Chen Yi frowned. 'Looks like that's not it,' he thought.
First, he could confirm the newcomer didn't know him, or they wouldn't have asked that question earlier.
Second, their reason for finding him likely had something to do with his wife, Xiao Jinghong.
'An enemy of the Second Miss Xiao? It's possible. After all, as the General guarding Shu State, Xiao Jinghong has no shortage of enemies.'
Chen Yi's brows furrowed subconsciously. 'Just how strong must a Martial Cultivator be to bypass the Marquis's Mansion's Personal Guards and reach the Spring Lotus Garden?'
As he thought this, Chen Yi slowly shifted his feet, pressing his back against a few purple bamboo stalks and warily surveying his surroundings.
Just as he was about to speak and probe further, he detected a gust of wind behind his head.
At the same time, a clear, playful giggle rang out. "Hee hee hee..."
Without another thought, Chen Yi stomped his foot and dropped into a one-handed side flip. His eyes locked onto where the newcomer should have been, but he only caught a glimpse of a petite figure drifting past.
'Such a fast Body Technique.'
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the shadow closed in on him again, the bells around her neck jingling as she moved.
"Seeing as you addressed me as 'Female Knight,' I'll do you a favor and make this less painful for you."
Her voice had just faded when a pale palm struck out at him.
Chen Yi's gaze sharpened. The sounds around him instantly vanished, and his world narrowed to the single approaching palm.
The Qi Mechanism in his body began to circulate on its own, instantly flowing from his Elixir Field and Sea of Qi back into his muscles, bones, and every corner of his body.
Instead of retreating, he advanced. Bringing his wrists together, he dropped low and blocked—Mountain Shattering·Heaven-Supporting Style!
SMACK!
The moment he blocked her palm, Chen Yi fiercely gripped her wrist. He prepared to use a two-handed lock to snap her arm while simultaneously driving his elbow forward with Mountain Shattering Force.
But before he could complete the move, the attacker seemed to be startled by him and went completely limp, her entire body hanging off of him.
"Stop, stop, stop... Ow, ow, ow..."
"..."
Chen Yi's elbow stopped just inches from her chest. He still held her arm firmly, using the light from the lanterns outside the wooden building to get a good look at her.
He saw a young woman with her hair in many small braids. Her face was round, rosy, and glowing, and a string of silver bells hung around her neck.
Her clothes were also strange, much like the people from the Mountain Tribes he had seen on the road before. Her outfit was primarily red and blue with a very low-cut neckline, and the slits on her dress went up above her knees.
"Who are you?"
"I... I'm Pei Guanli..."
"Why did you try to assassinate me?"
"Ass... assassinate?"
The young woman tilted her head back, looking at him pitifully. Her large eyes glanced at her wrist. "I wasn't trying to assassinate you, I was just playing around."
"Pei Guanli?" Chen Yi certainly wasn't going to believe her that easily. He forcefully twisted her into an arm-lock, pressing his knee into her back.
"'Playing around' is a reason to attack me?"
"If you don't start telling the truth, I'll hand you over to the mansion's Personal Guards. I'm sure those gruff military men would love a delicate little girl like you."
"Don't, please don't... I'm telling the truth... I really was just playing with you. I just saw Sister Jinghong before I came here."
Pei Guanli explained frantically, her only thought to get away as soon as possible.
At the same time, she was confused. 'Her brother had clearly said that Sister Jinghong's husband was a frail scholar—an embroidered pillow, a complete good-for-nothing.'
'How is this man so strong? He must have at least an Upper Ninth Grade Cultivation.'
'And his Martial Arts Techniques aren't weak either. He not only dodged her attack but also managed to restrain her in an instant.'
'If she had known this earlier, Pei Guanli would have definitely hit him with some poison before attacking.'
'She's met my wife?' Chen Yi was half-convinced, half-skeptical. "What else?"
"Also, also, Sister Jinghong has known my Ah Ma for many years! Our tribe's livelihood only improved because of her, and we're even going to establish a Mutual Market with her to trade goods."
"Then why didn't you just say so from the start?"
