Inside Cuizhu Villa, Tiandong carried a lamp with him as he went to heat up water for his master’s bath.
A shadowy figure glided on top of their courtyard walls, and Tiandong did not even notice anything as the shadow passed over his head. By the time Tiandong had sensed something and looked up, the shadow had already entered Song Jinglan’s room, who was still reading his books inside.
When Song Jinglan looked up, a sincere smile appeared on his face, “Uncle Ji, you’re back.”
The man standing as he held onto his sword was expressionless, and coldly spat out a sentence, “Zhaoyang Palace.”
Song Jinglan smiled and responded, “Uncle Ji, you went snooping around for me as soon as you came back?”
The man’s cold expression finally collapsed, overflowing with an embarrassed expression.
Ji Liang was the best swordsman known across the lands, and was a good friend of Rong Heng, Song Jinglan’s maternal uncle.
When Song Jinglan was selected to be sent to the Great Lin Empire as a hostage, the Rong clan cared little aside from the benefits they could reap from his departure. The only one who was genuinely worried for his nephew’s wellbeing was Rong Heng.
So he personally made a trip to Mount Cangsong and requested Ji Liang to protect Song Jinglan.
Although they were rumored to be friends, in truth, the bonds between the two were not so deep. However, when Ji Liang was young, he was arbitrarily set up by someone, to which Rong Heng had rescued him from. As one who lived by the code of the sword, a life owed is a life to be repaid. Since Ji Liang owed Rong Heng his life, now was the time to repay him.
Since coming out of seclusion five years ago, he had been covertly protecting Song Jinglan.
Although this was the Great Lin Imperial Palace, his martial prowess had long since reached its peak, only a handful of people in this world could truly pose a threat to him. It was simply an effortless task for him to traverse throughout the Imperial City. If Song Jinglan did not fall into a deep well a few years back, Ji Liang would not have revealed himself to rescue him. Song Jinglan would never have noticed Ji Liang’s existence.
But ever since that day, Song Jinglan began to learn martial arts from him.
Ji Liang had no intentions to take in a disciple, but seeing Song Jinglan’s innate potential, he would sometimes willingly show up at certain nights to give him some pointers. When he appeared more often, Song Jinglan’s name for him changed from “Master Ji” to “Mr. Ji”, then to “Uncle Ji”. Ji Liang was not bothered by it.
He had been practicing martial arts all his life. He was a musclehead with no wife nor he had any children. That was why when Song Jinglan called him as such, he was actually very happy.
That was also why when Song Jinglan innocently requested Ji Liang to snoop around the Imperial Palace, Ji Liang, who was praised by the world as the best swordsman of his generation, did not seem to think anything was wrong.
It even became a habitual routine for him.
As it was his Master’s memorial day last month, he had to return to Mount Cangsong. It had been two months since he had departed and returned. Once he came back, he consciously went to Zhaoyang Palace to snoop.
Habit is such a scary thing!
Tiandong had finished boiling the hot water. When he entered the house, he was shocked to see a figure on the wall. When he reacted, he was pleasantly surprised and said, “Mr. Ji, are you back?”
