To them, Li Yan looked only seven or eight years older than themselves, yet he was already able to contend with the battle-hardened generals in the manor. This left the two of them utterly astonished. Having been raised in a martial family since childhood, they knew how difficult it was to practice martial arts. Despite their diligent efforts, their current skills were only at the lowest tier. Even second or third-rate martial artists, the bare minimum for roaming the martial world, could easily kill them. Yet this young man, not much older than themselves, was already comparable to the hundred-battle-hardened generals in the manor.
Li Yan, for his part, showed a hint of awkwardness on his face, as if he felt uncomfortable under their intense scrutiny.
"May I ask the Duke if our primary duties can be clarified?" Lian Pinghai bowed once more. He had long admired this Transformation Realm master before him. He had asked Lin Yuxing this question before, but Lin Yuxing had replied that this time, their duties would be assigned personally by the Duke himself.
"Oh, for daily matters, you will follow Yisheng's arrangements to ensure the security of the estate, day and night. In addition to that, you will also be responsible for the safety of Yuanying and Yuanyi. The basic arrangement will be one veteran paired with one newcomer. A veteran from the manor will lead one of you new guards in their protection detail. For other matters, you are to be on call and await my orders when I have temporary assignments."
Subsequently, Lin Yuxing introduced the young man and woman—Cui Yuanyi and Cui Yuanying—to Li Yan's group of four. They were exceptionally outstanding talents of the younger generation of the Cui family and were highly regarded by Cui Feng.
Cui Feng had two sons, and after they had started their own families, they had produced a total of thirteen descendants. As the family expanded further, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were now numerous. The family was now quite large, with forty to fifty great-grandchildren. The young pair before them were the cream of the crop, excelling in both literary and martial pursuits. They were greatly favored by Cui Feng, who had made an exception and allowed them to stay by his side, occasionally offering them personal guidance.
As a result, the two had become targets for Cui Feng's enemies and rival nations. They had faced several perilous situations, but Cui Feng had managed to resolve them each time. However, this, in turn, had made their situation even more dangerous. Cui Feng knew that the next assassination attempt would be even more vicious than the last. But before the two had matured enough, he couldn't be by their side to protect them at all times, which was why he had come up with the idea of recruiting Courtyard Guard Instructors.
Of course, he had other plans in mind as well, but those were not for outsiders to know. He was still undecided on whether he should even tell Li Yan.
Afterward, the Shi Ning couple asked a few more key questions, such as whether they had the authority to choose their own methods when guarding the courtyards and personnel. If they were to simply follow orders blindly, who would be responsible if something went wrong? They had come here for two reasons: one was to earn money, and the other was to get close to a martial arts grandmaster, hoping that an occasional word of guidance from him might be worth years of their own bitter cultivation. But they were not selling their lives here. This Duke Cui was known for his ruthless methods and for killing without a shred of emotion. They did not want to end up being executed for some reason after gaining little benefit.
These were questions that Lin Yuxing had been unable to answer before, as he did not have the authority to make such decisions. Thus, they had to wait for Cui Feng to answer them personally.
After some discussion, they all received the answers they wanted. Li Yan remained silent throughout, simply listening with a smile as the others asked and answered.
In the end, after some consideration, Lian Pinghai and the Shi Ning couple agreed to the terms and signed a one-year contract with the Duke's Manor. This served as a safety net for them; at worst, they could simply leave after a year. Li Yan, like the other three, also signed a one-year contract, giving the impression that he had come specifically to join Cui Feng.
Subsequently, the group began their daily duties.
Li Yan was paired with the thin old man, Bao Feiyu. His daily duty was to ensure the safety of the young girl named Cui Yuanying, but only when she was out and about; he was not needed at night. Although Cui Yuanying was young, she already held the title of County Princess. Li Yan was actually unfamiliar with the official ranks and titles of the mortal world, so he had no idea what the difference was between a "County Princess" and the "princesses" people often spoke of.
None of it mattered to him. He could see that Cui Feng valued these two descendants highly, and his assignment was to secretly provide them with extra protection. This way, he wouldn't have to do much else.
Lian Pinghai, who had entered the manor at the same time, was assigned to follow Song Duan and guard Cui Yuanyi. The Shi Ning couple, in addition to patrolling the Duke's Manor, had to stay by Cui Feng's side at all times, ready to be dispatched at a moment's notice.
Originally, Cui Feng had wanted to publicly assign Li Yan to his side, allowing him to arrange his own affairs as he pleased. With Li Yan nearby, Cui Feng was thinking about how he could persuade him to return to a court official position.
Li Yan immediately saw through his intentions and rejected the proposal, suggesting that Cui Feng assign him some tasks instead. If he were to stay by his side, combined with their previously mentioned connection, it would attract too much attention, which he was unwilling to accept. He would simply leave.
Hearing this, Cui Feng could only acquiesce to Li Yan's wishes. In truth, Li Yan had no intention of leaving this place easily. The appearance of this Cui Feng was too strange. He needed to investigate the matter thoroughly. Otherwise, he would never know if he was still in the underground secret grotto on the Verdant Continent or had truly returned to the Desolate Moon Continent. An illusionary realm was called such because one was unaware of being in it. Even though Li Yan felt that this was probably not an illusion, he needed to find the reason to truly confirm it.
The following days for Li Yan were rather peaceful.
