The Young Prince

After Chen Fan finished burying the gold, he returned to his quarters in the prince's residence.

He pushed open the door, and a faint medicinal fragrance suddenly wafted out.

A white porcelain bottle sat on the simple wooden table.

It was not the sort of crude wound medicine issued throughout the residence.

The porcelain bottle was finely made and clearly valuable.

Who sent it?

He had been at the prince's residence for less than half a year, so he could hardly be said to have any friends.

As he pondered the mystery, the door next door creaked open, and a guard who had also been beaten with a board poked his head out.

"Lin Shou, you're back?"

"Mm," Chen Fan answered.

The guard winked and gestured at the porcelain bottle in his room, lowering his voice.

"Well, look at you, kid. A true person doesn't show his face. The senior matron in charge of the princess consort's quarters personally sent someone to deliver it. She said it was a reward from Her Highness."

With that, the guard withdrew his head and closed the door, his face full of envy.

The princess consort? Li Rong'er?

Chen Fan stood where he was, feeling as though the wounds on his back hurt even more.

This was no good thing.

It meant trouble.

A princess consort who had fallen out of favor had begun showing concern for a low-ranking guard. That alone was extremely dangerous.

He picked up the bottle and pulled out the stopper. It was top-grade white jade ointment, cool and refreshing.

In silence, he applied the ointment to the places on his back he could reach.

Forget it. It'd be a waste not to use it.

He would take it as the princess consort's repayment for the comfort he had offered her a few days ago.

The next few days passed in unusual peace.

Guarding the western perimeter wall was an idle post through and through. Each day, all he did was stand guard and stare into space.

Chen Fan was happy to have the leisure. It gave him the perfect chance to slowly digest the body's memories and consolidate that insignificant bit of Ninth Grade internal force.

That day, he was leaning against the base of the wall, gazing at the clouds overhead in utter boredom.

A hurried set of footsteps approached from the distance.

A steward eunuch came hurrying this way with two young maids.

"Lin Shou! Is the guard Lin Shou here?"

Chen Fan straightened up.

"Present."

The steward eunuch looked him up and down, then gave an order without preamble.

"Stop standing around here. Quick, come with me! The young prince is back and wants to see the princess consort. She asked for you by name to escort him!"

The young prince?

Zheng Xian's only son?

Chen Fan's heart tightened, and he hurriedly got up.

He dared not delay. He immediately followed the steward eunuch through courtyard after courtyard until they reached a side hall used for receiving guests.

Inside, a boy of about ten, dressed in fine brocade robes, was pacing anxiously back and forth.

The boy bore some resemblance to the Prince of Xiushan around the eyes and brows, but he had inherited more of his mother Li Rong'er's delicate features. His little face was full of worry and determination beyond his years.

This was Zheng Xun, the Prince of Xiushan's heir.

When Zheng Xun saw Chen Fan enter, he stopped pacing and fixed his clear, bright eyes on him.

"You're Lin Shou?"

"I am."

"My mother... were you the one looking after her these past few days?" There was a hint of scrutiny in the boy's voice.

"I was following orders." Chen Fan's answer was watertight.

Zheng Xun fell silent for a moment, his little fists clenching.

"Come on, take me to her. I've heard the gossip and rumors going around, and I don't believe a single word!"

Chen Fan said nothing and silently led the way.

The little fellow was a filial one.

It was as desolate as ever in front of the pavilion.

When the tightly shut door was pushed open, and Li Rong'er saw the figure she had longed for day and night, all her strength crumbled in an instant.

"Xun'er!"

"Mother!"

Like a little leopard, Zheng Xun rushed over, plunged headfirst into Li Rong'er's arms, and burst into tears.

Li Rong'er, spurned by her husband, shunned by the servants, and abandoned by the whole world, finally found her only support at this moment.

Mother and son clung to each other and wept, giving vent to all the grievances and fears of the past few days.

