How to Sleep?

Yexi’s ghostly voice drifted through the darkness, carrying a chill that seemed to emanate from the nine hells, freezing Ard in place.

He followed the path of his own left arm, which had, without his knowledge, developed a will of its own. His hand, a five-legged creature of the night, had crept over to Yexi’s side of the bed. His middle finger was slightly raised, a hair’s breadth from touching her delicate shoulder.

At that moment, Yexi turned her head, her gaze as cold and sharp as a shard of ice. Her golden eyes, which usually shone like the sun, now seemed to blaze with an infernal light, scorching the guilt-ridden Ard.

Under that searing gaze, Ard’s frozen body finally thawed. He snatched his treacherous hand back and said awkwardly, “Um, are you sleeping here?”

“Unless your eyes have failed you, you can see there is only one earthen bed,” she replied, her voice flat.

“…” Ard didn’t know what to say. There’s only one bed, so you’re just going to sleep with me?

Yexi looked at the conflicted Ard, her eyes sweeping over his body and then her own. “You’re excited again?” she asked, her voice laced with a cold amusement. “We haven’t even taken off a single piece of clothing, and you’re still wearing several thousand pounds of gear. You can still get a reaction like this?”

Ard said pitifully, “This is the first time I’ve slept next to a girl my age. And you’re so… (swallows hard).”

“…” Yexi’s face was a mask of indifference. “I’ll tell you a trick. Think of me as a man. After all, I used to be one. Surely you can’t get aroused by that?”

“…” Ard’s gaze swept over her perfect form. He said slowly, “Then I must truly be blind.”

“Don’t be so shallow. This is just my appearance. You should look at what’s inside. Inside, I’m still a man.”

“But at this moment, I feel it’s quite good to be a shallow man. At most, I can think of you as a tomboy.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a dagger was plunged into the bed between his legs.

Yexi’s voice was as cold as the grave. “Are you saying that no matter what, you intend to have your way with me tonight? ‘As a man’? Heh. If I feel your pig trotters touch me tonight, you can prepare to become a eunuch.”

“Gulp.” Ard swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the sharp dagger between his thighs. The moonlight glinted off its edge, a silent testament to its sharpness.

“Yes, my Queen.”

Having made her point, Yexi turned her head away and fell into a state of sleep.

The crisis seemed to have been averted, but Ard was far from sleepy. He turned his head and quietly watched her. A sleeping beauty, serene under the moonlight. The beautiful image was deeply etched into the treasury of his memory.

Of course, he didn’t dare do anything else. Their relationship was still very superficial. She was by his side because of the Divine Contract and her own desire for change. Before meeting her, he had been primarily interested in her power. After seeing her beauty, he was a little greedy for her body, but he was the type with the lust but not the guts. His lecherous thoughts were confined to words. He didn’t have the capital to act on them. Wooing a woman required strength, and in her eyes, he currently had none.

If he could win this bet, he believed his image in her heart would improve greatly. Originally, dealing with that Baron Paunch had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. But now that he knew it could earn him points with her, only one thought remained in his mind: Baron Paunch must die.

Far away in his own castle, the Baron let out a massive sneeze.

Ard suppressed his excitement and prepared to get a good night’s sleep for the day ahead.

Ten minutes passed. Ard was not asleep.

Thirty minutes passed. Ard was still not asleep.

An hour passed. Ard opened his eyes.

Sleep? How the hell am I supposed to sleep? Unless he was completely impotent, to be able to fall asleep with such a peerless beauty lying beside him would be a miracle.

But he needed to be sharp tomorrow. With a heart bleeding with regret, Ard gave up the temptation of sharing a bed with Yexi. He obediently took out his sleeping bag from his luggage and lay down on the cold, hard floor.

This time, he finally fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Ard was groggily awakened by the sound of commotion outside. He unzipped his sleeping bag and climbed out, stretching with a long yawn.

“Nghh~!!!”

After the yawn, he was met with a familiar scene. Yexi was already up. Washing supplies and a basin of water were prepared, and a simple, quick breakfast was laid out on the table. She herself was sitting with her eyes closed in meditation, cultivating her Ki.

The noise outside didn’t seem to disturb her in the slightest. That was a relief to Ard; it meant it wasn’t the bandits coming for an early morning raid.

“What’s going on outside?” he asked her directly.

Yexi said calmly, “It seems those guards are about to leave.”

Ard thought for a moment, then, after washing up, he walked straight out of the room. The sky was just beginning to lighten, but the knights of the guard were already mounted and ready to depart. A luxurious wyrm-coach stood in the middle of the formation.

