Soulbound: Chronicles Of A Shadow Assassin-Chapter 25: No Longer Useful

"Yan Jianyu gets to keep Mingyu’s sword at the Huo sect?" Jiang Yichen asked Lin Xiaowei in surprise.

Lin Xiaowei had come over to the Jiang residence to fill Jiang Yichen in on the details of how things went down at the imperial palace.

Lin Xiaowei nodded in response to Jiang Yichen’s question, while stuffing his face with the dishes that had been served to them by the servants. "All best weapons of mages have always been stored in the weaponry of Jinxing. I don’t know what the King was thinking when he agreed to Yan Jianyu’s request to keep Mingyu’s sword. He’s also going to burn Mingyu’s body in public."

Jiang Yichen slowly nodded as he took in the information. "He will be there to witness his body getting burnt." He spoke to himself out loud.

Lin Xiaowei looked at Jiang Yichen in confusion. "Who? Mingyu?... Do you still believe that he successfully transferred his soul into another body?"

Jiang Yichen simply chuckled, shaking his head.

If only you knew that you have met Mingyu, and had even referred to his new face as ’gorgeous’

"Are you serious about accepting Mingyu as your master?" Lin Xiaowei pressed on, squinting his eyes at his friend, in suspicion.

"Forget it." Jiang Yichen brushed him off with a wave of his hand. "Pour me some tea." He said, pointing to the kettle on the table.

Lin Xiaowei dropped his chopsticks, and took the kettle to pour Jiang Yichen some tea, but he paused mid-way as if just realizing what he was doing.

He looked up at Jiang Yichen, giving him a subtle glare. "I’m not your damn servant! Do it yourself."

"Wait a sec." He suddenly said, as another realization dawned on him. "Where’s Yinzhi, your manservant? I haven’t set my eyes in him since you two were at Jinxing."

"I will find him." Jiang Yichen answered, and a glint crossed his eyes. "But first, I’ll have to get my hand on that sword."

Speaking of Mingyu, Mingyu had left the Golden Lotus brothel, after he had been supplied with some firecrackers by Li Mei.

With the firecrackers, he left the brothel and went to a place that used to be his home. A place close to the secret hideout, deep within the forest.

On getting there, Mingyu was aghast by the sight of the place he once called home, reduced to nothing more than ashes and chipped wood.

Seeing how he got rid of everything that was mine, he must think I didn’t succeed in transferring my soul into another body, and died. He sighed in exasperation at the thought. I can’t even look for the Yewang, since I don’t know what he looks like.

And so, he decided to release a signal to alert them of his presence. But he had to wait until it was night time.

Once the skies were dark to an extent, Mingyu set off the fireworks, and on a paper which he found lying around, he wrote, ’Find a merchant who is selling a Jinxing spirit plaque, and then you would be able to find me. I’ll be waiting.’

Meanwhile, at the time that Mingyu had set off the fireworks, at the Huo sect, Yan Jianyu’s personal assistant, Jingwei, was standing guard, outside of Yan Jianyu’s personal quarters, and he had seen the fireworks.

His eyes stretched wide a bit, in recognition. "It’s from the secret hide out." He muttered to himself.

He wanted to immediately report it to Yan Jianyu, but Yan Jianyu was busy with a visitor at the moment—Jiang Yichen.

"I’m here for Mingyu’s sword." Jiang Yichen stated the purpose of his visit.

Yan Jianyu, who was busy with some paperwork, didn’t even bother looking at Jiang Yichen, as he asked, "Why?"

"I heard His Majesty allowed the Huo sect to keep the sword." Jiang Yichen started off, "Since Jiang Renxing is the leader of the Huo sect, I think it’s right for his family to keep it."

Still not looking at Jiang Yichen, Yan Jianyu countered, "Since your father is not here. It’s only right for the assistant leader to keep it."

A small smile graced Jiang Yichen’s face, but he didn’t back down. "Since my father isn’t here, I, his son, should get to keep it."

Yan Jianyu paused whatever he was doing, and looked up at Jiang Yichen with a subtle smile, while shaking his head. "It’s not news to everyone in Huayang that you have been searching everywhere for a master." He spoke as he stood up from his desk, approaching the sword rack where a few swords had been placed.

"I would have loved to take you under my wings, and be your master... but I cannot defy your father’s command since he was my master, once." He continued to speak as he picked up Mingyu’s sword, and began walking in Jiang Yichen’s direction. "Why would a father seal the spiritual core of his only son? I just can’t fathom it."

Yan Jianyu placed the sword on his desk, and looked at Jiang Yichen with a taunting gaze. "A Mage’s spiritual power flows through their weapon. Someone as ordinary as you won’t be able to unsheathe a sword such as this."

Jiang Yichen chuckled softly. "Is that so?" He said as he picked up the sword, and as if planning to unsheathe it, he raised the sword to his eye level, his right hand gripping the hilt, while he held the sheath with his other hand.

He gave Yan Jianyu a fierce look, and when he saw that Yan Jianyu’s smug smile had been replaced with a scowl, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Afraid that I might do it?" He asked in a taunting voice. "If I unsheathe it, I will be qualified as the next leader of the Huo sect, and that automatically disqualifies you from getting the position."

Yan Jianyu let out a forced chuckle, and Jiang Yichen even laughed along with him.

"I can’t unsheathe it for now." Jiang Yichen said. "So there’s nothing to worry about. At least, for now."

With that, Jiang Yichen bowed his head at Yan Jianyu, before turning around, leaving Yan Jianyu’s quarters with Mingyu’s sword in his hand.

Immediately Jiang Yichen left, Yan Jianyu’s face darkened in immense displeasure. "For now, you say?" He muttered in confusion. "What does he mean by that?"

As soon as Jiang Yichen stepped out of Yan Jianyu’s quarters, Jingwei immediately entered to report his findings to Yan Jianyu.

"I saw fireworks coming from the secret hideout." He reported.

Yan Jianyu looked at him in skepticism. "Are you sure it was from there?"

"Yes, my lord." Jingwei answered. "I sent a tracking spell, and the fireworks were actually from Mingyu’s former home."

"I see." Yan Jianyu said, a gleeful smile creeping on his face. "Set out tomorrow and see for yourself. If it truly happens to be that Mingyu is still alive... kill him to avoid more problems. He’s no longer useful."