Chapter 122: At This Moment, Jingle Decides for His Sister‑in‑Law

"Going to find Master Araki?!"

After hearing Shi Tan's words, Jingle's eyes narrowed slightly. To be honest, if possible, Jingle doesn't want to disturb their master; they don't want to trouble Araki because of their own matters!

In fact, as Jingle's master, Araki naturally attended Jingle's elder brother's funeral, but Araki doesn't like mingling with useless people, especially nobles…

So Araki took advantage of the fact that Jingle's elder brother's funeral hadn't started yet, arrived early, offered Jingle a few words of comfort, and then left on his own before the others arrived.

When Araki arrived, he naturally asked Jingle if there was anything he could help with, but Jingle said nothing and didn't explain their current situation to Araki…

Although Araki roughly understood his disciple's condition, because it involved Jingle's personal affairs, Araki didn't feel it proper to speak much; he simply patted Jingle's shoulder lightly and then drifted away.

"……"

Shi Tan, Fu Zhu and Ye Yi watched Jingle's furrowed brow in silence. How could they, as Jingle's senior brothers, not understand what Jingle was thinking?!

If conditions permitted, they wouldn't want to trouble their own master either; after all, which family's children would use their own troubles to bother their parents? Even when communicating with parents, they only report joys, not worries, so their elders at home can be at ease…

"Sister Ye Yi, continue under the name of the Four Maple Court to convene a meeting of the Five Great Noble Houses as we previously planned in the first scheme, and do everything to secure freedom for Jingle's sister‑in‑law."

Shi Tan, seeing Jingle remain silent, first stroked his own chin, then looked at Ye Yi of the Four Maple Court and said gravely.

"Understood."

Ye Yi's reply was remarkably concise.

"Fu Zhu, if I'm not mistaken, after the mourning period for Jingle's elder brother ends—during which Jingle's sister‑in‑law was barred from her natal family, the Ise family— the Ise family will certainly come to the Jingle family to demand someone. They will surely invoke noble protocol, and then Jingle's sister‑in‑law, both in feeling and reason, will have to leave with the Ise family members. At that point, you should accompany Jingle's sister‑in‑law to the Ise household."

"Fu Zhu, as the captain of the Guardian Corps Thirteen Squad, even the Ise family will give you some face, and you can, from the side, tell those Ise family members that even though Jingle's sister‑in‑law no longer has any ties to the Jingle family and cannot arbitrarily contact Jingle Springwater, she is not without background and cannot be bullied…"

After giving orders to Ye Yi, Shi Tan turned to Fu Zhu and instructed.

"I understand."

Fu Zhu, hearing that, bowed forcefully toward Shi Tan.

"As for me…"

"If the situation escalates to an uncontrollable stage, I will become a 'villain' and snatch Jingle's sister‑in‑law straight from the Ise family! Even if the Ise family members are furious, out of respect for my Gang Mi Dai family, they probably won't forcefully intervene, but will head to 'Forty~'"

In the end, Shi Tan also placed himself into the plan, acting as a true strategist; Shi Tan has always entered the fray personally, moving the pieces only to outwit half the heavens.

"I…"

After hearing Shi Tan's plan, Jingle furrowed their brows tightly; this clearly concerns them, so why did Shi Tan omit assigning them any task?!

"Jingle, you have matters more important than ours to attend to."

Before Jingle could speak, Shi Tan preemptively stopped them, and his eyes held a hint of meaning as he glanced at Jingle.

"……"

When Jingle stared into Shi Tan's eyes, their expression froze for a moment, then they lowered their head, brow still tightly knit.

Just that glance made Jingle understand Shi Tan's entire meaning…

"Then the matter must not be delayed; delay brings trouble!"

"Everyone, begin…"

Shi Tan lifted his teacup, gulped down the tea the shop had given, then was the first to leave the private room. After Shi Tan pushed the door open and departed, Ye Yi of the Four Maple Court and Fu Zhu, the Fourteenth Lord, lingered no longer, following Shi Tan out of the tavern's booth.

"Captain, could it be that today's dishes don't suit your palate?!"

