"'Screw you, and get the hell away!' GIGGLE GIGGLE... Brother-in-law, you're even cruder than the aunties from my tribe."
Glancing at Pei Guanli, who was beside herself with laughter, Chen Yi silently surveyed his surroundings.
His reason for writing those lines on the secret letter was simple: to rattle their cage and force those so-called "Hidden Guards" to be more cautious.
Anyone who found two vulgar curses added to a secret letter would immediately assume they'd been exposed and launch an investigation to trace the source.
Whatever their previous plans were, this unexpected incident would throw them completely off their rhythm.
More importantly, this would buy him more time.
Once he was sure his surroundings were clear, Chen Yi reached out and pinched Pei Guanli's cheek, squeezing a little. "Stop laughing."
Her laughter cut short, Pei Guanli whimpered, "Bwother-in-waw, I'll stwop waughing."
Chen Yi let go and said softly, "I need you to do something for me."
Pei Guanli rubbed her slightly numb cheeks, staring at him with her big, expressive eyes.
"See this secret letter? It was left here, so someone is bound to come and retrieve it later."
"I need you to keep watch here and see who takes it, and how they do it."
If Chen Yi had anyone else available, or if he could get away himself, he would never have entrusted such an important task to Pei Guanli.
But given the current situation...
'Forget it. I'll just consider this a test of her abilities.'
'If she takes this seriously and does it well, I suppose she could pass as a competent assistant.'
Pei Guanli's eyes lit up. She grabbed his hand and said excitedly, "Catching the mole in the Marquis's Mansion? Oh, yes! I love it."
Chen Yi's gaze fell. He swatted her hand away and warned, "Just confirm their identity. Don't do anything more."
"Those people have special statuses and have been hidden in the Marquis's Mansion for years. They might be powerful Cultivators. It would be very dangerous for you to follow them rashly."
"Don't worry, Brother-in-law. I might not be good at much else, but I'm excellent at concealing my form and aura." Pei Guanli patted her chest, causing a faint jingle of bells.
Before Chen Yi could say anything, the voice of an Armored Warrior rang out from outside Jiaxing Garden.
"Huh? Did I just hear the sound of a bell?"
"The lanterns in the rear courtyards of the Marquis's Mansion all have wind chimes. It's perfectly normal for them to be jingling. Right now, the important thing is to locate that little thief who snuck into the mansion."
"When we catch him, I'll show him a thing or two!"
"..."
Pei Guanli gave an embarrassed smile and ducked her head, clutching the bell around her neck like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Seeing this, Chen Yi secretly shook his head. He glanced at her bizarre outfit, his gaze falling to her pale, delicate, bare feet.
"Find a good spot and stay put. I'll bring you food in the daytime."
Pei Guanli's heart leaped with joy. "As you command, Brother-in-law!"
Chen Yi didn't linger. Under the cover of darkness, he nimbly vaulted back toward Spring Lotus Garden.
Pei Guanli watched him disappear, her round little face beaming. She couldn't help but give a little wave of her hands.
'She just knew coming to the Xiao Mansion for the Old Marquis's birthday was the right decision! She just got here, and she's already helping her brother-in-law with something so important.'
'Hehehe, the Mountain Goddess is finally smiling upon me.'
'After I help Brother-in-law with this and achieve another breakthrough in my cultivation, we'll see if Sister Jinghong and Ah Ma still dare to look down on me!'
At this thought, Pei Guanli began searching for a suitable hiding spot, glancing back toward Spring Lotus Garden and thinking to herself:
'Brother-in-law is a really great person.'
'Sister Jinghong is so lucky to have found a husband like him.'
Chen Yi, having slipped back into his room and settled into bed, did not share any of Pei Guanli's excitement.
Instead, he grew even more curious—what exactly was the goal of these "Hidden Guards" hiding in the Xiao Mansion?
Judging by how long Liu Si'er had been in the Xiao Mansion, it seemed unlikely there was a connection to the people who had manipulated him into fleeing his own wedding.
Chen Yi shook his head. 'I can't jump to conclusions this early.'
Still, if he dug deeper along the trail Liu Si'er provided, it wouldn't be difficult to find the other Hidden Guards concealed in the Xiao Mansion, and perhaps even throughout Shu State City. From there, he could figure out their identities and purpose.
And after that...
Chen Yi frowned slightly. 'Given my current position in the Marquis's Mansion, it wouldn't be wise to act rashly even if I do discover the Hidden Guards' whereabouts.'
