10: Chapter 10 Things Are Not Simple

Xiao Yu scrubbed very hard, her fingers turning red, but that bloodstain just wouldn't wash away.

Ye Chen walked over and took the clothes: "Stop washing it, just throw it away."

Xiao Yu looked up at him, her eyes a bit red.

"Brother, this was newly made last year..."

"We don't need the old ones; we'll make new ones." Ye Chen threw the clothes into the pile of junk to be discarded in the corner.

"When I win the competition, I'll have a new set made for you as well."

Xiao Yu pursed her lips and didn't speak, just lowered her head and continued scrubbing the other clothes in the basin.

Ye Chen watched her for a moment, then turned and left the house.

...

Ye Chen went to the Lin Mansion.

The Scar-faced Guard was waiting at the entrance. Seeing him arrive, he nodded without a word and led him inside.

It was still that same quiet room. Lin Qingxue was sitting by the window, holding a book and reading.

Hearing the movement, she looked up, glanced at Ye Chen, then lowered her head and continued reading.

"Sit," she said.

Ye Chen sat down opposite her.

The Scar-faced Guard retreated and closed the door.

The quiet room was very silent, with only the rustling sound of pages turning.

Sunlight shone in from outside the window, falling on Lin Qingxue's hands. Those hands were very white, with long, slender fingers holding the pages, and her nails were trimmed clean.

Ye Chen didn't speak, just sat there, looking at the cluster of bamboo outside the window.

After a good while, Lin Qingxue put down the book, looked up, and turned her gaze toward him.

"Last night, someone went to your place," she said, not as a question.

"Yes," Ye Chen nodded.

"The Wang family?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Three."

"All dealt with?"

"Two dead, one escaped."

Lin Qingxue nodded, picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip, and set it down.

"The one who escaped went back to report," she said.

"Wang Teng went to the City Lord's Mansion early this morning and hasn't come out yet."

Ye Chen didn't speak.

"He's making a complaint." Lin Qingxue looked at him, her gaze very calm.

"Claiming you killed members of the Wang family, and that you're using your status as a Guest Elder of the Lin Mansion to slaughter the innocent. He wants the City Lord's Mansion to uphold justice and hand you over."

"What did the City Lord's Mansion say?"

"They haven't said yet." Lin Qingxue shook her head.

"But you know the City Lord's Mansion is close with the Wang family. This matter won't be settled easily."

Ye Chen was silent for a moment: "I've caused trouble for Miss Lin."

"It's not exactly trouble," Lin Qingxue said.

"The Lin family doesn't fear the Wang family yet. But the City Lord's Mansion will need an explanation. After all, people died."

"They made the first move," Ye Chen said.

"I know." Lin Qingxue nodded.

"But there's no evidence. I sent people to handle that pool of blood in your courtyard. Did you bury the corpse in the woodshed?"

"I buried it."

"That's good." Lin Qingxue paused.

"But the person who escaped is a living witness. He saw your face, and he saw you kill. That is evidence."

Ye Chen looked at her: "What do you mean, Miss Lin?"

"I mean, you need to be prepared," Lin Qingxue said.

"The City Lord's Mansion might summon you for questioning. When the time comes, what will you say?"

"The truth," Ye Chen said.

"The truth being that the Wang family sent people to kill you, and you killed them in return."

Lin Qingxue looked at him.

"But the Wang family's side will say those three went to collect a debt—that you owed the Wang family money and, unable to pay, killed them to silence them."

Ye Chen laughed: "Can the Wang family produce a debt note?"

"As for things like debt notes, there are as many as one could want." Lin Qingxue's voice was very flat.

"A piece of paper, a thumbprint; it's simple."

Ye Chen stopped laughing. He was silent for a moment and then asked, "Does Miss Lin have a solution?"

"I do," Lin Qingxue said.

"But it depends on what you intend to do."

"Please, go on."

"The first day of next month is the day I need your help to channel the cold energy," Lin Qingxue said slowly.

"On that day, the City Lord's Mansion will send people to the Lin Mansion to discuss next month's Great Competition. I will invite the people from the City Lord's Mansion to dine at the Lin Mansion, and you will be there too. At that time, Wang Teng will surely come. He will accuse you in front of the City Lord's Mansion."

Ye Chen nodded: "And then?"

"And then, you must prove that you have the ability to kill those three people."

Lin Qingxue looked at him.

"A Meridian Opening Fourth Level killing three assassins of the same Realm—that's not something just anyone can do. You need to let the people from the City Lord's Mansion see that you have this strength. That way, the Wang family's claim that those three went to collect a debt will not hold water. To collect a debt, would they need to send three Meridian Opening Fourth Level assassins?"

