I escorted Yun Jian Tian back to the Lan Estate. Perhaps the existences beyond the fourth wall might scoff at me for not killing him. They would rage that I should eliminate the root of problem and prevent any chance of him taking revenge on me in future.
But I wasn't a psychopathic murderer who killed for such stupid reasons. I believed in giving everyone a chance. If he betrayed me in the future, then I would kill him then. If I died at his hands, then I deserved to die because I let my guard down and became complacent. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to kill somebody for something he didn't do or "might do in the future." I wasn't god. It wasn't my place to pass judgement.
Also, I was confident that I had a good read of Yun Jian Tian's character. He was the scholarly type who could differentiate between right and wrong. He knew that his father plotted the rebellion, not me. And he didn't appear to have the same ambition as his father and brother. If I turned out to be wrong and he attempted to take revenge on me, then I would just kill him. I was used to people backstabbing me in Heaven and Earth Sect, so I was always keeping an eye on other people.
Credit to him, he didn't beg or simply slump down for me to drag across the city. He walked on his own two feet, defeated but dignified.
"Sorry about that," I told him. Not because I was truly apologetic for annihilating his entire family, but because it was psychological warfare. I would rather win his heart than be forced to kill a talented and competent person. Why waste such a genius when I could make use of his talents for my own benefits (or the Lan family's benefits, but obviously what benefited them also benefited me)?
"No. My father forced your hand." As I expected, Yun Jian Tian wasn't the one-dimensional, raving and delusional antagonist who refused to accept reality. "He attacked you with the intent to kill. You were simply defending yourself."
He sighed and shook his head.
"I constantly advised him against taking this action, but he refused to heed me. And now he paid for his…mistakes with his life."
I had suspected as much. That was the main reason why I let him live. While the Yun family was running around, managing their private army and preparing to launch a coup d'état right before dawn, Yun Jian Tian had locked himself in his room as a sign of boycott, refusing to take part in it. There was no sign of him in the courtyard, and I spotted him unlocking the doors and running out when I started wiping out the Yun family members and their private army left and right.
"If only more of the Yun family members are more like you. I would have shown more mercy."
Yun Jian Tian hung his head. "Dad had always favored big bro. None of them took me seriously before big bro's death, believing that might was right. They would scorn me for studying and being a scholar."
"They were narrow-minded," I assured him. Yun Jian Tian said nothing, obviously harboring no intention of badmouthing his own family. I didn't press the issue. "I apologize for the heavy-handedness, but I will not allow anyone to threaten the Lan family."
"No, I understand." Yun Jian Tian sighed heavily. "If our roles were reversed, Dad would never have spared your life. They had every intention of killing the Lan family. I was there…I heard their plans. They would have…never mind."
I didn't press him. I could imagine Yun Hai and his relatives crowing about how they would violate my wife in front of me, driving me to despair, and then kill her. Then they would torture me slowly before finally putting me to a long, painful death.
Cultivation story villains were like that. Perhaps the reality was less exaggerated and my vivid imagination was running wild from reading too many web novels and manhua, but at the very least they would have planned to annihilate the entire Lan family, including me.
"What's this?" Father-in-law was the first to greet me, surrounded by an entourage of guards. He stared at Yun Jian Tian's miserable figure incredulously. "Why are you bringing Yun Jian Tian back to our home?"
"It's a long story." I sighed and placed a hand on the poor scholar's shoulder. "Jian Tian, you might want to tell my father-in-law everything. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Father-in-law's face darkened when he listened. He clenched his fists and trembled furiously. "Yun Hai, that bastard!"
"He's dead. All the evidence is at the Yun Estate, so if you go there, you can collect it."
"We'll do so immediately. Thank you for helping us put down this rebellion before it even started." Father-in-law placed both hands on my shoulders gratefully. He turned to glare at Yun Jian Tian. "What do we do about this brat?"
"He's my insider and helper. No harm is to befall him."
"…if you say so." Father-in-law didn't seem to trust him, but that was only natural. I raised a hand.
"I'll vouch for his loyalty. He went against his own family to help us, and a son should not pay for his father's crimes. As a small aside, it'll be a waste to get rid of someone of his intelligence, talent and upright character."
"All right then." Father-in-law nodded. "I'll leave the arrangements to you." He then turned to his guards. "Send a platoon to the Yun Estate and wall it off! We'll see what those bastards were up to." He turned back to me. "Hei Ye, you should rest."
"Sure. I'll arrange an accommodation for Jian Tian first."
"All right."
With that, the Yun family was settled, and we didn't have to worry about them again. After I assigned Yun Jian Tian to a room, I returned to my room, exhausted. It was only natural. I hadn't slept at all the whole night, having spent it tracking down and fighting the Yun family and their private army. Good thing I took them by surprise with Heaven and Earth Strike…if they had been better prepared or expected me or even knew of my Heaven and Earth techniques, they would have come up with countermeasures. The battle would have been a lot more difficult.
