The atmosphere became somewhat heavy.
The once pleasant sound of buzzing insects seemed somewhat annoying now.
The middle-aged man standing by the stone pillar lightly rubbed his brow but remained silent.
Tea Jin raised her tea cup and took a sip before speaking, "Gongzi has a discerning eye and extraordinary insight. I deeply admire that. However, can Gongzi listen to the conditions I promised before deciding whether to refuse?"
Su Yi poured her a cup of wine with a gesture, "Please."
A play on words.
Drink first, then talk.
At this moment, the middle-aged man standing by the pillar finally reacted, turning his head to look at Su Yi in the wicker chair, his gaze cold, "The young lady never drinks."
Su Yi ignored it, or rather, he directly disregarded it.
It was indeed a mood killer to force a woman to drink.
But for Su Yi, Tea Jin's arrival not only ruined the mood but also brought trouble.
He didn't care if it was impolite to make a troublesome woman drink.
Tea Jin fell silent for a moment before suddenly smiling gently and saying in a soft voice, "Xiang Shu doesn't need to worry. Although I don't drink, it doesn't mean I can't handle alcohol. If I can touch Su Gongzi's heart, then getting drunk tonight is worth it."
As she spoke, she raised her cup and drank it all in one gulp. A rosy flush instantly spread across her pristine and beautiful face, intoxicatingly enchanting.
She licked her rosy lips as if savoring the taste, then smiled and said, "Gongzi, at your current age, being able to kill a grandmaster with a sword shows great ambition. Perhaps in the future, you could become another Zhenyue King."
"But Gongzi must understand that the higher one's cultivation realm, the rarer and more precious the resources needed for cultivation become. And these high-level cultivation resources are almost all controlled by the top forces within the Great Zhou Empire."
Just as she said that, Su Yi poured her another cup of wine.
This time, he didn't even say "please."
Tea Jin was slightly stunned for a moment but quickly raised her cup and drank it all, saying, "If Gongzi is willing to serve the Second Prince, I can guarantee that Gongzi won't have to worry about cultivation resources in the future. Furthermore, if Gongzi achieves great merits, it wouldn't be difficult to bestow titles and appointments such as Marquis or Prime Minister in the future!"
Su Yi sighed lightly, "Do you know how Zhou Zhilao promised me?"
"I would like to hear the details."
Su Yi casually said, "He promised me the position of National Teacher, vast wealth, and the ability to use all the rare treasures in the world."
Tea Jin's expression froze, and she exclaimed in disbelief, "How is that possible? The current National Teacher, Hong Canshang, holds a high position, second only to the Emperor of the Great Zhou Empire. It's impossible for him to simply hand over his position with just a word from the Sixth Prince."
The middle-aged man with the sword couldn't help but sneer, "Among the eight princes, the Sixth Prince is not favored by the Emperor and has no real power. His status within the imperial family is far inferior to the other princes."
"He is just spouting nonsense and painting an unrealistic picture. Do you really believe him? Or are you trying to take advantage of the situation and extort benefits?" The middle-aged man seemed well-informed about the situation within the imperial family and spoke with dissatisfaction, suspecting that Su Yi had ulterior motives.
Tea Jin also seemed to calm down and spoke softly, "Mr. Su, Xiang Shu is straightforward by nature. Please don't mind. However, as far as I know, the current situation of the Sixth Prince within the imperial family is indeed... a bit embarrassing."
Su Yi poured another cup of wine for Tea Jin and said, "Three strikes. After drinking this cup, you can leave."
Tea Jin's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and Su Yi's unwavering attitude filled her with indescribable annoyance.
She had come here voluntarily and had already shown enough sincerity, yet this guy didn't seem to give her any face at all!
The atmosphere turned cold.
The middle-aged man with the sword turned to look at Su Yi.
In that instant, his eyes were like a pair of sharp swords tearing through the night sky, radiating a chilling and terrifying coldness.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, suffocating.
This was the imposing aura of a martial grandmaster!
"Young man, it's a good thing to have lofty aspirations, but being too arrogant is a sign of not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth. Tea Jin pities your talent, which is why she took the initiative to recruit you. But it seems like you truly think of yourself as an extraordinary figure?" The middle-aged man spoke coldly, his words resolute and imposing.
Su Yi's gaze turned cold.
"It's said that you have the power to kill a grandmaster with a sword, but the old man you killed on the ship had already activated a self-destructive forbidden technique before you made a move, trapping himself in a desperate situation."
The middle-aged man's eyes flashed with coldness, filled with disdain. "At that time, you simply took advantage of a great opportunity!"
Tea Jin's eyes flickered, and she smiled to ease the tension, saying, "Xiang Shu, how could Su Gongzi, who slays grandmasters with a single sword, be an ordinary person?"
"Naturally, but I'm just cautioning him not to overestimate himself," the middle-aged man said indifferently.
"Do you know what happened at the Qingding Drill Ground yesterday?"
Su Yi remained calm throughout, his gaze fixed on the cup of wine he had poured for Tea Jin on the table.
"What happened at the Qingding Drill Ground? " Tea Jin was taken aback and instinctively looked at the middle-aged man with the sword.
The middle-aged man with the sword frowned and said, "It is said that Qin Wenyuan and his son were killed by an extremely mysterious and powerful individual. What's the point of saying all this?"
Tea Jin was stunned for a moment, blinked her eyes, and joked, "Su Gongzi, you're not trying to tell us that you're the mysterious person who killed Qin Wenyuan and his son, right?"
"You guessed right."
