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Chapter 43: Trailing
Turning around the moon gate’s artificial mountain, with white walls and green tiles, the sunlight shone on the banana leaves in the courtyard, making them shine brightly.
Yu Lingxi’s paper kite was exquisitely painted, and the bamboo whistle echoed. Unfortunately, in strong winds, the string easily broke, floating aimlessly without knowing where it would fall. Things beyond one’s control always evoke mixed feelings, be it a paper kite or a person.
Ning Yin stopped in his tracks, his gaze turning to the caged weaver birds in the corridor.
In the future, when he leaves the Yu Mansion, he must also confine that Yu Lingxi like a bird. It attracts too much attention, and he can’t be at ease. Just confining it is not enough; he needs to use a delicate gold chain to lock that snowy white ankle. She should only smile for him, and her sweet cries should only be directed at him.
While he was thinking, a guard approached from outside the corner gate, greeting Ning Yin, “Brother!”
Ignoring him, Ning Yin continued walking. The guard, lacking tact, raised his voice, “Young brother!”
Ning Yin glanced over, his dark eyes revealing a hint of impatience.
The guard, holding his stomach, approached, wearing a forced expression, “In urgent need, help me out! Deliver this urgent report to the study, hand it over to the junior general!”
After saying this, he thrust a letter tube into Ning Yin’s hands and walked away.
Ning Yin lowered his gaze, looking at the bamboo-made letter tube in his hands.
Carved on the bamboo tube was a map of a thousand miles of mountains and rivers, with the character “You” at the bottom. The Yu family’s army guarded the border, and each fortified city had a unique letter tube. This one was a report from Youzhou.
His eyes slightly darkened.
Ning Yin’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He placed the letter tube behind him and walked towards the study.
After waiting for a while in the room, General Yu Huanchen, with a pensive expression, heard a knock on the door. He composed himself and said, “Come in.”
A youth in a dark military uniform entered the room, coldly saying, “Junior General, urgent report from the border.”
“Place it on my desk.”
Yu Huanchen did not look at the letter tube. His sharp gaze lifted from the book, vaguely assessing the outstanding young man before him. After a while, he said, “What’s your name…”
He paused, and Ning Yin calmly continued, “Wei Qi.”
“Oh, Wei Qi.” Yu Huanchen recalled; it was a name given by his silly younger sister.
“I heard that you were a slave in the Immortal Realm City. Why did you hide your identity?” Yu Huanchen turned a page of the book, staring at the young man’s reaction. “Since the Immortal Realm’s City was sealed, all slaves were to serve as labor. Do you not know that escaping is a capital offense?”
Ning Yin replied calmly, “Before the destruction of the Immortal Realm’s City, I was no longer one of its residents. Thanks to Miss’s kindness, she took me into the mansion.”
Yu Huanchen fell silent. The information he mentioned matched what Qingxiao had found.
One’s identity could be concealed, but temperament was hard to erase. Yu Huanchen looked at the young man before him—handsome, unassuming, and harmless—but a feeling of being looked down upon inexplicably arose.
His sharp senses honed on the battlefield immediately detected the oppression.
Yu Huanchen stood up directly, facing the youth, and asked, “In that case, why did you end up in the Immortal Realm City How many are there in your family, and where is your ancestral home?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Don’t remember?”
“Those who have fallen into the Immortal Realm City have no past.” As he spoke, Ning Yin’s voice lowered slightly.
“Junior General, do you find my humble background tarnishing the reputation of the General’s Mansion?”
Saying this, Ning Yin made it difficult for General Yu Huanchen to inquire too much.
“A hero does not inquire about the past. Since you saved my sister’s life, you are naturally a guest in the Yu family. However, for those who stay in the mansion, we need some information, just casual questioning.”
But Yu Huanchen knew in his heart that even a rootless wandering beggar would leave traces as long as they lived in the world. Unless, their past had been deliberately erased. And someone with that ability was definitely not a commoner.
Yet, despite Qingxiao’s investigation for over two months, there was no information about the youth’s experiences before the age of fourteen. All that was known was that he was sold into the Immortal Realm City five years ago and became a mistreated slave.
