Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 27

After a long silence, Xu Lie sighed and said in a deep voice, "Back then, I really thought you had used tricks to force me and Xue'er to separate, which is why I was so heartless towards you. After you fell into a coma and were hospitalized, I learned the truth, and for a moment I really didn't know how to face it. That marriage certificate I signed in a fit of anger suddenly became a branding iron, burning my heart, making it impossible for me to make any promises to Xue'er with a clear conscience. Grandpa's illness became the fuse for our breakup. I know it wasn't really Xue'er's fault; she was just too desperate and resentful, which is why she said such harsh words to Grandpa. But I hit her."

As Xu Lie finished speaking, his grip on my hand loosened slightly, and he rested his chin gently on my shoulder, continuing in a calm tone, "Xue'er finally decided to leave. At that time, I was truly terrified and desperate. Losing Xue'er felt like my entire world had collapsed. So, I begged her, begging her not to leave me. But she told me firmly that she would never come back in this lifetime, and no matter what I did, it would be useless. At that moment, I felt like the sky had fallen, and I might as well die..."

"Xu Lie..." I cried out in fear, grabbing his arm that was wrapped around me tightly. I could feel his whole body trembling, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. My heart ached, and I turned and buried my face in his chest, hugging him tightly.

“Galan, don’t you understand? My love for Xue’er died two years ago, on that night. It was precisely because the love was so profound that it burned so intensely.” Xu Lie gently stroked my hair as he spoke. “Now I feel pity, memories, and guilt for Xue’er, but not love. Galan, do you believe me?”

I nodded repeatedly in his arms, then looked up and choked out, "I believe you! How could I not believe you? Xu Lie, I know you haven't fallen in love with me yet, but I still have hope, don't I? I can still stay by your side as your wife, secretly waiting for you to fall in love with me, can't I...?"

"Fool!" Xu Lie suddenly lowered his head and captured my lips, swallowing all the rest of my words, as if swallowing away my pain, confusion and fear, so that I could feel safe and cling to him.

Outside the window, the moonlight was serene.

I was half asleep when someone gently and carefully woke me up. I opened my eyes with difficulty and saw Yi Han's indifferent and handsome face. He said to me in a cold voice, "Young master, tonight is the fifteenth of June."

I blinked in confusion and asked in a hoarse voice, "Really?" During the march, we could only sleep in tents, and the beds were hard, thorny wooden boards, which made me very uncomfortable.

A fleeting smile crossed Yi Han's eyes as he helped my limp body sit up and said, "This subordinate will take you to see a few people."

"How could we trouble you, young master? We'll come down ourselves." A clear, bell-like female voice, accompanied by giggles, rang out from the rooftop. I was startled, all sleepiness gone. The dim light in the room suddenly shone brightly.

Three figures, one white, one blue, and one black, descended simultaneously and knelt neatly before me. The wind stirred by their movements still ruffled my hair, but I stared wide-eyed as if I'd seen a ghost, completely bewildered.

The first man in white raised his head. He was handsome with delicate features, but his eyes were too upturned, making him appear somewhat effeminate; his earlobes were almost invisible, indicating that he was not blessed with good fortune; his lips were too thin, revealing his suspicious and ruthless nature. He smiled slightly, a smile with an androgynous and bewitching beauty, and his voice was soft and deep: "Tianwang Xinglinxuan greets the young master."

The second person to raise their head was a woman in blue. She had delicate features, light brown hair, a mole at the corner of her mouth, and deep dimples when she smiled. At first glance, her face was small and charming; however, looking deeper into her eyes revealed a darting, unpredictable light, suggesting she was not easily controlled. Looking down, I saw she wore a light, sheer, lake-blue dress. Under the lamplight, her graceful figure and delicate skin were faintly visible, and the neckline was so low that her full breasts were almost visible. My face flushed, and I quickly looked away. But then I heard her giggle, nonchalantly saying, "Neptune Ruoshui greets you, young master."

