Transmigrated Into A Novel As A Scumbag Princess’ Consort - Chapter 39

39:

“Your Highness… why would you teach this humble officer how to use the divine tool?”

Yu Lu forced himself to remain calm, but in truth, he was incredibly nervous, his voice even trembling slightly.

Standing nearby, Shi Song and Zhou Qiyue were equally tense, though their feelings were tinged with envy. This was a divine tool bestowed by an immortal!

They had witnessed it with their own eyes, Mu Da had been touched by this divine tool and fainted on the spot.

How they wished they could have one too, but they only dared to dream in their hearts.

Both stared longingly at the divine tool in Ye Xuejin’s hand, their thoughts written plainly on their faces.

Hearing this, Ye Xuejin understood that Yu Lu was both shocked and expectant. In the very beginning, hadn’t she felt the same?

Shocked by the consort’s extraordinary abilities, hopeful for what those abilities could bring…

Her expression softened. “Since the three of you are willing to follow me, I will naturally not treat you poorly. The immortal has granted many divine tools. The reason I’m giving one to Lord Yu first is because of his superior martial skills and ability to protect himself and the tool. So, do not be discouraged…”

After her encouraging words, Yu Lu was so overwhelmed with excitement that he didn’t know what to say. Her Highness was truly granting him this divine tool!

And there were many more divine tools!! Heavens, with such immortal protection, how could they fail? He had indeed chosen the right path.

Zhou Qiyue nodded eagerly, her excitement uncontainable. “Your Highness, rest assured, I will work hard to learn martial arts and become worthy of the divine tool as soon as possible!”

Shi Song, however, fixed her burning gaze on Ye Xuejin. “Your Highness, I too can protect the divine tool!”

Ye Xuejin was somewhat surprised. Shi Song appeared even younger than Zhou Qiyue, frail and delicate, only about fourteen or fifteen years old, not at all like a trained martial artist.

But appearances could be deceiving.

Seeing Ye Xuejin’s thoughtful expression, Shi Song eagerly continued to recommend herself. “Your Highness, I’ve learned some hand-to-hand combat. I’m not even afraid of wild boars, and I can kill! Just like with Zeng Laosan—one slash, and he was done. If you don’t believe me, I can spar with Lord Yu for a few moves.”

Her father was a hunter, often venturing into the mountains and rivers, sometimes engaging in close combat with large prey. She had grown up learning from him, having killed plenty of games herself, and knew exactly where to strike to bring down a target instantly.

Ye Xuejin signaled for Yu Lu to test her, curious to see the extent of Shi Song’s skills.

Yu Lu quickly composed himself, assuming a fighting stance.

Shi Song, however, showed no intention of attacking, instead urging Yu Lu to come at her.

Yu Lu didn’t hesitate further. Gauging his strength, he struck at her, only for her to dodge effortlessly.

Yun Chi watched in amazement. As a modern person with no martial arts training, her understanding of so-called martial arts came only from TV.

She hadn’t expected to witness a live demonstration like this.

Though she didn’t fully understand, she could tell Yu Lu’s punches were well-executed and imposing.

As for Shi Song… how to describe it?

She was agile, almost as if she knew Qinggong (lightness skill). She dodged Yu Lu’s punches with precision each time, though it wasn’t quite like the Qinggong Yun Chi had seen on TV, where people could soar through the air…

(Qinggong – Chinese martial arts technique focused on enhancing agility, balance, and the ability to perform seemingly superhuman feats of movement)

Knowing she couldn’t win against Yu Lu in a direct confrontation, Shi Song relied on her agility, constantly dodging while looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

“Stop,” Ye Xuejin called out at the right moment, having formed an assessment in her mind.

Yu Lu also reached a conclusion. “Your Highness, Shi Song’s martial skills are average, but her footwork is impressive, and she’s highly alert. This humble officer believes she can protect the divine tool.”

He could tell Shi Song hadn’t received formal training, and her dodging lacked structure, but her heightened alertness allowed her to anticipate accurately every time.

Overall, her skills were inferior to his and Shiniang’s but far surpassed those of the other escorts in the group.

He believed that if Xiao Gao were to spar with Shi Song, she’d find an opportunity to defeat him within ten moves.

After all, this young girl was ruthless and brave. The way she had stared at him earlier was like a wolf—as if, given the slightest lapse, she could snap his neck in an instant.

Ye Xuejin nodded in understanding, handed the stun baton to Yu Lu, and taught him how to use it and what precautions to take. Then, she instructed him and Zhou Qiyue to take the food from the wooden bucket back to the group to distribute, leaving only Shi Song behind.

“…Go, handle everything properly.” Her final words carried an implicit meaning.

Yu Lu immediately understood. “This humble officer obeys.”

After they left, Ye Xuejin looked at Yun Chi.

Yun Chi then turned to Shi Song. “Turn around for a moment.”

She could directly make the stun baton appear in Ye Xuejin’s or Shi Song’s hands, but that wouldn’t trigger any rewards.

The condition for her golden finger to activate was that the item must pass through her hands to Ye Xuejin.

And Ye Xuejin had to accept it.

For example, once before, Ye Xuejin had taken a bottle of water but didn’t drink it and tried to return it. The golden finger hadn’t reacted until Ye Xuejin drank from it, confirming her acceptance, at which point the reward was granted.

Whether Ye Xuejin passed the item to others or how she handled it afterward didn’t matter, as it still meant she had accepted it.

Moreover, Yun Chi had discovered that items they shared, like the bucket of hot water or the blanket they used together didn’t trigger rewards either.

