My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 31

Regarding Yu Luocha’s request to raise the child, Yan Hongyin did not respond.

After all, Little Master Hua was a treasure protected by the entire Hua family like the apple of their eye, and he had only recently become blind. Under these circumstances, it was more practical and feasible to reject Yu Luocha’s unreasonable request than to make the Hua family entrust their youngest son to someone else.

Tonight’s darkness was pitch-black, with not only the moon obscured by thick clouds, but even the stars hidden at the horizon.

When the Commander dressed in dark clothes and wearing a mask entered the room, Hua Ruling, the head of the Hua family, had already been waiting for some time.

“Greetings, Daren!” Hua Ruling knew who this person was.

The Commander raised a hand to help the bowing man up, but the gloved hand never actually touched Hua Ruling. “You are no longer in the Jinyiwei, so there is no need to bow to me.”

Hua Ruling never raised his head to look directly at the Commander. Hearing this, he shook his head and said, “Daren, the Dark Division of the Jinyiwei only has death, no departure. This subordinate has received your grace to have my name plate removed and my tracks concealed because of your generosity, but as long as this subordinate lives, I will forever be Jinyiwei.”

The Commander showed no reaction to these words.

Because it was indeed the truth.

Hua Ruling had left the Zhenfu Division eight years ago. All the dark envoys in the Jinyiwei who had ever worked with him believed he had died during a mission. The Commander, who had orchestrated the accident, was the only one who knew Hua Ruling’s identity.

Choosing Hua Ruling back then was partly due to his character, and also because he had fallen in love with the daughter of the Emei Sect leader, making him no longer suitable for the Jinyiwei, but more importantly because—the Commander needed a pair of eyes.

Eyes that weren’t limited to Jinyiwei intelligence.

Hua Ruling was a very clever person. Understanding what the Commander needed, he chose to become a merchant, using the new identity and initial silver given to him by the Commander to repay the favor.

And his seven sons—some became merchants, some roamed the jianghu, some served as officials at court, some joined the military at the border… Hua Ruling’s investment had been an unexpected harvest for the Commander.

It was precisely because of this that when Hua Ruling made his first request to have doctors from the Zhenfu Division examine his youngest son, the Commander granted his wish and came personally.

“These days, the capital has been somewhat chaotic,” Hua Ruling began speaking without waiting for the Commander to ask, his tone somewhat helpless. “Many merchant routes and escort routes are strictly controlled, goods entering the city are thoroughly screened, prices have risen considerably, and commercial taxes have been inexplicably increased by more than twice.”

In many cases, it is not the city’s residents who first notice whether the people of a city are living peacefully, but rather the merchants and escort teams passing through.

Hua Ruling poured a cup of hot tea for the Commander and gently placed it on the table beside the Commander.

“However, the official roads to the border and Yun City are still peaceful.” Hua Ruling didn’t mention politics directly, yet every sentence was about politics. “There are more doctors in Yun City than before, and the demand for medicinal materials is greater, but the city is orderly, probably due to the capability of the local officials.”

A few months ago, an epidemic broke out in Yun City. Although the two princes were at odds over the succession, neither dared to interfere with the disaster-stricken area under the pressure of His Majesty—His Majesty would coldly observe and tolerate his two sons’ fierce open and secret struggles, but would absolutely not allow the two to mess around with national affairs and the safety of the people.

“In the southwest region…”

Hua Ruling’s voice was gentle. Although past forty and somewhat plump, this only served to hide the edges of his younger years, making him appear more rounded and approachable.

He spoke to the Commander about things that might or might not be useful, but these were all changes, and as long as they were changes, they were potential variables that the Commander needed to know about.

Over the past few years, Hua Ruling had sent a private letter to Yan Hongyin every season. Today was the first time he had seen the Commander in person since leaving the Zhenfu Division.

Yet despite his familiarity with and control over Jinling City, he had no idea when or under what identity the Commander, whose aura was so distinctive and dangerous, had entered Jinling City.

The Commander listened quietly, the entire person as cold and sharp as an unsheathed Embroidered Spring Blade, unfathomable.

“There’s nothing major happening in the martial arts world, except that the Luocha Sect’s movements have been somewhat strange.”

