Confession

The next morning, the memorial about the case was placed on the emperor's desk. Pei Yingguan and the other captains involved in the case each submitted a memorial. After reading them all, the emperor had a clear understanding of the case.

After Yuan Kong's death, many of his fellow apprentices, filled with resentment, resigned from their positions and left. Unwilling to leave, seven of them pledged to assassinate the Dragon Guards to avenge Yuan Kong. They lurked in Shendu and Chang'an, learning the identities, strengths, and locations of the Dragon Guards before executing their planned assassinations. If successful, their plan would trigger a formation powered by the souls of the victims, bringing a curse upon all cultivators in Chang'an. With the exception of Xiao Wan'er, who had already reached the Transcendent Realm, the lives of all but one would be in jeopardy.

"To think there's such a formation in Buddhism," the emperor muttered to himself as he watched. Yuan Hui then explained that this formation was something Huai Ming had seized when he eradicated the evil monk. He couldn't help but laugh, "Yuan Hui is truly cautious."

Although the case was of a serious nature, it was discovered, responded to and handled quickly. It was closed within a day and did not cause major losses. The reports from the deputy commander and several captains also pieced together the case in its entirety, and it was impeccable from beginning to end.

"They deserve rewards." After the emperor finished reviewing the memorials, he called the eunuchs and gave rewards to the people who submitted the memorials.

Xiao Wan'er received a sword from the emperor at the government office. After returning home, she unsheathed the sword, wielded it for a while, and then, with great satisfaction, made it her own weapon.

With this imperially bestowed sword, Xiao Wan'er served peacefully until the end of the year. As the year drew to a close, all the captains of the Shenlong Guards stationed outside Chang'an had to report on their duties, including Liu Mingyin.

"Senior Sister, I'm here!"

Xiao Wan'er was brandishing a knife in the courtyard when a familiar sound came from outside. Then, Liu Mingyin pushed the door open and walked into the courtyard. He walked and looked around, and soon he had taken in the entire house.

"This house is much smaller than the one in Dongdu."

"Living in Chang'an is already difficult, and having a house is already quite good," Xiao Wan'er said immediately. "After His Majesty moved the capital, housing in Chang'an has become even more difficult to find."

She pointed to an empty room and asked Liu Mingyin to go in: "This is the room reserved for you. You can stay here for the next few days."

"Okay!" Liu Mingyin walked into the empty room near the corner. From time to time, the sound of people packing luggage could be heard from the room.

Xiao Wan'er couldn't swing her knife after Liu Mingyin's interruption, so she simply sat cross-legged in the yard to regulate her breathing. When the sound of people tidying up things in the house faded, Liu Mingyin came out and called out to him.

"It's been a while since we've practiced together. Want to fight?"

Liu Mingyin's eyes immediately lit up and he quickly came over.

"Please teach me, Senior Sister!"

Just like Liuyun before, Xiao Wan'er suppressed her cultivation back to the Dao Entry Realm. In the courtyard, the flashes of swords and the radiance of magic shone brightly. By the end of the fight, Liu Mingyin was panting and Xiao Wan'er was sweating profusely.

"Let's stop here." Xiao Wan'er called for a stop, and Liu Mingyin withdrew his hand very obediently.

She raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her face, feeling sad that even though she was suppressing her cultivation, she couldn't be as at ease as Liuyun.

After putting away the knife, Liu Mingyin moved closer to her, his eyes sparkling with stars, looking at her expectantly.

"Senior Sister, have I made any progress in the past few months?"

"Yes, there has been considerable progress." Indeed, hard work has been put in as the letter stated.

Liu Mingyin's eyes brightened after hearing this.

"Senior Sister, I have something to tell you."

He took a deep breath and looked at Xiao Wan'er solemnly. Just as he was about to say something, the door suddenly opened and Pei Yingguan appeared at the door carrying a lunch box.

Liu Mingyin's words stopped in her mouth and she couldn't say any more.

Xiao Wan'er didn't realize what she had missed. She only asked Pei Yingguan, "Junior brother, are you back? Is the food you bought enough? If not, I'll make some more."

"That's enough. I knew he was going back to Chang'an to report on his work before I even got off duty." Pei Yingguan walked into the main room carrying a lunch box. Together with Xiao Wan'er, he set aside the table, opened the lunch box, and placed the food on the table one by one.

He pretended not to notice Liu Mingyin's hesitation and told him to sit down and eat. Liu Mingyin swallowed his words again, but he was really absent-minded while eating.

"I heard that Junior Brother has been practicing hard recently?" Pei Yingguan mentioned it casually during the meal. "You are in Chang'an these few days. If you have time, we can have a sparring match."

"Okay, I'm also looking forward to fighting with you, brother." Liu Mingyin responded with fighting spirit.

Xiao Wan'er could see the two of them practicing almost every day after that, and that was until New Year's Eve.

As the first New Year's Eve banquet since he ascended the throne and moved the capital to Chang'an, the emperor made an exception and invited a number of ministers who had returned to Beijing to report on their work to attend the banquet, including Liu Mingyin.

The banquet was held in the Linde Hall. Due to the large number of officials in attendance, seating was arranged according to rank and office. Pei Yingguan, deputy commander of the Shenlong Guard, sat in the front row, while Xiao Wan'er and Liu Mingyin, both captains, sat in the same row, next to each other. After the ministers gradually took their seats, the Emperor, accompanied by the Empress, ascended the main seat.

