ISWTDB Ch45

Chapter 45: The Mute Prince vs. The Rakshasa General (13, 14)

He liked watching Ying Zhao give orders to him, even liked seeing Ying Zhao glare at him. One could even say, as long as it was an emotion from Ying Zhao, he liked it.

Sometimes, because he couldn’t speak, he would make the other person angry and couldn’t properly soothe him. Duanmu Yi would kiss Ying Zhao.

Because he found that as long as he kissed the other person, this little guy would retract his fangs and become very obedient.

This made Duanmu Yi feel very amused, especially when he discovered that Ying Zhao seemed to enjoy his kisses. Duanmu Yi no longer restrained himself; whenever he had the chance, he would hold Ying Zhao in his arms and kiss him fiercely.

Whenever he saw the little guy’s cheeks turn red from being kissed in his arms, panting and breathless, Duanmu Yi felt a sense of accomplishment.

He felt that the little guy in his arms was the sweetest candy in the world. Just looking at those red lips made his mouth water, unable to resist savoring them, unable to stop.

It was just a pity that the little guy had to leave the ancestral hall before dawn every day. After all, he needed to sneak back to his room and couldn’t let the servants of the Ying family find out he had been secretly accompanying Duanmu Yi in the ancestral hall.

During the day, Duanmu Yi always felt empty and lonely, missing Ying Zhao more and more. He longed for the night to fall quickly, hoping his little general could come to him once the night was deep and quiet.

These comfortable days passed for a while. However, one night, Duanmu Yi was sitting in the ancestral hall quietly waiting for Ying Zhao.

Suddenly, there was a noise from behind. Duanmu Yi smiled and turned his head, thinking he would see his beloved. Unexpectedly, he saw two people dressed in black with iron masks.

These two were obviously highly skilled in martial arts, with numbers embroidered on a corner of their robes. One had a three, the other a six. Upon seeing Duanmu Yi, they immediately knelt on one knee and saluted him, saying, “Young Master.”

Duanmu Yi frowned as he looked at the two people, shaking his head at them. The younger-looking black-clad person on the left, with sharp features, immediately stood up and urgently said to Duanmu Yi:

“Young Master, are you still unwilling to go back with us? You have already been married here, becoming someone else’s husband! You have suffered such humiliation. If your grandfather, the old master, were still alive, how heartbroken he would be!”

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yi’s eyes turned cold. He swept his gaze coldly over the two people opposite him and silently mouthed the word “scram.”

The black-clad man who had just spoken immediately showed a look of deep pain, seemingly wanting to say more, but was pulled back by the person behind him.

Mie San, seeing Duanmu Yi’s displeased expression, quickly stepped forward and whispered:

“LaoLiu, stop talking. The young master has his own decisions. We only need to follow the old master’s orders and listen to the young master. You see, the young master is already angry. We should leave quickly.”

Lao Liu, hearing Mie San’s words, still persistently shook off Mie San’s hand and firmly said to Duanmu Yi:

“Young Master! The people of the Ying family have humiliated you so. We have always asked you to come with us, but you refused. I thought that at least the Ying family was full of loyalty and valor. But I didn’t expect Ying Jingning to treat you so lightly and lock you up in this dark ancestral hall. The old master entrusted you to us before his death. We cannot let you go on like this. Today, I don’t care if he is a battlefield hero or the Rakshasa General. Today, I will take his life to vent your anger!”

Duanmu Yi initially just felt irritated by their sudden appearance but didn’t expect the one calling himself Lao Liu to misunderstand his situation and even threaten to harm Ying Zhao.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yi’s eyes turned cold. He immediately flashed in front of Lao Liu, reached out, grabbed his neck, and lifted him up.

Lao Liu didn’t expect to be suddenly attacked by Duanmu Yi. Suspended in the air, he struggled desperately but didn’t dare to really fight back, fearing to hurt Duanmu Yi.

Mie San, seeing this, knelt on the ground and pleaded with Duanmu Yi:

“Young Master! Please calm down, Young Master! Lao Liu is just worried about you! We understand now; we won’t act rashly. We’ll follow all your instructions!”

Duanmu Yi, holding Lao Liu’s throat, watched him struggle in the air, his face turning red. Hearing Mie San’s words, he finally pursed his lips and threw Lao Liu to the ground.

Then he took out a charcoal pencil from his pocket and wrote on the floor of the ancestral hall: “Do not harm the general or anyone in the general’s family.”

