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Chapter 87: Pillow Talk

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fan Jian frowned, putting down the bowl of stewed fruits he was holding; it seemed that it was warm enough to have burned his hand. "I am not speaking on behalf of Lady Liu. While person she found seemed to follow her command, they were acting under the orders of the palace. Lady Liu is merely a scapegoat in this matter."

"Who in the palace wants me dead?" asked Fan Xian, frowning. "Why do they want me dead? Could it be that they know that I am the son of the Ye family?"

"Of course they don't know that!" For some reason, Count Sinan had become unusually agitated. His right hand gripped the armrest of the chair. "Of those who know about this, no one wishes to harm you. If there were someone who wanted to harm you, that would not be the reason why."

"You mean to say that there has never been anyone in the entire capital who knows about the relationship between my mother and my father? If those people know about that relationship, then why would no one suspect that a bastard son is the child of the Ye family?"

Fan Xian was filled with doubt as he pondered this question. He felt his blood run cold. After having found all this out, it seemed that there were more important questions, but he didn't them. "So then why?" he asked quietly. "Four years ago, I was a twelve-year-old boy, living far away in Danzhou, and I had no connection to anything going on in the capital."

"Four years ago was also when His Majesty accepted Miss Lin as his adopted daughter, and when she was betrothed to be married. At the time, His Majesty decided that you would be the one to handle royal business, and it then that you were first mentioned at the court. Seeing a twelve-year-old boy being put in charge of such a direct source of wealth, what do you think the nobles and the palace might choose?"

"They'd choose to do away with me as neatly as possible."

"The Overwatch Council had already found out four years ago, but unfortunately they had no proof, so there was nothing that they could do about them."

Fan Xian laughed. "Even if they had proof, perhaps the reason they did nothing was because the Overwatch Council were bureaucrats, and those people were nobles."

Fan Jian nodded.

"Who is it who wants to kill me?"

"The empress dowager and the eldest princess," Count Sinan answered with a smile. "But since you already survived to adulthood and came to the capital, I believe it has given them courage again. They also cannot risk the Emperor's wrath by moving against you."

"You're too optimistic," Fan Xian said sorrowfully. "Even if they killed me, how could the Emperor even do anything to his wife and his little sister?"

Fan Jian did not respond, instead changing the subject. "Recently, it's been obvious that Crown Prince Jing has wanted to get closer to you, and you must also think of a way to meet with the Second Prince. Tread lightly when doing that.

Fan Xian agreed. He knew that every great house in the capital, actively or passively, had to take a clear stand on this issue. Princes fought over the right to inherit the realm. Although one seemingly had a number of cheap tricks, whether it was in this world or the previous world, the story was always the same: Once the curtains were raised, the actors would all make their appearance on the stage, and their weapons were either their blades or their words. They played their part for others to see, and for themselves - if Fan Manor wished to remain impartial, and close to the Emperor, it would have to make great efforts to do so.

Late that night, Count Sinan sat alone on the imperial tutor's chair, eating his now-cold stewed fruit and thinking on what Fan Xian had said. He thought of the painful price that he himself had once paid, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He thought of the terrifying bloody scenes that occurred in that month of violence. On that dark and secret night, the Empress Dowager's father had trembled at the point of his blade, and he had beheaded him himself. The head had rolled across the floor. Seemingly recalling the sound that it had made, Count Sinan's mouth turned to a gentle smile.

Over the next few days, Fan Xian was at ease, enjoying his status as the eldest son in the manor. Occasionally he would slip away to Dongchuan Road to see how far the bookstore had come with its preparations. And the bookseller, also named Ye, had gradually warmed to him, doing everything that he said, and so Mr. Cui, the family advisor, had returned to Count Sinan's side. And every other evening, Fan Xian would slip away to the courtyard of the imperial palace, climbing over the wall on his familiar path. But now, the window was no longer closed, and the chicken-leg girl was always quietly waiting for him.

He did not go there because he was driven by romantic passion, but because Lin Wan'er's illness would not let her go any further. The palace men were blockheads, but thankfully, after the imperial physicians had received a number of bribes from Count Sinan's estate, they were eventually willing to admit that giving the princess a little bit of meat or fish would be beneficial to her health.

Fan Xian often went there to bring her food and the pills that he had made himself. He feared that the medicine he gave her might clash with what the imperial doctors prescribed her, so he made sure only to use the gentlest ingredients. He also bought her a lot of fine food to satisfy her day-long hunger. As the days passed, Lin Wan'er's health clearly got better. Her cheeks were much rosier, but not with the redness that her ill-health had caused her before. And her figure filled out, with her cheeks becoming much rounder.

Lin Wan'er was a bit concerned by this, but Fan Xian was happy. After they were married, he would prefer to be with a woman with fertile curves.

The guards in the courtyard were always slacking off, and with the help of the wall-climbing skills Fan Xian had learned from Wu Zhu in Danzhou, no one ever discovered his secret trips to deliver medicine. But there was no way to get rid of Lin Wan'er's illness completely, and Fan Xian felt that it was no good waiting for Fei Jie to return; after they were married, they would find a way to leave the capital and go to a mansion in the Cang Mountains owned by the Fan family, where it would be most suitable for her to recuperate.

After a number of nights of close contact, the feelings grew between the two of them. For some reason, after they had fallen in love at first sight at the Temple of Qing, each of them felt that the other was alike in a lot of ways. Perhaps it was their appearance, or the way they carried themselves, or the way that they looked at things. This rapport made both young lovers feel the wonders of their first love, and that they could grow old together hand-in-hand. It took little time for them to go from strangers to lovers who knew each other only by gazes and gentle touches of the hand.

Lin Wan'er gazed at his face, and suddenly developed a worried expression. "You always use that incense to help me sleep. It's been a long time, are you sure there's nothing wrong with it?" Fan Xian comforted her. "The first time I came, I told you that this incense only had a positive effect on health.."

Lin Wan'er thought back to the first time that he had snuck through her window, and she couldn't help but giggle. "If I had really thought you were a rapist and killed you, then what would I have done?"

Fan Xian laughed bitterly and took her hand. "Yichen, maybe there's something you should know."

Lin Wan'er felt bashful at the sound of her pet name. "What is it?"

"Hm... if you want to kill me, I reckon it won't be easy." Fan Xian laughed. "I've trained under powerful people ever since I was a child. Deep down, I'm much more of a brute than I am a poet."

Lin Wan'er sighed. "I know. If you weren't a brute, then how could you have beaten up Minister Guo's son in the street and got into all that trouble, to the point where you still aren't allowed to leave the city?"

Fan Xian's assault case against Guo Baokun was still ongoing, with both sides matching wits. The city government had already flown the white flag and passed the case on to the Ministry of Justice on the grounds that it was a complicated and difficult-to-judge case. In fact, if one wanted to get to the bottom of the case, all one had to do was get hold of the guards who were strolling along the street following Fan Xian, and all would be clarified after a little light torture. But the problem was that the lawsuits that both sides had filed were not simple in the slightest, and so the case had become much more complicated.

This was not an honest practice, but it was the correct path through the bureaucracy - after the case was handed to the Ministry of Justice, that was when the Ministry's troubles had started. Now, they were planning to ask the palace for an official decree, putting the case in the hands of the Overwatch Council. Cases of public security were not within the purview of the Council, but both sides were comprised of officials, and the Council was tasked with overseeing the bureaucracy, so they agreed - all of the capital's bureaucrats knew that the Director of the Council did not care about the noble pedigree of any official.

So as that the Guo family waited for the day that the Council began their investigation, they were unaware that Fan Xian was also waiting for that day, when he could flash the token that Fei Jie had given him. He did not fear the Council's fearsome enforcers in the slightest.

In the calm night, Fan Xian found himself lost in thought. He continued to console Lin Wan'er. "You don't have to worry about this. It'll all be dealt with soon." He suddenly thought about her mother, who had tried to kill him four years ago, and his brow could not help but crease.

Lin Wan'er was an extremely clever young woman. "Has something been troubling you?" she asked when she saw his face.

Fan Xian looked at her picturesque face and sighed. "If in the future... if something were to happen between me and the Eldest Princess, I'm worried you'll get hurt."

Lin Wan'er smiled. "Why do you have to worry about things that still haven't happened? I have been sick since I was a child, and it always seemed like my days were numbered. I've never known if the next day might be my last, so I've never liked thinking about awful things that haven't happened yet."

Fan Xian sighed. He drew her into an embrace, full of tenderness, smelling her hair. "I know how you feel, because I once had the same experience as you."

They kissed, their lips coming together in harmony.

"Mm... Wan'er, your body is so soft."

"You're... you're rubbing the pillow you brought the other day."

Fan Xian very much liked the feeling of sneaking off to her bedchamber. It was a secret love affair, but one with no guilt at all. If it were possible, he'd like to spend even longer like this. At least there wasn't anything to disturb them much before the wedding. Before he'd left Danzhou, he never imagined he could live so happily in the capital.

But things didn't go the way he wanted them to; all good things had to come to an end. That evening, Crown Prince Jing's clearly visible carriage came to Fan Manor. Lady Liu hurried to greet him respectfully, and brought him into the reception pavilion for tea.

Chapter 88: Can the Ant Climb the Tree?

