Chapter 153 Do You Dare to Seek Revenge?

Chapter 153: Do You Dare to Seek Vengeance?

The early spring morning still carried the lingering chill of winter. Before dawn, Zhao Yin was already standing guard outside the Northern Wilderness King Consort’s courtyard.

He waited a full hour while the Consort rose, washed, and dressed.

Such waiting had become ingrained in him. From childhood, he knew his purpose was to protect the Consort, even at the cost of his own life.

After her toilette, the Northern Wilderness King Consort, surrounded by her maidservants, proceeded to her father’s courtyard to pay her respects.

Zhao Yin followed silently, his presence utterly negligible.

At the courtyard entrance, the attending maidservants were dismissed. Zhao Yin stepped forward, supporting the Consort by the hand as they entered together.

The only difference from the previous day was the presence of other women in the room: besides the Consort’s two sisters-in-law, Zhao Xun’s wife and daughter-in-law were also there.

The family had been waiting for nearly half an hour, yet not a single person showed the slightest hint of impatience.

Only when the Consort stepped through the door did the quiet room stir with activity.

Zhao Qi, ever mindful of etiquette, showed no concern for his daughter’s tardiness. He asked with a beaming smile, “Did you sleep soundly last night? Are you comfortable at home?”

With Zhao Yin’s support, the Consort sat beside her father before replying, “My courtyard is exactly as it was before my marriage. How could I not be comfortable?”

“Good, good,” Zhao Qi nodded, then instructed, “Now that the whole family is gathered, let’s have breakfast.”

Just as the Consort reached out to help Zhao Qi rise, the steward, who had served Zhao Qi for many years, entered. He first bowed to Zhao Qi before speaking: “Old Master, everyone has been questioned. None of the servants in the courtyard stole anything.”

Zhao Qi’s genial expression instantly turned cold. “So, you’re saying the incense burner flew away on its own?”

“What incense burner?” A sudden, ominous feeling rose in the Consort’s heart.

Zhao Qi had no intention of keeping it from his daughter and told her plainly: “Yesterday, I had them take inventory of the items in the courtyard. It turns out an incense burner is missing.”

The Consort’s sharp gaze fixed on the steward, her voice icy. “If no one confesses, then tell them this: if the thief isn’t found, every single one of them, including their entire families, will die.”

The steward shivered, bowing his head deeply. “Yes.”

While the Consort spoke with the steward, most of the Zhao family’s attention was fixed on the two. Zhao Yin, however, looked towards Zhao Zeqian, who was seated at the very end.

His head was lowered, and tiny beads of sweat dotted his nose.

Zhao Yin’s gaze sharpened—this was clearly a sign of guilt. Was he involved in this matter?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he did not expose it publicly.

It wasn’t until after the Consort finished her morning meal and returned to her own courtyard. The moment the door closed behind her, her face immediately darkened.

Why now, of all times, did those items have to go missing?

And her father—age had made him lose his former vigilance.

She had already been deeply displeased while at her father’s residence, but considering her main purpose for returning, she had endured it.

Still pondering when the missing incense burner might be recovered, she saw Zhao Yin kneeling on one knee before her. “Consort.”

Irritated, her tone held a hint of impatience. “What do you want?”

“When the steward came to report, this subordinate noticed that Zhao Zeqian’s demeanor seemed off.”

The Consort’s gaze turned sharp. “Do you have proof?”

Zhao Yin lowered his head. “This subordinate has no proof, only a feeling that he…”

Suddenly, a teacup smashed to the ground, shards flying and cutting Zhao Yin’s cheek.

“Without proof, you dare to make baseless accusations?” The Consort’s voice grew colder. “Or are you jealous of him?”

“This subordinate would not dare.” Zhao Yin dropped to both knees, his left knee pressing directly onto the broken shards. Soon, blood seeped onto the floor.

“Hmph. You’d best remember your place. If I discover you’ve harbored improper thoughts or schemed against him, I will personally deal with you.”

“It is this subordinate’s fault. I should not have suspected others without evidence.” Zhao Yin kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with heavy thuds.

The Consort watched without a flicker of emotion. “Since you admit your mistake, go and receive your punishment. Do not appear before me for the next two days.”

At her final words, Zhao Yin’s face went deathly pale, as though this were a punishment crueler than any physical pain.

“Yes.”

“Get out!”

Zhao Yin rose and limped away.

That afternoon, as the younger members of the Zhao family passed by the Consort’s courtyard, they saw Zhao Yin kneeling outside, covered in injuries.

Most of them did not know his identity, but those who did know some inside information passed the news to Zhao Zeqian.

In the past, Zhao Zeqian might have gone to revel in the suffering of his father’s bastard. But now, he had no such inclination.