After being thrown to the ground, Lao Liu couldn’t stop coughing but immediately got up and knelt down. Seeing what Duanmu Yi had written on the ground, he could only nod helplessly.

Then, Duanmu Yi erased the words he had just written with his foot and wrote a few more words on the ground. Seeing this, Mie San and Lao Liu widened their eyes in surprise.

They looked at each other, and Mie San swallowed nervously before asking Duanmu Yi, “Young Master, do you really want us to find this thing for you?”

Duanmu Yi nodded without hesitation. Mie San and Mie Liu exchanged a glance, then stood up, saluted Duanmu Yi, and turned to leave.

After confirming that the two had left, Duanmu Yi erased the charcoal words on the ground with his shoe. His face, however, couldn’t help but show a slight blush.

The two black-clad men, now outside the Ying residence, were also somewhat puzzled. The two of them hid in a tree not far from the Ying residence, chatting sporadically.

While rubbing his neck, which was swollen and red from being grabbed, Mie Liu applied some ointment and frowned, saying to the person beside him:

“Third Brother, could it be that the young master really has taken a liking to that Rakshasa General? Although he’s a hero of our Canglan Kingdom, there are rumors that say the Rakshasa General is as ugly as a demon, which is why he always wears that mask. Why would the young master want us to find such a thing?”

Mie San turned his head and raised an eyebrow, saying, “I don’t see anything wrong with it. No matter his appearance, that Rakshasa General is a true warrior on the battlefield. Frankly, he is worthy of our young master!”

After saying this, Mie San saw Mie Liu scratching his head in confusion, and his eyelid twitched. He harshly knocked Mie Liu on the head and scolded:

“The young master’s thoughts are not for us to guess. We just need to follow his orders. I have to tell you, think before you speak next time! Don’t really anger the young master, or you’ll have to explain yourself to the brothers in the Yin Pavilion!”

Hearing Mie San’s words, Mie Liu quickly covered his head and begged for mercy. He couldn’t understand why, after they had gone through so much trouble to find Duanmu Yi years ago and confirmed he was the only offspring of the old master’s only daughter, Duanmu Yi still ignored them and flatly refused to go with them.

So, the ten secret guards left by the old master could only take turns watching over Duanmu Yi in the palace, teaching him their martial arts and skills.

These ten secret guards each had their own specialties, so Duanmu Yi’s martial arts skills combined all the strengths of these ten brothers, making him a formidable opponent in the world.

Mie Liu couldn’t understand why Duanmu Yi wouldn’t go with them and chose to stay in the palace, living such a poor life.

Even when the emperor humiliated him by marrying him off to the general’s residence as a male spouse, he didn’t refuse.

But what Third Brother said just now made sense. This Rakshasa General was indeed capable and courageous. Given the current situation, could it be that their young master had always been interested in this Rakshasa General?

So marrying into the general’s residence was actually a ploy to find a mistress for their pavilion?

Thinking this, Mie Liu suddenly felt a sense of realization.

So, what he had thought before was completely wrong. It wasn’t that their young master was truly married off as a male spouse, but that he had set up this situation to pursue his beloved.

The more Mie Liu thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. Pursuing a wife involves some hardship, that’s only natural! No wonder the young master was so angry just now; he really was being pig-headed!

Mie Liu slapped his forehead hard, feeling a deep sense of admiration. Indeed, their young master was far-sighted, while their minds were too simple!

Meanwhile, completely unaware that he had become the subject of Mie Liu’s deep admiration, Duanmu Yi continued waiting for Ying Zhao in the ancestral hall.

He waited until very late, but Ying Zhao did not come, which made Duanmu Yi a bit anxious. If Ying Zhao had something to do and couldn’t come, he would definitely inform him in advance and not let him wait in vain.

It was only when the lights in the residence were about to be extinguished that a servant from Duanmu Yi’s courtyard came to find him and said:

“Your Highness, your thirty-day confinement is over. You can leave the ancestral hall tonight.”

Duanmu Yi was momentarily stunned by the words. The past days spent with Ying Zhao, far from being a punishment in the ancestral hall, had felt like bliss.

Duanmu Yi felt that these days had been as sweet as soaking in a honey pot, to the point where he was reluctant to leave. But since the confinement period was over, he couldn’t stay any longer.

Moreover, Ying Zhao hadn’t come, perhaps because he knew the confinement was over. With this thought, Duanmu Yi, feeling a bit apprehensive, followed the servant back to his courtyard.