The shopkeeper, seeing the three captains emerge from the booth, immediately panicked, hurried to the three in front of Shi Tan, his expression respectful, and kept asking them softly.

Unfortunately, Shi Tan, Ye Yi and Fu Zhu at that moment had no mood to answer the shopkeeper; they wore grim faces, said nothing, and vanished from the tavern using a flash step.

"This…"

For a moment, the shopkeeper thought perhaps they had failed to host the captains properly and panicked.

"Pack it…"

It wasn't until the last person to emerge from the booth, Jingle, said a sentence to the shopkeeper that the shopkeeper finally relaxed.

Jingle, after exiting the booth, walked up to the shopkeeper and said calmly, "Sorry about that! We originally intended to have a little drink here, but just now the Guardian Corps Thirteen Squad received a sudden mission! As captains of the Thirteen Squad, we can't be negligent! So we can't stay here to eat any longer. Could you pack all the dishes we usually order and deliver them to Jingle's residence?"

"Sure, sure…"

After hearing Jingle's words, the shopkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief; he had been truly frightened when he saw those captains' grim faces as they left the booth.

"Thank you…"

Jingle said, bowed slightly toward the shopkeeper in thanks, and placed money on the shopkeeper's table.

"Hey! Look at you, we couldn't serve you properly today, what money do you even give?"

The shopkeeper saw the string of 'small rings' Jingle had placed on the table, his mouth curled slightly, his heart delighted while he kept refusing, but before the shopkeeper could finish speaking, the shopkeeper could no longer find Jingle in the tavern; evidently Jingle had used a flash step to leave.

"Truly worthy of a Guardian Corps Thirteen Squad captain, coming without a trace and disappearing without a trace…"

"Not finished yet! In the time it takes to turn, the person vanishes without a trace."

The shopkeeper, watching Jingle disappear, first shivered, then reached up to scratch the slightly itchy tips of his hair caused by nervousness.

Yes, even though this shopkeeper was already quite familiar with Jingle and the others…

But when facing Jingle and Ye Yi, he still felt extremely nervous, since his status was a chasm apart from Jingle's group…

Jingle's party could act very approachable, but as a commoner, he must certainly understand the big picture and the numbers.

On the other side…

After leaving the tavern, Jingle made no stop and went straight back to their own residence.

Inside the residence, Jingle's sister‑in‑law, who had wept over her dead husband, now leaned on a mat in the ancestral hall and fell into a faint sleep.

Seeing this, Jingle took a blanket from the inner room and gently covered their sister‑in‑law with it.

"Hm?"

However, despite Jingle's careful movements, they still woke the sister‑in‑law, who hadn't been sleeping soundly.

"Jiro, you're back?"

The sister‑in‑law opened her eyes, and by the candlelight looked at Jingle returning home; in her weary gaze, a spark of vitality finally flickered.

"Sister‑in‑law, you've been busy all day; go rest now!"

Jing Yue, after hearing his own sister‑in‑law's call, forced a faint smile at the corner of his mouth and earnestly spoke to his elder sister‑in‑law.

"It's fine, Cilang, don't worry about me! You just go rest first! After all, as captain of the Eighth Squad, you still have duties in the squad to handle tomorrow…"

"Sister‑in‑law, I am not feeling tired at the moment; I want to stay here a bit longer and keep you 'brother' company."

Jing Yue's sister‑in‑law, after hearing his words, simply smiled and shook her head; she gazed at the spirit tablet of her husband in the spirit hall, her eyes filled with endless longing.

Although she married into the Jing Yue family with the intention of relying on its power to completely break free from the Ise family's fate, deep in her heart she still loves Jing Yue's elder brother, for indeed the brother was the man she chose herself.

"I understand."

Jing Yue, after hearing his sister‑in‑law's words, gently nodded and then returned to his own bedroom.

Upon entering the bedroom, Jing Yue thought of nothing, threw his head back and collapsed onto the bed, his eyes filled with endless gloom.

"What on earth should I do?"

Jing Yue looked up at the ceiling of the bedroom, his brows knit and his eyes complicated.