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Crown Prince Li Hongcheng had waited for quite a while. The person he was waiting for still hadn't arrived. He couldn't help but laugh at himself. This Master Fan was rather arrogant, he thought. Among all the civil and military officials of the state, there was barely a handful who were entitled to make him wait. Turning his thoughts to affairs in the capital, he secretly felt some admiration for Fan Xian; he had entered the city not too long ago and had already become the talk of the town, turning the literary scene on its head with his poems and shocking the bureaucracy by assaulting someone in the middle of the night. And his marriage to the Prime Minister's illegitimate daughter had caused great consternation among those who were privileged enough to know the facts.

As he pondered, Fan Xian called to him from far away, saluting as he quickly walked toward him. He had not intended to make the Crown Prince wait; he had simply been delayed while discussing business at Qingyu Hall with the keeper of the bookstore. The two young men sat at a table, sipping tea, and began to talk.

The first one to speak was of course Fan Xian; he had to express his gratitude for matters that evening. Hearing his thanks, Crown Prince Li Hongcheng smiled. "At the time I thought that we'd only known each other for a few days, so how could you be willing to rent out all of the Drunken Immortal Tavern to entertain me – so I wondered what could you have been thinking? But it didn't matter. That idiot Guo Baokun is the worst among my retainers. He's only there because his father is smart. And if you were the one who beat him up, how could you have an ulterior motive?"

Fan Xian knew that the Crown Prince was talking of his court case. He laughed at himself. "Is that not a lack of experience? If I had known that it would be that easy to beat people in the capital, I would have beaten him right there at the prince's mansion."

Li Hongcheng was taken aback, and hurriedly waved the small fan in his hand. "That would not do. If you take things too far, there is no way I can defend you."

Fan Xian laughed and thanked him again, then asked who had invited him to come there that day. Li Hongcheng muttered to himself for a moment before speaking. "I can't hide it from you. Due to the relationship between our two families, I must explain some thing. Originally, the Second Prince wanted me to trick you in to meeting with me, to find a way to meet you naturally so as not to provoke your anger. But that would still be tricking you, so I wanted to say that tomorrow the Second Prince will be holding a banquet on the Liuhe River. You are the guest of honor; I am simply there to be company."

Fan Xian frowned. "I really don't understand. The Second Prince is of such respected status, and I am merely a scholar; why have I caught his eye?"

"Do you really not understand, or are you simply pretending not to?" Li Hongcheng tapped his nose and laughed. "All this game-playing will be your downfall."

Fan Xian laughed awkwardly, but did not respond.

Li Hongcheng noticed that there were no servants attending them anywhere inside the reception pavilion. "There's something else," he said earnestly. "When I first met you, I took a liking to you, and I can't bear to keep you in the dark. It seems to me that that would inevitably lead to distance between us, as I'm sure you'll agree. Now, His Majesty is in the prime of his life, but anyone who does not keep a long-term view of things will encounter difficulties, and so all eyes in the court are on the princes. The Eldest Prince is a natural fighter. But he is leading troops far away. Even though I am a child of the empress herself, my behavior has always been rather improper. Though my estate is impartial, to tell you the truth, among the princes, the Second Prince and I have always been on good terms."

Fan Xian was rather shocked. How could things be so different from what he had expected? In the works of historical fiction he had read in his previous life, written by the writer Eryue He, princes always had complex thoughts behind simple words. He wished he could better control his behavior, and not act in such a way that people gossiped about him. How could there be someone like the person in front of him, one who had always spoken honestly? This business of being a bastard child who usurped his legitimate brother was greatly taxing. How could one not go stark raving mad?

Noticing that his words seemed to scare Fan Xian, Li Hongcheng smiled awkwardly. "Do you dislike my bluntness? I'm speaking the truth. I don't know why either. It's good to see that you don't want to get caught up in that sort of trickery. I'm enticing you on behalf of the Second Prince. It's a bit like getting married - always a business of mutual consent."

Fan Xian was stunned. He looked into the Crown Prince's clear eyes, as if he wanted to see something hidden emerge from them. He could not figure out whether the Crown Prince was a true-of-heart nobleman, or simply used plain speaking as a strategy to get people on his side. But either way, the Crown Prince had clearly made his stance clear. Stark raving mad or not, insignificant Fan Xian had no power within the capital, and no allies. He did not dare tell the prince what he really thought. He smiled. "Just to be clear, why does the Second Prince want to see me?"

"For your wedding in October." Li Hongcheng still seemed to be very frank. He looked at him and smiled. "After the imperial exams next year, if it appears you have the capability, His Majesty will grant you the authority to supervise the estate. When it comes to us, this is a good thing. First of all, there is a lot less money coming in, and there are some inconvenient matters that need dealing with. Furthermore, I believe Count Sinan has been in charge of the Treasury for many years. He will definitely understand when the new takes over from the old, and he will certainly need to audit the accounts, and if that is the case, perhaps there will be some unexpected happy surprises."

Fan Xian said nothing. His eyebrows drooped but he did not seem disappointed in the least. Instead, it seemed as if he did not want to be regarded as a threat. "It's rather early," he said quietly. "The wedding isn't until October. I won't be able to get hold of things until next year or perhaps the year after that."

"You're right. That's why tomorrow is just a meal." Li Hongcheng looked at him earnestly. "How am I to repay you for your gift last time? You know, I'm telling you this now because I have great trust in you... perhaps once you have met the Second Prince tomorrow, you will have changed your mind."

Fan Xian laughed. The struggle between the Second Prince and the Crown Prince might not start in earnest for another decade. Getting someone as unremarkable as himself involved in it seemed to be making a very early start of things. He agreed, and saw the Crown Prince out of the manor. He returned to his father's study and sat on a chair by a desk. He stared at the brushes in the brush pot, furrowing his brows, deep in thought.

He had chosen Crown Prince Jing to cover up his business of assaulting Guo Baokun, and that gave Crown Prince Jing the opportunity to involve him in his own matters, because if one wanted to survive in the capital, one had stand behind someone. His father had always stood behind His Majesty, but he also said the future was a matter for the young.

Fan Xian wanted to stand behind someone, not necessarily behind the Second Prince, but... definitely against the Crown Prince. The reason was simple. Four years ago the empress had wanted him dead. Four years later, people in the palace still wanted him dead. And deep within the capital, it felt like he was an ant who could be crushed at any time.

Could that ant climb a tree?

The Second Prince had invited him to the Liujing River. Fan Xian had faked a smile when he heard the name of the place. Recently, he had been spending nights with Wan'er, and although they were sometimes sweet, there was little physical contact between them. After all, she was his fiancée, so she was bashful, and it would not be good for him to be too pushy. He thought of that night where he had touched her skin, smooth as jade, and he thought of her name, Si Lili, and his heart began to pound. He remembered that in his previous life he had read that intestines had been used as condoms in Europe in the Middle Ages. He started to wonder how one might manage that. But then he thought of something else. On the day that they had filed the lawsuit, why had that woman just suddenly happen to leave?

Law and order had always been well-kept in the capital, save for a few recent incidents caused by the Brute of Fan Manor. So the Fan estate's carriages were only accompanied by four guards, who slowly headed toward the western side of the city under the bright spring sunshine.

After they had passed Wangchun Gate, they walked down Niulan Street where he had beaten Guo Baokun. Fan Xian opened the curtain on his carriage and laughed. Teng Zijing was among the four guards. Three of them had been there that day, and when they heard the young master's laugh, they naturally knew why he was laughing. They laughed along with him.

There weren't residences on Niulan Street, but there were a number of stores which had not long fallen into disrepair, so it had received another name: Bankruptcy Street. It was quiet there, no matter day or night, and there were no pedestrians. One might call it the best place to hold someone up and give them a sound beating.

Fan Xian looked outside, seeing the wide expanse of canopy tree leaves over his head. As he looked at sunlight above him, he wondered how he should act after meeting with the Second Prince. The Second Prince was likely to have a clear understanding of Count Sinan's power, and it was unlikely that he would make any excessive demands on him. He reckoned that this desire to meet came from a wish to lay the groundwork for events that might occur ten years from now.

As they continued on, Fan Xian suddenly frowned. He wasn't sure why, but something didn't feel right. As if there were something odd about his surroundings. Looking around the carriage, everything seemed calm, and there was nothing unusual.

Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he smelled a faint sweet smell.

It was the smell of "Kurenjian", a poison that the western barbarians extracted from frogs, and liked to use for their poison arrows!

"Get out of here!" shouted Fan Xian. He had already taken the lead and leapt from the carriage, grabbing hold of a guard next to him, and although he could not see who it was, the training he had received since childhood had left him with an acute sense of smell. But as he could sniff out this rare scent, that meant that the arrows were close by, and that the assassination attempt was about to begin!

In the moment that he leapt from the carriage, someone had thrown a large rock from somewhere down the end of an alley. It whistled through the air and firmly struck the carriage. The carriage splintered into countless pieces!

Chapter 89: The Case of the Young Killer on Niulan Street

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There was a loud crash. Someone with unnatural strength had tossed that large stone over the tall wall! After the carriage was smashed to pieces by the stone, a rain of arrows followed. Had Fan Xian not took evasive action quickly, those arrows would have turned him into a bristly hedgehog even if he managed to survive the stone.

With the exception of Teng Zijing, Fan Xian's guards were rank 5 in terms of skill. Facing this assault, they did not panic and drew their blades. Several flashes of silver light later, most of the arrows had been knocked down. The attackers were few, but due to the close range, the guards weren't able defend themselves completely. The three of them were eventually hit in the leg and collapsed to the ground.

