Chapter Seventy-Six: A Friendly Exchange of Martial Arts

Although Yang Birou had once dreamed of marrying Zhongli Yu, it was merely the infatuation of a naive young girl, not true love. Previously, she had regarded Zhanyan as a rival, but ever since Zhanyan had taken her in, she had let go of that infatuation and now sincerely wished for that woman’s happiness. Now, upon hearing that she was in trouble, Yang Birou found herself worrying about her. Having grown up in the palace, she understood how suspicious those in power could be. With such rumors circulating, she wondered anxiously how the King of Donglin would deal with the couple.

“Master Gu, how is Princess Chun now? What is the King of Donglin’s attitude?” Yang Birou asked urgently. If things became dire, she would have her brother escort them to Xiyuan—after all, her brother was now king there. Birou pondered this silently.

Gu Qinghan was moved as he watched Birou’s anxious expression. He hadn’t heard of any close relationship between this woman and his sister before, but now, seeing her worry, it seemed as if they were very close indeed. Not wanting her to worry further, he spoke gently, “The King of Donglin hasn’t shown much reaction. The ministers are more anxious than he is, urging him not to let Prince Chun command the royal troops, but the king has ignored them.” In this regard, Gu Qinghan admired the King of Donglin—he trusted his people, and if he doubted them, he would not employ them. Few rulers throughout history managed this.

Yang Birou breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, the King of Donglin is a wise ruler.”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “He truly is, but the trouble now isn’t just with the royal court. There are those from the martial world as well. Many have already tried to break into Prince Chun’s residence in pursuit of Pear Blossom’s Fall.” He frowned; his sister cherished tranquility, and such disturbances to her life would surely anger her.

Before Yang Birou could respond, Gu Qinghan continued, “Miss Yang, I must go to the capital and see how my sister is faring, whether she needs any help. I won’t be coming to this residence for a while.” As he finished, a faint flush appeared at his ears. Gu Qinghan didn’t understand why he felt compelled to report his departure to Birou, but he couldn’t resist coming by to tell her.

A sweetness warmed Birou’s heart. Had he come here specifically to bid her farewell? Did she now occupy a place in his heart? Her cheeks tinged with a shy blush as she softly replied, “Alright, I understand.”

Gu Qinghan glanced at her, captivated by her blushing beauty. After a moment, he recovered himself and spoke gently, “Then I’ll take my leave.”

She nodded, murmuring her assent.

He turned and walked toward the courtyard gate.

“Gu Qinghan.” Yang Birou saw him moving farther away and couldn’t help but call out to him, addressing him by his full name for the first time.

Gu Qinghan was startled, stopping in his tracks and turning to look at her in confusion.

“Will you come back here?” she asked, her voice carrying a hint of awkwardness and hope as she met his gaze.

He stared at her for a moment, then replied slowly, “Once matters with my sister are settled, I’ll return. I’ll be off now.” With that, he hurried away, somewhat flustered, for he realized his heart was beating rapidly and he didn’t understand why.

Birou watched his retreating figure, a growing sense of longing spreading through her heart. She wanted to call out and ask him to take her with him, but lacked the courage. She feared hearing him refuse, and besides, her status did not permit such a request—even as a common girl, it would be improper to ask a man to take her away. She was also unsure whether danger still lurked outside; unless her brother sent someone for her, she couldn’t wander off.

Gu Qinghan left the residence to find Gu Qingyang waiting outside, already mounted on a horse, with another beside him obviously prepared for Gu Qinghan. Noticing Gu Qinghan’s somewhat unsettled expression, Gu Qingyang asked curiously, “Senior Brother, what’s wrong?” Gu Qingyang had no idea that a stunning beauty lived in the Gu family estate, as he was always roaming about. Since Zhanyan’s marriage, he hadn’t visited the residence. Hearing that his sister was in trouble, he’d arranged to go to the capital with his elder brother.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Gu Qinghan glanced at his long-absent junior brother, expressionless, not questioning where he’d been—he was accustomed to wandering, going wherever he pleased.

