On the other side, Prince Qin clearly didn't drop his guard entirely just because the young man claimed to be “Xie Jinyi’s Senior Brother.”
He could trust Xie Jinyi, but he wouldn't trust a random person from the martial world who suddenly appeared just based on a single sentence. Moreover, this fellow had just stolen his item, fled all across the capital, and even fought him fiercely; he didn't look like a pushover by any means.
Consequently, Prince Qin quickly ordered his estate guards to restrain the young man, sealing his meridians and cultivation, and to take him back to the Prince's estate for custody.
However, he wasn't in a hurry to resort to torture or interrogation. If the man truly was Xie Jinyi’s Senior Brother, then he naturally needed to leave Jinyi some face regarding the matter.
Yet, a trace of irritation inexplicably grew in Prince Qin’s heart. Jinyi’s Senior Brother? What exactly was the relationship between this man and Jinyi?
Did they grow up together? Did they practice martial arts together? Did Jinyi spend every day and night with this fellow when she was younger?
He couldn't help but think of the years Xie Jinyi had spent traveling the world with her master—years when he hadn't yet appeared in her life.
This feeling made Prince Qin extremely uncomfortable.
The dignified Prince Qin, commander of the world’s top experts, whom even the old foxes in court didn't dare provoke easily, was actually feeling jealous over a Senior Brother who had appeared out of nowhere. If word got out, no one would believe it.
Prince Qin remained silent for a moment before suddenly remembering there was something else on the floor: the Great Restoration Pill.
His expression darkened slightly at the thought. This pill was something he had gone to great lengths to obtain from his father, the Emperor. He had originally planned to find an opportunity to give it to Xie Jinyi. It could compensate for her loss of the Century-Old Spiritual Ginseng, and she could also study its medicinal properties; perhaps with her medical skills, she could even derive a similar pill formula.
After all, while a Great Restoration Pill was precious and an unattainable dream for ordinary martial artists, what Prince Qin truly valued was never a single pill for himself, but Xie Jinyi’s near-monstrous medical talent.
If the medicinal logic within it could be thoroughly understood, even a slightly weaker version would be a massive boon for the Great Zhou.
But who could have guessed that as soon as he had retrieved the item from the Imperial Inner Treasury, it would be snatched away by this audacious little thief? This was practically plucking whiskers from a tiger’s head.
Even more ridiculous was that after stealing the item, the thief hadn't immediately fled the capital. Instead, he had circled around the city several times, ultimately allowing Prince Qin to personally catch up to him.
Now, after this fierce battle, Prince Qin realized the situation was a case of the flood striking the Dragon King's temple—friendly fire.
Still, no matter how Prince Qin looked at this so-called Senior Brother, he didn't think the guy looked like an honest person. Given Xie Jinyi’s personality, how could she let her Senior Brother go to the Prince’s estate to steal something?
If this item were truly stolen goods, she likely wouldn't accept it even if it were placed before her.
As various thoughts turned in Prince Qin's mind, he suddenly noticed that his future sister-in-law—who had been weighing on his mind recently—had already crouched on the floor and was very seriously studying the bottle containing the Great Restoration Pill.
“Don’t open it casually,” Prince Qin reminded her offhandedly, his tone unexpectedly a bit softer than usual. “If the medicinal strength leaks out, you’ll get hurt.”
Xie Zhaofan looked up at him. This one look caused Prince Qin to freeze slightly.
The young lady had just witnessed a battle between peerless masters; her veiled hat had long since fallen aside. Her pitch-black hair was slightly messy, her exquisite and radiant face held a hint of curiosity, and those lively, seductive eyes were startlingly clear, as if they could look directly into one's soul.
Prince Qin’s heart stirred inexplicably, though he quickly suppressed the strange sensation.
“Prince Qin, what kind of medicine is this exactly?” Xie Zhaofan shook the small bottle in her hand and asked curiously. “It smells pretty fragrant. Can I eat it?”
Prince Qin couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. “Naturally, it can be eaten.”
He intentionally put on a stern face, and his tone became a bit more intimidating. “However, if an ordinary person like you were to swallow it, you would likely explode and die instantly.”
Although these words sounded like an exaggeration, he wasn't intentionally scaring Xie Zhaofan. The medicinal power of the Great Restoration Pill was incredibly domineering; even a peak expert like himself wouldn't dare take it lightly.
If one were to swallow it, they would need at least half a month of secluded cultivation to rely on their powerful internal energy to refine the medicinal power bit by bit. Otherwise, any slight negligence could lead to the rampaging energy shattering one's meridians.
This was also why he had never consumed it himself. For him, this Great Restoration Pill was precious, but it was far less important than letting Xie Jinyi study its medicinal logic.
Xie Zhaofan immediately showed a look of distaste after hearing that. “So terrifying? Then what's the difference between this and poison?”
She took one last lingering look at the bottle in her hand before finally handing it over. “Better give it back to you, then.”
Despite what she said, her mind was already racing with calculations. No rush! Let the item reach Xie Jinyi first. I'll find a way eventually.
Just as Prince Qin was reaching out to take it, an unexpected change occurred.
Whoosh—
A subtle sound of something cutting through the air, almost too faint to detect, suddenly came from the distance. In the next instant, an arrow had already crossed the street.
Only when the arrow was nearly before them did a terrifying sonic boom erupt, like a clap of thunder on level ground.
An arrow faster than sound!
Prince Qin’s pupils contracted sharply. Under normal circumstances, his martial arts would naturally prevent him from being injured by a sneak attack of this level.
However, he had just finished a great battle, and his attention had been focused on Xie Zhaofan. Attacked so suddenly, even though his reaction was at its limit, he could only barely dodge his vital organs.
Pfft!
The arrow grazed his arm, instantly tearing through his sleeve and leaving a deep wound that showed bone. Blood immediately sprayed out.
Prince Qin let out a muffled groan. Due to the sudden shock, the medicinal bottle in his hand slipped out and fell heavily to the floor.
Crack!
The jade bottle shattered into several pieces. The Great Restoration Pill—round and as large as a dragon’s eye—rolled out, and a dense medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air.
Xie Zhaofan was startled by the sudden turn of events. She looked at the mess on the floor and then at the injured Prince Qin, an extremely absurd thought surfacing in her mind.
Is this Prince Qin a jinx reincarnated? Today, she had come out to find something to ward off evil. First, she encountered two peerless experts fighting. Then she finally found something the system deemed a treasure, but just as she was about to return it, an assassin appeared.
Every time Prince Qin showed up, things became abnormal. This luck was simply too bizarre.
“An archer!”
“Protect the Prince!”
The surrounding guards finally reacted, drawing their weapons and rushing forward.
Rate on N.U.
