Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Inside the claustrophobic cabin, cargo was piled high.

As the door swung open, the morning sun poured in, stirring up clouds of dust.

Sensing someone approaching, Xia Ximo tried to open her eyes, but her body felt heavy and unresponsive. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t even lift her eyelids.

Her drifting soul had slowly returned to its place, but unfortunately, this body was deficient in yang energy. Her soul-fire was unstable, making it difficult for her spirit to fully possess the vessel for the time being.

However, as the footsteps drew closer, they brought with them a surge of pure yang energy.

Her restless soul was nourished by it, and a trace of warmth spread through her limbs and bones, finally allowing her to settle down temporarily.

With a great deal of effort, Xia Ximo forced her eyes open, only to find a tall, slender figure standing beside her.

The man’s face was obscured by the backlight, but he possessed such an aura of righteous integrity that the wandering spirits in the corners instinctively vanished.

Who… was he?

***

Ren Fengjue hadn’t expected to see such a sight.

Inside the cabin, which reeked of heavy alcohol, a woman dressed in coarse hemp clothes lay amidst a pile of wine jars.

There was no telling how much she had drunk during the night; she was still heavily intoxicated, completely oblivious to the danger surrounding her.

As he hesitated for a moment, the assassin hiding in the shadows made their move.

A nearby shelf shook violently and looked ready to collapse. In the heat of the moment, he could only reach out and pull the woman up from the floor.

With just a slight tug and a gentle pull, her thin, frail body fell weightlessly into his arms.

Ren Fengjue paused, realizing she truly was severely drunk. Her entire body was limp and weak; he had to support her just to keep her from falling over.

The shelf crashed to the floor, smashing wine jars with a dull thud, yet even that failed to startle her in the slightest.

This woman!

Ren Fengjue frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the black-clad assassin ducking behind another row of shelves.

“The cabin is only so large. How much longer do you intend to hide?”

As he spoke, he tried to set the woman back down on the floor.

But suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed his waist.

Then, the woman tucked half of her body under his cloak, pressing herself tightly against him through several layers of clothing.

“…”

Lord Ren, whose face usually remained unflappable regardless of the situation, now showed a flicker of color.

In that brief moment of distraction, the assassin seized the opportunity. Lunging forward with a short sword, they charged toward the pair.

Seeing this, Ren Fengjue had no choice but to instinctively pull the woman in his arms closer, retreating and dodging as he went.

The cabin was cluttered, making it difficult to maneuver.

The assassin exerted their full strength, thrusting the sword several times in quick succession, forcing the two into a corner where there was no room left to evade.

Ren Fengjue steadied his breathing, timing the opponent’s next move. He quickly pulled the “dead weight” in his arms to the side and delivered a sudden, sweeping kick.

The strike was precise and perfectly powered.

The assassin was forced to drop the short sword and perform a clean flip to put some distance between them.

Suddenly, the assassin raised their hand. A mechanical click sounded as six Plum Blossom Sleeve Arrows were triggered.

Ren Fengjue was startled. Considering his situation and that of the drunken woman, he didn’t have time to think. He swung his cloak wide to sweep the air, pulling her into his chest.

The arrows grazed his billowing cloak; some were knocked aside, and others were deflected, but one still managed to strike his shoulder.

The assassin gloated inwardly, rolling to retrieve the short sword from the floor, preparing to press the advantage.

However, at that very moment, the woman in Ren Fengjue’s arms raised her head.

A pair of cold, deep eyes looked over…

In an instant, an indescribable sense of pressure bore down from above. The assassin’s limbs went inexplicably numb, and their body froze in place.
Ren Fengjue watched the exchange closely. With a swift kick, he knocked the sword from his opponent’s hand. His movements were clean and efficient, neutralizing the threat in a matter of seconds.

“Lord Ren!”

Outside the door, Yu Lang had been waiting anxiously. Finally unable to restrain himself, he burst into the cabin.

His eyes immediately landed on the wound on Ren Fengjue’s shoulder, and his voice rose in alarm.

“Lord Ren, you… you’re hurt?!”

Only at his reminder did Ren Fengjue glance down at the wound. He replied nonchalantly, “It is nothing. The hidden weapon wasn’t poisoned; it’s just a flesh wound.”

He was about to give an order when Yu Lang lunged forward, pinning the assassin firmly under his boot.

“Speak! Who sent you to assassinate Lord Ren?”

The assassin seemed to finally snap out of his daze. His eyes instinctively drifted toward the woman in the corner, and he gave an involuntary shudder.

Only then did Yu Lang realize there was another person in the cabin.

A thin, young woman dressed in simple, coarse clothing-looking as though she came from a very poor background-was leaning quietly against the wall.

Presumably due to extreme shock, her face was pale and bloodless, and her small features were devoid of any expression.

How pitiful!

Just as Yu Lang was considering some words of comfort, a muffled groan came from beneath his feet. The assassin had secretly swallowed poison to commit suicide.

Yu Lang was instantly annoyed. “I haven’t even asked anything yet!”

Ren Fengjue was not surprised by this outcome. Instead, he took his time smoothing out his robes.

“I was just about to warn you to watch out for him killing himself.”

“…”

Yu Lang sheepishly withdrew his foot, muttering under his breath, “How could I not have expected that? I was just a step too late, that’s all.”

Ren Fengjue heard him but ignored the comment, adopting a stern expression. “You left your post without permission. You haven’t told me yet-what is the situation outside?”

“Rest assured, Lord Ren. Those little thieves have been thoroughly subdued; they won’t dare cause any more trouble.”

Fearing that Lord Ren might reprimand him, Yu Lang added respectfully, “I have already searched the surroundings. This assassin had no accomplices.”

Ren Fengjue nodded, understanding the situation.

It was difficult to hide on a ship, making hidden weapons the best choice for an assassination. However, this assassin’s skills were mediocre. He wondered if the mastermind had underestimated him or if there was another scheme at play.

After a moment of reflection, Ren Fengjue’s gaze fell on the sleeve-arrow by his feet. He bent down to pick it up and examined it closely.

After a long silence, he ordered, “Once we reach the shore, take the body back. Have someone look into his origins thoroughly.”

Judging by the time, the ship should have reached the waters near the Capital.

He was about to head out when he sensed a pair of eyes in the corner watching him.

Ren Fengjue looked back, but before he could speak, Yu Lang beat him to it.

“This girl must be terrified. Lord Ren, do you think we should… lend her a hand?”

“…”

The situation just now had indeed been dangerous, but did this woman look even remotely afraid?

On the contrary, the way she looked at him was filled with scrutiny and calculation.

Naturally suspicious, Ren Fengjue frowned slightly.

He glanced at Yu Lang and replied, “Vice Minister Yu has always been one to show pity for the fairer sex. You may decide on this matter yourself.”

“However, this woman appeared in the cabin alongside the assassin. Her background is still unknown.”

“Vice Minister Yu, why don’t you question her as well?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Lang’s heart sank. He felt the sting of having shot himself in the foot.

He tapped his own head and helplessly cupped his hands again.

“As you command, Lord Ren.”