Chapter 81
After the refugees were tied up, Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao didn’t go to sleep. Jiang Lin felt this matter wasn’t over yet, their enemies would surely try another scheme if the first failed. And this time, he wasn’t going to sit around waiting.
He had Xun Qi secretly guard the refugees, certain that another group of "guests" would soon arrive. Then he called Chu Ba over to continue questioning him about the Fourth Prince and Jiang Rou. "Have those two been staying quietly at Lotus Nunnery all this time?"
Chu Ba replied, "They were on the mountain before, but coincidentally, they disguised themselves and entered Shengjing yesterday evening."
Just in time for the refugee attack on the Wei mansion. And that so-called "Zhao family woman" who suddenly appeared to deliver a message, anyone with half a brain could guess who was really behind this.
"Do you know where they are now?" Jiang Lin asked.
Chu Ba did, and he eagerly offered to lead the way.
Those two black-hearted scoundrels had used refugees to try and slaughter the Wei family, they couldn’t be let off lightly. Chu Ba’s grip on his sword tightened, itching to kill.
"First, go get dressed up, disguise yourself as Jiang Jinyue. You stayed by her side for a while, you must remember what she looks like, right?"
"I remember. Wait for me a moment, Young Madam. I’ll be back soon," Chu Ba said before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
True to his word, he returned quickly, clad in a light pink robe, Jiang Jinyue’s favorite color. With delicate steps, he approached, his face eerily similar to Jiang Jinyue’s from afar and even more so up close, right down to the scar.
Except for one glaring issue, his height.
Jiang Lin instinctively asked, "Chu Ba, do you know bone-shrinking skill? Jiang Jinyue was short, and you’re… too tall."
[缩骨功 (suōgǔgōng): lit. bone-shrinking skill; fig. a martial arts technique to compress one’s skeleton]
Chu Ba looked aggrieved. "Young Master, you’re asking the impossible. Even if I sawed off a leg, I’d still be taller than Jiang Jinyue. And even if I knew bone-shrinking skill, I couldn’t shrink that much."
Jiang Lin burst out laughing, Chu Ba’s jab at Jiang Jinyue’s height was even more ruthless than his own.
No bone-shrinking, no leg-sawing. Jiang Lin reluctantly accepted an oversized Jiang Jinyue and prepared to leave with Chu Ba.
Wei Yunzhao reminded them to be careful. "Come back early. If they have too many people, don’t engage."
Jiang Lin nodded. "I know. You hold down the fort here. If anyone dares to come, don’t leave survivors."
Wei Yunzhao agreed and saw them out through the back gate.
The Fourth Prince and Jiang Rou had gone into hiding in a secluded, remote courtyard, likely to avoid detection. After a lengthy search, Jiang Lin and Chu Ba finally tracked them down.
Light shone from inside, indicating they were still awake. Jiang Lin dispatched Chu Ba to scout ahead and gather information on the number of people and their activities.
Chu Ba leaped onto the roof but returned almost immediately, rubbing his eyes vigorously. "It's disgustingly filthy, Young Madam. Perhaps we should return during the day? I wouldn't want it to stain your eyes."
Jiang Lin asked, "Are the Fourth Prince and Jiang Rou...doing it?"
Chu Ba nodded emphatically, his face twisted in disgust under the dim light.
Jiang Lin's curiosity was piqued. "Then why haven't we heard any noises? Is the Fourth Prince inadequate in bed? Didn't he satisfy Jiang Rou?"
He wanted to see for himself.
No sooner had he spoken than sounds inside grew louder, Jiang Rou urging the Fourth Prince to hurry up.
Jiang Lin concluded, "The Fourth Prince is truly the dog-emperor's son, incompetent and useless ."
He nudged Chu Ba. "Let’s barge in and scare him. Make him even more like his father."
A cruel glint sparkled in Jiang Lin's eyes: By turning him into a eunuch.
Unable to dissuade him, Chu Ba settled for being the one to kick the door down.
The door crashed to the ground, and the couple's intimate moment was abruptly interrupted. Jiang Rou shrieked in terror, scrambling to cover herself with the blankets, while the Fourth Prince, shocked and humiliated, lost all composure.
Jiang Lin strolled in, a grin spreading across his face as he took in the Fourth Prince's frozen, disbelieving expression. "Tsk, I knew you were useless."
He pulled out the dagger Wei Yunzhao had given him, a gift that had remained unused until now, and offered it with a mocking smile. "Since you're so incompetent, why not take the final step? Cut it off. Here, borrow my dagger."
Then, with a flourish, Jiang Lin took out a book from thin air, flipping it open to reveal bold, ominous characters:
To master this skill, one must first castrate oneself.
[This phrase originates from Jin Yong’s wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, specially tied to the sunflower manual. The Sunflower Manual is a forbidden martial arts text rumored to grant unmatched power but requires self-castration to avoid fatal qi deviation]
"After you’re done, I’ll give you this secret manual. How about it?"
The Fourth Prince finally snapped out of his daze, yanking the blanket over himself. "Jiang Lin! You have some nerve!"
Jiang Lin placed the book in his hands, his expression serene. "You flatter me, Your Highness. My audacity is nothing compared to yours. Tell me, what would happen if I went out right now and announced that the Fourth Prince is here?"
The prince’s face darkened. "You dare?! If you do, I’ll ensure you and every last member of the Wei family dies without a grave!"
"Oh," Jiang Lin replied flatly. "Wasn’t that your plan all along?"
"Except now, the tables have turned, you're the one in my hands. I decide whether you die without a grave."
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