After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

The assassin sent was no ordinary person.

As Rong Jing closed his fingers, a series of crisp cracking sounds suddenly came from the bones beneath his fingertips.

The man's upper body folded up in an unnatural way, like a snake shedding its bones, and slid out in a flash.

Rong Jing narrowed his eyes.

Bone-shrinking technique.

The ultimate skill of a sect in the Xilin Mountains.

This assassin is from the Yan Kingdom; it seems his elder brother, the emperor, can't wait any longer.

In a flash, he darted out, his five fingers gripping the back of the shadowy figure.

The man didn't take the bait at all. He kicked hard against the tree trunk with both feet and used the recoil to crash into the courtyard wall.

Rong Jing mustered his strength and gave chase.

The moment the fingertips brushed against the back of the other's collar, the man in black suddenly twisted his waist in mid-air, and one leg swept across the other's head with a whooshing sound.

Then it struck him squarely on his injured left shoulder.

The already damaged flesh was violently slammed open by internal force, and the sound of the flesh tearing open was exceptionally clear in the night.

The wound tore open again instantly.

The warm liquid gushed out instantly, soaking the clothes again.

The blow was extremely heavy, causing Rong Jing's movements to slow down by half an inch.

Fingertips barely brushed against the fabric, tearing off half a piece of clothing, before the dark figure had already climbed over the wall and completely blended into the night.

Rong Jing held the half-piece of fabric and slowly straightened up.

He couldn't feel the pain, but his meridians were damaged, and his entire left arm felt like it was weighed down by a piece of lead, making it numb.

unlucky.

Normally, such third-rate people wouldn't even get a chance to touch the hem of his clothes.

The courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang.

"Ouch!"

Ji Wuyai, holding a bowl of soup, stepped across the threshold and immediately started howling.

He rushed over in three strides and slapped Rong Jing on the back of the head.

"Are you tired of living, or is my medicine free?"

Ji Wuyai was so angry that his beard trembled, and he pointed at Rong Jing's bleeding shoulder and cursed loudly.

"Your injury hasn't even fully healed, what kind of acrobatics are you doing in the yard in the middle of the night!"

"Now look what happened, the wounds have all burst open!"

Rong Jing staggered forward after being hit, and sighed helplessly.

He held up the tattered cloth in front of the old man's eyes and waved it.

"Senior, is there any possibility for us?"

"Was my wound reopened because someone ambushed me?"

Ji Wuyai rolled his eyes, his face full of disgust.

He grabbed Rong Jing's uninjured right arm and dragged him into the house like a sack of potatoes.

"Stop talking nonsense and come in!"

As soon as he threw the man back onto the bed, Ji Wuyai took out a dark pill from his pocket and stuffed it into Rong Jing's mouth without even looking at it.

A cool sensation flowed down my throat and into my limbs.

"Oh my, you're a mysterious kid, but you seem to have a lot of enemies."

As Ji Wuyai muttered to himself, he unceremoniously tore off the blood-soaked gauze from his shoulder.

He was extremely ruthless, pouring hemostatic powder into the bloody hole as if it were free.

"No wonder my precious goddaughter's biological father couldn't stand you."

"With your unlucky reputation of being chased every other day, what respectable family would dare to marry their daughter to you?"

Ji Wuyai tightened the new gauze bandage.

"It's going to be difficult for you to find a wife in this lifetime."

Rong Jing leaned against the headboard, letting the old man rub his shoulders.

He lowered his eyes, but a hint of interest curved his lips.

"That's quite difficult."

"But I noticed that you're all alone here, constantly talking about finding someone a wife."

"Could it be because you had many enemies when you were young that your wife ran away?"

The air in the room fell eerily still for a moment.

Ji Wuyai stopped pulling the gauze.

His eyes widened, and his beard twitched, making him look like a donkey whose tail had been stepped on.

"Bullshit! Who said my wife ran away!"

Ji Wuyai stiffened his neck and raised his voice eight octaves, causing the window paper to shake.

"My wife is just free-spirited and loves traveling!"

"She'll come back to me soon after she's had her fun!"

Rong Jing slowly leaned back on the soft pillow, his tone light and airy.

"Oh, really?"

"Do you travel and enjoy nature for ten years at a time?"