After the banquet was announced, the palace servants brought out dishes one by one. With the change of the emperor, the old rules were also modified. This time, the palace banquet included many more meat dishes. Dozens of dishes were laid out on the table, including rice, snacks, vegetables, soups, and a wide variety of delicacies from land and sea, livestock and poultry. Everyone present enjoyed the meal with great relish.

After the banquet, Xiao Wan'er took the uneaten piece of gold and silver flowered flat-cut pork from her plate, cast an invisibility spell, and left with the others. The three disciples were all very full, and since their home was not far from the Daming Palace, they simply walked home. Reaching the door, Xiao Wan'er, having digested some of her food, removed her invisibility spell and, under Liu Mingyin's slightly surprised gaze, devoured the whole piece of gold and silver flowered flat-cut pork in her hand.

"Sister, don't you usually have enough to eat?"

"No, I've been fasting since I entered the Transcendent Realm," Xiao Wan'er answered confidently, "but this snack is so delicious, it would be a shame to leave it in the palace if I can't finish it."

Pei Yingguan glanced at them with an indescribable look, then pushed the door open and walked into the house first.

It was not yet midnight, so the three of them still had to stay up all night. Seeing Pei Yingguan was not there, Liu Mingyin walked over to Xiao Wan'er.

"Senior Sister...can you walk with me?" His hands were tightly grasping the hem of his clothes, but unfortunately Xiao Wan'er didn't see it.

Liu Mingyin's request was not difficult for Xiao Wan'er, and she agreed easily.

"Of course. Where would you like to go, brother?"

Liu Mingyin didn't answer, but continued walking with Xiao Wan'er. He didn't stop until they reached a corner, standing straight and looking at Xiao Wan'er anxiously.

"Is there something wrong, Junior Brother?"

Liu Mingyin hesitated for a long time before finally making up his mind, clenching his fists and saying what he had been holding back for days.

"Senior Sister, I have been fond of you for a long time."

"Ah?" Xiao Wan'er was stunned.

Since Xiao Wan'er entered Biyun Monastery in the first year of Tianshou, she had spent the past sixteen years, from a beginner to a powerful Transcendent Realm expert, completely absorbed in her cultivation, never once considering love. She had always considered Liu Mingyin a junior disciple brought back by her master, and that had never changed over the years. She had never imagined that he might one day develop feelings for her other than his. Liu Mingyin's words had left her stunned, and the harmonious atmosphere between them had suddenly turned cold.

She didn't need to say anything else, Liu Mingyin already knew the result.

He finally mustered up the courage and turned pale, but even so, he did not forget to apologize: "Sister, I'm sorry for disturbing you. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

It was not until then that Xiao Wan'er came back to her senses from her daze.

"Well, Junior Brother," she said awkwardly, "I've never thought about this question."

When Liu Mingyin was stopped by her, a little secret hope had risen in his heart. But when Xiao Wan'er said this, this little hope fell to the ground like glass and shattered into pieces.

He could hardly stand.

Fortunately, although Xiao Wan'er was not in the mood for love, she had no problem interacting with others. She knew that she should comfort Liu Mingyin who was rejected.

"Brother, don't be sad. I don't hate you. It's just that I've been concentrating on cultivation all these years, and after entering the court as an official, I had to take on duties, so I never paid attention to these things. From now on, we can still be like ordinary brothers and sisters."

Liu Mingyin nodded, but her smile was forced.

The two men walked silently to the front of the main house, one in front and one behind. Pei Yingguan was sitting in the main house with Tu Su wine in his hand. When he saw the two men, he invited them in to drink.

"Drink the Tusu wine first, and then go back to rest after midnight."

The two took the wine and drank it in silence. Pei Ying watched the two of them and sensed that the atmosphere was unusual.

"What happened to you two?"

"No." The unanimous answer confirmed Pei Yingguan's guess, but Xiao Wan'er and Liu Mingyin both kept silent, so he had no way of knowing.

"Forget it, go to bed early. There is a big court meeting in the morning."

Xiao Wan'er lay in bed, eyes open, not resting. She recalled Liu Mingyin from the moment he first met her, but she couldn't discern any trace of his affection for her. The only clue she had was in two letters he had sent her, each of varying lengths and thicknesses.

Xiao Wan'er turned over and put the matter out of her mind. After an hour of light sleep, she opened her eyes, changed into a phoenix robe and a flower tree crown, and went to attend the grand court meeting with her fellow disciples.

Liu Mingyin's condition wasn't great. He was depressed, with a faint dark tint under his eyes, and his steps were somewhat weak. Seeing this, Xiao Wan'er pressed his shoulders and channeled spiritual energy into him.

"Senior Sister—"

Facing his slightly surprised face, Xiao Wan'er said gently, "We're going to the grand court meeting, and we can't make any mistakes."

Liu Mingyin nodded silently, remaining silent on the way. By the time he arrived at the grand court meeting, everything was normal. The grand court meeting ended smoothly, and by the time he got home, Liu Mingyin had calmed down and was no longer unusual.

From then on, Xiao Wan'er could see Liu Mingyin and Pei Yingguan practicing every day until after the Lantern Festival, when all the officials who came to Chang'an to report on their work left.