The Foolish Agent

Chapter 73

Xuanyuan felt a pang of unease watching Leng Jie hold Qing'er in her arms. However, his pride prevented him from showing it. He said, half-jokingly, half-seriously:

"Xiao Jie, so it seems you're the one who ruined Miss Ye's marriage!"

After hearing Ye Ling'er's story, Leng Jie already harbored deep hatred for the two despicable men who had wronged her. Hearing Xuan Yuan speak further fueled her pent-up anger. She snorted coldly, her eyes flashing like sharp blades as she glared at Xuan Yuan, and cursed him bitterly:

"Hmph! I knew you men were all the same. Ever since Ye Ling'er abandoned even the imperial concubine for her boar senior brother, I never imagined that pig would dare to break off the engagement based on just a rumor. What's even more infuriating is that he dared to marry two women at the same time. And that's not all; the most unforgivable thing is that he actually beat up his old love for his new one. The most compelling reason that must make him a eunuch is that he actually sold his wife for personal gain!"

Leng Jie spoke her last words through gritted teeth, her gaze towards Xuan Yuan suddenly turning sinister and violent. It was as if he were the heartless man. Xuan Yuan felt a chill run down his spine from Leng Jie's glare, and involuntarily shivered. Xuan Yuan quickly begged for mercy:

"Xiao Jie! Please don't look at me like that, okay? I'm not that kind of heartless man!"

"Hmph! You men are all the same! You're all heartless ingrates who get tired of the old and crave the new. You forget the old when you see a new one, and you want four concubines even after marrying three wives." Leng Jie withdrew her sinister aura, but the cold tone of her voice remained unchanged.

Xuanyuan wisely refrained from replying, instead looking awkwardly at Leng Jie. He was utterly speechless. Although it wasn't his own intention to marry her, the fact remained that he already had three wives. And the one he truly loved was her.

The quick-witted Qing'er noticed the Emperor's embarrassment and helped him out:

“Miss! This matter really has nothing to do with the Emperor! However, I heard that the young master of the Shui family is still inquiring about Sister Ling’er’s whereabouts everywhere. Therefore, Sister Ling’er doesn’t dare to go out in Eastern Europe on weekdays.”

"It's alright, leave this to me. Don't even mention one Young Master Shui. Even if ten or a hundred of his kind came, your young lady would never leave alive," Leng Jie promised, holding Qing'er's small hand.

When Leng Jie spoke to Ling'er, her words were still sharp, but her tone was very gentle. It was a world of difference compared to when she spoke to Xuanyuan.

Xuanyuan suddenly had a bad feeling. His relationship with Xiaojie, which had just started to progress, might very well be ruined because of that pig. If that happened, he thought he would castrate the pig without Xiaojie having to lift a finger.

Just as Xuanyuan was pondering this deeply in his mind, Leng Jie suddenly said to him indifferently:

"Your Majesty, you should return to the palace first! Qing'er and I will go see Ye Ling'er. As Your Majesty said, this matter arose because of me, and I cannot stand idly by."

Xuanyuan's heart skipped a beat! He had guessed correctly. Xuanyuan immediately composed himself and replied seriously:

"No, I am the one who started this whole thing. If I hadn't forced you to become a king, you wouldn't have staged that fake marriage with Ye Ling'er. Therefore, I should take responsibility for this. So, I will go with you to see Miss Ye. We will do everything according to her wishes. She wants that heartless man dead, and I will not tolerate it."

"Aren't you tired of calling me 'I' all the time?" Leng Jie rolled her eyes at Xuan Yuan involuntarily and asked in an unfriendly tone.

Seeing that Leng Jie's attitude towards him had finally returned to normal, Xuan Yuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He replied, feigning seriousness:

"I'm so tired! But since you keep calling me 'Your Majesty,' I thought you liked hearing me refer to myself as 'I, the Emperor'!"

The clever Qing'er immediately saw the Emperor's deep affection for her young mistress. Although in her heart, no one was worthy of her mistress, what if it was the Emperor? It didn't seem so unfair. Her round, bright eyes suddenly sparkled as she looked at Leng Jie and said:

"Miss, this matter involves two high-ranking officials of the imperial court."

Leng Jie could easily understand Qing'er's thoughts! She also knew that her attitude towards Xuan Yuan had been a bit too much. No matter what, Xuan Yuan wasn't exactly a heartless man. This was evident in his treatment of Lin Yin'er. However, her general perception of men was now even more certain.