If Jing Yue were only Jing Yue Chunshui, he might be more emotional, but he is not…

Now he is not only Jing Yue Chunshui, but also captain of the Eight Squad, a senior disciple of Huangmu, a grand‑disciple of Master Yuan Liuzhai, and his every action reflects on the faces of the two strongest members of the Guardian Corps Thirteen Squad; therefore he dares not act rashly, fearing he would disgrace his master and senior master.

"Teacher, if it were you, what would you do?!"

Jing Yue muttered to himself, closing his eyes tightly, repeatedly recalling the words Huangmu had once told him.

Perhaps because Jing Yue was utterly exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep accompanied by childhood memories…

In his sleep, Jing Yue seemed to return once more to the Mao Spiritual Arts Institute, the place where he first met his master Huangmu…

The scene shifted, and Jing Yue suddenly found himself on the swordsmanship training ground of the Eleventh Squad, where he was repeatedly swinging wooden swords with Fuzhu and Shitan.

Jing Yue knew this marked the beginning of his change and of his strengthening! Although he admits that the period training under Huangmu was the most painful memory of his life, it was also his happiest days.

Just as Jing Yue's mouth twitched upward from the childhood memory, he suddenly heard Huangmu, who was supervising his training with Fuzhu and Shitan, speak to him: "Jing Yue, train hard! Then strive to become stronger! Without power, you cannot even protect the people you truly wish to safeguard! Never do anything that will make you regret."

"Teacher?!"

Jing Yue, mid‑training, was stunned; he did not understand why Huangmu was saying these words to him.

Yet precisely at that dazed moment, the scene before Jing Yue became ethereal; he raised his head and could no longer see his teacher's face, and even the surrounding training ground turned terribly blurry…

"Huh…"

Suddenly, Jing Yue, who had been lying on the bed, opened his eyes.

"So it was a dream…"

Jing Yue sat on the bedside, murmuring to himself; although everything in the dream had become illusory, he still vaguely remembered Huangmu's words.

"Protect the people you want to protect?"

Jing Yue said, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

"You cannot take the Mistress away…"

"We are only here to take someone from your Jing Yue residence; the person we should take, let go quickly."

Just as Jing Yue recalled his dream, murmuring, a few noisy sounds suddenly reached his ears, causing his brows to knit tightly.

"What on earth is happening?!"

Soon after, fully dressed, Jing Yue arrived at the gate of the residence.

Outside the gate of Jing Yue's residence, a crowd had gathered, divided into two groups: one group comprised retainers of the Jing Yue family, now holding steel tridents to protect his elder sister‑in‑law; the other group wore garments bearing the Ise family crest, clearly members of the Ise family, whose purpose was, unsurprisingly, to take Jing Yue's elder sister‑in‑law away.

"Lord! Good…"

As Jing Yue arrived at the gate, the retainers of the Jing Yue family naturally saw their pillar of the house and bowed, greeting Jing Yue Chunshui.

"Lord, these Ise family members are trying to seize the elder sister‑in‑law."

At the same time, a Jing Yue family retainer took the opportunity to report the current situation to Jing Yue.

"What do you call a seizure? We are merely acting according to protocol…"

"Jing Yue lord, Captain Jing Yue, please judge—are we seizing?"

As for the rowdy Ise family members, upon seeing Jing Yue Chunshui clad in a white team‑leader haori, wearing a conical hat, and with two Zanpo Blades at his waist, they all restrained themselves a bit…

Nevertheless, the Ise family members remained adamant, showing no sign of backing down because of Jing Yue's appearance; they seemed determined to take Jing Yue's sister‑in‑law away before stopping.

"Hm?!"

Jing Yue listened to his retainers and the Ise family members speak, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Cilang…"

As for Jing Yue's elder sister‑in‑law, she now looked at the arriving Jing Yue, her eyes filled with deep worry.

"…"

Jing Yue, hearing his elder sister‑in‑law's call, gently shook his head, indicating she should not speak; everything here should be left to him.

"This…"

His elder sister‑in‑law, after receiving Jing Yue's hint, voluntarily closed her mouth.

"If I recall correctly, weren't the Ise family members supposed to come to our Jing Yue family to fetch someone only after my sister‑in‑law's mourning period ends?!"