The thin old man, Bao Feiyu, was a man of few words, which pleased Li Yan greatly. He disliked people who were constantly prying for information. Bao Feiyu was one of Cui Feng's trusted confidants, and as a master assassin, his reticence was a defining trait. Although he was very curious about Zhang Ming, he never suggested they spar or anything of the sort. The two would only occasionally discuss some aspects of martial arts when they were on duty together.
To this, Li Yan was able to respond fluently. He had spent some time in the mortal world as a caravan guard in previous years. To avoid revealing his identity, he had secretly infiltrated some so-called martial arts sects and had read many of their martial arts manuals. Although the power of these techniques was worlds apart from immortal arts, Li Yan had gained some insights from them. Martial arts, in the end, were also a way to unlock or strengthen the unknown potential of the human body, which was somewhat similar to the purpose of cultivation. With his memory, Li Yan had naturally memorized everything he had seen, whether rudimentary or profound.
It was only then that Bao Feiyu realized the young man before him was indeed hiding a great deal and was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
Cui Yuanying and Cui Yuanyi were walking through a corridor in the manor, having just finished the first half of their morning lessons.
"Sister Ying, are you confident about the archery exam later?" the chubby Cui Yuanyi asked with a long face. Besides their regular lessons, they also had to study rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Of all these, Cui Yuanyi feared practicing martial arts the most, and by extension, he disliked archery as well.
But after every exam, their tutors would report the results to Cui Feng without any concealment. If they received a 'B' grade twice in a row, the lighter punishment was a scolding, while the heavier one was a caning. Not even Cui Yuanying was exempt.
"Hehe… Twenty-seventh Brother, have you been slacking off and neglecting your practice again? We're not going to war on a battlefield. All we need to do is pass. It's not that difficult!"
Cui Yuanying, walking ahead with her delicate, jade-like hands clasped behind her back, was skipping along merrily. The late spring noon sun slanted in from the side of the corridor, casting a warm and pleasant glow. The manor was in full bloom, and the rich fragrance of flowers filled the air, lifting her spirits even higher. Hearing his question, she couldn't help but turn back to look at the dejected little fatty.
Cui Yuanyi was a year younger than her and was ranked twenty-seventh in their generation, so she was quite used to flaunting her superiority as an older sister.
"Sister Ying, why does a girl like you have to practice these things? Wouldn't it be better to just learn embroidery, rites, and music?" Cui Yuanyi said sullenly. He was inferior to Cui Yuanying in both archery and martial arts. In contrast, he was very fond of poetry, literature, and mathematics. As a result, he had earned a reputation as a young talent since childhood, and his calligraphy was unmatched among his peers.
For any other child in the family, this would have been an outstanding achievement. But Cui Feng had singled out the two of them to stay by his side. As a result, Cui Yuanying fared better; she scored an 'A' in every subject. Although she was often at the lower end of the 'A' grade in some subjects, an 'A' was still an 'A'.
Cui Yuanyi, on the other hand, was miserable. With several 'B' grades, he was often punished. When the medicinal ointment was applied to his buttocks, he could only hiss in pain...
In Cui Yuanyi's view, if Cui Yuanying were like him, with a few 'B' grades, they would still be at the top among their peers. If that were the case, their great-grandfather would naturally have nothing to say, and his life would be much better. But Cui Yuanying got an 'A' in every subject. Although he was indeed slightly better than her in poetry and mathematics, he still often got punished. The thought of the cane landing on his backside was enough to ruin his mood.
"What 'Sister Ying'? What 'little'? You should call me Twenty-fifth Sister or just Sister Ying. As members of the Cui clan, we have a strong martial tradition, yet you are not interested in practicing martial arts. Great-grandfather wants us to be well-versed in both literary and martial arts, not to favor one over the other. Whether as a minister or a marshal, one must cultivate both to be able to command the world, serve the emperor, and protect the nation. Otherwise, you'll either be an armchair strategist or be reduced to a crude warrior who only knows how to kill!"
Cui Yuanying knitted her pretty brows, her slightly chubby face showing her displeasure. She hated it when people mentioned her young age. She began to lecture Cui Yuanyi, mimicking the tone Cui Feng sometimes used when reprimanding them.
"Alright, Sister Ying, Sister Ying, fine. Can you just tell me how to get through today's ordeal?" Cui Yuanyi's eyes darted around as he pleaded.
"Hmph, don't think I don't know your little scheme. You want me to mess up today as well, so we both fall below an 'A' grade. That way, great-grandfather might be more lenient, isn't that right?" Cui Yuanying knew exactly what her younger brother was thinking. She feigned anger and playfully tapped him on the head with her jade-like hand. She was already as cute as a porcelain doll, and this gesture made her seem even more adorable and endearing.
"Just this once! Sister Ying, if you help me, next time you need anything, I'll definitely do my best to help you!" Seeing his plan exposed, Cui Yuanyi quickly begged in a low voice. He truly had no confidence in today's archery exam.
"It's your own fault for not working hard. You have General Song and the others by your side. Aren't they all experts in this field? As long as you're willing to endure the hardship and listen to their guidance, even if you can't reach the top tier in martial arts and archery, getting an 'A' grade should still be no problem." Cui Yuanying couldn't help but lightly kick Cui Yuanyi's calf, saying this with dissatisfaction.