Chapter 109: Forming the Shadow Guard (Second Update)

With a creak, the door was pushed open from outside, startling Zhao Huan out of his thoughts.

“Is that you?” Surprised to see the visitor, Zhao Huan widened his eyes and asked, “How did you get in?”

“Though the palace is heavily guarded, I still managed to come in,” the visitor replied softly.

Zhao Huan’s face flushed with embarrassment. As a time traveler from a more stable future kingdom, he had never truly worried about his personal safety. That was why he had ventured out of the palace with only a few guards and nearly been attacked, nearly losing his life.

After that incident, Zhao Huan silently resolved to take security much more seriously. He had angered too many people in this era; if he wasn’t careful, his life could indeed be at risk.

“Looks like my security arrangements haven’t been up to par,” Zhao Huan said with a helpless shake of his head. “Why have you come?”

“To check if you’re alright,” the icy beauty answered honestly.

“That’s rare—so you actually care about others?” Zhao Huan looked at the cold-faced beauty before him with some surprise. Indeed, the visitor was the female hero, Zhang Yu.

“Thanks to you stopping me that day, I might have been blown to pieces. Out of reason and compassion, I should come to check on you,” Zhang Yu said calmly.

“I see. I thought maybe you were captivated by my personality and had followed me here to be taken in,” Zhao Huan teased, unable to resist provoking her given her frosty demeanor.

“No!” Zhang Yu’s rejection was blunt.

Zhao Huan hadn’t expected such a straightforward denial and felt a bit deflated. “Alright then, you’ve checked on me and I’m fine. If you have no other business, you can leave.”

But Zhang Yu didn’t move. In a low voice, she said, “The person who tried to assassinate you that day was a traitor from our Daoist sect.”

“Ah!” Zhao Huan couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated. He had already investigated that person’s identity and found out that the old man was Li Xiaoyao, the founder of the heretical cult Zhao Huan had once casually ordered Yue Fei to eliminate.

Zhao Huan didn’t intend to implicate the entire Daoist sect over one individual’s mistakes. Besides, Li Xiaoyao had other uses. Still, he was surprised at Zhang Yu’s honesty in openly admitting the sect’s fault.

“I know about this already, and I don’t blame you,” Zhao Huan nodded. Tonight was crucial—he had important matters to attend to, a decisive moment to purge his enemies, so he couldn’t afford distractions.

Gazing out the window, faint rustling sounds came from outside. Though quiet, Zhao Huan’s heightened senses made the noise clear enough.

The ancients said that if names are not correct, words cannot be proper. Zhao Huan had long struggled to eliminate the treacherous officials in court but lacked the opportunity. His injury, however, gave him a chance. If he leaked that he was going to die, surely those enemies would reveal themselves.

That way, Zhao Huan could effortlessly capture them all, including his own adoptive father, whom he had hesitated to deal with. This incident gave him a perfect excuse—not that he intended to kill him. After all, Emperor Li II was criticized by posterity for killing his own brother, and Zhao Huan would not make the same mistake. But house arrest was unavoidable; the Ministry of Rites just happened to be in need of a new head.

“Why haven’t you left yet?” Zhao Huan asked without turning.

“Someone outside wants to kill you,” Zhang Yu whispered.

The girl was indeed very sincere.

“If you know, then leave quickly. Do you want to die with me?” Zhao Huan ordered her to leave.

“They say you are a good emperor. I’m here to take you away,” Zhang Yu said.

“Hahaha!” Zhao Huan laughed heartily. “I can’t leave, and I mustn’t leave.”

Zhang Yu looked at Zhao Huan deeply, clearly not understanding what he meant by “can’t leave.”

Zhao Huan didn’t bother explaining; the entire realm was his—where else could he go?

“If you don’t leave, then neither will I,” Zhang Yu declared.

Amused by this stubborn beauty, Zhao Huan smiled. “Then why won’t you leave?”

“You saved my life,” Zhang Yu said.

“So what? I give you freedom—you can go,” Zhao Huan replied.

Zhang Yu shook her head. “No one will kill you unless they kill me first.”

Zhao Huan was deeply moved, almost brought to tears. He hadn’t expected that a careless act of his would inadvertently capture the heart of such a beauty—or rather, the icy beauty was not fond of him romantically but was simply repaying a debt.

Looking at Zhang Yu before him, Zhao Huan suddenly slapped his forehead. Such a valuable ally should not be wasted. “Since you want to repay me, help me assemble a group. It doesn’t have to be large but must be absolutely loyal. They will protect me secretly from now on. Let’s call them the Shadow Guard.”

Zhang Yu nodded in agreement. “Okay!”

Zhao Huan wanted to prevent another incident like that day’s assassination attempt.

He looked at Zhang Yu gently. “You can stay by my side, but don’t be so cold every day. A woman should smile more—it suits her.”

“I won’t smile!” Zhang Yu answered bluntly. Seeing Zhao Huan’s helpless expression, she added, “As an assassin, I cannot show emotional fluctuations.”

Zhao Huan shook his head. “As an assassin, you aren’t a qualified one.”

Zhang Yu looked puzzled, clearly not understanding what he meant. Her master had always taught her not to show emotions, lest it affect her work. But now Zhao Huan said she was unqualified, and she felt resistant.

“Let me put it this way: an assassin’s job is to kill. Someone like you is so cold all over that before you even get close, people are frozen by you. How can you carry out an assassination like that?” Zhao Huan countered.