Chapter 3: The Tyrant

Chapter 3: The Tyrant

Only after the young man in black spoke did Lu Changping belatedly realize how precarious his situation had become.

In a mountain god temple in the wilderness, a man and a woman found themselves alone; the "woman" was disheveled, her dignity barely intact, a scenario blush-worthy even in thought.

Reminded by the young man, Lu Changping regained some awareness of his role as a woman. Fearing the topic of "reputation" might lead to a proposal of responsibility, he quickly shook his head in refusal.

Unexpectedly, the young man's thoughts were erratic, seeing only a shake of the head, he asked, "Can you not speak?"

It's not that I can't speak; it's that I fear shattering your young man's heart to pieces…

Unable to reveal the harsh truth, Lu Changping reluctantly nodded in agreement, picking up a half-burned stick from beside the fire, dipping it in ash, and writing, "No need to take responsibility for me."

The young man stared at the words, then, as if offended by Lu Changping's ingratitude, glared at him fiercely, "Who said I was going to take responsibility for you? Since you're ungrateful, forget it."

With that, he turned aside, continuing to eat the remaining half of the roasted chicken leg.

Surprisingly, despite his hunger, the young man's eating manner wasn't unsightly.

His focused demeanor, head bowed as he gnawed on the chicken bones, unexpectedly reminded Lu Changping of the protective little black cat he had in the Southern Chu Imperial Palace.

Though his temper was poor, he seemed not only harmless but somewhat endearing. Lu Changping smiled, deciding to focus on more important matters rather than argue.

He picked up the stick, swiftly writing another line on the ground, "Do you know how to get to the Imperial City of Beiwei from here?"

Just as the young man finished the chicken leg, he glanced sideways at the writing, interest piqued in a moment, "You're going to the imperial city? What for?"

Unexpectedly concerned with such trifles, Lu Changping hesitated for a moment but truthfully wrote, "To get married."

Seeing those three words, the handsome, melancholic young man slightly narrowed his eyes, uttering a statement cruel and venomous: "Would the person you're marrying still want you if they knew you spent a night with me in the wilderness?"

Lu Changping was indifferent.

Did he truly wish to marry the tyrant of the North Guard? He would love nothing more than to cuckold the tyrant, leaving him disgraced and full of regret.

Alas, such unmentionable thoughts could only delight him in secrecy, never to be shared with others.

The young man, seeing Lu Changping had not written another word for a long time, unintentionally let go of the mocking smile on his face, and with a hint of seduction, said:

"Men in this world are all so pragmatic; they want to marry you simply because you are young and beautiful, momentarily blinded by lust. Or they are attracted to your family's status, seeking to climb the social ladder.

Arriving in Lincheng in such a sorry state, even if you weren't mute, you couldn't prove your innocence. I fear not only will the marriage not happen, but you will also bring disgrace upon yourself."

Lu Changping, seeing him analytically break down the situation, did not interrupt, standing quietly. He was curious to see what game this person intended to play with him.

"Why don't you come back with me?" Believing Lu Changping was swayed by his previous words, the young man continued persuasively, "I care not for reputation. Just help me with one thing, and once it's done, you'll live a life of luxury and peace."

Lu Changping frowned, hearing the tone of a man deceiving a girl, seemingly a negligent noble son from the North Guard. Such a waste of a handsome exterior on scheming plots.

However, a true man can bend and stretch; as long as he could deceive the other into taking him to the capital of the North Guard, these minor episodes were inconsequential.

Having made up his mind, Lu Changping solemnly wrote two words on the ground: "Agreed."

……

Lu Changping's guess was correct; the young man in black he met at the Temple of the Mountain God indeed lived in the capital of the North Guard.

The young man's surname was Xie, with a single name, Yan.

Xie is a royal surname in the North Guard, and the tyrant of the North Guard is named Xie Xuan Yuan. Lu Changping speculated that Xie Yan might be a royal relative closely connected to the tyrant.

Xie Yan's leg injury was severe, and he could barely walk with Lu Changping's support. His face was pale, lacking color, with his thin lips pressed tightly together, showing endurance throughout the journey without uttering a single complaint of pain.

Such resilience was unlike the pampered upbringing of most noblemen, earning him a newfound respect from Lu Changping.

Once they reached the main road, Xie Yan used the moonlight to discern their direction, then pointed towards a small hill not far away: "Take me there."

It was early autumn, and the mountain air carried a chill, but Xie Yan's face was covered in sweat due to the pain from his leg wound. Lu Changping, worried that he might collapse on the way, refused to make the injured man walk any further.

Seeing him unmoving, Xie Yan showed displeasure: "Why have we stopped?"

Lu Changping pointed to the bleeding wound on Xie Yan's leg, remaining silent.

"Is this concern or pity?" the young man in black asked with a sneer, his eyes filled with disdain, before impatiently urging, "I've endured worse injuries. It won't kill me, so why make a fuss?"

Truly a tough one! Lu Changping thought to himself but decided to rest against a tree trunk by the roadside.

Dealing with someone as stubborn and tough as Xie Yan, direct concern obviously wouldn't work. A more roundabout approach was needed to be effective.

Lu Changping sat down on the ground, picked up a stick, and wrote in the sand: "Let's rest a bit; I'm tired."

Xie Yan cast a doubtful glance at him, clearly disbelieving: "You were just..."

