lord while she was hiding inside the cave, so she was aware of Yang Kai’s current condition.
But, so what? This man was willing to protect her with his very life. She didn’t believe that he would harm her in any way.
Upon seeing that, Yin Zhi Yong turned pale.
Since the Eldest Young Lady was fine, he and Yang Kai would be given handsome rewards after returning to the Meng Manor; however, if Yang Kai harmed her in any way, he would be doomed.
Before Yin Zhi Yong could stop her, the Eldest Young Lady was already standing in front of Yang Kai.
To everyone’s surprise, Yang Kai didn’t even try to harm her. Instead, his expression became more hideous as though he was trying to suppress something.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his heart leaping to his throat as he was worried that Yang Kai would hack his sword at her in the next instant. When that happened, the alluring Eldest Young Lady would surely lose her life.
Tears could be seen sliding down the Eldest Young Lady’s face. She covered her mouth with her hands as her shoulders uncontrollably trembled.
The person in front of her didn’t have any part of his skin intact. He was soaked in blood, and through his tattered clothes, she could see that he was covered in deep cuts with his flesh rolling up around his wounds.
Every wound and every drop of his blood was proof that he had resolutely protected her from harm.
While suppressing her tears, she extended her hands and took the weapons from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t resist. Just now, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were unable to make him lose grip of his weapons no matter what they tried, but at this moment, the frail Eldest Young Lady easily took them from his hands.
She tossed the blood-covered weapons to the ground. When she looked up, she realised that his eyes had closed, and faint breathing could be heard coming from his nostrils.
“Does anyone have medicine? Help treat him, now!” The Eldest Young Lady turned her head and sought help from them.
Given his injuries, he would surely journey to the Yellow Springs if he wasn’t treated in time. Although the Eldest Young Lady had rarely stepped out of the manor, she was aware of such common knowledge.
The Young City Lord motioned to one of his subordinates.
The subordinate quickly leaped off the horse and bolted towards Yang Kai. Upon making sure that the man posed no threat, he helped him lie down on the ground.
Yin Zhi Yong hurriedly came over to help out. Seeing that the Eldest Young Lady was still standing nearby, he encouraged, “Please go somewhere else, Eldest Young Lady. I’m worried that you’ll feel nauseated at the sight.”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded and stepped back.
The Young City Lord walked up to her and examined her before saying, “Eldest Young Lady Meng, I am the Young City Lord of White Jade City, Feng Cheng Si. I just returned from my studies abroad. I’m sorry that I didn’t n’t manage to save you earlier.”
The Eldest Young Lady shook her head, “I’m fine.”
Her eyes never looked away from Yang Kai though as she was apparently full of worry.
When Feng Cheng Si saw that, he secretly cursed, thinking fate was really a bitch.
Those from Hidden Treasure Peak had launched a night attack on the Meng Manor. The Second Manager, Luo An Guo, personally made a move and kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Family amidst the chaos. A new private guard from the Meng Manor chased after him and intercepted him in a place that was over 100 kilometres from the city. He fought against the enemies on his own and killed many of them. Eventually, he successfully saved the Eldest Young Lady.
Everyone in White Jade City was shocked when the news spread.
Rumour had it that the power of the new private guard from the Meng Manor was inscrutable. Faced with over 100 bandits, he never backed down as he beheaded them with a saber and a sword like he was cutting fruits or vegetables.
It was also rumoured that he was ten metres tall with three heads and six arms! The hearts of the bandits were dug out and eaten by him!
By relying on his ferocity, he persevered until the Young City Lord of White Jade City arrived with the knights to end the calamity. They eventually destroyed the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak and returned victorious.
While everyone who heard this news was shocked by the power of this private guard from the Meng Manor, they also admired him for his loyalty.
Hidden Treasure Peak was a nest of bandits; had someone like the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Manor been captured by them, everyone could imagine what would have happened to her.
It was thanks to this loyal private guard that the Eldest Young Lady’s modesty was saved. They also found out this private guard was hired at the arena that the Meng Family had set up some time ago. Many families secretly felt envious and thought that the Meng Manor had found a treasure.
Nowadays, it was hard to find a loyal guard like him.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was still unconscious in the Meng Manor. He had exhausted himself from battling against the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak. If not for his determination to save the Eldest Young Lady, he would have collapsed much earlier.
Had the soldiers from City Lord’s Mansion come any later, he would not have been able to persevere.
After Yin Zhi Yong and the others treated his wounds, the Young City Lord, Feng Cheng Si, escorted the Eldest Young Lady back to the Meng Manor. Yang Kai, who had made the biggest contribution in this matter, was given special care.
Before he even regained consciousness, the Patriarch of the Meng Manor had already rewarded him with a lot of money and his own private residence. There was also high-quality healing medicine that the maidservants would use to apply on his wounds every day.
It was unprecedented that an outer court’s private guard be given such rewards.
The steward of the Meng Manor personally visited Yang Kai and told Yin Zhi Yong to inform him as soon as Yang Kai awakened.
Certainly, Yin Zhi Yong directly agreed to it.
Many private guards also came to visit Yang Kai. Although it had only been a short time since Yang Kai joined the Meng Manor, and they were not close to each other, he had risked his life to save the reputation of these private guards; after all, the Eldest Young Lady was kidnapped on their watch. Had Yang Kai not promptly decided to chase after the bandits, these private guards would have been punished by the Meng Manor by now. Some of them might even have lost their lives.
When everyone who visited Yang Kai saw his injuries, they fell silent.
That was because he was horrendously wounded. There was no part of his body that was intact. His entire figure was covered in bandages, which had been dyed crimson by his blood.
No one knew how he was still alive given his injuries.
The crooked saber and the chipped sword were brought back by Yin Zhi Yong following the Eldest Young Lady’s order. They were the best proof that Yang Kai had used these weapons to kill those bandits.
Every day, the Eldest Young Lady would send a maidservant named Qian Qian to visit Yang Kai. She would then go back and report to her on Yang Kai’s condition.
If possible, the Eldest Young Lady was more than willing to personally visit him; however, she was an unmarried woman as well as the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. It would be inappropriate for her to visit Yang Kai given her status.
Even though Yang Kai had made a significant contribution, the Patriarch of the Meng Manor had never visited him. He only told his most trusted steward to come here once.
After all, their statuses were too different, and it was the private guards’ duty to risk their lives to protect the Meng Family members.
Seven days later, Yang Kai finally regained consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, he realised he was in excruciating pain. His entire figure was aching and his throat felt like it was burning. This was the first time he had been so horribly injured since he began cultivating.
Although he was in a Samsara World, everything felt so real.
He darted his gaze around and saw Yin Zhi Yong sitting at the table. He was holding a maid servant’s hand as he seemed to be reading her palm.
The maidservant hung her head low with a flushing face. She wanted to retract her hand, but it seemed she didn’t have the strength to do so, and she wouldn’t dare to call for help. She was on the brink of breaking into tears.
Yin Zhi Yong pretended to not see it as he spouted nonsense by saying that her life wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but she would eventually meet a person who would extricate her from her suffering.
Unable to take it anymore, Yang Kai knocked on the bedside.
Hearing the noise, the maidservant became shocked and quickly retracted her hand. Yin Zhi Yong turned to look at Yang Kai and became elated, “You’re finally awake, Little Brother Yang!”
He walked up to Yang Kai and asked caringly, “How are you? Do you feel any discomfort?”
“Water…” Yang Kai said as he felt his throat burning.
“Oh, water! Water!” Yin Zhi Yong quickly beckoned to the maidservant, who picked up a jug of water and took a seat beside the bed before helping Yang Kai drink it.
After Yang Kai finished the water, he finally felt much better.
Yin Zhi Yong said smilingly, “Did you know how worried I was? I was worried that you would never wake up!”
Yang Kai didn’t think the older man looked worried at all.
Yin Zhi Yong went on to say, “Since you’re awake, you’ll be fine. Just stay here and recuperate. I’m sure you’ll enjoy plenty of good luck after surviving this disaster.”
“How is… the Eldest Young Lady?” Yang Kai asked in a hoarse voice.
In fact, he was already muddle-headed at the last moments of protecting the Eldest Young Lady. He faintly remembered that there seemed to be reinforcements approaching, and those from Hidden Treasure Peak were forced to flee. Supposedly, the Eldest Young Lady was safe.
Yin Zhi Yong replied, “The Eldest Young Lady is well, just a bit frightened. She now sends someone to visit you every day. Since you’re awake, I believe she’ll set her mind at ease as well.”
He then said to the maidservant, “It’s time to help Little Brother Yang reapply his medicine.”
The maidservant nodded in agreement and put down the jug before getting busy with a red face.
Yin Zhi Yong then went on to talk to Yang Kai about the incident on that day and expressed his admiration for him.
If he were in the same situation, he would have surrendered and begged for mercy. It wasn’t that he was disloyal to the Meng Manor; however, loyalty no longer mattered in the face of certain death.
It was during a life-and-death moment that a person’s temperament was put to the test.
While the maidservant was busy, Yin Zhi Yong left the place to inform the steward of the Meng Manor.
One hour later, the old man with a goatee, who appeared on the selection stage previously, stepped into the room and gave Yang Kai some words of praise. He said that the Patriarch was pleased with his loyalty and had rewarded him with many good things, including his current residence and a lot of money.
All the new private guards would go through a probation period of a few years; however, since Yang Kai had risked his life to save the Eldest Young Lady, the probation ended earlier, and he was now an official private guard of the Meng Manor.
The steward didn’t stay for a long. After finishing his words, he left the place in a hurry. Before that, he told Yang Kai to recuperate with peace of mind, saying that the Meng Manor wouldn’t mistreat people who had made contributions.
Yin Zhi Yong was also rewarded.
In fact, he didn’t spend much effort in the fight against the bandits; however, without him, Yang Kai wouldn’t have successfully saved the Eldest Young Lady.
At that time, Yang Kai was chasing after Luo An Guo on foot. It was Yin Zhi Yong who sent him a horse and then ran back to White Jade City to inform the soldiers about what was going on. In the end, they arrived in time and forced the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak to retreat.
While Yang Kai had made the most significant contribution in saving the Eldest Young Lady, Yin Zhi Yong was the second greatest contributor. Therefore, he had also obtained a lot of rewards. The money that was given to him was enough to let him buy a lot of delicious food and wine for the next three years.
With that said, he had no idea why he followed Yang Kai on a whim at that time as it was no different from deserting his duties; however, it was thanks to this rash move that he made a contribution.
From his perspective, Yang Kai was his lucky Star. It had only been half a month since Yang Kai joined the Meng Manor, but Yin Zhi Yong managed to get the attention and honour he had never enjoyed even after ten years of service.
These days, the Captain of the private guards and some younger stewards had been amiable to him, which made him feel elated.
Therefore, he was more than willing to take care of Yang Kai every day.
The speed Yang Kai recuperated made Yin Zhi Yong doubt whether the younger man was really Human.
He regained consciousness barely seven days after he passed out, and was able to get out of the bed and start walking three days after that. Another three days later, he was clearly on the mend.
It only took him twenty days to almost fully recover.
While Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded, he persuaded Yang Kai to lie on the bed for a few days more.
That was because he was responsible for taking care of Yang Kai. As long as Yang Kai was still lying on the bed, he could get some rest for a few days more lest he was exposed to the sun or rain.
Fortunately, the steward didn’t immediately assign any tasks to them; so, for the time being, they had nothing else to do.
Every day, Yin Zhi Yong would pester the maidservant while Yang Kai refused to stay idle. He would practise martial arts in the courtyard and let his clothes soak in sweat.
The Martial Dao in this Samsara World was very low, but he could still slowly get stronger. Strength would be necessary in this world, so he reckoned that he had to quickly get stronger.
