"Ah, this place is huge! I think I turn right here... hmm? No, wait, left—yeah, it should be left... Yo, what are those people doing?"
—Hey-ha-ho... ah-da... yo-wa-ha...
Just as Ah Jun was about to reach the intersection before Taihe Hall, he found himself utterly lost, unable to remember that lengthy string of directions that sounded like a tongue twister. Then, after making a wrong turn, he wandered further and further off course... until suddenly, he heard the sounds of combat and spotted a martial arts platform.
—Looks like someone's sparring?
As the distance closed, Ah Jun gradually realized that on the platform, multiple people were surrounding and attacking a girl, and her build was quite small, completely different from her attackers.
—So many people ganging up on one girl!
Just as the kindhearted Ah Jun was about to rush over to uphold justice, he witnessed those tall attackers getting knocked down one by one. In the next moment, a valiant, petite figure appeared before Ah Jun's eyes.
She possessed a pair of beautiful eyes with deep double eyelids, though her gaze was aggressive. Those jet-black pupils revealed some mysterious luminescence, her hair tied in a high ponytail, her face expressing pride and dissatisfaction.
"Didn't any of you eat breakfast? Get up! We're just warming up!"
Following a mighty shout, those who had fallen could only helplessly rise again, exchanging glances—Fight more? If this continues, we'll be exposed...
—Hmm, this girl's pretty impressive, able to take on so many people alone! Huh? Who's that over there? Mm... probably someone from this palace. Maybe I should ask for directions, otherwise I'll really be late...
"Hey... who are you? Hey—ah-yo-hey, you're all coming at once? Bring it on!"
"Excuse me, which way to Taihe Hall?"
Ah Jun gave himself some encouragement, then quickly walked onto the platform—just as he passed the edge, his eyes met the girl's for a moment.
—Hmm, hello!
Then, without acknowledging her, he simply turned and walked away on his own—completely oblivious to everything, since the platform had already become quite lively, and Ah Jun was only focused on how to ask for directions properly.
"Taihe Hall? Are you Young Master Yuwen's friend?"
"Yes!"
"Oh... Uncle Li, that boy has arrived!"
At this moment, the young lady whom Ah Jun had asked for directions suddenly shouted toward the distance—then, an elderly gentleman nearly sixty years old approached with vigorous strides, standing close to eight chi tall, well-dressed, with graying hair but spirited eyes, appearing very amiable.
"Hey, brat!"
But just as the elderly gentleman arrived before Ah Jun and was about to question him, a roar suddenly resounded, startling everyone—the people before Ah Jun's eyes all trembled three times, looking quite flustered. However, the elderly gentleman remained much calmer, slowly guiding Ah Jun's gaze toward the platform, watching together.
"Are you calling me?"
"Who else... Where did this boy come from, daring to be rude to me—seeing this princess without even a greeting!"
"Princess..."
Facing the girl's complaint, Ah Jun looked helplessly at the elderly gentleman, bewildered about his transgression—he had merely wanted to ask for directions, whom had he offended?
The elderly gentleman simply smiled and nodded, then began telling Ah Jun that Taihe Hall was over there!
"Oh, I understand, thank you—Hello, Princess, I took the wrong path, my apologies. I'm in a hurry, so then, farewell!"
After receiving the correct directions, Ah Jun quickly turned around, politely greeted the fuming girl on the platform, then prepared to return.
However, that willful little princess couldn't possibly let him off so easily—the girl was nearly exploding with rage from Ah Jun's single sentence. Thus, in the next moment, the others trembled three times again.
—Hmph... What's this! Just you, who do you think you are, coming and going as you please? Everyone else would be dying to stay, yet you... dare to spy on this princess practicing martial arts, I'll show you!
"Hey... come fight me once. If you win, I'll forgive you and let you go—Take this!"
The second after the girl issued her challenge, Ah Jun had no choice but to turn around again, looking at her in utter confusion—but at this moment, the little princess stomped her foot and whooshed straight toward Ah Jun, preparing to subdue her opponent through force.
Just as the little princess's fist was about to strike him, the boy suddenly moved his feet, sidestepped, and vanished—the girl missed completely, her expression instantly shifting from smugness to bewilderment. Immediately after, her small ears twitched, she executed a flying kick that nearly hit Ah Jun standing behind her.
