Chapter-18

Translator: Silvery Butterfly dHkLAHPxuBgSetdCJlmqfUEjvZFLqw

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The carriage swayed leisurely for an entire day, finally arriving at the Jin mansion by noon the next day.yVDpJlLKxSIsYSHiQIqVtzJzzKdVyh

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Just outside the city, they had sent a fast rider ahead to deliver the news. By the time the carriage rolled into the Jin mansion, a crowd had already gathered to welcome them.qMoRgdwfSuQjuGnCPxJeKFSxlPEWzh

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Xiao Bao jumped off the carriage, pretending to be as lively as ever, with his usual nonchalant smile.jveSaYuNKvhaRlrmrgwBdhcgXmivEA

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“Xiao Bao～～my son！！！！！” Madam Jin, seeing her son who had been missing for days, burst into tears and rushed over to hug him tightly, unwilling to let go. She checked him over with a worried look, “My son, are you hurt? You nearly worried your mother to death! You’re going to be the death of your parents!”rQFHRtGozWumlioydstFtlTcydwBDw

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Master Jin, too, approached with tears in his eyes, tenderly touching Xiao Bao’s face over and over again.wvdAIzouFpBwteCyNIQXrfINPrqWAH

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Xiao Bao maintained a big smile, comforting his parents by patting their backs. “Father, Mother, please don’t cry. I’m perfectly fine, nothing happened. I was just unconscious for a few days, no injuries. I’ll explain everything later. Please stop crying, be good.”GylLisIsNjMCvCRWQatWMdYKiHzpeo

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Master Jin, being the man of the house, managed to stop his tears first. Madam Jin, seeing that her son was indeed unharmed, felt much more relieved.QgDXBlhTmPEvWsjgjhLTFRBFjTVapJ

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It wasn’t an overreaction on their part. Their precious son had never experienced such an accident before. Whenever he traveled, he was always well-protected. When had he ever gone missing for three days? The Jin family had practically turned the area upside down searching for him. The two elders had been worried sick. If anything had happened to Xiao Bao, they wouldn’t have wanted to live anymore.AaJvRmERINmUKOGxVxJRbcExPzYstO

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Jin Xiao Yu also squeezed through the crowd, hugging Xiao Bao’s leg and crying. Xiao Bao picked up the little girl and comforted her until she finally broke into a smile.PcyBVstWjcXLTfLmhWQKIKdmMJNtdC

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“You little rascal, what exactly happened these past few days? Tell me everything,” Master Jin said sternly, looking at him.bQaJWGIugBStQGQPdYeoUZGyKLQrXW

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If this incident had been orchestrated, he needed to eliminate any potential danger to his son immediately. If it was an accident, those responsible for his son’s suffering wouldn’t get away with it.MzZJgNYsCAjpBXJMaLSqLqYLAsEChH

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“Father, don’t worry. Let me have a drink first, and I’ll tell you everything slowly. Don’t get anxious.” Xiao Bao had already come up with several reasons, and making things up was second nature to him.YxYcXThjEtGmdbEBYBhHJAXvMKnhNL

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As he was about to lead his parents inside, a servant suddenly shouted, “Young Master Su is back.”qtFzESdYYwFIlUxWgdVyscoRoStEwO

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Xiao Bao turned around in surprise and saw none other than Su Yin walking in gracefully at the entrance.nItKqSpSNSuZoEIxbWoexYjMwKraqc

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Su Yin, dressed in a dark blue robe embroidered with gold cloud and fish patterns, exuded an aura of nobility. His tall and elegant figure, extraordinary handsome features, and regal bearing with every step made him impossible to ignore. His thin lips held a slight smile, and his expression was somewhat cynical, but his sharp phoenix eyes gleamed with intelligence.tdHTsJmXNDpewihDxZLaUFhKWAJxum

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Some people are born to attract attention, like Huai En and Su Yin, this childhood friend whom he had envied since he understood what jealousy was.eFSsofQeCsztieXrMgFNBCRQgSmzXE

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“Su Yin! Why are you here?”ODLyqLrNYfIwKzlamGJyAuZfvhSENM

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Master Jin quickly explained, “I sent someone to the Su family. I couldn’t find you and was so worried, so I asked the Su family for help.”vabHzmJVbEjPuGoAVEbbZmxwAILjnb