The last man, dressed in black, glanced at me coldly. That single glance sent a chill down my spine. His face wasn't particularly handsome, and a deep red scar marked his left eyebrow. His amber eyes were utterly cold, devoid of any warmth; it was almost as if being looked at by him would freeze one to death. His coldness was entirely different from Yi Han's. Yi Han's was a kind of detached indifference that was almost imperceptible, while this man's mere presence was an icy chill that made one tremble. His slightly hoarse voice, stiff and indifferent, rang out: "Pluto's Shadow Catcher greets Young Master."

I stared blankly at the three people kneeling on one knee, then turned to look at Yi Han, whose expression was indifferent and who looked completely dumbfounded. Zi Mo's slightly excited voice suddenly rang out from above: "Unbelievable! I never imagined that Lin Yu would have such a terrifying force under his command. No wonder it makes the countries wary of him."

"Zimo, what are you saying?" I looked up at him in astonishment.

Zi Mo shook his head with a look of disappointment and said, "Don't you understand? All three of them are your subordinates. Alright, enough nonsense, quickly help them up."

"Oh!" I nodded and reached out to help him up, saying, "Get up quickly."

Watching them casually stand up and sit down in the chairs opposite me, I was at a loss and could only ask for help: "Zimo, what should we do next?"

Zi Mo smiled knowingly, glanced at Yi Han, and said, "You don't need to do anything. Just sit down and listen."

'Huh? Why?' I wondered, but I still sat down calmly and remained silent. To my surprise, they really didn't look at me anymore, but instead all turned their gazes to Yi Han beside me.

Lin Xuanxian solemnly replied, “As instructed by the Hidden Master, the ‘Li Luo Army’ has arrived at the Xiangxi border to ensure your safety. This time, the Li Luo Army is commanded by Qin Li. Although half of them are new soldiers selected from the academy a month ago, they have all undergone training and should be able to play a role in this Golden Radiance Fire Feather Battle.”

I looked at Yi Han in shock, only to see him nod slightly and say, "Go and inform Uncle Li later, so he won't worry about the young master's safety." Lin Xuan nodded cautiously, looking respectful. But as soon as Yi Han's gaze shifted away from him, a sinister smile returned to his lips. It was truly bizarre.

Ruoshui saw Yihan looking at her and couldn't help but giggle, but she felt that the laugh was not as unrestrained as before. She said, "The Hidden Lord sent me to investigate Mu Shuangshuang, but she disappeared after crossing the border of Jinyao Fengyin. According to Qin Gui's report, the Crown Princess of Fengyin did not appear at the Goddess Altar, so you still need to be careful, young master. In addition, someone from the Mist Tribe also reported that Liu Cenfeng, the Grand Tutor of Huoling Kingdom, has been mobilizing troops recently and his whereabouts are often unknown, which may be detrimental to you, young master. I hope the Hidden Lord will take good care of you and ensure your safety."

Qin Gui? I tilted my head, thinking, the name sounded familiar. I closed my eyes and searched my memory, then my eyes widened suddenly. Qin Gui! Qin Gui! Wasn't this the child Yi Han had mentioned who controlled the Fengyin Court? He… he was actually one of Lin Yu's men?

Finally, it was Bu Ying who reported back. His voice was icy cold, but his eyes still held a hint of awe as he looked at Yi Han: "The Night Division has already laid an ambush around you, Young Master. The Blood Division remains at the Asura headquarters, along with the remaining Li Luo Army, to protect the academy."

Yi Han nodded, glanced at him and Ruoshui, and said, "Qin Ye and I are enough here. The situation is different now, and it may be dangerous for Madam and Linglong to stay in Chiyu Tower. Buying, go and protect them secretly."

Ruoshui's smile faded slightly, and she stood up and curtsied, saying, "Thank you, Master Yin."

I stared at her in surprise. Strange, what did she mean by Xie Yihan?

"Both have tea-gold hair. And don't you think Ruoshui's face is somewhat similar to Linglong's?" Zimo said leisurely.

