Chapter 9 – The Unanswered Questions

"Stop right there!" Mu Yin's stern voice rang across the courtyard.

Both Meng Yu and Jin Di froze in place as they turned to look at Mu Yin. She rushed toward them furiously.

"What do you think you guys are doing!?"

The atmosphere was extremely nerve wrecking, but seeing Mu Yin, Jin Di's original ruthless expression quickly changed back to normal. He sheathed his sword and turned toward Mu Yin with a wry smile.

"We were just having a friendly duel," Jin Di shrugged and answered nonchalantly, as if they were just playing chess with each other.

Friendly duel, eh?

Meng Yu arched her eyebrow in disbelief. If she was not careful just now, she could have lost her life to his vicious attack. She quickly put her hands behind her back to hide the blood on her sleeve, to avoid attracting Mu Yin's observant gaze. All she wanted to do now is to escape from this place as soon as possible.

Mu Yin stared incredulously at Jin Di. She was obviously not buying his story, but she knew what her priority was. She let out an exasperated sigh and quickly turned to Meng Yu. She noticed Meng Yu's pale expression and hurriedly asked, "Meng Yu, are you alright?"

Meng Yu did not reveal her exhaustion as she replied in monotone, "I am fine."

Mu Yin hesitated for a moment as she studied Meng Yu's expression and then said, "You don't look well. Why don't you return to your room first?"

Meng Yu decided to take the cue to escape. She did not say anything anymore and gave Mu Yin a curt nod before turning to leave immediately. She made sure to hide the bloodied sleeve from Mu Yin's eagle sight as she walked away. Mu Yin waited until Meng Yu was out of sight before turning her attention back to Jin Di.

"You have no right to act like this in this manor!" Mu Yin exploded in anger.

"You cannot allow such a dangerous person to stay in the manor, Mu Yin." Jin Di retorted.

"This is the Silver Sky Manor, and she is my master's guest. I will not tolerate any misconduct again, Jin Di. Do I make myself clear?" Mu Yin glared threateningly at him. She did not give him a chance to reply before walking over to the little boy and Shui Yang.

She kneeled down in front of the boy and spoke tenderly to him despite the tension earlier, "Young master, my master is waiting for you in the hall. Please come with me." The little boy nodded in excitement, as if everything that had happened just now had nothing to do with him. Mu Yin held the little boy's hand and led him away. Shui Yang and Jin Di followed closely from behind.

Shui Yang lowered her voice as she asked Jin Di curiously, "Brother Jin Di, why is Sister Mu Yin so angry?"

"Who knows?"

Annoyed with his lack of response, Shui Yang changed the topic, "What do you think of that person just now? I am so shocked. She could match up to big brother's movement so well!"

Jin Di's expression darkened as he replied, "Shui Yang, you are wrong. Did you not notice?"

Shui Yang gave a confused look at Jin Di. Jin Di just shook his head in defeat when he saw her hopeless look.

"This is why I say, your impulsiveness will kill you one day, Shui Yang."

Shui Yang folded her arms and pouted in retaliation.

Jin Di stopped in his pace and looked back at the place where Meng Yu had exited. Noticing that her big brother was no longer beside her, Shui Yang immediately came to a stop too and walked back to him.

"Why, big brother? What's wrong?"

Jin Di gave her a long deliberate stare before replying in a grave voice. "I have an awfully bad feeling toward that person just now."

He glanced at the young master and Mu Yin who was walking farther and farther away, before speaking through his gritted teeth, "I should have killed her before Mu Yin came." Strong killing intent exuded from him as he clenched his fist tightly till it made cracking noise.

Shui Yang looked incredulously at Jin Di, and whispered anxiously, "But she is Lord Zheng's guest! What are you talking about? Is she really that dangerous?"

Jin Di shook his head regretfully, staring at the floor.

"I don't know... but I have already lost the opportunity to eliminate this threat."

Shui Yang was quiet for a moment and finally spoke, "I noticed that she did not use her left hand a lot during our fight, and just now, from what I observed... is she injured?"

Jin Di nodded. Shui Yang lowered her head in depression. "No wonder..."

Jin Di understood what Shui Yang was depressed about. Even though Shui Yang was not one of the best fighters, but she was trained professionally. Her skill was considered above average, and yet she could not win over someone who was injured. This incident had definitely wounded her pride greatly.

Meng Yu trudged into her room and sat weakly on her bed. She quickly took off her outer layer robe and inspected her wounds. She had obviously overexerted herself today, but luckily, these are all just minor external wounds.

Looks like I cannot stay here any longer.

After treating and cleaning up her wounds, Meng Yu changed into a fresh pair of robes. It was already late at night when she was done. Instead of going to bed, she exited the room with a steely determination to leave the Yin manor. The courtyard that she was residing in was always quiet because no one stayed here except for her. She had just taken a few steps when she stopped in her track. Her gaze fell onto a silhouette standing calmly in the shadow on her right.

"Where are you going?"

Meng Yu did not answer as the owner of the voice walked up to her. His gentle face finally came to view under the lantern light. Calm as ever, he stopped three steps away from her.

"Mu Yin told me about what happened this evening. I am deeply sorry." He paused while examining her expression carefully. "Are you hurt?"

Meng Yu remained impassive as she studied him thoroughly. She has a lot of questions in her mind. Too many questions, but only one came out of her mouth.

"Why?"

"Why?" He repeated her question.

Meng Yu gave him a hard piercing stare. "If you have heard of what happened, then you shouldn't be so calm."

His smiled lightly at her and replied, "I am worried."

His gaze then stopped at her wounded arm from the fight earlier with Jin Di. She scoffed at him. "Instead of worrying about my wounds, you should be more worried about what kind of person you have brought into the manor."

He did not reply, but the mirth in his eyes was evident.

"Meng Yu, maybe you are right. Maybe I should be worried."

His calm demeanor annoyed her. She rolled her eyes at him. Seeing her reaction, he let out a soft chuckled and proceeded to explain.

"Since young, I am always surrounded by people like this. When you have gotten used to it, then you will no longer find it weird, or abnormal. You are not the first one I have met with such skills and mysterious background." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Instead, should it not be that you are the one who wanted to ask me why I have such weird friends?"

He gave her a wry smile and Meng Yu lowered her gaze in contemplation. There was a long pause, in which he looked at her, while she averted her gaze by staring into the distance.

"Zheng Qing Yao, was it me who are too suspicious of people?" She murmured softly after a while, as if to no one in particular, "Or was it you who are too trusting toward people?"

He gave her a wide grin. "Perhaps it is both, but I am someone who keeps his promise."

The sound of thunder roared across the sky. Both of them looked up at the cloudy dark sky quietly, standing side by side. There is no moon nor a single star on it, and it gave off a feeling of impending storm.

"Look like it is going to rain soon. You should go back to your room now. If you want to ask me questions, we will talk again tomorrow." He paused briefly and glanced at her. "Have you eaten yet? If not, I will ask someone to send dinner to your room later."

Meng Yu turned around to observe him. He always had a very sincere look in his eyes. They said that the eyes are the windows to a person's soul, and from his eyes, she could never find anything that made her distrusted him. At the same time, she found that she could not read him at all.

In the end, she let out a sigh of resignation and walked back to her room without a word. At this point, saying anything more just seemed meaningless.

Looks like tonight is not a good time to leave the manor

Qing Yao watched her silently until her figure disappeared behind the door. Lowering his gaze, he then retreated into the darkness with a thoughtful expression on his face.