Yin Zhi Yong had tried exchanging moves with him once, but he would never want to do that again, for it was utterly humiliating. There was an overwhelming difference between their powers and it only took Yang Kai one move to defeat the him.
While cultivating, Yang Kai pondered on how to approach the Eldest Young Lady.
It was confirmed that Qu Hua Shang had reincarnated into this world as the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor, Meng Ru. Before she reincarnated, she had set up a Heart Barrier. Only by breaking this Heart Barrier would her memory be restored.
In order to break the Heart Barrier, he had to win her heart.
Certainly, Yang Kai didn’t care about the difference between their statuses as he was a private guard while she was the Eldest Young Lady; however, he didn’t know how to win a woman’s heart.
Although he had a lot of Wives, he had rarely wooed a woman before. There was not much he could do when it came to pursuing a woman romantically.
The most important thing for him now was to approach the Eldest Young Lady so that they would familiarise themselves with each other. If he couldn’t even get close to her, how was he going to break the Heart Barrier?
Fortunately, the fact that he had saved her life must have left a good impression. The proof was that she would send her trusted maidservant, Qian Qian, to visit him every day.
While Yang Kai was lost in his thoughts, a chance presented itself.
One day, Yang Kai was wielding a sword and a saber in the courtyard when the Captain of the private guards entered the place.
Upon hearing the noise, Yin Zhi Yong quickly got out of the room and asked passionately, “Big Brother Chu, why are you here?”
The Captain was surnamed Chu, so the private guards would call him Big Brother Chu in private.
Big Brother Chu replied with a smile, “What’s wrong? Can’t I visit you two without any important matter? Have you forgotten about us just because you’ve made some contributions now? Are you looking down on us?”
Yin Zhi Yong put on a bitter expression as he said, “What are you talking about, Big Brother Chu? It’s thanks to your guidance over the years that I’ve had a chance to make a contribution. I would never dare to look down on you all.”
Big Brother Chu extended his hand and poked him, “You’re such a smooth talker, aren’t you?” All of a sudden, he put on a solemn expression and changed the topic, “Anyways, there’s indeed an important matter now.”
Yin Zhi Yong quickly said, “Please tell us right away, Big Brother Chu.”
Big Brother Chu turned to look at Yang Kai, “How are you feeling?”
Yang Kai moved his shoulders a little, “I’m fine.”
“Good. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to take on this task.”
Yin Zhi Yong asked with concern, “What kind of task is that?”
Big Brother Chu put on a mysterious smile, “It’s not bad news. Something good awaits you. Come with me.”
After exchanging glances with Yin Zhi Yong, Yang Kai sheathed his weapons as they followed the Captain.
As they navigated through the Meng Manor behind Big Brother Chu, they soon arrived at a Grand Hall. In front of the Grand Hall stood an old man with a goatee. He was the chief steward of the Meng Manor. Seeing Captain Chu, he nodded gently.
Yin Zhi Yong suddenly felt his legs trembling slightly, for he finally recognised this Grand Hall.
Although he had been working in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, he had never had the right to come to such an important place as he was just an outer court’s private guard.
“Captain…” Yin Zhi Yong looked inquisitively at the Captain in the hope that he would be given a hint.
Big Brother Chu muttered quietly, “Don’t say anything unnecessary after going in.”
Yin Zhi Yong nodded repeatedly.
After having a small talk with Big Brother Chu, the steward with a goatee turned to Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, “Come with me.” Upon finishing his words, he shuffled into the Grand Hall.
Yin Zhi Yong stuck close to Yang Kai and said in a small voice, “Little Brother, I believe we’re going to meet the Patriarch. You have to be cautious.”
The Grand Hall was where the Patriarch dealt with his daily business. No one could go near this place without his permission.
Yang Kai nodded gently to show that he understood.
After entering the Grand Hall with the chief steward, Yang Kai looked up and saw a man who was going through some documents behind a desk.
There was nothing special about the man, who was about fifty years old. Nevertheless, since he had taken good care of himself, he looked slightly younger than his age.
He was supposed to be the Patriarch of the Meng Family, Meng De Ye.
The chief steward told the two of them to stop, then walked up to Meng De Ye in light steps and said, “Sir, I’ve brought them.”
Meng De Ye grunted and continued handling his business.
Since he never said anything, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong could only remain standing there.
About a cup of tea later, Meng De Ye put the documents aside and stamped them with a seal before falling into his thoughts with a frown. He seemed to have finally recalled the presence of these two private guards as he looked up at them, “Who is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said solemnly, “Yang Kai greets the Patriarch.”
Yin Zhi Yong saluted him as well, “Outer court guard Yin Zhi Yong greets the Patriarch.”
Meng De Ye stared fixedly at Yang Kai and said impassively, “I heard that you were badly injured.”
Yang Kai replied in a firm voice, “As a guard of the Meng Manor, it is my duty to ensure the Eldest Young Lady’s safety even if it costs me my life.”
Admiration was written all over Yin Zhi Yong’s face as he thought that Yang Kai was usually taciturn, but the latter could tactfully fawn over someone in power when it was necessary.
“Good.” There was no doubt that Meng De Ye was pleased with his reply. Others might not be sincere when they said such a thing, but Yang Kai had proven his loyalty in the previous incident as he was willing to protect the Eldest Young Lady even with his life on the line.
Meng De Ye had heard others talk about the incident, so he knew that Yang Kai really almost died that day.
Although he had no idea why this new private guard was so bold and loyal, he reckoned that no more tests were needed.
“The inner court is supposed to be the place where the security is the strictest in the Meng Manor, but Ru’er was almost harmed this time. It’s because of this incident that she doesn’t trust the personal bodyguards in the inner court anymore.” Meng De Ye didn’t intend to beat around the bush as it wasn’t necessary to do so in front of his own private guards. Therefore, he directly told them the reason he had summoned them, “However, since you’ve saved Ru’er’s life, she has total trust in you. It could be said that she only trusts you of all the private guards in the Meng Manor.”
Yang Kai hung his head low, “It is my honour to have gained the Eldest Young Lady’s trust.”
“I want you to go to Ru’er’s side and be her personal bodyguard. Are you willing to take on this task?” Meng De Ye asked.
Yang Kai became startled for a moment before cupping his fist, “Rest assured, Patriarch. I am willing to be punished if the Eldest Young Lady loses even a single strand of hair.”
Meng De Ye nodded, “I have faith in your loyalty and capabilities. I’ll not mistreat you if you work hard.” He paused for a moment, “Do you have any requests?”
[He can even make a request?] Yin Zhi Yong was shocked, thinking that the Patriarch truly regarded Yang Kai as important.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I want a good saber and sword.”
The sword previously given to him by those from the Meng Manor was mass-produced, so it couldn’t be considered a good weapon. It soon became bent and chipped, making it all but unusable. The saber he randomly took from a dead bandit from Hidden Treasure Peak was just an ordinary weapon as well.
In a world where the Martial Dao was so low, one’s power would be enhanced greatly by having a good weapon. If Yang Kai had an incredible weapon in his hands at that time, he wouldn’t have become so battered.
Meng De Ye nodded lightly, “You may leave now. Someone will get the weapons ready.”
“Many thanks, Patriarch.”
To the side, the steward with a goatee saluted Meng De Ye before leading Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong to leave the hall.
An elated Yin Zhi Yong still had no idea what was going on. Just now, the Patriarch told Yang Kai to be the personal bodyguard of the Eldest Young Lady, but he never mentioned anything about Yin Zhi Yong.
If he didn’t also become a personal bodyguard, why was he summoned to this place?
While leading the way at the front, the steward with a goatee said, “Congratulations, both of you. Only the most powerful and loyal private guards have a right to enter the inner court of the Meng Manor. Most private guards are not allowed to even approach the inner court.”
Instantly, Yin Zhi Yong became ecstatic as the steward’s words suggested that he was also a part of the inner court now, which allowed him to set his mind at ease. It had been more than ten years since he joined the Meng Manor, but he had always been an insignificant private guard in the outer court. Now that he could enter the inner court, he found it to be surreal while feeling excited.
“Many thanks, steward.” With a smile, Yin Zhi Yong walked up to the steward and stuffed a money pouch into his hands. Fully aware of what was going on, the steward discreetly took it as he was pleased with Yin Zhi Yong’s gesture.
Yin Zhi Yong then asked, “Are there any taboos in the inner court, Sir? Although I’ve been working in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, I’ve never stepped into the inner court before. Please grant us some instruction.”
The steward replied with a smile, “There’s indeed some taboos, but the most important thing is that men and women understand their stations. Both of you are men after all, and most of the people living in the inner court are women. Hence, when you’re in the inner court, don’t listen to anything you shouldn’t listen to, and don’t look at things you’re not supposed to see. Also, don’t go to any places as you please without the Patriarch’s permission. You’ll be fine as long as you fulfill your duties.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Yin Zhi Yong nodded repeatedly, “Little Brother Yang and I will protect the Eldest Young Lady regardless of what happens. We’ll do whatever she tells us to do, and we won’t make any mistakes.”
“I’m glad that’s what you think, and you’d better remember what you’ve said. Although you’ve made significant contributions this time, the Patriarch will not forgive you if you make any mistakes in the inner court.”
As they spoke, they finally arrived at the inner court. A maidservant with a bun was already waiting in front of the courtyard.
Yin Zhi Yong walked up to her and cupped his fist, “Lady Qian Qian!”
She was none other than the maidservant who worked for the Eldest Young Lady, Qian Qian. When Yang Kai was recuperating in the past, the Eldest Young Lady would send her to visit him every day; hence, Yin Zhi Yong recognised her.
Qian Qian seemed to be a timid woman. Although she had come into contact with Yin Zhi Yong and Yang Kai many times before, she still started blushing at this moment. She couldn’t help but take a step back and fall silent with her lips pressed together.
The steward stepped forward and said, “Lead the way for them. The Eldest Young Lady will make some arrangements.”
“Yes,” Qian Qian replied. After taking a glance at Yang Kai, she quickly hung her head low and turned around to lead the way.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong followed her closely.
The inner court was vast and beautiful. A lot of small bridges, ponds and rockery gardens were built among the various courtyards.
Yin Zhi Yong looked around and tutted in amazement. It had been more than ten years since he joined the Meng Manor, but it was the first time he came to the inner court, so he was curious about everything here. He was especially enamoured of the pleasant fragrance that lingered in the air that reminded him of the times when he was on a woman’s bed.
When he came across any women in the inner court, he quickly hung his head low as he would never forget that he was just a guard.
Of Meng De Ye’s three daughters, two of them were already married. Only the eldest Daughter, Meng Ru, was still single. The Patriarch had more than ten Wives though, so there were a lot of women in the inner court.
If Yin Zhi Yong caught a glimpse of anything he was not supposed to see, his eyes would probably be dug out.
After making many turns, they finally arrived at the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. Qian Qian went inside to inform the Eldest Young Lady about their arrival while Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong waited outside the building.
It was a building with three storeys. Many busy servants continuously entered and left the place. Perhaps they had heard the news, so they would look curiously at Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong when passing them by. Seeing that these two men appeared anxious, they covered their mouths and giggled while whispering among themselves.
A moment later, Qian Qian stepped out and said to them gently, “Come in. The Eldest Young Lady is waiting for you.”
Yin Zhi Yong replied in a fawning manner, “Many thanks, Lady Qian Qian!”
They entered and arrived at the lobby on the ground floor. It was supposed to be the place where the Eldest Young Lady received her guests as it was lavishly decorated. At this moment, the Eldest Young Lady, Meng Ru, was seated by a round table as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai with a pair of bright eyes.
The Eldest Young Lady appeared flustered when she saw the young private guard, who steadfastly stood in front of her to fend off all the danger for her previously. Although there was no part of his body that was left intact, he still never moved away.
Behind her stood a pretty woman, who was supposed to be Meng Ru’s maidservant. She looked curiously at Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, though most of her attention was drawn to Yang Kai. Yin Zhi Yong was older and not very handsome, so there was nothing worth seeing about him.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Lady.”
