The Identity of the Masked Man

"Sigh..."

Xue Yi heaved a long sigh.

Having an overly curious young miss as a boss was truly suffering!

God knows how he endured the past few hours!

Even the Bodhisattvas of the Western Paradise couldn't match his tolerance! He was practically the Wei Zhongxian of this age!

Or perhaps... he should find a maidservant to relieve himself?

Xue Yi couldn't help but come up with a nasty idea.

The maidservants of Lan Garden were all quite pretty and very obedient. With just one word from him, they would definitely obediently comply.

However...

Ah forget it.

Maidservants were human too, he couldn't casually bully them. His vicious fierceness was only meant for dealing with outsiders. The young misses of Lan Garden were all his own people, he definitely couldn't act so recklessly.

There must be an emotional foundation even if he wanted to!

As the saying goes, you must rely on your own hands for food and clothing...

Xue Yi got up and went out, his entire body drenched in sweat, ignoring the curious looks of the maidservants as he went to the bathhouse for a cold shower. It was a long time before he came out.

After the shower he also found some medicinal herbs to treat the injuries inflicted by Masked Man's palm strike.

Soon, dusk arrived.

"Eldest Brother Xue, you and the young miss haven't eaten all day, you two must be starving! I've brought food for you!" said the obedient maidservant Zi Die.

Xue Yi was very satisfied. He stroked the little maidservant's head: "Not bad, not bad, very thoughtful. I'll treat you to Green Jade Dew someday when I'm free."

"Thank you Eldest Brother Xue!" Zi Die's face was filled with joy.

...

Night had fallen, it was time for their nightly cultivation.

Carrying the food box, Xue Yi entered the room and called out, "Young Miss, dinner is served."

Soft footsteps could be heard from inside the room.

Xiao Qingruo walked out with an expressionless face and sat down.

She had changed into a new set of clothes and her hair was neatly combed again, looking as immaculate as a heavenly fairy.

Knowing she felt awkward, Xue Yi didn't tease her. He opened the food box and placed the dishes before her one by one.

"Eat first, then after the meal I'll give you a report of my findings today," he said.

Xiao Qingruo glanced at him. Her face showed a hint of feigned composure as she gave a slight nod without saying a word before starting her meal.

She really was starving, having only eaten breakfast the entire day while consuming huge amounts of energy. Now her stomach was growling as her limbs felt weak due to lack of nutrition.

After sampling a few bites of the exquisite cuisine and regaining some strength, she softly muttered, "Thank you..."

Hearing this, Xue Yi smiled, "You're welcome. Don't mess with my stuff next time."

"Mm..."

Xiao Qingruo obediently nodded her head. Having learned her lesson the hard way this time, she was truly being obedient now.

"How did you..."

She wanted to ask how Xue Yi could be so nasty to come up with something so harmful to people.

But she couldn't get the words out.

Hearing her intent, Xue Yi explained, "The silver needles are extremely toxic. The four colors represent different levels of toxicity. My abilities are limited and I have little money, so I can't get anything too incredible. Coating silver needles with poison is the most affordable and effective way to have a hidden weapon. As long as I use my qi to shoot the needles into my enemy's body, the spreading toxin will have considerable effect. Moreover, silver needles are sharp, small, and portable without being easily discovered, making them a rare self-defense tool. However... they would at most only be effective against those at the Earthly Cave realm, while those at the Heavenly Life realm are immune to poison."

After listening, Xiao Qingruo understood the significance of this secret weapon.

"Evildoer..." she softly scolded while continuing with her meal.

Her exquisite face unconsciously blushed again.

"Thank you..."

After a while, she suddenly spoke again.

"Didn't you just thank me? Why are you doing it again?" Xue Yi asked in puzzlement.

Head lowered while eating, she mumbled, "Just... thank you for not ruining me. I must maintain..."

The latter words were too softly spoken that they were completely unintelligible lip movements.

But Xue Yi understood her meaning.

As a goddess, not allowing others to touch her also made sense, otherwise she wouldn't be a "goddess" anymore.

Since she couldn't run away either, he could slowly wait until completely devouring her body and soul in the future!

After the two finished their meal...

"Tell me about what happened," said Xiao Qingruo, gradually recovering her equanimity and composure.

"Alright."

Xue Yi began recounting to her everything that occurred after he went out.

Hearing that he had slaughtered two people with such ruthless means, approval showed on Xiao Qingruo's face.

Upon learning that Yan Chengxue truly possessed formidable strength, she became even more satisfied.

"According to you, Miss Yan should be a young genius cultivator unfamiliar with worldly affairs. She needs money while we happen to have it. This cooperative relationship can be further deepened, for use not only this time but even in the future!" said Xiao Qingruo.

Xue Yi nodded slightly. "That's what I thought too. However, her origins seem rather mysterious. I racked my brains but still couldn't figure out which family's young miss she is."

Xiao Qingruo pondered briefly before analyzing, "If she didn't use a pseudonym, then she probably isn't someone from the Divine Dynasty but rather a foreign traveler. Otherwise, news would have already spread throughout the Divine Dynasty about such a young genius."

"Or she could not actually be that young either? Her innocent temperament may be due to secluded cultivation within her clan or sect for decades without venturing into society, thus still retaining a maiden's mentality. That's also possible," said Xue Yi.

"Perhaps. But that's unimportant, as long as she isn't our enemy," Xiao Qingruo replied.

The two deliberated a while longer.

Finally Xiao Qingruo said, "Once you pass the Imperial Guards Division's test, if you aren't injured, we'll set off immediately. If injured, then recuperate first before going to Horse Lake."

"My injuries shouldn't be serious. Tomorrow will be my third time taking Zhu Guo Ling medicine, so my strength will rise further. Passing the Imperial Guards exam will definitely be no problem," said Xue Yi with a smile.

"It's still best to be more careful. You've suddenly come under my command so some definitely harbor jealousy towards you. The Imperial Guards exams are usually internal competitions. If a First-Rank Guard acts against you, be on your guard," Xiao Qingruo warned.

The so-called exam was nothing more than assessing one's abilities.

The duty of the guards was to protect their master. Thus, later on, a group of guards would gang up on him to test Xue Yi's strength.

Speaking of which, Xue Yi took stock of who could pose a threat to him: "There are only 24 First-Rank Guards. Half will be on duty that day, so based on the duty roster, the First-Rank Guards off duty will be Li Dahai, Zhong Zhenyue, Liu Tong, Li Qing, Zhao Ancheng... Zhao Ancheng!"

While reciting the names, Xue Yi's pupils suddenly constricted as an air of killing intent emerged.

"What's wrong with Zhao Ancheng?" asked the puzzled Xiao Qingruo.

Xue Yi clenched his right fist as a cold snort escaped him. "No wonder that Masked Man's voice sounded familiar. Turns out he is Zhao Ancheng! Because of Zhao Xuan, this guy has long harbored animosity towards me. Most likely Fang Jie invited him to act as a thug to try and kill me, helping his nephew get revenge."

"Are you saying Zhao Ancheng is obeying outsiders and making a move against you?" Xiao Qingruo frowned upon hearing this.

Although Holy Might Residence didn't explicitly prohibit internal strife, its members absolutely could not fight amongst themselves outside as it concerned the prestige of Holy Might Residence!

By wearing a mask, Zhao Ancheng actually dared defy orders. He was clearly not putting the Residence rules in his eyes!