Ji Wuyai's eyes widened suddenly, and the roll of gauze in his hand fell to the ground.

He moved closer to Rong Jing and pointed his finger at the tip of Rong Jing's nose.

"How...how did you know my wife ran away...?"

He quickly covered his mouth and hurriedly changed his words.

"No, how do you know she's been doing this for ten years?"

"Who told you that?"

Rong Jing looked at his exasperated appearance, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

"My master told me that."

"Your master?" Ji Wuyai looked Rong Jing up and down, his face full of suspicion. "Just who is your master?"

Rong Jing raised his right hand, his fingertips twirling a loose piece of bloody gauze.

My master is known in the martial arts world as the Phoenix Cry Elder.

Ji Wuyai froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

Then he let out a wild laugh that could have blown the roof off, his eyes practically glowing like torches.

"The Phoenix Cries!"

"You're actually my dead brother-in-law's apprentice!"

He was so excited that he lunged forward, his two withered hands gripping Rong Jing's shoulders tightly.

As luck would have it, her left hand landed right on the nerve in Rong Jing's arm.

Although Rong Jing could not feel pain, he could still feel other sensations.

He suddenly felt a throbbing pain spreading through his body, and he couldn't move at all.

"Aaaaaah!" Rong Jing's features contorted, cold sweat instantly soaking his inner garment. "Senior... let go!"

Ji Wuyai didn't care whether he lived or died, and shook his shoulders frantically, spitting everywhere.

"Then you must know where my wife is hiding right now, right!"

"Tell me quickly, has that old bastard Fengming hidden my wife?!"

……

Unlike the chaotic scene in the small courtyard south of the city, the backyard of the county government office was peaceful at this moment.

Two dim lanterns were lit in the courtyard, and the night breeze carried a faint fragrance of autumn.

Shen Jingque linked arms with Shen Yan and strolled slowly along the bluestone path to aid digestion.

As he walked, Shen Yan slowed down.

He lowered his head slightly, examining his daughter's obedient profile in the lamplight, a complex emotion rising in his eyes.

"Sparrow...have I been too strict with you these past two days?"

He paused, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Keeping you confined to this backyard and not letting you go out, you must be resentful towards your father, right?"

Shen Jingque stopped and turned around, looking up at the sky.

She reached out and smoothed out the wrinkles on Shen Yan's sleeve, her dimples spreading slightly.

"What are you saying, Father?"

"You're just worried that I'll get taken advantage of or hurt."

Shen Jingque took his arm and shook it, her voice soft and sweet.

"No matter how fun things are outside, nothing compares to the happiness of having meals and walks with Dad."

"Even if Father wants me to stay in this courtyard for the rest of my life, as long as you cook for me, I'd be more than willing!"

These words were like a warm current that struck Shen Yan's softest spot.

His eyes stung, and he turned his head away, blinking rapidly. It took him a long time to suppress the feeling of sadness.

"You silly girl, you've got honey on your lips."

Shen Yan patted the back of her hand, his tone full of doting affection.

The father and daughter circled around twice more, and Shen Jingque finally calmed her father down before sending him back to his room to rest.

The room was completely dark.

"Father, where did Mother go?"

Shen Yan lit the oil lamp and sat down by the window.

"Your mother went to see Qian Shang, saying she had something important to discuss. She should be back in a little while."

He looked at Shen Jingque probingly: "Do you need to see your mother?"

Shen Jingque quickly shook her head: "No, no, I was just asking casually."

She knew perfectly well that her mother must have gone to Rong Jing to make a deal.

I told a white lie because I was worried that my father would be stressed when he heard Rong Jing's name.

She obediently closed the door for Shen Yan and walked towards her bedroom, but her heart was filled with restlessness.

I don't know what they'll offer in exchange.

But she had promised her mother and father not to get involved in these matters.

She sighed, resignedly closed the door, and threw herself onto the soft bed.

Staring at the embroidery at the top of the bed curtains, Shen Jingque's mind was in turmoil.

Song Sheng's case, Rong Jing's injuries, and the state of Helan Qing in Zhaocheng...

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, a familiar face suddenly flashed through her mind.

and many more.

She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up in bed.

She's been so busy these past few days that she's completely forgotten about Xu Wanying!