The night was as dark as ink. Shen Ji rubbed his brow wearily, finally able to rest for a while.
Ever since transmigrating here, it had been one survival-and-rescue struggle after another, and he had rushed to expose Lady Liu’s conspiracy at the ceremony. Though he had brought that mother-and-son pair down today, Shen Ji knew full well… with Prince Duan backing Lady Liu as her patron, making them pay for killing the original owner and his birth mother Lin Wan was still beyond his reach for now.
Fortunately, he had regained control of the Marquis Residence and become its sole master.
The ceremony broke up in haste. Shen Ji directly summoned the old butler Zhong Bo and thoroughly overhauled the Marquis Residence with bold measures. All of Lady Liu and her son’s confidants were locked up… after their crimes were established, those who should be sold off were sold off, and those who should be expelled were expelled.
Shuo Feng and Old Li were settled in the guest quarters of the West Courtyard. Shen Ji told Shuo Feng to rest and recover with peace of mind. Old Li’s health had never been good to begin with, and he had struggled even more after being driven out of the Marquis Residence, so he too needed proper care.
After dinner, Shen Ji was in a good mood… he hadn’t had such a lavish meal in a long time since the apocalypse. As he lay on the soft couch with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind:
『Ding… new mission issued: Rescue the key figure Chu Yu.』
『Mission objective: Prevent Chu Yu from meeting his tragic death as in his previous life, and safely deliver him back to Duke Zhenguo’s Residence.』
『Mission reward: 100 points, and the system shop’s basic access unlocked.』
『Hint: Target’s location: Tianshui Village, western outskirts.』
Shen Ji’s eyes snapped open, all drowsiness gone. He remembered that pitiful child beaten in the alley that day… a tiny little thing with eyes full of stubbornness. He rose abruptly and had Zhong Bo quickly assemble a small squad of guards.
Though Zhong Bo was puzzled, he didn’t dare question the Eldest Young Master, who had become so formidable, and hurried off to make the arrangements.
The night was deep, and all was silent.
Worried that delays might bring trouble, Shen Ji led his men out of the city silently. Though the barrier agent on Chu Yu should keep him safe for the time being, the sooner they acted, the better.
Tianshui Village on the western outskirts lay in pitch darkness, broken only by the occasional dog bark and the irritating cries of night owls.
Shen Ji used his mental energy to sense Chu Yu’s location. The village was small, and he soon reached a thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain. Faint, dim yellow lamplight leaked through the window, and the sounds of scolding and a child’s sobbing drifted out. From a burlap sack behind the house came faint rustling… it was Chu Yu.
Found him!
Near midnight, the five burly guards on watch were all drowsy, yawning. Not far from the sack holding Chu Yu, a skinny man and a fat man cursed under their breaths:
“That little brat is seriously uncanny!”
The fat man hastily agreed: “Can’t even touch him! In the daytime, Skinny Monkey only touched the sack, and he was rolling on the ground in pain!”
“If the boss hadn’t said not to throw him away, we’d have tossed him into a ravine for the wolves long ago!”
…
Shen Ji carefully surveyed the surroundings. Finding no one else, he had the guards behind him deal with the people in the cottage while he silently circled around to the back of the broken-down shack where Chu Yu was held.
The two guards, leaning against the wall with swords in their arms, were jolted awake by the sudden sounds of fighting from inside the cottage. They drew their swords and immediately tried to rush back in.
A dark shadow suddenly flashed out from the side. Shen Ji’s movements were so fast they left only afterimages as he struck directly at the two men.
His left hand clamped over the fat man’s mouth and nose from behind like iron pincers, while the short blade in his right hand sliced precisely and coldly across the man’s throat. Warm liquid splattered against the mottled earthen wall.
As the other man swung at his neck and shoulder, Shen Ji shoved the corpse in his hands at him. The skinny man was knocked off balance by his companion’s bulky body. In his panic, he was just about to shout when Shen Ji was already upon him! The short blade traced a cold arc in the clear moonlight, thrusting straight for his throat. The skinny man hastily raised his blade to block… a sharp clang rang out, especially piercing in the night.
Shen Ji twisted his wrist, and the short blade slashed viciously across the other man’s sword hand. The skinny man let out a pained grunt, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground. Before a scream could even escape his lips, the short blade had mercilessly plunged into his heart.
In the span of a few breaths, only the thick stench of blood lingered in the air.
Shen Ji wasn’t worried about the fight in the cottage. He stepped forward and untied the sack, revealing Chu Yu’s pale little face, streaked with tears and grime. The boy was clearly terrified… his big eyes full of fear, his body trembling. The bruising on his face had faded somewhat, just as Shen Ji had expected.
