Chapter Sixteen: Judgment

Seeing Ye Xin’s respectful attitude, Deng Qiaoying was quite pleased. She then turned to Ye Ling and said, “Xiao Ling, show your brother around the house. I have to make a quick trip to the palace, and we’ll talk more when I get back.” Without waiting for Ye Ling’s reply, she lifted her skirt and hurried out.

“Mom… Mom… at least touch up your makeup first!” Ye Ling called after her anxiously.

Deng Qiaoying paid her no mind, simply waving her hand as she disappeared through the side door.

Ye Ling let out a long sigh and turned her gaze to Ye Xin.

“Aunt is going to the palace for what?” Ye Xin asked softly.

“Brother, are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending? I thought after all those years training outside, you’d be more mature!” Ye Ling looked at him with exasperation. “You brought disaster upon us back then, then escaped from the Heaven’s Sin Battalion—one crime on top of another! Now that you’ve returned, if the palace still holds a grudge, all it takes is a word and the patrols will come to arrest you! Once it comes to that, it’ll be too late for us to do anything. So someone must go to the palace, find people to speak on your behalf—better yet, to see the Sovereign in person, talk about all the Ye family has suffered these past years, and maybe, if the Sovereign is moved, out of respect for our uncle’s decades of service in battle, he’ll let you off this once.”

“I see…” Ye Xin blinked. He had always thought Deng Qiaoying was the one in charge of the Ye family these past years, but now, hearing Ye Ling’s clear and thorough analysis, it seemed she was the true mastermind.

“Brother, I don’t have time to keep you company,” Ye Ling went on. “Baiqi, I’m leaving my brother to you two. Make sure you keep a close eye on him—don’t let him wander off.”

“Rest assured, miss,” replied the young man on the left, with a square face and thick brows.

“Xiao Ling, where are you off to?” Ye Xin asked.

“We can’t put all our eggs in one basket. If the way through the palace doesn’t work, we’ll need another plan,” Ye Ling replied. “I have to hurry back to Longteng Martial Academy to find a few friends.”

“Longteng Martial Academy? Xiao Ling, you’ve become so impressive!” Ye Xin exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Ling rolled her eyes. “Brother, please, I’m begging you—just behave yourself for a few days, alright? Don’t cause any more trouble for the Ye family!”

“I know, I know. Go on, then.” Ye Xin waved her off.

Shaking her head, Ye Ling turned and walked toward the inner courtyard.

Ye Xin’s gaze swept over Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei. He said breezily, “You two, come walk around with me.” With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and strolled off toward his old quarters.

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei said nothing, their faces calm as they followed behind. Meanwhile, the old servants nearby looked on with hollow, despairing eyes. Both Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei were intermediate innate martial artists, each possessing their own signature skills, and at not even twenty years of age, their futures were bright. Deng Qiaoying and Ye Ling had always treated them with respect, and all the prominent families outside were vying to win them over, hoping to poach them from the Ye family. Even Tiexin Sheng paid them great attention—who would dare speak to them so offhandedly?

In the army, Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei would be more than qualified to command troops. But Ye Xin, with not a trace of his former prodigal airs gone, treated the Ye family’s last hope so brashly—perhaps the Ye family truly was finished, with no hope left.

A few minutes later, Ye Xin reached his old courtyard and glanced around. Though it had been kept reasonably tidy, it was clear from the cold, desolate air that it had long been uninhabited.

“Xiao Bai, looks like you two have done quite well for yourselves,” Ye Xin said, sitting down on a stone stool and smiling.

Xue Baiqi first held his breath, listening carefully to his surroundings, then sighed. “My lord, that’s a bit unfair. You entrusted your family to us—how could we dare be careless? Even sleeping, I keep one eye open. If anything happened, we’d never have the face to see you again.”

“You’re steady and thoughtful, skilled at winning through upright means—so that’s why I sent you to Jiuding City and him to the other side,” Ye Xin replied.

Within the Heaven’s Sin Battalion, there were the Ghost and Twin Riders, the Four Fiends, the Eight Tigers. Xue Baiqi was one of the Twin Riders, Hao Fei the leader of the Four Fiends—both indispensable arms to Ye Xin.

“My lord, isn’t your return a bit reckless?” Hao Fei suddenly asked. “Back then, you were the one who said… what was it… ‘a man is at the mercy of others’? Jiuding City is Tiexin Sheng’s stronghold—coming back is like walking into a trap. Your life and death are in Tiexin Sheng’s hands!”

“Not so,” Ye Xin said with a smile, tapping his temple. “There’s always a pattern to how this thing thinks, how it judges.”

“My lord, just tell us plainly—stop keeping us in suspense!” Xue Baiqi said with a wry smile.

“Tiexin Sheng has always wanted to be a wise ruler, so all his logic revolves around that. Once you understand this, you can predict his actions,” Ye Xin explained.