As Hua Ruling spoke, his initial tension and reverence had somewhat dissipated during the long narration, and he couldn’t help but look at the Commander beside him.

As he looked, he felt that the half of the Commander’s face visible outside the mask seemed somehow strangely familiar…

The Commander, who had been sitting motionless, shifted slightly and looked at Hua Ruling. “Strange how?”

The Commander’s voice was deep and cold, carrying a warning tone.

Hua Ruling unexpectedly met those deep, cold eyes, his breath catching. He quickly averted his gaze and replied, “The Luocha Sect’s leader should be in Jinling City, and yesterday, Luocha Sect followers suddenly kidnapped quite a few people and imprisoned them in a house. The door of the house was marked with the Western Demonic Sect’s death order.”

The Western Demonic Sect’s death order was not common, but any place marked with it meant that the Luocha Sect would spare no effort to exterminate the entire household, leaving no one alive.

Since the Western Demonic Sect entered the Central Plains, this was the first time the death oder had appeared.

“However, if it were just this, it wouldn’t be considered strange, as the demonic sect has always acted this way, but…” Hua Ruling paused, somewhat puzzled, “This time, the Luocha Sect’s actions have been extremely high-profile and outrageous, so almost all forces in Jinling City know who the Luocha Sect has captured, as if deliberately showcased.”

The Commander’s eyes moved slightly.

Yu Luocha was not someone who would cause trouble for no reason, at least not while he was still interested in Yan Hongyin. The only possibility was that someone had crossed his bottom line on a certain matter, thoroughly angering this fierce beast who had never been gentle.

—He was killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

However, what chicken he was killing, and which monkeys he was trying to scare, only those within the killing field would know.

“Where is it?” The Commander’s fingers stroked the armrest of the chair.

“What?” Hua Ruling didn’t react immediately, but after the Commander’s gaze, he understood and gave an address.

The Commander nodded and left as silently as she had come.

If she remembered correctly, Yu Luocha had also… gone out tonight.

****

When that mist appeared in the front hall, everyone tied to chairs began to tremble slightly.

For them, fear and terror of Yu Luocha had been carved into their bones.

Yu Luocha didn’t deliberately lighten his footsteps; rather, each step in the quiet hall felt like treading on their hearts.

“Hmm~ how should I put this?” Yu Luocha’s voice was still eerily unpredictable, sometimes distant, sometimes near, neither male nor female, with a jarring quality like clashing weapons. “Everyone, long time no see?”

Among these bound people, only four did not have their mouths gagged.

“Sect-Sect Leader… Sect Leader spare me, Sect Leader spare me—this subordinate is not—mmph mmph mmph—!!!”

The first to break under Yu Luocha’s murderous pressure wasn’t the seemingly fragile woman, nor the small, thin old man, but a burly man over eight feet tall.

A hand wrapped in white mist grabbed the burly man’s throat, the sudden force so great that the man couldn’t utter a word.

“Why such a hurry?” Yu Luocha seemed to laugh lightly, though the laugh carried a bone-chilling coolness. “This Lord has no interest in your little games of make-believe, nor do I have much time to waste with you.”

“Three questions. Whoever answers first, this Lord will reward with a quick death.” Yu Luocha released his grip on the burly man’s neck. The man who had been begging for mercy a moment ago now lay twitching on the ground, his throat bones crushed, his breath faint but still present. “There aren’t many places with complete corpses buried outside the estate—”

Yu Luocha sat down in the main seat, fingers lightly tapping his knee, seeming quite interested as he asked slowly, “Does anyone want to volunteer?”

After a long silence, someone tentatively spoke up. “May I ask what the Sect Leader wants to know?”

“A boring answer.” Yu Luocha murmured.

The next moment, several copper nails shot straight at the speaker, accurately piercing his brow, dantian, both knees, and both feet. Even as the person became a bloody mess with agonizing screams, rolling on the ground with the chair he was tied to, he remained alive.

Yu Luocha seemed somewhat displeased, saying with diminished interest. “Next?”

Dead silence.

Yu Luocha waited patiently for a while, looking at the sky outside, but did not receive the answer he wanted.

The imposing and rather willful Luocha pursed his lips and casually flipped the porcelain lid of the tea on the table, tossing it out.

“Mmph!”

