Shen Lingzhen felt both delighted and uneasy. She reasoned that if even Huo Shuyi didn’t know the truth about Huo Liuxing’s legs, then surely none of the other servants, aside from Jingmo and Kongqing, did either. If he were to train openly in the martial grounds and accidentally reveal something, wouldn’t that be a costly mistake?
She called out to him. “Husband, I’ve already seen your skills back in Bianjing. You’re not in the best condition right now, there’s no need to push yourself just to please me.”
“I’m not pushing myself,” Huo Liuxing replied, a hint of displeasure in his tone. “This is hardly something that would strain me.”
Kongqing’s eyelid twitched.
Though Young Master was more than capable of handling such a task, he’d already secured Young Madam’s trust through his past deeds. Why go further? And judging by his reaction, he seemed almost provoked, as if he’d taken her concern as a challenge. Wasn’t he the one who usually suspected her of playing hard to get?
Suddenly, Shen Lingzhen’s eyes lit up. “I have a perfect solution. My father bought me a private residence here in Qingyang. It’s currently unoccupied, why don’t we go there? That way, you can ‘stretch your limbs’ without worry.”
Huo Liuxing was well aware of the property. In fact, back when he still harbored doubts about Shen Lingzhen, he’d already sent Jingmo to investigate. Just as she said, the place was empty and no servants were stationed there.
Though he’d since set aside his suspicions toward her, she was still connected to the Shen family, not to mention the Princess Royal and the imperial court. Their loyalties overlapped but weren’t entirely aligned. Visiting her family’s residence openly would be a valuable opportunity to observe more.
Huo Liuxing agreed.
With her worries cast aside, Shen Lingzhen grew excited. She dressed herself in a beautiful gown and even suggested that Huo Liuxing bring his sword along, just so she could feast her eyes on it.
Huo Liuxing hesitated. The sword might differ slightly from the one she’d seen before, and a closer look could give something away. He hadn’t planned to retrieve it from its dusty hiding place, just intended to show off his archery skills from his wheelchair. But then he reconsidered. Over the past two days, he’d had Jingmo investigate every corner of the estate, yet still couldn’t identify the man she claimed to have seen in Bianjing. If she truly had witnessed that person’s martial prowess, then perhaps a bold demonstration might yield unexpected clues.
And so, the two of them arrived at the Shen residence in the eastern part of Qingyang.
Although Shen Lingzhen trusted Jian Jia and Bailu, she knew Huo Liuxing was secretive even with his own servants. He likely didn’t trust them as she did. So she found an excuse to leave the two women outside the estate.
Huo Liuxing gave Jingmo a subtle signal to check the surroundings for safety, leaving only Kongqing behind to push Shen Lingzhen’s wheelchair.
The residence, like the Huo estate, had three courtyards, but its charm was entirely different. It lacked the opulence of the Duke’s mansion and the cold austerity of the Huo household. Instead, it was delicate and picturesque: there were winding streams, graceful bridges, willow trees lining the paths, thick groves of bamboo, and a distant lotus pond with buds just beginning to bloom. The whole scene brimmed with life.
From the moment she entered, Shen Lingzhen wore an expression of “why didn’t I come here sooner?”
Huo Liuxing glanced at her. “You think this place looks better than home?”
She was lost in admiration of a single blooming lotus by the pond and didn’t catch the nuance in his question. Without looking at him, she nodded honestly.
Huo Liuxing let out a quiet “Oh.” “The Duke was thoughtful indeed, finding such a secluded paradise in Qingyang. I suppose if I ever mistreat you at the Huo estate, you could just leave and take refuge here.”
Shen Lingzhen’s joy faltered. She quickly composed herself. “Please don’t misunderstand. My father meant no offense. Now that I’ve married into the Huo family, I belong to it. I wouldn’t just walk away.”
Huo Liuxing nodded. “If I truly meant to bully you, even a hundred Shen residences wouldn’t be enough to shelter you.”
Her face went pale. But in the next moment, Huo Liuxing smiled gently, his tone soft as water. “I’m teasing. You’re still so easy to frighten.”
She shot him a playful glare.
Huo Liuxing tilted his chin. “Want to go take a look by the pond?”
She nodded, then hesitated, glancing down at the wheelchair beneath her. “But it might be a bit inconvenient.”
Huo Liuxing looked toward Jingmo in the distance. Seeing him nod to signal the area was secure, he braced his knee and stood. “Get up, I’ll help you.”
Kongqing stepped aside without a word.
Shen Lingzhen could now manage a few steps with some effort, so she carefully placed one foot on the ground.
Huo Liuxing wrapped one arm around her right shoulder and supported her left arm with the other, slowly guiding her to the pond’s edge.
She pointed ahead with a smile. “Husband, I want that lotus blossom. Could you pick it for me?”
Huo Liuxing’s hands had wielded blades, fired guns, and taken lives, but never plucked a flower.
He cleared his throat. “You really want it?”
Sensing his discomfort, Shen Lingzhen softly replied, “Then… it’s fine if you don’t.”
He sighed. “Wait here.”
He let go of her and crouched by the pond. Reaching out, then pulling back, then reaching again, he seemed unsure how to approach it. After a moment of hesitation and under her gentle urging, he frowned and decisively pinched off the lotus, root and all, and handed it to her.
“I thought you were someone who cherished flowers,” he said.
She nodded. “But this house is empty. If I don’t pick it today, no one will come admire it later. It’ll just wither alone. There’s a saying: ‘Pluck the flower while it blooms, don’t wait until there’s no flower, only bare branches.’”