A slave so young rarely survived for more than two years, yet he endured until the night before the destruction of the Immortal Realm’s City. Moreover, he escaped during the massacre in the a chariot battle led by the Prince of Xichuan…
What was strange was: the Prince of Xichuan was cruel and belligerent. In the past, in the arenas for fights, he would choose the strongest slaves for slaughter. Why did he repeatedly select a thin and weak young boy in the days leading up to his death?
With the destruction of the Immortal City and the death of the Prince of Xichuan, everything related to the youth’s past was gradually disappearing. Combined with the recent clues, Yu Huanchen had no choice but to think more.
In a moment, he had turned his thoughts several times, smiling like a fox. “Wei Qi, I see you are agile and exceptionally talented. Being a backyard guard is a waste. Would you be willing to become my personal guard, join the Yu family army, and make achievements?”
This was undoubtedly a tempting bait. Ning Yin’s lips moved imperceptibly, “Thank you for the General’s kindness, but Wei Qi is unwilling.”
Surprised, Yu Huanchen asked, “Why?”
If this young man had ulterior motives, there was no reason to pass up an opportunity to access military secrets.
“Wei Qi is a humble commoner, ignorant of the righteousness of the nation.”
Ning Yin lowered his eyes, saying softly, “My life was given by Miss. In this life, I only wish to repay Miss’s kindness. If I were to leave, I should return my life to Miss first.”
Yu Huanchen was tongue-tied. Even he was moved by this statement. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the youth seemed to know what he was going to say and calmly added, “General’s inquiries are only for the safety of Miss. Wei Qi understands.”
So Yu Huanchen kept quiet, observing him for a while, then smiled, “That’s good.”
“If there is nothing else, Wei Qi takes his leave.” With that, the youth saluted and left the study.
There were stacks of confidential documents on the desk, but he didn’t spare them a second glance.
Yu Huanchen picked up the bamboo tube from the desk, opened it, and examined the deliberately intact mechanism. There were no signs of tampering.
He stroked his chin, stood for a moment, and called, “Qingxiao.”
The tall and silent guard entered at the call, saluting, “Junior General.”
Yu Huanchen emptied the secret letter from the bamboo tube, asking, “Did he really not touch this letter?”
“Replying to the Junior General, I kept a close eye, and indeed, I did not see any suspicious actions.”
“That shouldn’t be.” Yu Huanchen muttered to himself, waving to dismiss Qingxiao.
If this young man wasn’t a blindly loyal person, he must be a master strategist with a deep and cunning mind. As he sat back in his chair, Yu Huanchen thought, “Who was picked up by his sister: ghost or Buddha?”
Ning Yin walked out of the study, crossed the courtyard and the corridor, and squinted his eyes.
Among the various generals, General Yu Huanchen’s mind was considered quite agile. He must have more information than what he asked.
“Suspicion has arisen.”
Ning Yin sneered softly, not surprised at all.
It seemed that they needed to add fuel to the fire in the palace as well. The sound of wings cutting through the air came from the roof, casting shadows under the sunlight.
A quarter of an hour later, the cries of a peddler shaking a tambourine echoed from the rear alley.
…
After leaving the Yu Mansion, Xue Cen did not immediately depart. He sat in the carriage, contemplating for a long time.
His great-grandfather had taught him to restrain himself, be modest, and avoid arrogance. Only when he was alone would the gentle and clear expression on his face reveal a hint of deep concern.
Xue Cen was aware of the Yu family’s simple and unpretentious traditions, without many distinctions of seniority. However, the image of the black-clad youth holding an umbrella for Miss Yu in the bamboo path of Jinyun Temple, and the harmonious scene of paper kites being displayed by the waterside pavilion, all made him feel worried from the bottom of his heart.
Previously, he had paid no attention to the rumors about Miss Yu, as he believed that their ten years of childhood friendship was enough to dispel any gossip.
Now, however, he couldn’t hide his anxiety.
The youth’s appearance was indeed exceptionally good, like a piece of uncut jade, beautiful and refined. His demeanor did not resemble that of a guard but rather that of a pampered prince or grandson. Yet, Xue Cen always felt that the youth’s eyes and eyebrows were too deep and cool, revealing a hint of sinister aura.
Xue Cen did not blame Yu Lingxi.
The young girl had not yet settled her mind, easily swayed by sweet words and deceived.
The Yu family valued loyalty and righteousness, and out of gratitude for the favor shown during the spring hunt, they treated the youth with extra respect. However, the youth’s heart was not upright, overstepping his bounds and being presumptuous.