Gritting their teeth, they got back up and leapt over the wall, cutting down the archers. However, the poison was too potent, and in no time all three guards felt numb and lost control of their bodies.

It was at this moment they saw a pair of terrifyingly massive hands crash down upon their heads!

Hiding behind a tree, Fan Xian was spared from the initial rain of arrows. But it also prevented him from coming to his guards' aid. Hearing three familiar screams from behind the wall, he was filled with rage. It was during his emotional turmoil that he almost got skewered by two swords, which struck like venomous serpents.

Two women surrounded him. They were dressed in all black, their swords also painted black to avoid reflecting any light—they were obviously seasoned assassins. Fan Xian knew clearly that, since they weren't covering their faces, it meant they were here to eliminate all their targets.

Slightly bending his knees, he turned his body and made a twist with the tip of his foot. A sword brushed past his chest from the left, followed by the other sword from the right.

Fan Xian never learned how to fight, having only trained his body under Wu Zhu for the past ten years. All the dodges he performed were out of reflex. Despite the swords striking with the flexibility of snakes and elusiveness of smoke, they were far inferior to Wu Zhu's wooden staff in both speed and accuracy. Time after time, Fan Xian managed to evade by the skin of his teeth.

The three of them began to drift away from the wall, and Fan Xian finally woke up from his panic; now those two swords looked so much slower.

The two female assassins, with their pale white faces, discovered that their hits weren't landing despite Fan Xian's seemingly pathetic movements!

Another loud crash. This time the wall fell. A huge brute appeared from the rubble. He walked towards a guard who collapsed under a tree with an arrow in his left leg.

Three of the four guards who came out with Fan Xian today had been killed; he was the last one, also paralyzed by the poison. Only now did Fan Xian discover that last guard was Teng Zijing. His chest tightened as he wanted to rush over to help. Unfortunately, the two female assassins were relentless in their attacks, completely trapping Fan Xian.

At that moment, Teng Zijing, who appeared to be taking his last breaths, leapt up from the ground. The blade he had kept hidden behind his back turned into a blur, hacking towards the brute's neck!

Fan Xian was overjoyed at first, but what happened next stunned him.

The brute tilted his head and raised his right hand, catching Teng Zijing's blade like a fly. A line of blood dripped down, but that is all the damage his hand suffered. What was his body made of?!

Seeing he was in a bad situation, Teng Zijing kicked against the brute's chest with the tip of his feet, ready to jump over a nearby wall. Among Fan Xian's guards, Teng Zjing was the leader, even though his martial art abilities were the weakest, and this was due to him being the most clear-headed of them all.

The brute only grinned and threw a punch. At this instant, Teng Zijing felt the poison taking over his body. Since his body had gone limp, he was unable to avoid the giant fist. There was a crackling sound, followed by Teng Zijing's scream. His left leg was broken by the punch. Lying on the ground, blood came gushing out of his pant leg.

Fan Xian knew things weren't good when Teng Zijing's blade was caught. Grunting, his footwork turned stiff, and the two swords danced past his torso even closer than before. The blade tips pierced his shirt, drawing two bloody lines across his body.

Taking advantage of this moment, Fan Xian gripped his hands together and released two puffs of pink smoke directly into the faces of the two female assassins.

The assassins reacted with supernatural speed; they closed their mouths and held their breath, ready to jump back. But Fan Xian would not let this hard-gained chance slip away. With a tremendous shout, he released the overpowering zhenqi in his body. For the moment, it was as though his arms lengthened, enough to reach the two assassins' throats.

With two cracks, the female assassins had their windpipes crushed. Frothing blood at their mouths, they collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, that monstrous brute had raised his hands, ready to slam them down onto Teng Zijing's skull.

Fan Xian was exceptionally calm. This calm came from the experience of having lived a previous life, and also from Fei Jie and Wu Zhu's tutelage. Right now, he wasn't at all thinking about why Uncle Wu Zhu hadn't done anything. He knew this was his most dangerous trial after coming to the capital; if he couldn't make it past this, it would only prove that he didn't deserve his second life in this world.

Despite being over ten meters away, Fan Xian covered that distance in a flash. With his left hand, he already put a pill into his mouth. With his right, he propped up the palm of that mad brute in front of the almost dead Teng Zijing!

There was a muffled sound of explosion as shockwaves made the surrounding trees shake. Leaves fell.

Fan Xian felt intense pain travel down from his right hand to his bones; he had never faced such formidable strength. Only moments had passed and he was already at his limit.

Blood trickled down the corner of his lips, but he only grunted and didn't lose his composure. His left hand had already found the key to dealing a killing blow.

Then something very strange happened.

A gust of wind came blowing in, gentling swirling around Fan Xian's body. As if carrying a strange power, it blew against Fan Xian's body. While only a weak breeze, it was quite annoying, enough to disrupt Fan Xian's next course of action.

The brute laughed, seeing the look in Fan Xian's eyes. He was like a wild beast filled with raw power; even his eyes were ghastly bloodshot.

Fan Xian gazed past the brute's massive frame. At the mouth of the alleyway was the blurry figure of a person. That person was wearing a conical hat of bamboo.

"Let me crush your head." The brute apparently discovered that Fan Xian had run out of options and started to laugh maniacally. He then put more strength into his hand.

"Hmph." Fan Xian only exclaimed coldly. He knew this was the greatest dilemma he had faced since his rebirth. His right arm started to tremble, but deep inside his heart he was screaming "Screw you!"

In this life-or-death moment, the zhenqi that had flowed through his entire body like a calm ocean suddenly began to stir as if provoked, a massive amount of zhenqi gushing from the xueshan in his back, a small circulation going along his body and infusing with his right arm.

Suddenly, if just for an instant, Fan Xian felt the illusion that his right arm was made of iron.

The collision between powerful zhenqi forced apart two hands—which differed greatly in size—by about an inch before they crashed back together.

Countless currents of broken zhenqi arose around the two, turning the leaves in the air to dust.

"Die!" Fan Xian roared, withdrawing his arm with terrifying control before throwing a straight punch right into the brute's torso. A strange expression formed on the brutes face as he opened his mouth, bathing Fan Xian's face in blood. His chest and abdomen had been completely caved in!

But this brute turned out to be surprisingly resilient. Despite receiving such a heavy blow, he stood unmoved, crashing his hand mercilessly down onto Fan Xian's right shoulder and turning it into a bloody mess.

Today, Fan Xian's true viciousness finally exploded. Responding to his severe injury with only a cry, he used the momentum of the blow and charged into the brute. Using his left hand, he took out his thin dagger and rammed it mercilessly into the brute's throat.

He then pulled down with all his strength.

With his torso already caved in, the brute was gutted alive. His organs came flowing out in a torrent of blood and fluids.

Unable to believe what his own eyes showed him, the brute looked at Fan Xian one last time before crashing down backwards like a felled tree.

It appeared as though the whole world had gone silent.

Panting hard, Fan Xian remained standing with great difficulty, staring at that shadow in the bamboo hat.

Chapter 90: Investigation

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There came refreshing wind, but the bloodshed remained. Looking at the person in the bamboo hat standing at the mouth of the alley, Fan Xian somehow guessed he was a sorcerer, the unimportant one of the group. The figure didn't realize the danger due to Fan Xian almost dying at the hands of that brute.

The figure politely saluted Fan Xian and prepared to leave.

There was about twelve meters between them. That sorcerer specialized in wind sorcery and therefore was confident in his ability to escape. Except for the Four Great Grandmasters, there were no one in the world who could catch him, especially not the gravely injured Fan Xian—with the assassination plan failed, it was natural for him to leave in a dignified manner.

Seeing the figure still abiding by formalities, Fan Xian threw down his dagger. He raised his left arm and gently pressed the trigger. At the mouth of the alleyway, that figure clutched his throat and fell to the ground, dying after letting out a cry of pain. A thieves' crossbow arrow stuck out from between his fingers.

"Idiot."

Fan Xian then fed Teng Zijing a medicinal pill that neutralized some of the poison. Teng Zijing regained consciousness, but still needed medical attention to deal with the rest of the poison as well as his injury. Fan Xian's handsome face was pale with worry right now and drenched in the brute's blood, giving him an exceptionally grisly look. Looking at the now-conscious Teng Zijing, he said, "Press down here."

He was pointing at a place near the base of Teng Zijing's thigh; that place held a major artery.

Teng Zijing's leg was broken, and the pain drained all color from his face, causing him to sweat heavily. Teng Zijing applied pressure to the base of his thigh with shaking hands, but accidentally agitated his injury in the process, making him scream out. He proved himself a real man afterwards, however; while Fan Xian stopped his bleeding with a rag and applied power to his wound, which he watched without uttering a single sound, even though it caused him even more pain.

The fifteen minutes after suffering such injuries were considered to be the "golden period" for treatment in Fan Xian's previous life. After hurriedly patching up Teng Zijing and making sure he wouldn't die, Fan Xian finally let out a sigh of relief, almost falling to the ground.

With great difficulty, Teng Zijing said, "Young Master, your wound…"

Only after being reminded did Fan Xian feel the pain of his own injuries. Grunting from the pain, Fan Xian directed zhenqi towards the site and discovered his meridians were unharmed; there shouldn't be any major consequences. He told Teng Zijing, "Stay down for a moment."