A muffled groan—the old man’s face was split in two by the porcelain lid infused with internal energy, yet controlled so as not to be fatal.

“Hmm? The old man looks quite unfamiliar, seems like someone from the Central Plains.” Yu Luocha tilted his head, somewhat troubled. “Did I hit you just now? Sorry, my hand slipped. Recently I’ve been spoiled too much, it’s been a long time since I’ve taken action, my aim isn’t very good.”

The old man endured the intense pain without making a sound. He knew that given what they had done, Yu Luocha would never let them live. It was just death—why not disgust Yu Luocha one last time before dying?!

“A Central Plains person…” Yu Luocha’s tone was strange. He seemed to click his tongue, and blade-like energy formed from his internal strength simultaneously cut off both of the old man’s legs, instantly causing blood to gush out.

The old man could no longer hold back his screams of pain. His remaining eye glared fiercely at Yu Luocha, but he couldn’t utter a single curse—his lips had been split in two, and he could no longer speak, only make indistinguishable moans and screams.

“Well, it seems tonight will take some time.” Yu Luocha said softly. “This makes me a bit unhappy.”

Noticing Yu Luocha’s gaze falling on her, the Western woman with exotic features immediately spoke with a trembling voice. “The-the order to kill the Ximen family came from the capital. Ten years ago… Sect-Sect Leader once went to the Central Plains, and from that time, someone in the capital no-noticed the Ximen couple…”

“Although the Ximen couple were… but their son was sent away, and his whereabouts still haven’t been found, he-he should still be alive… Sect Leader, this lowly one was only following orders. My husband and children are all held by others, I really… really…”

She dared not continue with her pleas, knowing she wouldn’t survive, but not wanting her beloved husband and children to also become ghosts under the Sect Leader’s wrath.

“Clever girl.” Yu Luocha smiled, his emotions unreadable. “Continue.”

The woman swallowed, sweat continuously flowing down her forehead. “Most of the traitors who defected to the capital are people from the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Region who surrendered to Sect Leader. Many kings among the thirty-six kingdoms have deals with the Central Plains royal family… I-I don’t know exactly which ones… but-but after Prince Kongque of Hanhai Kingdom failed in his rebellion, the King of Hanhai Kingdom violated Sect Leader’s orders and gave the Hanhai Jade Buddha bestowed by Sect Leader to a Central Plains man named Hua Ruling… That man is now in Jinling City! The Hua family of Jinling!”

No one knew why Yu Luocha had originally protected a small Western kingdom that possessed neither money, land, nor people. But it was precisely because of Yu Luocha’s protection that Hanhai Kingdom developed to its current position and status. And it was precisely because Hanhai Kingdom had the Hanhai Jade Buddha bestowed by Yu Luocha that it held a transcendent position among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Region.

But the King of Hanhai Kingdom had given Yu Luocha’s only bestowed treasure to a Central Plains person.

This could definitely be viewed as a betrayal.

—Hua Ruling.

Yu Luocha silently sighed.

What to do? It seems I’ll be up against Ah Yin again… This isn’t good.

“Continue.”

The woman really had nothing more valuable to say, but she was actually the one who knew the most among these people.

Because apart from working for others, she had also served and attended to the master of the Prince of Pingnan’s mansion.

She desperately searched her mind for information, suddenly remembering intelligence reports about the nearly irreconcilable grudge between Yu Luocha and the Jinyiwei in Lin’an Prefecture. As if granted amnesty, she quickly said, “I-I know one more thing!”

“The Jinyiwei is ostensibly commanded by Lu Gang, but in secret, there is another commander who truly controls the Jinyiwei forces. No one knows what that commander’s name is now, or what identity they hold, but Lu Gang and the Prince of Pingnan once said that the commander is a woman—”

Before the woman could finish, a bloody gash opened across her throat. Blood gushed out, and she instantly lost her breath.

“Not bad.” Yu Luocha, shrouded in white mist, stood up and walked towards the exit, his steps light, seeming in a much better mood, his voice lifting at the end. “Then I’ll reward you with an intact corpse.”

Yu Luocha walked out of the house, and the door closed slowly behind him with a heavy creaking sound. The Luocha Sect’s secret guards remained inside, continuing this show of killing chickens to scare monkeys.

The sky was covered with thick ink-like darkness, and in the distance, the hoarse cries of crows could still be heard.