"How is it that less than a day has passed, and you are already impatiently coming to our Jing Yue family to take someone? Do you Ise family think our Jing Yue family is easy to bully?"

Jing Yue Chunshui spoke, his gaze toward the gathered Ise family members gradually changing. Then a terrifying aura emanated from his body, pressing forward onto the people before him.

"Ugh…"

Facing the pressure released by Jing Yue Chunshui, the Ise family members' expressions all changed; they had not expected Jing Yue's stance to be so resolute, nor his strength so overwhelming!

"Truly worthy of being Captain Huangmu's disciple; the reputation is well earned…"

Among them, some Ise family members silently praised Jing Yue's prowess.

As for the Ise family leader, after feeling Jing Yue's terrifying spiritual pressure, he took several steps back; he had never imagined Jing Yue would be so unyielding and give him no face. His expression darkened, but after some thought, he seemed to recall something, and his demeanor gradually softened.

The Ise family leader's face broke into a smile, no longer as stern; he looked at Jing Yue gently and said: "Captain Jing Yue, you must have misunderstood us. We are not planning to take your sister‑in‑law early; rather, the Central 46th Office ordered us to come early to fetch your sister‑in‑law home…"

"You see, this is the order the 46th Office gave us."

The leader of the Ise Family, apparently fearing that Jingle would not believe him, deliberately faced Jingle, produced the letter used by Room 46 to issue orders, and handed it to Jingle.

"……"

Jingle looked at the letter before him, carefully leafed through it, and furrowed his brows.

Because he knew the letter was genuine…

"Since the letter is correct, we can take the person back now."

The Ise Family's leader said this, subtly signaling to the few people behind him; the person standing behind the leader, upon receiving the command, immediately stepped forward, intending to take Jingle's sister-in-law away.

"……"

Jingle, watching the scene, suddenly felt a surge of anger; instinctively he placed his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto at his waist.

"Ugh…"

Jingle's simple gesture alone frightened the members of the Ise Family, causing them to step back three paces.

"Captain Jingle, this is a command from Room 46."

It seemed the Ise Family's leader also realized his actions were rather disgraceful…

If he cannot take the person away today, he fears he will never be able to command the crowd again!

Seeing this, the Ise Family's overseer, with a forced smile, approached Jingle once more; he faced Jingle, raised high the letter from Room 46, and, in an exceedingly gentle tone, solemnly warned Jingle.

"……"

In response, Jingle remained standing silently in place, watching the people before him without moving.

"Captain Jingle?!"

The Ise Family's overseer, seeing this, looked flustered; at that moment he didn't know what to do. Facing the formidable Jingle, he could neither advance nor retreat…

"I'll go with you."

At the moment when the Ise Family's people and the Jingle Family's people once again stood in a vague standoff, escalating further, Jingle's sister-in-law slipped past the retainers of the Jingle family who guarded her and marched straight toward the Ise Family's men.

"Miss, you finally agreed to return…"

"The family will be overjoyed to see you return."

The Ise Family's leader, seeing the sister-in-law marching forward toward him, finally let out a sigh of relief, bowed slightly to Jingle's sister-in-law, and greeted her.

Indeed, those men of the Ise Family were either recruited from outside, retainers of the Ise Family, or sons‑in‑law brought in by a branch of the Ise Family…

As for the head of the Ise Family, records show that everyone bearing the title of head, as well as the positions of priest and priestess, have all been women!

Even among the branch families, any child born to someone tainted with Ise Family blood is female, and their husbands die within a short time after the child's birth due to various bizarre incidents.

"……"

On the other side, Jingle watched his sister-in-law stride ahead; his pupils flickered sharply, his lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something to her.

"Cilang, don't worry about me! I'll be fine, remember to take care of… "

But before Jingle could speak, his sister-in-law turned first and gave Jingle a gentle smile.

That smile was like a spring blossom, delicate and enchanting…

Yet, to Jingle, it was nothing but deep familial affection.

Jingle's sister-in-law said no more; she stopped abruptly, and Jingle understood her meaning, remaining silent.

He then watched his sister-in-law get into the Ise Family's sedan chair, moving farther away…

Until the sedan chair vanished before Jingle's eyes, Jingle still stood rooted, unmoving.