All he cared about was how to keep his theft of the incense burner a secret.

It was just an incense burner—why was his great-grandfather making such a fuss? And his grandaunt, threatening to kill entire families over it. He hadn’t thought it a serious matter before, but now dread crept through him.

Zhao Yin knelt outside the courtyard for an entire day, only returning to his assigned quarters in the Zhao residence after nightfall.

When he stripped off his clothes, his body bore not only fresh wounds but also many old scars. These were all self-inflicted—back in the Northern Wilderness, whenever he made a mistake, he would punish himself this way.

Over the years, he had been careful. But now, because of his punishment, the Consort would refuse to see him for days. The thought filled him with dread, so he punished himself further.

Zhao Yin did not treat his wounds with medicine. He merely wiped away the seeping blood with a cloth before lying down on his wooden bed.

He had been quite ruthless in inflicting the wounds, and his back was severely injured, making it painful to lie down. Yet, he endured it.

Just as the Consort had said—mistakes and wrong words required punishment. Only when he had suffered enough would she forgive him sooner.

Due to the pain, Zhao Yin finally managed to sleep for a while only in the latter half of the night.

When he awoke, morning had already broken. He was first startled, then annoyed—today, he was forbidden from appearing before the Consort.

He sat idly in his room all morning. No one from the Zhao family disturbed him, nor did anyone bring him food.

Having angered the Consort, he had gone a full day and night without eating. Now, hunger gnawed at him. After some hesitation, Zhao Yin decided to go out to find food.

Zhao Yin had few hobbies and little personal time, but he did have one custom—occasionally, he would go out for a drink.

After leaving the Zhao residence, he walked along the street for a while before spotting a tavern and entering.

Just as he entered, a shadowy figure quietly slipped away.

For the past two days, A Chan had developed a fondness for incense. When Lin Sui came to visit her, she still had incense burning in her room.

As soon as Lin Sui stepped into A Chan’s room, she sneezed. Though the scent of the incense wasn’t unpleasant, it was overpowering.

“A Chan, are you sampling scents?”

Hearing Lin Sui’s voice, A Chan pushed herself up from the lounge chair. “What are you doing here? No lessons today?”

“Done with them. The person you asked me to keep an eye on left the manor today. I came to find you as soon as I got the news.”

At this, A Chan quickly stood up, slipped a cloth pouch from the table into her robe, and hurriedly said, “Let’s go find him.”

Without hesitation, Lin Sui followed A Chan out.

When they passed through the front shop, Chen Hui called out to A Chan, with concern in her voice. “A Chan, is there any danger?”

A Chan shook her head. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous. I’ll be back soon.”

Chen Hui knew A Chan cherished her life. If she said so, there shouldn’t be any trouble. So she didn’t press further and watched as the two left.

Lin Sui had ridden here and swiftly brought A Chan to the tavern where Zhao Yin was staying. The lookout outside informed her that Zhao Yin had entered and hadn’t emerged in nearly an hour.

Lin Sui had intended to accompany A Chan inside, but A Chan refused. Left with no choice, Lin Sui took a seat at a stall across the street, keeping an eye on the tavern.

A Chan gathered up her skirts and stepped into the tavern. It was already midday, but it wasn't busy—most downstairs tables stood empty. Her gaze swept the room, but she didn’t spot Zhao Yin.

A waiter approached. “Dining today, miss?”

“Yes, a private upstairs room.”

The waiter promptly led her upstairs. Ignoring his recommendations, A Chan walked past the rooms divided by screens until she spotted a figure dressed in black.

Pointing to the adjacent room, she told the waiter, “I’ll sit there.”

The waiter obliged and quickly seated her.

As A Chan passed by Zhao Yin, the cloyingly sweet fragrance made him frown. He glanced up at her before looking away.

Once seated, A Chan ordered three of the tavern’s signature dishes following the waiter’s suggestions, then sent him away.

Just as the waiter noted the order and turned to leave, Zhao Yin called him back.

Zhao Yin ordered a jar of pear-blossom wine. The waiter, seeing the two empty jars already on the table and noting the man’s steady demeanor, marveled silently at his capacity.

Soon, the pear-blossom wine arrived.

From her seat, A Chan could hear the sound of Zhao Yin chugging the wine. Propping her chin in one hand, she gazed at the screen separating their rooms while tapping a rhythm on the table with her other hand.

One tap, two taps, three taps…

At some point, the drinking sounds from next door stopped.

Then, the waiter returned with two dishes for A Chan’s table. “Your food, miss.”

“Thank you.” A Chan smiled at him, taking two pairs of chopsticks from the holder—one for herself, the other placed opposite her at the empty seat.