Fan Xian still hung on to a thin string of hope that the other three guards might still be alive, so he walked towards what was left of that wall. Behind it, the ground was covered with corpses, most of them belonged to the bowmen who were slain by those brave guards. Fan Xian then saw three more corpses, all curled up with their skulls smashed in.

Curling up was the result of the poison, and their skull was without a doubt smashed in by that terrifying brute.

Confirming the death of the three guards, Fan Xian returned to Teng Zijing in silence and began to tend to his own wounds without saying a word. Together, they waited for the arrival of anyone, friend or foe.

This incident on Niulan Street became, without question, the most shocking news circulating through the capital in the months after. The Qing Kingdom had experienced peace for a long time, and the security in the capital was exceptionally tight, to the point where even normal murder cases were rare, to say nothing of an assassination of Minister Fan Jian's eldest son in broad daylight.

While Fan Xian still wasn't registered in the family record, this was even different from the Chun Dou'ou case. This time, he was clearly the target. Even more significantly, this assassination attempt had deployed archers—using archers to kill someone in the heavily-guarded capital far breached the bottom line of Imperial law.

The internal institutions of the great Qing Kingdom began to take action. After a short period of time, they found out the "truth" of this assassination attempt. This was in part thanks to Fan Xian; if he hadn't retaliated and killed his attackers, there wouldn't be any evidence left behind, and this case would forever remain a solvable mystery.

It turned out that the brute whom Fan Xian had gutted like a pig was well known, so the investigation didn't take too much effort. At least, judging from the fact Director Chen and Fei Jie still didn't hurry back to the capital, this incident was nothing major.

That brute's name was Cheng Jushu, a notorious man of violence hailing from the Kingdom of Northern Qi. His body was trained to be resistant to both the sword and spear. More importantly, he wielded supreme physical strength and vigorous zhenqi. He was one of the few Level 8 masters in the world. As for the female assassins who got their throats crushed by Fan Xian, they were killers from a small vassal state. However, the Overwatch Council was secretly aware that they had always been controlled by Northern Qi.

The case seemed to be clear-cut. Northern Qi Kingdom had ordered this assassination in secrecy. However, whether it was ordered by that young emperor or the priest Ku He was still unknown.

The capital was filled with people gossiping about, questioning why Northern Qi Kingdom would go after Young Master Fan. After all, despite having declined, the country was still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

True, Fan Xian had established a reputation now in the capital as a poet, a playboy, and also as someone capable of violence. But to the world, he was still a very minor character. Northern Qi deploying a Level 8 master and two female assassins from a vassal state to kill Fan Xian, who just arrived in the capital, was simply inexplicable.

But for Northern Qi to make contact with a secret place against the sovereignty of Qing, they used a brilliant but ruthless tactic.

It wasn't known how they managed to find out Fan Xian was likely to inherit Imperial business property in the upcoming years and thus a target in the power struggle between the crown and second princes. If Fan Xian had died that day, people would surely suspect the crown prince for not wanting to lose the source of his money. Alternatively, the second prince would be suspected for trying to frame the crown prince. Regardless, no one knew how that would shake up the Imperial court.

Fan Xian was only a minor character, but his life and death were extremely significant. The officials in the Second Bureau of Overwatch Council were impressed by their peers in Northern Qi for coming up with such a brilliant plan. A small move on their part could greatly impede Qing's secret northern expedition.

This "northern expedition" only existed in the Ministry of War, the Overwatch Council, and the emperor's own head. Its reality, it was all up to the emperor's decision. Northern Qi had been had existed in the shadows all this time, so it was wise of them to act now—that was, of course, if they had successfully killed Fan Xian without leaving behind any evidence.

Not even Northern Qi would have guessed that this minor character would prove to have such tremendous power. Fan Xian's four bodyguards were all "private property" of Count Sinan; each of them had Level 5 abilities, which was why they could exterminate all the archers despite being poisoned—and it went without saying that the handsome illegitimate son was the scariest of them all, being able to take down the poison-using female assassins and the Level 8 master, Cheng Jushu!

As for that sorcerer, no one paid any attention to him; he was truly insignificant.

"The Overwatch Council and the Ministry had made their judgement. The one responsible was indeed Northern Qi. They've dug up even more—the second prince chose the Drunken Immortal Tavern to meet you because he thought you liked that Si Lili, but turns out, the Drunken Immortal Tavern was a 'sleeper spot' planted by Northern Qi."

Count Sinan sat in the dark bedroom, looking at his son in the bed. He said calmly, "I know you're extremely angry, but since you're fine and killed the assassins, you should let this go."

"Let it go?" His father's indifference brought a slight chill to Fan Xian's heart. Fan Xian tried to change the subject, "Where is Si Lili now?"

"She was on her way to escape to Northern Qi, but she was captured by the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. They should be on their way to bring her back to the capital."

"I hope she won't die." Fan Xian's voice lacked emotions.

Fan Jian smiled. "People attended by the Overwatch Council wouldn't die so easily."

"You really believe things are this simple?" Fan Xian suddenly asked with a smile.

"You have a different explanation?"

"Those archers… How did they get in the capital? I heard their bodies were cremated the next day. Was it to destroy some evidence hidden on them?" Fan Xian adjusted his body posture with some difficulty. "I know you don't want me to know too much, fearing I'd lust for revenge. But I believe I have the right to know who is trying to end my life?"

Fan Jian stared at him coldly. "You should know… that I have some hidden authority on behalf of the emperor. While it's nothing compared to the Overwatch Council, it's enough for me to be considered one of the inner circle. However, we still couldn't find out who Northern Qi was cooperating with. Our current suspects aren't only limited to the two princes, but also the likes of the prime minister and Eldest Princess."

"Since that could not be determined, the matter of who is your real enemy… should not be openly discussed, lest you make even more enemies." Fan Jian continued, "This is my advice to you, and I hope you accept it."

Fan Xian nodded. He agitated his wound again, making him frown. After exhaling twice, he answered, "I will figure out a way to investigate this."

Fan Jian was satisfied by his son's response. He offered Fan Xian some words of consolation and left the bedroom.

After his father left, Fan Xian's eyes calmed down immediately. Staring into a corner of this dark room, he asked with some anger in his voice, "Why didn't you do anything that day?"

Wu Zhu emerged from the darkness, his eyes still covered by that black cloth which was without any wrinkles, just like its owner's forever-emotionless face.

Chapter 91: Fan Xian on the Move

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Why did I have to do anything?" Wu Zhu rarely asked such rhetorical questions. Ever since Fan Xian left Danzhou for the capital, he seemed to be even more mysterious, having never met up with Fan Xian until now.

Fan Xian became gloomy after realizing Wu Zhu was right. Even if Wu Zhu had helped raise Fan Xian, Fan Xian had no reason to demand anything in return. If anything, it was Fan Xian who was in Wu Zhu's debt.

In response to Fan Xian's silence, Wu Zhu said coolly, "I said this before; both Fei Jie and I have taught you for many years. If you can't take care of small matters like this, it's your problem, not ours."

"I only learned one of them was a level eight master afterwards. You also said before that my true power is level seven, but my abilities are level three. I shouldn't be able to match that brute by any means." Fan Xian smiled uneasily. "You say it's my problem, but don't you mind me getting killed?"

"Did you die?" A rare second rhetorical question from Wu Zhu.

Looking at the black blindfold, Fan Xian gasped. "You were following me all along?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you interfere?" Fan Xian was suppressing his shouts of anger. "Those three guards died! Teng Zijing was hurt!"

"I don't care about the life of anyone but yours," Wu Zhu spoke without emotion. "Those people around you were gathered by yourself. If you want to have authority over their lives, then you must protect them, meaning those guards' lives are your responsibility, not mine."

Once again Fan Xian fell into silence. Once again he knew Wu Zhu was right.

"I couldn't help you too much," Wu Zhu said. "In Danzhou, on the cliffs, I told you once: If I'm with you in the capital, I will bring you nothing but trouble, troubles you definitely would not want to face."

Remembering how he had sheepishly told Wu Zhu "I'll protect you", Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He was, after all, kidding.

"You must remember, here in the capital, I will never stand by your side out in the open, unless you are dying. Or… already dead," Wu Zhu continued, still devoid of emotion.

Fan Xian didn't understand what someone as strong as Wu Zhu was afraid of. But hearing how resolute he was made Fan Xian nod without any further discussion.

"Someone's coming," Wu Zhu said quickly before disappearing into the darkness.

It was a guest, but not the one Fan Xian wanted to see at the moment. Li Hongcheng walked in with a gloomy face and sat down on Fan Xian's bed without asking. With a suppressed voice, he moaned, "You heard, right? The envoy of Northern Qi wouldn't admit to anything, and those students almost trashed Honglu Temple."

Honglu Temple handled Qing's foreign affairs, dealing with Northern Qi, Dongyi, various vassal states, and also that assassination attempt. Hearing that the place was almost trashed, Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "Those youths sure are hot-blooded. Well… of course Northern Qi wouldn't admit it. If Qing's people found out that another nation was able to send assassins to the capital so easily, I'm afraid the two nations would never come to peace."

Li Hongcheng smiled bitterly. "Peace has already begun to break down. As per His Majesty's order, that envoy from Northern Qi was kicked out, luggage and all."

Fan Xian laughed mockingly. "They deal with outsiders quickly."

Picking up on Fan Xian's hidden meaning, Li Hong Cheng frowned. "You've been recovering for the past few days. Some things weren't convenient to say out loud."