He hesitantly entered his courtyard, and upon seeing his bedroom in complete darkness, Duanmu Yi felt a cold wave wash over him, a trace of sadness in his eyes.

After the servant left, Duanmu Yi opened the door and entered. Feeling extremely low, he didn’t light the candle in the room, but instead took off his outer robe and sat on the bed.

Just as he sat down, he heard a murmur from the bed. “Why did you take so long to come back? Did you enjoy staying in the ancestral hall?”

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yi turned around in surprise and saw Ying Zhao curled up under the blanket on the inner side of the bed, his face breaking into a big smile.

Ying Zhao had removed his mask and slightly pulled down the blanket, revealing a pair of bright eyes looking at Duanmu Yi. He reached out a small hand and beckoned Duanmu Yi over, saying:

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come warm the bed for your husband! It’s almost October now, and it’s really cold. Without you by my side, this blanket never gets warm.”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, warmth flooded Duanmu Yi’s eyes. He quickly hung his discarded robe on a side, got into the bed, and without hesitation, pulled Ying Zhao into his arms.

Ying Zhao pressed his cheek against Duanmu Yi’s chest, seeing the joy on his face, and a smile curved his own lips. Just like that, lying on his lover’s chest, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, after Ying Zhao returned from court and sat in his study for a while, he hurriedly slipped into the ancestral hall.

After all, he and Duanmu Yi had lived in the ancestral hall for a full month and had secretly hidden many things under the offering table, which needed to be taken out quickly.

Otherwise, if the cleaning maid found them, even if it was known to the old lady of the Ying family, it wouldn’t be a good thing. Fortunately, the ancestral hall was usually kept closed, and it was only cleaned by the maid at dusk each day.

During this time, Duanmu Yi was ordered to reflect on his mistakes in the ancestral hall, so naturally, he had to do the cleaning work as well. Thus, no servants had entered the ancestral hall for a long time.

Seeing that there was no one around, Ying Zhao quickly entered the ancestral hall. He took the bundle and was about to leave when he suddenly noticed some charcoal ash marks on the ground.

Ying Zhao stopped and felt that these marks were somewhat strange. After all, during this time, only he and Duanmu Yi had been living here, and no one else had come to the ancestral hall.

Even if servants brought meals for Duanmu Yi, they would only place the food outside the door and leave. So, what had caused these charcoal marks?

Thinking this, Ying Zhao squatted down, touched the charcoal marks on the ground with his finger, and guessed that they might be made by a charcoal pen.

Just as Ying Zhao was pondering the source of these marks, a scene suddenly flashed into his mind.

Ying Zhao was somewhat familiar with this feeling, as he had experienced similar sudden flashes in his mind in his previous life when he encountered Lin Yiting.

Seeing the child in the cold palace who bore a seven-point resemblance to Duanmu Yi, Ying Zhao realized that this was likely a hidden part of Duanmu Yi’s past.

Ying Zhao knew in his heart that Duanmu Yi must have had a harsh childhood, so he was reluctant to see the following scenes.

However, he also wanted to understand what his beloved had gone through, so Ying Zhao could only remain silent, clenching his fists as he watched the young Duanmu Yi live a life in the deep palace that was worse than that of a servant.

He stayed in the remote courtyard where his mother had been assigned and was constantly bullied by the servants there, forced to live in a small side room. Every day, he traveled only between his room and the firewood room.

One day, he was locked in the firewood room by the palace servants, his silent eyes empty as he stayed in the dark, cluttered room.

His stomach growled from hunger, making Ying Zhao feel heartbroken. He glared at the palace servants who mocked Duanmu Yi.

It seemed he wanted to remember all their ugly faces, thinking that one day he would repay the suffering his beloved had endured.

Although Ying Zhao’s personality seemed cheerful to most, he had a strong territorial instinct. Moreover, he had long considered Duanmu Yi as part of his territory and couldn’t tolerate anyone bullying or tormenting him.

As night fell, just as Ying Zhao was contemplating how to retaliate against those palace servants, a sound of tiles shifting came from the roof of the firewood room.

A black-clad figure descended from above and said excitedly to Duanmu Yi, “Young master! I have finally found you!”

Ying Zhao frowned as he looked at the black-clad, iron-masked person before him, feeling that this person didn’t match the previous scenes he had seen.

The person’s robe was embroidered with the number one, and judging by the person’s skills just now, it was clear that this individual was not simple, able to come and go freely in the heavily guarded palace—not merely describable as a skilled master.