Huo Liuxing didn’t respond.
After admiring the flower, Shen Lingzhen asked, “Husband, when will you show me your swordplay?”
Huo Liuxing helped her back into the wheelchair. With a backward motion of his hand, Kongqing immediately handed him his sword.
Shen Lingzhen glanced at the weapon, its hilt inlaid with eighteen bodhi beads, and asked curiously, “I’ve always wondered, why do you embed Buddhist prayer beads in your sword?”
In Great Qi, many revered Buddhism, so it wasn’t surprising that Huo Liuxing often studied sutras. But Buddhist teachings emphasized compassion, while a sword was a weapon of bloodshed and violence, wasn’t that a contradiction?
Huo Liuxing gave a faint smile. “The swordsmith said I carry too much murderous energy. He thought I should use the Buddha to suppress it.”
“So you read the scriptures not out of faith,” Shen Lingzhen asked, “but to cultivate restraint and temper your nature?”
He nodded, smiling as he fixed his gaze on her wide, innocent eyes. Lowering his voice, he said, “After all, I’ve killed too many.”
Though it was midsummer, Shen Lingzhen suddenly felt a chill. She stammered, “But… but killing in defense of the nation is understandable…”
Huo Liuxing chuckled. “And what if I killed not for the nation?”
As soon as he said it, he glanced at Jingmo standing nearby, then casually flicked his eyes toward the base of the wall. He turned to Shen Lingzhen and said, “Close your eyes.”
The command came so abruptly that she didn’t react in time. She stared blankly as he flipped his palm, drew his sword, and hurled it in a swift motion.
A flash of cold steel. Then a sickening sound of blade meeting flesh. A figure dressed as a servant tumbled from the wall with a heavy thud.
The scream was piercing. The sword had pinned the man’s arm to the ground, nailing him in place.
Huo Liuxing walked over with his hands behind his back, crouched down, and smiled. “What did our ever-persistent prince promise you?”
The man trembled, teeth clenched, and mumbled, “Young… Young Master, I wasn’t…”
“No need to explain. I’m not that interested. But since we were master and servant for a moment, I’ll see you off.”
Still smiling, Huo Liuxing gently grasped the man’s neck and, with a quiet snap, broke it.
A sharp crack. The man’s head lolled to the side. He was gone.
Shen Lingzhen had forgotten to close her eyes. Only now did the shock hit her, goosebumps rose across her skin, and a cold sweat soaked her back.
The swordsmith had been right, Huo Liuxing was nothing like the gentle, jade-like man Shen Lingzhen had imagined when they first met.
He recited the most compassionate Buddhist scriptures, yet killed without so much as blinking.
If he was jade, then he was the kind known as “Jade-faced Asura.”
After such a grim turn of events, Shen Lingzhen naturally lost all interest in touring the estate. Dazed and silent, she followed Huo Liuxing back home.
At first, she thought the servant had been planted by her father. But when Huo Liuxing referred to him as “a servant,” and she took a closer look at the dark blue coarse linen uniform, she realized he was from the Huo household.
Zhao Xun had left, but clearly hadn’t given up, he’d bribed one of Huo Liuxing’s own men. That servant must have been lurking for days, waiting for the right moment. Today, spotting something suspicious, he’d followed them all the way to the Shen residence.
When they arrived at the gates of the Huo estate, Shen Lingzhen still hadn’t recovered. Huo Liuxing reached out to help her down from the carriage, but she flinched and pulled away. “Young Master… you haven’t washed your hands.”
This time was different from the previous two. Those earlier killings had been chaotic, fast-paced skirmishes, she hadn’t seen the details. But this time, she’d watched him smile as he snapped a man’s neck. It had truly shaken her.
She understood his reasons, but the memory still made her shudder.
Huo Liuxing withdrew his hand with a sigh. “I did tell you to close your eyes.”
She looked aggrieved. “How could I react that fast? You should’ve covered my eyes for me…”
He sighed again. “You’re right. I wasn’t thoughtful enough.”
Seeing him admit fault, her heart softened. “It’s fine. Protecting us comes first.”
Huo Liuxing chuckled. “So, I didn’t get to show you my swordplay today. Should I give you a private performance now?”
Shen Lingzhen shook her head. “I’ve already witnessed your formidable skills. They’re exactly the same as what I saw back in Bianjing, truly extraordinary.”
“Exactly the same?” Huo Liuxing narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on her. “I don’t recall what sword technique I used back then.”
“But wasn’t it just like today’s?” she said, shrinking back slightly as she mimicked the motions. “A flip like this, a draw like that, and then a reverse throw… Though last time, you were even fiercer, one strike, and you strung a man’s head clean through…”
Huo Liuxing’s brows slowly furrowed.
That technique, piercing through the skull with a single strike, might not be entirely unique in the world, but it was certainly rare.
And now she was describing it with uncanny accuracy.
As he sank into thought, Shen Lingzhen’s voice trembled. “Young Master… I know your secret now. You won’t hurt me, will you?”
Huo Liuxing snapped out of his reverie. “What, are you planning to betray me too?”
She shook her head quickly. “I’ll stand with you through thick and thin. I’ll never breathe a word of your secret.”
He nodded, then smiled as he reached out and gently rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re such a good girl. Of course I won’t hurt you.”
Author’s note: Old Huo, take your wicked hand off her! Don’t go scaring my precious girl!