Fan Xian sighed, "I don't know if it's because I owed you in one of my previous lives; I invited you out, and that lead to me almost getting assassinated. You're one of the few people I know in the capital, a proper prince on top of that. You normally don't mince words, what's up with you today?"

Li Hongcheng somewhat blamed himself. "It's actually my fault. No one would have thought that Drunken Immortal Tavern was controlled by Northern Qi." He then considered it for a moment and said, "For today's visit, first of all, I'm here to apologize on the second prince's behalf. He did plan on coming here himself, but as you know, the whole situation is a bit messy, so he can't easily do so. There are still many out there who believe the second prince and I were the ones responsible."

Fan Xian looked at him with a forced smile.

"Why are you looking at me so mysteriously? Must I be forced to confess?"

Fan Xian and Li Hongcheng laughed together. He trusted that the prince wasn't responsible. For the second prince, who was without any strong support in the Imperial court, losing the support of the Fan household was a grave loss. At least, it was a loss greater than the benefit they would have received from framing the crown prince.

With great difficulty, Fan Xian sat up on his bed. A maidservant helped him drink some water. Seeing another figure at the door made Fan Xian curse in silence. Despite his serious injuries, the stream of visitors never seemed to stop. How was he supposed to recuperate when he was suffering? The visitor this time was a stranger, who reported himself as an official from the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council who was investigating the Niulan Road case under Imperial order. The case involved officials of the Imperial court and various baseless rumors, so it was all handed over to the Overwatch Council.

"May I ask your name?" A servant had already poured tea for that official. Fan Xian squinted at him. Other than the time when he "barged into" the Council, this was the first time he saw one of Council's officials. This official was seemingly cloaked in a rotten aura, reminding Fan Xian of his damned teacher Fei Jie.

"My name is Mu Tie." This official had thin lips and slightly tanned skin. He said emotionlessly, "Due to the severity of your condition a few days ago, a few issues need to be be clarified, which is the reason for my visit today. I respectfully request your cooperation regarding this."

Fan Xian frowned. It looked like this official didn't know about the connection between Fan manor and the Overwatch Council. He said lightly, "I am tired. Let's talk about this some other day."

Mu Tie didn't seem to expect this refusal. He appeared uneasy.

Fan Xian waved his hand and asked, "The Council and the ministry already sent their reports, what's more to ask?"

"Some questions remain unanswered." This Mu Tie followed Fan Xian intensely with his eyes. Fan Xian suddenly realized that the Overwatch Council was also suspicious about the archers. But what was the use in asking him? The only one he had seriously offended was Guo Baokun, who had a scholar's background and wouldn't conspire with Northern Qi. As for the princes… that was a matter he could not speak of.

Fei Jie had given him a badge. Fan Xian took it out from under his pillow and tossed it over to the official. "We're all on the same side. If you have something to say, just say it."

Mu Tie hadn't touched his tea. Upon seeing the badge, his expression changed greatly. He stood up, walked over to Fan Xian, and knelt down on one knee. Putting his hands together, he saluted, "I have seen Your Highness."

Fan Xian was greatly surprised by this display of respect; he didn't think the badge would be so powerful. Unknown to him, that badge was an overseer's badge, denoting a level of power beyond the eight bureaus of the Overwatch Council. Whoever possessed it held the same authority as the heads of the eight bureaus; only Director Chen could give them direct orders. It was no wonder that Mu Tie was so shaken at the sight of it and became so courteous.

Signaling the official to rise, Fan Xian frowned. "When will Sir Fei Jie return to the capital?" It was his most important question; first of all, he could only improve Wan'er's body, but not cure her of her illness. Secondly, the capital was currently in a state of chaos. Wu Zhu refused to be out in the open, and his father was hiding something. Fan Xian found himself inexplicably trusting of Fei Jie, who was not in the capital.

Hearing this young master asking about Sir Fei, Mu Tie knew that the youth was an important person that the Council kept hidden. It wasn't unusual for organizations such as the Overwatch Council to cultivate some talents among the various manors in the capital. This young master of Fan Manor was obviously one of them, and a high-ranking one at that. Mu Tie answered respectfully, "It should be a few more days."

"Did you find out anything?" Fan Xian stared into the official's eyes.

Mu Tie replied, "The Council received word too late. The bodies of those archers had already been cremated. Our investigation brought us to the patrol division and the clues ended there."

"Patrol division? Who's in charge there?"

"Jiao Ziheng."

"Huh?"

Mu Tie gave Fan Xian a look, curious as to how the youth did not know who Jiao Ziheng was, and answered, "It probably isn't one of the prince's men." Taking another look at that unforgeable badge and reaffirming Fan Xian's identity, the official didn't question it any further. This was the way the Overwatch Council did things; everything on the inside was strict and orderly.

"You're in charge of this case?" Fan Xian looked at the official with curiosity. "What rank are you?"

"Seventh ranked," Mu Tie replied with a smile, "Only good for running errands."

"When will Si Lili return to the capital?" Fan Xian suddenly remembered the only living alibi and looked worried.

"They quickly fled. Even if we caught them now, it would take some days for them to be taken back to the capital."

Looking at Fan Xian, Mu Tie did some guess work of his own as to why anyone would conspire with Northern Qi to plot the assassination. It seemed that this young master was chosen by the Council to be developed as one of its members. Thinking about this had Mu Tie excited; he apparently thought of a way to advance his career. Brazenly, he asked, "Your Highness, while I don't know what your duties are in the capital, you are still new to the place. If there is anything I can do to help, just give me the order."

Fan Xian asked, "Then what about this case you're working on?"

Mu Tie grinned, "I can assign it to somebody else. The Council orders the importance of its affairs by magnitude of rank. With Your Highness's status, asking me to help elsewhere is a common thing."

Fan Xian guessed what he was thinking right away and gave an uneasy smile. "Forget it, not even I know what could be done. If you somehow lose your life following me around, what good does that do?"

His heart darkened as he thought about his three dead guards. They had been with him since the day he entered the capital. Now they were dead, and Fan Xian didn't even remember their names.

Fan Xian asked the maidservant to open the windows. The bright daylight flooded his room, which had been under constant darkness. Inhaling deeply, Fan Xian forced himself to become alert and decided to do something. To this enthusiastic official from the Overwatch Council, he asked, "Isn't there a guy by the name of Wang Qinian at the Council?"

Chapter 92: Wang Qinian's Life

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Wang Qinian looked at the pastry stand. Smelling the spicy aroma, he almost cried. His life hadn't been so good recently, having gotten himself kicked out of the Council. Not only had he lost simple things like income and pension, he was also barred from all other government positions due to his time with the Overwatch Council. He knew neither how to use an abacus nor start a shop; he only knew how to investigate criminal cases and use tools of torture.

When he first joined the Overwatch Council, his haughtiness was off the charts as he cracked one case after another. The offenders under his charge were all forced to confess the truth. Who would have thought he too would have ended up like a stray dog? He was getting old, with a wife and daughter back home to support…

Dispirited, he left while feeling the broken bits of silver in his pocket. He pondered who he had offended to deserve this fate.

In truth, he knew the reason—a very simple one. Supposedly, his master's master's master went to the temple incognito for a stroll, but a reckless young man also made his way in, and all the guards stationed along the roads and in the palace passed out at once. The palace was enraged and began investigation. Agents of the Overwatch Council also tagged along to help.

This incident originally had nothing to do with Wan Qinian. But after asking around street by street, the inner ministry found out that young man had went to the Overwatch Council before going to the temple—a major development. Without Director Chen, the Council was like a fatherless child. The higher-ups in the Council all wondered how they would possibly explain once the palace found out that youth had connections with them.

Toward the end of the investigation, Wang Qinian's name was revealed. On the accounts of many Council officials, after entering the Council, that youth talked the most with Wang Qinian, who then agreed to be investigated, despite being in a state of complete bewilderment. He confessed everything they brought up, except for the fact that the youth was Fei Jie's student. Ultimately, the inner council didn't find anything wrong with Wang Qinian, but still found an excuse to kick him out, having finally found a scapegoat.

"Once old Fei returns, I'll go make a complaint," Wang Qinian said with a dejected face, his head meekly supported on his shoulders. He walked into the distance.

"Mr. Wang." An official appeared from around the corner, his face all smiles. He blocked Wang Qinian's path.

Wang Qinian recognized Mu Tie. He had heard Mu Tie was in charge of the investigation of the Niulan Road assassination case. But they normally didn't talk to each other; why did Mu Tie decide to seek him out now? With a suspicious expression, Wang Qinian greeted Mu Tie. "Sir Mu, how may I help you?"

Mu Tie showed an almost flattering grin and said in a soft voice, "Congratulations, Mr. Wang. Congratulations."

Mu Tie had thought he could climb to greater heights via the platform that Fan Xian apparently provided him with, and didn't think the opportunity would go to someone else instead. But since Young Master Fan had given the task to him, there might still be chances in the future. Mu Tie had always lacked emotions, especially when it came to official business. However, with his advancing age, he had no choice but to start planning for his future. Seeing Fan Xian's badge made him connect the bits and pieces he had overheard years ago, convincing him that Fan Xian was someone of extreme importance. He thought Wang Qinian might be Fan Xian's trusted aide, which was why he was being so polite.

Unfortunately, for the ever-stoic Mu Tie, being this expressive was a first. His smile was a bit stiff and unnatural.

