Homecoming

Ye Kang and Zhu Cong returned to the Imperial City Department headquarters first to report on their duties.

Leng Ruyi did not ask many questions.

With a stroke of her pen, she charged the White Tiger Gang with the crime of grave disrespect.

This was not difficult to do. The White Tiger Gang had long committed countless acts of bullying the innocent, and all manner of case files were piled up in the Imperial City Department.

Moreover, the Bai Family's prison break was true enough, and with Third Brother Bai alive as a witness, the charges were set in stone.

In short.

Destroying the White Tiger Gang was perfectly justified.

Once all the procedures had been completed, Zhu Cong finally let out a sigh of relief.

He clasped his hands in immense gratitude.

"Your subordinate thanks you, my lord, for seeing every detail with crystal clarity. From this day forth, your subordinate will wholeheartedly cooperate with you, my lord. Even death ten thousand times would not make me hesitate!"

Leng Ruyi nodded expressionlessly.

"Lord Zhu, you overstate it. We are all serving the court. We need only do our duties well. Go and rest first. Ye Kang, stay behind. I have something to say to you."

Zhu Cong gave Ye Kang a meaningful glance, then obediently left. He even deliberately reached back to close the door.

Ye Kang was equally suspicious. What could that older-sister-figure Commander possibly want to say to him?

Do we even know each other?

Leng Ruyi did not beat around the bush. She raised her head to look at Ye Kang, and the corner of her lips actually lifted into a faint smile.

"I heard you fought Bai Daqing and killed him. By rights, that is a great merit. But the matter is not exactly glorious, so there will be no additional reward."

Ye Kang immediately nodded.

"I leave it entirely to Lord Leng's decision."

Leng Ruyi's smile deepened.

"However, I have read your file. You live at Fusheng Gate. A family of four, from a family of brewers. You relied on your father's connections to become a street patrol clerk for several years. As for martial arts, you ought to know absolutely nothing."

Just as expected!

This woman had begun to suspect him!

Ye Kang's heart trembled, but outwardly he remained unruffled even as mountains collapsed before him.

"Everything you have said is correct, my lord. It is only that I was fortunate enough to be taken in as a student by a martial arts master. I trained under him for several years, but my family does not know about it."

Ye Kang casually made up an excuse.

He would muddle through if he could. If he could not, he would deal with it then.

But those words sounded entirely different in Leng Ruyi's ears.

To train a top-tier First-class expert within only a few years.

The martial arts master Ye Kang spoke of was definitely not simple.

Could it be one of those reclusive Imperial Family's honored guests in the imperial city?

Those old men never showed themselves. If one of them had suddenly taken a student on a whim, it was not impossible.

If that was the case, then Ye Kang's identity was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

After pondering for a moment, Leng Ruyi drew a dossier from her desk.

"Since that is so, I will not ask further. You have now been promoted to Death Prison Commander. You need not remain in Death Prison every day. Go home and rest for a few days. In a few days, someone will come looking for you to help me with something."

"Huh?"

Ye Kang was dumbfounded for a moment.

He only wanted to quietly be a jailer. Why was he being assigned missions too?

Leng Ruyi seemed to see through Ye Kang's thoughts and lightly tapped her desk with a finger.

"It will not be unpaid work. Once it is done, I can take you to the Imperial City Guard Armory and let you choose any one martial art."

The Imperial City Guard Armory was the logistics warehouse of the entire Imperial City Department, where all of the Imperial City Department's weapons and equipment were stored.

There were also countless martial arts there, some tortured out of criminals, others obtained by Imperial City Department spies. After being collected and sorted, they were kept in an absolutely secret location.

Only those who had rendered great service had the chance to enter the Garrison Armory and choose a martial arts cultivation method.

Ye Kang was instantly tempted.

He was currently lacking martial arts. There was no reason not to go.

Yet he still probed cautiously.

"My lord, what exactly is the mission? My strength is meager. I fear I may ruin your important affairs."

Hearing this, Leng Ruyi could not help laughing.

"You will know in a few days. If you agree, then I will owe you a favor. Think it over yourself."

Ye Kang pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"One last question. Why did you choose me, my lord?"

Leng Ruyi froze briefly, then stared straight into Ye Kang's eyes.

"If you could muddle through life into such a state, you definitely are not part of the eunuch faction. I can rest easy."

Within the imperial city, Fusheng Gate.

Ye Kang wore a Commander's uniform as he walked home.

He was still mulling over the deeper meaning behind Leng Ruyi's words.

"It seems Lord Leng is not very friendly toward eunuchs."

Ye Kang laughed.

That was normal enough. They were both intelligence agencies, after all. The Imperial City Department and the palace eunuchs had conflicts of interest. It could not quite be called fire and water, but open and covert struggles were unavoidable.

But Ye Kang did not care about such matters.

He only wanted to enjoy his holiday properly.

The moment he arrived at the door, a burst of sobbing came from inside.

Hearing it, Ye Kang immediately rushed into the house.

He knew that crying all too well.

Whenever his Old Man went to the brothel to listen to songs, This Old Lady would cry like this.

As he walked, he shouted loudly.

"Mother! Why are you crying again? Where has Old Man gone off to fool around this time?"

"Kang'er is back!"

The moment This Old Lady, who had been wiping away tears, heard his voice, she rushed out.

Ye Long followed behind her.

His face was livid.

"You little bastard! Who has been fooling around? The moment you return, you start slandering your Old Man. You've got some nerve now, haven't you?"

Ye Kang pretended not to hear him and stepped forward to support Mother.

Madam Ye immediately asked anxiously.

"Kang'er, why have you come back? Could it be that the Imperial City Department threw you out?"

"What!"

Hearing this, Ye Long flew into a rage.

"Stinky Kid, being seconded to the Imperial City Department is a blessing earned over eight lifetimes. You had better not disgrace your Old Man. Get back there and take up your post at once!"

As Ye Long spoke, he moved to shove Ye Kang out.

"No, no, no, Old Man, look carefully. I'm wearing a Commander's uniform. Your son was not thrown out. I was even promoted."

Ye Kang explained what had happened.

Only then did his Old Man and Mother believe him, their eyes full of relief.

But seeing the redness around Madam Ye's eyes, Ye Kang could not help asking.

"Mother, what happened to you? Why were you crying?"

Hearing this, Madam Ye's tears spilled from her eyes once more.

"Kang'er, your Eldest Brother was beaten! He almost did not make it!"

The instant Madam Ye finished speaking, Ye Kang felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Having absorbed the original owner's memories, he naturally held deep feelings for his family in this world.

His Eldest Brother, Ye Ping, had inherited their Old Man's brewing craft. He was an honest man who only knew how to brew wine, diligent and hardworking in ordinary times, never daring to provoke trouble.

Yet he had actually been beaten!

And nearly beaten to death!

Ye Kang was instantly enraged.

He immediately ran to his Eldest Brother's room.

Sure enough, Ye Ping's face was mottled with bruises. His chest was wrapped in bandages, and half of one ear had even been brutally cut off.

Looking at the furious Ye Kang, he forced out a smile through the pain.

"Kang Di, I'm fine..."

As soon as Ye Ping spoke, a fresh wave of pain tore through his wounds.

Ye Kang immediately grabbed his hand and gently circulated his cultivation, sending mild Wood Element True Qi into Ye Ping's body.

A Moment Later, Ye Ping's injuries eased. Nourished by the Wood Element True Qi, he fell into a deep sleep.

With a sober face, Ye Kang walked outside and took a deep breath.

"Father, Mother, tell me exactly what happened, from beginning to end."