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Xiao Bao pouted, a bit unhappy, but knowing how worried his parents must have been during his disappearance, he held back from saying anything.JRZzMVEprYXysQfOMcqxTIQwBYLrYO

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Su Yin was his best friend, though only Xiao Bao thought so. He was aware of this.TScNuqoZxrgrlOvxxqWvyMeGQUJraM

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His feelings toward Su Yin were incredibly complex.WKWkBBLTEpoJrQyxQegTUQEKkpHorO

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Jealousy, in every aspect.XaeYLdrAyvMBNDiwBnaXoQUQphnpMN

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If there was someone who was the same gender, age, and fame as you but excelled in every way, crowned as the most handsome man in the martial world at fourteen, the grandson of a prince, and the son of the Wulin Alliance Leader with an untouchable status, unmatched in martial arts among his peers, and already renowned for his chivalry at a young age—that alone was enough. But this person also had close ties with you since childhood due to business dealings between the previous generation, making you constantly compared to him and losing every comparison. How could you not be jealous? Growing up in the same era as such a person was the sorrow of all the rising stars in the martial world.QPEZwVtNobVMvxKbzQRfcZOGfLnIev

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Yet, he also admired him. His handsome appearance, extraordinary courage, exceptional martial arts skills, and even his cunning and treacherous nature were all qualities that any man would admire.lXyQjMtazMMwOLSNrPDvmUedxVgeyH

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While Xiao Bao was jealous enough to want to ruin Su Yin’s face, he also took pride in being his friend. With such complex feelings, they had managed to stay friends for over a decade. In recent years, Xiao Bao had gradually come to terms with it.nCUUWYttEtQALFoLFbolkdIhNtExJJ

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Su Yin’s temper was unpredictable; he was sometimes cold and sometimes warm to Xiao Bao, depending on his mood. But the fact that he was willing to help when Xiao Bao went missing showed that he still considered him a brother.ufaCZzXhdlilRlEKlLoUzGFtevGfpr

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Su Yin stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Bao’s arm, testing his strength subtly. Frowning, he asked, “Where have you been these past few days?”vmstfOREaBHWkapUToFikPGmSuXoEi

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Xiao Bao winced, glaring at him as he pried his hand off. “It hurts. Let go.”auMFKGsMnDkjpwQJlzVMSAPBahAgFF

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Su Yin, never one to be overly polite to him even in front of his parents, had no intention of letting go. He pulled Xiao Bao along, saying, “Uncle Jin, Aunt Jin, Xiao Bao is fine, but I need to ask him a few questions to make sure this doesn’t happen again. You two rest for now; I’ll bring him back shortly.”RkRYRuAEKfVJoQPhmnzZhaAPQkDnVg

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Master Jin was momentarily stunned but then nodded in agreement. “Alright… come join us for dinner later.” Su Yin had an inherent air of authority; even casual words carried a commanding presence that was hard to refute. His reputation for being thorough and reliable made it easy to trust him.HpFmVXkvnzcSCmbTqkWcRejYmfhlVv

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Su Yin was a frequent visitor to the Jin mansion, familiar to everyone there. Treating it like his own home, he confidently led Xiao Bao to his private courtyard.OuTyFOMGayiYzjNzPQZiAaFkFmoHuF

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“Su Yin, you… could you let go? Do you not realize your own strength? My arm is about to break.”kFzUASirPhpRefqebgOXBnzpWvleCD

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Su Yin turned back with a slight smile and released his grip. “All that meat on you for nothing.”QooDHxzmkFzoHUEXeqWSVCVUDNkJhX

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Xiao Bao glared at him furiously.MuRiFSzUDvqtGGceGymzjOXqjZcJOH

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Su Yin pushed him through the door. “Now, tell me the truth. Where have you been these past few days?”GqAPYSrhjImWNAEOPpOHEhRjUCpzAw

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Xiao Bao’s face darkened. Su Yin was far too sharp; using the excuses he had prepared for his parents would never work on him. If Su Yin saw through his lies, he could expect trouble.CGKGABstWzqLilWBiQnzkAsCKVmJAm

