Leap Forward Comics: Watch How I Become a Villainess

Chapter 122 The Sentinel

"Throughout history, peace between countries has relied on marriage alliances, and women have mostly been the victims."

After playing around with Lu He, Li Cen became serious again: "Chengde is already much better off than the other princesses. It's just that she was chosen to marry into our country. The fourth and fifth princesses may not have such good fortune."

"What about you, Princess? Are you also going to be married off?" Lu He asked with some concern.

“I don’t need to be sent to a marriage alliance. Ever since my mother… sigh, my father has been very kind to my mother and promised her long ago that I can decide my own marriage in the future.” Li Cen couldn’t hide his sorrow when he mentioned the Empress.

Lu He swallowed hard and probed, "You really don't know why Her Majesty the Empress became a nun?"

Li Cen shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. This was also why she had always hated Li Guangqi and the poisonous Imperial Noble Consort.

“Actually…” Lu He remembered the system saying that no one knew except for the Empress at Hanshui Temple.

But for some reason, Lu He really wanted Li Cen to meet the Empress. At least Li Cen was caught in this contradiction and torment, and no one was there to comfort her. How painful it must be for her.

Indeed, Li Cen didn't know why she was different from other women. When she realized she had feelings for a woman, she was only fourteen years old. She was panicked and didn't know how to face herself. It wasn't until three years later, when the secret agent brought news that the Crown Prince had developed feelings for a man, that she seemed to have found a kindred spirit.

This is one of the reasons why Li Cen always hated Li Guangqi, but never wanted to kill him.

"Actually what?" Li Cen asked, seeing her hesitate and stammer.

"Uh, it's nothing, hahaha." Lu He quickly scratched her head, pretending nothing had happened. After thinking it over, she still felt that she should go to Hanshui Temple first to see the Empress.

"I have to attend to the banquet for the delegation's arrival in the capital. I may not be able to look after you and Miss Nie for the next few days. I will send out sentries to secretly watch over you." Li Cen will be busy for some time, and she is afraid that Lu He will not be able to find her even if he comes to the Princess's residence.

"Oh, right, speaking of sentries, I've always wanted to upgrade their equipment." Lu He slapped her thigh. The items she had previously exchanged were perfect for intelligence organizations like the sentries.

"Huh? What do you mean by 'equipment'?"

"Oh, oh, it's just giving them some, some magical artifacts, haha, magical artifacts."

As she spoke, she ordered Li Cen's head maid to go out and bring Liu Xiao back with all the belongings.

"Call a smart and capable person over here, and I'll teach them all the usage tips and formulas."

Upon hearing this, Li Cen let out a whistle, and soon a dark figure flew down and landed steadily in the courtyard.

The person who arrived wore a mask, knelt on one knee, and bowed.

Lu He curiously circled around the black-armored traveler: "Can you take off that mask?"

The man didn't reply; he just remained kneeling.

Li Cen quickly spoke up: "These past few days you've been following Mr. Lu's orders, so just listen to what she says."

The man then removed his mask and looked directly at Lu He.

"What's your name?" Lu He looked into his hawk-like eyes, which made her feel intimidated.

“Nameless, only hidden sentries.” Short and emotionless.

When the mask was removed, Li Cen was startled. Why was it him today? She was usually informed that five sentries would come in shifts; how could it be this person? It was this very man she had been sent to set fire to the Runtian Inn that day. She glanced guiltily at Lu He, though she knew the sentries wouldn't say much.

"It won't do if you don't have a name. How should I address you?" Lu He didn't understand how such a large group of sentries could all be without names.

The management system of these secret sentries is different from that of other official ranks. They are a clandestine intelligence and assassination organization that is loyal only to the royal family. They have no rank or grade, and seeing a secret sentry is like seeing the emperor.

These were elite troops cultivated by the Empress for the Emperor in his early years. The tokens contained both yin and yang; the Empress had given the yang jade to the Emperor and secretly passed the yin jade to Li Cen, a fact the Emperor was unaware of. Furthermore, the emperor was also unaware that the yin jade held greater power than the yang jade among the secret sentries.

Inspired by this, the emperor cultivated the Thousand Machine Guard himself, and refined it by dividing it into two lines: the Thousand Machine Guard Commander, who held the highest rank, and the Thousand Machine Division, which was directly under the emperor.

"Nameless," the man replied, putting his mask back on.

“Don’t make things difficult for him. Sentinels never have names.” Li Cen pulled Lu He back: “This spies are called Blackbird. Just call him Blackbird. He’ll be following you around these days.”

“Tsk,” Lu He stroked her chin, “This name is really interesting. Hahaha, Blackbird, I also have a confidant named White Feather. Are you related?” She laughed jokingly.

"...Bai Yu..." Beneath the mask, a realization seemed to dawn on him. Could it be...?