Watching from the Shadows

A chill appeared in those clear, beautiful eyes.

Su Xin slowly opened her hand, letting the porcelain powder slip through her fingers.

Black Wind Baleful Intent.

So it was that damned bandit chief.

At that moment, all the pieces fell into place. It was not that her disguise had been clumsy, nor that the guard named Lin Shou had three heads and six arms.

Rather, before he died, the bandit chief had told the executioner her secret, offering it up as a battle merit.

"Holy Maiden?" Sensing the chill that nearly froze the air, the black-robed figure involuntarily tensed.

"Go." Su Xin spoke the single word without emotion. "Kill this Lin Shou."

She disliked variables.

Especially one that had slipped beyond her control, ruined her plan, and exposed her new identity.

"Yes!" The black-robed figure bowed in acceptance of the order, then flashed away and melted into the darkness outside the temple without the slightest hesitation.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan knew nothing of this.

He was diligently standing guard outside the princess consort's pavilion, enjoying the hard-won leisure.

He had been transferred back, and his assignment had more or less settled into a permanent one: guarding the princess consort.

The young prince had played a part in it, too.

Put nicely, the prince still harbored feelings for the princess consort and had sent a trusted subordinate to guard her. Put bluntly, it was a jailer's post for a high-ranking prisoner.

But Chen Fan did not care.

He had a post to himself and did not have to squeeze in with anyone else. It was peaceful.

Occasionally, the princess consort would have him come into the courtyard to help trim the flowers and plants or move something heavy.

Li Rong'er still said very little, but when she looked at Chen Fan, the chill that kept people a thousand miles away had quietly melted.

Chen Fan could only pretend not to notice. Each time, he finished his assigned work and immediately withdrew from the courtyard, keeping the distance expected of a servant.

Inwardly, he grumbled, The princess consort shows so much concern for a servant. Isn't she afraid rumors will spread?

Or has she given up on herself? Since everyone thinks she's lost her virtue, is she going along with what they think?

In any case, Chen Fan could not make sense of the princess consort's thoughts.

That afternoon, the young prince, Zheng Xun, came again.

As soon as he saw Chen Fan, he walked over affectionately and took hold of his sleeve.

"Lin Shou, my mother says you've taken very good care of the courtyard these past few days."

"It is my duty, Your Highness." Chen Fan bowed.

Zheng Xun tilted his little face up, his clear eyes full of earnestness. "Take good care of my mother. When I grow up and inherit the princely title, I'll make you a commandant of the prince's residence!"

A child's words knew no restraint, yet they carried a hint of the kind of promise peculiar to imperial children.

Chen Fan was amused. A promise from a green youngster was something to listen to and leave at that. Still, he played along and put on a show of being moved to tears.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zheng Xun nodded in satisfaction, then walked into the pavilion with his hands behind his back, like a little grown-up.

Chen Fan did not disturb the mother and son's warm time together.

He merely thought that the young prince had promise and was much better than his coldhearted, merciless father.

Zheng Xun's words seemed to have had an effect.

Within two days, the eunuch steward of the prince's residence came in person to deliver a message. Chen Fan was formally transferred to the inner compound. His position remained unchanged, but his monthly allowance doubled, and he became the princess consort's personal guard.

On the surface, the young prince had promoted him out of deep concern for his mother.

In truth, everyone in the prince's residence had seen it clearly: this Lin Shou was a favorite of the princess consort.

Zhang Cheng and the other guards were green-eyed with envy.

"Lin Shou, you lucky bastard!"

"When you rise high and make your fortune, don't forget your brothers!"

Even a princess consort banished to the cold palace was still a princess consort!

Besides, the young prince was the heir to the residence.

Chen Fan merely smiled and humored them, while his heart remained perfectly calm.

A favorite?

Being a favorite isn't so easy.

The days passed one by one.

The turmoil in the prince's residence seemed to be gradually dying down.

Prince Zheng Xian still had not set foot in the rear courtyard, and there had been no word of that demonic woman Su Xin, as if she were a stone dropped into the sea.

Everything seemed so peaceful.

But Chen Fan keenly sensed that something was amiss.

It was the feeling of being watched.

Faint, barely perceptible.

Sometimes, while he was inspecting the courtyard walls, he would catch a glimpse of a shadow in the corner of his eye that should not have been there.

Sometimes, on his way back to his quarters, he would hear a fleeting footstep behind him.

But when he whipped around, there was nothing.

The street was empty, with only the rustle of wind blowing through the leaves.

If he had been the real Lin Shou, an ordinary Ninth Grade martial artist, he might have dismissed it as nerves.

But Chen Fan was not.

He had crawled out of piles of corpses. Whether as Zhao Long or Black Wind Baleful Intent, he had fought countless battles to the death.

His ability to sense killing intent far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

Someone was watching him.

A highly skilled assassin.

The realization made Chen Fan's heart sink.

Who?

Prince Zheng Xian? Impossible. I'm just a small fry, not worth his attention.

The White Lotus Sect?

That demonic woman Su Xin?

That was the most likely possibility. He had ruined her plan and seen through her disguise. With her vindictive nature, she would never let him off.

Trouble had come knocking at last.

Chen Fan made no fuss. He continued as usual, standing guard, patrolling, eating and sleeping on schedule.

Only his vigilance had been raised to its highest level.

He was like a beast lying in wait, outwardly languid, but with every muscle taut, ready at any moment for a fatal blow from the shadows.

He was not afraid of dying, but he feared the pain of death.

Chen Fan's state of mind was peculiar now: he wanted to reincarnate into a good identity, yet shrank from the unbearable pain of death.

It was quite a contradiction.

"Since it's come to this, I'll make peace with it. Let it be."

Chen Fan shook his head inwardly, deciding to leave it to fate.

That day, the weather was fine.

Li Rong'er had stayed in the pavilion so long that she was nearly growing moldy.

She pushed open the window and looked at the flowers and plants Chen Fan had kept in perfect order in the courtyard. Suddenly, she felt like going out.

She summoned Chen Fan.

"Lin Shou."

"At your service."

Li Rong'er wore a plain, elegant dress. Though she had no makeup on, it could not conceal her mature charm.

She looked at Chen Fan and spoke in a commanding tone.

"I'm going out for a walk. Go and prepare the carriage and horses."

Chen Fan's heart gave a sudden leap.

Go out?

At a time like this?

He had only just discovered that an assassin was watching him. If he went out, would he not be completely exposed to the assassin's sight?

Besides, the princess consort would be in danger too.

Li Rong'er seemed to notice his hesitation, and her brows knitted slightly.

During this time, she had naturally noticed Chen Fan keeping his distance, which had displeased her somewhat. But when she considered that he was only a guard, it was normal for him to maintain the proper distance.

"What, do my words carry no weight with you?" she asked coldly.

"I wouldn't dare, Your Highness. I'll prepare the carriage and horses at once."

Chen Fan hurriedly lowered his head and accepted the order.

Inwardly, he sighed. Women really are complicated.

Not long ago, she had been showing him concern. Now she was keeping him a thousand miles away again.

Still, that was for the best. It spared him the effort of deliberately keeping his distance.