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong saluted her at the same time.
Meng Ru nodded and gazed at Yang Kai with concern, “How are you feeling? Did you use the healing medicine I told Cui’er to send to you?”
Yang Kai lowered his head and replied, “I am well. Many thanks for your concern, Eldest Young Lady. It is thanks to your medicine that I have recovered sooner than expected.”
“That’s good.” Meng Ru put on a smile, “I didn’t know what medicine would work for you, and they didn’t allow me to visit you. I wish I could have done so …”
Yang Kai quickly said, “Eldest Young Lady, you are a noblewoman, so it is not appropriate for you to step into the outer court where the men live. Your reputation would be tarnished if word got out.”
Meng Ru sighed, “That is what they all said.” She appeared dejected.
However, she soon put on a bright smile, “I can be at ease now since you’re fine. I was frightened when I saw you looking so horrible. I thought you would die.”
Yang Kai lifted his head and flashed a smile at her, “Well, it is not so easy to kill me.”
Seeing that he was so impudent, the maidservant, who was standing behind Meng Ru, frowned with displeasure and shot him a glare. She interrupted their conversation by saying, “Since you two have made a contribution, the Eldest Young Lady has asked the Patriarch to transfer you to this place. You must fulfil your duties and ensure the Eldest Young Lady’s safety at all costs.”
“We will remember,” Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong cupped their fists.
The maidservant then whispered to Meng Ru, “Eldest Young Lady, it’s getting late. You must take your medicine now.”
“Isn’t it still being prepared? Just wait a while longer,” Meng Ru replied.
The maidservant shook her head, “The medicine is indeed being prepared, but you were quite frightened previously. The doctor has said that you must recuperate without being disturbed for the time being.”
A helpless Eldest Young Lady let out a sigh, “Fine.”
With the help of the maidservant, she rose from the chair and spoke to Qian Qian, who had led Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong to this place, “Show them around the inner court and find a place for them to live.”
“Yes,” Qian Qian saluted her in an elegant manner.
The maidservant then helped the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru walk up the stairs while Qian Qian said to the two of them in a small voice, “Please come with me.”
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong thanked her before taking a stroll around the surrounding area with Qian Qian leading the way.
The place where the Eldest Young Lady lived wasn’t large, but there were still some places that they had to pay attention to lest they failed to discover some ill-intentioned people who hid there when the enemies struck again.
While following the maidservant, Yang Kai looked around and memorised the terrain. Since he was now responsible for protecting Meng Ru in the inner court, he had to put in his best effort.
Furthermore, he had to find a way to win the Eldest Young Lady’s heart in order to break the Heart Barrier that Qu Hua Shang had set up before this reincarnation.
A moment later, Qian Qian brought them to a tile-roofed house, “This is where you will be living, as it is not far away from the Eldest Young Lady’s room. When you’re not on duty, you can just remain here and be ready for any emergencies.”
“Many thanks, Lady Qian Qian,” Yin Zhi Yong thanked her and passed her a package as a gesture of friendliness.
Qian Qian apparently had no idea what was going on as she took the package. When she realised what was inside, she quickly passed it back to him and waved her hands, “There’s no need for that.”
Yin Zhi Yong said with a smile, “We’ll need your advice in many areas in the future. Please don’t turn me down as it’s just a small gift.”
“There’s really no need for that.” Qian Qian was flushing, “I-I just joined the Meng Manor not long ago, so there’s no advice I could give you.”
Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “You just joined the Meng Manor not long ago?”
“Yes,” Qian Qian nodded repeatedly as she appeared uneasy.
Yin Zhi Yong’s interest had been piqued. Supposedly, the maidservants by the Eldest Young Lady’s side must have passed a lot of tests and proven their loyalty to the Meng Manor. The new servants didn’t even have the right to enter the inner court, let alone serve the Eldest Young Lady.
“When did you join?” Yin Zhi Yong asked curiously.
“About a month ago…” Qian Qian replied in a small voice.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded as he gave her a thumbs-up, “You’re truly lucky to have the right to serve the Eldest Young Lady after only a month.”
Qian Qian hung her head low, “I don’t understand either. After the previous incident, I was told to send some medicine to the Eldest Young Lady. When she saw me, she decided to make me stay.”
“I see,” Yin Zhi Yong thought that she was extremely lucky. He was a private guard while Qian Qian was a maidservant. In the past over ten years, he had always been an insignificant private guard in the outer court. If not for the contribution he had inadvertently made, he wouldn’t have been transferred to the inner court. On the other hand, Qian Qian had only been working here for a month, but she could get into the inner court just because the Eldest Young Lady was fond of her. In comparison, his journey was much tougher, which made him feel a bit bitter.
With that said, Qian Qian was indeed beautiful and innocent-looking, so it was no wonder that the Eldest Young Lady was fond of her.
Upon learning that Qian Qian wasn’t a long-time maidservant of the Eldest Young Lady, Yin Zhi Yong became much more at ease. At the very least, he didn’t have to fawn over her.
Yang Kai, who had remained silent all along, suddenly asked, “The woman beside the Eldest Young Lady is named Cui’er?”
Qian Qian’s figure shook a little, as though Yang Kai had scared her by talking suddenly. With a blushing face, she replied, “Yes, she’s Big Sister Cui’er. She has been serving the Eldest Young Lady since she was a child. They grew up together.”
Yang Kai nodded his head then fell silent.
A short while later, Qian Qian left.
Yin Zhi Yong closed the door and asked in a small voice, “Little Brother Yang, is there anything wrong the Eldest Young Lady’s maidservant, Cui’er?”
He thought that Yang Kai had discovered something when the latter asked that question suddenly. He couldn’t help but speculate that Cui’er might be a mole sent to this place by those from Hidden Treasure Peak. Would they make another contribution not long after coming to the inner court?
“There’s nothing wrong with her.” Yang Kai didn’t know what was on his mind, “It’s just that the Eldest Young Lady said she had told Cui’er to send some healing medicine to me.”
After giving it a thought, Yin Zhi Yong replied, “Yes, that’s what she said.”
“Had you ever met Cui’er before that?” Yang Kai asked.
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “No…”
He suddenly realised something, “You’ve saved the Eldest Young Lady, and judging from her reaction today, there’s no doubt that she’s grateful to you. In that case, she would definitely send the most important maidservant to visit you; however, it was Lady Qian Qian who had been visiting you every day when you were recuperating.”
He initially thought that Qian Qian was someone important to the Eldest Young Lady, but it was apparently not the case. It had only been a month since she joined the Meng Manor, and she had only begun serving the Eldest Young Lady’s side after the incident.
The most important maidservant to the Eldest Young Lady should be Cui’er, who grew up with her.
“Why was that?” Yin Zhi Yong was puzzled.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I suppose Lady Cui’er received the Eldest Young Lady’s order, but she was too lazy or frightened to visit a person who was horribly injured, so she told Lady Qian Qian to visit me instead. After Lady Qian Qian reported everything to her, she would then report to the Eldest Young Lady.”
Upon learning what had happened, Yin Zhi Yong gave Yang Kai a thumbs-up, “You’re indeed clever since you’re able to figure out so many things from what the Eldest Young Lady had said. It was no wonder that you decisively ran after the bandits that night. To be honest, when I saw you leaving, I thought that you were escaping.”
Yang Kai put on a smile without responding to him.
Yin Zhi Yong asked curiously, “Little Brother, how did you know that the Eldest Young Lady was kidnapped?”
Yang Kai replied, “I didn’t know. I just speculated that someone was taken away from the inner court. I had no idea she was the Eldest Young Lady.”
“That’s incredible enough.” Admiration was written all over Yin Zhi Yong’s face as he chuckled, “I am incredible as well. I followed you as soon as I saw you running after the bandits.”
In fact, he didn’t have the confidence to ward off the enemies on his own after Yang Kai left the place, so he had no choice but to follow him.
With a frown though, he said, “This incident shows us that it’s not easy to deal with Lady Cui’er. We’d better be cautious so that she won’t be able to find fault with us.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had a feeling that if he wanted to win the Eldest Young Lady’s heart, Cui’er would be an obstacle.
Certainly, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were not the only private guards in the inner court. In fact, there were a lot of private guards, and they were significantly more powerful than the ones in the outer court.
After the previous incident, the Eldest Young Lady no longer trusted the personal bodyguards in the inner court though. It wasn’t that she was willful, but she was taken away by the bandit under the watch of so many personal bodyguards, so trust had indeed been lost.
That was the reason she wanted Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong by her side. Patriarch Meng doted on his eldest Daughter, so he directly agreed to this request.
Despite that, he had still told some personal bodyguards to hide around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. All of them had profound auras; however, the Eldest Young Lady and the maidservants were unaware of their presence as they had never cultivated before.
When Yang Kai came over from the building earlier, he detected some people who secretly examined him. Of course, he didn’t react despite knowing what was going on.
When Yang Kai agreed to become the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguard, he also made a request to the Patriarch, and it seemed the Meng Family was as efficient as they were wealthy.
They entered the inner court in the morning, and by the afternoon a sword and a sabre were presented to Yang Kai.
The sabre was similar to the ones given to the private guards in the Meng Manor. The characters ‘Stirring Clouds’ were engraved on the hilt. When he pulled out the weapon, a dazzling glint flashed through the blade.
The simple-looking sword was about one metre long, but the blade was shiny and sharp. When he flicked at the blade, a sword cry rang out for quite some time. The characters ‘Covering Rain’ were engraved on its hilt.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbstruck when he saw these two blades.
“The Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword are real treasures. They’re said to have been left behind by a powerful cultivator several hundred years ago. They last appeared thirty years ago when they were obtained by a rogue cultivator. I didn’t expect that they were in the Meng Manor!” With a fervent expression, Yin Zhi Yong fiddled with the sabre and sword. He was also a cultivator, so he loved treasures like these.
The average cultivator would see his power increase by 30% by wielding these exquisite weapons, not to mention that Yang Kai was a very powerful cultivator.
Moreover, given Yin Zhi Yong’s eyesight, he was certain that the Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword before his eyes were genuine, not counterfeits one could easily find on the streets.
He reluctantly put the weapons back into their sheaths and said with envy, “Little Brother Yang, the Patriarch must regard you highly if he gave you such treasures. I suppose only someone like you deserves such an incredible sword and sabre though.”
In the battle to protect the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru, Yang Kai did not only prove his loyalty but also his incredible strength and skill. In fact, Meng De Ye had sent his trusted aide to examine the battlefield, and the conclusion was that there were fewer than ten people in the world who could fight against 100 bandits on their own and cause such casualties.
Since Yang Kai was both loyal and powerful, it was expected that Meng De Ye regarded him highly. Yang Kai’s power would increase significantly as he now possessed the Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword.
It was not tiring to work in the inner court because Meng Ru stayed in her residence most of the time. She would rarely step out of the building.
It wasn’t certain whether it was because she loved staying indoors or she was still frightened following the previous incident.
Therefore, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong just had to remain hidden when they were on duty and paid close attention to her to prevent any accidents from happening.
With that said, rarely would any accidents happen in the inner court. Other than the two of them, there were a lot of personal bodyguards hiding in different places. Those who were untrustworthy would never be allowed to enter the inner court.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai now faced a conundrum as he was unable to get into any close contact with the Eldest Young Lady. This was giving him a headache.
There was no doubt that he had left a lasting impression on her, and he was now lucky enough to become her personal bodyguard in the inner court; however, if he was unable to strike while the iron was hot, his efforts might all go to waste.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai was just a personal bodyguard in the inner court while Meng Ru was the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. There was a huge difference between their statuses. If he crossed the line, he would only invite trouble to himself.
Yang Kai reckoned that he had to come up with a plan to get closer to the Eldest Young Lady.