But if they split a bottle of water, each drinking half, there would be a reward.

Yun Chi handed Ye Xuejin a stun baton, this time choosing food instead of weapons.

The items left in her storage space had all been given to Ye Xuejin before. Giving them again would be repetitive, and the rewards would not only diminish but also repeat.

In that case, it was better to request something new and try her luck at obtaining weapons with fresh items.

As Ye Xuejin took the stun baton, Yun Chi’s lips curved slightly.

[System: One stun baton given. Please choose a reward: One watermelon or one cantaloupe.]

Yun Chi decisively chose the watermelon.

Then, Ye Xuejin taught Shi Song how to use the stun baton and asked her a few questions.

Shi Song answered candidly. “Sister Shi Mei is an orphan, resilient and optimistic, always encouraging us to stay strong. Sister Shi Lan is reserved and meticulous…” After sharing her observations about each person, a hint of pride appeared on her face. “I asked them privately, and they’re all willing to pledge loyalty to Your Highness, including Shiniang.”

Ye Xuejin nodded, giving a faint smile. “I understand. You may return.”

She knew that since Shiniang was sent by her close friend, she was here to protect and assist her and would never harbor ill intentions.

But precisely because Shiniang was her friend’s person, she wouldn’t fully pledge herself to Ye Xuejin or dare to question her decisions, always viewing her as an outsider and reporting everything to her friend.

Thus, if Shiniang couldn’t make up her mind, she could only be an ally, not a true confidant.

What Ye Xuejin lacked most now were true confidants, people she could trust completely.

When the three returned to the group, they found the atmosphere deathly silent.

Everyone was staring in one direction.

On the ground, Mu Da had long stopped breathing, and Mu Er was unconscious.

Earlier, as soon as Yu Lu returned, he drew his sword and charged at Mu Da. Mu Er instinctively tried to intervene.

Unexpectedly, Yu Lu sheathed his sword. Just as everyone was puzzled by the situation, he drew a half-meter-long stick from his waist.

Some recognized the stick as identical to the divine tool Yun Chi had used before, and the quick-witted ones guessed what was coming.

Sure enough, with a light tap, the moment the stick touched Mu Er’s body, he convulsed violently and collapsed on the spot.

Yu Lu put away the stun baton, deliberately scanning the crowd before killing Mu Da with a single stroke.

Everyone was stunned into silence, not daring to make a sound.

Yu Lu then declared loudly, “Her Highness is favored by the immortal, who has bestowed many divine tools to protect her. Henceforth, anyone who dares to offend will meet this thief’s fate.”

With that, he sheathed his sword without hesitation and raised the stun baton high.

The crowd couldn’t help but feel awe, their eyes fixed on the divine tool in his hand.

Though Yu Lu’s words were brief, they carried a wealth of implications.

First, the Princess was indeed protected by an immortal, who had granted her many divine tools—many!

Second, Yu Lu had completely pledged his loyalty to the Princess, likely earning the divine tool as a result.

Finally, as the lead escort of the exile convoy, Yu Lu’s actions suggested that the Princess now held full authority over the group.

The crowd’s minds reeled as they turned to their respective leaders.

The Zhou family looked to Old Censor Zhou, while the young women looked to Shiniang.

Old Censor Zhou remained silent, realizing that Yu Lu had fully committed to the Princess.

Shiniang’s heart was a tangle of emotions. Her mistress had tasked her with protecting the Princess and following her orders.

But she hadn’t been told what to do if the Princess intended to upend the heavens.

Perhaps her mistress hadn’t anticipated this either.

In the silence, Ye Xuejin and her group returned.

Zhou Qishan’s sharp eyes noticed the stick tightly gripped in Shi Song’s hand, and his heart skipped a beat. That…

He glanced at his younger sister, looking her up and down, unable to see any sign of her carrying a divine tool.

The rest of the Zhou family, coming to their senses, also quietly glanced at Zhou Qiyue.

Of the three who went out with the Princess, two had received divine tools from the immortal. Why did their little ancestor have nothing?

Zhou Qiyue caught their looks and gave a cryptic smile before standing up and shouting, “The Zhou family swears unwavering loyalty to Her Highness, the Princess!”

What did these people know? The Princess valued her the most.

Back then, she hadn’t understood why the Princess specifically asked if she knew martial arts, but now she got it.

When the Princess planned to distribute the divine tools, the first person she thought of was her! Unfortunately, Zhou Qiyue wasn’t skilled enough yet.

But she was clever and would soon learn some martial arts. Then, she too would have a divine tool.

Zhou Qishan: “…” He reasonably suspected his little sister was acting so fervently for the sake of a divine tool.

The Zhou family stared at Zhou Qiyue, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Old Censor Zhou tugged at his beard, stood up, and faced Ye Xuejin.

Then, he solemnly bowed, kneeling and proclaiming loudly, “The Zhou family swears unwavering loyalty to Her Highness, the Princess!”

It was time. If they hesitated any longer, the Zhou family would miss their chance to rise.

Ye Xuejin didn’t respond immediately, instead turning to Shiniang and the four young women beside her.

Whether they would be allies or true confidantes was their choice to make.

Shiniang remained silent. Did her mistress know the Princess had such ambitions? If she did, would she still want Shiniang to follow the Princess’ orders?

“I, alone, swear unwavering loyalty to Your Highness,” Shiniang finally said, following her heart.

“We also swear unwavering loyalty to Your Highness!” Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju knelt immediately after.

At this point, only the five remaining escorts exchanged uneasy glances. They looked at Ye Xuejin, then at Yu Lu, feeling immense pressure.