Chapter 56: The Rising Wind (Part Two)

When the little girl tugged at his sleeve, Long Yin gently patted her head. “You can’t speak?”
A fleeting sadness crossed her face. Then she opened her mouth, and Long Yin’s pupils contracted sharply—her tongue had been cut out! A flash of fury swept through his eyes. “Was it cut out by the Bai family?”
The girl nodded, two crystalline tears sliding down her cheeks. Long Yin’s brows drew together; he patted her head again. “Don’t worry, no one will ever hurt you again.”
She nodded, gripping his sleeve tighter. Long Yin let her hold on. Perhaps it was growing up with two elder sisters, being taught from a young age to respect women; his heart softened naturally towards women. When Yuan Shaolin emerged, he quietly uttered two words. “Dead.”
The little girl shrank back. This time, Long Yin took her hand himself. “Don’t be afraid, nothing will happen.”
Nothing will happen? How could that be? Yuan Shaolin’s face was expressionless as he asked, “What do we do next?”
Next? What Long Yin wanted most was to go to Lizhou, but would they let him go? He led the girl away. “Let’s return to the dormitory first.”
They had come quickly and left just as fast, but what had happened in between would be enough to stir a storm in Dexin, even all of Dezhou. The son of the Ni family’s patriarch and the son of the Bai family’s patriarch were dead in the dormitory. Two families not insignificant in Dezhou would never let this go.
Arriving at the dormitory, Yuan Shaolin’s body suddenly tensed, then he stared at the door in horror. Seeing this, Long Yin quickly retreated with the girl. Yuan Shaolin’s thumb pressed against his sword hilt, the blade slightly unsheathed, a chilling aura emanating as his internal energy surged. He took a deep breath; the sword flashed, and the door split in two with a crack.
Long Yin frowned. Who could it be? To come all the way to the dormitory—things were getting ever more dangerous.
“I haven’t spoken, so don’t come in!” Yuan Shaolin instructed, then cautiously eyed the gaping entrance, approaching it step by step. As Yuan Shaolin vanished from sight, Long Yin felt his heart rise with anxiety. The feeling of waiting helplessly was unbearable. The little girl seemed to sense something too, gazing up at Long Yin, even her breaths subdued.
Stillness, an overwhelming quiet. Long Yin narrowed his eyes, then released his spiritual power, as fine as silken threads, touching the door frame and creeping along the wall. Though confident in his spiritual abilities, he didn’t exclude the possibility of encountering someone sensitive to such things. Rounding the corner, Long Yin was startled by the feedback—Yuan Shaolin held his sword across his chest, staring intently as if facing off against something.
Long Yin gritted his teeth, carefully moving his spiritual power, but in the next moment, he withdrew it in alarm. As he pulled back, he felt a gaze as sharp as a blade. The figure in the darkness glanced lightly, yet the force was immense. Long Yin’s heart pounded with fear.
After pondering, he patted the girl’s head. “Stay here. I’ll come out to get you in a moment, all right?”
She hesitated, but released his sleeve and nodded. Long Yin smiled, then looked toward the dormitory. Even if there were monsters inside, he had to go in—His Highness could never defeat the opponent. From the earlier glance, Long Yin knew their combat abilities were not even comparable; the figure could easily dispatch His Highness, but had not acted. Why hadn’t he? To find the answer, Long Yin could only enter himself. He drew from his space the card tailored for him, and entered without hesitation.
Inside, Yuan Shaolin’s brows knitted, anxiety flickering in his eyes. He scolded, “Didn’t I tell you not to come in unless I called?”
“I thought you’d fainted, and since you didn’t come out after so long, I came in.” Long Yin made up an excuse, then glanced at the corner. “What is it you want?”
The figure moved. Yuan Shaolin felt his hair stand on end, but then the person slowly revealed himself. Yuan Shaolin sensed the figure’s strength and murderous air, but not a hint of hostility—this was why he hadn’t struck.
As soon as the figure appeared, Long Yin felt a familiar sensation. The person knelt before him. “Wu Hen greets the young master!”
Long Yin frowned. “A member of the Long family?”
“Master Kalanen!”
Uncle? Long Yin inhaled deeply—again that mysterious uncle. He sent someone to find him? Knowing it was his uncle’s man, Long Yin relaxed and circled Wu Hen. “Are you a Card Beast?”
“No, human.” Wu Hen looked up at Long Yin. “Young master, the master asked me to tell you that Lord Cassano is unharmed!”
The news was so sudden that Long Yin, who had been quietly worried, didn’t know how to process it. After a long moment, he croaked, “Is it true?”
Wu Hen raised his head. “The master has never lied.”
Wu Hen’s demeanor couldn’t dampen Long Yin’s good mood. He smiled, eyes curving, and grabbed Wu Hen’s hand. “You’re my uncle’s man? How did my uncle know?”
Wu Hen’s tone carried irrepressible pride and fervor. “The master’s wonders are beyond explanation!”
Long Yin nodded. This uncle was indeed mysterious. If possible, he must meet him properly someday. This news completely dispelled his secret plan to return to Lizhou, and confirmed just how extraordinary his uncle truly was.
