The girl in the veil ignored the approaching young man in silk. Her gaze passed over his shoulder and fixed on the tall old man who was following him closely. With a solemn expression, she said, "Earlier, you were ready to kill without any hesitation. While you may have your reasons, I still feel that this was wrong."
The young man in silk, stopping about seven or eight steps away from the cold, composed girl, looked at her with sincere eyes. "My name is Gao Zhen. I hail from Yiyang County, in the Great Sui Dynasty. If Grandpa Wu has offended you in any way, I am willing to apologize and make amends.
The tall old man, standing behind the young man in silk, had a complicated expression. The so-called "Gao family from Yiyang County" was actually a subtle way of referring to something much grander. The Great Sui Dynasty, which had lasted for 1,200 years, was founded by an emperor from the Gao family, specifically from Yiyang County.
The girl, however, was unmoved. She tightened the bandages on her hands, then looked directly at the old man, saying, "If we were outside, facing a martial arts grandmaster who has likely 'traveled with the wind', I would stand no chance. But right now, with just the help of my flying sword, you will die without a doubt."
The tall old man sneered. "As long as that assassin knows about your secret weapon in advance, with his physique at the peak of a small grandmaster, as long as he protects his vital points, even if you strike ten times, what does it matter? He's managed, and I'm two levels above him, with one of those levels regarded as an insurmountable barrier. Little girl, I don't know where your confidence comes from to say that it's 'die without a doubt' for me."
The girl furrowed her brow, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of her blade. "I'm not one to enjoy trouble, and I dislike fighting. But if you insist on testing me, why don't we try? Whoever wins, their reason stands. What do you say?"
Rarely ever threatened, the old man grew somewhat irritated. If it weren't for being in this strange and treacherous place, and with her current cultivation, even if she had extraordinary talent, the old man could easily crush and kill ten of her with a single hand. Taking a step back, if it weren't for the important task at hand—watching over the young prince, who the entire nation of Sui had placed great expectations on—the old man would, even at the cost of being injured by the overwhelming power of this place, gladly teach this arrogant girl a lesson. It was admirable to have courage, but that didn't mean a tiger would hesitate to devour a young calf.
The young man in silk, who called himself Gao Zhen, quickly intervened, trying to smooth things over. "If the young lady insists on pursuing this matter, I'm willing to offer this item as compensation."
Gao Zhen lowered his head and opened the cloth bag hanging at his waist. He took out the jade seal, holding it in one hand, and offered it to the girl in front of him. "As a gesture of sincerity, I ask you not to pursue Grandpa Wu's unintentional offense. He acted out of loyalty and had no ill intentions."
The elderly eunuch, whose hair and eyebrows were all white, immediately froze in shock. He dropped to one knee in a state of fear and trembling, urgently saying, "Your Highness, you cannot! I am just an old fool, and this jade seal is Your Highness's chance! It is an extremely rare treasure in the world, one that could even carry the incense offerings of the common folk. How could they be compared? Your Highness, please do not force me to my death!"
The young man from the noble Gao family, with his prestigious background, had a stiff expression.
The girl seemed a little impatient, sneering, "A frog in a well, stuck in your narrow corner, yet everyone cherishes their own little things. Take that jade seal back. I've always liked a saying: 'A gentleman does not take what others cherish.'"
With that, the girl acted decisively and turned to leave.
The young man in silk breathed a sigh of relief. "Get up, Grandpa Wu, it's improper to kneel. Our twelve Grand Imperial Envoys of the Great Sui only kneel before the emperor. If the officials from the six Ministries or the Ministry of Rites see this and make an issue of it, we'll both be in trouble. Anyway, this trip to the town has been successfully completed, thanks to our ancestors' protection. Let's not create any more problems. We should leave quickly, and even after meeting our people outside, we must remain cautious. You know, within the Great Li Kingdom, there are six pillar nations. Although the Yuan and Cao families are opposing factions, unfortunately, these two pillar nations are at odds with our Gao family in the Great Sui. If something happens to you here and your strength is weakened, it will be very difficult for me to return to the Great Sui safely."
The old man nodded and slowly rose. "I understand the gravity of the matter, and I'll act accordingly."
When the old man mentioned the word "accordingly", the girl in the veil had already walked more than twenty steps away.
A gust of wind swept by the young man, and his hair at the temples and the sleeves of his embroidered robe fluttered in the breeze.
It was then that the old man, who held great authority in the Great Sui, did not let the girl go. He suddenly charged forward, stomping down with heavy steps that echoed through the alley, causing the ground to tremble. By the fourth step, the old man had leapt into the air, his fist aimed at the girl's back.