Chapter 19 – House Arrest (Part Three)

What did it feel like to fall from being one of the most top-tier and mysterious assassins in the martial arts world to the lowest-ranking servant girl?

Ru Ye didn’t feel much of anything.

To her, everything was just a means of adapting to the times and finding a way to survive.

She was fortunate enough to enter the Dragon King’s dwelling, a place few in the world had ever seen, and there she did chores such as tidying the rooms, watering the flowers, raising the fish, washing clothes, and sweeping the floor.

His residence was very large, a huge courtyard planted with all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs, meticulously maintained so that flowers bloomed all year round.

The Dragon King’s quarters were divided into front and back halls. On the left side of the outer hall, a small room was partitioned off by a folding screen, and that was where she lived.

Between the outer hall and the bedchamber was an arched doorway draped with curtains.

The bedchamber was very spacious. Against the left wall stood a large bed—a kind of bed she would rather not look at. Against the right wall was a large desk, next to which stood a tall bookcase.

Behind the right wall was a large bathroom.

Directly opposite the arched doorway in the bedchamber was a viewing window terrace. Standing there, she could look down and see the entire Dragon Palace and the Dark City, as well as the blue sky, white clouds, mountains, rivers, forests, and peaks.

Every day just as dawn broke, she would get up and start cleaning.

He would practice martial arts in the courtyard every morning for about two hours. She only glanced at him a few times, but that was enough to understand the gap between them.

Even if she hadn’t lost her internal energy, she would still be no match for him. In the entire Stronghold, no one was his match.

She was not allowed to leave the courtyard. Meals were delivered to the yard.

After he left, she would begin tidying the room and washing clothes.

These chores kept her busy all day because she did them very slowly.

Her internal injuries had not yet healed. Any movement of her waist or abdomen caused her great pain.

If she worked too long, the pain would make her whole body break out in a sweat, but she gritted her teeth and endured. She would not fall so easily.

She had endured far harsher torture than this.

Every morning, noon, and evening, when the Dragon King was away, Uncle Ye would come to inspect. With a stern face, he would harshly point out her mistakes and supervise her corrections. She never said an extra word and just worked silently.

Uncle Ye often couldn’t help but double-check any area she had touched, just in case she might have tampered with something.

Wei Bao was even more wary of her. His eyes were sharp as he watched her every move, his gaze full of vigilance and murderous intent.

Although there were guards patrolling, he still insisted on standing guard outside her door every night. She knew his ears were like a wild beast’s, catching every sound from her room. If there was the slightest suspicious movement, he would not hesitate to capture and kill her.

She knew in her heart that she had no chance to make another move. If she tried again, she would truly have no way out. So she played no tricks.

Ye Qingzhou still secretly brought her medicine every day, but her injuries healed very slowly.

As an would-be assassin, this kind of treatment from the Dragon Palace was considered lenient.

Of course, she didn’t believe the Dragon King would easily forgive a woman who had tried to take his life and nearly succeeded. But for now, he didn’t seem to be making things too hard for her.

He didn’t subject her to torture, and even turned a blind eye to others treating her injuries. Even though she attended to him, he didn’t mistreat her much.

In a single night, a terrifying female assassin suddenly became the Dragon King’s personal maidservant. It was all very real.

In truth, the tedious and demanding work and the aching internal injuries didn’t bother her. What truly tormented her was his omnipresent aura.

Being with him, even though she could still perfectly control her expression and emotions, she always felt uneasy in her heart.

His presence was too strong. Just being around him, the overwhelming pressure and force, like a mountain pressing down on her, already trapped her in an invisible prison. She often felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Fortunately, he didn’t spend much time in the room. Fortunately, she had been raised from childhood to hide her emotions.

She knew he was a man who enjoyed pleasure, but in the month since she had entered this courtyard, she had never seen him drink wine or bring women back. Perhaps it was because of the injury she had caused him. He must be quite frustrated.

For so long, they hadn’t taken any action against her. No, perhaps they had, but she didn’t know.

She had been completely cut off from the outside world. Probably only a few people in the castle even knew she existed.

Without any news of her, the Stronghold should be feeling uneasy—and even suspicious.

Being suspected by the Xuanyuan Guiren was a very dangerous thing.

She pondered these thoughts as she slowly applied ointment to his wound, then rubbed it gently with her palm, forcing herself to ignore his strong, bronze-colored body and the intense masculine scent, as well as the faint tingling sensation beneath her palm as she touched his skin.

His wound no longer needed bandaging, just a thin red line remained. She guessed that scar would never completely disappear.

“That’s enough,” the Dragon King’s low voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She looked down and saw that the medicinal wine had been fully rubbed in. She quickly got up and stepped back behind him.

The Dragon King looked at his wound. The area she had rubbed was faintly red.

This woman, even in coarse cloth and wooden hairpins and without a trace of makeup, was still beautiful and alluring, enough to make his imagination wander.

He frowned as he thought: the wound should be healed by now?

Going without women for so long was even more damaging to his health.

He pressed a button on the table, and Ye Qingzhou hurried over.

Ye Qingzhou carefully examined his wound, then took his pulse in detail. He smiled and said, “Congratulations, Master. Your injury is no longer serious.”

The Dragon King put on his robes and said, “Make the arrangements. Hold a banquet in the next few days to reward everyone.”

“Yes. Besides the members of the castle, shall I also invite a few ladies from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to accompany the drinking?”

The master never needed to personally seek out women. There were always plenty of people sending beautiful women to the palace. In fact, the master already had a few new favorites in palace.

The Dragon King said coldly, “No need.”

Ye Qingzhou glanced deeply at Ruye. By the Dragon King’s side, she was like a lamb serving a tiger.