In such a situation, things that the Yu family couldn’t easily say would be conveyed by him today.
While he was thinking, the servant crouching outside the carriage knocked on the carriage wall and whispered, “Second Young Master, that guard has come out.”
Xue Cen regained his senses and lifted the carriage curtain for a glance.
He saw a peddler with a shoulder pole, shaking a tambourine, approaching. The youth heard the sound and came out, skillfully buying a bag of sweets.
Xue Cen got up, alighted from the carriage, adjusted his robes carefully, and said, “Follow him.”
The peddler continued to shout with his burden, moving away, and the coins in the drawer of the box jingled.
Passing by the elegant young scholar dressed in splendid attire, Ning Yin bought some candy but didn’t hurry back to the residence. With a glance, he heard the faint sound of jingling ornaments about twenty feet behind, as if afraid that he wouldn’t notice someone trailing him.
Ning Yin’s lips curled up slightly. He picked a piece of candy, put it in his mouth, and chewed it delicately, ignoring the footsteps behind him. Turning around a corner, he disappeared from sight.
Xue Cen’s servant quickly caught up, looking at the empty intersection of the deserted alley and wondered, “Young Master, where is he?”
Xue Cen was also puzzled, but before he could react, he heard a thud from behind. Turning around, he saw the servant who had just spoken lying on the ground as if dead. And the handsome and sinister youth appeared out of nowhere, leisurely standing behind the unconscious servant with a package of taffy wrapped in oiled paper.
Xue Cen exclaimed, “Why did you harm my servant?”
Ning Yin chuckled lightly, casually saying, “Thought it was a malicious person following me, accidentally got a bit heavy-handed. My apologies.”
While he said “apologies,” his eyes were cold, showing no remorse.
Xue Cen watched as the youth stepped over the servant’s body. The servant, now lying on the ground, had his body lifted and then fell back down. His eyes rolled back, leaving a clear shoe print on his chest.
Ning Yin hooked a smile that couldn’t be considered friendly, and said slowly, “They say the Second Young Master Xue is a gentleman with clear skies and bright moons. How did you get involved in such sneaky activities?”
For some reason, Xue Cen felt a chill down his spine. Collecting himself, he exhibited the demeanor of a legitimate heir of a prestigious family, calmly saying, “It’s not about tailing; I have been waiting here for a while. I have something to say to you specifically.”
The youth’s eyes were dark, and his expression seemed to view Xue Cen as an ant about to be squashed.
When had Xue Cen ever been so ignored?
Frowning, he spoke seriously, “Although you are a servant of the Yu family, these words shouldn’t be my responsibility to remind you…”
Ning Yin laughed, “Since you know it ‘shouldn’t be,’ why waste your breath?”
“You!”
Xue Cen inwardly called him vulgar. How could his second sister favor such a disrespectful and presumptuous guy?
“Well, in that case, let me be straightforward.”
Xue Cen clenched his fists, raised his voice, and said, “A gentleman does not do improper things. For the sake of my second sister, I hope you stay away from her.”
Ning Yin didn’t even look at him, continued walking, and brushed past him.
Furrowing his brows even tighter, Xue Cen raised his voice, “I don’t despise you, but the difference in social status is apparent. Although my second sister is momentarily infatuated, it’s normal. However, you must understand, she cannot abandon her identity as the daughter of the General’s Mansion to marry someone who escaped from the Immortal City, a mysterious runaway slave!”
Ning Yin’s steps slightly paused, turned around, and his dark eyes were as cold as ice.
This fool dared to investigate him?
Xue Cen thought he had touched the point, making him feel apprehensive. His confidence increased, “For the sake of her good, I hope you can keep your distance. Gentlemanly conduct should not…”
Ning Yin laughed, softly asking, “When you kill people, do you also use such hypocritical excuses?”
Xue Cen was stunned, infuriated to the point of turning red, “What are you talking about? The Xue family has a century-old reputation of integrity, how dare you accuse us of bloodshed!”
“Integrity?” Ning Yin looked as if he had heard the world’s biggest joke.
He leisurely closed the oiled paper package of taffy, and his lowered eyelashes cast a shadow. He said in a low voice, “In that case, I’ll give you a chance to choose. How about it?”
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