The hooded figure and their disciple reappeared within the courtyard of an obscure manor, far away from the busiest part of the city.
The oppressive aura that had accompanied them moments before dissipated as the figure strode forward inside with their clasped behind them
The masked assailant stumbled to her knees, clutching her wounded arm where Xu Qi's needle had struck. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and beads of sweat mixed with the faint trickle of blood still seeping from her neck as she didn't dare to follow her master.
However, her master's steps halted abruptly. Their hooded head tilted ever so slightly back toward her as a heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by her labored breathing.
"You hesitated," the hooded figure said, their voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of disapproval. "Twice. What made you hesitate in using the technique I taught you?"
