Sword Arrives

The old man sighed. The kingdoms below and the immortals above were always at odds—seemingly on the surface, they pretended to be at peace, but in reality, they couldn't stand each other.

The young man in silk seemed slightly disheartened. "Forget it, forget it. Let's just chalk this one up to a young girl causing trouble. Not a big deal."

Just as he said this, the girl in black reached him, her left hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

The young man in silk smiled, turned his body slightly to the side, and motioned for her to go ahead.

The girl in black, too, slowed her pace, subtly shifting her body, her eyes—hidden beneath the veil—full of wariness and vigilance.

When the old man saw the girl's hands, wrapped in cotton cloth from injury, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Impudent!"

Suddenly, the old man shouted angrily, his voice like a thunderclap, and with a swift movement of his feet, he appeared in front of the young man. Leaning back slightly, he used a deft move to push the young man against the alley wall. At the same time, his left hand stretched out, fingers wide.

A dull thud sounded from his palm.

It turned out someone had thrown a stone as a hidden weapon, aiming for the side of the young man's head.

The force was tremendous, almost strong enough to pierce through the wall.

The old man crushed the stone with his fist, but rather than attacking the hidden assailant, he swung his right fist toward the girl in black.

The girl hesitated for a moment, suppressing her instinct to draw her sword. Instead, she tilted her head just enough to narrowly avoid the powerful punch aimed at her.

The wind from the punch was so fierce that it instantly blew the girl's veil askew.

The tall old man turned his straight punch into a sweeping blow, aiming directly at the girl's head.

The punch flowed with perfect circular momentum, never faltering.

The girl had no choice but to quickly raise both arms, placing the backs of her hands together to shield her head, crossing them into a defensive X shape to block the punch.

In the next moment, she slid backward several steps.

She exhaled a light sigh, then extended her blood-soaked hand to adjust the slightly crooked veil atop her head.

She was clearly angry now.

Turning around, she fixed her gaze on the tall old man, who was looking around, seemingly unconcerned. With a serious tone, she said, "If it weren't for me, you'd already be dead."

The old man didn't acknowledge her, but compared to before, he now regarded the girl as less of a threat, lowering her danger level to second place. The top position was now reserved for the figure standing across the alley.

Aside from the young master, the servant and the girl in the alley, there was only one outsider:

A tall, thin, and masked man.

His arms were unnaturally large, with muscles bulging like iron balls.

On his waist, two bags hung, filled with numerous round objects.

He stood still, almost as if he were saying that the earlier ambush had merely been a warning.

His cold, piercing gaze swept over the girl.

A grin spread across his face, and he licked his lips, his eyes full of desire.

The girl sneered and said two words.

"Come back!"

Before the words even left her mouth, a sword flashed over her head, cutting through the air like lightning.

The flying sword circled rapidly around the girl, as if playfully spinning like a mischievous child.

With a look of annoyance, she snapped, "Go away!"

In an instant, the flying sword vanished, leaving no trace.

The young master and servant were both frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.

The old man wasn't shocked by the flying sword technique itself.

Rather, he was filled with genuine fear at how effortlessly the girl could control the flying sword here, in this place.

This feeling made him feel like he had been transported back to his youth when he had first entered the palace, trembling with anxiety. He vividly recalled one day seeing a senior eunuch wearing a bright red ceremonial robe, walking beneath the palace walls.

Of course, it wasn't the eunuch himself that caused fear, but rather the overwhelming, blood-red presence.

The young man in silk, now regaining his composure, gave a self-deprecating smile, stepped forward, and asked with concern, "Grandpa Wu, are you alright?"

The old man, his face grim, shook his head. "Better be cautious. If it comes to it, we should just..."

The young man quickly waved his hand, "How about we just apologize?"

The old man was momentarily stunned, and then his face filled with grief and self-blame.

A master's disgrace is the servant's death, especially in an imperial family!

But the young man in silk just laughed and said, "Grandpa Wu, when we make a mistake, what's so hard about saying sorry?"

The old man still felt this wasn't the right course of action, but the young man was already walking towards the girl.

In that instant, the old man was filled with mixed emotions.

He realized something: there wasn't a speck of dirt on the young man's back.