—Phew, that was close... but she smells nice, must be rose scent...
However, the fortunate Ah Jun who narrowly avoided the attack froze for a moment, failing to notice they were now in combat—since he froze, an opening appeared. When the enemy shows weakness, one must strike decisively.
Thus, in the next second, the little princess pushed off forcefully upon landing, preparing to deliver a solid blow to Ah Jun—and this punch, the girl had actually forgotten the family teachings, using nearly her full strength, because her heart had completely exploded, finally releasing her long-accumulated suppression!
"Hold!"
—Oh no, what should I do now? Hmm... oh, sounds like Yuwen Lü's voice...
Facing the sudden attack, the slow-reacting Ah Jun had no time to flee, his mind confused—but suddenly, a word of admonition arrived, causing the little princess's fist to stop about one centimeter from the boy's nose.
—Good thing, almost, otherwise blood would flow again... hmm? Again... nosebleed...
At this moment, exactly as Ah Jun thought, behind the girl, Yuwen Lü was rushing over anxiously, and behind him were a dissatisfied-looking Xiao Xi and a frowning Ning'er.
"Hmph!"
—Looks like the crisis can be resolved...
Subsequently, Ah Jun smiled with relief, naturally staring at the girl—while the little princess before him looked completely twisted, yet she had no choice but to pause.
—Seems Yuwen Lü isn't simple, even the princess listens to him!
"Hey! What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before!"
"Oh, sorry, it's unintentional..."
"What! Hmph—Brother Lü, don't stop me. This boy dared to spy on my training and even despise me. Today I must teach him a proper lesson!"
However, even after Yuwen Lü arrived beside them and pulled Ah Jun aside, the little princess still refused to give up. She complained aggrievedly while glaring at Ah Jun with unwillingness.
"Please calm your anger, Your Highness. He truly came for training, just arrived late and got lost, absolutely no intention to offend you!"
"But he... I—Brother Lü, even you're helping him—Hmph, I don't care, he doesn't even recognize this princess, he must apologize properly!"
"Why are you being so unreasonable? My brother didn't do it on purpose. You think everyone should yield to you!"
"You! How dare you say that about me..."
"Brother, are you alright—I say, why didn't you fight back? Why let her have her way!"
"Ah Jun... are you okay?"
At this moment, Xiao Xi, who had been following behind, suddenly ran over, then stood before Ah Jun, confronting the girl briefly before immediately turning to check on Ah Jun's condition together with Ning'er.
Meanwhile, the little princess left aside couldn't tolerate this—the new development was like a fuse, completely enraging the girl...
"Oh my, brother, your nose..."
Following Xiao Xi's reminder, everyone's gaze fell upon Ah Jun, including the elderly gentleman from earlier—thus, Ah Jun quickly wiped his nostrils. Hmm? Why this sticky feeling...
Then he looked again—hmm? Bleeding again...
"Brother Lü, see, told you he's no good person—he was staring at me lewdly just now, and now his nose is bleeding!"
"No, it's not that, Princess, you've misunderstood, it's not what you think!"
"Right, someone like you, why are you even getting involved—Hey, brother, are you thinking about that girl you met at the hot spring again?"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense..."
"Pervert... actually peeking at girls bathing—Today, this princess will make you understand what justice means!"
Thus, despite Yuwen Lü's helpless dissuasion, the girl persisted in believing Ah Jun was a bad boy—and Xiao Xi's big mouth escalated the conflict to a new level.
At this moment, the little princess's obsession became something even Yuwen Lü couldn't reverse.
In the next second, the girl suddenly broke free from Yuwen Lü's superficial restraint, launching a fierce attack on Ah Jun, while a crimson Phoenix Immortal Mark began appearing on her forehead—additionally, from a distance, a bronze-colored blade whooshed to the girl's side...
"Yitian Sword!"
As the little princess wielded the sword single-handedly with a mighty shout, the precious blade instantly flashed with silver light, its edge sharp and piercing—in the next second, she thrust fiercely... Just as the dazzling sword light reached about two meters from her opponent, two figures suddenly materialized before Ah Jun's eyes, blocking the path.
