My encounter with Princess Rongde occurred because Mr. Feng was in the Inner Palace that day. There was an urgent matter requiring his personal decision, so Brother Hou Yi used his palace entry token to bring me inside to report. The Princess was the same age as A-Zhi, the only daughter of Empress Wei, and was pampered beyond measure, possessing an incredibly haughty and extravagant temperament. To her, I was nothing more than a new, pretty plaything.
When we went to report, Mr. Feng happened to be accompanying the Crown Prince and several other princes and princesses at the polo field. Rongde spotted me at once. With a spoiled air, she pointed her whip at me, demanding I mount a horse and take a lap; if I rode well, I would have to race her. It was said she was indeed the best rider in the palace, surpassing even the princes. Seeing me standing there coldly without moving, she was on the verge of a tantrum. Mr. Feng smoothed things over with a smile: "This child has some history with this old servant. If Your Highness wishes to race him, this old servant must be thick-skinned enough to ask Your Highness for a wager."
Rongde huffed and said, "Very well." On her own authority, she pointed out a horse, which was then saddled and led before her as she waited for me to take the field.
Hou Yi pulled a face and exchanged a glance with Mr. Feng; both were mischievously suppressing laughter. I frowned helplessly and shot a look at Mr. Feng. It was one thing for Brother Hou to not know the depths of my skill, but why was Mr. Feng actively joining in the nonsense? Still, it was impossible for me to actually lose to Rongde. I changed into riding silks and mounted the horse.
Generally, when wearing official robes, I would wear a veil with special obscuring properties to avoid being recognized by the many eyes in the capital. Perhaps it was this that piqued Rongde’s curiosity. Combined with her overconfidence in her riding skills, she grew playful during the race. As she caught up from behind and brushed past me, she suddenly reached out, intending to snatch my veil.
She missed the first time, of course. To avoid bruising her ego too much, I hadn't pushed my horse to its full speed. She, however, was overconfident to a fault, deliberately slowing down to wait for me to catch up. Again, she reached toward my face. Unexpectedly, I instead plucked the scarlet peony pinned to her hair and instantly surged past her. We were near the finish line; in a flash, the victory was decided.
She didn't even realize her hair ornament had been taken until I crossed the finish line and turned my horse back. Only then did she see the flower held between my fingers. Fuming yet helpless, she could only gnash her teeth and kick her stirrups.
I dismounted and knelt, holding the flower as I performed a formal salute. "I have claimed Your Highness's wager. Your Highness's riding skills still require some practice."
On the way out of the palace, Brother Hou teased me, saying he wanted the flower. I tossed it to him casually. He didn't mind the eccentricity and cheerfully pinned the flower to his temple beneath his cap, making Mr. Feng roar with laughter.
After the laughter subsided, the two of them joined in congratulating me in the carriage, saying I would soon become the Imperial Son-in-law. They told me not to forget my roots when that time came and to look after them. They even rambled on about how the glory of the Yingzhao Bureau would depend on me. I couldn't be bothered to respond, but then Mr. Feng suddenly asked, "If you are unwilling to take such a prestigious marriage, Qing-er, do you perhaps have another beloved in your heart?"
Hou Yi hurriedly chimed in, "If Wei Jiu won't say, I'll go investigate."
I could only reply, "The fate has ended, yet my heart cannot let go. You two are occupied with a myriad of affairs; why bother wasting your time on this?"
The two of them sighed and clicked their tongues, finally dropping the subject. However, I knew that Mr. Feng eventually looked into the matter. He later blocked several of Rongde’s attempts to make trouble for me, which I suppose was his way of dealing with the trouble he'd invited.
Ever since Nie Xueqing wrote saying she had taught A-Zhi the skills of trade, I had seen through the intentions of the Great Mistress of the Nie family. This way, A-Zhi’s profit-seeking master would eventually send her back to the capital to manage shops, making our reunion a natural progression. After three years of separation, the loss of face I suffered back then gradually became less important. Just as I was beginning to waver, the battle with Angling Poem Hook occurred.