White mist enveloped Yu Luocha, hiding all true emotions.

As if suddenly aware, Yu Luocha looked up towards the roof across the street.

The black-clad Jinyiwei Commander sat cross-legged on the roof, looking down at him.

The white mist around the Luocha Sect Leader dispersed, revealing a handsome face and translucent white fingers still dripping with blood.

Yu Luocha and the Commander gazed at each other from a distance. Slowly, Yu Luocha revealed a smile, those glaze-colored eyes flashing with cold light in the night. The corners of his eyes did not turn up as usual, but instead pressed down with cold anger and sharpness.

…And a trace of desolation that had reached the extreme of sorrow.

The Commander quietly watched as Yu Luocha, once again shrouded in white mist, walked towards the end of the long street, and then, just as Yu Luocha’s figure was about to disappear into the darkness, rose to follow.

The two people, separated by a long street, one in front and one behind, neither too far nor too close.

One walked on the empty street, the other on the cold, wind-swept rooftops.

Yu Luocha did not acknowledge the nearby Jinyiwei. He stopped his steps.

Because he saw a baked flatbread vendor still set up in the deep night.

“Uncle, are you still selling flatbread?”

Still shrouded in white mist, Yu Luocha’s voice was now a perfectly normal tone.

The old man, who had been dozing behind the charcoal stove, was startled by the sudden voice. His whole body trembled as he shakily stood up. Seeing the ghostly white mist before him, he nearly fainted from fright.

However, a piece of gold was placed on his worn but clean stall.

The gold was not of an ordinary shape, as if something had casually pinched it, and it bore suspicious red marks.

But the old man felt a surge of strength from his chest.

The reason he waited in the cold night wind until now, unwilling to miss the opportunity to sell a flatbread, was because his old wife was bedridden with illness, and there simply wasn’t enough money at home for treatment. If this gold… this gold…

The old man took a cloth from beside him and vigorously rubbed his trembling hands, then took out dough and meat filling and began to knead.

…..

The Commander did not continue following.

She watched Yu Luocha slowly leave with the flatbread, then turned and leaped back in the direction from which she had come.

……

Within a short day, Hua Ruling once again saw the elusive Commander.

The Commander stood before him, silent for a long while.

Hua Ruling, who had not returned to the main courtyard for convenience, had intended to check if his youngest son was sleeping peacefully, but could only stare at the silent Commander’s robe hem.

The Commander’s lips moved, and after a long while, finally spoke. “…Your youngest son…”

Struck at his vital point, Hua Ruling startled, suddenly raising his head to look at the Commander.

But once the words were out, what followed became much simpler.

The Commander said expressionlessly, “Doctor Yan reported that the child is mentally troubled, unable to sleep at night, which is not conducive to recovering his health if it continues. But she observed that the seventh child has a peaceful temperament and excellent constitution, and wishes to take him under her wing to teach him for a period. Are you willing?”

Hua Ruling: “…”

He was not willing.

He was perfectly capable of raising his own son, why should he let someone else do it?!

But the person saying these words was not Doctor Yan, but the Commander.

Hua Ruling’s heart was filled with tears, only wanting to rush to his seventh son’s room to hold him and ask what had made Doctor Yan take an interest in him, to the point of persuading the Commander to come take his son?!

“This subordinate… I…”

Hua Ruling tried to speak several times, but couldn’t get the words of refusal out, stuck in his throat and feeling extremely uncomfortable.

“I will personally teach him martial arts.” The Commander subtly administered a potent dose of persuasion.

A moved expression flashed across Hua Ruling’s face, but he quickly became hesitant again.

“I will not take him as a disciple, nor will he become Jinyiwei.” The Commander continued.

Hua Ruling: “…”

With things said to this extent, the Commander had left him no choice to refuse.

But at least…

Hua Ruling, whose son had been taken without reason, couldn’t help but ask, “Daren, why must it be the seventh child?”

He too was Jinyiwei and knew that for some matters, digging for reasons would yield no explanation, but at least let this old father have some peace of mind?

The Commander was silent for a moment, then said softly, “The abyss is too cold, it needs a sun.”

She couldn’t become the sun, and her judgment wasn’t good, so she could only find a small sun he had taken a liking to for him.