That stiffness greatly alarmed Wang Qinian. Had Mu Tie been sent here to eliminate him after all?

With some lingering fear, Wang Qinian found himself sitting in a secluded room. Facing him was a handsome young master. No matter what had happened, Wang Qinian would always recognize the face of the one who got him kicked out of the Overwatch Council. Upon seeing the badge, he knew he was right to make that gamble. This young man was not only Sir Fei's student; he also commanded a terrifying status.

Fan Xian genuinely did not expect this badge to have such terrific commanding power. He squinted and began to reflect upon the time he spent with Fei Jie. That cripple from the Overwatch Council was the one who saved him after he was reincarnated. It was very obvious that the Council took care of him for his mother's sake. Fan Xian decided that he must put this advantage to good use.

"What I just said, did you understand?" Fan Xian smiled at Wang Qinian. The official was getting a little old, with a child and wife back home, which happened to be just what Fan Xian was looking for. He didn't have any experience ordering subordinates around, so he had to learn how. That was why he wanted his first aide to be someone he met by coincidence; someone without too much ambition.

"I understand, Master Fan." Wang Qinian chuckled, his fingers on his belt. In his belt pocket, other than the few bits of silver, there were many bills which weren't in there before. "Excuse me, it should be Sir Fan."

"I'm still new to the capital, so I don't have many subordinates to count on, and my teacher isn't around." Fan Xian thought for a little bit, and then said, "I have another aide named Teng Zijing. But he's injured and probably won't recover for a few months. Once he does, I'll introduce you two."

"Yes sir." Wang Qinian didn't say too much. Compared to when Fan Xian first came to the Council, he got a lot better at it.

"Then go and gather some people." Fan Xian was trying out such things for the first time and felt he was out of his comfort zone; he had no choice but to learn step by step. "Can people like you and I really reassign people from the Council?"

Suddenly, Wang Qinian said unsettlingly, "Your Highness, actually I… had to resign."

Fan Xian was shocked; how could things have gone so wrong? He asked, "Why?"

Working up his courage, Wang Qinian told Fan Xian about the investigation and the temple incident, taking care to emphasize the fact he didn't expose Fan Xian's identity, so as to demonstrate his foresight and his "predetermined loyalty".

Fan Xian asked with a frown, "My current position is that of a department head, would that have the authority to help you?"

Certainly." Wang Qinian was overjoyed, realizing he had followed a person fated for greatness in the future. "There are just some procedures to follow. Your Highness could send out an order first and reappoint me. I would return to my post after a few days."

"Very well, I'm going to have that taken care of as soon as possible." Looking at this slightly elderly man, Fan Xian couldn't help but have doubts; how useful would this person be as an aide? He asked gently, "Sir Wang, may I ask your area of expertise?"

"Tracking, while keeping myself hidden." Upon hearing "expertise", Wang Qinian's spirits elevated immediately. After listening for a long time, Fan Xian discovered that he had stumbled upon an amazing person. During his younger years, this Wang Qinian was a thief who operated alone in the northern parts of Qing. He thoroughly enjoyed sneaking from one vassal state to another, between Northern Wei and Qing. Then he would bring the goods he stole from one vassal state to another and sell them. Because he never exposed the origins of the stolen goods, and due to his natural skill at hiding his traces, over the years he operated without incident. Eventually the officials in those vassal states couldn't take it anymore and conducted a manhunt. Left with no other choice, he was forced to stay in Qing. Unexpectedly, he ran into Director Cheng Pingping, who was ordered by the emperor on the northern expedition. Wang Qinian submitted on the spot and gave up his ways as a thief, whereupon he became a government official.

Looking into his eyes, Fan Xian said lightly, "Si Lili is being taken back to the capital. There might be people trying to rob her or kill her. Whatever happens, do not interfere. You only need to observe the traveling party and find out who their last contact was." Fan Xian paused a little before continuing, a bit embarrassed, "I came up with such a dumb plan because you said you are good at tracking, but not martial arts."

Wang Qinian laughed, "When I was young, the Council wasn't this big. Zong Zhui and I were the best trackers in the Council. But he later followed the Director, while I got lazy and switched to a civil position… But Your Highness can rest assured, despite my old bones, tagging a few people shouldn't be a problem."

"I've got a lawsuit on my hands and can't leave the capital, or else I would definitely go watch your skill with my own eyes." Fan Xian then began to chuckle. "Mr. Wang, above all else, you must preserve your own life. That is of utmost importance."

After assigning Wang his mission, Fan Xian went directly back to Fan Manor. Grimacing, he asked his younger sister to re-bandage his injured shoulder. He had mixed some medicinal powder out of motherwort himself. It was amazingly effective at stopping bleeding and promoting muscle growth. He didn't want doctors to operate on him, on one hand because he did not trust their abilities in treating poison, and on another hand because Ruoruo's slender yet soft fingers were far cuter than the callous-riddled bear paws of those clumsy old men.

Fan Xian then went to the study where Count Sinan was. Seeing his father's greying hair, he saluted with some difficulty. He then asked his father directly, "Father, I need some men."

Fan Jian looked at his son and couldn't keep back his smile. "What have you got your eyes on?"

"The eldest princess's mansion; the living quarters of the prime minister's servants; the brothels frequented by the prince; the second prince's favorite polo court… King Jing's winery?" Fan Xian shrugged. "You know I'm not very familiar with this type of thing, so I was hoping you would lend me some experts. Once I have their advice, I could come up with a plan to investigate."

Fan Jian shook his index finger. "We don't need experts. But you were right in that we need to make some arrangements. A bunch of experts, as long as they're being directed by someone inexperienced, still wouldn't do a good job."

"Father, please give me your advice." Fan Xan was exceptionally humble.

Fan Jian looked down and went back to reading his book. "Actually, people are already keeping an eye on the places you just mentioned. I just find it strange that you know about these places even though you haven't been in the capital for that long."

Fan Xian grinned, knowing that his father was only telling him to bear with it on the surface; he had already begun investigating in secret. "Such things are easy to find out when you chat a bit with the servants."

Fan Jian raised his head slightly, although his gaze was still fixated on his book. "But you must be prepared; the investigation in the capital most likely won't get you any results."

Fan Xian frowned after hearing that.

Fan Jian continued, "You still have to pay attention to things over on Si Lili's end." He paused briefly. "The two female assassins you killed… It seems that they were disciples of the Sigu Sword Sect from Dongyi City, and from what I heard, the the Sigu sword style hasn't been seen in Dongyi City for a long time. You must be more careful." Fan Xian replied with worry, "If a great grandmaster were willing to risk it all to kill someone, who would be able to escape?" Fan Jian nodded in agreement. "True. However, there shouldn't be any reason for him to go after you. Relax. This is only some useful information."

Over ten days later, about two hundred and fifty kilometers to the north of the capital, a traveling party was progressing southward against the cold morning wind. The party consisted of people from the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. After being in pursuit for several-thousand kilometers, they finally apprehended Si Lili before she could escape the country. Presently they were taking her back to the capital. They had been walking south for a long time. They would reach the capital in a few days. The leading official handed a steamed bun to Si Lili in the jail cart. "Eat."

Si Lili's face was thin and pallid. Her long hair was a mess, blowing in the wind. There was also some dust on her cheeks. Had Fan Xian seen her now, he definitely wouldn't believe that she was the most popular entertainer with whom he had "slept" with. Chewing the tough, dried-out bun, Si Lili suddenly raised her head and said ferociously, "Even after going back to the capital, I will tell you nothing."

That official gave her a look, his eyes full of mockery. "You think we're sending you back to get to you to confess something? I don't understand, are the officials over at Northern Qi bored out of their minds? Putting an idiot like you in the capital."

Indeed, Si Lili was a spy of Northern Qi. But every day she had presented herself as a courtesan who was showered by compliments and praises. Never before had a man so coldly called her an idiot. Her voice trembling, she said, "Of course I know you aren't after a confession, since that would plunge the Qing Imperial court into chaos for a long time."

The official replied cynically, "Actually, your best choice of action was towards the beginning, on the day when the assassination attempt occurred. You should have turned yourself in immediately. This way, you could have exposed who was conspiring with Northern Qi, which would be enough to accomplish Northern Qi's goal. Your escape only showed that you value your life more than your mission."

Si Lili lowered her head in admittance of this fact. She gripped the tough bun in her hand tightly, leaving behind deep marks.

Chapter 93: Talking About the Capital Outside Cangzhou City

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The official added coldly, "We knew Drunken Immortal Tavern was planted by you Northern Qi. We never did anything except surveillance since you guys were ineffective. Who would have thought you were this reckless? Running away after what you'd done? Do you really think this world is so easy?"

Only after getting caught did Si Lili find out that her each and every move was being watched by the Overwatch Council. She couldn't help but feeling a sense of horror toward this organization of the Qing emperor.

Seeing that they were about to resume moving again, Si Lili suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs, "You better kill me now! Or that someone from your Imperial court will certainly come to my rescue!"

The official merely raised his eyebrows. "More like come to shut you up for good." As soon as he said that, over the hills in front of them, some bandits on horses appeared. The traveling group had been expecting robbers, but they weren't expecting to encounter raiders from the northern border and the surrounding vassal states. There were dozens of them, all brandishing swords. Against the Council's group of only over ten men, the outcome of this clash seemed obvious.