Though neither had mastered Pear Blossom’s Fall, both were among the top martial artists in the land. Eager to reach the capital quickly, they rode hard and arrived within a little over an hour, heading straight for Prince Chun’s residence without stopping.

At Prince Chun’s residence, they found the guards on high alert, which pleased Gu Qinghan. Gu Qingyang’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he whispered, “Senior Brother, why don’t we try to reach our sister’s courtyard together?”

Gu Qinghan gave his playful brother a speechless look. “Are you sure? Be careful, or you’ll end up riddled with holes. These guards are all top-notch; no matter how skilled you are, you can’t take on so many at once.” Though he hadn’t seen the guards, he could sense their prowess by their presence.

“Senior Brother, let’s treat it as a test for them. If we can’t beat them, we’ll reveal ourselves.” Gu Qingyang hadn’t sparred in ages and was itching for action, especially upon seeing so many experts—he was eager to test himself.

Gu Qinghan sighed at his brother, but finally nodded in agreement. Once their opinions aligned, they vaulted over the residence’s wall. As soon as they landed, countless guards were already waiting, staring at them like they were notorious criminals. Over the past days, the guards had repelled numerous martial artists trying to sneak in, but none had dared, as these two had, to brazenly intrude in broad daylight. Did they wish for death?

“Who are you? What business do you have breaking into Prince Chun’s residence?” the chief guard demanded.

“Hehe, I heard your residence has a powerful martial arts manual. Since I have some acquaintance with your princess, I thought I’d borrow it,” Gu Qingyang replied, grinning, utterly unfazed by the threatening crowd.

The chief guard was furious at Gu Qingyang’s flippant manner and claim of familiarity with the princess. If the prince heard this, he’d surely skin him alive. “You insolent scoundrel, how dare you spout nonsense here? Brothers, seize them alive!” He would have preferred to kill them, but the prince had ordered that unless absolutely necessary, no lives were to be taken, so he could only command that they be captured.

At his command, dozens of guards drew their swords and advanced on the two brothers. Gu Qingyang remained cheerful; hearing they’d be captured alive made him even more reckless. If caught, his sister would surely let him go, so he had no worries at all.

Gu Qinghan, expression calm and unreadable, drew his sword as the guards attacked. He too wanted to see if the defenses were as solid as rumored. The courtyard rang with clashing weapons. Outnumbered, the guards could not overcome Gu Qinghan and Gu Qingyang, who were both highly skilled. After nearly half an hour, the guards had yet to subdue the brothers. Exhausted from days of fending off martial artists attempting to break in, the guards were now truly stretched thin against these two formidable opponents. Sensing trouble, the chief guard quickly fired a signal flare. A red light soared above Prince Chun’s residence, visible to all within.

Zhongli Yu frowned—clearly, they faced a formidable adversary. Zhanyan’s expression soured; the servants had reported nearly five hundred martial artists had tried to break into the residence over recent days, but fortunately, none had been true experts and all had been repelled. Now, with the signal flare, it was clear that a real challenge had arrived, and they would need to see for themselves.

When Zhongli Yu and Zhanyan arrived, Gu Qinghan and Gu Qingyang were still locked in fierce combat with the guards, unaware of the newcomers. Zhanyan immediately recognized the brothers, understanding without need for explanation that her second brother was up to his usual mischief—deliberately neglecting to announce himself and playing around with the guards. Seeing her brothers had come, likely out of concern for her, touched her, and she decided not to interrupt them; if they wanted to play, let them play to their heart’s content.

Zhongli Yu, too, recognized the arrivals. He crossed his arms, calmly observing—this was a good opportunity to assess the strength of the men he had trained.

The guards, seeing the prince and princess arrive but making no move, were puzzled. Did the prince not see that they were outmatched? Why not call for help? Gu Qinghan and Gu Qingyang had also noticed Zhanyan, but showed no sign of stopping, continuing to spar with the remaining guards. Some had already collapsed, while others fought on, unwilling to concede—they had guarded Prince Chun’s residence for so long without defeat.

Most of the guards had fallen, and it was clear the rest would soon follow. The outcome was decided; there was no need to continue. Zhanyan signaled Zhongli Yu to have them halt.