"She... Sister Jinghong wouldn't let me attend the Old Marquis's birthday celebration, so... so I wanted to play a trick on you to make her angry..."
After saying this, Pei Guanli struggled to turn her head to look at him, whimpering with tears welling in her eyes, "Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong... Waaaah..."
Hearing this, the corner of Chen Yi's mouth twitched. He now believed her.
"Get up."
However, after releasing her, Chen Yi still cautiously took two steps back, just in case.
Pei Guanli rubbed her aching arm as she got up. She looked at the purple bruise on her wrist, and tears streamed down her face.
"You just wait! I'm... I'm going to tell Sister Jinghong you bullied me!"
"I'm also going to tell my big brother and my Ah Ma, and have them come beat you up! Waaaah..."
Chen Yi looked at her sobbing and crying, a headache forming.
It wasn't because of her crying or her threats about her brother and Ah Ma. Rather, he had a sudden realization—
'If this girl knows Xiao Jinghong and they're on good terms, doesn't that mean his hidden Martial Arts Cultivation and Techniques are about to be exposed?'
"Stop crying. Get up and talk properly."
"I won't—mmph... Hey? Hey? Where are you taking me?"
Chen Yi had no patience to coax her. He grabbed her, dragged her directly into one of Xiao Jinghong's other wooden side rooms, and tossed her onto a stool.
Pei Guanli looked at the pitch-black room, then at Chen Yi's annoyed expression, and a seed of fear finally began to sprout in her heart.
"Bro... Brother-in-law, wha-wha-what... What are you going to do?"
"Don't you dare try anything funny! I... I'm telling you, the girls of our tribe are implanted with a special Gu Insect from a young age. If you... you know... the consequences will be dire."
Forgetting to cry, Pei Guanli "threatened" him in a panic, "It's all true! And if Sister Jinghong finds out, she won't let you off either!"
"..."
'What on earth is she talking about?'
Chen Yi glanced at her. She was pretty, but clearly not enough for him to shatter his peaceful life over.
With that thought, he sat down to the side and said calmly, "How about we make a deal?"
Pei Guanli crossed her arms over her chest, asking warily, yet fearfully, "Wh-what kind of deal?"
"I can let what happened tonight slide, but you cannot tell anyone about any of it."
"Th-that's it? That simple?" Pei Guanli watched him cautiously.
Chen Yi nodded. "It's that simple. We'll just pretend none of this ever happened."
'All I have to do is not say anything... Just don't say anything...'
Pei Guanli recalled the rumors she had heard before, and an idea flashed in her mind.
"You're afraid of people finding out you know Martial Arts? You're trying to hide it from Sister Jinghong, aren't you? So you've been hiding it on purpose! Are you plotting something against the Xiao Mansion?"
Hearing this, Chen Yi shook his head in exasperation. 'What an idiot.'
"If you don't agree, I'll hand you over to the Marquis's Mansion's Personal Guards right now on charges of assassination."
"Then the fact that you know Martial Arts will be exposed too."
"Who would believe it?"
"Sister Jinghong would believe it." Seeing his calm expression, Pei Guanli still felt a little scared and scooted away from him slightly.
Chen Yi said seriously, "I've only been practicing Martial Arts for a little over ten days. Who do you think would believe you?"
"A little over ten days... Impossible!" Pei Guanli shot to her feet and pointed at him. "You... you-you... you're lying to me, aren't you?"
'Who could reach such a level of Martial Arts Cultivation in just over ten days?'
'If it were that easy, then what would that make her, stuck at the Upper Ninth Grade for all these years, unable to break through?'
Chen Yi glanced at her. "It's the truth. Believe it or not."
"In any case, if you don't agree, we can just call it quits here. Maybe one of the Personal Guards will take a liking to you, and you can spend your wedding night with him tonight."
"..."
Pei Guanli stared at him for a long time, as if looking at a monster.
After a long moment, her eyes darted around a few times. She sidled a little closer, a fawning smile spreading across her round face.
"Brother-in-law, how did you do it? Can you teach me, please?"