"Qing'er, lead the way!" Leng Jie didn't insist any longer and jumped off the bed to say to Qing'er.

"Miss, why don't you change your clothes before going out?" Qing'er said, pursing her lips and pointing to the large map drawn on Leng Jie's chest by her tears and snot.

Leng Jie was startled, and followed Qing'er's finger down to look. She unconsciously exclaimed:

"Oh my god! How can I show my face in public like this?"

Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "I'll wait for you outside." Then he turned and walked out.

Zhang Mama's residence was in the backyard of Lianxiang Tower. The courtyard consisted of more than a dozen single-story houses, and Ye Ling'er and Qing'er lived in one of them. There were also some girls who did odd jobs and, like Qing'er, performed but did not sell their bodies.

According to Qing'er, prostitution at Lianxiang Pavilion is entirely voluntary. Those who sell their bodies live in the front building, while those who don't live in the back courtyard. Qing'er was chosen as the most beautiful courtesan because of her excellent musical skills, which earned her a room in the front building. However, she still eats and sleeps in the back courtyard. With this understanding, Leng Jie suddenly didn't find the madam so ugly and disgusting anymore.

When Leng Jie saw Ye Ling'er, the shock she felt was not much different from when she saw Qing'er at Lianxiang Tower! She simply could not connect the woman in front of her with her lifeless eyes, pale face, and gray and cracked lips with the Ye Ling'er she had first met in the palace, who had willow-leaf eyebrows, big eyes, a bright and pretty face, and skin like jade.

Looking at her once voluptuous and curvaceous figure, Leng Jie noticed that there wasn't an ounce of flesh on her body; her clothes hung loosely on her like wooden frames. Seeing Ye Ling'er's current appearance, Leng Jie couldn't help but think of herself in the mirror when she first entered Ye Ling'er's body. Back then, she must have looked just as bad as Ye Ling'er now! A sudden pang of sadness struck her, and she involuntarily glared resentfully at Xuan Yuan.

Although Xuanyuan couldn't remember what Ye Ling'er looked like before, he was still startled by her current appearance.

As soon as Qing'er saw her, she pointed at Leng Jie and exclaimed happily, "Sister Ling'er! Qing'er has found Miss! We don't have to be afraid of those people coming anymore."

Ye Ling'er's gaze was completely unfocused as she looked at Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan, meaning she was ignoring them entirely. She simply called out to Qing'er in a faint voice:

"Qing'er is back!"

In that brief moment, Leng Jie had already discerned from her eyes that she suffered from severe autism. Leng Jie smiled and greeted her:

"Ling'er, do you still remember Wuming? I am Wuming. I'm back."

Upon hearing the word "Nameless," Ye Ling'er's slender body visibly trembled. Her gaze then fixed on Leng Jie. After a moment, she suddenly collapsed onto Leng Jie, unleashing a flurry of punches. Qing'er and Xuan Yuan were both startled, and both tried to pull them apart. However, Leng Jie silently stopped them with a look. Leng Jie stood quietly, letting her vent her anger. Only when she could no longer hit her did Leng Jie gently pull her into her arms, sincerely saying:

"I'm sorry! It's my fault!"

Ye Ling'er leaned on Leng Jie's shoulder and shook her head desperately, saying:

"I know it's none of your business! That was just an excuse; he's actually been seeing that woman for a long time. But I'm not reconciled! I'm really not reconciled! I was devoted to him, and this is how it ended up!"

"I know you're not reconciled! What do you want to do? Tell me, and we'll help you with whatever you want. But first, you have to listen to me and get well. You need to make that man regret the stupid things he did to you. The best way isn't to gain his sympathy and pity. That will only make him more glad he abandoned you early. Instead, you have to live a better life than him, a more carefree and happy life. When he sees you again, you'll be even more beautiful and charming than before." Leng Jie used the theories of a psychologist to comfort the wounded woman in front of her.

"But now that I'm like this, can I ever go back to how I used to be?"

Chapter 106 Perilous Situation

Leng Jie grasped Ye Ling'er's shoulders with both hands, gently pushing her away, and looked down to meet her gaze. With a firm look in her eyes, she said confidently:

"Don't worry, with the divine healer's junior sister here, I guarantee you'll become even more beautiful and radiant than before!"