The conversation between this black-clad person and Duanmu Yi, along with the subsequent scenes, revealed to Ying Zhao that Duanmu Yi was not just a prince of the Canglan Kingdom.

He had heard from the old lady of the Ying family that Duanmu Yi’s mother was a woman of the martial world, thus having a low status in the palace. It was said that she was a woman the former emperor encountered during his travels.

After Duanmu Yi’s mother died in childbirth, his days in the palace had been tough. Unable to speak and having caused his mother’s death, the former emperor had always shunned Duanmu Yi.

However, from the black-clad person’s words, Ying Zhao was shocked to discover that Duanmu Yi’s mother was actually the only daughter of the leader of the most influential yin pavilion in the martial world.

It was said that the yin pavilion could know everything under the heavens and, although situated in the martial world, had enough influence to affect the court. Because the yin pavilion’s spies were spread throughout the land, they even knew the secrets of court officials.

The former emperor met Duanmu Yi’s mother during his travels. Initially attracted by her beauty, they spent a sweet time together.

At the time, although Duanmu Yi’s mother was the daughter of the yin pavilion’s leader and skilled in martial arts and various martial world techniques, she was inexperienced in matters of the heart. Naive and young, she truly believed the former emperor’s feelings were genuine.

She didn’t heed her father’s advice, willingly abandoning everything to enter the palace.

But she was aware of the yin pavilion’s taboos, so she wouldn’t risk her father’s safety. She secretly concealed her identity as the daughter of the yin pavilion’s leader, with even the former emperor unaware, thinking she was just an ordinary martial world woman.

She was stubborn by nature, and after entering the palace, she severed ties with the yin pavilion. During her intimate years with the emperor, she increasingly felt that the yin pavilion’s actions were detrimental to her husband.

She secretly used her skills to eliminate many of the yin pavilion’s spies in the palace and capital, making it impossible for her father to know her situation. The capital became a blind spot for the yin pavilion.

However, she didn’t expect that entering the palace would be like entering the depths of the sea. After the initial novelty wore off, the former emperor quickly grew tired of her. Despite her various martial world techniques, she couldn’t hold the heart of a man who didn’t love her.

The daughter of the old pavilion master was also proud and naturally didn’t inform anyone. When she gave birth to Duanmu Yi, she died in childbirth with resentment.

So, it wasn’t until many years after her death that the influence of the yin pavilion slowly permeated the capital again. Only then did the old pavilion master learn that his daughter had long since died in the palace.

The old pavilion master had only one daughter late in life and naturally cherished her deeply. Already aged, upon learning that his daughter had died in childbirth in the palace, he became deeply troubled and soon passed away.

Before his death, he entrusted his ten most loyal secret guards to find Duanmu Yi and have him inherit the position of pavilion master.

Thus, it wasn’t until the pavilion master’s death that the disciples of the yin pavilion learned where their long-lost eldest miss had gone.

When the secret guards infiltrated the palace separately and found Duanmu Yi, he had already suffered many years of hardship in the deep palace.

The boy in front of them had empty eyes; although locked in the dark woodshed, he neither cried nor made a fuss. When he saw them, his expression remained calm, without any surprise.

Seeing this, Mie Yi was startled and explained a lot to Duanmu Yi, wanting to take him away from the palace and return to the yin pavilion. But Duanmu Yi remained silent, showing no reaction, only quietly watching Mie Yi.

Mie Yi felt helpless and had to leave, as he couldn’t force Duanmu Yi. So, he sent other secret guards to persuade him.

However, no matter which secret guard tried to persuade Duanmu Yi, he remained silent. If they tried to forcefully take him away, Duanmu Yi would hold onto his door tightly, refusing to leave.

The secret guards had no choice but to stay in the palace, teaching Duanmu Yi martial arts and other skills.

They knew Duanmu Yi was bullied by palace servants, but they couldn’t show themselves openly, so they secretly used methods to punish those who harmed him.

However, because the palace servants who bullied Duanmu Yi suffered various punishments, his reputation for bad luck spread even more in the palace.

Fortunately, the palace servants no longer dared to bully him easily. Duanmu Yi thus had a relatively peaceful life in his small room.

Days passed, and Duanmu Yi remained quiet. Only when the secret guards taught him knowledge did he respond, showing interest in their teachings and studying diligently.

The secret guards found that their young pavilion master finally responded to them this way, so they put more effort into teaching him.

Duanmu Yi seemed to gradually improve emotionally through his daily interactions with the secret guards.