'I'll wait until I've seen Xiao Jinghong before deciding what to do.'
'With her current status in the Xiao Family, she should be able to deal with these Hidden Guards easily once she knows about them.'
With that thought, Chen Yi calmed his mind and gradually drifted off to sleep.
...
「It wasn't yet 2 a.m.」
Xiaodie was already awake. She brought a basin of water to Chen Yi's room.
Seeing that he was still sound asleep, Xiaodie slowed her pace, quietly set down the washbasin, and stood by the window to peer outside.
Only when she saw the armored Wang Lixing push open the gate to Spring Lotus Garden and head in their direction did Xiaodie gently nudge Chen Yi:
"Young Master, wake up. Guard Wang is here."
Chen Yi groggily opened his eyes, sat up, and glanced out the window before letting Xiaodie help him dress.
As Xiaodie straightened his collar, she asked, "Young Master, did Guard Wang and the others find that intruder who broke into the Marquis's Mansion last night?"
Chen Yi replied, "They probably didn't. But I don't think that... intruder poses much of a threat to the Marquis's Mansion anyway."
'With her clumsy skills, Pei Guanli couldn't even beat him. If Wang Lixing and his men found a trace of her, she'd likely end up locked in the mansion's Punishment Hall, waiting for Xiao Jinghong to return and rescue her.'
"You're right, Young Master. Guard Wang and his men are all skilled soldiers. They've killed plenty of the Barbarian Race. An ordinary thief would never escape their grasp."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and then headed outside.
"The sky is still overcast. Let Wuge sleep in a bit longer; there's no hurry to wake him."
"Alright, Young Master. I'll go get breakfast for you two then."
Chen Yi paused. "Bring a bit more. Double yesterday's amount. I'm going to be practicing my Pile Skill diligently for the next few days, so I'll be using up a lot of energy."
Xiaodie smiled in agreement.
'The Young Master is working so much harder now.'
'This is a good thing. If he passes the Second Master's examination, he won't have to report to the Profound Armor Army Camp.'
After leaving his room, Chen Yi greeted Wang Lixing.
The two of them once again went to the Purple Bamboo Forest by the pond.
By the light of the lanterns, Wang Lixing scanned the area. His gaze fell upon a clear set of footprints, and he said with a smile:
"Young Master, with such diligence, I'm sure you'll soon temper your muscles, bones, and skin and reach the Lower Ninth Grade of cultivation."
"I hope so."
Chen Yi noticed his gaze and nonchalantly began to stretch his limbs while circling the bamboo grove, erasing the bare footprints on the ground as he went.
'It seems Pei Guanli's tribe is truly destitute. They can't even afford a single pair of shoes for her.'
'No wonder she wants to discuss establishing a Mutual Market with Xiao Jinghong...'
With that in mind, Chen Yi noticed Wang Lixing watching him and resumed his usual lazy act.
'It wasn't that he didn't want to practice the Big Spear Pile Skill, but that his Pile Skill was already quite accomplished. He was worried Wang Lixing would notice the discrepancy.'
While pretending to go through the motions, Chen Yi asked, "So, did you catch the intruder last night?"
"He got away."
"I heard he used poison to get in?"
"It's embarrassing, Young Master," Wang Lixing said, his face a mixture of shame and annoyance. "That little thief is infuriating. They took advantage of the shift change and used a sedative smoke to knock out all the Armored Warriors along the path."
Chen Yi chuckled, thinking to himself, 'So Pei Guanli does have some tricks up her sleeve.'
'Still, poisons and sedatives are a decent means of self-defense.'
'If I get the chance, I should ask her for some. They might come in handy later.'
「Meanwhile.」
Pei Guanli had no idea that Chen Yi had already set his sights on her.
She was hiding in a tree in Jiaxing Garden, staring without blinking in the direction of the pavilion.
She was taking the mission Chen Yi had given her very seriously.
Even after a sleepless night, she wasn't the least bit drowsy. Her eyes were wide open, terrified of missing the person who would come for the secret letter.
She didn't have to wait long.
At almost the same time that Chen Yi and Wang Lixing were chatting, the gate to Jiaxing Garden was pushed open from the outside. A stooped, hunched figure entered, pushing a flatbed cart.
He coughed softly into his hand from time to time as he walked, looking as if he were sick.
After making a round to load debris onto his cart, he glanced left and right, then headed toward the pavilion.
Watching his movements, Pei Guanli grew incredibly excited. "That's him!"