A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 179: Raw -

"Kill him!" he howled, holding his side as he lay sprawled. "What are you fools waiting for? Kill that bastard!"

Four servants rushed to his side while others charged at Qin Wei with aggression in their eyes.

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Ch: Repairing the Seal

Li Shimin's guards all moved at the same time on his orders, without any hesitation, to kill their Patriarch's only son-in-law.

But before those guards could even get close…

Vanessa moved like a shadow, her palms striking out with force.

Bam! Bam!

Both attackers were flung back like broken dolls, slamming into the courtyard wall. They crumpled to the ground, groaning and motionless.

Her voice then followed, as cold as a blizzard. "Master Icarus Li, if you have a problem with Master Icarus, take it up with the Patriarch. But as long as I'm here, you or your men cannot lay a hand on him. And if you still ignore my warning, I'm entitled to attack you."

Li Shimin, face burned and twisted in rage, could only glare from where he lay. A servant helped him up, his legs unsteady beneath him.

"You'll regret this!" he shouted hoarsely. "You'll pay for this, both of you!"

Qin Wei didn't even look back. His hands were clasped behind his back, eyes distant as he exhaled a deep breath.

As Li Shimin was dragged away, Vanessa turned to Qin Wei. She looked far from being pleased.

"Master Icarus," she said flatly, "you were… quite bold. I just reminded you not to offend the Second Master. Knowing your position, was that really necessary?"

Qin Wei replied to her face. "I do a lot of things that make me seem like a scourge," he said calmly. "But I never bully people I consider my own. And I can't stomach people like those."

He turned his eyes to her, unwavering and clear as he added. "Anyone who treats their servants as tools will, in turn, be seen as nothing but a purse to be emptied. And what I want is loyalty."

Vanessa blinked, a flicker of surprise something crossing her face. She didn't respond with any other words.

Qin Wei then turned away, placing his hands behind his back once more. His voice came softly but firmly. "Now, who's next?"

She watched his back for a long moment before she fell into step beside him.

Roughly two hours later, Qin Wei finally returned to his room.

He tossed aside the ceremonial robe with a sigh and collapsed onto the edge of the bed, arms stretching above his head.

"Ugh… I swear, serving tea is more exhausting than running from assassins," he muttered, closing his eyes briefly. "Just how many aunts, uncles, and cousins does Thea have? Why do they all stay together in one clan estate? Don't they have any sense of independence or something..."

He rolled his neck and let out another sigh before sitting up and glancing toward Vanessa, who stood quietly nearby like a statue.

"You know," he then said casually, "I'm actually starting to feel grateful to your Lady for arranging that we move into a new house."

Vanessa raised a brow. Before she could speak her thoughts, Qin Wei added, shifting his gaze toward her: "By the way, you're coming with us, right? I don't think I can survive with you, both physically and emotionally."

Her expression flickered. "What… do you mean?" she asked, clearly caught off guard.

Qin Wei blinked, then chuckled as he realized her reaction.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," he said, waving his hand as if brushing away her suspicion. "I meant it practically. I've gotten used to having you around. It's better to take someone I trust to the new household than have my dear father-in-law assign another 'battle maid' who might try to poison my porridge to please her Lady."

Vanessa's lips twitched, almost a smile... almost... but her eyes remained steady. "Umm..."

Before she could reply once again, Qin Wei tilted his head, studying her with a calm look. "Let me ask you something," he said, his tone turning a shade more serious. "Just hypothetically speaking, if you were officially assigned to protect me… and one day, let's say your Lady suddenly tried to beat me up or… kill me, what would you do?"

The room fell quiet.

Vanessa blinked once, her brows drawing together faintly as she considered the question. But she didn't answer right away.

"Would you stand by and watch?" he continued, voice soft but with a sharp undertone. "Or would you protect me?"

A sudden tension filled the air.

Vanessa blinked at his question, genuinely confused.

"Why would Lady ever try to kill you?" she asked, brows slightly furrowed.

Qin Wei lifted a hand and waved lazily in the air.

"I'm just saying. Hypothetically. Just… speaking in theory." His tone was light, but there was a trace of unease beneath it.

Vanessa studied him quietly for a moment, then answered with calm logic. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"If you got beaten up, I'd assume you did something to deserve it," she said matter-of-factly. "As for getting killed…" She paused, then added, "Well, if the Patriarch has assigned me to protect you, then yes, I would at least make sure you don't die. Because if you do die, the House Phoenix and House Griffin would be at each other's throats. His Majesty himself might be displeased. That would be far more trouble than you're worth."

Qin Wei chuckled dryly, turning his head to the side, muttering under his breath. "Hmph. They don't care. Honestly, I think they'd all be thrilled to see me screwed over, maybe even more than you people."

Vanessa narrowed her eyes slightly. "Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing," Qin Wei said quickly, brushing it off.

A silence settled between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable, though. Just that there are no more topics to talk about.

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Meanwhile… at the distant Buddhist Temple nestled on Mount Ping'an.

The interior of the Jingxin Temple was quiet, filled only with the sound of wind chimes and the rustle of wind brushing past golden prayer banners.

The faint aroma of incense lingered in the air.