—It's Ning'er and Xiao Xi, naturally, with Xiao Xi positioned slightly more forward.
"Bang!"
At this moment, the sword light violently collided with the air, a frost-like silver radiance flickering before everyone's eyes, followed by a tremendous clang that left the surrounding spectators dumbfounded—Is this... for real?
Xiao Xi held up his shield at the very front, yet there was a one-centimeter gap between it and the Yitian Sword, making no contact—what Ah Jun saw was the sword energy striking a familiar defensive layer, revealing a chilling coldness: the Boundary Knot!
Yes, excellent! At this moment, Ning'er was displaying rare fighting spirit and absolute power, which also made the opposing little princess grit her teeth in hatred, glaring fiercely at her new opponent with her large eyes—as for Xiao Xi, naturally he smiled cheerfully.
"Dare touch my brother? No matter how powerful you are, it's useless. Now you know how formidable we are!"
Originally, there was still a possibility for reconciliation, as Yuwen Lü had already thought of a solution, but unfortunately, this fellow Xiao Xi taunted again, infuriating the little princess until her eyes actually began flickering with an unusual light—crimson!
—Ha, must be from not sleeping well last night, watching too many short videos, that's why the eyes are so red... but this looks a bit like that technique?
Just as Xiao Xi, based on his understanding of the little princess, was preparing to engage in verbal sparring, the situation began to reverse.
"Oh no! Close your eyes quickly!"
"Your Highness, you cannot use that move, the Sacred Empress..."
At this moment, Yuwen Lü seemed to have discovered something problematic, suddenly shouting a warning to Ah Jun and the others, then glanced at the still-composed elderly gentleman beside him.
But that belated reminder was a beat too slow. At this moment, the little princess could no longer stop herself—afterward, Xiao Xi standing at the very front suddenly lost the light in his eyes, then like a pillar, stood there motionless.
—It seems even absolute defense cannot resist the girl's ability!
However, fortunately, Ning'er was safe and sound, perhaps because of Xiao Xi's blocking, or possibly due to the Nangong clan's abilities—in any case, the Boundary Knot remained. As for Ah Jun, Xiao Xi's build naturally couldn't hide him, and moreover, he hadn't had time to close his eyes. After all, light travels fastest; sound waves reaching Ah Jun, plus reaction time and decision-making, naturally left no time!
"Yitian·Flower Goddess!"
Seeing this situation, the girl decisively launched another attack, as she still didn't know Ning'er's origins. Moreover, now those two boys appeared to have been affected, presenting an opening.
Immediately after, petal-shaped crimson energy began surrounding the sword, then the little princess charged up, and the petals began combining into a rose shape, operating toward the sword tip.
The next thrusting move concentrated the flower-shaped energy into a beam of light, rushing straight toward Ah Jun's dazed face.
"Boom!"
As another explosion rang out and then subsided, the surrounding spectators were startled once more, trembling three times—however, strangely, the little princess's revenge hit another wall.
Ah Jun still stared stupidly at the girl, seemingly unable to shift his gaze. It appeared the little princess's ability was truly formidable, controlling both men!
"Pervert—Hey, who's hiding behind that chubby kid!"
However, this time the girl had used eighty percent of her strength to execute the ultimate technique, yet it was blocked just like that, and that boy was still staring at her. This drove the little princess nearly insane, and what was even more infuriating—who was so bold as to dare block this princess?
Then came a loud shout... but strangely, the air instantly became much colder, causing the children to start shivering.
—Oh, it's Ning'er!
At this moment, Ning'er slowly walked from the safe zone in the middle to Xiao Xi's side... the expression on her face became ice-cold, those extremely beautiful phoenix eyes had slightly tilted upward, conveying an exceptionally sharp gaze, the divine staff gripped tightly in her hand began emanating azure light—she was serious!
"You're actually from the Nangong clan... Hey, if you have courage, fight face to face, don't hide behind others!"
For the little princess who had never encountered a true opponent nor tasted hardship, such an aura actually frightened her somewhat, as if she was shocked by Ning'er's power. Hesitation, doubt, and confusion were all written on her face.