On our wedding night, I told A-Zhi what I was thinking then, but there was much I didn't tell her. For instance, when he got the first strike and ran a blade through my left lung—after ten exchanges, I was the only one covered in heavy wounds while he remained unscathed—a deep sense of weariness suddenly surged up. It completely overwhelmed my will to live. I suddenly felt that life was dull and meaningless, that Heaven was finally reclaiming the life of this sin-laden lapdog.
This was certainly not the first time I had faced a brutal assassin alone. At fifteen, the first contract killer I killed solo belonged to the Xianshang organization. I left his body intact except for his eyes, which I gouged out and discarded, before delivering the corpse to the Xianshang headquarters to mock them for their poor vision in taking the wrong contract. Back then, I only felt that such a fight was exhilarating and quite interesting.
Before encountering Angling Poem Hook, Mr. Feng had already planned my missions for at least the next three years: infiltrating the Kingdom of Shiying to reorganize the scattered intelligence networks and take overall command of information. This task was perilously dangerous. The cultural differences between the two countries were vast, the languages were different, and there had been no contact for years. We knew very little of each other. An infiltrator could easily slip up, and exposure meant certain death.
In truth, I didn't care much for my own life. Any major case I was assigned was usually a one-way trip, yet each time I managed to wrest a chance of survival from the heavens. But this matter was indeed extraordinary, and my remaining time in the country was short. Therefore, whether to see A-Zhi or not, and what good it would do if I did, left me at a loss. I feared I would truly die in a foreign land and make her weep with sorrow; yet I also feared that if I died and she didn't cry, I wouldn't even be at peace as a ghost.
Before that night, seeing her was a toss-up. As I moved through the streets and alleys using only physical techniques, unable to use evasion arts in the Yin-Erosion Rain, I felt that all these calculations were utterly ridiculous. Someone like me, constantly pursued by the God of Death, was not fit to speak of love seriously to anyone, let alone marry and have children like Commander Zheng. To form a family would be to destroy a family. No wonder Commander Zhou and Commander Yuan spent their days in hedonistic self-amusement, remaining bachelors to the end and wandering through fields of flowers until death. That was truly the best end for people like us.
Mr. Feng rarely lost his temper, but he personally took up the blade to catch the culprit because he had cared for me with deep affection over the years. He was pained that I had walked to the gates of hell once more. It was also because if I had truly died, all the Bureau's early preparations would have been in vain, and finding another suitable candidate would have been a massive undertaking, delaying plans and throwing everything into chaos.
Although A-Zhi was the only reason I survived, during my recovery, I thought everything through. I instructed Honglu to prepare parting gifts for my friends. Under the guise of the Tang Clan's Zhen family, I had puppet miniatures made. The blueprints were drawn by my own hand; according to the design, it was a complete manor where A-Zhi possessed all the things she loved. I did not need to exist within it. That was the final gift I intended for her.
During my three years in Shiying, there were naturally some dangerous moments, but overall, it went more smoothly than imagined. Before the Tianshan Meeting, a secret letter arrived from Mr. Feng, stating that the Emperor’s intent for a northern expedition was now evident, and the plans laid out over many years were about to be activated. He said that rather than leaving me in a foreign land, it was better for me to return to the capital to discuss the grand strategy and serve as his right hand. I knew the underlying reason: once war broke out, there would surely be personnel shifts within the Bureau. To him, the most reliable people were still only Hou Yi and myself. No matter how important the Shiying intelligence was, it wasn't as vital as stabilizing the foundation of the Yingzhao Bureau.
Furthermore, the Wujing Sect lacked a new talent at the Consummate Cloud-Swallowing stage to participate in the Tianshan Meeting. Sect Leader Lyu and Cang Jiang were both old friends of Mr. Feng; he couldn't refuse them this favor. Regardless, barring any accidents, I would likely be able to stay in my homeland for at least a year.
