Goku ignored Da Siming's furious cries. With two quick motions he slipped off her shoes, revealing her pale, delicate feet. Humiliation and anger flushed her face. Whatever technique he'd used had drained both sisters' strength; neither could move.
Shao Siming wanted to intervene, but her body wouldn't obey.
Holding Da Siming's foot, Goku smiled.
"You Yin–Yang clan girls are always so cold. Ever try… smiling? Today I'm going to find out if you can."
He began to lightly scratch her sole.
Da Siming's brows twitched. She stared at him icily.
"Pray you never fall into my hands. I'll make you beg for death—unless you kill me now."
"Oh? Still not laughing? I don't buy it." Goku pushed a thread of qi into the acupoints of her foot. The tickle spiked a hundredfold.
"Mmph—" A soft sound escaped her. She nearly broke, then forced herself calm, cheeks coloring as she fought the urge to laugh.
"Let's see how long you last." Goku glanced at Shao Siming. She actually shrank back, shaking her head.
"Heh. Begging won't help. You two tried to kill me. Not killing you is mercy—punishment is mandatory." He whisked off Shao Siming's shoes as well.
He clicked his tongue at the sight of those crystal-white feet, then shook his head.
"Tch. I'm not a foot-fetishist—why am I admiring them?" Still, his fingers went to work. On that eternally placid face, faint ripples finally appeared, a blush blooming at her cheeks.
Before it could go further, the rasp of armor rose on all sides. Qin troops flooded in and ringed the rooftop.
A mounted officer leveled his sword at Goku.
"You up there—release the two honored protectors at once! Defy us and you defy the Great Qin Empire. We will put you under a nationwide bounty. There will be nowhere to hide!"
Goku sighed. "Spoilsports. I guess playtime's over." He set the two women down. Under their murderous stares he pecked each lightly on the cheek.
"We'll call that your penalty. Until next time." He flashed into the sky.
A lazy wave sent a ripple over their bodies; the seals binding them unraveled instantly. Almost in the same heartbeat, both women wove Yin–Yang seals and hurled attacks into the sky—
"Name's son Goku! Don't forget it!" he laughed, and vanished into the blue.
Below, Qin soldiers gaped.
"H-he can fly?"
"We all saw it…"
"Is he… a celestial? Only immortals can fly."
"Don't be daft. That's just lightness skill at the realm of a god."
"Either way… terrifying."
The officer approached Da Siming and Shao Siming and bowed. "Honored Protectors—"
"Silence," Da Siming snapped, her eyes glacial. "If anyone speaks a word of what happened today—kill without mercy."
The men flinched. The killing aura rolling off her made them avert their eyes and edge back.
"Son Goku… Next time, I'll make you beg to live and be unable to die," Da Siming hissed, teeth clenched, eyes flashing with lethal promise.
Shao Siming stared into the empty sky, thoughts unreadable.
For a long moment, no one dared breathe too loud.
---
Outside a quiet valley.
A boy strained to pin an iron pot to a stone dais. Something inside battered and clattered, trying to break free. Judging by his dress and bearing, it could only be Shaoyu.
"Where'd you even find a pot like that?" another boy asked—Tianming, of course.
"This little thing's got serious strength!"
Shaoyu grunted, fighting to hold it down. The pot rattled so hard it began to hop. Seeing it would break free, Tianming dove in to help.
"Don't worry. It can't get out," Shaoyu said with forced confidence. He trusted his innate strength.
He'd barely finished when—crack. A tiny head punched through the pot. The small creature spun like a drill; with a chorus of snaps, a perfectly good pot became scrap. Clamping a shard in its teeth, it leapt to a boulder and munched the iron down in a few bites. Both boys stared, stunned.
"Whoa! What kind of divine beast is that—eats pots like watermelon!" Tianming yelped.
"Is it even yours? Looks like you don't know a thing about it," Shaoyu said, skeptical.
"Of course it's—"
"Of course it isn't," a clear voice cut in. Footsteps approached; Xiao Li stepped into view.
At the sight of her, the little creature bounded to her feet. Xiao Li knelt and held out her hands.
It tilted its head at the pendant at her chest. Its bright eyes blinked; delight—shockingly human—lit its face. With a spring it leapt into her arms and nuzzled close.
"Kid, seems this young lady is the real owner," Shaoyu said.
"You're the Loulan girl Master Lü mentioned?" Tianming asked.
"Master Lü?" Xiao Li looked up.
"He was captured by bad people. He's in danger—please help!"
Before Tianming finished, a figure flashed across the sky and appeared beside them.
"So fast!" Shaoyu shifted at once to guard Tianming.
Goku flicked a glance at the boys, then looked to Xiao Li and the little pixiu in her arms. "Looks like you found what you were seeking," he said with a faint smile.
Xiao Li nodded. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Those two weren't enough to hurt me," Goku waved it off.
"Not an enemy, then," Shaoyu said, easing.
Goku regarded him. He admired the youth—this was the future hegemon Xiang Yu. The thought of his end made Goku's brow crease.
"Why the frown, sir? Do you have advice to offer?" Shaoyu asked politely, cupping his hands. Goku's entrance alone proved he was no ordinary man; advice was worth hearing.
"It's nothing." Goku shook his head and turned to Xiao Li. "We should go. The Qin army will be here any moment."
"We're already here," a cool voice said.
Armored troops poured in, encircling them. A white-haired man in ornate robes walked forward. His presence was hard and sharp; with each step, a solemn killing aura spread, the weight that only true veterans of slaughter possess.
A woman followed—mature, bewitching, a vision in a slit crimson qipao. The curve of hip and the flash of snow-white thigh would daze any onlooker.
Overhead, a great white bird circled. A strikingly handsome man stood on its back.
"Wei Zhuang? You're the boss monster—you're supposed to show up at the end," Goku said, genuinely surprised. His eyes skimmed Wei Zhuang and settled—unapologetically—on Chi Lian. Sensual, serpentine, intoxicating even to one long inured to beauty.
Chi Lian's brows drew together at his look. Her hips swayed, more enticing for the anger beneath. Goku felt the cold regard of a venomous snake. The beautiful viper was displeased.
"I'm merely interested in the one who defeated Da Siming and Shao Siming," Wei Zhuang said, fingers resting on his sword hilt, battle intent rising. "Which… must be you."
"Pass. I'm not into men," Goku said instantly, feigning a flustered recoil as he stepped in front of Xiao Li.
_____
T/N:
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