Chapter 40: The One Who Put a Cover On

Standing outside the inn, what met his eyes were scattered swords and blades, flowing fresh blood, and corpses lying on the ground—at least seventy or eighty. A gust of wind blew over, and the strong, pungent smell of blood rushed up, making one want to vomit.

The inn's doors were tightly shut, and no one knew what had happened inside.

These corpses all wore the armor of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, clearly all subordinates of Li Lan.

Chen Yi He felt guilty; such a gruesome scene unfolded before him—what could the inside of the inn be like?

Long Wang kicked open the inn's door with one foot, and inside came heart‑rending, tangled screams, rising and falling. Looking further, who knows how many people were under the tables, how many hid behind the counter, and how many hid in the rooms trembling.

At this moment, everyone's gaze focused on Chen Yi He and Long Wang as they rushed into the inn; they screamed, probably thinking the Embroidered Uniform Guard had charged in.

Inside the inn, nothing had actually happened; everything was intact, no one was hurt, forming a huge and stark contrast with the carnage outside.

Chen Yi He looked around, didn't see the person he wanted to see, and taking advantage of his loud voice shouted, "Dongfang Xing, come out for me!"

There was no response; he saw that Dongfang Xing's guest room had no light or movement.

"Dongfang Xing, come out! Come out!" Chen Yi He was nearly desperate, shouting heart‑rendingly, not caring at all about the strange looks of others.

Long Wang leapt up the stairs in a few steps and pushed open Dongfang Xing's door.

"Dongfang Xing, don't scare me… ah…" Chen Yi He was about to cry.

At that moment, Long Wang stood upstairs laughing and replied, "Your Miss Dongfang is right here! Stop shouting!"

Chen Yi He froze; he hadn't expected Dongfang Xing really to be hiding in the room… He looked left and right, seeing everyone's eyes fixed on him, he nodded awkwardly and forced a smile, stepping up the stairs step by step, almost missing a step and falling…

In a single day, embarrassed twice, Chen Yi He wanted to cry but had no tears…

But nothing was more important than Dongfang Xing's safety; nothing was more important than Dongfang Xing herself.

"You… you… why didn't you answer me?" Chen Yi He rushed into Dongfang Xing's room and asked her.

"You… you're shouting like that… who would dare answer you?" Dongfang Xing replied shyly, her face flushing again.

Chen Yi He looked at Dongfang Xing, at her flushed cheeks, still faintly streaked with tears, feeling guilty beyond words; if it weren't for the trouble he caused earlier with a hairpin, she wouldn't be like this!

Dongfang Xing also gazed at Chen Yi He, her watery eyes deep with affection like the sea.

Chen Yi He and Dongfang Xing locked in a deep gaze; Long Wang naturally couldn't bear it, he covered his mouth with his hand and deliberately coughed twice, "Cough cough…" then asked, "What's the deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard outside?"

"Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Dongfang Xing immediately realized her impropriety; she hadn't noticed the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Long Wang's remark made her suddenly aware, and she sensed the bloody smell outside.

"You don't know?"

"I don't know; I've been resting in the room all along."

"No wonder, heartbroken to the point of despair, naturally one wouldn't bother with anything…" Long Wang stroked his chin thoughtfully; this habit of rubbing his face came from Chen Yi He.

Dongfang Xing's face was red like a gorgeous, dripping red rose; she also couldn't well refute, so she simply lowered her head and stayed silent.

"Yi He, what do you think?" Long Wang had no choice but to ask Chen Yi He.

"Um… I don't know either."

"Playing the lute to an ox—the ox doesn't understand; playing the lute for you is worse than for an ox…" Long Wang sighed like an old father disappointed in his son, then gave his judgment: "I just took a quick look at their wounds outside; they all came from the same blunt weapon, each a fatal blow in one strike. Judging by wound depth and time, they should all have been killed by a single hit, and the killer did it all in one breath."

"Killed over seventy in one breath?" Chen Yi He found it hard to believe.

