That day, Yang Kai was practicing his blade and sword techniques in the courtyard when the head guard suddenly walked in.
Hearing the commotion, Yin Zhiyong scrambled out from the inner quarters and greeted him warmly. "Boss Chu! What wind blew you here?"
The head guard's surname was Chu, so the guards under him all called him Boss Chu.
Boss Chu chuckled. "What, can't I come visit you two brats without a reason? Now that you've earned some merit, have you forgotten about us brothers and started looking down on us?"
Yin Zhiyong let out a dramatic yelp, his face scrunching up. "Boss Chu, how can you say that? No matter how great our contribution, it's all thanks to your years of guidance. How could we ever look down on any of you?"
Boss Chu pointed a finger at him. "You've always had the gift of the gab." His expression turned serious and his tone shifted. "But this visit is actually about business."
Yin Zhiyong hurriedly replied, "Whatever it is, Boss Chu, just say the word."
Boss Chu turned to look at Yang Kai. "How's your body?"
Yang Kai rolled his shoulders. "Nothing serious left."
"Good. I was worried you hadn't recovered enough to take on this assignment."
Yin Zhiyong asked with concern, "What assignment?"
Boss Chu smiled mysteriously. "It's nothing bad, I can tell you that much. There's something good waiting for you. Come with me."
Yang Kai and Yin Zhiyong exchanged a glance, put away their weapons, and followed.
They trailed Boss Chu through the Meng residence for a short while before arriving in front of a grand hall. Outside the hall, the Meng residence's chief steward — an old man with a goatee — was already waiting. He gave a slight nod upon seeing Boss Chu.
Yin Zhiyong's calves suddenly began to tremble, because he recognized what this hall was.
Despite having served in the Meng residence for over a decade, he was merely an outer courtyard guard and had never had the privilege of visiting such an important place.
"Boss Chu, this is..." Yin Zhiyong looked at the head guard timidly, hoping for some kind of guidance.
Boss Chu simply said, "Once we go in, don't speak out of turn."
Yin Zhiyong nodded vigorously.
The goatee steward completed his handover with Boss Chu, then addressed Yang Kai and Yin Zhiyong. "Follow me." With that, he turned and walked into the hall.
Yin Zhiyong sidled up to Yang Kai and whispered, "Brother, we might be meeting the Patriarch himself. You'd better stay sharp."
This hall was where the Patriarch conducted his daily affairs. Without a summons, ordinary people couldn't so much as approach it.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod to show he understood.
Following the goatee steward into the hall, Yang Kai looked up and spotted a man seated behind a desk, head bowed over a stack of documents.
The man looked fairly unremarkable — about fifty years of age, though he appeared somewhat younger thanks to good upkeep.
This should be Meng Deye, Patriarch of the Meng family.
The goatee steward signaled for the two to halt, then walked forward on quiet feet and spoke softly beside Meng Deye. "Master, the people you requested have arrived."
Meng Deye grunted in acknowledgment and continued attending to the papers in hand.
With no further word from him, Yang Kai and Yin Zhiyong could only stand there in silence.
A full tea's worth of time later, Meng Deye finally set the documents aside, stamped them with a seal, and furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. Only then did he seem to remember the two guards' presence and looked up. "Which one is Yang Kai?"
Yang Kai cupped his fists and said in a steady voice, "Yang Kai greets the Patriarch!"
Yin Zhiyong hurriedly followed suit. "Outer courtyard guard Yin Zhiyong greets the Patriarch!"
Meng Deye's gaze fixed on Yang Kai, his voice flat. "I hear you were seriously injured before?"
Yang Kai declared, "As a guard of the Meng residence, protecting the Eldest Miss is my solemn duty. I would give my all and stop at nothing short of death!"
Yin Zhiyong was thoroughly impressed inwardly, thinking that Brother Yang was usually so quiet and reserved, yet his flattery was delivered with impeccable precision.
"Excellent!" Meng Deye was clearly satisfied with his words. Had anyone else said the same thing, it might have been empty talk — but Yang Kai had already proven his loyalty through action in the previous incident. He truly had been willing to lay down his life.
Meng Deye had heard the details of that battle from others and knew that Yang Kai had come perilously close to death.
Although he still didn't understand why this newly arrived guard had been so willing to risk everything, such loyalty meant no further tests were necessary.