Chapter 9 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

A few days after the attack at the market, Nghiêm Bạt Sương, Tạ Dịch Thần's companion, appeared at the small hospital with a serious expression that was different from his usual cheerful, liberal attitude. Khinh Vy was sitting in the yard with Vân Nhi drying medicine when she saw him rush in without even having time to perform the proper ceremony.

"Brother," Bạt Sương called Dịch Thần who was sitting nearby reading a book, his voice lowered but still loud enough for Khinh Vy to hear, "I just inquired, the three people who attacked the lady the other day were all members of an underground assassin organization operating in the black market south of the capital. What is worth mentioning is, half of the payment for this case was paid in advance, and the person who paid was a complete stranger, not a familiar person of any faction I have ever known," Hearing that, Khinh Vy further confirmed her suspicions. "A stranger paid in advance," she repeated, her eyes thoughtful, "which means the mastermind was very careful not to leave any traces directly implicating himself."

"That's right," Bạt Sương nodded, "but I also found one more clue. That A Hoan, after handing over the money, turned towards the main courtyard of the Ngan Palace. Although it cannot be confirmed with certainty, the possibility is very high that the person behind this case is closely related to the Second Miss or the Palace's aunt." Khinh Vy nodded slightly, her eyes showing little surprise. "I was thinking about that too." She turned to look at Dịch Thần, who had been sitting quietly listening until now. "You and brother Bạt Sương... you two seem to be much more knowledgeable about spying on underground information in the capital than I expected for someone who just came from the countryside."

Those words made the atmosphere in the yard suddenly become a bit awkward. Bạt Sương glanced at Dịch Thần, seemingly waiting for his reaction before trying to explain. Dịch Thần sighed softly, put down the book, looked at Khinh Vy with a rare seriousness.

"Madam," he said, his voice calm, "I know you have many doubts about me, and I also understand that my continuously avoiding the answer will only make you even more suspicious. But I hope you understand, there are things that, once said, cannot be taken back, and I need to make sure that the timing is right, without causing further danger to both you and me."

"I don't force you to say it right now," Khinh Vy replied, her voice gentle but sincere, "I just want you to know that, no matter who you are, no matter what secrets you have, I still trust you to be on my side in this war. That's the most important thing to me right now."

Dịch Thần looked at her, an emotion that was hard to hide flashed through his eyes. This was the first time, since leaving the Nine Heavens World to travel to earth, there was a mortal who saw through the abnormality in him, but still chose to believe instead of fear or stay away. That made the heart, which had been cold through countless years of loneliness at the pinnacle of power in the Nine Heavens World, suddenly feel an unusually warm feeling.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said softly, "I promise, one day I will tell you the whole truth, when the time is right."

Bạt Sương stood next to him, looking at that scene, smiling discreetly. It had been a long time since he had seen his brother, who always remained cold and aloof from all worldly things, have such a sincere moment in front of a mortal.

"So," Khinh Vy changed the direction of the conversation, her eyes returning to their usual sharpness, "what should we do next with the clue about that strange person?"

"I will continue to inquire more about that ahuan's identity," Bạt Sương replied, "but this will take time, because that assassin organization is very secretive, it is not easy to get information from them."

"Meanwhile," Khinh Vy said, "I also got another important clue." She briefly recounted the conversation with Kỳ Bá Thành, about the set of fake books related to the southern treasury tax that Triệu Nhã Trân asked him to prepare.

After listening to Dịch Thần and Bạt Sương, both were clearly surprised at the agility and meticulousness in the way Khinh Vy had quietly built her own information network in just a short time after the wedding.

"Madam is indeed not simple," Bạt Sương exclaimed, her voice full of admiration.

"I'm just trying to prepare as best as possible," Khinh Vy replied, smiling modestly, but in her heart she clearly understood that this was the biggest difference between her in this life and her previous life - careful preparation, being proactive instead of passively waiting for fate to arrange.

In the days that followed, Khinh Vy and Dịch Thần began to have more time together, not only in intense exploratory conversations but also in simple everyday moments. One afternoon, the two of them went out to the backyard together to take care of some newly planted flower bushes. Dịch Thần clumsily picked up a hoe and plowed the soil, causing Khinh Vy to laugh out loud - a genuine laugh, not at all forced, very different from the calm, calculating look she still maintained in front of others in the Ngan Palace.

"Have you really never worked in the fields before?" She asked, smiling while helping him adjust his position holding the hoe.

"I... used to have someone else do these things for me," Dịch Thần replied, a bit embarrassed, making Khinh Vy even more curious about his true background, but she didn't ask further, just smiled and enjoyed this rare moment of peace.

One night, when it suddenly rained heavily, Khinh Vy was worried because Vân Nhi was still outside and had not returned. Dịch Thần did not hesitate to take a lantern and go out alone in the rain to look for him, even though she stopped him because she was afraid he would catch a cold. When the two of them, Dịch Thần and Vân Nhi, returned wet but safe, Khinh Vy couldn't help but use a towel to dry his hair, a sincere gesture of care that she had never shown to anyone since her unjust death in her previous life.

"Thank you," she said, her voice unusually gentle, "for worrying so much about the family."

Dịch Thần looked at her, his eyes softened strangely. "That's the right thing to do. Besides, the lady and everyone in this small courtyard are equally important to me..." He stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly realizing he was about to say something that shouldn't be said at this time.

"Nothing less?" Khinh Vy asked, her eyes curious.

"Nothing," Dịch Thần avoided, smiling slightly, "I just feel that the simple life here, despite its poverty, brings me emotions that I have never had before."

Khinh Vy looked at him, an indescribable warm feeling arose in her heart. She knew that, although there were still many secrets yet to be revealed, the love between the two of them, from the initial cautious steps, had gradually transformed into a sincere bond, deeper than what she had ever imagined when deciding to choose him for the Grand Wedding.

That night, after Vân Nhi fell asleep, Khinh Vy sat by the window, looking out at the gradually fading rain outside, thinking about the journey ahead. She knows that the clues she is gathering - the fake books from Kỳ Bá Thành, information about the strange ape from Bạt Sương, along with the silent but powerful protection from Dịch Thần - are all gradually weaving a solid web, preparing for the inevitable confrontation with Khinh Tuyết and Âu Thế Khang in the future.

But she also understands that the road ahead will be even more thorny and dangerous, especially when the enemy, after the failure of the recent attack, will certainly not give up easily but will find other, more drastic ways to achieve their goals.

The next day, when Bạt Sương left to continue scouting for news, Khinh Vy took advantage of the time when there were only two people left in the yard to ask Dịch Thần a question that she had been cherishing for a long time. "You and brother Bạt Sương, have you two known each other for a long time? I see that brother treats you not just as an ordinary compatriot, but more like... a certain respect."

Dịch Thần paused for a moment, then smiled gently. "Bạt Sương and I have known each other for a long time. He once owed me a favor, so he always values that gratitude more than necessary. Don't pay too much attention to his address or attitude, ma'am." Khinh Vy nodded, not asking further, but in her heart she was even more certain that the relationship between those two men contained something far beyond the normal compatriot friendship that they still tried to show on the outside. She decided that instead of hastily questioning, she would wait patiently, letting time and trust gradually reveal the truth, just the way she had chosen since entering this marriage.