Wu Hen had arrived much earlier, observing nearby before anything happened, as his master had worried. The young master hid nothing from the cold, silver-haired man, and after confirming he posed no threat, Wu Hen finally revealed himself. Having fulfilled his task, Wu Hen departed.
After Wu Hen left, Yuan Shaolin glared coldly at Long Yin. Long Yin blinked several times, then gave an awkward smile. “Your Highness, there’s still Jianming’s sister outside. May I bring her in?”
He tried to move, but Yuan Shaolin grabbed his collar, yanking him close. “If he wanted to kill you, you were courting death just now!”
Long Yin smiled crookedly and blinked again. “But Your Highness, see? I’m perfectly fine!”
Yuan Shaolin felt a breath stuck in his chest, threw Long Yin aside, only to find Long Yin clinging stubbornly to his sleeve. Yuan Shaolin’s face turned cold. “Let go!”
Long Yin shook his head. “Sorry, please don’t be angry. You’ve been inside so long without a sound, I was worried about you…” Long Yin hesitated, muttering softly, “I used my spiritual power to scout ahead too…”
That only made things worse. Yuan Shaolin shouted furiously, “You dared use spiritual power to scout? You think you’re the only S-class in the Federation? You think others don’t have ways to counter it? Was your head caught in a door or kicked by a donkey? Don’t you realize how dangerous that was…”
Long Yin stared at Yuan Shaolin, amazed—so His Highness could scold people with such flair. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word, letting Yuan Shaolin vent his anger. After all, he was at fault, and Yuan Shaolin’s concern was the reason. Long Yin secretly smiled.
When Yuan Shaolin finished, he was stunned—had he lost control? Long Yin sincerely admitted his mistake, but it was Yuan Shaolin, the one who’d been scolding, who seemed most shaken. He walked back to his room, dazed, and this time Long Yin did not cling to his sleeve but watched him close the door, smiling from the heart.
Bringing the girl inside, Long Yin fretted about the gaping door, wondering when His Highness would recover from his shock and fix it.
The little girl seemed able to sense others’ true emotions easily. At this moment, she tugged at Long Yin’s sleeve, her eyes full of longing—could she see her brother?
Long Yin pondered briefly and agreed. “I can take you to see your brother, but you mustn’t cry, understand?”
She was startled, then nodded, as if promising absolutely not to cry.
Long Yin glanced at Yuan Shaolin’s room, then walked over and knocked. “Your Highness, we’re heading to the medical building…” Before he finished, the door opened. Yuan Shaolin’s face was cold, his gaze at Long Yin complex, then he silently brought over a new door and installed it.
Long Yin led the girl, occasionally looking at Yuan Shaolin. Your Highness, you recovered awfully quickly. Long Yin’s face betrayed his disappointment.
Yuan Shaolin shot Long Yin a cold glance, then withdrew his gaze, expressionless. Long Yin pouted. Your Highness, hiding is admitting. Is it so hard to accept me? Is it really okay for a man to be so sensitive?
When Long Yin brought the girl to the medical building, he found Gong Liangyi sitting blankly beside Jianming’s bed, staring at him, not noticing anyone’s arrival.
“Gong Liangyi!” Long Yin gently tapped his shoulder, but the reaction was dramatic—the man fell off his chair, looked up at Long Yin in confusion, his thick glasses askew, eyes wide in shock. His mouth hung open, still unsure what had happened. Long Yin awkwardly withdrew his hand. “You…”
Even clever Long Yin was at a loss for how to react.
It was only then that Gong Liangyi seemed to come to his senses, straightening his glasses and scrambling to his feet, looking at Long Yin with embarrassment. “You’re here!”
Long Yin suddenly found him amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. Gong Liangyi’s face turned crimson and, glancing around, he ducked into the bathroom, shutting the door with a bang. Long Yin clutched the bed frame, laughing until his waist bent.
Out of the corner of his eye, Long Yin noticed the little girl’s barely restrained expression, on the verge of tears. The laughter faded; he quietly stepped aside. The girl timidly reached out, holding Jianming’s mummified arm, lips pressed tight, sniffling, tears brimming yet refusing to fall. Long Yin felt a pang in his heart. These siblings had suffered much, nearly separated forever.
How had the Jian family incurred such calamity? Now, Jianming finally caught Long Yin’s attention—a man willing to make such sacrifices for his sister. No matter how flawed, such people always have redeeming qualities.
Long Yin left space for the siblings and quietly stepped outside. The girl kept her promise, not letting a single tear fall. Long Yin didn’t know what to say. Her character was obvious even in their brief acquaintance—strong, not inferior to any man.
He glanced at His Highness beside him. Leaning against the wall, Long Yin looked up and said, “Your Highness, we’ve reached a point of no return. Do you regret it?”
Yuan Shaolin sneered. “Regret for those two dead scoundrels? If you hadn’t stopped me, my sword wouldn’t have spared them!”
“True!” Long Yin nodded, then smiled. “When the enforcement squad arrives, please don’t hold back!”
Yuan Shaolin paused, then nodded. “All right.”
If trouble was coming, so be it. Now, he feared nothing more than trouble. Yuan Shaolin had accepted the Spirit Fox team from Ji Shaoqing, always wanting to test its power—perhaps now he would have the chance!