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But telling the whole truth was out of the question. No man would openly admit to being taken advantage of in such a humiliating way. Xiao Bao was in a real bind, wondering how he could explain it.pwlvsutQKDAODkWuVmCphTZqgAHsHO

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Su Yin settled comfortably into a grand chair, immediately seeing through Xiao Bao’s thoughts. “Jin Xiao Bao, don’t think you can fool me. I’ve gotten a lot of information over the past couple of days. You’ve provoked some serious trouble. Tell me everything honestly.”RpfpkijqnmEMNotzAqbeDlRpHZKoOm

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Su Yin’s presence served a dual purpose: to help locate Xiao Bao and to investigate the rumors that seemed to align with recent events in the martial world. If the two were connected, it would mean that a long-dormant force was finally moving, potentially shaking the entire martial arts community and even the nation. He needed to get to the bottom of it quickly.iLSzmocCEplzupUVtLkUDVVCJxclCb

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Moreover, Xiao Bao’s mishap was tied to Prince Shen. In this land, all is the emperor’s domain, and the royal family was not to be trifled with by mere martial sects. Su Yin couldn’t help but worry for Xiao Bao and the entire Jin family.WevUtVsnKhNbkwqSnTogTsVNhvzBMo

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Sighing, Xiao Bao sat down as well. “Actually, it’s quite simple. You probably heard that I saved someone on the official road a while ago. I took a liking to him and wanted to be with him. That day, I took him to see a play. On our way back, he was attacked. I tried to save him and got ambushed by his enemies. Later, his subordinates rescued me. I was unconscious for three days, and when I woke up, I had them come get me. That’s it.” Xiao Bao spoke calmly because everything he said was true.fKEoQlnxNtBTAQquWAtayAqpjAIpQO

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Su Yin narrowed his sharp eyes, scrutinizing Xiao Bao.KEOSRVCMZlHRdXjwwKVhDTZXZgFmmw

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To Su Yin, Xiao Bao was as transparent as glass; he could see through him easily.eSTroitEslyEcvEcXijzCkHDzHGSMc

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His feelings towards Xiao Bao were quite complicated.OLaOGnOILHYPzEjBKNDVdJpiImpswH

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Looking down on him, that was a given.IcuBRrCokbDqZueUCdgUgWbwDUsUrG

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Everyone in the world knew that Jin Qian Sect’s young master, Jin Xiao Bao, had nothing to offer and was utterly useless. If it weren’t for his wealthy father, he would be no different from a cripple. As a child, he followed his restless father everywhere, with the Jin mansion being their most frequent destination. The Jin family was their biggest patron, not only paying hefty protection fees annually but also closely collaborating in business across the Jiangnan region. Most people in the martial world both despised and had to flatter the Jin family. Despite this, his father got along well with Jin Lao Ye. Although they couldn’t spar in martial arts, they shared interests in playing chess and bird-watching, sometimes staying at the Jin mansion for months, unwilling to return home. He once asked his father why he liked staying at the Jin mansion so much, and his father replied with two words: “It’s comfortable.” Of course, it was comfortable—free food, clothes, and the best of everything, without his mother nagging at him constantly. Despite being a rough man, Jin Lao Ye had a straightforward and easygoing personality, unlike those orthodox and prudish gentlemen. Thanks to his father, Su Yin’s closest childhood playmate was Xiao Bao.MZsaPcCSAkqcHOVhzlWcMiQanLSaos

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Su Yin used to dislike him; Xiao Bao was chubby like a pig, with his whole body jiggling comically as he chased after Su Yin. His eyes would light up at the sight of food, and he was utterly gullible, believing everything he was told. He wasn’t even useful as a sidekick, being too slow. However, teasing Xiao Bao provided Su Yin with plenty of childhood amusement, and whether he liked it or not, they grew up as inseparable childhood friends.PJygHnSTDMUQsWOLwlrjQmfnKvgHQo

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So, when he heard that Xiao Bao, usually well-guarded in his golden cage, had gone missing, he rushed over from the Su mansion without even changing his clothes. Despite having always taken pleasure in bullying Xiao Bao, he was, after all, his plaything, and Su Yin was very protective of what was his.tGTjKWjOxtKXVkHEQFybRjSGqDYVJS

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