"Clang—"
The sound of weapons clashing suddenly rang out, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Aunt Liu and the others, having never witnessed such excitement, quickly gathered around curiously.
Li Yue Shu was also seeing sparring in this world for the first time and couldn't help but pause her work.
She couldn't understand the martial arts moves, but she was quite skilled herself and could tell that the two men were evenly matched, with no immediate winner.
"Clang clang clang!"
The sound of weapons colliding echoed through the courtyard.
Just as everyone was watching with great interest, one of the guards' sabers suddenly slipped from his hand, flying directly towards Li Yue Shu.
The sudden turn of events startled everyone, leaving them no time to react.
Li Yue Shu hadn't expected such a situation either and was about to dodge.
The next moment, a figure suddenly embraced her.
"Clatter!"
After a sharp sound, the surroundings fell silent.
Shen Wei held Li Yue Shu protectively in his arms, his foot pinning the flying saber.
Silence, a deathly silence.
Xing He, watching from the shadows, felt his heart leap into his throat.
Master had been exposed!
Wait... Master had actually intervened to save a woman?!
Amidst the silence, Shen Wei also realized something was amiss.
He clearly felt the gazes on his back, his heart skipping a beat, but the panic in his eyes vanished in an instant.
He lowered his head to look at the saber beneath his foot and suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "I... I caught it?"
Shen Wei turned around with a look of surprise, "I caught it! A Shu, I'm so amazing!"
Seeing his ecstatic reaction, as if he had discovered a new continent, Li Yue Shu was taken aback, then a little exasperated.
She patted Shen Wei's head, "I know you're amazing, but you must never do something so dangerous again. If you hadn't caught it, the saber would have landed on you, injuring you, or even taking your life."
Li Yue Shu's expression was solemn, especially the last sentence, which she deliberately emphasized.
Shen Wei knew she was concerned for him, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. But the next moment, he lowered his head, looking like a wronged puppy with drooping ears.
His appearance softened Li Yue Shu's heart.
She sighed helplessly, "You can't be so impulsive again, understand?"
Shen Wei nodded, but his expression remained dejected.
Wei Zi Miao, who had been sitting in a corner, saw everything.
He saw the doubt in Li Yue Shu's eyes vanish and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Madam Shen, I apologize." Wei Zi Miao's face was full of remorse. The two guards also hurried over.
"Madam Shen, Young Master Shen, we were too careless and almost caused a grave mistake. Please punish us."
The two men knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
Hearing this, Li Yue Shu couldn't say much more, "Forget it, it wasn't intentional."
She hadn't expected their sparring to result in a weapon flying out of control.
Upon hearing her words, the two guards stood up, thanked her, and stood respectfully to the side.
Wei Zi Miao walked over, changing the subject, "Madam Shen, I didn't expect your husband to be so skilled. May I ask who his master is?"
Li Yue Shu turned to look at him, not noticing his intentions, "He used to be a guard for a wealthy family. Before his mind was fully developed, he was the most skilled hunter in the village, building a tiled house for the Shen family in just a few months through his own efforts."
Mentioning this, Li Yue Shu sighed.
Clearly, Shen Wei's examination was normal, so why hadn't he recovered?
As she was thinking, she heard Wei Zi Miao suddenly say, "Judging by his skill, he's likely better than my guards. Would you allow him to spar with my guards?"
As soon as he said this, Shen Wei quickly hid behind Li Yue Shu, looking at Wei Zi Miao with a wary expression.
He looked as if Wei Zi Miao were an utterly wicked person.
Li Yue Shu instinctively shielded him and glared unhappily at Wei Zi Miao, "Shen Wei has lost his memory, and his protection just now was a subconscious act. Having him spar with the Wei family guards would be bullying a child!"
Shen. The. Child. Wei: "..."
Ever since he became famous on the battlefield at the age of ten, no one had dared to call him a child.
Wei Zi Miao hadn't expected Li Yue Shu to be so protective and was slightly stunned.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the words caught in his throat. He could only give Shen Wei a deep look.
Shen Wei kept his head down and followed Li Yue Shu as they turned to leave.
Everyone dispersed, but they still felt lingering fear from what had just happened.
Wei Zi Miao watched their retreating figures with an unreadable expression.
He beckoned, and a guard beside him immediately stepped forward.
Wei Zi Miao lowered his voice, "Did you get a clear look at his movements just now?"
The guard also lowered his voice, "This subordinate was paying close attention. His skill... is likely no less than mine."
If he hadn't been observing carefully, he might not have even noticed Shen Wei's movements.
Hearing this, Wei Zi Miao's heart sank slightly.
After a moment of thought, he said, "You discreetly investigate where he used to be a guard. Be careful not to alert him."
If Shen Wei's identity was truly extraordinary, they would have to be extremely cautious during the investigation.
However, Wei Zi Miao did not anticipate that even with his men's vigilance, Chai Yang would notice.
Upon learning that Wei Zi Miao was the one investigating them, Shen Wei's gaze turned cold.
So, the "accidental slip" during the Wei family guard's sparring match last time was intentional on Wei Zi Miao's part!
Shen Wei said coldly, "Arrange for him to be sent to a random destination. Don't let him find out about the Prince's mansion."
At these words, Chai Yang, usually calm and composed, looked up in surprise.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Master, this is a good opportunity for us to return to Chongzhou."
Shen Wei's body stiffened, his eyes lowered. He didn't reply.
Xing He, standing nearby, sensed something was wrong and looked at Chai Yang with confusion, "What good opportunity are you talking about?"
Chai Yang pursed his lips, seemingly having made a difficult decision, and bowed his head slightly, "Master's reason for not rushing back initially was to find the traitor who betrayed the Three Thousand Guarded Abyss Army. Now that it's known to be the Second Prince's doing, it's time to find an opportunity to let the people in Chongzhou know of Master's whereabouts, so Master can return openly. And Wei Zi Miao's investigation... is such an opportunity."
As Chai Yang spoke, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly colder.
By the end, both Chai Yang and Xing He had knelt down.
Although Xing He didn't fully understand what was happening, he could clearly feel that his Master was angry.
Shen Wei's eyes were downcast, his hands clasped behind his back, his demeanor becoming somewhat overbearing.
"Chai Yang, you have overstepped."
These six words, spoken in a perfectly calm tone, instantly made Chai Yang and Xing He, who had been by his side since childhood, perceive the icy chill within them.
The two lowered their heads even further, daring not to speak, their breathing instinctively suppressed.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Wei finally reined in his imposing aura and turned to leave directly.
Xing He slumped to the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Master's aura is becoming more and more terrifying."
Chai Yang also looked up, his complexion better than Xing He's, but still somewhat pale.
However, his expression was more filled with worry.