"Husband! Where did you go?!"
Lan Bei Er was holding her head, suffering from a mild hangover. She had panicked when she woke up and found that I wasn't around. The moment I entered the room, she jumped up and hurried toward me, even as I shut the door. Forgetting the hangover, she threw herself at me and hugged my waist tightly, sobbing.
"I was so worried! I thought you ran off somewhere!"
"Nah, I'm still here. I just went to settle accounts with the Yun family."
"Oh! I heard from the servants! What did you do?!" She pulled back to stare at me sternly. "Did you really confront them on your own!? That was so reckless!"
"Honestly, it's much easier to infiltrate their estate by myself than with an army at my back. If they had seen a large group of people approaching their manor, they would have prepared themselves. However, they didn't expect me to show up alone, so I was able to catch them entirely by surprise."
"Even so!" Lan Bei Er glared at me. "Don't do something so reckless again! What if you get hurt?"
"Then I'll ask my wife to heal me." I stroked her long hair and chuckled. "With you around, I never have to worry about injuries."
"You…" Lan Bei Er sighed and leaned against my chest. "Why would you go so far for me? Go so far for the Lan family?"
"Because you're my wife."
"You…" Lan Bei Er was at a loss for words. I cringed inwardly, wondering if I was being cheesy.
But that was my honest feeling. Some people might call me a simp, but they were just being pathetic and jealous. I wasn't some desperate guy overly attentive and submissive to my wife out of some failed hope of winning some kind of entitled sexual activity from her. I simply did stuff out of affection, not expecting anything in return. I didn't know if our love was mutual, but I knew that she at least had a favorable impression of me. And quite frankly, if the action was detrimental to me, then I wouldn't have done it. For example, if she demanded Yun Jian Tian's death over some petty grudge against the Yun family, I would overrule her.
I had my own principles, and as much as I love her, I wasn't going to bend over and say yes to her every request. Additionally, it benefited me to eliminate the Yun family and marry into the Lan family. There were a lot of advantages to being the castellan's son-in-law. Being in a position of power and influence, not to mention a significant amount of wealth, provided me with resources and a safe shelter. Much safer than hanging around in a demonic sect, having to keep one eye open for backstabbing sect mates wanting to steal my position.
Yeah, such dangers still existed even in orthodox sects and non-demonic cities, but frankly, the risk was not as high as if I were to remain in Heaven and Earth Sect. The difference was like heaven and earth. Literally.
"I'll make sure nobody can threaten the Lan family and put you in danger." I tightened the embrace. "So trust me."
"I don't know how to thank you…"
"What's there to thank? We're husband and wife. Your fate is mine, and my fate is yours. We're bound together by marriage and are already family. So don't treat me like an outsider and be so reserved."
Lan Bei Er was silent for a moment. Then she suddenly spun us around and shoved me backward. Caught off guard, I fell and landed on the bed, winded.
"Whoa! Wife, what are you doing?!"
I tried to get up and sit on the bed, only for my eyes to widen when I saw my wife undressing. Her light blue and white robes slipped off her pearly skin to pool at her feet. My jaw dropped as I ogled my wife's naked body for the first time.
Lan Bei Er stepped forward shyly, a hand on her chest as she blushed.
"Husband…I don't have any other way to thank you except…this…"
"No, wait! You don't have to! If you're not comfortable…"
"Just take off your clothes!" Lan Bei Er pounced on me and began yanking my clothes off. Pushing me down, she straddled me and took the lead, pressing our naked bodies together. The cool air of the room brushed against our heated flesh even as we clasped our hands and became one.
Well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination. I sure as hell am not going to narrate the private affair between me and my wife to you guys in great detail.
About an hour or so later, the both of us lay on the bed, spent. Lan Bei Er lay on top of me, asleep. I didn't blame her – she exerted herself greatly. Let's just say I'm a virgin, so she took the lead. Then again, she was also a virgin, so that wasn't an excuse, but…never mind. I preferred being at the bottom and allowing my wife to be at the top. Everyone had their preferred positions, so don't judge me. I don't care if your favorite is doggy style or missionary, so why should you care what my favorite is?
Brushing my fingers gently across Lan Bei Er's face, I vowed to myself to make her happy. Taking a deep breath, I carefully shifted her onto the bed and rose to get dressed.
I guess this was a happy end? I could end the story right here and readers would be satisfied…
At least that was what I thought, but while strolling through the corridor to check on Yun Jian Tian and how he was coping with his new job on his first day, I heard Hong Yao Yao land behind me.
"I've received confirmation," she said when I turned around to look at her. She smirked and raised a finger to her lips. "It seems that the person who hired the Night Raid assassin is Jian Shen."
"Looks like our guess is correct." I nodded. Whoops, the story wasn't going to end so soon after all. There were still scores to settle. My expression hardened and I grinned. "I'll be sure to pay him back in full for his little stunt."