Chapter 147: The Holy Princess of Nan Zhao (84.1)
Translator: asassin
Secret Guard No.2 knew a lot of masters of inquisition, for instance, Feng Zhi Yao, the third young lord of Feng Family, and the leader of secret guards who was in charge of his training, besides Chief Steward Mo of Prince Ding’s Manor who was serious and quiet but had a kind heart. However, it took him some time before he learned that the delicate Princess Ding was good at it as well. Most of the time, he and his other three brothers can’t help speculating how bad was the princess treated when she was in Ye Family to have formed such a twisted personality.

Thinking that it would take him quite an effort to bring that annoying assassin out of the princess’s manor, it might cost him more than what he would gain due to the heavy guards, so Secret Guard No.2 didn’t intend to wait till tomorrow, rather, he prepared to get what he wanted from the assassin right now. Since the guest yard wasn’t small and Ye Li’s room was in its deepest corner, guards outside the yard wouldn’t hear a thing as long as he kept it quiet. Besides, secret guards hidden in the manor wouldn’t let anyone near it either. That unfortunate assassin couldn’t shout even he wanted to after he was given a cup of tea with soft tendon powder in it.

Thus, a peculiar scene occurred in the elegantly decorated room. At a corner of the room, a maid slept soundly on a couch. By the table, sat a pretty girl who was writing under the lantern. A few steps away was a brutal investigation by torture. Glumly, Secret Guard No.2 broke the assassin’s left leg who insisted not speaking though he was pale with sweat all over. Because of the space restriction, Secret Guard No.2 can’t employ very complicated or violent methods so he grew more and more irritated. By the time Ye Li had finished her work and looked up, Secret Guard No.2 still didn’t have the assassin talking, however, he did almost give him a chance to kill himself by biting his tongue off.

“Are your techniques not working? Need help?” Ye Li asked as she stood up.

Secret Guard No.2’s mouth twitched. He shook his head as he said: “Please don’t trouble yourself with it, Miss.”

“It doesn’t matter. He won’t say anything even if you break his other leg.”

“Then I’ll break all his bones.” He said as he stared at the assassin coldly.

Ye Li smiled as she shook her head: “He’ll be dead by the time you break half of his bones.”

“Miss, do you have any ideas?”

She walked over at leisure. Crouching down, she smiled at the assassin and said softly: “You understand the language of Great Chu, don’t you? Don’t worry. I won’t be as rude.”

The assassin stared at the pretty girl who had a kind smile, his guard up. His instinct as an assassin told him this girl is a real trouble.

Ye Li stared back at the vigilant man with smiles and said gently: “Don’t be afraid. I won’t break your bones like he did. I will… dislocate them. How about we… start from your fingers?”

Her slender hands held his, one of whose knuckles twisted with a snap. Then she moved downwards. With another crack, the assassin’s index finger was crooked. Then, with his jaw dislocated, he can’t even scream, only moaned.

Ye Li looked at him. “Just nod when you are ready to give us what we want. However… don’t wait till all your bones are dislocated. That will be too late.”

Snap…

Calm as she was, she didn’t stop a second. That calmness was more intimidating than Secret Guard No.2’s threat with harsh words and stern looks. As she moved to his right hand, the ashen-faced man who was barely breathing finally nodded slowly.

With raised brows, Ye Li cast Secret Guard No.2 a glance as she said: “Thought he was a hard bone. This is it?”

Secret Guard No.2 wiped beads of sweat off his forehead quietly. He found this assassin yield too quickly. Meanwhile he was also intimidated by his master’s fearful calmness instead of her torture methods. He would have been afraid if he was the assassin.

“Good, but don’t play any tricks. Otherwise… you might regret you were born in this world.” Ye Li advised him as she looked at him with all sincerity.

Then she nodded happily. “Good, tell me who you work for?” Waving at Secret Guard No.2 to put the assassin’s jaw back to where it was supposed to be, she asked.

Fear flashed across the man’s eyes. He opened his mouth at Ye Li but didn’t speak.

She frowned as she considered and said: “If you are worried about your safety, I can promise that no harm will come to you. Besides, after I’m done here, I can give you money which will let you start a new life with a new identity.”

The assassin’s eyes moved. A bit hesitation appeared on his face.

Seeing that, Ye Li smiled more sincerely. “Your information is very important for me so… as long as you give me the truth, I promise to do all of the above for you. However, I think you understand that you are not the only one who has the information I want. You don’t talk doesn’t mean others won’t. By then… I’m afraid I can only…” Watching his nervous expression, she smiled: “No, I won’t kill you. On my way here, I passed a valley full of blood-red flowers with snakes under each one of them. Back then, I was curious about what they eat. What do you think…”

“Snake… Snake Valley… No…” Not only did people of Great Chu fear a place like Snake Valley. People of Nan Zhao weren’t afraid of snakes to be sure but nobody except for snake charmers wasn’t afraid of thousands of uncontrollable snakes.

