Chapter 4: Eradication

It was an hour later when Yao Chuan finally returned to the inn.

He climbed in through the window and landed smoothly. The moment he got in, he spotted Lin Yi sitting on the couch, looking directly at him.

“As soon as you left, the shopkeeper arrived. How could it not seem suspicious?” Lin Yi said with a wry smile. “A broken window can be easily ignored, but…”

“What do you mean?” Yao Chuan asked, puzzled.

Lin Yi stood up and walked toward him, speaking quietly. “There are others here in the inn who are watching us. Two people, to be precise, have just made a move on me, trying to knock us out.”

Seeing the look on Yao Chuan’s face, Lin Yi added with a touch of frustration, “These lowlifes don’t worry me much. What I do worry about is that you… let the thief escape?”

Yao Chuan gave a grimace, “His light skills are impressive, and I couldn’t catch up to him. But…” He trailed off, lost in thought. “There’s this strange fragrance he was carrying. It’s familiar, but I can’t place it.”

“Scent? Could it be some woman’s perfume?” Lin Yi asked.

“No, it’s not that kind of smell. It’s… something different, more unique.”

Lin Yi thought for a moment, then suddenly raised his gaze to meet Yao Chuan’s. “You said his light skills were good. How far behind were you when chasing him?”

“About a foot at most,” Yao Chuan replied.

“Always just a foot?” Lin Yi asked, eyes narrowing.

“At first, I couldn’t catch up with him, but once he entered the forest, I pushed harder, trying to close the gap. The strange smell first became noticeable when I was about a foot behind him.”

Lin Yi broke into a grin. “Ah, now this is getting interesting!” He raised his eyebrows and added, “So, he deliberately set things up to get you to smell that scent, didn’t he?”

Yao Chuan’s expression darkened. “Are you saying he deliberately tricked me into recognizing that fragrance?”

Lin Yi nodded, giving Yao Chuan an approving look.

Yao Chuan snorted but felt uneasy. He didn’t like how Lin Yi had figured this out so easily. But at the same time, his mind was still grappling with the strange fragrance. He had a knack for martial arts, but these games of the mind were proving to be his weakness.

Glancing at Lin Yi, who had now removed his outer shirt and was lying on the bed in just his inner garments, Yao Chuan felt a strange sensation. His eyes lingered for a moment longer than he intended, his mind racing, trying to make sense of it. But why? Why did this scene seem oddly familiar?

Lin Yi, sensing his discomfort, looked up and noticed the tension in Yao Chuan’s face. He smirked, “Brother Yao, take your time to figure it out. We’re not in a rush, are we? The enemy is hidden, and we’re in the open. We have the advantage for now. Let’s take turns resting. We need to keep our strength up for the journey ahead. I’ll lie down first, but don’t forget to wake me up later.”

Lin Yi’s loose, untied clothes barely covered his chest as he lay on his side. Yao Chuan couldn’t help but glance over. Why was he feeling this discomfort? He chided himself internally. It didn’t make sense. He had seen far more exposed than this before, but why did this make him feel uneasy?

His eyes involuntarily flicked back to Lin Yi, who had turned over, eyes now closed in rest. Yao Chuan let out a breath of relief, but his mind kept wandering back to the image of Lin Yi earlier. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen this situation before.

Then, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“That’s it!” Yao Chuan suddenly exclaimed, his voice breaking the stillness.

Lin Yi, startled, jerked upright, rubbing his eyes. “What is it?”

Yao Chuan began pacing, his tall figure casting a shadow over Lin Yi’s bed. “That fragrance… I know where I’ve smelled it before!”

Lin Yi sat up, sensing the urgency in Yao Chuan’s words. “Where? What happened?”

Yao Chuan’s face darkened as he looked at Lin Yi with intensity. “Six years ago. At Lianxiang Pavilion in Hangzhou. You remember, don’t you?”

Lin Yi’s eyes widened, and his face drained of color. “Wait, are you sure? It can’t be…”

Yao Chuan scoffed, clearly still angry. “Of course I remember! How could I forget? I saw you, carrying my junior sister on your back, sneaking around the brothel like a little thief. The scent you smelled… it’s the same as the one at Lianxiang Pavilion. The same love incense!”

The words hung in the air like a heavy weight, and the two of them were now completely at odds.

Even though Yao Chuan was known for his strong temper, he wasn’t an unreasonable person. He had come to terms with the fact that the marriage agreement with his junior sister was out of his hands. After all, the match was arranged by their parents. But the real issue was his deep resentment toward Lin Yi.

Six years ago, Yao Chuan had been sent to Hangzhou on a mission, accompanied by the Qinglong Gang to visit a man named Liang Gang. They had been taken to a restaurant called Nuanxiang Pavilion, located across from Lianxiang Pavilion. At the time, Yao Chuan had avoided the latter, fearing the group would get into trouble there. But to his surprise, when he stepped outside, he saw none other than Lin Yi entering Lianxiang Pavilion. That was when his suspicions were confirmed.

What followed was a confrontation. Yao Chuan stormed into the brothel, only to find Lin Yi in the middle of a rendezvous, about to do something unspeakable. Lin Yi had been startled, and the two had exchanged harsh words, eventually coming to blows.

Yao Chuan had left Hangzhou angry and frustrated, but the experience stayed with him. When he later returned to Bianjing, he told his master about the incident. However, Fang Zhentian, his mentor, simply told him not to speak of it again, and he made it clear that the marriage between Lin Yi and his junior sister would not be canceled.

The resentment between Yao Chuan and Lin Yi was deep, and now, with the strange scent triggering these memories, everything had come full circle.

The cold wind continued to howl through the broken window, but neither man noticed. The tension between them was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

After a long pause, Lin Yi finally spoke, his voice barely audible. “So, you think the thief used the scent to lure us into this trap, right?”

Yao Chuan sneered, but his expression softened slightly. “I’ve never told anyone about what happened back then. But I wonder… did you spread this story around? Did you talk about it?”

Lin Yi shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. “No need to ruin my reputation over something like that. Besides, the one who lured us here was clearly someone who knew about our past. Since he’s in Hangzhou, why not…?”

Yao Chuan cut him off sharply, “It’s a coward, hiding in the shadows. But I’m not afraid to face him. Not anymore.”