While the highwaymen weren't that many in number, they did appear only two hundred and fifty kilometers away from the capital without the Qing military's knowledge. If the civilians knew this, there would be no rest in the Imperial court. Now Si Lili's face was pale with fear. She wasn't exceptionally intelligent, but she was smart enough to know that she'd lose her life for certain if she were to fall into their hands.

The Council officials also couldn't believe this conspiring official in the Imperial court would somehow have connections with the raiders near the nation's border. Looking tense, the leading official leaned towards the jail cart. "Si Lili, looks like you and I both won't be making it out alive. Since we've gotten to this point, how about you tell me who the traitor is? If some of my men manage to escape, they can report it to the court and avenge us in the process."

Si Lili looked down, her life flashing before her eyes. She was about to speak before noticing something wasn't right. She raised her head and said, "You're bluffing."

The official wasn't expecting her to see through his plan and made a hardly noticeable frown.

Si Lili then continued in a sad tone, "You should know what I do for a living. I've learned to notice faint signs on people's faces since I was a child. Your voice was shaking slightly, but your hand on this cart was steady and relaxed. You obviously aren't as concerned about this matter as you say. You probably already saw this ambush coming."

"Well done." Only now did the official start to feel this woman truly had the talent to be a spy. With a smile, he said, "If we couldn't anticipate something like this, then the Overwatch Council wouldn't be the Overwatch Council."

As they were talking, dozens of horse riders came charging down the hill, their killing intent fouling the sky. This front obviously did not belong to ordinary highwaymen.

Around the jail cart, the men of the Council formed a defensive semicircle. However, as they were few in number, their defensive formation looked pitiful. Facing the incoming onslaught, despite it being a life-and-death situation, the men all held solemn and respectful expressions.

"Ho…!" The leading official clenched his right fist tightly, coldly eyeing the wave of riders. He had just given the signal to keep everything steady. Had Fan Xian heard the signal, it would surely have reminded him of the English word "hold" he often heard from foreign movies in his previous life.

As the horsemen closed in, the leading official suddenly took a step back. Straightening his right arm, he shouted, "Ready!" The semicircle formation suddenly readjusted into a wedge. More terrifyingly, the men all took out crossbows—seemingly from out of nowhere. Raising the crossbows to eye level, they took aim at the horsemen in front of them!

The distance between them was too close. The leading rider's eyes showed panic as he pulled on the reins of his horse. The entire group managed to turn to go around the crossbowmen. They had been galloping at full speed; in order to come to such a sudden stop and then immediately change directions, their horsemanship must be superb.

"Fire!" The commanding official gave the order just as the lead horseman started to turn his horse.

A rain of crossbow bolts launched into the air. Although it wasn't a dense volley, each bolt flew with exceptional speed due to the power of the crossbows, ripping through the air with a chilling hiss. With several grunts, the foremost horsemen were hit and crashed heavily to the ground. The riders behind them wanted to overwhelm the crossbowmen while the men were reloading, unaware they were using repeating crossbows!

The repeating crossbow appeared in this world about twenty years ago. Each magazine held eight bolts. That weapon was the bane of light cavalry. Seeing what was happening, the entire group of riders panicked. They split into two branches and went around the crossbowmen from both sides, ready to carry out a pincer attack.

Had they continued to charge straight on, they might have gotten better results. But there weren't any what-ifs in this world. A few more horsemen fell while attempting the pincer attack. To the horror of the other riders, they discovered that in the hills behind the jail cart, an ambush was waiting for them!

Upon seeing the camouflaged ambush party, the horsemen lost their wits and no longer cared about killing the woman in the cart. They scrambled and fled in all directions.

The ones lying in wait were part of a cavalry unit made up of riders wearing black armor. It was the same unit Fan Xian saw immediately after opening his eyes for the first time in this world. Those cavalrymen were assigned by the emperor himself while Director Chen was away from the capital on official business; they were none other than the emperor's personal cavalry unit—the Black Knights!

Those Black Knights rode after their targets like a wolfpack ripping into a flock of sheep, completely surrounding the enemy horsemen before making quick work of them with swift sword strikes.

"Leave some alive! Leave some alive!" Fei Jie yelled out in a hurry while watching the slaughter in a carriage behind ranks of Black Knights. "Don't kill all of them!"

One of the curtains on the carriage was lifted by a dry and withered hand. An elderly gentleman surveyed the surrounding situation before coldly saying, "Fei Jie, don't get too worked up over these whelps. I doubt they even know who their master is. Just capturing their leader will do."

Fei Jie cursed, "Sir Fan took little Fan Xian into the capital while we were gone and you know what almost happened. How could I not get worked up?"

The elderly man grunted. Smoothing out the fleece blanket on his lap, he said, "I was visiting my home. Your ran out on your own. You only have yourself to blame."

Even a decade later, Fei Jie still retained his strange look; his hair was broken up by white patches and his eyes were the same shade of brown. Frowning, Fei Jie said, "Who knows what Sir Fan is planning. Your Highness, after we get back to the capital you must go have a chat with Count Sinan."

That elderly gentleman was none other than Chen Pingping, a man who held vast hidden authority. He was smiling while looking at the enemy leader in the distance. "Naturally, I understand what Fan Jian was thinking. But I must say, his thinking is… absolutely chaotic! All in order to gain these; I'd rather not have them…" He repeated again, "… I'd rather not have them."

While the two of them were talking, the enemy leader rode off into the distance and became a small dot on the horizon. He knew he had been ambushed by the Overwatch Council. However, he could not figure out why Chen Pingping appeared outside Cangzhou City to the north of the capital when he should be visiting his home!

He knew all was lost as soon as he saw the Black Knights. Against the ruthless and sinister Director Chen, even his real master could only focus on self-preservation, so he had to get away first. This was also the reason he didn't get as close to the Black Knights as the rest of his men. The Black Knights began to tire after chasing for about a kilometer, and the distance between them and their target lengthened. They had no choice but to give up their pursuit.

"I'm assuming Zong Zhui is already on the move?" Chen Pingping quietly asked his aide.

The aide bowed in confirmation.

At the same time, from the woods in the distance, a rider on a grey horse darted out, silently chasing after the fleeing enemy.

"That's not Zong Zhui." Fei Jie frowned.

Chen Pingping suddenly laughed after staring at that grey blur for a while. "Since he hid himself from us, he must be one of ours… Considering how he was able to keep up with Zong Zhui's skills, I believe there was someone like that in the Council many years ago."

"Wang Qinian?"

"Indeed." Chen Pingping smiled. "Looks like that brat we were worried about finally learned something."

After dispatching Wang Qinian from the capital, it became inconvenient for Fan Xian to go out because of his wounds. He even stopped frequenting the still in-progress bookstore, opting to live a secretive and simple life for a period of time. By now, he had already become famous in the capital, especially due to those two poems which didn't match his experiences at all. The poems further made him a source of controversy. Those who supported him viewed him as a genius poet, while those in opposition accused him of forcefully expressing scenes of grief in his poems—however, no one knew even that phrase was brought to this world by Fan Xian from his past life.

There were also rumors of plagiarism going around in the dark, but the line "Ten thousand miles in sorrowful autumn, always a guest" was overly flashy to the point that no one was shameless enough to claim it, and therefore those rumors never went anywhere. However, Fan Xian knew that day would come eventually. The father of Guo Baokun was the Director of the Board of Rites, and their entire household always dealt with influential figures in the literary circle. Fan Xian, however, never liked to assume the worst in… so-called "scholars".

It was precisely due to his controversy and fame that the scholars who frequented the poetry gatherings at King Jing's manor often came to visit. While on the surface they came offering get-well wishes, they were actually there hoping that Fan Xian would compliment their poems.

Fan Xian patiently greeted each one of his guests, but he was quite stingy while evaluating their poems. After all, he was far above the "literary world", just like how Zhang Xianlian started his own business. Still, he didn't believe he had the privilege. At only sixteen years old, he made it thus far thanks to his wits from his past life. To gather some poet following just because of that would be too absurd!

Compared to his reputation as a poet, what really made his name stand out in the capital and earned him praise was the assassination incident on Niulan Street.

Some of the details of the investigation could be accessed by the general public. Once those leaked out, Fan Xian, as the victim under such grave danger, not only preserved his own life but also initiated a counterattack, killing his assassins from Northern Qi, one whom was an eighth level master. Those facts raised Fan Xian to a whole new level in the eyes of the people. No longer did people accuse him of unjustly beating up others. Instead, everyone spoke of him as the Young Master Fan who was endowed with both literary and martial virtues, who had bravely slain his assassins.

"Civil enough to compose poetry, martial enough to kill; doing both in seven steps. That, is Young Master Fan."

hapter 94: The Functionary Wins the Queen of Flowers

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After the killing on Niulan Street, Fan Xian had a number of things on his mind. Teng Zijing had already left for the countryside to recuperate, and it was unclear whether he might be left handicapped. The families of the three dead guards had received sufficient financial compensation, and even the relevant court departments had issued them an order of commendation. The guards were buried in the tombs of the Fan Clan, just outside the capital; if Fan Xian were allowed to leave the city, he naturally would have gone and paid tribute.

The bloody incident had taught him that surviving in this world was no easy task, and it was not enough to simply invite guests to banquets. So he needed to have control of forces that belonged directly to him, such as Wang Qinian, Fan Sizhe, and his own martial arts training.