One day, Meng Ru was in a good mood as she led her two maidservants to take a stroll around the garden.
Although it had only been a short time since Qian Qian entered the inner court, she had gained the Eldest Young Lady’s favour for some reason. Only one month had passed, but she was now one of her trusted maidservants.
Despite the fact that she was on an equal footing with Cui’er, she wasn’t as close to the Eldest Young Lady as the latter; after all, Cui’er and the Eldest Young Lady grew up together.
Having said that, many of the maidservants in the inner court were envious of Qian Qian’s luck. No one knew why the Eldest Young Lady was fond of this new maidservant.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong followed them without revealing themselves. The Eldest Young Lady and the maidservants had no idea where they were.
However, Meng Ru knew that Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were not far away from her in order to prevent any accidents from happening. That was because she had given it a try before. Regardless of where she was, she just had to call out to Yang Kai, and he would appear from a random corner and stand in front of her, as though he was her shadow.
For a few days, she never got tired of this little game. As soon as she found a reason, she would call out to Yang Kai.
As a result, Cui’er’s displeasure with Yang Kai increasingly intensified whenever she saw him.
On this day, the Eldest Young Lady was in a jovial mood; in fact, she had been cheerful recently as she was no longer traumatised by the kidnapping incident. She would always keep an alluring smile on her face.
Nevertheless, she was just a young woman who rarely stepped out of her residence, so after about two hours, she started panting and declared, “I’m tired.”
Cui’er said, “In that case, we should go back and get some rest. It’s pretty windy here, so you might catch a cold if you stay here any longer.”
The Eldest Young Lady tilted her head and fell into her thoughts. Suddenly thinking of something, she giggled and called out, “Guard Yang!”
The next moment, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind. Yang Kai appeared like a phantom and stopped in his tracks in a spot that was ten paces away from Meng Ru before cupping his fist, “Eldest Young Lady!”
“Oh, you’re here.” Meng Ru turned around and pouted with disappointment, “I thought you would appear from over there. I didn’t expect that you were behind me.”
When Cui’er saw that the Eldest Young Lady was acting so happily, she asked gently, “Eldest Young Lady, why did you call out to Guard Yang again? He has to stay hidden to protect you.”
She then glowered at Yang Kai, “You may go now.”
The Eldest Young Lady, however, interjected, “There’s not really any danger in the inner court. Moreover, Guard Yang is strong. Even if there’s any danger, he can protect me regardless of whether he is hidden or not. Am I right, Guard Yang?”
Yang Kai hung his head low, “It’s my duty to protect you, Eldest Young Lady.”
“Alright, the Eldest Young Lady knows that you’re loyal. You may go,” Cui’er waved her hand.
Instead of leaving though, Yang Kai asked, “Do you have anything to tell me, Eldest Young Lady?”
“Yes.” Meng Ru nodded happily, “I want to learn martial arts. Why don’t you teach me?”
Cui’er was astounded and asked, “You want to learn martial arts, Eldest Young Lady? You’ve never been interested in them since you were a child.”
Meng Ru replied with a smile, “That was in the past. Preferences can change over time.”
Cui’er dissuaded her by saying, “I’m worried that it’s too late for you to start learning martial arts. You won’t become a powerful cultivator. Furthermore…”
Meng Ru cut her off by saying, “It’s not like I want to become a powerful cultivator. I just want to strengthen my body. Isn’t that one of the benefits of learning martial arts? I feel tired after just walking for a short time, which must be because I’m weak. Moreover, I found it difficult to hold a sword previously as I almost couldn’t lift it. If I had learned martial arts, that wouldn’t have happened. Even if I come across any danger again, I’ll have the strength to protect myself.”
Seeing that the Eldest Young Lady was insistent, Cui’er wouldn’t dare to refute her. After giving it a thought, she offered a suggestion, “If you want to learn martial arts, you can ask a martial arts instructor in the manor to teach you. Guard Yang has his own duties, so it might not be convenient for him.”
Meng Ru snorted, “The martial arts instructors in the manor are not as strong as Guard Yang. You have no idea how bold he was. At that time, he easily killed those bandits with the sword and sabre in his hands. The blood formed into a puddle and dyed my shoes red.”
Cui’er had never heard of anything so ruthless before, so she turned pale in an instant and wouldn’t dare to say anything.
Meng Ru then turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Will you teach me, Guard Yang?”
Certainly, Yang Kai was more than willing to do that as he would have a chance to come into close contact with the Eldest Young Lady repeatedly, so after pretending to ponder for a moment, he nodded, “I am your subordinate, so I will definitely obey your orders.”
Meng Ru clapped her hands with joy, “Let’s start now, then.”
“Here?” Yang Kai asked.
“Oh, en, let’s go back first,” Meng Ru came to her senses and shuffled forward.
Yang Kai followed her closely.
Cui’er snapped back to reality and frowned. After telling Qian Qian something, she pulled up her dress and dashed out of the inner court.
The Eldest Young Lady wanted to learn martial arts, and she insisted that Yang Kai had to teach her. This matter had to be reported to the Patriarch. Since Cui’er was powerless to stop her, she reckoned that she would ask the Patriarch to intervene.
Upon leaving the inner court, Cui’er arrived at the Grand Hall where the Patriarch dealt with his daily business. After waiting for a bit, she was allowed to see him.
Cui’er quickly told him what was going on. With his back leaning against his chair, Meng De Ye placed his hands on his belly and gave it a thought, “If Ru’er wants to learn martial arts, just let her be. I suppose she just wants to learn it for fun. She won’t persevere for long. Tell Yang Kai that he must not let Ru’er get injured. If she loses a strand of hair, I’ll not spare him.”
Cui’er had never expected that the Patriarch would agree to it. Although it was obvious to everyone that he had been doting on the Eldest Young Lady over the years, she thought he would stop her this time.
She had the urge to say that after the previous incident, there was something wrong with the way the Eldest Young Lady looked at Yang Kai. She had been by her side for many years, but she had never seen Meng Ru looking at a man with such a gaze before.
That was a gaze with a sense of longing.
However, she wouldn’t dare to say such a thing out loud. First of all, she was worried that she was mistaken. Secondly, it might ruin the Eldest Young Lady’s reputation.
“You may leave now,” Meng De Ye waved his hand.
Left with no choice, Cui’er left the hall.
Upon returning to the inner court, she realised that the Eldest Young Lady had changed into some tight-fitting clothes. There was a wooden sword in her hand as she wielded it following Yang Kai’s instructions.
The move was monotonous, but the Eldest Young Lady seemed joyful and serious as she kept asking Yang Kai whether she was doing it right. Yang Kai was just standing in a spot not far away from her as he gave her instructions from time to time.
Meanwhile, Qian Qian was standing silently to the side. Cui’er walked up to her and complained, “Why didn’t you stop her?”
A flustered Qian Qian lowered her head and remained silent.
Cui’er snapped, “You’re so useless! I’ll chase you out of here sooner or later!”
Qian Qian hung her head even lower.
Just a quarter-hour later, the Eldest Young Lady was drenched in sweat.
A well-prepared Cui’er walked up to her with a wet towel and helped her wipe herself off.
With a hopeful gaze, Meng Ru asked, “How was I doing, Guard Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “As a beginner, you are doing very well. You have the talent to learn martial arts.”
That was to be expected; after all, she was Qu Hua Shang’s reincarnation. Although she had lost her memory, her instincts were ingrained in the deepest part of her Soul. It wasn’t surprising that she had shown exceptional aptitude in learning martial arts.
Meng Ru was elated, “Really? You’d better not lie to me. If you do, I’ll…” As she spoke, she balled up her fist and shook it as though she was going to punch him.
However, she soon realised that she was acting rather coquettishly, so she quickly retracted her hand and wiped her face to conceal her embarrassment.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “I would never dare to lie to you. It’s the truth.”
Upon hearing that, Meng Ru put on a bright smile.
Cui’er pressed her lips together, “You’d better be cautious, Eldest Young Lady. Men’s words cannot be trusted.”
“What are you talking about? It’s not like you’ve had a man before,” Meng Ru pinched the other woman’s nose.
A blushing Cui’er stomped her foot on the ground, “How could you even say such a thing? I have to tell the Patriarch about it.”
“No, don’t do that! I’ll keep my mouth shut, Cui’er,” Meng Ru quickly pleaded with her.
Everyone thought that Meng Ru was just learning martial arts for fun, which was why she pestered her personal bodyguard to teach her. After she became exhausted and lost interest in it, she would give it up.
Therefore, after she persevered for a few days, the women in the inner court were shocked, including her maidservant Cui’er.
Every day, the Eldest Young Lady would get out of her bed before the sky turned bright. Unlike in the past when she would dress up patiently, she just had to tie up her hair and put on some tight-fitting clothes now before heading to the courtyard with a wooden sword. Yang Kai would always be waiting for her there.
She would be soaked in sweat every day, but she was still high-spirited. Even just by monotonously wielding her sword, she increasingly became better with the movements.
The two maidservants were asked to learn martial arts as well. The main reason was that the Eldest Young Lady was annoyed by Cui’er, who always tried to stop her from practising. If Cui’er could learn with her, perhaps she would keep her mouth shut.
However, not everyone had the Eldest Young Lady’s perseverance.
Cui’er gave it up barely two days later. Other than the fact that the moves were monotonous, her entire figure would ache every day. Although she was a maidservant, she grew up with the Eldest Young Lady and enjoyed the finer things in life. She had never gone through such hardship before.
With that said, after she gave it up, she rarely dissuaded the Eldest Young Lady from learning martial arts again. Perhaps she no longer had the nerve to do so.
On the other hand, even though Qian Qian appeared timid, she had impressive willpower.
Moreover, Yang Kai discovered that she was just as talented as the Eldest Young Lady when it came to learning martial arts.
Time went by quickly as he taught martial arts with an ulterior motive while the two women learned attentively.
Two months had passed. Yang Kai and the Eldest Young Lady had become much closer to each other through their contact every day. He could clearly notice that whenever the Eldest Young Lady looked at him, her gaze was filled with a sense of longing. Only when a woman was in love with a man would she gaze at him in such a way.
Back then, after he risked his life to save her, she started treating him favourably. The contact and guidance over the past few months had just pulled them closer to one another.
Yang Kai had a feeling that he was close to breaking Senior Sister Qu’s Heart Barrier, but he had no idea how much more he had to do before he could succeed. He could only play it by ear now; after all, he didn’t have similar experiences that he could refer to. This Samsara World had its own rules.
One day, after Yang Kai was done teaching the Eldest Young Lady, Cui’er came over with a wet towel and helped wipe her face. All of a sudden, the Eldest Young Lady said, “Guard Yang, I’m leaving the city tomorrow. Please come with me.”
Yang Kai became startled for a moment before nodding, “Yes.”
He had no idea why the Eldest Young Lady was leaving the city. Since she returned to the Meng Manor some time ago, she had never left her residence. She would only take a stroll in the garden at most.
She must have a matter to attend to for leaving the city. However, as a private guard, he wasn’t in a position to ask her anything.
“Is there anything I need to prepare?” Yang Kai asked.
“No, you just have to follow me.” The Eldest Young Lady forced a smile, “I’m a little tired now, so I’ll get some rest. Please rest early as well, Guard Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded his head and stepped back into the darkness.
The next day, the Eldest Young Lady was dressed in some simple clothes. A carriage was ready outside the Meng Manor. Besides that, there were a group of personal bodyguards with sabres who would escort her.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were on either side of the carriage.
Beside Yang Kai was Qian Qian while Cui’er was leading the way at the front.
With his left hand on his hilt, Yang Kai looked around to prevent any ill-intentioned people from coming near. Although the crisis caused by the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak had been resolved previously, he had no idea whether the Meng Manor had dealt with those from Hidden Treasure Peak in any way recently.
He had to be ready for a fight at any moment.