Shen Ji unobtrusively removed the barrier agent powder from Chu Yu’s body. Shock flickered in Chu Yu’s eyes… he had felt the cold trace that clung to him that day, and now, with Shen Ji’s appearance, it had suddenly vanished. Big Brother was the one who had secretly saved him that day.
His misty big eyes seemed on the verge of tears, yet he couldn’t help secretly studying Shen Ji. The fear in his gaze receded slightly, replaced by dependence.
“Wuwu…” He sobbed softly, then suddenly moved closer to Shen Ji, reaching out to hug Shen Ji’s leg.
Shen Ji calmly lifted him out, not yet realizing the child had noticed his little trick just now. After checking, aside from the previous superficial wounds and the fright, Chu Yu had no other serious injuries.
Meanwhile, the fight in the cottage was nearly over.
The guards Shen Ji had brought were all elites. After breaking down the door, they didn’t charge in recklessly but first suppressed the enemy with crossbow bolts. After a few short screams came the clash of blades in close combat.
Only two men remained in the cottage, one of them with a crossbow bolt still lodged in his arm, bleeding. Dark figures fought in the dim lamplight… the battle was brief but fierce. In the end, only one man with two sword scars on his right cheek remained, bound hand and foot, cursing.
Shen Ji entered carrying Chu Yu and, with a single kick, knocked the scar-faced man unconscious. He ordered the guards to open the trapdoor in the floor and rescue the six pitiful children inside. They had all been woken by the sounds of fighting and were trembling as they stared at the villains lying on the ground.
They looked at Shen Ji and his group with a mixture of fear and gratitude.
“Can you walk on your own?” Shen Ji’s voice was a little hoarse, but he deliberately softened it.
The children nodded timidly.
“Follow me. Back to the city.”
Shen Ji picked up Chu Yu again, who was clinging tightly to his lapels and refusing to let go, and turned to walk out. The other children exchanged glances, then stumbled after him. Those too slow were carried by the guards as they hurried to keep up behind Shen Ji. A few men were left behind to clean up the traces, and the group quickly left Tianshui Village.
『Ding… mission complete. Reward: 100 points. The system shop’s basic access has been unlocked.』
The cold system notification rang out in his mind.
Shen Ji didn’t slow his steps, a barely perceptible curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Good. The first step as a newcomer… he had finally earned some points.
Dawn was just breaking. Shen Ji ordered the guards to deliver the children to the capital magistrate’s office without revealing the Pingyang Marquis Residence’s identity. He himself carried Chu Yu, avoiding people and taking a roundabout route toward Duke Zhenguo’s Residence.
The children watched Shen Ji leave, knelt and kowtowed, then followed the guards down another road.
Chu Yu’s little arms hugged Shen Ji’s neck tightly, his face buried in the hollow of Shen Ji’s neck, silent. Only his still-trembling little body betrayed the fear and unease in his heart.
Sunlight slanted across the tall plane trees at the corner of Duke Zhenguo’s Residence wall. Shen Ji didn’t use the main gate but circled to a side door. To the page boy who opened the door with a puzzled look, he said: “Quickly inform Duke Zhenguo or the Heir that your residence’s young master, Chu Yu, has been found.”
The doorman had initially been about to shoo Shen Ji away at the sight of him holding a grimy child, but at the words “Chu Yu,” he took a closer look at the child’s delicate features in Shen Ji’s arms and his face changed drastically. He hurried inside to report.
Moments later, hurried, chaotic footsteps and uncontrollable cries of surprise came from within the residence!
A middle-aged man in a crimson brocade robe, haggard-faced yet radiating authority, strode out swiftly surrounded by guards and servants. The moment he saw Chu Yu in Shen Ji’s arms, his fierce eyes turned red instantly, and his voice trembled: “Yu’er! My Yu’er!”
The beautiful woman behind him burst into uncontrollable sobs and rushed forward.
Hearing the familiar voices, Chu Yu jerked his head up and burst into loud sobs: “Father! Mother!”
The Heir’s consort hugged her recovered son tightly, sobbing as if she might faint. Chu Lin, the Heir of Duke Zhenguo’s Residence, hurriedly steadied his wife.
“Heir Shen! Your life-saving grace… our Duke Zhenguo’s Residence will never forget it! Please, come into the residence so we may talk. I, Chu, will surely repay you handsomely!”
Shen Ji sidestepped to avoid the bow, his expression still calm: “It was a mere trifle, hardly worth mentioning. Since the boy has been delivered, I’ll take my leave.”
Before Chu Lin could speak again, Shen Ji’s figure vanished into the distance in a few leaps. The Chu couple sighed inwardly, resolving to personally visit and thank him in a few days. Coaxing Chu Yu, who was sobbing breathlessly as he watched Shen Ji leave, the group entered the duke’s residence.
At the side door, a round-faced little maidservant in a peach-colored dress secretly slipped away toward Dehui Courtyard, where the second branch of the family resided.