"Yes, in one breath, within a single move, killing so many—and doing it silently! To achieve this with a blunt weapon under such circumstances is beyond us."

Chen Yi He found it hard to believe such a fact.

Long Wang added, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard's arrival was covert; that person must be even more covert, able to hide their aura, otherwise Miss Dongfang couldn't have failed to notice."

Chen Yi He finally believed it; he didn't know whether to feel fortunate or lucky, "Thank goodness… thank goodness it wasn't an enemy."

"Right, this person isn't an enemy; he protected Miss Dongfang for us. Otherwise she'd have faced a fierce battle; even if she survived, her performance tomorrow might be greatly diminished."

The flush on Dongfang Xing's face gradually faded, but she seemed not to have taken to heart why the Embroidered Uniform Guard blocked the inn's door—it was aimed at her; she simply didn't care that much.

However, Chen Yi He's conscience was troubled. He regretted it, regretted exposing Dongfang Xing to Zhou Kai's sight outside the city that day, which brought this trouble. Zhou Kai's strength is unknown, but his noble status there means that with Chen Yi He's current ability, he couldn't move him even a fraction!!

"Without absolute strength, what do you use to keep your woman?" Now recalling, Zhou Kai's words were word‑by‑word heart‑piercing.

Leaving aside whether Chen Yi He and Dongfang Xing have any relation, even if there were none at all, being provoked by a big man like that, how could he endure? This grudge is thus formed.

Chen Yi He shook his head; now is not the time to think about all that.

"Long Wang, have you noticed? Since we approached Southern Border City, it feels as if someone has put a protective cover over us—the white shadow outside the city, the mahjong tile on the street, the old lady in the Green Smoke Tower, and those Embroidered Uniform Guard dead outside the inn." Chen Yi He almost blurted out the words "brothel" in front of Dongfang Xing.

"No," Long Wang rejected, "it's not a protective cover just for us, but for everyone—you forgot the mahjong tile on the street?"

"But what about that big man who died yesterday under the hands of the Hell's Prison?" Chen Yi He asked Long Wang.

Long Wang solemnly replied, "Precisely speaking, he puts a cover on those with strength, on those with strength who compete for the Thousandfold Gate."

"How wise, brother."

"Also, I don't know if you've noticed." Long Wang glanced briefly at the corpses of the Embroidered Uniform Guard downstairs.

"Chen Yi He is a smart guy; from Long Wang's glance he understood immediately: 'It's not one person. The white shadow is sword light, the mahjong on the street, when we were with the old lady, over seventy Embroidered Uniform Guard were killed by blunt weapons—each one, each one, this is crystal clear!'"

Dongfang Xing finally emerged from her shyness and asked, "Then what exactly are those people?"

Chen Yi He hesitated a bit; seeing Long Wang silent, he answered, "They're people of the Thousandfold Gate."

"A thousand hardships to enter this gate. How frightening! For talent, they spare no means; truly I don't know whether entering is fortunate or unfortunate." Long Wang sighed; not knowing when, the night outside had deepened, "It's late; we should rest."

"Where are we going tomorrow, do you know?" Chen Yi He asked Long Wang.

"When spring comes, the northern geese fly south; when spring leaves, the northern geese fly south. Returning Geese Tower, a gathering every ten years."

"All right, all right, don't be so heavy; go to sleep early—I'm leaving first…" Chen Yi He gave a yawn, shook his head, and headed out.

At that moment, Long Wang followed up, he linked arms with Chen Yi He, smiling obsequiously, "Tonight I'll keep you company."

"No… no… I really don't want…" Chen Yi He struggled to refuse.

Who would have thought Long Wang would grab him tightly, refusing to let go, and he whispered, "You little brat, if that cat girl comes looking for you tonight, brother will take care of her for you!"

"Um… what if she knocks on your door tonight? Then wouldn't you miss it?"

"The more you say that, the more I suspect you; tonight I must sleep with you! Hahaha!"

Dongfang Xing watched as those two men, whispering softly, left her room…