CHAPTER 40: RETURN

The assassins suddenly flinched, the bravado in their eyes dimming. A few took unconscious steps back, their minds wracked with sudden irrational fear, visions of scales, fangs, and eyes as deep as the abyss. It was only an illusion forming behind her from where she stood... but to the weak-willed, it was worse than death.

She planned to wipe out the group using the immense pressure of her aura, so that they wouldn’t be able to move or resist. Before the moment passed, the ground beneath Ling Yu’s feet was filled with a stream of red.

As the smoke cleared, Ling Yu stood amidst the fallen, breathing slowly and steadily. Her white clothes were stained with soot and the blood of the assassins, but her posture remained straight.

Ye Qingxue looked at her with wide and stunned eyes. The girl didn’t seem to believe what she just saw happen before her eyes just now.

"Master... Y-You... what did you just—?"

Ling Yu glanced back. "It was necessary to survive."

Anyway, it’s not like her hands were clean.

Both in her past life and now, Ling Yu’s hands were soaked with the blood of many; it was nothing new.

Except that she killed for the Royal family in her past life, and now she kills to protect herself and the people surrounding her.

They exited the forest without another word, the sun dipping behind the horizon. The sky burned in hues of violet and orange, casting long shadows behind them.

After taking care of all the assassins, Ling Yu was exhausted. Her stamina wasn’t like her past life. And the mana circuit in her body was still locked. Otherwise, she wouldn’t struggle so much taking care of those thugs. If she wanted to wield mana, then she needed to hurry up and secure an Astral core for herself.

Ling Yu turned and walked up to Ye Qingxue, in the corner where she had left the girl. But she seemed to have fainted due to the blood loss from her wound, not being able to hold back for long.

"System, I can use the poison skill to make things disappear, right?" Ling Yu said with a lighthearted voice as she called over, her eyes scanning the bloody mess on the ground and the dead bodies scattered around.

[Of course, you can use it to destroy things too. Just like acid destroys everything, without leaving any trace.]

"Mhmm, in that case..." Ling Yu crouched down before one of the dead bodies as she pressed her hand on its head.

"Skill activate."

Soon enough, the dead body’s head turned into a puddle of blood and water. The sticky things left on her hand bothered Ling Yu, but she continued to do the same to other corpses as well.

[You can just leave the corpses as they are. The beasts around this area will eat them up anyway.]

The system’s logic was reasonable, since the beasts packing the area didn’t get to eat their prey. Naturally, those starved beasts growling from the darkness would come and eat those corpses as soon as she leaves the area.

However...

"You are right. But I can’t leave them completely unscathed." Ling Yu didn’t seem much bothered when she stood up and started taking out a bottle of water to wash her hands.

"The system’s existence shouldn’t be known until the gates appear, and just at the same time, there is an annoying fly that can read the corpses’ memories from their dead bodies. It would be quite a hassle to leave them be, right?"

The guys among those assassins weren’t of exact high value. They didn’t have any good skills for her to copy and use either. Because the main mastermind left behind his best chess pieces and discarded those who weren’t needed.

"...Seems like she fainted, I should take her back and return to the Estate before they send more people." Ling Yu mumbled as she picked up Ye Qingxue started walking back to the path they took when coming here.

***

By the time they reached the manor, the golden light of the sun had already dipped behind the city’s skyline. A cool breeze greeted them as they stepped through the gates, the guards straightening automatically as they passed, though Ling Yu’s expressions betrayed curiosity at the muddy clothes and lightly bloodied shoes.

Butler Song was waiting at the entrance as if he had known exactly when they would return. His posture was as impeccable as ever, his eyes calmly taking in their appearance.

"Master." He greeted with a bow. "Shall I prepare a bath and dinner?"

"Just some warm water," Ling Yu replied, leaving Ye Qingxue to him to take care of, brushing past him. "And take care of her."

"Yes, Master."

Ling Yu, dressed in a fresh set of clothes, stood just outside the door, holding a towel in one hand. She paused for a moment before pushing the door and walking in.

Butler Song was in his usual place, standing by the seat prepared for her with a calm and somewhat warm expression.

Looks like he already settled Ye Qingxue.

Looking down at the food on the table, everything was prepared freshly, taken down from cooking just now, hot and fresh, as she could see the vapor rising from them.

"Master, please take your seat." Seeing her walk to the table, he pulled out the chair for her to sit on, standing by her side to serve till she finished her dinner.

Even though she didn’t ask, Ling Yu knew he was capable.

"Did you take care of Qingxue?"

"Yes, Master. These were just some light scratches, don’t worry about it." His response was quick, Ling Yu didn’t ask about that anymore.

"Did you eat?"

"How can a servant eat before their Master?"

Butler Song said, hiding a smile on the corner of his mouth.

"I told you not to do this, Song. You know..."

"About that, I had something to report about, Master. The mining has been completed as you predicted, the work at the back mountain is closing tomorrow."

"..."

Ling Yu was pissed after he cut off her sentence in the middle. He always does this whenever she nags at him, but he would make sure to bleed her ears when he nags at her!

So annoying!

Regardless, since he didn’t want her to speak, she wouldn’t. He would just mock her if she said the wrong thing, so Ling Yu gave up as she replied with a small "Good."

These assassins must’ve frequented this place for quite a while now during the time she stayed in the University, no doubt in that.

However, there was no such sign in the entire estate; every corner was neat and clean, meaning that he did his job well.

Though she didn’t know the extent of his true power, Ling Yu didn’t care.

It was too bothersome.

It doesn’t matter what he does when she is not here, as long as he doesn’t do anything to harm her.

Ling Yu frowned faintly, recalling the man’s signature look: expressionless, efficient, polite to a fault.

She had almost never seen him panic or hesitate. Even when she joked or acted impulsive, he simply treated her like an overgrown child with no threat.

And yet, the loyalty he showed her was absolute. Not bound by fear, but conviction.

She wondered what kind of person he was in truth, sometimes, only to throw the thoughts to the back of her mind.

Song was just a quiet man doing his job well.

Nothing more or less than that.

She herself was also carrying quite a few secrets that she couldn’t tell anyone, and every person has their own secrets. Why try to pry without permission and make an enemy out of them?

Later that night, when the manor grew quiet, Ling Yu made her way to the outer corridor because she couldn’t fall asleep. The nightmares would surely hunt her down tonight.

She passed the guard tower and the garden that glowed faintly under magical night lamps, and eventually reached the attached annex where Butler Song resided.

The door was open as Ling Yu entered the room with silent footsteps.

Inside, the place was simple and austere. A low table, a teapot, and an old clock ticking softly in the background. Butler Song stood near the window, folding laundry as if the entire world outside hadn’t shifted on its axis earlier today.

Ling Yu stared at him for a moment. "You cleaned things up while I was gone, Song."

Butler Song looked over his shoulder. "It is my duty, Master."

Ling Yu folded her arms as she said. "Do you know how many assassins we dealt with in the forest today?"

"I had an estimate," he replied mildly.

"Did they also ambush when I was at the university?"

"Some rats were trying to sneak in and disturb the peace of my Master. Of course, i need to take care of them." Song was calm as he continued to fold a shirt with precise care.