Now he had changed the period he spent meditating in the capital from midday to evening. Often half-awake, he felt that the zhenqi at the xueshan point in his spine was like a body of warm water, comfortably rinsing out every part of his body. It seemed almost as if the volume and concentration of his zhenqi had increased to

some extent.

The fact that he had been able to kill an eighth-level master alongside two female assassins seemed almost inconceivable to him. He had checked the zhenqi circulation of Teng Zijing and discovered that there was no one in the world who trained in the way that he did. This realization had not made him feel panicked in the slightest. Since he could kill an eighth-level master with his slender dagger and his hidden crossbow, it showed that his zhenqi was extremely useful.

He was different from others who had trained in martial arts in this world. He did not hold to the idea that levels of ranking were insurmountable—the big guy's bloody guts sprayed out along the floor had shown him that. If you were ferocious and prepared enough, would the five grandmasters even pose a threat?

But he had not begun on the second badao scroll. His gaze fell on the box tossed into a nook in the corner of the room. After he had come to the capital, he had seemingly forgotten about this item that his mother had left him. It seemed that he would have to go find a key at some point.

Si Lili, a key player in the assassination attempt, was still on her way to the city after having been arrested, but a decree had flashed across the city as quick as lightning. The decree was issued from deep within the palace. It regarded Fan Xian. In the current context, the content of the decree seemed highly unusual.

"In accordance with the will of Heaven, His Majesty the Emperor thus decrees..." He watched the court eunuch's lips flap as he spoke, but he could not make any sense of what he was saying, as the proclamation was written in highly formal classical language. Kneeling in the lobby of Fan Manor, Fan Xian feared that the eunuch's spittle would land on his face, and watched uneasily as it pooled on the green floor tiles below him. The imperial proclamation was finally read aloud in its entirety, and under Lady Liu's instruction, Fan Xian did what was expected of him by the rules, calling out "may His Majesty live ten thousand years!", thanking him again, and taking the proclamation from the eunuch. With no anger at all, Lady Liu handed the eunuch a banknote worth a sum of silver, and, satisfied, he departed.

"Where do I put this thing?" Fan Xian asked Lady Liu, clasping the edict in his hands. "I can't hold on to it forever."

Lady Liu laughed and took it from him. "We receive a lot of proclamations at the manor. But you can't just call it 'this thing'. There's a special room in the manor where we store them." Over the past few days, there had been what seemed like an odd harmony between Fan Xian and Lady Liu. It was a product of the circumstances they found themselves in, but neither knew how long it would last.

"To tell you the truth, I've studied the classics, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what that the eunuch said." Back in his bedroom, Fan Xian redressed the wound on his shoulder. He looked at his sister, sitting at the desk next to him, who wore something that looked like a smile, yet was not.

"Eunuch Dai is from Tiaozhou in the south. His accent is so thick it's hard to tell what he's saying. But these sorts of proclamations have come to the manor a lot over the past few years, so I can understand what they're talking about."

"What does it say?" asked Fan Xian, worried. "Why is it addressed to me?"

Fan Ruoruo pursed her lips and smiled, choosing not to respond directly. "The palace has bestowed many rewards upon our house in the past decade or so. Although father hasn't risen in the ranks, Sizhe and I, and even Lady Liu, have received our own titles. Now it looks like they have granted you a title too."

Fan Xian knew that Fan Sizhe, despite being nobody of any stature, had received a title usually given to cavalry officers. But when it came to himself, he couldn't help but feel curious. "But I still haven't been made a legitimate child of the family. Even if the palace wanted to give me a title, there aren't any that they could give to me."

"That's correct. That's why the proclamation talks about you killing enemy spies and so on, and your services to the country, and gives you the title of Functionary of Taichang Temple."

"Functionary of Taichang Temple?" Fan Xian sounded very surprised. Taichang Temple was a temple where people offered sacrifices to their ancestors, and although functionary was only an eighth-level official position, they could enter the Temple of Qing as they pleased. Since he had met Lin Wan'er, he had often guessed at the identity of the nobles who were worshipping at the Temple of Qing. Since they were Wan'er's elders, and Wan'er had grown up in the palace, it seemed that the noble had been someone from the palace. He couldn't be sure whether it was the Empress or the Eldest Princess. In the past few days that he had visited Wan'er, she had seemed particularly worried about the power struggles that would occur after their marriage, so he took pains not to ask her anything about it.

So what was the meaning behind all this? Fan Xian frowned as he pondered. If that person could persuade the Emperor to make such a proclamation, they wanted to point out what had happened that day at the Temple of Qing. So what was the idea behind it? Was it a show of goodwill? Or a show of force?

Fan Ruoruo looked at his pained face, deep in thought, and eventually could not stop herself from laughing out loud. "Xian," she said, pointing at him, "what's got you in such a muddle? Functionary of Taichang Temple... it's a title that is always bestowed on anyone who becomes the Emperor's son-in-law by marrying a princess."

Fan Xian suddenly realized and laughed, somewhat embarrassed. It seemed that the wedding was finally confirmed. Due to his injuries, it had been a while since he had been to the palace. No doubt Wan'er was worried about him after the incident—could that have made her illness worse? He suddenly felt bewildered; how could someone so exceptionally smart have the mother and father that they had?

"I asked you if you would help me by going there yesterday. Did you deliver my letter?" he asked, trying to suppress the unease he felt.

"I did," she replied serenely. "She listened to your words, and persuaded that older servant girl. Now she eats well every day, and her health is improving. When she heard about the attack, she was rather worried, but yesterday she was too busy, and Ye Ling'er was there too, so she didn't have a chance to write a letter to you."

Fan Xian sighed and said nothing. Fan Ruoruo was the person who understood him most in this world, and when she heard him sigh she knew he was troubled.

"Romeo and Juliet." When Ruoruo was young, she had listened to her brother tell her their story of love, and had always remembered it. She smiled as she encouraged him. "You once said that people have to be brave enough to seek happiness."

Fan Xian was greatly moved, and embraced his little sister tightly. He could feel her shoulder bones jutting out of her skinny frame as he patted her on the back. "Don't worry," he said, "those two died after one of them drank poison and the other stabbed herself. But I'm an expert in poison and knives, so it'll be different."

"Are you hurt?" As she watched the young man climb through the window, Lin Wan'er felt a twinge of heartache as she let him lie on her bed. "You're still coming here and doing this," she grumbled, "with your health the way it is?"

"I'm worried that you're worried about me," said Fan Xian, anxious.

Lin Wan'er felt warmth fill her heart when she heard of his worries. She got rid of the tea in her teacup and steeped some fresh tea for him to drink. She spoke quietly as he raised the cup to his lips. "I understand what you mean. I've been looking after my health the past few days. You should be looking after yours too."

Fan Xian held the cup in his hands and waved away the rising cloud of steam. "How can a princess wait on someone?"

Lin Wan'er bit her bottom lip. "If you annoy me again I shall chase you out."

"Are you really willing to part with me?" Fan Xian gazed at her, grinning slyly.

"I have decided after we're married we'll go to the villa in the Cang Mountains and spend the winter there." Fan Xian leaned on the bed, gazing at his fiancée's face, which was filled with worry for him. He smiled. "It'll be good for your health, and before that, I believe Fei Jie will have returned to the capital."

"Don't just think about me alone." Lin Wan'er bit her bottom lip, her white teeth cutely complementing the red of her lips. "If that sort of thing happens again, what will you do?"

Fan Xian had already forgotten the exact number of times that he had stolen into her bedchamber. The guards in the manor were truly awful. They had not discovered him even once, and had no idea that the couple was already quite so familiar with one another. Fan Xian was proud enough of that. Just think of the other, smaller imperial palaces—had there been anyone in history who could sneak into them as well as he had?

"What else is going to happen? The Northern Qi aren't idiots. Since they've already played their hand in this manner, there's no way that the palace will be fooled by them again."

"I'm worried that there's someone in the palace who will target you, feeling confident that they can use the assassination attempt by Northern Qi as pretense," said Lin Wan'er, worried.

Fan Xian knew that his fiancée was a smart girl, and that she had grown up in the palace. Even though the Empress was fond of him, it was a complicated situation they found themselves in, so he was sure that she knew more about palace affairs than he did. When he heard her say this, he smiled and lifted up her soft chin, rubbing it with his fingers. "Don't worry. I'm firmly convinced that I'm the luckiest person in the world."

Feeling him tickle her chin, such an intimate gesture made her feel both happy and nervous. Patches of red suddenly bloomed on her snow-white cheeks, and she immediately pushed away his hand. "Nobody can rely on luck all their life," she said, a little uneasy.

Fan Xian loved it when she looked so bashful. "I was lucky enough to have you," he said, teasing her. "Is having me... important?" Lin Wan'er drooped her head a little. From this angle, the fluttering of her long eyelashes suggested that she was rather nervous.

"Very important." Fan Xian embraced her. He wasn't an expert in words of love, so he felt a little nervous, and he awkwardly tried to search for her lips.

As Lin Wan'er allowed herself to be embraced, and his masculine scent filled her nostrils, she couldn't help but feel weak. She leaned into his chest and turned her head. "Who could want to kill you?" she said quietly.

This fortuitous turning of her head evaded Fan Xian's stolen kiss. Fan Xian wasn't resentful at all, and when he heard the question, he felt a slight chill. He held her close, feeling her soft skin, his hands involuntarily stroking her back. "Don't worry."