'Jiaxing Garden?'
Chen Yi gazed at the contents on the panel. 'That Hidden Guard sure knows how to pick a spot,' he thought.
Of the ten estates in the rear courtyards of the Marquis's Mansion, only Jiaxing Garden had the most relaxed security, since Xiao Wan'er and Shen Huatang were away.
Chen Yi recalled what he had seen during his previous nightly visit to Jiaxing Garden. He knew the rockery pond was just over the wall from his Spring Lotus Garden, and his mind was made up.
For the sake of the Opportunity, he had to go see for himself who this so-called "Hidden Guard" was.
With this in mind, Chen Yi calmed himself and waited for the time it took an incense stick to burn. Once he was sure Xiaodie and the others were sound asleep, he quietly rose and left the wooden building again.
This time, thanks to his Wandering Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique, his movements were even more light and swift. It took him barely five breaths to reach the western wall of the Spring Lotus Garden.
He carefully scanned his surroundings. Seeing no movement from the Armored Warriors outside, he vaulted over the wall into Jiaxing Garden.
He failed to notice, however, that from within Xiao Jinghong's private chambers, someone had spotted him, their face etched with confusion.
'Brother-in-law, what are you doing sneaking over there?'
Pei Guanli tilted her head, thinking for a moment. A sly smile spread across her face as she, too, slipped out of her room and followed after Chen Yi.
「Meanwhile.」
Concealed by a thicket of bushes, Chen Yi hid in a corner of Jiaxing Garden, quietly waiting for the "Hidden Guard" to appear.
He had barely settled into his hiding spot when he saw a figure vault over the wall from the direction of the Spring Lotus Garden.
He first thought it was the Hidden Guard, but a closer look revealed it was Pei Guanli.
Chen Yi was speechless.
But this was obviously not the right time to call out to her. There was no telling if the Hidden Guard had already arrived in Jiaxing Garden.
Left with no choice, he tossed a small stone to make a faint sound.
Fortunately, Pei Guanli was clever enough to follow the sound. Upon seeing him, she opened her mouth to ask, "Bro—"
Before she could finish, Chen Yi clamped a hand over her mouth, pulled her into the bushes, and whispered close to her ear, "Be quiet and watch."
His warm breath made Pei Guanli's earlobe tingle, and she quickly waved her hands to show she understood.
Chen Yi let go and, without another word, pointed toward the rockery pond, motioning for her to watch and stay silent.
Pei Guanli looked where he was pointing. Although she didn't understand what she was supposed to be looking at, she knew she had to be quiet, so she obediently crouched beside him.
Chen Yi paid her no mind, his eyes glued to the rockery pond, waiting for the Hidden Guard to arrive.
As they waited in the quiet bushes, Pei Guanli found herself inexplicably recalling the warmth of his breath by her ear, and her heart was still pounding.
She touched her flushed cheeks and glanced at Chen Yi.
Seeing his calm expression, his gaze fixed on the nearby pond, Pei Guanli could only press a hand to her chest, secretly taking a deep breath and exhaling to try and calm herself.
'You're so pathetic, Pei Guanli. Have you never seen a man before?'
'Besides, he's Sister Jinghong's husband... Stop. Don't think about it!'
Lost in her chaotic thoughts, Pei Guanli didn't notice that a burly figure had already slipped into Jiaxing Garden.
Chen Yi spotted the newcomer instantly. He held his breath and focused, his eyes locked on the man, a faint sense of familiarity stirring within him.
'Who is it?'
He hadn't interacted with many of the Armored Warriors in the Marquis's Mansion. Other than Wang Lixing's group, there were only the few Guards who had escorted him to the South City of Shu State that day.
Running through the possibilities, a particular figure flashed in Chen Yi's mind. 'Could it be him?'
Soon, as the figure came to a stop in the pavilion beside the rockery pond, Chen Yi confirmed his suspicion.
Even though the man wore armor, a helmet, and a face guard, Chen Yi was certain it was Liu Si'er, the man who had driven their carriage before!
