You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: You Saw, Didn’t You, Brother-in-Law?

Seeing it was Liu Si’er, Chen Yi frowned inwardly, but his face remained impassive as he spoke:

”Brother Si, what urgent matter brings you to Spring Lotus Garden so late at night?”

Liu Si’er, who had been standing in the shadows of the veranda, took a step forward into the moonlight upon hearing this. He looked directly at Chen Yi and bowed.

”Forgive my presumption, Master Yi. A moment ago, I heard footsteps in the garden. Worried for your and the Young Master’s safety, I rushed in without thinking. I hope you will forgive me.”

Chen Yi watched him calmly, wondering when he had entered Spring Lotus Garden and whether he had seen Pei Guanli.

”I was just taking advantage of the night to do some cultivation. I didn’t mean to cause a misunderstanding, Brother Si.”

Liu Si’er said, ”Oh,” and, while still bowing, lifted his head to look at Chen Yi. After sizing him up, he said with sudden realization:

”Are you worried about the upcoming test, Master Yi? It’s understandable. The Second Master giving you two months to reach the Lower Ninth Grade Realm... that is indeed too strict.”

Before Chen Yi could respond, Wang Lixing walked into Spring Lotus Garden. He had clearly overheard their conversation and frowned as he looked at them both.

”Brother Si, you’re out of line.”

Liu Si’er quickly agreed, saying with a smile, ”My apologies, Master Yi. My apologies, Lixing. I was indeed a bit too hasty.”

Wang Lixing patted his shoulder, then bowed to Chen Yi. ”Master Yi, it was my fault for not stopping Brother Si. I hope you’ll forgive us.”

Chen Yi understood then. Liu Si’er must have just entered Spring Lotus Garden, seen his silhouette, and decided to test him.

With this in mind, Chen Yi’s face broke into a smile. ”No matter. Brother Si’s concern for the safety of Spring Lotus Garden is commendable and should be rewarded. I’ll have a word with Wuge tomorrow and ask him to report this to the Old Marquis for his consideration.”

Wang Lixing’s expression froze. ”This...”

Liu Si’er’s heart sank. Even though he hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Chen Yi, he was still deeply annoyed at being so easily manipulated.

’If I didn’t know about the organization’s plans for this Fledgling, I’d have to teach him a lesson.’

Before either of them could speak again, Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively. ”I’m tired. You two should return to your posts outside the gate.”

Seeing him saunter into the wooden building and a lamp light up in the study, Wang Lixing’s expression soured. He turned and pulled Liu Si’er away.

”Brother Si, you crossed a line this time!”

Liu Si’er gave a dry laugh. ”Sorry. I misheard. I thought it was the intruder who snuck into the Marquis’s Mansion before.”

”I didn’t think, and I didn’t have time to inform you or Third Brother and the others. I just vaulted into the garden to check things out. It was my mistake.”

Despite his words, he recalled Chen Yi’s earlier answer and asked, ”Has Master Yi been practicing the Big Spear Pile Skill recently?”

Seeing he wasn’t faking it, Wang Lixing sighed. ”The Second Master’s test is no joke. Master Yi is well aware of the consequences. I already knew he was secretly cultivating at night since the time that intruder broke in.”

Liu Si’er clicked his tongue. ’So it’s true,’ he thought.

He immediately dismissed his suspicion of Chen Yi.

’It makes sense,’ he mused. ’This Fledgling, Chen Yi, is just a feeble scholar. He was imprisoned by the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family for so long. Even if he’s learned, there’s no way he could have detected me.’

However, his investigation over the past few days confirmed that the Maid who entered his room had appeared in several of the rear courtyard residences.

Since she wasn’t in Spring Lotus Garden, she must be in the adjacent Jiaxing Garden.

The latter was more likely—perhaps that person had seen him red-handed when he sent out the secret letter.

Liu Si’er thought this to himself, a wry smile on his face. ”What do we do now? Master Yi is going to report this to the Old Marquis...”

Wang Lixing glanced at him and said resignedly, ”From what I’ve observed these past few days, Master Yi is quite reasonable. You should go and apologize to him tomorrow.”

”I suppose that’s my only choice...”