Thinking she expected company, the waiter left without another thought.

Once he was gone, A Chan suddenly spoke. “Alcohol ruins the health. Why not join me for food, Shang Yin?”

After a moment of silence, Zhao Yin—who had been drinking from the next room—stood up. He turned and took the seat across from A Chan.

Had any of the Zhao family been present, they would have gasped.

Though this man looked identical to Zhao Yin, his presence was wholly different.

If Zhao Yin was a doll shaped to the Consort’s whims, this man carried the vitality of a living man.

“Who are you?”

A Chan picked up a piece of stewed tofu with her chopsticks and chewed. It tasted mediocre—no wonder the place was empty.

“Speak. Who are you?” The man across from her was growing impatient.

“After more than a year, and your temper hasn’t improved.” A Chan set down her chopsticks and met his gaze.

“…A Chan?” His face registered disbelief as he studied her. After a long pause, he finally said, “You’re still alive.”

“Thanks to your warning, I had the chance to escape.” Recalling the events of a year ago, A Chan narrowed her eyes, her mood darkening.

“But…” She studied him. “Shang Yin, you seem on the verge of disappearing.”

Shang Yin showed little reaction. “Didn’t you already know?”

He and A Chan had met at the Northern Wilderness King’s Residence.

Back then, A Chan was a favored guest of the Northern Wilderness King, while he was… a rogue consciousness trapped within Zhao Yin’s body.

It was almost laughable. Originally, this body named Zhao Yin should have belonged to him. But at some point, he went from being Shang Yin to becoming Zhao Yin, then was imprisoned within this flesh.

At first, he could still secretly control the body. But as Zhao Yin’s cultivation advanced, he could only emerge when Zhao Yin drank.

The day he met A Chan, Zhao Yin had just been punished and had been drinking. He had merely stepped out for air when A Chan immediately saw through him.

Terrified of his secret being exposed, he had foolishly thought to silence her—only to be slammed into the dirt with a single slap.

That was when he learned this esteemed guest, whom the king obeyed without question, was a fox spirit of the Fourth Realm.

She didn’t kill him. Instead, she crouched beside him and forced out his entire family history.

He had expected her to report it to the Northern Wilderness King, but she never did. The matter faded into silence, becoming a secret between them.

A Chan stayed at the Northern Wilderness King’s Residence for three years. Though they had only met a handful of times, they were well acquainted.

Their last meeting was when he learned the king had ordered A Chan’s execution and went to warn her.

Back then, A Chan had been a powerful and beautiful fox spirit. Now, she carried not a trace of demonic aura, her vitality no different from an ordinary human’s.

As for him—after Zhao Yin advanced to the Third Realm, he could no longer control the body. His consciousness had weakened to the brink of vanishing.

If not for that fragrance, he might have disappeared without ever resurfacing.

“Have you already given up?” A Chan’s glistening eyes fixed on him. Shang Yin couldn’t tell if she was asking or mocking him.

“What else can I do?” His voice was bleak. The Northern Wilderness King’s Residence was an immovable monolith—he was powerless.

A Chan studied him, then said softly, “I remember you once told me that when your mother died, they hooked her collarbone and hung her from the roof—like half a slab of pork at a butcher’s stall.”

As Shang Yin’s expression twisted with fury, she continued as if oblivious. “I went to see for myself. The meat there was quite fresh. But your mother… by then, there couldn’t have been a single intact patch of skin left on her, could there?”

"You also told me that in order to obtain the Shang family's Ghost Control techniques, they used you to threaten her and even made you harm her. She must have been in agony before she died, right?"

The dark past he'd nearly buried deep in his heart grew clearer with A Chan's words. Shang Yin clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot. "Shut up!"

Unfazed, A Chan murmured, "It's understandable if you don’t want to avenge her. After all, to escape the hatred, you created a Zhao Yin. He successfully replaced you and even won the Northern Wilderness King Consort's favor, becoming their obedient dog. Once you disappear, he can serve the Consort even better—until his death."

"I said shut up!" Shang Yin stood up, the chair beneath him exploding into splinters.

Even if he couldn’t control this body, he had witnessed everything Zhao Yin endured.

The Northern Wilderness King Consort never treated Zhao Yin as a human. In their eyes, he was less than livestock.

A Chan remained seated, smiling at him like he was a joke.

"Shang Yin, do you even have the guts for vengeance?"

"Of course I dare!"

"Even if it means trading your life for theirs?"

"My life ain't worth shit anyway! Even trading one for one is a profit." Shang Yin leaned over the table, bloodshot eyes fixed on A Chan. "You can really help me?"

A Chan smiled. "Yes, I can help you."