I let out a soft "Ah!" Yes! When you think about it, they do look somewhat alike. Could they be relatives?

Suddenly, Bu Ying rose and knelt down, his head bowed low. He remained silent for a long time, and his face was not visible. Just as I was wondering about this, Yi Han suddenly turned around, bowed, and said, "Young Master, would it be alright for Bu Ying to go to Luonan (the capital of Jinyao) to accompany Madam?"

"Huh?" I was taken aback, staring blankly at him, then at Bu Ying kneeling on the ground, and quickly said, "Okay...of course it's okay!"

Yi Han turned around, glanced at Bu Ying who was kneeling on the ground and slowly raising his head, and said coldly, "Didn't you hear the young master's order?"

Bu Ying trembled slightly and lowered his head, saying, "Your subordinate obeys."

The room was finally empty, but I stared at the spot where three people had just sat, unable to come to my senses for a long time. Yi Han was silently fiddling with the tea set on the table to the side.

"Young master," he placed a cup of tea with a refreshing aroma in front of me and said, "It's hot and easy to catch a heat rash. Drink a cup of cool tea to cool down." I took it hesitantly and drank it all in one gulp. I felt that the tea was still warm, but refreshing and pleasant. After drinking it, the fragrance lingered in my mouth, and the aftertaste was endless.

Yi Han's expression was calm, but there was a warm smile in his eyes: "Does Young Master wish to ask who those three people were?"

I nodded vigorously and blinked my big eyes at him.

Yi Han took the teacup from my hand and started brewing again, saying calmly, "When you were thirteen, you met your subordinates in the Water Mist Kingdom and opened the now world-famous Ishuair Academy there in the same year. Two years later, you decided to enter politics and thus created the Shura Dark Camp under the cover of the academy."

"Mom! Is Lin Yu even human?" I looked up at Zi Mo, who was also staring at me in shock—or rather, at my body. Good heavens! Just how many unknown strengths does Lin Yu possess that are yet to be discovered?

Yi Han seemed oblivious to my shock, handing the teacup back to me and continuing, "Seven Fiends, Three Stars, and One Dark Camp—this is the force under your command, Young Master. The Seven Fiends are Li Fiend, Rakshasa, Ghost Fiend, Mist Fiend, Blood Fiend, Night Fiend, and Hidden Fiend. The Three Stars are Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The One Dark Camp is the Asura Dark Camp. The Asura Dark Camp is divided into six divisions and one headquarters. The six divisions are Li, Rakshasa, Ghost, Mist, Blood, and Night, each led by one of the six Fiends. The six Fiends are then subordinate to the three stars."

"Li Sha - Qin Li and Luo Sha - Qin Qiluo are in charge of the Uranus - Lin Xuan. Their main responsibility is to train a 'Li Luo Army' with no more than two thousand men, but which is invincible."

"Ghost Fiend - Qin Gui and Mist Fiend - Qin Wu Gui Neptune - Ruoshui are in charge of the division. Most of them are talented people who have been infiltrating various places for several years to recruit intelligence for various countries at any time."

"Blood Fiend - Qin Xue and Night Fiend - Qin Yegui Pluto - Shadow Catcher are in charge of the young master's safety and the clandestine assassination operations."

"The three stars are all loyal to the main altar. And the main altar is led by the Hidden Altar, one of the Seven Altars." Seeing my confused look, Yi Han said calmly, "If I say too much at once, you probably won't remember it all. When the three stars of the Seven Altars return to their positions to pay homage in the future, I will introduce them to you one by one."

"Okay." I nodded hastily, then glanced at Zi Mo's gloomy face and felt a pang of guilt. I knew that although I found these things tiresome, they were extremely important to Zi Mo. Zi Mo sighed, his tone utterly helpless, and said, "Do you know who Yin Sha is?"

"Huh?" I was taken aback and blurted out, "Who is Yin Sha?"

Yi Han's expression paused slightly, then a faint smile appeared in his eyes as he lowered his head and said, "It is your subordinate."