Chapter 154: Settling Scores After the Autumn Harvest

"It is a pleasure to serve you both. Please state your specific requirements."

The man's footsteps made no sound, yet his voice was exceptionally loud and startling. Hua Rong's heart gave a violent lurch, and she nearly fell to the ground in fright.

Turning her head to look, she found nothing behind her, which left her somewhat puzzled. "How strange! I hear the voice, but see no one?"

Yet when she turned back around, a pitch-black figure was already standing bolt upright right before their eyes.

"When did he get here?!" Hua Rong was utterly bewildered. With only a single doorway, how could he have materialized in front of her in an instant?

"Such lightness of skill transforms through breath. The young lady likely knows no martial arts, which is why you fail to understand. This young master, however, appears quite composed; he clearly possesses some genuine capability."

Whatever the man's identity, his discernment was quite sharp, instantly piercing through the fact that Jun Yeli knew martial arts. Yet judging by his calm demeanor, he did not seem to have gauged the true depth of Jun Yeli's power.

Jun Yeli smiled faintly. "I do indeed know martial arts, but certain matters are inconvenient for me to handle personally as they easily leave flaws. That is why I must ask your esteemed self for assistance."

Jun Yeli casually spun a yarn, completely hoodwinking the man in black without raising the slightest suspicion.

Only then did Jun Yeli slowly name the person he wanted killed. "Word has it that a group of envoys recently arrived from afar in the imperial capital, and one of them has already died, causing quite a stir. I want to make the situation ferment even further—help me kill another one of them!"

At these words, Hua Rong's expression changed drastically. She could not help glancing at him, her brows filled with utter astonishment. *Is he insane? Killing an envoy!*

Faced with such an overly shocked reaction, the man in black grew slightly suspicious. "What is this? The young lady seems reluctant. Could it be she has some lingering attachments?"

"Haha, you misunderstand, sir. However, killing foreign envoys and stirring up such warlike matters naturally makes my wife somewhat flustered."

With that, Jun Yeli pulled Hua Rong's waist into his arms. Outwardly, he feigned a comforting posture, but secretly he gave her a sharp pinch. The pain caused Hua Rong's face to twitch slightly, but she quickly nodded in cooperation. "Yes, yes indeed!"

"So that's how it is. We previously received a similar assignment, though it doesn't seem to have been you. I wonder what relation you bear to that fellow?"

The man carefully scrutinized the Jun Yeli before him, his tone carrying a hint of probing.

Jun Yeli calmly smiled. "I have no idea who performed such fine work, but the current emperor is fatuous and incompetent. It is high time this country underwent a change of dynasty!"

Watching this fellow calmly slander himself, Hua Rong couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of her heart, and she quickly chimed in to encourage the notion. "Indeed! This emperor is tyrannical and heartless, throwing the inner palace into chaos with countless beauties—it is simply outrageous!"

...

*Saying such things right to my face, is this really appropriate?*

Jun Yeli shot her a sidelong glance, yet since he could not defend himself, he had no choice but to bear it in silence.

Hearing such an explanation, the man in black had no way to verify the truth, so he merely nodded. "You have offered a generous bounty, so naturally we will take this assignment. However, while the previous killing took place outside the palace, the place is heavily guarded now, and it might prove difficult to strike. This..."

"Once the deed is done, I will add another five hundred taels of gold. What do you think?"

Jun Yeli deployed his ultimate tactic, instantly erasing all of the man's misgivings and bringing a satisfied smile to his face. "Since the young master is so magnanimous, then it is settled! Await our good news!"

With the transaction concluded, the two of them were escorted back by the original route. Reappearing outside the dilapidated wooden shack in the black market, Hua Rong finally relaxed her tense nerves.

"We finally made it out. That place is so gloomy and terrifying; it felt just like stepping into hell. My heart almost stopped from fright!"

Thinking back to that elusive phantom of a man, that chilling atmosphere, and the bizarre old specter...

Everything truly felt as though they had been dealing with ghosts!

Observing Hua Rong's worried expression, Jun Yeli suddenly grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Now you know fear? When you were sneaking along behind us, why weren't you scared?"

"This... we shouldn't dwell on past accounts." Hua Rong curled her lips. Ultimately, you can run from the first day of the new year, but not the fifteenth. She had thought that matter was over, but it turned out it was only just beginning.

Facing the man's inquisitorial posture, Hua Rong gritted her teeth and resorted to a woman's ultimate tactic. "I'm going all out!"

Closing her eyes, she spread her arms wide and threw them around him in a tight embrace. "My Lord, I was only worried about you! Now that I know I was wrong, I promise I will never dare do it again. Please forgive me this time!"

As she spoke, she raised her head. Her clear eyes were now shimmering with crystalline moisture, possessing a somewhat soul-stirring quality.

This movement left the heart and soul in a flurry.

Jun Yeli's initial intention to settle accounts was instantly crushed flat. He found himself nodding involuntarily and softening his voice. "You are not permitted to make the same mistake again in the future."

"You can rest assured! I swear I will never act on my own accord again—unless you are in mortal danger!"

"That is not allowed either!" Jun Yeli said with absolute finality. Even with his martial arts, he could still encounter danger; if Hua Rong tried to help him, she would only be willing but unable to assist. He could never let her plunge into the abyss alongside him.

"This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed—do you even regard me as your wife?" Hua Rong pouted, suddenly at a loss for how to deal with him, feeling that this fellow was unreasonably overbearing.

Hearing this, Jun Yeli stroked her slender strands of hair and spoke in a low, comforting tone. "Very well, I only worry about you. If anything were to happen to you, I truly cannot imagine what my life would become."

In the past, despite possessing three thousand beauties in his inner palace and countless fair maidens, he had never spared a single one of them a second glance.

Yet this clever, mischievous, and disobedient creature before him had firmly captured his heart, leaving him unable to escape even if he wished to.

Taking a deep breath, Jun Yeli looked at the moon gradually hanging high in the sky and ceased to delay any longer. His voice sounded softly, "Let's go back."

At night, the mist grew heavy, and moonlight drifted down. As the carriage swayed gently, Hua Rong sat feeling drowsy and unsteady. Overcome by exhaustion amidst the jolting, she unconsciously leaned to one side and fell asleep.

Only then did Jun Yeli cautiously lean over, resting her small head gently upon his shoulder. Only then did his heart feel somewhat at ease.