Chen Fan stood at the door, watching quietly.

After an unknown length of time, the crying gradually subsided.

Zheng Xun raised his reddened eyes, wiped away his mother's tears, and spoke in the manner of a little grown-up.

"Mother, don't worry. When I grow up, I'll protect you! No one will be able to bully you!"

Li Rong'er smiled through her tears and nodded.

Zheng Xun turned toward Chen Fan at the door, a trace of sincere gratitude on his face.

"Lin Shou, thank you. The matron told me you were the one who persuaded my mother to eat."

"You're too kind, young prince."

Mother and son spoke privately for a while longer before Zheng Xun reluctantly left.

Chen Fan was also preparing to take his leave when Li Rong'er called him back.

"Lin Shou, stay."

Chen Fan stopped in his tracks.

Li Rong'er pointed at the weeds in the courtyard, which had already grown waist-high, and spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal, yet held a hint of pleading.

"This courtyard is too overgrown. Help me clear these weeds."

What was this?

A personal guard of the prince's residence, being ordered around like a menial gardener.

But there was nothing he could do. Personal guard of the prince's residence sounded nice, but in truth, he was a household servant. He had to do whatever his master ordered.

I suddenly miss my days as a mountain king...

Chen Fan felt helpless, but he still walked over, bent down, and drew his sword to clear the weeds.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the swishing of his sword.

Li Rong'er sat on the steps just like that, quietly watching his back as he worked.

"Thank you for the medicine, Your Highness. I am deeply grateful!"

Chen Fan suddenly remembered something, stopped what he was doing, and turned to speak respectfully.

Li Rong'er gave a self-mocking laugh and spoke softly, as if addressing him and yet also talking to herself.

"Actually, there's not much left in this residence for me to care about."

"The prince's heart died long ago. Perhaps it was never alive at all."

"Now everyone thinks I've been defiled, that I'm a woman who has lost her chastity."

Her voice was full of self-mockery.

Chen Fan remained silent. He simply turned around and continued clearing the weeds without a word.

He only wanted to finish pulling these damned weeds as quickly as possible.

The princess consort's state of mind was becoming more and more troubling.

Meanwhile.

In a dilapidated mountain god temple over a hundred li away.

Su Xin listened to her black-robed subordinate's report, her lovely face covered in frost.

"Lin Shou, a Ninth Grade martial artist of clean background. He was transferred to the prince's personal guard only three months ago... There's nothing unusual about him."

The black-robed man bowed as he reported, sweat beading on his forehead.

The holy maiden had ordered him to investigate someone, and his findings showed the man was no more than an utterly ordinary minor character.

This made him feel ashamed.

Su Xin gripped the teacup in her hand without speaking.

Impossible.

How could an ordinary guard see through her disguise at a glance?

There had to be some part of it she did not know about.

"Anything else?" Her voice was cold.

The black-robed man trembled and hurriedly added, "There is one other thing... I heard a rumor from the servants at the prince's residence while they were chatting."

"Speak."

"They said... this Lin Shou seemed to have accepted benefits from Zhao De, the magistrate of Qinghe County, some time ago."

The black-robed man paused, then continued carefully.

"It's said that the captured bandit chief, Black Wind Baleful Intent, was personally executed in the dungeon by this Lin Shou..."

"And Zhao De's son, Zhao Long, died at Black Wind Baleful Intent's hands..."

The instant his voice fell.

"Crack!"

Su Xin crushed the teacup in her hand into powder.

Porcelain dust sifted down between her fingers.

Black Wind Baleful Intent!

That's right!

It was him!

The clarity of sudden realization flashed through Su Xin's mind.

She finally understood.

It was not that her disguise had a flaw.

Nor was it that this guard called Lin Shou had some all-seeing eye.

It was Black Wind Baleful Intent!

Before the bandit chief was executed, he had probably told this executioner what he knew about her.

Her new disguise had only been exposed on Black Wind Mountain.