Subsequently, the girl unwillingly shifted her gaze to Ning'er, then glared at Ah Jun again, and glanced at the chubby kid—immediately after, that precious sword flashed crimson light once more, and this time, even the surrounding air began steaming up, with vapor spreading like boiling water.
"Hey, I'm asking you something—you... you're still staring at me, you brat, just wait, I'll gouge out your eyes in a moment—Nangong family girl, take this!"
"Stop!"
"Your Highness..."
However, the little princess's provocation received no response. Ning'er simply stood in place, looking alarmingly quiet—then, just as the Yitian Sword struck again, heading straight for Ning'er, a figure suddenly materialized before everyone.
This person's gaze was extraordinarily resolute, those wide eyes shining frighteningly, then he shouted mightily, preparing to use his body to block this attack.
"—Your Majesty is still waiting for him!"
At this moment, the originally composed elderly gentleman, Uncle Li, also suddenly appeared beside the little princess, pressed down her hand, and spoke with sincere words, sufficient reasons, and a slight sense of oppression!
"You weren't affected by my illusion technique, how—hmm? Uncle Li... no!"
Then, with Uncle Li's reminder, the little princess began hesitating again, but because of the figure that suddenly arrived opposite, she actually rekindled her fighting spirit—and that person was none other than Ah Jun. He hadn't been restrained like Xiao Xi, and stood at the very front, wearing that expression that made the little princess feel panicked.
—How can he still move? Could he have broken it himself... no, mother said our Changsun clan's secret technique surpasses all other techniques. Without the caster's release, how could he move so quickly... If he wasn't affected, why did he stand there in a daze staring at me? This person... no, I can't let him go—Acting so fierce, as if you have any right to control me!
"—It's already late... the Sacred Empress is also waiting for him!"
A series of incomprehensible phenomena made this noble princess begin doubting life. Soon, the proud girl prepared to break free from the restraint—fortunately, Uncle Li's next admonition miraculously worked. The little princess seemed controlled by something, a flash of terror in her eyes, then after a moment's thought, she stopped the attack... Her hands dropped as she stood there stunned, even the sword in her hand lost its luster...
—Could this be the power of bloodline suppression?
"Hmph!"
"Your Highness please wait, and please release the technique on Young Master Xiao Xi!"
"Flower Language—Release!"
This battle finally came to an end with the little princess's forbearance—under multiple constraints, the girl had no choice but to give up. However, the turmoil in her heart continued, truly suffocating.
Subsequently, the little princess crossed her arms, closed her eyes and raised her head proudly, then stomped her foot, wanting to leave immediately. However, Uncle Li's gentle reminder, like a tightening curse, made the girl stop again—thus, while fuming silently, she simply snapped her fingers without looking back, instantly releasing the secret technique's effect.
"Hmm? Where am I, who am I, we—Ha... we won, right—Ning'er, you're really amazing, you got this girl completely subdued!"
"Ahem... Young Master Xiao Xi, please mind your words!"
"Ah? I didn't say anything wrong, with her temperament..."
"Xiao Xi!!"
However, the unsealed Xiao Xi was like a small knife, his big mouth chattering away, instantly enraging the little princess again—then, that sword showed signs of flashing light once more.
—Uh, seems like the situation might spiral out of control again?
Thus, Ah Jun and Uncle Li had no choice but to immediately shout softly to stop it, and at this moment, Yuwen Lü on the opposite side quickly followed suit, once again blocking the little princess.
"Duanmu Xi, don't think I can't do anything about you! All of you... just wait—And you, pervert!!"
"Let's go, children, it's getting late!"
"Hmph!"
Fortunately, with everyone's concerted effort at mediation, the aftermath of this incident finally came to a conclusion—under Yuwen Lü's consolation, the little princess walked at the very front of the group with unwillingness, still looking completely twisted, though she seemed somewhat calmer.
On the other side, Ah Jun and his two companions followed Uncle Li's footsteps, walking at the back of the group—Ah Jun and Uncle Li were in the middle position, while Xiao Xi accompanied Ning'er strolling behind, chatting with her to lift her spirits, introducing the imperial city, and occasionally checking on Ah Jun, as his second brother had indeed been rather strange today.