Su Yi said as he picked up the cup of wine on the table and poured it on the ground. "I'll give you one last chance. Disappear from my sight now, or..."
He stood up from the rattan chair, with a faint smile on his face, and said, "Tonight, you won't be able to escape."
Although he was smiling, his expression remained emotionless.
Tea Jin's face changed slightly, and she took a few steps back, somewhat annoyed. "Su Gongzi, this joke is not funny at all!"
She naturally didn't believe that Su Yi was the mysterious person who killed Qin Wenyuan and his son.
The middle-aged man with the sword couldn't help but laugh, his eyes filled with killing intent. "In that case, let me be frank. If you don't agree today, to prevent our identities from being exposed, you and everyone in this courtyard must die!"
"Is that so?"
Su Yi's eyes showed neither sorrow nor joy. "It seems that I, Su Yi, am really too easy to talk to."
He took a step forward.
Tea Jin's pretty face changed slightly and she said, "Su Gongzi, why persist in your delusion?"
Clang!
A strand of sword chant echoed as Xiang Shu drew a spiritual sword from the scabbard he held in front of him. It flashed out like a purple lightning, dazzling and eye-catching.
The sword was called "Ying Zi," crafted by Chai Yong, a renowned swordsmith in Yujing City. It was made from eighty-one types of spiritual materials and ranked thirty-third on the Great Zhou Empire's "Famous Swords List"!
With the sword in his hand, Xiang Shu's aura changed dramatically. His majesty was indifferent, and his presence was like an overwhelming torrent, covering the sky and earth.
"Submit under this sword or die. Choose one."
Xiang Shu spoke coldly.
Seeing this, Tea Jin immediately retreated from the pavilion without hesitation. However, when her gaze fell on Su Yi, a tinge of regret couldn't help but appear in her eyes.
Why bother?
This is probably what they call toasting without eating and being forced to drink?
Tea Jin couldn't help but sigh deeply in her heart.
"You dare draw your sword in front of me?"
Su Yi's eyes carried a trace of disdain. "Listen carefully, within three moves, I will sever your right wrist, force you to kneel, and take your head!"
As he spoke, a chilling gleam flickered in his deep eyes, and his right hand emerged like a sword.
"You know nothing of life and death!"
Xiang Shu's face darkened.
Clang!
His accumulated overwhelming aura burst forth completely, accompanied by a resolute sword chant.
Whoosh!
The sword "Ying Zi" unleashed a misty and illusory purple sword shadow, piercing through the night sky.
Like a thunderbolt.
Threads of sword aura danced and swirled, resembling purple lightning streaking across the sky.
In that instant, Tea Jin felt a piercing pain in her eyes, and an indescribable sense of astonishment surged in her heart.
Xiang Shu was one of the top experts under the Second Prince's command, having made a name for himself over a decade ago with his "Fire and Thunder Sword Technique." He had amazed his peers and won the applause of fellow masters.
Just like this current moment, with a seemingly casual strike, he displayed the unparalleled elegance of a sword master!
But Su Yi stood his ground without flinching, and his outstretched right hand made a subtle gesture.
It seemed casual, yet it possessed profound meaning, revealing the true essence of breaking through clouds to see the sun.
The swiftly approaching threads of sword aura suddenly deviated by three points.
Huh?
Xiang Shu's pupils contracted.
With his extensive combat experience, he instantly adjusted his sword technique, transforming his previous lightning-fast strike into a towering mountain range, blocking the sky and earth, giving an unassailable and unshakeable feeling.
Su Yi's outstretched right hand remained unchanged, only the fair fingertips suddenly emitted a dazzling light.
Clang!!
When the fingertips made contact with the "Ying Zi" sword, a thunderous sound like a grand bell echoed.
The unassailable sword technique, resembling a mountain range, shattered and dissipated like fragile bubbles under the power of this fingertip, leaving no defenseless spots.
Following that, Su Yi lightly brushed his fingertips against Xiang Shu's right wrist.
Plop!
In a seemingly gentle brush, it was as if an unmatched sharp knife effortlessly severed Xiang Shu's right wrist.
His right palm, along with the "Ying Zi" sword, flew to the ground. The severed wrist was smooth as a mirror, blood gushing like a spring.
Xiang Shu felt the pain, his soul trembling in shock.
A seemingly casual strike of the hand had the power to break through clouds, shatter mountain ranges, and easily sever his right wrist!
How could this person be so terrifying?
Almost instinctively, Xiang Shu was about to retreat in a panic.
But at that moment, Su Yi's indifferent voice resounded:
"The second move."
His right hand suddenly formed a seal in mid-air and pressed down.
As if a divine being effortlessly moved mountains and suppressed the depths!
Boom!
The nearby air exploded as if it couldn't bear the pressure.
Su Yi's palm seal shimmered like a substantial object. As it pressed down, despite Xiang Shu's desperate resistance, he was instantly overwhelmed and forced to kneel on the ground. His knees cracked the earth with a crisp sound.
It was too fast, and the strike was too domineering, like slapping a fly. The oppressive force completely crushed him.
"This..."
Xiang Shu's eyes were filled with despair and horror, his soul trembling in shock.
Tea Jin, who was watching from a distance, seemed to awaken from her daze and horror. She screamed, "Stop!"
But Su Yi paid no attention, and with his palm acting as a blade, he lightly sliced.
Xiang Shu's head flew into the air.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't even have time to react, let alone resist.
In his final moments, his face expressed sheer terror and disbelief.
Echoing in his ears, it seemed that Su Yi's words from before reverberated:
"Listen carefully, within three moves, I will sever your right wrist, force you to kneel, and take your head!"