I did not want to discuss that matter anymore, so I changed the subject.
"Lord Ruan, I heard you've investigated the assassination attempt on me before. Have you found out the mastermind?"
He smirked. "Don't worry about that. I've already taken care of it."
The cold tone of his voice made me shiver. "What did you do?"
"Sent him to the execution chamber, of course."
"D-do you mind telling me who he is?"
"You really have no idea?"
I shook my head.
"A-Fan." He drew a deep breath as if he was getting tired of my ignorance. "There was only one person who had been rude to you. You shouldn't forget those people who offend you, because most likely, they have wicked intentions toward you."
I tried to recall all the people that I had met along the way since I arrived in the capital. Aside from that terrifying princess, everyone had been nice to me especially in the presence of Ruan Yanjun, except for one.
"Is it the imperial physician?" I asked.
"Very good. I was beginning to think you've lost your intelligence along with your martial arts."
I compressed my lips.
Compared to that imperial physician's discreet insults, this man's blunt sarcasm is ten times more offensive.
"Has it been proven that he was the one?" I asked.
"Do you distrust my judgment?"
I flushed.
Why did I ask such a stupid question? This is Ruan Yanjun, the real authority behind the great emperor. How could he make a mistake?
"Forgive me, my lord." I lowered my head. "I was not thinking properly."
He smirked. "I've accepted the fact that you've lost your martial arts, but you should retain your brain, otherwise, you'll be of no use to me."
I suppressed the urge to glare at him.
This man is really unbearable.
"That physician was actually the one who prescribed your so-called destructive drug to the crown prince," he explained. "Since I was the one who brought you in, he knew that you were someone special. He feared that sooner or later, you'd discover the truth, so he tried to stop you. Unfortunately, he's left some clues behind which led the investigation to him. Last night, he wrote a written confession and then killed himself."
My jaw dropped. Although he had attempted to kill me, I still felt sorry for him. I could only fold my hands and close my eyes to wish peace for his soul.
He chortled. "Are you praying for him?"
"He may have done some terrible things, but in the end, he has decided to do the right thing. He deserves redemption."
He laughed. "A-Fan, he did not do that because he had a change of heart. He did that because he knew that his death was inevitable, especially after he learned about the crown prince's demise. He feared for his soul in the afterlife, so he confessed hoping doing so would exonerate him from his sins."
I looked at him in disbelief.
Even if that were true, I would never accuse a dead person of such a thing. He was already dead, so he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
"Lord Ruan, do you really see him in a wicked way?"
"I see every person in the same way," he returned. "Every person hides a certain evil within them and they only do good things to look good in the eyes of this hypocritical society, but their hearts are as black as the depth of the sea." He paused and looked at me for a long moment as if he was gauging me. "And that includes you."
His last words froze me. I had no idea why he saw me in such a way. "Have I done anything to his lordship that must have offended him?"
He huffed. "I must admit you are a rare one, but that's only because you haven't been fully exposed to the tyranny of the secular world just yet… It will come."
I lowered my head and decided not to prolong the subject anymore. I wasn't sure what had happened to him in the past that had convinced him that everyone was evil, but nothing that I would say could change that.
"Has Shao Wei received the medicine?" I asked instead, referring to the pills that I had refined two days ago to help Shao Wei recover faster.
"Shao Wei has not reported back to work yet. He's still resting. I've entrusted the medicine to Eunuch Zeng, so you don't have to worry about it. Shao Wei will get it soon."
I heaved a relieved sigh. "Thank you, my lord."
"You've given him those pills as a sign of gratitude for saving your life. I, too, saved your life, didn't I? So what do you have for me?"
Dumbfounded, my jaw dropped.
What can I possibly give this man that he does not already have?
"Lord Ruan was not injured during the fight, was he?" I replied.
"Of course, I was. After the fight, I suffered from qi deviation and until now I still have not fully recovered."
I smiled. Only a fool would believe that a level-three coreless assassin could give that much damage to an immortal. "That assassin must have been exceptional."
For a long moment, he remained silent, but I could tell that he was staring at me. "Alright. You've just paid your debt."
I frowned. "I don't understand."
"You have a beautiful smile," he retorted. "All the while, I thought you're incapable of smiling."
I quickly erased the smile off my face.
So what's so beautiful about a man's smile? Does he see me as a woman?
I discreetly moved an inch away from him.
I really should take extra precautions around this man. There were just so many things about him that I found peculiar.
Of all people, I was his unfortunate victim.