There was one time when he turned his head, he realised that Qian Qian was looking at him.
He nodded at her and put on a smile. In an instant, Qian Qian started blushing and hung her head low. She lost her balance and almost stumbled over.
A dextrous Yang Kai quickly took her arm, “Watch out!”
A flustered Qian Qian retracted her arm and said in a small voice, “T-Thanks.”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her. He was pleased with this maidservant who was timid but hardworking. She was unlike the annoying Cui’er, who loved to boss others around just because she was the Eldest Young Lady’s trusted maidservant.
“What happened?” The Eldest Young Lady lifted the curtain and revealed her alluring face. She must have heard the noise just now.
“Nothing,” Yang Kai shook his head.
The Eldest Young Lady shot him a doubtful look and gazed at the blushing Qian Qian before snorting, “Don’t bully Qian Qian. If you do, I won’t let you off.”
“I would never dare to!” Yang Kai secretly smiled in a helpless manner, thinking that the Eldest Young Lady was the one he wanted to bully; however, he couldn’t say such a thing for the time being as he was just a personal bodyguard.
The Eldest Young Lady pretended to be fierce and showed him her fist before letting the curtain down.
A moment later, she was heard saying in a melancholic voice, “It’s the anniversary of my Mother’s death. I visit the Gratitude Shrine to pray for her every year.”
It was only then that Yang Kai found out why the Eldest Young Lady was leaving the city. Gratitude Shrine was more than a dozen kilometres away from the city where a lot of believers would pray to the Heavens.
Shrines were rarely seen in the 3,000 Worlds. There were no shrines in the Universe Worlds where Yang Kai had stayed before. With that said, he was aware of such places.
It had something to do with a kind of faith.
Furthermore, over the past couple of months, Yin Zhi Yong had given Yang Kai some information about the Meng Manor.
Although Meng Ru was the Eldest Young Lady, she wasn’t a legitimate child. Her Mother wasn’t Meng De Ye’s Wife; instead, the two apparently got to know each other when they were still very young.
Even though Meng De Ye had many Wives, he loved this woman, who had started following him since childhood and would never leave him, the most.
Unfortunately, she didn’t enjoy a long life. She passed away when the Eldest Young Lady was still a young child.
Perhaps Meng De Ye felt guilty as well as a sense of longing, so he doted on Meng Ru the most out of all his children. Despite the fact that she was pretty mature now, he had never forced her to marry anyone.
In this Samsara World, women who were still not married by the age of twenty-six or twenty-seven would be treated like jinxes.
However, the Eldest Young Lady was still doing perfectly well in the Meng Manor, which was a wealthy family to begin with. Despite the fact that she was a noble lady, Meng De Ye still allowed her to learn martial arts.
Gratitude Shrine was more than a dozen kilometres away from White Jade City where there were a lot of believers. While going up the mountain, they saw a lot of people walking along the path. Seeing the formation of the Meng Manor, these people would move to the sides.
The ordinary people would never dare to offend those from the Meng Manor.
One hour later, they arrived at the peak. Yang Kai looked up and saw a magnificent shrine.
In front of them stood an old monk with a scar on his head who was clad in a simple robe. Apparently, he had been informed in advance that the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Manor was coming over.
Meng Ru and the old monk obviously knew one another; after all, she would visit Gratitude Shrine once every year. After getting out of the carriage, she saluted the old monk and followed him to enter the shrine.
The personal bodyguards followed her closely. After exchanging glances with Yin Zhi Yong, Yang Kai hid among the crowd.
While one of them was conspicuous, the other was hidden. Moreover, with the protection of other personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor, there were no worries about Meng Ru’s safety.
After following the old monk to an altar where ceremonial lamps were placed, Meng Ru poured some oil into it for her Mother and headed to another Grand Hall where she would light some incense sticks, pray, and perform divination with sticks.
Suddenly thinking of something, Meng Ru cheered up instantly and put on a smile.
After walking around for a bit, she was a little tired, so she found a stone pavilion and had a seat. Cui’er quickly fished out the cakes and tea she had prepared earlier while the personal bodyguards dispersed and guarded the stone pavilion.
Inside the stone pavilion, Meng Ru was having a joyous chat with the maidservant while looking around. She was a little disappointed when she didn’t see the person she had been longing for; however, when she thought of the fact he would protect her at any moment, she became at ease.
Right then, a young man clad in white clothes was sauntering towards them. He was followed by a servant who had a sword in his hand.
He was a tall and handsome young man who sported a harmless smile. There was no doubt that he was a gentle and good-looking nobleman.
When Cui’er caught a glimpse of the young man, she could not move her eyes away from him again.
“Stop right there! The Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor is resting here,” The responsible personal bodyguards tried to stop them from coming closer.
Despite the fact that the young man was a noble, he wasn’t infuriated at their rudeness. He just cupped his fist and said with a smile, “Please tell the Eldest Young Lady that Feng Cheng Si of the Feng Family would like to see her.”
The personal bodyguards were shocked as they finally recognised this young man and they quickly put away their arrogance.
Despite his gentle voice, Meng Ru could hear him as she wasn’t far from him to begin with. When she heard the name Feng Cheng Si, she turned her head and appeared surprised. Then, she beckoned to Cui’er and spoke to her in a small voice.
Cui’er nodded and walked up to Feng Cheng Si before saluting him in an elegant manner, “Young City Lord, our Young Lady would like to see you.”
Feng Cheng Si smiled and nodded his head, “Many thanks.”
Cui’er stole a glance at him and hung her head low with a blushing face.
After leading him to the stone pavilion, she stood behind Meng Ru.
Meng Ru examined Feng Cheng Si and put on a smile, “It’s really you, Young City Lord. Why are you here?” It wasn’t the first time they met each other. Previously, when she was in danger, it was Yang Kai who stood in front of her and became exhausted from fending off all the enemies while in the end, Feng Cheng Si came to the rescue with the soldiers from White Jade City.
Nevertheless, Meng Ru was concerned about Yang Kai on the way home, so she wasn’t in the mood to talk to Feng Cheng Si.
Feng Cheng Si replied with a smile, “The weather is lovely today, so I decided to leave home for a walk. I didn’t expect to see you here, Little Sister Ru. What a coincidence.”
Meng Ru reckoned that he was older than she was, and he had done her a favour previously, so she only felt awkward but not disgusted by the fact that he called her ‘Little Sister Ru’.
With a smile, she said, “I should have personally thanked you for helping to save me previously, but I haven’t had a chance to do so. Please don’t take offence, Young City Lord.”
“It was all thanks to the personal bodyguard from the Meng Manor. This Feng didn’t really do anything, so I don’t deserve your gratitude.” Feng Cheng Si put on a faint smile.
Meng Ru shook her head, “Young City Lord, if you hadn’t come to the rescue in time, the consequences would have been dreadful.” Seeing that he was still standing, she quickly invited him to have a seat.
Feng Cheng Si thanked her and elegantly took a seat.
They went on to have a chat in a joyful manner.
One hour later, Meng Ru appeared fatigued, so Cui’er promptly said, “Eldest Young Lady, it’s getting late now, so we should head home; otherwise, the Patriarch will be worried about you.”
Following a nod, Meng Ru rose from the seat and bid Feng Cheng Si farewell. The latter didn’t make her stay as he watched them leave.
It wasn’t until Meng Ru and her personal bodyguards were out of sight that Feng Cheng Si put on a smile and called out, “Junior Brother Yang!”
The sword-holding young man beside him appeared doubtful as he had no idea why the Young Master suddenly shouted at the air. Just when he wanted to ask him about it, a figure emerged from the shadow all of a sudden like a phantom. He wasn’t even aware of his presence this whole time.
Flabbergasted, the sword-holding young man dexterously hid behind Feng Cheng Si and stuck out his head before yelling, “Who are you!?”
Ignoring him, Yang Kai stared at Feng Cheng Si and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Feng!”
As their eyes met, there seemed to be sparks flying in the air.
The sword-holding young man appeared puzzled. Judging from the way the Young Master and this strange man called each other, they seemed to be Fellow Brothers; however, at this moment, they appeared to be in a conflict for some reason.
What made the sword-holding young man feel even more perplexed was that this man surnamed Yang was apparently a personal bodyguard from the Meng Manor, so how was it possible that he and the Young City Lord were Fellow Brothers?
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Junior Brother Yang. We’ve finally met each other. You’re indeed a handsome man,” Feng Cheng Si flashed a smile at him.
“Many thanks for the compliment, Senior Brother,” Yang Kai replied dispassionately.
Sensing his impassiveness, Feng Cheng Si said with a frown, “It wasn’t my idea to come into this world; however, since I’ve received the order from my Honoured Master, I have to do my best. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you in any way.”
Yang Kai nodded, “We’ll do our best in our own ways, then. However, I still have to persuade you to quit as early as possible so that you’ll be spared the embarrassment.”
Feng Cheng Si asked with a smile, “Do you have so much confidence in yourself, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai lifted his head and replied arrogantly, “Don’t you get it? I’m very close to her now.”
He found it somewhat laughable that he was competing against another man to win over a woman’s heart.
Feng Cheng Si said, “I’m fully aware of the advantages you have, but you’d better not underestimate me. I have my own advantages as well.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it, then,” Yang Kai turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
A moment later, the sword-holding young man, who was hiding behind Feng Cheng Si, looked around curiously, “Young Master… is that ghost gone?”
An annoyed Feng Cheng Si knocked on his head, “What nonsense are you spouting? We’re heading back now!”
“Yes!” The sword-holding young man responded as he kept looking back at the stone pavilion, as though a sabre-and-sword-wielding ghost would reappear at any moment.
Yang Kai would soon find out what Feng Cheng Si’s planned to do. That guy showcased his advantage with just one move and forced Yang Kai onto the defensive.
The day after they returned from Gratitude Shrine, the Eldest Young Lady and Qian Qian were learning martial arts from Yang Kai when Cui’er rushed over with an excited expression and shouted, “Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady! Something major has happened!”
Meng Ru, who was wielding the wooden sword, was shocked as she stopped what she was doing and looked at her; however, upon seeing Cui’er’s expression, she glared at her, “Why are you shouting? I was frightened.”
Cui’er stood in front of the Eldest Young Lady and stuck out her tongue before saying in a hushed voice, “Eldest Young Lady, something major has really happened.”
“What’s the matter?” Meng Ru asked with a frown.
While trying to be mysterious, Cui’er glanced at her and replied, “It’s something great.”
A helpless Meng Ru rapidly extended her hand and pinched the other woman’s waist, “How dare you keep me on tenterhooks? Are you going to tell me or not?”
Cui’er giggled and begged for mercy, after which Meng Ru let her off.
Qian Qian picked up a towel and passed it to Meng Ru, who wiped her face with it and listened attentively.
It was then that Cui’er said, “Those from City Lord’s Mansion have sent us several gift carts. It’s said that the Young City Lord is proposing marriage.”
Meng Ru froze for a moment before taking a glance at Yang Kai with anxiety and asking nervously, “Propose marriage? What are you talking about?”
Cui’er replied with a smile, “What else could it be? It’s the marriage between you and the Young City Lord. You saw him yesterday. He’s handsome and good at martial arts. Moreover, he’s wealthy and mild-tempered. Everything about him is good. He’s a perfect match for you…”
An anxious Meng Ru asked, “Did my Father agree to it?”
Cui’er shook her head, “I have no idea, but the Patriarch looks pleased. He’s having a chat with the Young City Lord in the Reception Hall right now.”
Upon hearing that, Meng Ru quickly tossed the towel away and sprinted off.
A shocked Cui’er asked, “Where are you going, Eldest Young Lady?”
Meng Ru ignored her. Nevertheless, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stood there for a moment before turning around. With a conflicted expression, she gazed at Yang Kai, “Guard Yang, I’m a little tired now, so let’s call it a day.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Since you’re tired, you should get some rest, Eldest Young Lady.”