As Qing'er prepared the tea, she called out to the few people still standing at the door:

"Miss, Your Majesty, please come and sit down!"

Xuanyuan stood at the door, holding the wooden box, and shook his head, showing no intention of going in. Suddenly, the madam, panicked and stumbling, rushed into the backyard, heading straight for them. Upon seeing Xuanyuan at the door, she breathlessly called out anxiously:

"Something's happened! Young master, young lady, you must leave through the back door!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Jie and the other two inside immediately fell silent and came out to greet them. Xuan Yuan, standing at the door, coldly asked first:

"What happened?"

"They're here, they're here! Good, a lot of masked men with weapons. They're heading straight for the room you two were in. I think they're after you. You'd better hurry! Otherwise, it'll be too late." Zhang's mother looked up at the building ahead in a panic, stammering as she answered.

At this moment, the sounds of slamming and banging, along with screams from numerous women, could be heard coming from the front building!

Xuanyuan replied calmly:

"It's too late!"

Before he finished speaking, dozens of masked men in gray clothes, armed with weapons, rushed into the backyard and instantly surrounded it.

"Keep your people inside and don't let them out!" Xuan Yuan coldly ordered the madam, who was cowering and inching forward. Then he turned and handed the wooden box to Leng Jie, saying softly, "Xiao Jie, take them inside!"

Leng Jie casually took the wooden box without replying to Xuan Yuan. Instead, she turned to Qing'er and said, "Qing'er, you are responsible for protecting Ling'er. Without my orders, you are not allowed to leave this room under any circumstances!"

"Miss, Qing'er can help..."

Before Qing'er could finish speaking, Leng Jie interrupted her sharply, saying in a low voice:

"Be good! Don't go out! Promise me!"

Qing'er had never seen Leng Jie so stern before, and she nodded involuntarily, replying, "Yes, Qing'er will not go out."

Leng Jie nodded in satisfaction, then softly reassured them, "Don't worry, nothing will happen!" She then pushed the madam, who had already squeezed to the door, into the room. With a "smack," she slammed the door shut. Turning back to Xuan Yuan, who was looking at her with a helpless expression, she smiled:

"I'm the one who caused this trouble, how can I, the person directly responsible, shirk my duty!" With that, he gently placed the wooden box on the ground by the door, turned to the group of men in gray, and said calmly:

"Where are you all, you bunch of turtle eggs? Where are your heads? Are you hiding in your shells and too scared to come out?"

The gray-clad leader's eyes involuntarily fixed on Leng Jie upon seeing her face. After hearing her words, his eyes flickered slightly, then gleamed with lecherous lust. He swallowed hard and then ordered his men:

"The master has given the order: all men must be killed without mercy, but all women must be spared."

With a wave of his hand, dozens of men swarmed towards Leng Jie and her companion. "Whoosh!" Xuan Yuan drew his soft sword from his waist, shielding Leng Jie behind him. His sharp sword strike aimed directly at the leader who dared to look at Leng Jie with lewd eyes. Although the leader was forced to retreat by Xuan Yuan, he showed no signs of defeat. At this moment, the other gray-clad masked men attacked Xuan Yuan, forcing him to withdraw his sword and defend himself.

Leng Jie also drew a short sword from her sleeve, facing off back-to-back with Xuan Yuan. After a few rounds, she realized that the group of gray-clad men were all quite skilled, their moves ruthless. Moreover, their advances and retreats were all in well-trained formations. She had initially thought they were just the Crown Prince's guards. But now it seemed that their martial arts style originated from the Central Plains, not the Western City.

If she wasn't mistaken, this group should be the Dark Feather, the former crown prince of Jinghe, hiding in the capital. The horrific massacres of families three years ago were undoubtedly their doing. Thinking of this, Leng Jie felt a surge of excitement. She had been waiting to fight this group for three whole years, and today they had practically come knocking on her door. She secretly raised her inner strength to the tenth level and channeled it into her short sword. Wherever the sword's light touched, screams rang out. Instantly, the four or five gray-clad men closest to Leng Jie were all injured by the sword's energy.

The gray-clad man's offensive finally weakened slightly, and Leng Jie seized the opportunity to turn her back to Xuan Yuan and call out:

"Li! I'll defend, you attack! They're the ones we've been waiting for. Show no mercy, they all deserve to die!"