What I thought of, however, was whether A-Zhi would have someone to protect her if the world fell into chaos and the mountains crumbled. The Myriad Demon Stockade was tucked away in the southern corner, seemingly stable, but if Lei Tian sat back and watched the "snipe and clam" fight, he would eventually send troops to invade. At that time, the four southern provinces—E, Feng, Jin, and Chong—including the Myriad Demon Stockade, would bear the brunt of it. The Myriad Demon Stockade, being the most forward and chaotic frontline, would never know peace. The original decision to let the Myriad Demon Stockade become a lawless "four-way no-man's-land" was also the idea of the late Emperor Taizong. It was essentially another form of the Tianshan defense line, only composed of the flesh and blood of countless demons.
Although her master and eldest senior brother were both at the venerable Cloud-Grazing stage, and Lu Kaifeng was quite capable, they could likely protect their own lives. Still, I felt that if I could personally arrange some fallback measures for her to spare her the hardships of displacement, it would bring an extra layer of peace of mind. She didn't need to know any of this.
Thus, I used my participation in the Tianshan Meeting as a bargaining chip, along with several spirit veins I held that produced top-tier spiritual herbs. I negotiated with the sect to allow the Ancient Dream Mountain lineage to be incorporated into the sect and have their status changed. Furthermore, if the war turned chaotic, their master and disciples could take refuge in the Wujing Sect’s "Peach Blossom Spring" sanctuaries—usually several minor realms connected to our great world. Ensuring their safety for eight or ten years would be easy.
Sect Leader Lyu initially disagreed, but it was Martial Uncle Cang Jiang who smiled and said, "It is rare for Qingming to ask for something for the sake of a beloved; such sincerity is commendable. Seeing her words, the affection transcends the paper, moving even me. Senior Brother Sect Leader, please grant the request." Ultimately, the sect agreed, and they only took one spirit vein as the exchange. I knew that was their way of telling me I must take the top spot to repay the sect, and also because a thousand-year-old sect has its own dignity; it wouldn't look good to be too greedy when facing a disciple's tribute.
Before returning to the sect, I had envisioned countless ways to win back her heart, but they were only thoughts. After all, much time had passed. Three years ago, on that rainy night in the alley across from the In-Dream Inn, I had indeed heard her say she missed me, but she still used the word "friend" to summarize everything. I didn't want to fall for the trap of unrequited passion a second time. If she had feelings, whether it worked out or not would depend on the will of Heaven. Besides, being with me wasn't necessarily a good thing.
But I still overestimated my own detachment and self-control. The moment I saw her, the desire to have her was stronger than ever before. I only managed to barely restrain myself during our first two meetings, maintaining my planned cold demeanor. But the more I saw her, the harder it became to suppress. I just wanted to cast everything aside and disregard all consequences; even if I could only possess her for a single day, I would die content.
When she left the capital six years ago, she had already lost her initial childish naivety, becoming refined, elegant, and noble. Not to mention that over those six years, she had practiced martial arts, learned crafts, engaged in business, and judged affairs; her demeanor had become much more mature and resolute. Yet, the pampered grace bestowed upon her by Heaven remained unmarred. She had grown into a woman of clear beauty and prestige, without losing her spirited charm. She didn't yet know how alluring this temperament was, and her clothing was far too plain and low-key. Despite this, the male disciples of the various sects within our organization discussed her the most. That man surnamed Guan was eager to make his move, acting high-profile and ostentatious, which actually caused many rivals who knew they were outmatched to back down. In that sense, he was somewhat useful; otherwise, having to beat them all up one by one would have been a hassle.
That day, the spring snow arrived suddenly, and she was completely unprepared for my appearance. In her excitement, her eyes faintly shimmered with golden light again. When I met her gaze, I deliberately let my mind wander, hiding a thousand emotions. To her disappointment, she actually held her ground and didn't show any major signs of distress. When we first met in the library, she even composedly and playfully returned the greeting with "Uncle Wei." Only at the moment she saw A-Wan was she shocked beyond belief, though she masked it in an instant. It made me want to smile in my heart; the little kitten had truly grown up and no longer just knew how to lash out with her claws. Yet, I began to regret that I hadn't personally witnessed every precious stage of her transformation.
