Chapter 434: The Stalker
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Three days passed. During these days, Xiao Ai didn't have much to do besides studying and working.
Xiao Ai stayed in the Blade of Execution dormitory. Without money, she had no choice but to share a room with several grown men.
But Xiao Ai didn't mind. The guys looked out for her, leaving the door open and saving her food at night.
Though Xiao Ai was always tough, her personality remained gentle at this time. The obedient and sensible girl became a sort of little mascot to this group of big guys.
Life wasn't exactly great, but it was passable. Xiao Ai seemed to enjoy this existence, finding each day fulfilling.
Ye Qinghan had discussed the meaning of life with Dongfang Jue earlier. Dongfang Jue believed life needed purpose.
But at this moment, Xiao Ai was just like Ye Qinghan before he had taken a master—heh, the meaning of life?
Probably just daydreaming from eating too much.
Ye Qinghan understood Xiao Ai's occasional blank stares. It wasn't absent-mindedness; it was her choice to remain silent.
This didn't mean she wasn't thinking.
Simply existing demanded every ounce of her strength—Ye Qinghan could see that.
Ye Qinghan couldn't fathom how she'd ascended to the throne of the Godslayer King. The hardships along that path were likely known only to her.
This was Xiao Ai's "staff dormitory." Today was her day off.
The four watched as the petite Xiao Ai, barely five feet tall, emerged from the laundry room clutching a large basin of clothes. He had no training uniform; she only possessed two skirts for rotation.
The other large basin of laundry belonged to this group of brothers.
"Brother Chen Feng, your training uniform—Xiao Ai hung it on the left side for you."
"Alright! My wife made some good food yesterday. It's in my locker. Help yourself! No need to be polite!"
Even if Xiao Ai could take down thirty burly men, those guys were ultimately just cadets training to be officers. Fully armed or not, they were little more than primitives in fancy gear.
This was the Executive Blade dormitory. These men's job was to live on the edge of a knife. And Xiao Ai, at this moment, was still just an "intern."
After washing the clothes, Xiao Ai still had to tidy up the pigsty-like dorm room.
The disciples watched from afar, already feeling uneasy. How could Xiao Ai live with people like this?
Setting aside gender differences, was this pigsty even fit for human habitation?
Halfway through cleaning, Xiao Ai received word that Lord Xunye demanded she come immediately…
"Alright, Xiao Ai will finish cleaning the room and then go see Lord Xunye."
"Um… Xiao Ai, Lord Xunye means for you to go see her immediately…"
"Yes, Xiao Ai understands."
At the mention of Lady Xunye's name, the four sisters instantly perked up. If they could sneak the shard away while Lady Xunye wasn't looking, perhaps they could return to their original world!
But Xiao Ai still cleaned the room thoroughly before setting off. However…
Lord Xunye was already standing at the door…
The jet-black military blade lay pressed beneath a fox's head, forming the emblem of the Executioner's Blade—a black banner.
Standing at the base of the flagpole was the supreme commander of the Executioner's Blade—Xun Ye.
But Xunye rarely appeared here. This was merely the Blade of Execution's branch office in the royal city; she resided in the Fuyue Palace within the inner city.
"My apologies, Lord Xunye. Xiao Ai was just—"
Before Xiao Ai could finish, Xun Ye cut her off.
"Come."
Surprise and fear flashed across Xiao Ai's face, her visible cowering impossible to miss.
But this was Lady Xinyue. Xiao Ai had no choice but to comply, meekly approaching her.
Xun Ye reached out and grabbed Xiao Ai's ear, yanking it upward as if he intended to lift her off her feet!
"Xiao Ai, you think you're pretty smart now, huh? Daring to make me wait for you?"
Xiao Ai remained utterly silent. What choice did she have?
"Xiao Ai, you know you're wrong…"
Xiao Ai's only flaw was being too easy to handle—though that could also be considered a virtue.
Xiao Ai always completed every task assigned to her flawlessly.
But Xun Ye wasn't satisfied with that. She wished this girl had something she couldn't do, wished she could act like a normal child and spoil her a little.
Indeed, in Xun Ye's eyes, Xiao Ai—the outstanding graduate of the Military Academy, the top assassin of the Executioner's Blade, the girl who single-handedly broke through three defenses and nearly reached Su Cheng's bedchamber—was an abnormal child.
Not long ago, Xiao Ai had been Her Highness the Princess.
But Xun Ye had encountered her at a slave auction.
With the city breached, what princess remained?
Xiao Ai had personally killed her own mother, for she wished her mother to die as a queen, not a lowly whore.
In just over ten days, seven or eight men had occupied the throne. Xiao Ai languished in the dungeon for more than half a month.
For killing her own mother, Xiao Ai was sentenced to death.
But the charge was baseless, and her execution was never carried out.
A corpse yields no profit; only a living princess could generate revenue.
Soon after, Xiao Ai was sold as a slave to traffickers—a fall from grace as precipitous as plummeting from heaven to earth for a princess.
It was at that very auction where Xiao Ai encountered Xun Ye.
Xun Ye knew restoring such a child to "normalcy" would be no easy feat.
"Let's go."
The two headed straight for the inner city gates. Xun Ye's face served as the best pass; no fool dared to stop her.
Within the inner city, you might not have seen her before, but you couldn't fail to recognize her upon meeting.
A squadron of guards fell into formation upon seeing Xun Ye, saluting her in unison.
They halted at the gate, where Xun Ye summoned the guard captain.
"Does she need a pass?" Xun Ye gestured toward Xiao Ai, who stood nearby with an adorably clueless expression.
Xun Ye’s words weren’t a question—they were a blatant threat.
"Lady Xunye, your subordinate naturally requires no pass," the man replied with a forced smile. She dared not cross this woman.
"She'll be passing through this gate frequently. You understand what I mean. If not, just get her some kind of pass. It'll be more convenient." Xun Ye's face remained cold. Truthfully, she'd never even heard of such a thing as a pass.
Access to the inner city typically required prior notification. Xun Ye’s situation was an exception—she rarely used gates anyway, as spatial magic offered unimaginable convenience. Generals like the Great Fox or Shen Rui had orders relayed before even reaching the royal city; no one dared obstruct them.
For everyone else, entering the inner city meant waiting for notifications and identity verification. The process could take anywhere from a few hours to ten days or even half a month.
The man turned his head and bellowed at the guards, "You lot! Have you memorized this young lady's face? She's a subordinate of Lord Xun Ye. From now on, let her pass without question."
It wasn't Xiao Ai's first time visiting the inner city to see Xun Ye, but she usually had to wait at the gate for notification. This time, accompanying Lord Xun Ye, she felt pretty awesome.
Xun Ye smiled. The fellow had some sense after all. "Isn't this putting you through too much trouble?"
"Lord Xunye, you flatter me. It's my duty."
The guard captain chatted and laughed as he escorted the two a considerable distance before returning.
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