Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Monk's Whereabouts

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The Lady Yaksha rushed out of the palace gates—fortunately, Dayin had not left yet and was standing at the entrance, scolding someone.

"General!" She ran, calling out as she moved.

Dayin turned her head; the one being reprimanded also looked over. He had brown skin, bright eyes, dark circles around them, and a face that bore the marks of a recent scuffle.

"Chang Geng!" She recognized him and waved excitedly.

Chang Geng, as if he had seen a ghost, hurriedly saluted Dayin, covered his eyes, and dashed away.

"Hey, hey!" she called after him, but Chang Geng only ran faster and farther away.

"Kai Ming!" Dayin’s face grew stern. "What kind of behavior is that?"

Noticing the curious glances of the soldiers outside the palace gates, she quickly composed herself and bowed.

"You've turned misfortune into blessing this time. You must properly thank the Emperor," Dayin said, casting her a sidelong glance. "All of this is due to the Emperor’s boundless grace..."

Kai Ming interrupted eagerly, "I will certainly thank the Emperor—and you, General. If you hadn’t strongly recommended me, how would I have gained such an honorable position?"

Dayin pressed her lips together, studying Kai Ming’s earnest expression and perfectly measured words. "As long as you understand."

Just then, from within the palace gate, a whirlwind of a smooth-faced old eunuch rushed out, his high voice calling, "General! Please wait, General Dayin!"

Dayin looked at him in surprise as he approached and bowed. "There is something I must trouble the General with."

Dayin gave a wry smile. "I've already been dismissed. I'm no longer a general. If Steward Chen has any requests, please speak freely."

The old eunuch gave a sycophantic smile that made Kai Ming’s skin crawl. "May I ask, General, where should the rewards for Commander Kai Ming be delivered?"

Dayin was momentarily taken aback; she hadn’t expected the old eunuch to come out just to ask this. After a brief thought, she replied, "Send them to my residence. She has nowhere else to stay for the time being and will be living with me."

The eunuch bowed, glancing slyly at Kai Ming, his face twisting into a strange smile as he retreated back into the palace.

Kai Ming quickly rubbed her arms, her face displaying open distaste.

Dayin noticed her expression and scolded, "Steward Chen has served two Emperors—a senior courtier. You must not be disrespectful to him."

She answered obediently, though inside she bristled. Just an old eunuch—am I not even allowed a little expression? Then, remembering Dayin’s mention of her staying at her residence, her heart filled with dread. People say serving the Emperor is like living with a tiger, but here she was, not with an Emperor, but with this tigress herself. She would suffer for it, no doubt.

To save herself from impending doom, she chattered endlessly in the carriage on their way back. "General, the truth is, I do have a place to stay. They say a humble home is better than a golden nest, isn’t that right..."

Dayin ignored her.

"General, if it really won’t do, I could just stay in one of the training camps. There are plenty of rooms, it’s spacious, and I could bond with my sisters. Isn’t that good..."

Dayin still paid her no heed, treating her words as nothing but air.

Gritting her teeth, she tried again. "Honestly, I’ve been away from home for so long. My husband misses me dearly—you wouldn’t want to go against human decency, would you?"

This last remark finally drew a reaction from Dayin, who looked deliberately at the wounds on her face and mocked, "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your whole family is reunited."

Would Dayin really let her go? Kai Ming’s heart leapt with joy. Although her final excuse was so bad it could have made anyone sick, she had nothing better to offer.

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When they arrived at the general’s residence and she stepped down from the carriage, she wished she could bite off her own tongue at the sight before her. It was Xuan, standing quietly at the gate with their two children, waiting patiently.

Dayin had clearly known Xuan would come to the residence but had teased her with those words on purpose.

She noticed Xuan’s face was somewhat swollen, with abrasions marring his otherwise handsome features—like a flawless jade now blemished, a shame indeed. Wait—she suddenly remembered Chang Geng’s bruised eyes. Could these injuries have come from a fight with Chang Geng?

Thinking this, she stared intently at Xuan’s face. He avoided her gaze, addressing Dayin instead, "General, I’ve brought them. This is the last thing I’ll do for you..."

Dayin’s attention was fixed from the start on the two children, ignoring his words. Her eyes lit up as she beckoned the children, "Come here."

The children clutched Xuan’s clothes, hiding behind him.

Xuan nudged them forward. "Go."

The two children, glancing timidly at Dayin’s kindly smiling face, suddenly ran toward her, picking up speed. Dayin opened her arms in delight.

But in a dramatic twist, the children dodged her embrace and ran straight to the stunned Kai Ming, each calling out to her.

Kai Ming was startled—oh no, had she just embarrassed Dayin? She stood there, tongue-tied, facing the awkward general and stammered, "General, I didn’t mean to—this isn’t, well… I…" She didn’t even know what she was saying.

Dayin forced a smile. "It’s all right, children are just shy."

Xuan covered his mouth, quietly laughing.

Dayin crouched down, her sharp gaze sweeping over the children, then focused on Little Wan, gently touching her face with concern. "You’ve grown so much already."

Xuan frowned slightly.

Dayin’s icy expression melted into a warm smile as she pulled something from her bosom and, before Little Wan could dodge, hung it around her neck. Kai Ming saw it was half of a red-and-green pendant and understood at once—Dayin was claiming Little Wan as her own child.

"Good girl," Dayin said, pinching Little Wan’s cheek. The girl shrank back, her eyes flickering to Spoon, who glared back at Dayin with open suspicion.

Xuan’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Dayin straightened, relaxing as she addressed Xuan, "Thank you for making this trip. Let the children stay here for a while. If you have nothing urgent, you’re welcome to stay longer."

Xuan bowed slightly. "I’ve done what I must. I’d prefer to leave soon, lest I cause you unnecessary trouble."

Dayin paused, then did not press him. "You are no longer under my command; I won’t force you. If you need my help, just ask."

Xuan looked at the children, his expression tinged with longing. "Little Wan, Spoon, stay here with your mother for a few days and behave yourselves, all right?"

The children nodded. Spoon, being more sensible, asked, "Father, aren’t you staying with us?"

"I have some things to do. I’ll be back soon."

"You must come get us quickly!" Spoon called after him.

Dayin gestured to the soldiers, who led the children inside. For a moment, only Xuan and Kai Ming remained at the gate.

They looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Kai Ming."

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"Xuan."

They spoke at the same time, then both laughed.

Kai Ming coughed awkwardly. After the embarrassment just now, how could she so easily reconcile with this man? Where was her pride? Or was it that Xuan at this moment simply seemed too harmless?

"You first," Xuan said.

She hesitated. "You’re leaving right away?"

He looked at her, then lowered his gaze. "I can’t say we’ll meet again."

She looked at him in surprise. Where was Xuan planning to go? Was he abandoning the children?

In his usual calm tone, he said, "Dayin will take good care of them. After all, they’re not really my children."

Kai Ming was puzzled. If Little Wan was Dayin’s child, was Spoon not his either? Why did he keep raising other people’s children—was he some kind of philanthropist? She stifled the urge to ask, not wanting to spoil the mood of this farewell.

"Kai Ming." Xuan looked up at her, his gaze steady.

She answered naturally, meeting his eyes. Now this was the Xuan she remembered—always gentle, like warm water.

"About last time—I'm sorry," he said softly, blinking awkwardly. "I didn’t mean to…"

She answered vaguely, unsure of what to say. She’d once told Dayin indignantly that she’d never forgive him, but now, faced with his innocent gaze, her heart was unsettled.

"All these years, and I still can’t control my temper," Xuan sighed. "I don’t know what happened. Seeing the men around you, seeing those people, I just got angry for no reason—said strange things, did strange things. If I said I didn’t recognize myself then, you’d probably laugh at me… Sigh."

Kai Ming looked at him in silence, and he met her gaze with a bitter smile. "I must have frightened you. I did something foolish—shouldn’t have brought back only a shell, shouldn’t have thought you were still mine. After all, you’re not the same Kai Ming anymore…"

She lowered her head, flustered. She couldn’t help but recall Dayin’s words: "Xuan likes you, he’s jealous!" But even so, his way was much too extreme.

"I don’t expect you to forgive me," Xuan said, his voice even again. "I just hope I can make amends."

She looked up—he wanted to make amends? How?

Xuan looked at her, enunciating every word: "The monk you’re looking for—he’s in the Eastern Palace."

Kai Ming was stunned. Was this his way of making amends—revealing the whereabouts of that old monk?

"The Eastern Palace?" Wasn’t that Xiaobi’s country?

"The Bamboo Village in the Eastern Palace, at the Temple of Holy Light."

She was moved. The place sounded beautiful, but it was so far away! Given only a strange name—even if she tried, she might never find it.

Xuan smiled at her, then turned away. His shadow stretched long on the ground, a solitary figure walking down the empty street, as if the whole world held only him.

She watched his receding back, a thousand words choking in her throat, unable to say a single word to hold him back. This double-faced husband—she truly didn’t know what to do with him.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the big tree by the gate. A figure or two slipped away, leaving only the sound of swaying leaves in the wind.

To be continued.