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei listened intently. Through a year of battles and flight across the Dazhao Kingdom, every time they faced danger, Ye Xin had always made the most accurate, swift decisions, leading them from despair to hope. Their faith in him was unshakeable—indeed, it had become a kind of belief.

Thus, whenever Ye Xin analyzed the enemy’s moves, they gave him their full attention, hoping to grasp every word, every nuance.

“Hey… don’t just stand there like statues. Play along—at least ask ‘how can you tell?’ so I can continue my explanation!” Ye Xin sighed. “In this, you two are no match for Old Thirteen!”

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei exchanged helpless smiles, then Xue Baiqi said, “My lord, I’ve noticed your temperament seems to have changed a bit. You never used to joke like this.”

“It’s not a joke. I just need to get into character ahead of time. For the next while, I have to play the role of a true wastrel. I need to start working up the mood and hypnotize myself, or when trouble comes, I might not act naturally,” Ye Xin paused and sighed. “But… this can only be done sparingly. If I keep hypnotizing myself, one day I might really forget who I am.”

Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei only half understood. They’d heard Ye Xin say things before that they could not comprehend, which only made him more enigmatic in their eyes.

“Where were we?” Ye Xin tapped his forehead.

“My lord, you said you could predict what Tiexin Sheng would do,” Xue Baiqi prompted.

“Right, right…” After a moment’s silence, Ye Xin continued, “My father served the country for over twenty years. Even if he didn’t have great achievements, he certainly suffered for the nation. Tiexin Sheng wants to be a wise ruler, but my father crossed too many lines, and… well, so Tiexin Sheng had no choice but to strike hard.”

“Tiexin Sheng knows this is a shameful deed, so even though everyone understands what’s really going on, he always denies any involvement,” Ye Xin smiled. “In other words, Tiexin Sheng has a sense of shame. Such a man isn’t truly frightening. The truly terrifying ones are those without shame, without boundaries. If I can defeat such a person by my own strength, I would strike without hesitation; if not, I’d stay far away and avoid all contact.”

If anyone else had so lightly dismissed Tiexin Sheng in Jiuding City, Xue Baiqi and Hao Fei would have found it absurd. But coming from Ye Xin, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Since he has a sense of shame, things are easier. I’m the only legitimate heir to the Ye family. He just brought down my father, and now he wants to strike at me? Isn’t that too much?” Ye Xin said. “As a sovereign, whatever he does, he must weigh two things: the benefits and the costs. What am I to him? What threat do I pose? Killing me would give him a few days’ satisfaction, but what about the harm? The noble families in Jiuding City all know my father repeatedly crossed Tiexin Sheng, forcing him to make a decision. They may think him ruthless, but they accept it. But if he wipes out my whole family, that would be too extreme. It would chill the hearts of every noble house, and the impact would last a long time. And even if he doesn’t care about their opinions, what about the Wolf Legion? The Wolf Legion was only dispersed, not destroyed—the veteran warriors haven’t all given up. Is Wei Juan certain to defeat Xiao Mozhi? Shouldn’t a true sovereign always leave himself a backup plan? If Wei Juan fails, he’ll need to reassemble the Wolf Legion! If he kills me, who in the Wolf Legion would still serve him? That’s why my second uncle is only imprisoned in the dungeon—anyone else would already be dead.”

“My lord, so… Tiexin Sheng harbors no murderous intent toward you?” Xue Baiqi asked.

“Not necessarily,” Ye Xin replied. “It depends on his actions.”

“What actions?” Xue Baiqi pressed.

“I should be safe for the next six months—otherwise, how would I dare return?” Ye Xin said. “After that… he’ll act according to his logic. If he rebukes me harshly, it means he’s feeling compassion and wants to leave the Ye family a root. If he lets me run wild in Jiuding City, pretending not to see me, then he truly wants me dead—just waiting for the right moment.”

“What moment?” Hao Fei asked.

“If I continue as the wastrel I once was, causing endless trouble, one day I’ll provoke enough outrage that he can raise the executioner’s blade. By then, he’ll be the embodiment of justice and I’ll be the one everyone wants dead,” Ye Xin said slowly. “People are forgetful. Now some still remember my father’s achievements, but as time passes, they’ll only recall my misdeeds. When Tiexin Sheng finally kills me, he’ll win the city’s applause.”

“My lord, I don’t understand—why must you go around causing trouble? If you started anew now, inherited the Ye family and set it on the right path, Tiexin Sheng would have no reason to kill you,” Hao Fei said.

“Oh, come on—how eager are you for my death?” Ye Xin exclaimed. “Everything I’ve said depends on one crucial condition: I pose no threat to Tiexin Sheng! The noble families pity me because I’m weak and powerless! If I show my true strength and start rebuilding the Wolf Legion, becoming a potential destabilizing force in the kingdom, do you think Tiexin Sheng would tolerate me? Who knows if I’d try to avenge my father?”