LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 64 - Partners
Chen Vice-Admiral had no objections to Ming Dongzi’s decision to return to the Xie family first. He was merely confirming her itinerary to make appropriate arrangements.
“Then, Lieutenant Fu will accompany you back. Also, while you were on Shui Lan Star, Prince Arthur dispatched two shadow guards to protect you. Now that you’ve returned to the capital star, it’s inconvenient for them to stay with you. However, your assassination bounty has not been lifted, and the situation with the Xie family is unclear. We plan to assign one of the shadow guards as your personal bodyguard. Of course, if you find it inconvenient, you can refuse,” Vice Admiral Chen said.
Ming Dongzi looked at the seventh-level female warrior approaching from the direction of the guard ship. The warrior greeted her with a salute, her gaze steady and firm, without any visible resentment or negative emotions.
“I would be honored to have a seventh-level warrior protect me,” Ming Dongzi said.
Although she preferred solitude due to her rebirth, she was still on the assassination list and had to be wary of potential attacks from killer organizations. Having such a bodyguard was ultimately an added layer of protection.
When Ming Dongzi was attacked in Shui Lan Star, she had personally “witnessed” how the female bodyguard threw herself at the assassin to prevent him from shooting.
In that situation, if the assassin hadn’t already been knocked out by Ming Dongzi’s mental powers, the female bodyguard’s reckless action would have meant that, had the assassin reacted a bit faster, the shot would surely have been directed at her.
At such close range, the female bodyguard would likely have been obliterated by the shot.
This female bodyguard is a level-seven warrior and has been recognized by Prince Arthur as a trusted shadow guard. She surely knew the dangers involved at that time.
Despite her loyalty to Prince Arthur, Ming Dongzi still had a favorable impression of her.
Moreover, this female bodyguard was specifically assigned by Prince Arthur to protect Ming Dongzi, which adds to her credibility and status.
With this bodyguard by her side, the Xu family would definitely refrain from playing any tricks in her presence.
As for whether this female bodyguard was sent by Prince Arthur to monitor her, Ming Dongzi felt no pressure at all.
For the next two years, she planned to focus solely on her cultivation and avoid any trouble. As long as the bodyguard remained dedicated to protecting her, she had no objections.
Lieutenant Colonel Chen sent Ming Dongzi the information about this bodyguard named Su Yue Ling, indicating that she was not a temporary guard but someone who would stay with her long-term.
“Would it be alright if I call you Sister Su from now on?” Ming Dongzi said with a bright smile to the female bodyguard.
“As long as Miss Lucy is willing,” Su Yue Ling saluted Ming Dongzi.
Ming Dongzi’s radiant smile made Su Yue Ling slightly relieved. Although she had been a shadow guard for just over forty days, she had a general understanding of the girl’s character.
From her experience with girls from noble families, many were quite arrogant and domineering, and even those who appeared obedient on the surface could be difficult behind closed doors.
Though Miss Lucy’s background is complicated, she is the daughter of a life-saving benefactor of Prince Arthur, and she is also from the prominent Xi family. Even if she wasn’t the head of the family’s daughter, no one would dare to underestimate her.
Given her unparalleled cultivation potential, no one in the entire Blue-Black Empire would dare to look down on her.
Thus, if she refused to accept Su Yue Ling, Lieutenant Colonel Chen would surely replace her without hesitation, which would mean the mission had failed.
Even if she were to return to her original position, her rank would drop.
Ming Dongzi saw that after Prince Arthur boarded the landing craft, although the door was closed, it did not start moving. She suspected he was waiting for Lieutenant Admiral Chen. She quickly bid farewell to Lieutenant Admiral Chen and boarded a landing craft with Lieutenant Colonel Fu.
However, from the window of the landing craft, she noticed that Lieutenant Colonel Chen did not board Prince Arthur’s landing craft but instead boarded another one. After Lieutenant Colonel Chen boarded the landing craft, Prince Arthur’s craft started to move.
…
The people of the Xi family naturally did not know Prince Arthur’s schedule and did not dare to inquire. When they learned that Ming Dongzi was returning to the capital star aboard Prince Arthur’s flagship, they did not dare to ask when she would arrive.
It is likely that the assassins aiming to target Ming Dongzi were also unaware of Prince Arthur’s exact arrival time, so the journey back to the Xi family was peaceful.
Lieutenant Colonel Fu dropped Ming Dongzi off at the entrance to the Xi family mansion.
With the presence of the female bodyguard Su Yue Ling and the mechanical gate guards at the Xi family gate, security was quite tight. Therefore, after Ming Dongzi bid him farewell, he left.
The mechanical gate guards scanned Ming Dongzi’s face, and the red light quickly turned green.
This was as Ming Dongzi had expected. After all, it was the original host who left the Xi family in anger, not the Xi family who drove her away. Thus, her identity information within the Xi family remained unchanged.
However, bringing someone who had never been to the Xi family before into the family compound required permission from Elder Ding Xi Shi, who was in charge of the security of the family estate. Her identity needed to be registered with the mechanical gate guards before she could enter.
By bloodline, Ding Xi Shi was Ming Dongzi’s great-uncle, and he and Ming Dongzi’s grandfather were siblings.
However, emotionally speaking, after it was revealed that Lucy was the daughter of a bastard, Ding Xi Shi ignored her and clearly showed his disdain.
Ming Dongzi’s return to the Xi family naturally would not improve Ding Xi’s attitude toward her.
Thus, she contacted Ding Xi via a communication device, informing him of the bodyguard Su Yue Ling’s identity. She had expected that this aloof elder would make her wait while he verified Su Yue Ling’s credentials, but to her surprise, she immediately received approval.
Although the responsibility for any outsiders brought in fell on the person who brought them, it was rare to receive such permission without further questioning.
It seemed that Prince Arthur’s name was quite useful.
Ming Dongzi had Su Yue Ling complete a genetic verification so that she could freely come and go with Ming Dongzi to the Xi family in the future.
When not accompanying Ming Dongzi, as long as Ming Dongzi sent permission, Su Yue Ling could also come and go freely.
Ming Dongzi was delayed for about two minutes at the Xi family gate before finally entering the Xi family mansion.
The Xi family estate houses a total of thirteen households, each with its own separate courtyard, making the estate quite expansive. There are convenient hover cars available from the gate to save walking time.
However, since the family conference hall is very close to the Xi family gate, it only takes about a minute to walk there, so Ming Dongzi chose to walk.
The style of the Xi family estate has a somewhat traditional aesthetic. The open spaces are filled with flowers, plants, and trees, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
Before reaching halfway, Ming Dongzi saw Mira Xi approaching her. It was clear that Mira had come running upon receiving news of her return.
Mira is Lucy’s best friend in the Xi family.
This friendship is not a derogatory term; they are truly close, not just because Mira is the same age as the original owner but also because her cultivation potential is equally mediocre.
“Lucy, you’re back!” Mira greeted Ming Dongzi with a bit of hesitation, smiling and watching her with a probing look.