Soulbound: Chronicles Of A Shadow Assassin-Chapter 35: Fear Of The Unknown

Some Mages had seen Jiang Yichen going into the dungeon, and they immediately reported what they saw to their leader.

Enraged, Lin Xiaoyan wasted no time, and quickly headed to the dungeon with Lin Xiaowei and Feng Zhenyu tagging along.

On getting there, they saw Madam Wang about entering into the dungeon, fiddling with her robes in worry.

"Lady Wang." Lin Xiaoyan called as he walked over to her.

"Master Lin." Madam Wang turned to face him, sighing in relief. "Young Master Jiang woke up not too long ago, he still needs to rest, but he insisted on coming here."

Lin Xiaowei massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was still reeling in the shock of Jiang Yichen’s spiritual core being opened, and now the same lad was still causing trouble, even after barely escaping death.

"You two," he said in reference to Lin Xiaoyan and Feng Zhenyu, "go get him. Drag him out if need be."

Before they could respond or make a move as Lin Xiaoyan had ordered, Jiang Yichen suddenly appeared at the dungeon entrance, stumbling forward as he supported Mingyu, who was barely clinging to consciousness.

Madam Wang’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of them. She immediately ran to him to in worry. "Young master, are you okay?" She asked as her gaze wandered to Mingyu whose state was rather pitiful.

"Why did you bring him out? Let go of him." Madam said as she tried to take Mingyu off of him, but Jiang Yichen gently swatted her hand before she could touch Mingyu.

Without saying anything to her, he stumbled past her, walking closer to the other three men present.

All three of them had different expressions on their faces.

Feng Zhenyu’s eyes were locked on Mingyu, a flicker of concern crossing his face as he took in Mingyu’s condition, observing his bloody face and swollen lips.

Lin Xiaowei, on the other hand, looked perplexed, wondering why Jiang Yichen was aiding the person who had attempted to take his life.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoyan’s gaze turned piercing, fixed intently on both Jiang Yichen and Mingyu as his mind wandered off.

"If his spiritual core remains sealed, and he lives his life as the son of the Jiang family, he will live. However, if his spiritual core is unsealed and the power hiding inside him is revealed, he might not survive."

"His birth defies the norms, and should never have happened."

The words of Jiang Renxing rang in his head like a curse.

Thud! A sudden sound snapped Lin Xiaoyan out of his reverie, and when he saw the source of the sound, his gaze hardened all the more.

Jiang Yichen had fallen to his knees while still holding Mingyu who was in a kneeling position as well.

Jiang Yichen’s head hung low. "I’m sorry for the trouble I caused." He said in the most genuine tone possible. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Why did you bring him out?" Lin Xiaoyan questioned, ignoring the apology which only seerved to grate on his nerves. "He poisoned you—almost killed you."

Jiang Yichen raised his head to look into Lin Xiaoyan’s eyes. "He did not poison me." He said, his voice firm and convincing. "I poisoned myself."

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Xiaoyan’s face when the weight of Jiang Yichen’s words dawned on him. He forced out a mirthless chuckle, about to brush off Jiang Yichen’s words as a joke, but Jiang Yichen continued to speak.

"I did it because I hated how invaluable and useless I felt because of my inability to cast spells. My servant here only risked his life by doing what I told him to. It was all my doing."

Shock, mixed with confusion and horror, reflected on the faces of everyone present.

But as the truth sank in, their expressions slowly gave way to a deeper understanding. They couldn’t help but wonder: how much must Jiang Yichen have suffered, carrying the weight of his sealed Spiritual core, a constant reminder of his father’s abandonment?

The pain of being abandoned, of being labeled an illegitimate son, and of being rendered incapable of casting spells – all because of his father’s actions.

The onlookers’ faces now reflected a mix of sadness, empathy, and compassion for the young man who had endured so much. But Lin Xiaoyan was an exception as he knew more than the rest of them present.

As soon as Lin Xiaoyan heard of how Jiang Yichen went to see his manservant who had poisoned him immediately after waking up from a near-death slumber, the thought of this possibility has crossed his mind—that Jiang Yichen had intentionally risked his life just so he could finally become the Mage he had always dreamed of being.

But hearing the confirmation from Jiang Yichen’s mouth sent his anger boiling over, his head almost exploding in fury mixed with... fear. Fear of the unknown that was to come now that Jiang Yichen’s core was unsealed.

"Yichen, how could you?!" Lin Xiaoyan yelled, his voice trembling with the weight of his emotions.

Madam Wang quickly rushed to Jiang Yichen’s side, her eyes fixed on Lin Xiaoyan as she tried to savage the situation. "Please save it for another time." She begged, "He hasn’t fully recovered from the poison he ingested. You can punish him all you want later, but wait until he is fully recovered."

"She’s right, uncle." Lin Xiaowei chimed in, "Chen-Ah just barely escaped death. Please don’t scold him like that. Look at how deathly pale he is."

Lin Xiaoyan stayed silent for a moment, before releasing a sigh, the tension in his body easing as he let go of his wrath. "Fine. Take him back to the infirmary." He ordered, turning around to walk away.

"Young Master, let’s go." Madam Wang said, bending down to assist Jiang Yichen to his feet. "You still need to receive treatment."

But Jiang Yichen avoided her touch. "Help Yinzhi instead. He needs the treatment more than I do."

Madam Wang’s eyes darted anxiously between Jiang Yichen and Lin Xiaoyan who had paused in his tracks, his attention caught by Jiang Yichen’s words.

"Stop being stubborn." She whispered, worried that Lin Xiaoyan’s wrath would be rekindled.

"Yinzhi needs to get treated too." Jiang Yichen cut her off in a firm voice that heeded no rooms for argument. "Otherwise, I will not go."

"If you want to die so bad, go ahead and die, then!" Lin Xiaoyan’s voice thundered, as he spun around to face Jiang Yichen. "Lock them both up!"

Lin Xiaowei quickly clutched onto this uncle’s arm in a calming gesture. "Please calm down, uncle."

"If Jiang Yichen is telling the truth, then his servant did nothing wrong other than following the reckless order of his Young Master," Feng Zhenyu chided in a calm and collected manner, finally breaking his silence. "And he is severely injured. He could die if not treated."

Lin Xiaoyan scoffed, his expression disdainful. "I’m surprised he’s still alive after all those beatings. The look in his eyes during the interrogation wasn’t one of a reluctant servant forced into doing something he was against - he was willing, even eager, to die. So, why bother saving him? If he dies, he’ll get the heroic death he’s seeking."