Chapter 75: The Long, Endless Night

Chapter 75: The Long Night

Chen Yi did not linger at Jia Xing Yuan; after finishing his midday meal, he returned to Chun He Garden. He left Xiao Wugou to stay with Xiao Wanzhen.

He could see that although Xiao Wanzhen had been soothed by a few words and her heart somewhat settled, she still remained a woman prone to worry and melancholy. It was better for her to have Xiao Wugou by her side, chatting and talking, than to be left alone to brood and ruminate.

When Xiao Wugou escorted him to the outside of the building, Xiao Wanzhen stood still for a moment, then returned alone to her chamber.

As Chen Yi had thought, she was indeed much more at ease now.

After their meal, and after speaking and laughing with Chen Yi and Xiao Wugou, her worries and anxieties gradually dissipated.

Xiao Wugou, however, had other thoughts. He glanced around, took a book from the study, and settled himself unhurriedly on the lounge chair.

He swayed gently.

Indeed, that relaxed and easy manner of his bore a certain elegance reminiscent of Chen Yi.

Xiao Wanzhen glanced at him twice, then smiled faintly.

She walked over and sat beside him, smiling: "Wugou, these days you've learned quite a few things from your brother-in-law, haven't you?"

When Xiao Wugou heard her mention Chen Yi, he immediately set down the book he was holding and bowed repeatedly: "Yes, I've learned a lot."

"What have you learned?"

"Well..."

If he were to be specific, Xiao Wugou seemed somewhat hesitant. The reason was simple: Chen Yi had not taught him anything systematically; he had merely led him through meals, leisure, and daily life, without any particular instruction.

"His brother-in-law taught me how to fish, how to brew tea, grind ink, and catch earthworms. Whenever my sister was away, he let me handle those tasks."

"Oh, and I've also learned how to make the bed, dress myself, and wash up..."

The more Xiao Wanzhen listened, the harder it became to contain her smile.

It seemed as though Chen Yi had indeed taught him very little.

Yet it was rather strange.

After all, Wugou had changed so much since following Chen Yi—his speech was now clear and logical, his actions measured and unhurried.

Thinking this, Xiao Wanzhen asked: "Besides these things, has he taught you anything else?"

Xiao Wugou paused for a moment, then shook his head: "Nothing particularly special."

When he finished speaking, he seemed to recall something, and his face lit up: "To this day, my brother-in-law has never caught a single fish himself, despite teaching me how to fish."

Xiao Wanzhen stared at him for a long moment, her voice tinged with something unspoken: "Wugou, in the future, learn some things that are truly useful from your brother-in-law."

"What might those be?"

"Poetry and calligraphy, perhaps? Your brother-in-law excels at those. You could study them, too."

Xiao Wugou thought for a moment, then nodded: "Tomorrow, I'll have him teach me."

Xiao Wanzhen felt a slight relief.

She wasn't dissatisfied with Xiao Wugou learning those arts; rather, she vaguely felt that Chen Yi wasn't truly instructing him, but merely making him do tasks.

A brother-in-law like that, despite having talent and skill, had a mind that was... somewhat tainted?

Not exactly bad, but different from the scholars she had previously encountered or known.

It was difficult for her to articulate precisely; all she had was a vague, hazy outline of him.

Overall, he seemed to be a scholar of some talent, somewhat unruly and unbound by conventions.

That seemed to be the case.

...

That afternoon, Chen Yi stayed in the study.

Since Xiao Jinghong was away, and no guards patrolled the grounds of Chun He Garden, he spent his time there practicing the advanced technique "Da Zhongzhui Gong."

Perhaps because the technique's name contained the character for "gun" (spear), Chen Yi always felt that mastering this art would benefit his "Luo Long Spear" method.

Indeed, this was the case.

While practicing Da Zhongzhui Gong, he could feel the tendons and bones in his wrists trembling; when combined with Luo Long Spear, it confirmed his theory.

"Later, I can practice the foundational spear techniques more often, which should aid in cultivating Luo Long Spear," he thought.

Thus, Chen Yi guided the qi and blood through his hands and feet, activating the four main meridians.

His progress was still quite good; he had already opened two meridians from the dantian's qi sea down to his soles.

In two more days, he would open the remaining two, from the lower Dazie point up to his hands.

Soon, Chen Yi finished his Da Zhongzhui Gong practice, took a brief rest, then assumed the posture of "Xuanwu Xianxi Jue" and continued his training.

Compared to Da Zhongzhui Gong, Xuanwu Xianxi Jue was more beneficial to him.

Not only could it constantly nurture qi and blood within his body, but it also concealed his internal qi and strength, making it impossible for others to perceive his martial prowess.

Combined with his recent discovery of the connection between Luo Long Spear and the Earth's vital energy, he practiced with great focus.

Before he knew it, evening had fallen.

After their meal, Chen Yi sent Xiao Wanzhen and Xiao Wugou away to rest, and explicitly stated that the next morning he would take them to visit the Pharmacy of Benevolence and Wisdom.

Though this was merely an excuse, he would eventually take over the pharmacy.

