Chapter 20 Malice from the Strong

Chen Yi, propping up his frail little body, came to the two kidnappers and searched through their clothes and sleeves.

Lin Xueru hid not far away, wanting to watch but fearful of seeing the corpses and blood on the ground, and she timidly asked, "Brother Yi, aren't you afraid?"

"Of course I am, but fear shouldn't prevent us from searching for war trophies."

Chen Yi gave a perfunctory reply, his tone tinged with disappointment.

He only found two pouches of money on the kidnappers' bodies and didn't find the kind of correspondence he was looking for.

Considering Zhou Wanyi's cautiousness, it was unlikely she would leave any obvious evidence.

However, just kidnapping him and taking him away from Kyoto Prefecture, instead of killing him, was indeed very much like his aunt's style.

Chen Yi didn't understand, what about his existence was hindering his aunt?

"War trophies," Lin Xueru took a quick glance at him, "Do you mean those items, like the money?"

"Yes, and no."

Chen Yi gathered his spirits and pulled her towards the direction of Kyoto Prefecture.

As they walked, he lectured, "Against the bad guys, you shouldn't only defeat them, but also learn to use what you've taken effectively."

"It's like these two pouches of money, in their hands, they would only cause countless people to shed blood and tears, but it's different when they're in my hands."

He said this and looked solemnly at her.

"I will use this money to buy you the pastries you love to eat!"

Lin Xueru was still pondering how it was any different when she heard his words, stunned for a moment.

Once she realized what he said, she couldn't help but giggle, revealing a sweet smile with two cute dimples.

"Brother Yi, you're so nice, just like my second brother."

"Of course, we are both your elder brothers, right?"

On the way back, Chen Yi kept telling jokes to prevent the scene of the earlier killing from leaving a shadow on Lin Xueru's mind.

After all, she was truly a child who had just turned three, not like him, a young man in his twenties trapped in a young body.

Not long after the two children had left, a figure in black clothes, hunched over, appeared beside the kidnappers' corpses.

That pair of cloudy and dim eyes surveyed this "battlefield."

"Sword Cultivator, hm?"

The person in black waved a hand, causing a breeze that passed over the two corpses.

The strong smell of blood dissipated a bit, and three shadows emerged in the air—recreating the battle that lasted only a minute.

"Two sword strikes to decapitate, cough, not quite, it was three swords."

The figure in black focused on a dagger not too far away, and with a flick of the wrist, the breeze carried the dagger into his hand.

His index finger touched over the trace of Sword Qi on the dagger, feeling for something intricately.

For a long while.

"The little beast has a large fate, to think that I would encounter a Sword Cultivator who has just begun to understand the Sword Dao here…"

With a sigh, the person in black determined his direction and vanished like a shadow, faster than even the Mad Old Man.

…

In the silent forest, the stars and the full moon shed their silver light through the bare branches, dispelling the darkness around.

After Lin Xueru had laughed for a while, she suddenly tightened her grip on Chen Yi's hand and whispered,

"Brother Yi, to activate Sword Qi with the blessings of our ancestors' spirits carved on the handle, it requires swordsmanship cultivation."

Chen Yi paused for a moment, then smiled, "I know, so it's our secret, right?"

"Secret? We're not supposed to tell others?"

"Right, not even your parents. If they ask, you just say we both passed out."

"Oh."

Lin Xueru thought for a while, her little face again showing a hint of trouble as she hesitantly asked, "Then, do you still need my protection?"

Looking at her anxious little expression, Chen Yi burst into amused laughter, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Is the little girl afraid that her abilities aren't enough, worried he wouldn't need her protection anymore?

Thinking so, he extended his pinky finger and shook it, saying with a smile, "We made a pinky promise, of course it counts."

Then Lin Xueru finally smiled, her eyes as beautifully curved as the crescent moon.

"Brother Yi, when I grow up, I will protect you just like you protected me."

"Uh-huh, I'll be waiting for that day…"

Not knowing how long they had walked, Chen Yi finally saw specks of light atop the outer walls of Kyoto Prefecture from afar and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Throughout this journey, it would be a lie to say he hadn't been afraid.

Fortunately, the Mad Old Man had taken the money and left, and those traffickers hadn't pursued them.

Thank goodness...

Just then, a light screen unexpectedly appeared in front of him.

[You are being oppressed by the mighty presence of the heavens and earth, your body has become sluggish.]

[You are targeted by the malicious intent of a powerful being, Rebellion Point +10]

As the words on the screen appeared, an overwhelming oppression bore down on Chen Yi, leaving him breathless.

He widened his eyes in shock. The malice of a powerful being, the might of the heavens and earth?

"Yi, Brother, Brother Yi?"

Lin Xueru saw him stop and looked puzzled.

But her voice was extremely slow to Chen Yi's ears as if there was an invisible barrier between them.

Under the pressure of that might, time itself seemed to slow down, and everything around them fell silent.

He could only hear his own slow, heavy heartbeat.

Chen Yi clenched his teeth, propping up his already weakened body, his handsome face flushed red.

Yet, he still struggled against the terrifying pressure, slowly turning his neck, trying to locate the person who was attacking him!

"Who, is it!?"

With his low roar, he saw a pair of eyes—a pair of eyes filled with authority, slightly murky.

He could even make out the cold murderous intent in those eyes, along with hesitation and regret, among other complex emotions.

Faintly, he heard the sound of someone uttering "what a pity" in an elderly and hoarse voice.

Following that, Chen Yi felt the pressure on him suddenly decrease, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Seeing this, Lin Xueru, who was beside him, called out with growing panic, "Brother Yi, what's wrong with you? Don't scare Ru Ru."

"It's, it's nothing."

Chen Yi took deep breaths, his voice dry and hoarse in response.

With small hands propping himself up, his face and body were drenched in sweat.

"I, I thought you..." Tears brimmed in Lin Xueru's eyes, clearly frightened by his state.

"Yi Er, Xue Ru?"

Just as Chen Yi was about to offer her a few more words of comfort, a somewhat anxious voice came from not too far away.

They both looked up.

Lin Xueru recognized the figure and her face lit up with joy, then pouting, she rushed over: "Father..."

Father?

Was it Duke Xing, Lin Hansong?

Knowing that their rescuers had arrived, Chen Yi finally relaxed completely and slumped onto the ground.

But still lingering in his mind were those eyes, and that raspy, elderly voice saying "what a pity."

What a pity he hadn't managed to kill me?

It seems that it was Duke Xing's sudden appearance that scared the attacker away...

"Can you walk, Yi Er?"

Chen Yi snapped back to reality and saw Duke Xing holding Lin Xueru, his face pale as he nodded.

"Then let's go. Your family is waiting for you at home. We'll talk more when we get there."

"Mhm."

On the way back, Chen Yi was silent.

This had been his first encounter with a life-and-death crisis.

Even when he had been poisoned before, he never felt like he was going to die because the poison wasn't deadly and he had his swordsmanship.

But this time was different—the person wanted to kill him and had the strength to overpower him completely.

Upon realizing this, Chen Yi replayed the incident in his mind over and over again, as if to etch those eyes and that voice into his heart.

He took note of Duke Xing's life-saving grace and also memorized the one who had made a move against him.

To take revenge for wrongs and to reciprocate kindness; this was his creed!

PS: Thanks to the generous rewards from big bosses Jiace and Bakalaka Meow, Old Eight is grateful!