Chapter 120: A Mere Trifle

These people didn’t even possess the skill of Xuanye Xuan. Yet they dared to challenge him—truly courting death.

Xuanyuan Juesi remained motionless, seated on the chair Yuan Qianlü had brought over, watching as Yuan Qianlü dealt with those assailants. If these people couldn’t even defeat Yuan Qianlü, they were truly meaningless opponents.

However, there were very few who could match Yuan Qianlü. His martial prowess was of the same school as Xuanyuan and Mo Qianli’s. Although he had delved deeper into their teachings, it did not mean Yuan Qianlü was any less formidable. His battlefield experience surpassed that of ordinary men, even exceeding that of the prince himself. In mere moments, several of those men fell one after another. The woman leading them appeared much more skilled than the rest. Yuan Qianlü exchanged several moves with her, still holding back some strength.

At that moment, a figure suddenly descended from the sky. Judging by the silhouette, it was a woman clad in flowing pink gauze, her face veiled in white. Her hair was loose, fluttering in the wind, reminiscent of Sinosa—who also disliked tying her hair and preferred it flowing freely. Xuanyuan Juesi had often mentioned this to Sinosa, who insisted it was more comfortable that way. This detail piqued Xuanyuan’s interest.

It was clear this woman was their superior. Upon her arrival, the others fearfully stepped behind her.

“Now, this is interesting,” Xuanyuan Juesi stood and faced her.

“Yes, indeed interesting,” the woman in pink replied softly, her voice gentle as a friend’s.

“What do you mean sending these people? Has the Thousand Sect run out of men? They don’t even compare to half of Ming Lou’s strength.”

“Your Highness, such words wound the hearts of the Thousand Sect’s people. Unlike Ming Lou, we do not seek to kill unless forced. Nor do we take lives proactively unless compelled.”

“You speak as if you are noble, as if you are all kind-hearted. But you are like those hypocrites, two-faced. At least Ming Lou is openly evil. You are neither here nor there.”

Xuanyuan Juesi was blunt. Though this was his first conversation with the Thousand Sect, he could sense their danger was even greater—one that crept in the shadows.

Ming Lou was no saint either; it was merely a comparison.

“Your Highness, can we negotiate? Hand over the item, so I can fulfill my task,” the woman in pink said.

Xuanyuan Juesi shook his head.

“Don’t say I don’t have it. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know where.”

Seeing her breathing calm, he knew she was about to strike. A pink cloth was suddenly launched at him.

He lightly leapt, barely tapping the red gauze with his toes. There were very few who wielded this gauze as a weapon, and the fact it was used within the Thousand Sect showed they were no ordinary foes.

“Are you from Biyu?” Xuanyuan Juesi asked while fighting.

The pink-clad woman hesitated briefly but continued her assault. Xuanyuan Juesi was injured; engaging her in close quarters was not ideal.

“So what if I am? It seems Your Highness knows Biyu well!”

“Of course. My senior brother’s wife is the leader of Biyu. Your martial art resembles Biyu’s style.”

“Mo Qianli is your senior brother?”

“Yes.”

He was not surprised she regarded Mo Qianli as her senior brother; it confirmed her ties to Biyu.

“But it’s not as you think. I am no longer of Biyu. That young girl and I are unrelated. She has no control over me.”

“A young girl? Now that you mention it, I’ve heard a story.”

Xuanyuan Juesi stopped fighting as she ceased her attack.

“Is it a story about me?”

“I’m not certain. It’s just something I overheard. Biyu once had an immortal maiden.”

“Ha ha ha, Your Highness, are you joking? You think I am some immortal maiden?” She laughed heartily, her voice like silver bells—far from the laugh of a bloodthirsty killer. Still, one should never fully trust others; deception is easy.

“I’m not so sure either. The story goes that this immortal maiden, betrayed by love, in a rage killed her beloved, then vanished. The immortal became a vengeful spirit, a soul reaper. That was the end.”

“The end?”

The woman in pink looked at Xuanyuan Juesi.

“Yes, the end.”

“Hmm, I like the story. But it’s not me.”

She shook her head.

Xuanyuan Juesi knew she was truthful. She was not the fabled Biyu immortal maiden, Qing Shui Xin.

“Then I cannot guess. What are your plans now? I don’t have the item. You can keep fighting me if you have the strength to kill me. I’m wounded and can’t fight well.”

Unexpectedly, she stepped closer, smiling lightly.

“How could I kill you? Your life will be taken by someone else eventually, but that person won’t be me.”

Her tone was serious and calm, making Xuanyuan Juesi feel she was no ordinary woman. He reached out to lift her veil, but she gently turned her head aside.

Nothing further happened.

“Hey, don’t break the rules, will you?” she said.

“Did I agree to any conditions?” Xuanyuan Juesi shrugged. He hadn’t promised anything.

“No, you didn’t. But don’t think it ends here!” The woman clapped her hands softly. Suddenly, over a dozen figures leapt in, encircling them.

Xuanyuan Juesi merely sneered and mimicked her applause. Immediately, archers hidden around the building aimed their arrows at them.

“Knowing you’d come looking for me so hard, do you really think I’d be caught unprepared?”

Xuanyuan Juesi never fought battles he wasn’t confident in. He had prepared specifically for their arrival.

“Looks like we’ve fallen into your trap,” the woman in pink observed, glancing around at the archers.

Then she looked back at Xuanyuan Juesi. Indeed, they had walked into a snare. But truly, this trap was a product of their own choices—and every choice carries a price.

“The trap is your word. A trap only works if someone jumps into it. I never invited you to fall. Besides, your intentions are anything but pure. I’m merely defending myself. I don’t want to hurt anyone unless forced. I don’t want to kill you unless I’m in danger. This philosophy applies perfectly to me. I am the only one fit to say it. You are not.”

Xuanyuan Juesi’s words left them speechless. Having studied beside Sinosa for so long, these people were merely trivial matters to him.