Following that, Meng Ru shuffled into her room and closed the door.
All of a sudden, Cui’er glared at Yang Kai, her eyes full of hostility.
One hour later, the Meng Family Patriarch Meng De Ye arrived at the inner court and entered Meng Ru’s room. It wasn’t certain what the conversation was about, but when he left the room, he shook his head and sighed in a helpless manner.
Cui’er followed him, but she was soon captured by the Patriarch’s personal bodyguard and brought to Meng De Ye.
She could be completely at ease in front of the Eldest Young Lady; after all, they grew up together, so they were as close as Sisters. However, in front of the Patriarch, she would never dare to cross the line.
That was because there were initially three other girls who grew up with the Eldest Young Lady, but eventually, she was the only one left.
The Eldest Young Lady was innocent and kind-hearted, so she thought that the three maidservants had found decent Husbands. Nevertheless, Cui’er knew that they had already lost their lives.
While working for the Eldest Young Lady, one might be killed for making even a small mistake.
Kneeling in front of the Patriarch, Cui’er was trembling, “Patriarch, there’s something I need to tell you.”
With his hands behind his back, Meng De Ye said impassively, “Speak.”
After hesitating for a moment, Cui’er replied in a shaking voice, “I’m not sure if I’m mistaken, but the Eldest Young Lady… She seems to have developed some feelings for Guard Yang.”
Then, she quickly added, “I don’t know if it’s just a misunderstanding. I’m not certain about anything.”
The Patriarch didn’t respond in any way; however, Cui’er knew that it was how the Patriarch reacted when he was furious, so she became increasingly anxious.
A moment later, the Patriarch asked, “When did you discover it?”
A terrified Cui’er replied, “After the Eldest Young Lady was rescued.”
Meng De Ye questioned, “It has been months since she was rescued. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Cui’er pressed her head against the ground, “I wouldn’t dare to!”
“You wouldn’t dare to?” Meng De Ye sneered, “Cut her into pieces to fertilize the plants!”
Cui’er felt her entire figure turning limp. It wasn’t until two personal bodyguards took her arms and dragged her out of the place that she started begging for mercy, “Please have mercy on me, Patriarch! Please spare my life! I’m the only long-time maidservant by the Eldest Young Lady’s side now. If I’m killed, she’ll be sad!”
Her words just barely saved her. After receiving an instruction, the two personal bodyguards dropped her.
Meng De Ye’s voice could be heard saying from a distance, “Watch over the Eldest Young Lady and inform me immediately whenever something happens. If anything goes wrong again, I will personally kill you!”
Cui’er hurriedly agreed. When she looked up, there was no one in front of her.
After that day, the Eldest Young Lady was back to her usual self. Yang Kai didn’t ask how the Young City Lord’s proposal was dealt with, but Yin Zhi Yong had found out quite a bit of information.
In fact, the Young City Lord had personally come over to propose marriage, and Meng De Ye was apparently pleased with him; after all, Feng Cheng Si was of noble background and was a perfect match for the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Family.
Meng Ru was not getting any younger, and it was impossible for her to stay in the Meng Manor forever. If there was a suitable man for her, Meng De Ye wouldn’t reject him.
Nevertheless, Meng De Ye didn’t seem to have given a positive reply regarding the proposal.
This made Yin Zhi Yong realise that the Patriarch truly treasured the Eldest Young Lady. Even in families that were wealthier than the Meng Family, the parents held the right to make an arrangement for their children’s marriages, not to mention in ordinary families. Rarely would any woman decide for herself what man she wanted to marry.
However, in the Meng Family, the Eldest Young Lady had the final say in this matter, and even the Patriarch, who was known to be iron-fisted, didn’t try to force her.
With that said, Yang Kai clearly noticed that there were now more people who were hidden around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. Other than paying close attention to the Eldest Young Lady, they were also watching over him.
Recently, Cui’er had been acting weirdly as well. In the past, he could sense that she detested him, but it seemed to have turned into resentment now.
She could barely contain the hatred in her eyes.
Yang Kai had a feeling that something was amiss.
One day, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were told to see the Patriarch.
Inside the Grand Hall, Meng De Ye gazed at them and said, “I have some goods that have to be sent to Great Abundance City tomorrow. These goods are extremely important, so I want you two to escort them.”
Upon hearing that, Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “What about the Eldest Young Lady?”
He and Yang Kai were the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguards, so supposedly, they would have to send goods to another city. Hence, he was puzzled by Meng De Ye’s order.
Meng De Ye replied, “I’ve made arrangements for her, so you don’t have to worry about her.” He paused for a moment, “She’ll marry someone sooner or later. You two are loyal to the Meng Manor. After she gets married, I’ll need you two to work in other areas. So, try getting used to it now.”
An excited Yin Zhi Yong cupped his fist, “Many thanks for trusting us, Patriarch.”
Meng De Ye waved his hand, after which they respectfully left the hall.
It would take a person about half a month to travel from White Jade City to Great Abundance City. He would pass through a lot of desolate places where bandits might appear at any moment. The average person had to be escorted by powerful cultivators if he wanted to take this journey; otherwise, he would most likely be killed.
On the other hand, this was one of the major business routes for the Meng Family. Every year, countless goods would be sent to or dispatched from the Meng Manor through this route.
There were more than twenty people who were tasked with escorting the goods this time. Other than Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, who were personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor, the rest were from Grand Abundance Bureau, an armed escort service provider from White Jade City.
The chief armed escort was surnamed Guo. He was a straightforward and well-built man.
The Meng Manor had worked with Grand Abundance Bureau many times before, so they were on good terms; therefore, after accepting the order, the chief armed escort immediately made an arrangement and even personally led the best-armed escorts in the bureau to protect the goods to show that they truly valued this partnership.
The task assigned to Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong was simple. They just had to follow the people from Grand Abundance Bureau and escort the goods to Great Abundance City. After the other party accepted the goods, they could return.
Yin Zhi Yong had been confined to the Eldest Young Lady’s side recently. Upon leaving the Meng Manor, he was as happy as a bird that had been released from a cage. With a wine bottle in his hand, he went everywhere to look for people who could drink wine with him. Besides that, he also boasted to Yang Kai that the women in Great Abundance City were beautiful and promised to take Yang Kai to a brothel when they arrived at the destination.
The armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were professional. The scouts were regularly sent out in pairs to gather information and return with useful news.
It had been peaceful for the first five days.
On the fifth day, the team had to sleep the night in a place named Upward Mound. It was an open-air area with no places for anyone to hide. It wasn’t possible for there to be any ambushes. Even if an emergency happened, it would be easy for them to flee.
Those from Grand Abundance Bureau were careful when looking for a place to rest, and after they were done with dinner, most slept while the rest stood guard.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai awakened in shock as he caught a whiff of a metallic tang. This faint smell of blood was imperceptible to those who hadn’t had a lot of experience in battle; however, Yang Kai had experienced countless carnage in his life. Although his strength had been significantly weakened after he was incarnated into this world, he remained sensitive to the smell of blood.
Right then, the sounds of something breaking through the air rang out. In the darkness, sharp arrows broke through the sky and poured down on them like rain.
“Enemy attack!” Yang Kai got to his feet and shouted. At the same time, he picked up Yin Zhi Yong, who was sound asleep, and rolled away before hiding behind a tree.
The sounds of arrows breaking through the air were heard amidst the grunts and shrieks. After just a short moment, the armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all either killed or injured.
Yin Zhi Yong had had some wine before going to sleep, but he was completely sober at this moment and asked in horror, “What’s going on?”
There wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to answer the question. Presently, all the tents were on fire. The arrows were aflame as they turned the tents and carriages into pyres. The horses neighed in shock as the entire place descended into chaos.
The rain of arrows didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Yang Kai pulled a dead-armed escort towards himself and covered his body with the corpse.
Upon seeing that, Yin Zhi Yong did the same.
The arrows that poured down like rain only stopped a cup of tea later. The entire place was ablaze as all twenty armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all dead.
It wasn’t until this moment that horses were heard approaching them from a distance.
Hiding beneath a corpse, Yin Zhi Yong looked around in horror with the help of the flickering fire. More than 100 people on horses had appeared from all directions. The burly bald man at the front was holding a sabre with a hideous expression.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his heart skipping a beat, for he recognised the bald man.
The person was none other than the Head Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak!
After those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and took the Eldest Young Lady away, their Managers were put on wanted lists, and their faces became known to everyone in the city.
That was the reason Yin Zhi Yong could instantly recognise this man.
However, why were the people from Hidden Treasure Peak here? This was a route that led to Great Abundance City, which was in the south, while Hidden Treasure Peak was in the north. Those from Hidden Treasure Peak didn’t have any business in this.
Nevertheless, he didn’t have any time to ponder on it as the Head Manager wielded his sabre and shouted, “Find the corpses!”
His subordinates then dispersed and searched around.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what corpses they were looking for. He only knew that he would be doomed if he couldn’t come up with a solution. He turned to look at Yang Kai’s hiding place and became dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen. Only the dead armed escort, who was previously used to fend off the arrows, was left behind.
[That stinking brat is too much! How could he run away without telling me!?] Yin Zhi Yong had the urge to howl in misery. He didn’t even notice that Yang Kai had left. He only knew that when he was sound asleep, Yang Kai picked him up and rolled away to dodge the first round of arrows.
Seeing that those from Hidden Treasure Peak were about to find him, Yin Zhi Yong was struggling internally between begging for mercy or fighting to the death. Right then, someone was heard exclaiming, after which something heavy thudded on the ground. The next moment, everyone was heard yelling, “Head Manager!”
“Don’t move!” The Head Manager bellowed.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what was going on, but with the help of the fire, he looked up and faintly saw a figure standing behind the Head Manager, holding a sharp blade to the latter’s neck.
Stirring Clouds Saber!
Yin Zhi Yong was ecstatic. Even though he couldn’t make out the person behind the Head Manager, he could recognise the incredible weapon.
After pushing the corpse away, Yin Zhi Yong, who was drenched in blood, got to his feet. His action stunned the bandits around him.
The Head Manager took a glance at him and grinned, “You two are indeed martial arts experts. I didn’t expect you to survive.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming behind him. The next moment, Yin Zhi Yong saw Yang Kai sticking out his head as the latter asked, “Are you alright, Brother Yin?”
“I’m fine,” Pretending to be tough, Yin Zhi Yong wiped the blood off his face. In fact, he wasn’t injured one bit as even his skin was still intact.
“What about you, Head Manager? What should I do about you now?” Yang Kai asked impassively, not moving the sabre away.
The Head Manager chuckled, “This is how I usually hold a woman. I hadn’t expected to be embraced in such a way one day. It’s a new experience.”
Just then, a glint flashed through the weapon as two fingers were sent flying away. The Head Manager grunted while his hand, which had secretly reached for the dagger at his thigh just now, was covered in blood.
At that moment, the Head Manager turned ferocious while the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were agitated.
“Nothing good will ever come out of your mouth, huh? Only say something after thinking it through and don’t do anything unnecessary. My blade is pretty sharp. If I cut off something important, you won’t be able to put it back.” Yang Kai threatened him in a hushed voice, “Tell your people to back up. I’m a timid person. My hand will shake with so many people around me.”
The Head Manager sported a hideous expression, then raised his hand, “Move back 300 metres!”
The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak exchanged glances before they stepped backwards and disappeared into the darkness.
Despite the fact that the Head Manager was held captive while his blood was dripping from where his fingers were cut, he remained calm and collected. Yin Zhi Yong couldn’t help but think that this man was really something.
“I think we can have a talk now,” the Head Manager said.
Yang Kai sheathed Stirring Clouds Saber and leaped off the horse before shuffling towards the carriages where the goods were kept.