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly grasping Lu Changping's intention, and with a slight hesitation, turned his face away with a cold snort: "Women are truly troublesome."

Through the sheer veil of his hood, Lu Changping saw Xie Yan's eyebrows relax, and a slight smile curl at his lips. He wasn't really angry, just naturally contrary.

After that, neither spoke, and the atmosphere turned awkward for a moment.

Lu Changping thought it over and decided to make conversation, taking the opportunity to probe about the situation in the North Guard capital from Xie Yan. He erased the previous line in the sand and wrote: "What do you think of His Majesty of North Guard?"

Discussing the emperor in private was a capital offense, but in this deserted wilderness, words written in sand were fleeting, leaving no trace with a mere sweep.

Moreover, bound by circumstance to Xie Yan, Lu Changping didn't expect him to betray such a conversation. Thus, he boldly posed the question.

However, unlike Lu Changping's casual demeanor, the mere sight of the question caused the young man in black beside him to tense up suddenly.

Was the tyrant really that fearsome? A casual mention had frightened him so.

Unable to gauge the situation, Lu Changping assumed Xie Yan was startled by the question. He erased the words and wrote anew: "Don't be afraid, I won't ask again."

Xie Yan was truly enigmatic.

He turned sharply, his gaze piercing Lu Changping as if to see right through him, his handsome but morose face looking even more bewitching under the pale moonlight.

"Are you genuinely curious? Or do you wish to enter the palace to marry him and become the empress?"

Lu Changping wanted to ask Xie Yan why his focus was always so skewed, but this time, Xie Yan almost hit the mark in guessing his intentions.

Seeing Xie Yan in an unusual state, Lu Changping subtly shifted away, wary of inadvertently causing further displeasure.

His subtle movement did not escape Xie Yan's notice. Seeing Lu Changping avoiding him, his gaze grew colder: "I'm asking you a question, why are you avoiding me?"

Unable to provoke or avoid, Lu Changping didn't quite follow the young man's bizarre logic, so he could only shake his head vigorously. Who would willingly marry him, if not for the chance to kill the tyrant?

Expecting this to reassure Xie Yan, he was instead met with even greater displeasure.

The young man in black revealed a smile more terrifying than tears, gazing at his own slender, pale hands with a light chuckle:

"I knew I was overthinking it. How could anyone like that tyrant with such a terrible reputation? So many people can't wait to kill him."

He wasn’t wrong there. Lu Changping nodded in agreement, trying to further demonstrate his firm disdain for the tyrant.

Ever since the tyrant Xie Xuan Yuan was mentioned, Lu Changping could sense something off about the young man in black. Xie Yan's overreaction made him wonder if there was a personal vendetta, perhaps a matter of killing his father or stealing his wife.

While pondering their relationship, Lu Changping planned to extract some useful information from him.

But before he could sort his thoughts, his left wrist was suddenly grasped firmly.

Xie Yan's fingers were long and cold, his palm damp with sweat, feeling unnervingly like the corpse of someone who had drowned. He abruptly said:

"Just as I thought! Even you hate him! I was going to reason with you first, then have you willingly help me. But now, seeing you're no different from the others, why should I waste my breath on you?"

Lu Changping's eyes widened, trying to muster his internal strength to get as far away from this lunatic as possible. But his body felt limp, and the surroundings began to distort, becoming indistinct.

That lunatic Xie Yan had drugged him!

Having practiced martial arts from a young age and being physically strong, Lu Changping, despite being weakened by the drug, had not lost consciousness.

He saw Xie Yan raising his hand to deliver a final blow to knock him out and hurriedly collapsed to the ground beforehand, to avoid actually fainting from the hit.

Xie Yan, a crippled man with severe leg injuries daring enough to take bold actions. And here they were, not yet out of danger, and he was already turning on him...

Lying on the ground with mixed emotions, Lu Changping stealthily observed Xie Yan's every move.

He then noticed that Xie Yan was prepared. Pulling out a sleeve arrow, he shot it into the sky, and a small, beautiful purple firework exploded above the valley where they were.

Not long after the signal was sent, a group of people dressed in tight-fitting attire rushed from all directions, surrounding Xie Yan and kneeling en masse.

Xie Yan, without wasting words and with a proud and indifferent gesture, signaled them to rise and took Lu Changping away in a carriage that had been prepared in advance.

……

Until the sun rose, Lu Changping gradually regained strength in his limbs, though his head still felt heavy.

By then, he had already been brought to a lavishly decorated palace. The maids attending him saw his tattered clothes and attempted to assist him in bathing and changing.

Lu Changping firmly refused their services, choosing to bathe alone and change into clean clothes that had been prepared for him.

Though still in women's clothing, one glance was enough to tell these garments were far more luxurious than the ones he had been wearing.

After dressing, Lu Changping thought of Xie Yan, filled with questions. Such a powerful individual could not merely be the royal relative of the North Guard he had assumed.

As he pondered, he heard the maids outside the palace door chanting in unison: "Long live His Majesty."

Following the direction of the maids' salutation, Lu Changping saw a young man in black, embroidered with golden dragon patterns, standing outside the door.

It was the "Xie Yan" he had met last night in the Temple of the Mountain God...

Author's note:

Yes, the tyrant officially makes his appearance~