"I understand, be careful!" Xuanyuan had already discerned their origins, and upon hearing Xiaojie call him by his name for the first time, his excitement was indescribable. He loudly reminded Leng Jie, then his soft sword trembled, instantly dancing like a soaring dragon roaring through the sky. Following the sword's roar, a piercing scream rang out!

"My eyes!"

The people fighting all turned to look at the sound. The one wailing was the leader of the gray-clad men. He was covering his eyes with his hands, and bright red blood was flowing down between his fingers.

"This is the price for that one glance you gave me!" As Xuan Yuan's icy voice rang out, his soft sword was already piercing the heart of the gray-clad leader.

Seeing their leader dead, the remaining gray-clad men didn't retreat in disarray. Instead, they fought even more fiercely and fearlessly. This surprised both Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan. Fortunately, their teamwork was excellent, one defending and the other attacking. Although the dozens of gray-clad men, fighting almost frantically, surrounded them tightly, they gained no advantage whatsoever. On the contrary, almost all of them were wounded.

As the fight raged, they were already fifty or sixty meters away from Qing'er's door. Just as Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan were locked in a fierce battle, two gray-clad men, wounded by swords, suddenly rushed into Qing'er's room. Qing'er's martial arts skills were more than enough to deal with the flirtatious girls she usually encountered. However, against these well-trained assassins, her moves were nothing more than fancy gestures without real skill. Before she could throw even two punches, she was subdued by one of their wounded hands.

Having lost her martial arts skills, Ye Ling'er was utterly powerless to resist, like a lamb to the slaughter, as someone held a sword to her neck.

Neither Qing'er nor Ye Ling'er cried out. Their stubborn gazes were fixed on the gray-clad man holding a sword to their necks. Meanwhile, the madam, cowering in the corner and practically ignored, suddenly let out a long scream, as if feeling neglected and resentful. The gray-clad man, dragging a bloodied, lame leg, slit the madam's throat with a backhand stroke.

"Mother Zhang!" Qing'er cried out mournfully, trying to rush over.

The lame man in gray suddenly plunged his sword into Ye Ling'er's thigh again. "Sister Ling'er!" Qing'er screamed again.

"If you move again, I'll cut off her arm and use it as a crutch!" the gray-clad man coldly warned Qing'er.

"Don't think that just because you're someone the Crown Prince of Xiping has taken a liking to, I won't dare to touch you!" With that, he pushed the tearful Qing'er and the pale-faced Ye Ling'er, who remained silent, into the room.

Qing'er's two screams had already drawn Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan's attention. Leng Jie had no desire for fighting anymore; she was desperately trying to rush over to save Qing'er and the others. But their men seemed inexhaustible; one fell, and another immediately took their place. In a battle between masters, the worst thing is to be impatient and agitated. But Leng Jie's mind had begun to race. Therefore, when her gaze fell on Qing'er, whose neck was held by a knife, in a moment of distraction, a long sword swiftly pierced her right ribs.

"Miss!" As soon as Qing'er came out, she saw a sharp sword piercing Leng Jie's body, and she couldn't help but cry out.

The gray-clad man who had kidnapped Qing'er was originally just following orders to bring Xiyu back. He didn't know that Xiyu was connected to the powerful and beautiful woman outside. But when he saw Leng Jie's anxious gaze towards Qing'er, he immediately realized the usefulness of his person. So he shouted sharply into the crowd:

"Stop! If you move again, I'll kill them!"

Hearing the threat from his own men, the gray-clad figures in the arena immediately withdrew from the battle. Xuanyuan sheathed his sword and turned, first looking at Leng Jie beside him. His expression changed abruptly when his gaze fell upon the gushing crimson blood from her waist. A deathly aura instantly emanated from him. He pulled Leng Jie into his arms and pressed acupoints around her wound to stop the bleeding. Only then did he urgently ask:

"Xiaojie, what do you think?"

The stinging pain from her wound actually calmed Leng Jie's anxious mind. She leaned against Xuan Yuan's broad chest, reaching for the pistol at her waist. At the same time, she replied calmly:

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Then he shouted sharply at the gray-clad man who was holding Qing'er hostage:

What do you want?

"Kill that man, then come with us obediently. I won't kill them," the man in gray demanded of Leng Jie.

Leng Jie, who was leaning against Xuan Yuan's chest, suddenly grinned and nodded to the man in gray: