Luo He leaned in slightly. "And that means, someone is expecting results." Silence. "But you failed," Luo He added.
The words landed heavier than any blow.
Outside the door, Jin Mulan had stopped.
She hadn't gone far. She listened, leaning in on the conversation all along. "If you die here," he continued. "You die as a failure." The man's jaw tightened.
"No one will know your effort. No one will remember your loyalty." Luo He's voice remained calm. "You will simply disappear." He said coldly.
A long pause.
"But if you speak," the man looked at him. Luo He met his gaze. "I can make sure your story changes." Silence stretched between them. Heavy and uncomfortable.
The man's breathing grew slower, more controlled. He was thinking. "You talk too much," the prisoner muttered. But the defiance was weaker now.
Luo He stood up slowly. "I don't need much," he said. "Just enough to find the one who sent you. I know it was the Xu family." He said confidently.
He turned slightly, as if preparing to leave. "Once I had that your fate didn't matter," he said colder than he had ever been before.
"This was all just for fun." He said, his voice enriched with amusement. "As we became friends, I could grant you one last wish." The man looked directly at Luo He.
"My last wish," A faint, bloodied smile appeared on his bartered face. "Is that you live long enough to meet the man who sent me." He said proudly.
"Then you'll understand this was only the beginning." The man said proudly. Luo He drew his sword. "I hereby sentence you to death." He swung his sword and executed the man personally.
Then he turned and exited the doorway. Outside, Jin Mulan's eyes sharpened.
Jin Mulan was standing there. Waiting.
"You heard everything," Luo He asked cautiously.
She nodded. "Yes, I heard everything you said." Jin Mulan said quietly, though there was a faint edge behind her calm tone. Luo He didn't answer immediately.
Instead he stepped closer. Before she could react, he pulled her into a firm embrace. "I did say those," he said softly near her ear.
Taking responsibility towards what ever he said about her in front of the prisoner.
Mulan stiffened for a brief second, then slowly relaxed.
"I really am lucky," Luo He continued with his voice lower now. "To have a wife who is both strong and beautiful." Her eyes widened slightly at that.
For once, no mockery, no calculation. Just pure honesty. She really expected him to go down on his knees apologising to her about the disrespectful things he said, or deny them all together.
But this, she didn't even think men could do that, and no one taught her as well.
Before she could respond, he tilted her chin slightly and kissed her deeply. Steady and unhurried.
For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent. When they pulled apart, neither spoke. Then, as if nothing had happened, Luo He turned and began walking away.
Jin Mulan quickly followed, and caught up. They walked side by side, like a normal couple. Not caring about the blood still staining their hands.
Her expression had now changed. Calmer. More controlled. "I lost control," she admitted after a while. "Yes," Luo He said plainly. She didn't argue.
"But you broke him," she added. Luo He shook his head slightly. "No." He said. She frowned. "I didn't," he continued. "And I didn't have to." Luo He answered calmly.
Then he glanced at her briefly. "I had already calculated the most likely culprit, the Xu family. I only needed further confirmation." He said. Mulan's eyes sharpened.
"And he gave it to you?" She asked surprised. "Yes." Luo He calmly answered. A faint pause.
"Talking to a dead man about my true thoughts on you," Luo He added almost thoughtfully. "Was rather interesting." He said. She raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?" She asked offended.
"I think it brought us closer." He said. Mulan looked away slightly, hiding the faint shift in her expression. "Idiot," she muttered.
"So," Luo He said lightly. "What do we have planned for today?" He asked. "Nothing urgent," Mulan replied. "Then we train." He said.
The training grounds echoed with the sound of steel. Luo He stood in the center, his sword moving in a steady rhythm left, right, left, right.
Again and again without pause. No flourish. No wasted motion. Only repetition, discipline, and the quiet determination to become stronger.
Nearby, Jin Mulan practiced her own techniques with precise footwork and controlled strikes. Occasionally, her eyes drifted toward Luo He, watching and measuring his movements.
Yet she still remained oblivious to the beauty hidden within her husband's swordsmanship. "How will he ever improve if he continues as such," she muttered softly.
By the end of the day, Luo He completed three thousand sword swings without complaint.
Afterward, he entered the forest to train his animal taming abilities, practicing on squirrels and rabbits while steadily gaining experience through each successful attempt.
After three relentless days of training, Luo He reached level 114 in swordsmanship. Needing only seventy four more points to reach the next level.
He performed another one hundred and forty eight swings before finally breaking through and reaching level 115. But swordsmanship alone was not enough for him.
Deep within the forest, Luo He devoted himself to the strange art of animal taming. At first, only small creatures obeyed him. Rabbits. Squirrels.
Yet each success strengthened his control, and deepened his understanding. Soon he began attempting larger and more dangerous beasts.
Every encounter sharpened his focus. Strengthened the mysterious connection he was slowly building between himself and the wild creatures hidden within the forest depths.
One day, a terrified villager burst from the forest screaming about a bear. Moments later, the massive creature emerged behind him in fury. This caused panic to spread instantly among everyone gathered near the village entrance.
Before anyone could react, Luo He calmly stepped forward and locked eyes with the beast. Tense silence filled the air. Then slowly, the bear stopped, lowered its head, and peacefully followed Luo He away like a loyal hound.
At night, Luo He turned his attention toward medicine. Ancient techniques and forgotten knowledge stored within his armour's database.
They revealed countless secrets, allowing his understanding to deepen rapidly with every passing evening.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the region, the powerful Lin family faced collapse. Without silk cocoons, their once thriving silk business crumbled.
Wealth vanished, debts remained, and fear quietly spread throughout their grand estate. Inside the estate halls, tension hung heavily like an approaching storm.
The elders argued constantly while searching desperately for a way to preserve their family's influence, status, and remaining power within the region.
At the center of it all sat Lin Xuanli, the family's only daughter. Beautiful, poised, and silent. She listened quietly as her future was decided through a political marriage arranged purely for the family's survival.
Lin Xuanli was betrothed to the youngest son of a powerful army general. The marriage was not built on affection, but necessity.
A strategic alliance capable of protecting the struggling Lin family from complete destruction. "If this marriage succeeds, we gain protection and time," her father declared grimly while pacing the hall.
When Lin Su quietly asked what would happen otherwise, silence alone answered her question.
The wedding preparations accelerated immediately. Everything became rushed yet extravagant because this celebration was more than a union between families.
It was the Lin family's desperate attempt to secure their future before collapse arrived.
Golden lanterns illuminated every walkway while crimson silk banners flowed through the evening wind.
Musicians from distant regions performed beside tables filled with rare wine and luxurious dishes prepared at enormous expense. Yet beneath the beauty hid something darker.
The Lin elders quietly discussed the arrival of the Jin family, their expressions filled with resentment over the humiliation and losses previously inflicted upon their household.
Plans were carefully arranged to publicly target Luo He. Insults disguised as politeness. Difficult situations crafted before witnesses.
Every detail was designed to place him under pressure before the gathered nobles. "If he reacts, he loses face," one elder stated coldly.
"If he remains silent, he appears weak," another added. Even the seating arrangements, gifts, and ceremonial toasts were carefully manipulated.
Lin Su remained silent as every trap was prepared around her. The wedding was no longer simply a celebration. It had become a stage carefully designed to humiliate Luo He before the region's elite.
Days later, guests finally began arriving at the Lin estate. Carriages crowded the entrance while nobles, merchants, and officials gathered for what many already called the grandest wedding celebration of the year.
Then sudden whispers spread near the gates. "The Jin family has arrived!" Someone said. Instantly, countless eyes turned toward the entrance as disciplined soldiers marched forward in perfect silence and order.