It was best to familiarize himself with it early, to get to know the physicians, accountants, and apprentices there.

Before the hour of Wu (around 5 p.m.), Chen Yi extinguished the candles in his chamber. He changed into a more comfortable, darker-colored robe.

By the moonlight, he glanced at his bronze mirror.

In the dim reflection, he could see he was an exceptionally handsome thief.

Chen Yi chuckled to himself, then quietly left the wooden building.

With his current skills and the realm of "Martial Way Steps," achieving silence and stillness was no challenge.

Outside, he looked around, then employed the "Liu Ming Huo Bi Bu" step to head toward Jia Xing Yuan.

Rain was still falling, soaking his clothes, but the sound of the rain provided perfect cover.

After a short while, he climbed into Jia Xing Yuan.

Seeing the area silent and still, he moved through the shadows, stopping occasionally, until he reached the wall separating Xiao Wanzhen's building from Si Fang Jie.

Chen Yi leaned to one side, listening intently, while glancing toward the wooden building where Xiao Wanzhen was. He could faintly see a flickering candlelight within the upper chamber.

Still not asleep at this hour of the night?

It seems those medicinal herbs truly have her in a state of anxiety.

After confirming there was no movement within the Sì Fāng Jiā, Chen Yì took a deep breath and slipped inside.

He landed silently, taking shelter in the shadow of a tree.

Chen Yì poked his head out and scanned the area.

Within the not-too-large Sì Fāng Jiā, the single three-story wooden building was well-lit, and outside it lay a lush courtyard filled with flowers and grass.

Except for the shadow where he was hiding, only the area behind another rockery could conceal someone.

Seeing this, Chen Yì furrowed his brow. After circling the area again, his gaze fell upon the tree before him.

Then he leaped up and climbed to the top of the tree.

Using a careful acrobatic technique to secure himself, he practiced the Xuanwu Subduing Breathing Technique, entering a state of utter silence.

Everything was ready.

Almost as Chen Yì had just settled in, a figure emerged from the well-lit wooden building.

Not someone else, but the current Deputy Governor Xiao Dongchen, whom he had encountered before.

He wore a simple robe, standing beneath the eaves, looking up at the night sky.

Chen Yì glanced at him and thought, "Another night owl, aren’t you?"

After all, the nightlife in the Wei Dynasty wasn’t much; ordinary people would sleep by the hour of You. Only those with urgent matters would stay up until the hour of Wu, and even then, it was rare.

That’s why so many people could be found awake at the hour of Chou and Yin.

Sleep early, naturally wake up early.

After looking around for a while, Chen Yì’s gaze shifted to the surroundings, and the time mentioned in the intelligence was not far off.

The Sì Fāng Jiā was well-lit, and Xiao Dongchen was still there.

He wondered how that "Invisibility Guard" was concealing the intelligence.

As he pondered these things, Xiao Dongchen looked around and walked toward where he was hiding, his clothes damp with rain.

Chen Yì hissed softly and watched him silently.

The distance between them decreased from a hundred paces, to ninety-nine, and so on until zero.

Xiao Dongchen stopped beneath the tree, surveyed the area, and carefully took out a cloth bag from his chest.

He then placed the cloth bag into a hollow in the tree.

Fearing the rain might wet it, he deliberately covered it with leaves.

After completing these tasks, Xiao Dongchen looked around once more and then walked back to the wooden building with confidence.

Seeing this, Chen Yì squinted and muttered, "...Invisibility Guard, Xiao Dongchen?"

The next moment—

[Witnessed the cautious and suspicious nature of the Invisibility Guard in Hou Fu. Reward: Nothing gained, Karma +15.]

[Evaluation: Present in person, heard of it, seen the scene, but extremely lecherous, a man of lecherous nature.]

Seeing this, Chen Yì could no longer doubt that Xiao Dongchen was indeed the Invisibility Guard.

But what did "nothing gained" in the reward mean?

"It can’t be that Xiao Dongchen has nothing to learn, can it?"

A moment of silence.

When the wooden building fell silent, Chen Yì quietly descended and retrieved the cloth bag from the tree hollow.

Under the light, he examined the contents of the secret letter: "Ding 3-4, Jia-Ding 6-6, Wu 4-2…"

It was still a cipher requiring a codebook to decipher.

Chen Yì memorized each part and then returned the letter to its original state, retracing his steps to enter the Chéxīng Yuán.

Compared to the content of the letter, the greatest gain of the night was discovering that Xiao Dongchen was the Invisibility Guard.

But what was the origin of this Invisibility Guard?

Hou Fu’s personal guard Liu Si’er was the Invisibility Guard, the old servant Guisuo was also one, and now even Xiao Dongchen of the second chamber was one.

So the Xiao family had been riddled with holes all along?

As Chen Yì pondered this and returned to the Chūn Hé Yuán, he heard a suppressed but unmistakable cry from afar:

"Sister, son-in-law?"

Chen Yì turned his head sharply.

It was Xiao Wan’er, sitting alone in the dim pavilion.

The two stared at each other for a long time.

Chen Yì grinned and waved: "The long night, that insomnia…"

(End of chapter)