'Brother Si? Heh, a Personal Guard of the Marquis's Mansion, handpicked from the army, is actually a spy who's been hidden for years.'
Only then did Pei Guanli notice someone by the rockery. Startled, she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, nearly crying out in alarm.
She glanced at Chen Yi and saw his grave expression. Seeing he wasn't moving, she quickly shrank back even further, terrified of being discovered.
A moment later, after scanning the area with eyes as sharp as a falcon's, Liu Si'er deftly pulled a stack of papers from his robes and stuffed them into a crevice on the underside of the pavilion's exterior.
Once he was done, he observed his surroundings one more time before walking out through Jiaxing Garden's main gate.
Seeing this, Pei Guanli was about to move, but Chen Yi stopped her, placing a hand on the nape of her neck and leaning in to whisper:
"Don't move. Wait a little longer."
His breath made her feel a little dizzy. She hurriedly clutched the bell on her neck and nodded her little head.
Barely ten breaths later, Liu Si'er returned. Like a phantom, he stood in the shadows by the entrance, scanning the area.
After confirming he hadn't missed anything, his gaze relaxed. He gave a slight shake of his head and left Jiaxing Garden again.
But Chen Yi still didn't move, his hand keeping Pei Guanli in place.
It wasn't that he was being paranoid, nor that he had any special knowledge about the "Hidden Guards" in the Marquis's Mansion.
It was simply that he still hadn't received the notification for obtaining the Opportunity.
Sure enough, after nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Liu Si'er returned to Jiaxing Garden for a second time. He headed straight for the rockery pond, even leaning out to pat the spot with the secret dispatch under the pavilion before finally leaving, seemingly assured.
[Witnessed the agile caution and phantom-like body technique of the Marquis's Mansion's Hidden Guard, comprehending the mysteries of his technique. Reward: Wandering Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique upgraded to the Profound Tier. Opportunity +12.]
[Evaluation: The man arrived, the sounds were heard, the scene was witnessed, but the thieving vibe remains overwhelming. Truly a person of base instincts.]
As the illusory text flashed before his eyes, new information about the Wandering Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique flooded Chen Yi's mind.
Since he had already been cultivating this body technique, it only took him a moment of reflection to comprehend the differences. He was confident it wouldn't take long to advance his mastery of the new Wandering Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Chen Yi stood up.
After scanning the area one last time, he walked straight toward the pavilion.
Seeing him move, Pei Guanli snapped out of her daze and hurried after him. "Brother-in-law, you're amazing!"
"How did you know he would come back? Had you already discovered him? Is that why you know him so well?"
"Who is he? Is he a spy hiding in the Marquis's Mansion? Can I tell Sister Jinghong?"
Her chatter gave Chen Yi a headache. He frowned. "Be quiet."
Pei Guanli obediently fell silent, but she couldn't suppress her excitement.
In that brief moment, her mind had already concocted the script for a shockingly tragic and beautiful romance about silent, unrequited devotion.
'Her brother-in-law was clearly a man of great skill, yet for the sake of "love," he had willingly married into the Xiao Family for Sister Jinghong. It was simply incredible!'
'When Sister Jinghong finds out, she'll definitely be moved, right?'
As if she had discovered a grand secret, Pei Guanli followed closely behind Chen Yi. Watching him retrieve something from under the pavilion, she couldn't help but lean in for a closer look.
"Brother-in-law, what is this?"
The secret dispatch contained only four lines of text, twenty-eight characters in total, but it was written in some kind of code, with characters like "A-1" and "B-C-3."
Chen Yi shook his head. He didn't know, either.
It was clearly a coded message that required a cipher to be deciphered. Without the corresponding key, there was no way to crack its contents in a short amount of time.
After a moment of thought, he had an idea.
He immediately returned to his study, found a brush and ink, and added a few words to the dispatch before placing it back under the pavilion.
Pei Guanli followed him quietly the entire time. When she saw the words he added, she tried to hold it in, but couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Brother-in-law, you... you're so wicked! Haha..."