「Inside the wooden building.」

Chen Yi leaned against the window, gazing out at the tranquil garden.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting a flickering, unsteady shadow of him as it danced with the wind.

He mused silently in the quiet.

’Liu Si’er must have followed Pei Guanli’s trail from that day to the rear courtyards. It seems I’ll have to remind Pei Guanli to be more careful.’

’With Xiao Jinghong’s connection, the Marquis’s Mansion won’t do anything to Pei Guanli, but there’s no telling what Liu Si’er might do.’

Chen Yi then thought of the contents of that secret letter, his mind adrift.

’What exactly do these ’Hidden Guards’ have in mind for me?’

’Peripheral members of the ’Hidden Guards’ like Liu Si’er and Uncle Gui probably don’t know the whole story. After all, they’ve been in the Marquis’s Mansion for years, so the timing of my arrival doesn’t line up with their tenure.’

’Perhaps the ’Hidden Guard’ mentioned in the letter, the one meant to replace Liu Si’er, knows something.’

At this thought, Chen Yi stood up in the chamber. His feet began to weave and cross, moving in a circle on the spot in a motion that seemed slow but was actually swift.

As his Meteor Butterfly Step grew more practiced, his figure began to blur until it became a phantom-like shadow in the darkness.

’Replacing Liu Si’er, replacing him... That person will have to appear near Spring Lotus Garden often. It shouldn’t be too hard to investigate.’

...

Early the next morning, Chen Yi, neatly dressed, followed Wang Lixing to the Purple Bamboo Forest.

He stretched his limbs as he asked, ”That intruder from before still hasn’t been caught, I take it?”

Seeing that he brought it up himself, Wang Lixing explained, ”To be honest, Master Yi, everyone in the Marquis’s Mansion is investigating in secret, aside from the Personal Guards on duty.”

”That’s why Brother Si was so on edge when he heard a noise last night. I hope you can understand, Master Yi, and let it go this one time.”

Chen Yi chuckled lightly. ”Brother Xing, I understand the need to be flexible in an emergency. Of course I won’t blame Brother Si.”

”But this can’t happen again. If there’s a next time, Brother Xing, you need to stop him.”

Wang Lixing’s heart relaxed, and he quickly agreed.

’Thank goodness it’s Master Yi. If it had been the Second Miss, Brother Si would have been in for a world of hurt.’

”Well, that’s all for today. You’re dismissed, Brother Xing.”

Wang Lixing opened his mouth, looking at Chen Yi, who wasn’t even bothering to put on an act anymore. He said in a stifled voice, ”Master Yi, how about I demonstrate the Pile Skill for you?”

Chen Yi waved his hands dismissively. ”No need. If you’re here, I’ll just feel awkward, and my cultivation will be much less effective.”

”...”

After Wang Lixing left Spring Lotus Garden, Chen Yi didn’t start his cultivation right away. Instead, he quietly went to the wooden building to find Pei Guanli.

KNOCK. KNOCK-KNOCK.

After the soft knocking, a groggy Pei Guanli, who seemed to have just woken up, came to the door.

Her hair was down, the string of bells still around her neck, and she was wearing only her underclothes when she opened the door. In a charmingly drowsy voice, she said, ”Brother-in-law, it’s not even light out...”

Chen Yi glanced at her briefly, not lingering, and directly pushed a written note into the room. He reminded her in a low voice, ”Remember to burn this after you read it.”

With that, he returned to the Purple Bamboo Forest.

Pei Guanli closed the door and rubbed her tired eyes. Reading the note by the dim light, she bared her little canine teeth.

”Oh, so that’s how it is! I haven’t even come looking for you, and you’re already being relentless.”

”Just you wait. After my brother-in-law is done investigating you, I’ll have Sister Jinghong destroy you.”

Pei Guanli muttered a few more things. After destroying the note and getting rid of the evidence, she finally noticed the chill on her skin and looked down at herself.

”Ah!”

Pei Guanli crossed her arms over her chest as a blush crept onto her cheeks.

’Brother-in-law saw, didn’t he?’

’He definitely saw.’

Her face burning, Pei Guanli scrambled back into the chamber, leaped onto Xiao Jinghong’s bed, and buried herself under the covers.

Now she was completely awake, and there was no chance of falling back asleep.