But there seemed to be some commotion in the ranks. Ard saw Kelly arguing with Rhode. He moved closer and overheard their conversation.

“Why can’t we stay a few more days? I’ll just be stuck in the palace when I get back anyway.”

“Young Master! Your father, mother, and brother are all worried about you! And Baron Quentin’s territory is notoriously unsafe! How worried will they be if they know you’re lingering here?”

“If it’s notoriously unsafe, then why hasn’t it been dealt with?! It’s our duty! And with you guys protecting me, I’m perfectly safe!”

“Young Master…”

Ard understood the gist of their argument. He shook his head with a smile. Rhode’s intentions were good, but his methods were not.

“Rhode, don’t make things difficult for Commander Kelly. Go back with her. Protecting you is her duty.”

Although Ard was blocked by the knights, his voice carried through. Rhode and Kelly both turned to look at him.

Kelly said, embarrassed, “My apologies for the scene. Let Lord Ard through.” She knew he was here to help her.

Rhode said stubbornly, “But the village chief and the others…”

Ard cut him off. “You can save them once, but you can’t save them forever. You can’t stay here indefinitely. The longer you stay, the deeper the revenge they will suffer after you leave. And… it’s not just this one village that is suffering.”

Rhode opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He lowered his head in dejection.

A heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder, making him wince.

“Leave it to me,” Ard said, his voice full of confidence. “And don’t be discouraged. There will be a time when you are needed. It’s just that the time is not now.”

Rhode looked at this young man, only a few years older than himself, with confusion, wondering where his confidence came from. Kelly was also puzzled, but Ard’s firm gaze told them he was not just boasting.

“You’ll save the village chief and the others?” Rhode asked.

“Of course. And not just that!”

In the end, whether it was due to pressure or because he truly believed in Ard, Rhode left with the guards.

Ard watched them go, then turned to find an old man also staring blankly in the direction they had departed. It was the village chief.

“You’re up early, Village Chief,” Ard greeted him.

The chief nodded bitterly, then asked, “When are you planning on leaving, my lord?”

Ard looked at the rising sun and smiled. “I’ll leave after I’ve helped you solve your troubles.”

The chief stared at the young man in astonishment. He had thought Ard was just trying to curry favor, deliberately helping Kelly persuade Rhode to leave. He never thought he actually intended to help the village. The chief’s mouth felt dry, and his voice was hoarse. “Please, my lord, don’t joke with us. Those bandits are ruthless killers, and there are many of them. There are only two of you. Even if you are skilled in martial arts, you will be at a disadvantage. We are just a poor village, we are not worth…”

“You are worth it, Village Chief,” Ard said with conviction. “You who have survived so stubbornly in such a harsh environment are worth saving. At the very least, I will save you!”

“Our savior!!!” Tears of sorrow and gratitude streamed from the old man’s weathered eyes. He was so overcome with emotion that he could barely stand and was about to kneel before Ard. Never before had they been treated as lives worth saving. For the first time, from Ard, they felt the respect due to a living being.

Ard helped the old man up, his expression serious. “But to save the village, I alone am not enough. I need help. I need your help.”

The chief was bewildered. “Our help? We are just unarmed farmers. What can we do?”

“You can do a lot. One of which is to save yourselves.”

“Alright, Village Chief. I need you to gather all the villagers at once. Rhode’s departure was a large-scale movement. Even if the bandits’ scouts were cleared out before, they will notice that the village’s armed forces have suddenly diminished. I think it’s very likely they will attack tonight. I need to explain my strategy to everyone now.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” the chief nodded repeatedly. “I’ll go find Bucky with the gong at the village entrance and have him gather everyone.”

Watching the village chief, like a withered tree in spring, scurry off toward the village entrance, Ard couldn’t help but smile.

Yexi, leaning against the doorframe, watched the scene. “You just said that, and he believed you. Without any proof.”

Ard sighed. “Because this village is already in despair. They have never tasted hope, never known what salvation is. The moment they see a glimmer of it, they will cling to it like a man in the desert finding an oasis, even if it might be poison.”

“Will you be poison?”

“If I succeed, it will be an oasis. If I fail, it will be poison. But they have no other choice. The shadow of death already hangs over this village. They must grasp this hope. Otherwise, they will only die.”

Yexi glanced at Ard and said calmly, “So, are you going to eat your  breakfast? It’s getting cold.”

“Of course! I’m starving!”

The hungry Ard rushed toward his breakfast.