When the Head Manager saw Yang Kai facing away from him, he had the urge to unsheathe his sabre. However, as he recalled Yang Kai’s mastery of martial arts, he stifled his urge to do so.
When he held Meng Ru captive previously, he led more than 100 bandits to launch an attack on Yang Kai. Nevertheless, a lot of his subordinates were killed while the other party persevered until the soldiers from White Jade City came to the rescue.
This time, the Head Manager was captured by Yang Kai while he was unsuspecting, which was why he became at a disadvantage.
He still couldn’t believe that those from the Meng Manor had found such a powerful guard.
“Tell me. Who told you to do this?” Yang Kai asked with narrowed eyes while standing in front of the carriage.
Upon hearing that, the Head Manager sneered, “Do we need anyone to tell us to avenge the death of Hidden Treasure Peak’s Second Manager?”
“How did you find out our route and exact location? I’m guessing you have been hiding here for more than a day.”
The Head Manager replied impassively, “That’s what we do for a living. Of course we have our own ways of gathering information.”
While facing away from him, Yang Kai said, “It was those from the Meng Manor, right?”
Upon hearing that, Yin Zhi Yong was astounded, “Little Brother Yang, what are you talking about?”
The Head Manager flashed a smile at Yin Zhi Yong, “Your Little Brother is pretty interesting. Is there something wrong with his head?”
Yang Kai unsheathed his Covering Rain Sword. As a glint flashed through his weapon, the carriage fell apart and revealed the goods inside.
When Yin Zhi Yong took a glance, he became flabbergasted, “W-What’s going on here?”
The ‘valuable goods’ that the two of them and those from Grand Abundance Bureau had been escorting were just stones placed in crates. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He quickly went over to examine the stones. In the end, he confirmed that they were just rocks with nothing else hidden inside them.
It was the same case for the other carriages.
“How could this be?” Yin Zhi Yong found it hard to accept the truth as he still had no idea what was going on.
More than twenty people from Grand Abundance Bureau had lost their lives just to protect a few carriages of stones. If not for Yang Kai’s quick response, the two of them would have perished tonight as well.
“There’s something I don’t understand.” Yang Kai turned to look at the Head Manager, “Previously, those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Family. There were quite a few casualties on both sides, and even the Second Manager lost his life. Supposedly, those from the Meng Manor would never work with you, but this is exactly what happened. Can you tell me the reason behind it?”
The Head Manager was no longer as calm and collected as before because he felt helpless at the fact that the other party had seen through everything; however, he chose to say nothing and simply stared at Yang Kai with a grim expression.
Yang Kai held both the sabre and sword in his hands while shuffling towards him. With his gaze lowered, he said, “A person who doesn’t speak is no different from a corpse!”
The Head Manager replied grimly, “I can only tell you that I received a piece of information that you would pass through this place while escorting goods. However, the person who told me this has nothing to do with the Meng Manor.”
“Who is that person associated with, then?” Yang Kai asked while standing in front of him.
The Head Manager shook his head, apparently unwilling to reveal anything.
“Farewell, then,” As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, he pushed out his sabre and sword at the same time. Although the Head Manager had put his guard up, he was still unable to ward off both weapons. His head was sent flying away while blood spurted out from his neck.
On the other hand, Yang Kai leaped onto a horse and picked up the dazed Yin Zhi Yong before clenching his thighs. The next moment, they galloped off in a particular direction.
After the Head Manager was killed, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak madly chased after Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong while the latter killed those who pursued them. It wasn’t until the break of dawn that they were finally safe.
Yin Zhi Yong was already soaked in blood, and there were cuts all over his figure. With that said, those were not comparable to his mental fatigue.
In front of a river, Yang Kai cupped some water with both hands and washed his face. After that, he leaned against the tree trunk and panted.
Unable to contain the doubt in his mind, Yin Zhi Yong gazed at him and asked, “Little Brother, just what is happening?”
The incident on this night was too strange. He wasn’t really a bright person, so he was unable to figure it out. He just had a feeling that he and Yang Kai were sold out.
After measuring his words, Yang Kai said, “It’s me who has dragged you into this.”
Yin Zhi Yong replied, “What are you talking about?”
“That’s really the case,” Yang Kai reiterated, “Those from the Meng Manor want me dead. That was why they told us to escort some goods and orchestrated an attack in the middle of the night.”
Yin Zhi Yong parted his lips, not knowing what to say.
They were the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguards, but they were suddenly tasked with escorting some goods to Great Abundance City. However, the goods from the Meng Manor were just a bunch of stones. On the other hand, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak lived in the opposite direction from their route, but they had laid in ambush around this business route in advance.
Moreover, before the Head Manager’s death, he said that someone told him Yang Kai would pass by Upward Mound while escorting some goods.
All of this showed that Yin Zhi Yong had been dragged into a scheme.
“Is there a… partnership between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak?” Yin Zhi Yong found it hard to accept the notion. It wasn’t that he was surprised that those from the Meng Manor were in contact with bandits. As a wealthy family, it was expected that those from the Meng Family had contacts in both the authorities and the underworld. Nevertheless, just like what Yang Kai had said the day before, those from Hidden Treasure Peak had kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady, so there was supposed to be a blood feud between them. Given how the Meng Family Patriarch doted on the Eldest Young Lady, there was no room for partnership between the two.
“That might not be the case.” Yang Kai shook his head, “There is something in between that connects the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak.”
Yin Zhi Yong came to his senses, “Are you saying that there is no direct partnership between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak? Instead, there is a middleman between them?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Regardless, I’ve dragged you into this mess.”
Yin Zhi Yong still couldn’t figure it out, “But… why do those from the Meng Manor want you dead? Did you do anything wrong?”
Yang Kai shook his head as he didn’t want to explain anything. He finally understood why there were more people who were hiding around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence recently and the reason Cui’er’s gaze was filled with resentment whenever she looked at him.
It was apparent that they were the Patriarch’s spies. The fact that the Eldest Young Lady and Yang Kai were in love must have been exposed, which was why the Meng Family Patriarch wanted him dead.
There was no way Meng De Ye would allow his treasured Daughter to fall in love with a mere guard.
As for Yin Zhi Yong, he was really innocent in this matter.
Yang Kai rose to his feet and declared, “Brother Yin, you’d better leave now. Stay away from White Jade City and go to a place where the Meng Family can’t find you.”
Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “What about you?”
Yang Kai leaped onto the horse and turned around, “There’s a matter I have to settle.”
Upon finishing his words, he drove the horse to leave. Yin Zhi Yong called out to him from behind, but upon getting no reply, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and leave.
There was no way he could return to White Jade City. Those from the Meng Manor hadn’t managed to achieve their goal this time, so if he dared to show up, he would certainly lose his life. Just like what Yang Kai had said, he could only go to a place where no one would recognise him.
A few days later, a young man covered in dust passed through the city’s gates. When he looked up, he saw two new faces on the wanted list on the wall. Both of them were private guards of the Meng Manor. One of them was named Yang Kai while the other was Yin Zhi Yong.
The painter was pretty skillful as the two pictures were quite life-like.
On the wanted list, it was said that both of them were the private guards of the Meng Manor, but they had worked with the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak and ruthlessly killed more than twenty people from Grand Abundance Bureau at Upward Mound before stealing a lot of goods that belonged to the Meng Manor. They were cold-blooded and unforgivable.
With a dispassionate expression, Yang Kai looked away and directly entered the city. He had put on a disguise, so he could easily fool the people who were looking for him.
He had lived for many years and killed countless people, so it was expected that he had learned various skills and techniques.
He wasn’t particularly good at disguising himself, and in the eyes of the experts, he must have made a lot of mistakes. However, his skill was good enough for him to deal with this kind of situation.
Nevertheless, not long after he entered the city, Yang Kai realised that he was being stalked.
This surprised him quite a bit.
When the stalker barged into the alley, Yang Kai, who had been hiding in the dark, instantly appeared and clenched his neck. The stalker was apparently shocked as he pleaded, “Please don’t kill me! I’m just following orders, and I don’t intend to harm you.”
“Who gave you the order? What are you trying to do?” Yang Kai questioned coldly.
Seeing that the stalker shook his head, Yang Kai exerted more force with his hand. The person widened his eyes in horror, but he still wouldn’t expose anything.
Just when he thought he was about to get killed, Yang Kai suddenly tossed him away.
Having just escaped from death’s door, the stalker coughed violently and panted.
“Speak. What’s going on?” Yang Kai asked.
The stalker got to his feet with difficulty and looked at Yang Kai with a terrified expression. With his head lowered, he replied, “Sir said that he wants you to follow me to another place.”
Before Yang Kai even replied to him, he went on to say, “Sir also said that you don’t have to worry about anything as he has no intention to harm you. If he wanted that, I just needed to shout loudly, and you wouldn’t be able to leave White Jade City. There’s no point in going to such trouble.”
“I would kill you before you could shout,” Yang Kai threatened.
The stalker trembled, “Even if I can’t shout, someone else will.”
“Is your Sir threatening me?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
The stalker shook his head, “No, no, no! It’s just his way of showing his sincerity. That was exactly what Sir said, so please don’t blame me.”
Yang Kai was suddenly interested in the so-called Sir. After giving it a thought, he asked, “Do you know who I am?”
The stalker shook his head again, “I have no idea. I’m just following orders.”
“Lead the way, then,” Yang Kai nodded.
The Sir behind this person must be aware of Yang Kai’s identity, and he had found out that the latter had entered the city. It meant that someone could recognise him just now. Perhaps that Sir had been observing the surroundings somewhere near the city’s gates.
However, just like the stalker had said, he could expose Yang Kai’s identity by simply shouting it out loudly. By then, Yang Kai would never be able to leave White Jade City.
In that case, he could only play it by ear. He wanted to find out who was behind all this and what their intentions were.
They took countless turns as Yang Kai followed that person.
He suddenly realised that White Jade City was currently bustling with noise as the sounds of drums could be heard from time to time.
As though noticing his doubt, the person at the front said in a small voice, “In three days, the Meng Manor’s Eldest Young Lady and our Young City Lord will be getting married. It’s wonderful news for all of us in the city.”
“They’ll be married in three days?” Yang Kai was astonished upon hearing that.
“That’s right. The Young City Lord has personally proposed marriage, and the Meng Family Patriarch agreed to it. It could be said that the Meng Family has found a powerful backer.”
Yang Kai’s face fell as he realized he was one step too late. Feng Cheng Si had made a quick and decisive move.
During the encounter at Gratitude Shrine, Yang Kai said that he had a better chance of winning the Eldest Young Lady’s heart as he was close to her; however, he was soon asked to escort some goods following the Meng Family Patriarch’s order. Eventually, there was an ambush that awaited him.
Now, he had lost all his advantages while Feng Cheng Si had gained the upper hand.
He didn’t think that Feng Cheng Si was a despicable person. He had his own motives for coming to this Samsara World, so he had to do his best to achieve his goals. The person with better methods would have the last laugh.
The fact that he was ambushed should have nothing to do with Feng Cheng Si. He reckoned that it was the Meng Family Patriarch’s doing.
However, Yang Kai had no idea who the middleman between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak was.
From Yang Kai’s perspective, he naturally wouldn’t allow the wedding to take place; however, he didn’t have enough time to come up with a solution in just three days, and he was now faced with this situation that was shrouded in mystery.
“We’ve arrived at our destination,” The man stood in front of a house and extended his hand.
Yang Kai nodded and stepped into the house, but there was no one inside.
He turned to look at the man, who appeared embarrassed, “Sir told me to bring you to this place, and there were no further instructions. He said that you’ll realise he really means no harm after you enter.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai went further into the house and saw a red invitation card on the table.
While feeling doubtful, he picked it up and realised that it was an invitation card from the Meng Manor. With this invitation card, he would be able to attend the Eldest Young Lady’s wedding in three days.
Yang Kai arched his brow as he felt a sense of discomfort that his intentions had been seen through.