Ye Chen understood.

"The first of next month is ten days away," Lin Qingxue said.

"In these ten days, what you need to do is not hide, but practice. Raise your strength a bit more. At the very least, you must let people see that you have the skill to kill those three."

"I understand," Ye Chen said.

"Additionally." Lin Qingxue paused.

"Those three from last night were carrying Wang family Tokens. Did you take the Token?"

Ye Chen pulled the wooden Token from his robe and placed it on the table.

Lin Qingxue glanced at it, didn't touch it, and simply nodded.

"Keep it safe. It's evidence. Although the Wang family can say you stole the Token or found it, it's better than nothing."

Ye Chen put away the wooden Token.

"There's one more thing." Lin Qingxue looked at him, her gaze deepening.

"The Cultivation Technique those three practiced last night was not the Wang family's Blazing Sun Art."

Ye Chen's heart stirred.

"I inspected that pool of blood in the courtyard," Lin Qingxue said.

"In the blood, there was a very faint Yin-cold energy. That's not something the Blazing Sun Art should have. The Wang family might be hiding something else."

Ye Chen remembered that yin-cold internal energy on the black-clothed man last night.

Indeed, that was not something a fire-attribute Cultivation Technique should have.

"There might be someone behind the Wang family." Lin Qingxue's voice lowered.

"Be careful. It's not just Wang Teng; there might be something else."

"Thank you for the warning, Miss Lin," Ye Chen said.

Lin Qingxue nodded, picked up the book again, and stopped speaking.

Ye Chen stood up, gave a polite bow, and turned to leave.

At the door, he stopped and looked back.

"Miss Lin."

"Hmm?"

"On the first of next month, I will come," Ye Chen said.

"And I will let the people from the City Lord's Mansion see that I have the skill to kill those three."

Lin Qingxue looked up at him, watched him for a good while, and then nodded.

"Good."

Ye Chen pushed the door and went out.

The Scar-faced Guard was still waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, he led him out.

When they reached the front courtyard, Scarface suddenly lowered his voice: "Young Master Ye, the Young Miss asked me to tell you that for these next few days, it's best if you don't return to the West Courtyard."

Ye Chen turned to look at him.

"The Wang family might send more people," Scarface said.

"Even though they lost three last night, with Wang Teng's temperament, he won't let it go. The West Courtyard isn't safe."

"Then where should I go?"

"The Young Miss has a small courtyard in the south of the city that's usually empty."

Scarface pulled a key from his robe and handed it over.

"The address is here."

Ye Chen took the key. It was copper and heavy, with a small wooden tag hanging from it, engraved with the address.

"Thanks," he said.

Scarface shook his head: "It was the Young Miss's instruction. Young Master Ye, be careful."

Ye Chen nodded, left the Lin Mansion, and instead of returning to the West Courtyard, he headed straight for the south of the city.

...

That small courtyard in the south of the city was quite secluded, at the very end of a small alley. The door was a plain wooden one, and the door rings were rusted.

Ye Chen took out the key, opened the door, and pushed it open to enter.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was very clean, with blue brick paving and a few clusters of flowers growing in the corners, in full bloom.

There were three main rooms and two wing rooms on each side. The furniture was complete; though old, it was wiped very clean.

He walked around and saw a note on the table in the main room, which said:

Bedding is in the cabinet, rice and flour are in the kitchen, you can stay here.

The handwriting was very elegant; it was Lin Qingxue's handwriting.

Ye Chen put away the note, went to the kitchen, and opened the rice jar. The jar was half-full of rice, bright and white.

The flour jar contained flour, and there was also a small jar of oil and a small jar of salt.

Then Ye Chen went to the main room and opened the cabinet. Inside were two sets of bedding neatly folded, both new and still carrying the scent of having been dried in the sun.

He sat down by the bed and looked out the window.

The flowers in the courtyard swayed gently in the wind, and a few butterflies flew among the clusters.

It was very quiet, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat.

He lowered his head, looking at the copper key in his hand for a long time, then gripped it tightly.

The key dug into his palm, causing a bit of pain.

But he didn't let go.

...

Ye Chen settled into the small courtyard in the south of the city.

Practicing during the day and meditating at night.

His Meridian Opening Fourth Level Realm completely stabilized, and that cold-tinged True Qi in his Dantian circulated more and more smoothly.

He was already able to skillfully project his True Qi outside his body, controlling it to condense into a point of white light at his fingertip, making that point of light circle in his palm, draw lines, and even write characters.