“Well… your answer is?”

“What… what do you want to know?”

Ye Li turned to Secret Guard No.2 and raised her brows happily.

Actually, they didn’t get much useful information from the assassin since he wasn’t at the center of things. Fortunately, part of Ye Li’s theory was confirmed and she had a target as to Xu Qing Chen’s missing now, only that she didn’t have his exact location. However, since she knew he wasn’t in immediate danger, she felt relieved.

“Jun Wei… Jun Wei…”

A cheerful voice rose up in the noisy street. Everyone who looked at the source of it could see a handsome man in white Great Chu garment waving happily at a boy not far away.

Ye Li whirled and couldn’t help sighing when she saw the man in white rush to her. She flashed a smile as she said: “Brother Han, I haven’t seen you in a while. Everything good?”

With his charming eyes widened, Han Ming Xi stared at her bitterly. “Jun Wei, I’ve followed you all the way here and you left me behind. You are so heartless…”

Heartless… Ye Li can’t help but shuddering at that. Though the passers-by didn’t understand what Han Ming Xi was talking about, they could tell from his expression and tone and looked at him in strange expressions.

“Brother Han!” Ye Li can’t help pressing her forehead. Suppressing her anger with all efforts, she said with a smile: “Have you had a good sleep? How rare!”

Han Ming Xi didn’t show any guilt. He came closer and said smilingly: “What are you talking about. I’ve woken up a long time ago and had a trip in and out of town. But I didn’t see you anywhere, Jun Wei. Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that you had something to attend to? It would be safer if I came along.”

Ye Li rolled her eyes at him. “It was just sightseeing, not a dangerous venture.”

Han Ming Xi shrugged and didn’t mind as he said: “Even if it’s dangerous, I will follow you.” Then he blinked at her, his eyes as if saying “look how good I treat you”.

Ye Li frowned. She didn’t expect to run into him. Right now, it would be very inconvenient for her to take him with her. However, if she didn’t, she wondered what a mess he would create. Pondering with her head lowered, she said: “Brother Han, let’s talk somewhere else.”

After they sat down in a private room of a teahouse, Ye Li said: “Brother Han, there’s something I need to attend to which might not be very convenient for me if you are there.”

Han Ming Xi leaned across the table and accused her as he glared at her: “Why… wasn’t it inconvenient when you needed information from Tianyi Pavilion? You want to get rid of me? You led me astray and now you are going to abandon me!”

Ye Li didn’t know how to respond to that. She paid for the information of Tianyi Pavilion. She never asked him to give it to her for free.

Seeing that Jun Wei didn’t speak, Han Ming Xi bit his nails as he giggled: “What do you have to do in this tiny town? Aren’t you here for the Underworld Flower? I have information of that Holy Princess. Or is it the Sick Scholar you are after? I know where he is too. But it seems he’s got company. Let’s not mess with them. Or… is it the missing Mr. Qing Chen?” Cocking his head, Han Ming Xi gave an innocent smile.

“Tianyi Pavilion is as well-informed as its reputation has it.” Ye Li praised softly.

Han Ming Xi said smilingly: “Tianyi Pavilion lives by selling information. If it doesn’t know that, it doesn’t need to exist any longer. Well… which one do you attend to first, Jun Wei?”

She looked at him unblinkingly and laughed lightly after a good while as she spoke: “Do you know where Mr. Qing Chen is?”

He blinked and said a bit unhappily: “You are looking for him first, aren’t you? Jun Wei, I thought the Green Void Flower and the Underworld Flower are more important to you.”

She answered: “I can take those anytime. But if I don’t go to him earlier, he might be in danger.”

Propping up his chin, he looked at her. “You can have his information as long as you tell me your relation to him.”

Ye Li shook her head and said with a smile: “You don’t know anything about him. Otherwise, you would have your terms out a while ago.”

Han Ming Xi snorted and stared at her, frustrated. “Then, do you still want the information about the Holy Princess? If you don’t, I’m going to burn it.”

“He is my brother.” She answered.

Frowning, he looked up and down at her for a good while before he asked: “Brother? Are you Xu Qing Bai or Xu Qing Yan? By age… you are more like Xu Qing Yan, however, by personality you are more like Xu Qing Bai. However… I’ve heard nothing about young lords of Xu Family knowing martial arts.”

Ye Li laughed as she said: “Turns out the information of Tianyi Pavilion isn’t that reliable after all. Don’t you know that Xu Qing Feng, the third young lord of Xu Family is in the military right now?”

Han Ming Xi stared at her suspiciously. “So, you are indeed from Xu Family?”

She didn’t speak as she smiled, not acknowledging nor denying it.

Han Ming Xi paced in the room, a bit irritated and mumbled his distress to Ye Li from time to time. “You lied to me… You aren’t here for some Underworld Flower. You are here for Xu Qing Chen! Jun Wei, you lied to me…”