This invitation card was apparently targeted at him. The mastermind realised his thoughts and even created an opportunity for him.
There was no doubt that this invitation card was difficult to come by as the average person wouldn’t be able to get his hands on one. Fewer than 100 people in White Jade City had the right to receive such an invitation card.
The mastermind left behind one invitation card here for him, which suggested that the person had a powerful background.
The person who led Yang Kai to this place secretly fled while the latter was going through the invitation card. Yang Kai didn’t bother stopping him.
Since the mastermind had made such an arrangement, he naturally wouldn’t harm Yang Kai in the short term. It was obvious that this person wanted Yang Kai to make a scene at the wedding. His scheme would definitely be revealed by then.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to be led by the nose as he pocketed the invitation card. In the middle of the night, he put on some dark clothes and secretly left.
He had to head to the Meng Manor to see whether he could enter the inner court and see the Eldest Young Lady.
Yang Kai had been a personal bodyguard in the Meng Manor for several months, so he was fully aware of the arrangements within the manor. He felt that he had a chance to sneak in.
However, the reality was that the security in the Meng Manor had become far stricter. He still hadn’t found a chance even after waiting for a long time, so he could only give up in the end.
In that case, he could only look for an opportunity in three days. With the invitation card, he was supposedly able to enter the Meng Manor safely. The problem was how he was going to see the Eldest Young Lady in that situation and ask her about her intentions, thus allowing him to bring her out of that place.
He had snatched a bride during a wedding before, so this was not a new experience for him. At that moment, he was torn between tears and laughter.
There was no doubt that the most noble great force in White Jade City was the City Lord’s Mansion, which ruled over several hundred thousand citizens. No one in the city would dare to be disrespectful to them.
On the other hand, the Meng Family was one of the most prestigious families in White Jade City and was extremely wealthy.
Therefore, when word got out that both parties would soon be connected through marriage, it sent a shockwave across the entire city. It was rumoured that the Meng Manor’s Eldest Young Lady was a stunning beauty that was rarely seen in the world while the Young City Lord was handsome and talented. They were undoubtedly a perfect match.
On the wedding day, the entire White Jade City was bustling with noise as countless buildings were decorated with red ornaments on the outside to celebrate the occasion.
All the citizens seemed to have been infected by the jolly atmosphere of this wedding as the entire city was engulfed in a festive atmosphere.
The team that would fetch the bride departed from the City Lord’s Mansion and headed to the Meng Manor with sounds of music playing along the way. The bridegroom, who was clad in red clothes, was riding a well-built horse, which was also decorated with red ornaments, as befits the occasion.
In the meantime, Yang Kai, who had put on a disguise, showed the invitation card at the entrance and easily got into the Meng Manor. While pretending to be taking a stroll around the grounds, he surreptitiously got closer to the inner court.
He had been a private guard in the inner court for several months, so he was fully aware of the situation inside, including the places where the personal bodyguards would hide.
Over the past few days, he had repeatedly attempted to sneak into the Meng Manor; however, due to the stricter security, he was unable to achieve his goal.
It was an important day for the Meng Manor, and they were short of staff everywhere, so although the security in the inner court remained strict, it was still within Yang Kai’s ability to grasp. Hence, it was a great chance for him.
After avoiding some of the personal bodyguards who were hiding in the dark, he flipped over a wall the height of a person and entered the inner court. He was as agile as a cat while ensuring that he made no noise. Without stopping, he made a turn and hid behind a rockery garden.
A moment later, he stepped. A private guard had been knocked out within the rockery.
Like a gecko, Yang Kai climbed up the wall and reached the roof. When he jumped down more than ten breaths later, another private guard from the inner court was knocked out on the roof.
More and more private guards were knocked out. In just a cup of tea’s time, Yang Kai had incapacitated all the private guards around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence.
After that, he headed straight to the building where the Eldest Young Lady resided.
In front of the building stood two stern-looking personal bodyguards. With their hands on the hilts of their weapons, they looked around vigilantly.
With the smell of alcohol wafting from his body, Yang Kai staggered forward and covered his mouth, as though he would throw up at any moment. This alerted the two of them.
It was apparent to them that this person was a guest at the wedding, but it puzzled them as to how he even reached the inner court. Even if he had lost his way, the personal bodyguards outside should have stopped him.
How did anyone even arrive at this place?
The two personal bodyguards exchanged glances, after which one of them raised his hand and snapped, “Stop right there! You’re not supposed to be here!”
With his hand covering his mouth, Yang Kai waved at them with his other hand. At the same time, he stumbled over and crashed into them.
The personal bodyguard who spoke earlier frowned and stepped forward in an attempt to stop this mannerless guest.
As soon as they came into contact though, the personal bodyguard froze on the spot while Yang Kai was heard throwing up.
The other personal bodyguard soon realised that something was off. Just when he was ready to go over, the drunk guest appeared right in front of him the next moment like a phantom.
His clear eyes suggested that he was not intoxicated at all.
Flabbergasted, the personal bodyguard unsheathed his sabre, but it was too late. Yang Kai hit the other person’s neck with the side of his palm. The personal bodyguard turned limp and collapsed to the ground. At the same time, the other personal bodyguard behind him fell to the ground as well.
Yang Kai let out a breath and adjusted his clothes. Then, he stepped into the building and walked up the stairs.
Although he had been a private guard in the inner court for several months, it was actually the first time he stepped into this building. He just knew that the Eldest Young Lady usually lived on the second floor.
The room door on the second floor was closed, but someone could be heard speaking in a small voice inside. It was Cui’er.
“You look stunning today, Eldest Young Lady. Don’t you agree, Qian Qian?”
The next instant, Qian Qian was heard replying in a gentle tone, “Eldest Young Lady has always been good-looking.”
Cui’er said with a smile, “But she looks especially beautiful today. It’s said that a woman looks her best on her wedding day.” As she spoke, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat, “Please stop smiling like a fool, Eldest Young Lady. You make me feel worried. What’s good about Guard Yang? He’s just a private guard in the Meng Manor. He’s not comparable to the Young City Lord at all when it comes to his status. Only the Young City Lord can give you the happiness you deserve.”
“Haha!” Meng Ru was heard laughing, “Am I smiling like a fool?”
“Yes…” Cui’er replied, “Moreover, the Patriarch said that Guard Yang had worked with the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak. He killed many of the armed escorts and took away the Meng Manor’s goods. Now, those from the City Lord’s Mansion are hunting him down. He must have had an ulterior motive for coming to the Meng Manor all along.”
Meng Ru refuted, “The man I love is not such a despicable person. He didn’t do any of that… Furthermore, he’ll come back to look for me.”
“Are you out of your mind, Eldest Young Lady?” Cui’er was furious, “You’re getting married today, and you’ll be the Young City Lord’s Madame. He is supposed to be the only man you love.”
Meng Ru said in a calm voice, “The man I love must be a hero who will go against the entire world for me.”
“He’s being hunted down. He’ll never come back to White Jade City! Will you please wake up to reality, Eldest Young Lady?”
Just then, a creak was heard. The ladies inside the room turned their heads and saw Yang Kai, who had restored his original appearance.
The next moment, the colour drained from Cui’er’s face while Qian Qian was astonished. Only Meng Ru seemed to have expected it as she rose from the chair with a joyful smile.
She was clad in red clothes with a phoenix coronet on her head. Her beauty was out of this world.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai put on a smile. Meng Ru could see nothing else as her vision was filled by this man.
Yang Kai asked, “Will you come with me?”
Without hesitation, Meng Ru lifted her dress and dashed towards him with a joying expression.
It wasn’t until this moment that Cui’er came to her senses and exclaimed, “Eldest Young Lady!”
All of a sudden, she felt someone striking her neck, after which she collapsed to the ground.
Equally shocked, Yang Kai and Meng Ru gazed at Qian Qian, who had made a move just now.
Even Qian Qian was astounded. Although she had learned martial arts from Yang Kai for several months, she had never attacked anyone before. It was all her subconscious reaction just now, so it surprised her that she had actually knocked the other maidservant out.
With a pale face, she stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
Yang Kai took a glance at her and examined the unconscious Cui’er before comforting her, “It’s fine. She’s just passed out.”
Qian Qian nodded and felt slightly at ease.
“We have to leave White Jade City as soon as possible,” Yang Kai took Meng Ru’s hand and said in a small voice.
With a contented smile, Meng Ru bowed her head, “En.”
Over the past few months, they had never expressed their love for each other or done anything that crossed the line. They only exchanged glances at most; however, at this moment, they seemed to have known each other for several lifetimes. It was as though they were able to read each other’s thoughts with just one gaze or movement.
There was no gap or obstacle between them. They seemed to be fully aware of each other’s habits like a couple who had been married for years.
After summoning her courage, Qian Qian said, “I’ll follow you, Eldest Young Lady!”
Meng Ru looked inquisitively at Yang Kai, who remained silent for a moment and nodded.
The three of them then snuck out.
The private guards around the building were still unconscious, so it was easier to leave this place than when he came in. After passing through some doors, they arrived at the back street behind the Meng Manor.
Yang Kai had already gotten a carriage ready.
After telling Meng Ru and Qian Qian to get inside, he drove the horses forward.
He had successfully brought Meng Ru out of the Meng Manor, and his next step was to leave White Jade City, which would be a little difficult. Because of the wanted list, everybody who wanted to pass through the city gates of White Jade City had to be scrutinised.
It would have been easier if he were on his own. He could just put on some disguise and walk out; however, this wouldn’t work as he now had Meng Ru and Qian Qian with him. Moreover, Meng Ru was still clad in a wedding dress, which was naturally quite conspicuous.
Everything would be fine if he could pass through the gates. If he couldn’t, he had no choice but to fight his way out. Of course, Yang Kai was certain that the soldiers at the gates wouldn’t be able to stop him.
To his surprise, when he drove the carriage and emerged from the alley, several similar-looking carriages appeared from the sides and moved forward at the same time.
It was apparent that they were leaving the city as well. Yang Kai frowned as he had a feeling that something was amiss, but at this moment, he could only follow them. The team from the City Lord’s Mansion was supposed to arrive at the Meng Manor soon, so the fact that Meng Ru had gone missing would quickly be exposed. They had to leave White Jade City before that happened.
Soon, the carriages arrived at the city gates. Just when the soldiers were ready to examine them, a coachman at the front fished out a token and waved it. Seeing that, one of the soldiers shouted, “Let them pass!”
The carriages drove past the gates without any obstacles. Yang Kai followed them and easily left.
After leaving the city, Yang Kai furrowed his brows while following the carriages. He had a feeling that it was the mysterious mastermind’s doing.
In a place that was more than a dozen kilometres away from the city, the carriages suddenly dispersed. There stood a figure in silence as though he was waiting for something.
Yang Kai’s carriage stopped in front of that person as he turned his head, “Wait a moment.”
Meng Ru grunted in response.
It was then that Yang Kai leapt off the carriage and walked up to that person before cupping his fist, “Senior Brother Feng!”
Feng Cheng Si looked smilingly at him, “You don’t look surprised at all.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I had a speculation, though I was not certain about it. Many doubts are resolved now that I see you here.”
Given his disguising technique, he was still discovered after entering White Jade City, and he was subsequently followed. The only person he could think of capable of such things was Feng Cheng Si.
The events that followed also proved that his speculation was right.
Feng Cheng Si was the Young City Lord of White Jade City, so it wasn’t surprising that he could easily get an invitation card from the Meng Manor.
After Yang Kai left the Meng Manor with Meng Ru, several carriages appeared all of a sudden to help cover him up; otherwise, his plan wouldn’t have worked out smoothly.
“Since you’re here, who is the one going over to the Meng Manor?” Yang Kai appeared puzzled.
Feng Cheng Si replied with a smile, “You’ve met him before. The brat beside me previously.”